《From Nun to Real Heiress: Expert at Turning the Tables》


 Chapter 1: 001 Return home

    <h4>Chapter 1: 001 Return home</h4>


    The Zhu''s, the most prominent family in Jiangcheng, have recently been the talk of the town.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was hospitalized following a car ident and needed a blood transfusion, but there was no matching blood type in the Zhu family.


    Madam Lin Qing, Zhu''s wife, hired a private detective to investigate. As it turned out, sixteen years ago, before the Zhus had made their fortune, Lin Qing gave birth at a small town clinic. There, a nurse swapped her newborn child with another, altering the fates of two children.


    Zhu Xiangxiang became the pampered daughter of a wealthy family, while the real heiress was left to roam the countryside.


    Life was imitating art, and spectators expressed marvel at Zhu Xiangxiang''s good fortune while expressing pity for the unfortunate real heiress.


    Today is the day that the real heiress pays a visit.


    Jiangcheng is full of gawkers. If the true heiress has been living in the countryside, it will be hard for her to ascend to the ranks of high society.


    As for Zhu Xiangxiang, she is hailed as the firstdy of Jiangcheng, and countless young talents admire her. She is disdainful and proud, belittling everyone. Many of Jiangcheng''s high-societydies are jealous of her. Now that the supposed phoenix was actually hatched in a chicken coop, they won''t miss the opportunity to mock her.


    So, under the publicity of these gossipydies, the matter of Zhu''s real and fake heir has be a heated topic, even the entertainment section has given it extensive coverage.


    A sports car was parked beside the flower bed opposite the Qu''s vi. Inside sat three fashionable young women. The woman in the driver''s seat, with wavy hair and zing red lips, removed her sunsses with one hand and was ying with a DSLR camera in her other hand. With a smirk, she said, "Zhu Xiangxiang must be very restless now."


    "Of course, she used to swagger around because she thought she was the heiress of the Zhu family. Now she must be praying that the Zhu family won''t kick her out." Li Jiaojiao said cheerfully at the misfortune.


    The girl in the passenger seat frowned and said, "But I heard that the real heiress of the Zhu family grew up in a Nunnery. She is ignorant and uneducated. Can she defeat Zhu Xiangxiang, who is so cunning?"


    Li Jiaojiao shot her a nce, "Don''t we have ourselves? If the price is right, anything can be done. As long as we can make Zhu Xiangxiang suffer, I will spare no effort."


    The man she had pursued for a year was swept away by Zhu Xiangxiang with a mere snap of her fingers. Of all people, Li Jiaojiao hated her the most.


    Zhao Qin nced at the rearview mirror: "Here shees."


    In the blink of an eye, a ck sedan stopped at the entrance of the vi, the driver got out and opened the back door.


    Zhao Qin raised her DSLR. The car was parked diagonally from the entrance, so she could only photograph a side silhouette.


    A tall and thin figure emerged from the car, dressed in brown robes that fluttered in the wind, emphasizing her slender and elegant figure.


    The young girl was dressed as a nun, her face unseen. She held herself upright, walked at a measured pace, like a summer''s breeze, her mere silhouette gave an impression of cool tranquility.


    Zhao Qin clicked a few shots, and by the time she looked up, the girl had already disappeared into the entrance. She stared at the slender figure in her camera, deep in thought.


    Sun Qingqing murmured, "Oh my gosh, she really is a nun..."


    Li Jiaojiao rubbed her hands excitedly, "The show has begun. It''s a pity we can''t go into the Zhu''s residence, otherwise the live broadcast would undoubtedly be interesting."


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Zhu''s living room, all the rtives of the Zhu family have gathered to meet the real heiress.


    Madam Zhu sat in the main seat, Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing were next to her, followed by her niece Zhu Wenjie and her daughter Zhou Yong. Zhu Xiangxiang was sitting next to Lin Qing.


    Zhou Yong surreptitiously examined Zhu Xiangxiang. She saw the young girl wearing a tailored silver-embroidered white woolen sweater, a camel-colored suspenders long skirt, her long hair loose over her shoulders. She had a refined appearance, her hands crossed over her stomach, genteel and dignified, elegant in every aspect, disying all the characteristics of the firstdy of the house.


    Even at this moment, there was no hint of panic or anxiety on her face, as if the person about to arrive was not a rival for her position but a casual visitor.


    Zhou Yong secretly scoffed. When the real heiress arrives, I wonder if you will still be able to keep yourposure.


    The butler Uncle Wen entered the room: "The youngdy has arrived."


    In an instant, all eyes in the room fell on the entrance.


    Although they had heard rumors that the real heiress had been raised in a temple, everyone felt a strange sensation when they saw a girl in monk''s clothinging in.


    Seeing her biological daughter, Lin Qing showed no excitement. Instead, she frowned.


    The olddy smiled and beckoned, "Granny''s eyes are not good. I can''t see clearly. Come closer."


    The girl approached, and the olddy took her hand, examining her closely and approvingly, "What a beautiful girl. What''s your name?"


    "Ming Jing." Her voice was sweet and serene.


    "Good girl, sorry for the past sufferings. From now on, you are a part of this family. If anyone dares to bully you, tell granny, I won''t let them get off easily." Everyone felt a sense of intimidation as she finished speaking and scanned the room.


    As the matriarch of the Zhu family, Madam Zhumanded great respect. When she spoke, people listened. Since the real heiress had won the olddy''s favor, her future life would not be too tough.


    "Xiangxiang." The olddy began.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, who had been silent all along, then stood up. With a gentle andposed smile on her face, she walked over.


    Lin Qing watched Zhu Xiangxiang with worry.


    "Regardless of true or false, you and Ming Jing are both daughters of the Zhu family. I will not favor one over the other. From now on, I''ll leave Ming Jing in your care. As the elder sister, you must take good care of her, understand?"


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s voice was soft, "I understand, granny."Turning her head, she took Ming Jing''s hand and said gently, "Ming Jing, I am Xiangxiang. You can call me sister or by my name. I''m here to introduce you to our rtives."


    Her demeanor was natural, not overly rigid, nor overly affectionate, giving others a sense of warmfort.


    Ming Jing followed her in greeting the rtives one by one. Theypliment them and handed over a red packet, a gift of introduction for the child.


    When it was Zhu Wenjie''s turn, she stuffed over a thick red packet andughed warmly, "I''ve always thought that Xiangxiang doesn''t look like her sister-inw. Now seeing Ming Jing, I understand why they are indeed mother and daughter, literally carved from the same mold."


    Lin Qing''s already gloomy face turned as dark as pot bottom, ring fiercely at Zhu Wenjie.


    If she could make Lin Qing upset, Zhu Wenjie would be happy.


    She had deliberately made thosements to provoke Lin Qing. The fact was, Ming Jing didn''t look like Zhu Wenjie at all. If not for the DNA identification result, she would have thought the private detectives were fooling people.


    "Cousin, you grew up in a nunnery, was it boring? Oh and by the way cousin, have you gone to school? How many characters do you recognize?" Asked Zhou Bao, with an innocent look on her face.


    Not to mention that Lin Qing''s face had gone dark enough to be dripping wet, even Madam''s face didn''t look good, she red at Zhou Bao, "Ying, Ying."


    Zhu Xiangxiang was about to step in to smooth things over when Ming Jing, who had been silent and calm, spoke up. She twirled a Buddhist bead in her hand, and each bead was round and shiny, reflecting the marks of time, creating a mysterious harmony on her fair fingers.


    "Thanks to the loving teachings of my Master, she taught me to learn characters from a young age. Although I have no grand talents, I am not without a sense of literacy. As for school, life in the nunnery is austere and filled with daily cultivation, thus there is no opportunity to attend school."


    Her choice of words was elegant and refined-doesn''t sound like she hasn''t been to school at all.


    With a fair skin as pure as snow, brows like distant mountains, her nose as delicate as jade, and lips touched with crimson, she was very thin due to a hard life in the nunnery. However, that added to the intensity of the affection she elicited.


    Yet, the most striking part of her was her pair of eyes. They were calm as still water, disying an aura simr to thepassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva who looks upon all beings with mercy, rescuing mortals from the sea of suffering.


    For a moment, Zhou Bao almost knelt down to venerate her.


    "What a pity, my beautiful niece has suffered so much from a young age. Unlike Xiangxiang, who has attended the best aristocratic schools since she was a child, wearing branded clothes, learning both piano and dancing. If there hadn''t been a mix-up, she would now be the firstdy of Jiangzhou."


    Zhu Wenjie''s every word and sentence were designed to provoke, hoping to instigate a fight between the two.


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled and said, "Auntie, there''s no use discussing what''s already happened. I will do my best to make it up to Ming Jing from now on."


    When it was Lin Qing''s turn, she took off the jade bracelet she had worn for many years and put it on Ming Jing''s wrist, bluntly saying, "From now on, listen to your sister. This is your home."


    Ming Jing''s wrist was very thin, and the jade bracelet was not a good fit. It was prone to fall off with a slight movement. It''s unclear whether Lin Qing did this intentionally or not.


    Running her fingers over the warm and cool jade bracelet, Ming Jing lowered her eyes and uttered, "Thank you, Mother."


    Lin Qing choked a bit, "Can''t you call me Mom?" It''s not like we''re in a patriarchal society, she''s being so formal with me.


    Zhu Wentao waved his hand, "The child just came back, don''t be so hard on her."


    He didn''t have high expectations for this daughter before, but was pleasantly surprised when he met her. She was more beautiful than anyone in the Zhu family, her temperament was neither arrogant nor impatient. With proper grooming, she wouldn''t be inferior to Xiangxiang.


    "Oh yes, you also have a younger brother, Shaodan. He is a year younger than us, very yful, and hardly stays at home. I''ll introduce him to you when hees back."


    At the end of the introductions, the rtives said their goodbyes and left one after another.


    Lin Qing looked at Ming Jing''s religious attire and frowned in disgust, "How unlucky! Xiangxiang, give her one of your outfits to change into. I''ll take her shopping for clothes tomorrow. What is she wearing? Also, take off that nun''s veil. If she''s bald, she can wear a wig."


    Without saying much, Ming Jing followed Zhu Xiangxiang upstairs.


    "You are her biological mother. She just came back, and you can''t even say a nice word. You might scare her away again." Granny Zhu scolded.


    "Mom, look at her clothes. I just can''t bear to lose face like this."


    "Could the child choose this for herself? Knowing that her life was tough, you should have prepared her clothes in advance and picked her up yourself. You have no right to despise her without having spent even a day raising her. It''s your attitude that will make our family aughing stock."


    Rendered speechless by the scolding, Lin Qing couldn''t utter a word.


    Granny Zhu huffed, "Besides, even in these clothes, she wasn''t any less than Xiangxiang, who you raised personally. She''s your own daughter, so you better put some heart into this." With those words, she returned to her room leaning on her cane.


    Upstairs, after changing her clothes in the wardrobe room, Ming Jing stood by the french windows. When Zhu Xiangxiang, who had been lost in thought, turned her head, her pupils contracted unconsciously.


    The emotion passed from her eyes in an instant and she walked over nonchntly, "You''re taller than me, so the skirt is a bit short, but you look pretty in it."


    That was true, Ming Jing was tall and slim, just like a supermodel. A perfect clothes hanger.


    Ming Jing folded her religious attire neatly and ced her nun''s veil on it. As Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her round, bald head, it urred to her for the first time that a bald head could also look so good.


    Ming Jing''s room was at the end of the second floor. It didn''t have the floor-to-ceiling patio, wardrobe room, or bathroom like Zhu Xiangxiang''s room. It was a guest room that had been temporarily modified with its own bathroom, sterile like a hotel room. It was equipped with some items for a girls'' daily life, even five different types of sanitary napkins, indicating that the person who prepared these items was quite detail-oriented.


    "I live next door, let me know if you need anything. Rest for now, we have a family dinner at seven." After saying this, Zhu Xiangxiang left.


    Ming Jing had nothing with her when she came, so there wasn''t much to tidy up.


    She sat cross-legged on the bed, meditating silently and chanting her mantras. "Monks do not speak false words. Everything happens for a reason, I earnestly beg for Buddha''s forgiveness," murmured Ming Jing quietly.

 Chapter 2: 002 Deities

    <h4>Chapter 2: 002 Deities</h4>


    Zhu Xiangxiang returned to her room, turned on her phone, and browsed the inte. As expected, the entertainment headlines had been updated.


    ¡ª From a chicken coop to a golden phoenix or upying a magpie''s nest? Unveiling the rise of the top socialite!


    ¡ª The little nun transforms into a wealthydy? Where will the fake heiress go?


    Exaggerated eye-catching headlines apanied the stolen photos of Ming Jing''s back, along with a few malicious ones of Zhu Xiangxiang. The storm had begun.


    People loved gossiping about wealthy families, and the drama of a real vs. fake heiress is something that even screenwriters couldn''te up with, soizens were obsessed with discussing it online. Some sympathized with Ming Jing and hated Zhu Xiangxiang, and with the maliciousments from trolls, Zhu Xiangxiang was being dragged through the mud.


    Zhu Xiangxiang could guess who was behind this, but that wasn''t important now. A few harsh words online couldn''t hurt her, and the more viciousments she received, the more pity her family would feel, which was exactly what she wanted.


    ¡ª


    The Zhu family had a banquet that night, and Ming Jing came downstairs. Lin Qing was furious when she saw Ming Jing''s shaved head.


    Granny Zhu had warned her not to curse at anyone and ordered the nanny to quickly buy a wig, as she couldn''t bear to see it for a second longer.


    Granny Zhu pulled Ming Jing to her side, taking the seat that used to belong to Zhu Shaodan. Zhu Xiangxiang nced at them and sat down to the right of Lin Qing.


    Granny Zhu looked at Ming Jing''s bald head andughed, "A round head is a sign of intelligence and good fortune."


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, "May your wordse true."


    Granny Zhu patted her hand, and a delicate silver lock appeared in Ming Jing''s hand, "A gift for our first meeting."


    Ming Jing graciously epted, "Thank you, Granny."


    It is impolite to refuse an elder''s gift.


    The nanny kept bringing dishes, and soon the table was filled with all kinds of delicacies.


    "I don''t know what you like to eat, but after all the hardships you experienced, look how thin you''ve be. From now on, you must eat well and nourish your body." Granny Zhu looked at Ming Jing with a heart full of pity.


    Granny Zhu looked around and asked in a deep voice, "Shaodan hasn''te back yet?"


    "I was wondering why the lights in the dining room were so ring tonight. Turns out we have an extra light bulb." A disdainful and sarcastic voice came from outside the door, and a handsome young man entered with his hands in his pockets.


    He was about fifteen years old, thin and tall, wearing a yellow and white-striped baseball shirt, with the foil curls that yboys loved. He was handsome and spirited.


    However, his eyes were hostile as he stared at Ming Jing, "Our family doesn''t run a charity. Don''t bring in any stray cats or dogs."


    "Watch your mouth, this is your sister Ming Jing," Granny Zhu scolded in a deep voice.


    Zhu Shaodan rolled his eyes, "I don''t have a nun for a sister. I only have one sister, and that''s Zhu Xiangxiang."


    Granny Zhu was furious, about to hit him with her cane, but she was stopped by Lin Qing, who was protective of her son. "If Shaodan doesn''t like her, then let him be. But sit down and eat."


    "I won''t eat with a nun." With that, he stormed upstairs with his hands still in his pockets.


    "This child is getting worse and worse." Granny Zhu scolded, patting the back of Ming Jing''s hand.


    "Shaodan isn''t a bad person; we just spoiled him. Give it some time, and he''ll see your kindness."


    Ming Jing gently patted Granny Zhu''s back tofort her, saying softly, "It''s not worth wasting energy on irrelevant people."


    Granny Zhu sighed. She saw it clearly; ever since Ming Jing entered this family, she had never shown any emotion, truly embodying the emptiness of a monk''s life.


    Yet she was still just a young girl in the prime of her life.


    The meal was nd, and near the end, Lin Qing received a call. After hanging up, she nced at the quietly eating Ming Jing.


    "Your school has been arranged. Report there the day after tomorrow. You''ll be at the same school as Xiangxiang, but your foundation is too poor, so you have to start from the first year of high school. I don''t expect you to be as good as Xiangxiang, but getting a diploma is enough. The Zhus will support you for a lifetime."


    Zhu Xiangxiang happily said, "Mom, don''t worry, as long as I''m around, no one will bully Xiangxiang.""That''s great, Ming Jing. From now on, we can go to school and go home together." Zhu Xiangxiang''s smile was so sincere that it moved those who saw it.


    Comparing her to the quiet and bald Ming Jing, the contrast was quite jarring, causing the imaginary bnce in everyone''s minds to tilt again.


    Did Ming Jing care about what these people thought of her? After dinner, she went back to her room.


    She came to the Zhus with a mission, not to perform acts of motherly love, sisterly affection, and sisterly respect with them.


    Walking into the bathroom, she looked at the face in the mirror. Every feature was delicate, every part perfect, beyond what the Zhu family''s genes could ever achieve through mutation.


    With her current identity, exceptional beauty was not a good thing.


    There was a knock on the door at this time, "Miss, I''ve bought the wigs."


    Not knowing which style Ming Jing preferred, the maid bought five different types.


    Ming Jing nced at them and picked the most ordinary short one with thick, blunt bangs, obscuring her smooth and full forehead, making her look dull and restrained.


    The maid couldn''t help but remind her, "This long, straight wig suits you best, Miss. Even with a bald appearance, you''re beautiful. Wearing this wig, you''ll be even more beautiful."


    Ming Jing cast an indifferent nce at her. The maid shuddered internally, not knowing why. Although the new Miss looked kind and gentle, her gaze made the maid feel exposed and vulnerable. It was strange.


    "I''ll put these four wigs in the cab for you, Miss. You can wear whichever one you want, and change it every day for a refreshing look."


    Ming Jing nodded slightly in response, sitting cross-legged on the bed, meditating, bing as silent as an old monk.


    Maid Xiao Ying sneaked a few nces at her. The slender figure bathed in a holy radiance under the light, as if looking any longer would be sphemy.


    She silently muttered "Amitofo" before quickly leaving.


    ©¤©¤


    Shengde High School was the best aristocratic high school in the city. To enroll, students had to be rich or powerful. To improve the school''s college admission rate, the board members spent a lot of money on recruiting top students from poor backgrounds who relied on their studies to make a name for themselves. However, these students looked down on the wealthy second-generation kids, while said kids scorned these fake, pretentious, but genuinely poor students.


    Especially after an incidentst month where Lin Helong was forced to drop out, the two factions were at each other''s throats.


    The first-grade students were usually divided into the rocket, gifted, experimental and parallel sses. ss 8 was known for itszy, mediocre students, detested by all.


    The arrival of a transfer student barely caused a ripple in the ss.


    Ming Jing obediently walked to the seat designated by the teacher and sat down. Her deskmate was an outgoing, round-faced girl who smiled warmly and said, "Hi Ming Jing, my name is Tao Xingxing."


    Ming Jing put down her backpack, took out her textbooks and stationery, turned her head to look into Tao Xingxing''s eyes, and smiled slightly, "Hello."


    The girl in front of her seemed extremely ordinary, but her eyes were so beautiful, conveying an indescribable, open-mindedness.


    All-epassing, tolerant and great.


    Tao Xingxing, who excelled in Chinesenguage, immediately found the perfect adjective.


    That was the feeling.


    Opening her textbook, Ming Jing looked at the dense words on the page as her thoughts quietly drifted.


    How long had it been since shest sat in a ssroom like this, learning peacefully?


    Picking up her pen, Ming Jing smiled. After years of worshiping Buddha, her mind had transcended, yet her fingertips couldn''t stop trembling at this moment.


    As the girl sat calmly, the noisy surroundings seemed to have no effect on her. There seemed to be a halo around her, gentle and incredible.


    Tao Xingxing was stunned.


    She saw a god.

 Chapter 3: 003 Rule

    <h4>Chapter 3: 003 Rule</h4>


    Zhu Xiangxiang invited Ming Jing to ride in a special car with her to school, but Ming Jing refused.


    Now, the Zhu family''s true and false heiress affair is causing quite a stir, but no one has seen the real heiress. Zhu Xiangxiang, with her good grades, good poprity, and good looks, is not affected by the revtion of her false heiress identity in school. At most, there are some jealous women behind her making a few sarcasticments.


    Recently, the online news has been full of reports, which stirred up the matter again.


    It is said that the real heiress has already been taken back by the Zhus two days ago, and Zhu Xiangxiang''s days will be hard.


    Some people rejoice, some people worry.


    Nobody knows that the real heiress, who is at the center of public opinion, is sitting in Shengde High School Senior ss 8 at this moment.


    During the break, the girls gathered together, discussing the matter, and from their words, they seemed to be taking pleasure in Zhu Xiangxiang''s misfortune.


    Ming Jing ignored them, focusing on her studies.


    "Plop!" A crumpled piece of paper fell onto Ming Jing''s textbook, and a girl''s scornful voice was heard in her ear.


    "The new girl, acting like a good student?"


    Ming Jing pinched the paper ball without looking back. She threw it in a parabolic arc,nding it urately in the trash can in the corner.


    Her gaze remained on the textbook.


    "Damn it." Although the move was interesting, the girls were still angered by Ming Jing''s indifference. They were about to walk over and teach her a lesson, when the ss bell rang. They left her with a threat: "Wait for me."


    Taking advantage of the teacher''s writing on the ckboard, Tao Xingxing whispered in Ming Jing''s ear, "Her name is Zhang Jingwen. Her family is in real estate, and her father donated a building to the school. She once bullied a girl so much that she became depressed and dropped out of school. The school didn''t dare to do anything to her. She''s part of Zhao Qin''s clique from high school senior year, and they usually walk around the school arrogantly. It''s better not to have a conflict with them. I''m afraid they would gang up and bully you."


    These girls have countless ways of bullying others, which is chilling to think about.


    Ming Jing nodded. "I understand."


    Tao Xingxing was concerned because Ming Jing didn''t seem to take it seriously.


    As expected, right after Ming Jing came out of the restroom, she was cornered by Zhang Jingwen and her three girls.


    Ming Jing asked calmly, "ssmate, what can I do for you?"


    Zhang Jingwen sneered, "You''re the new girl, right, Ming Jing? Not knowing the rules of this ce? I''ll show you the ropes right now."


    The ss was about to start, and there was hardly anyone in the restroom.


    With a wave of Zhang Jingwen''s hand, the three girls smirked and stretched their ws toward Ming Jing.


    Zhang Jingwen saw that Ming Jing had yet to beg for mercy and a malicious glint shed in her eyes, waiting to make Ming Jing cry outter.


    "Ah, it''s so itchy..."


    The moment their fingers were about to touch Ming Jing''s hair, the three changed their faces.


    One by one, they scratched their hands, and several scratches appeared on their smooth hands in an instant. The more they scratched, the more itchy they felt. In no time, their hands swelled up, bloody and shocking.


    Due to the unbearable itch, the girls'' faces turned red, and they became agitated. One of them couldn''t help but rub her hand against the wall.


    Zhang Jingwen was confused by the sudden turn of events and couldn''t help but shiver. She felt itchy too.


    As a thought crossed her mind, she red at Ming Jing, who was standing quietly on the side, and yelled, "Did you do this?!"


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, "That''s a false usation. I didn''t do anything. Perhaps it''s retribution for all your misdeeds?"


    "You... What did you do?" Zhang Jingwen twisted, feeling as if ants were biting her back and body, so itchy that she wanted to kill someone.


    "Young people shouldn''t be so angry. It''s your heart that''s itchy. Calm your heart, and the itch will naturally go away."


    She spoke calmly, and Zhang Jingwen''s anger made her even itchier...


    Ming Jing walked to Zhang Jingwen, nced coldly at her, and said, "A small punishment for a greater warning. Don''t let it happen again."


    With that, she walked away.Zhang Jingwen couldn''t shake the gaze fixed upon her from her mind, as if an invisible hand was pressing down on her head. Fear crawled over her body like lice.


    Not itching, but cold, a cold that seeped into her bones.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing walked into the ssroom with the ringing of the bell, and Tao Xingxing let out a sigh of relief when she saw here in.


    "I was really afraid they would bully you. It''s good that you''re fine. You should stay out of the ssroom as much as possible recently. If it doesn''t work, call me."


    Ming Jing took out a tissue and slowly wiped the water stains from her hands, saying nonchntly, "I''m fine."


    Tao Xingxing suddenly sniffed, like a cat, and snuggled up to Ming Jing. "You smell so good. What brand of perfume do you use?"


    Ming Jing paused and said casually, "Just incense. If you like it, I''ll give you the form."


    "Yes, yes, please."


    Master had left her a Jiuhuanjing, which contained more than a thousand dual-use forms for medicine and poison. After years of practice, she had mastered the art of using them imperceptibly.


    The back mountain of Jiyuean was an undeveloped primitive forest, home to many strange flowers and nts. Those recorded in the book could basically be found in the back mountain.


    Snapdragon mixed with Buddha''s Hand in a certain proportion could cure itching poison. Whenbined, these two ingredients produced a unique aroma that was addictive, but harmless to the body.


    In the afternoon, the sunlightzily shone on Tao Xingxing as she indulged in the fragrance. She squinted her eyes and wore an expression of pure enjoyment on her face.


    Meanwhile, her deskmate was buried in her studies. Looking around the ss, others were sleeping, ying with their phones, or chatting. Her deskmate was the odd one out.


    Shaking her head, Tao Xingxing thought, is ss 8 going to produce a top student?


    Zhang Jingwen didn''t return until school was dismissed in the afternoon. Skipping ss had be a regr urrence for these students, and the teachers could neither manage nor dare to manage it.


    There was quite a bit of homework. When Ming Jing finished writing and looked up, there was only one male student left in the ssroom.


    Ming Jing packed her bag and left, followed by the boy getting up and leaving too.


    Based on Ming Jing''s observation and Tao Xingxing''s gossip, this male student was the ss leader Hu Tian, who was a poor student and the only good student in ss 8.


    After Ming Jing left, Hu Tian locked the ssroom and kept a distance from Ming Jing as they both left.


    "It''s her, Sister Zhao Qin." Just as Ming Jing walked out of the school gate, she was surrounded by Zhang Jingwen and several other girls.


    The girl leading the group had wavy hair, a midriff-baring top, and denim shorts, showing off her seductive figure. Her gorgeous, bewitching features were exquisitely captivating.


    Zhao Qin, the female bully who ruled Shengde High School, ording to Tao Xingxing. Her father was the richest man in Jiangcheng, and her mother was a mafia princess. She had a foot in both the legal and illegal worlds, and no one dared to mess with her, not just in Shengde High School, but all over Jiangcheng.


    Ming Jing gave them a cursory nce and carried on her way without breaking stride.


    "You stop right there," Zhang Jingwen shouted, reaching out to grab her before thinking better of it and pulling her hand back.


    She could only watch as Ming Jing walked away.


    Zhang Jingwen stomped her foot in anger. "Sister Zhao Qin, you must help me get even with her. She''s too arrogant; she doesn''t even respect you."


    Zhao Qin had been staring at Ming Jing''s retreating figure, seemingly deep in thought. Hearing Zhang Jingwen''s words, she raised an eyebrow.


    "When did I say I would help you get revenge? Clean up the mess you made yourself. I''m not your mother. I won''t meddle in everything."


    Zhang Jingwen was enraged but dared not say anything.


    Zhao Qin chuckled, stroking her chin.


    No wonder she looked familiar at first nce; this was none other than the true heiress of the Zhu family who had just returned.


    And had surprisingly transferred schools quietly.


    ncing at Zhang Jingwen''s bloodied hand, Zhao Qin thought to herself that the true heiress had some skills.

 Chapter 4: 004 Arrogance

    <h4>Chapter 4: 004 Arrogance</h4>


    A week had passed since the start of the new term.


    Ming Jing left for school early every day, refusing Zhu Xiangxiang''s offer to take the private car, instead opting for the public bus.


    She kept to her room upon returning home, never leaving.


    She skipped even dinner; the housemaid invited her once, only to be told that as a nun, she did not eat after noon.


    Thus, in the ten days since Ming Jing had moved into The Zhus, Zhu Xiangxiang had not had the chance to encounter her at all.


    Every day, Lin Qing dolled up to go out shopping and y Mahjong with her group of friends,pletely forgetting about her biological daughter. It was only following Granny Zhu''s reminder that Lin Qing remembered ¨C ah, there was an additional member in the household now.


    She summoned the housemaid to enquire into Ming Jing''s daily life ¨C as simple and dull as it was, not an ounce of mischief present.


    Then, Lin Qing was only put at ease.


    "Ming Jing has been back for a few days now. I''ve been thinking that it might be time to introduce her to everyone. We should select an auspicious day to formally announce Ming Jing''s status to prevent any further difort to the child," Granny Zhu suggested.


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s eyebrows perceptibly furrowed, but she gave no other visible sign of her unease.


    Lin Qing flicked a curl behind her ears and lifted her floral tea for a sip, "This isn''t a good idea for Xiangxiang, I think we should forget it."


    "Mother, Granny''s right. Everything I''m enjoying right now rightfully belongs to Ming Jing; it''s only fair that we give them back to her. Ming Jing has suffered too much throughout her life, we cannot allow her to go through more grievances," said Zhu Xiangxiang, her words brimming with understanding.


    Lin Qing was deeply moved, praising her daughter for her kindness and maturity. Even Granny Zhu couldn''t help but cast a few approving nces at Zhu Xiangxiang, silently nodding to herself.


    "Alright, then. I''ll do the arrangements. I do hope thisss won''t bring shame upon us at the gathering."


    "Mother, it won''t happen. I''ll teach Ming Jing some noble etiquette and fashion tips in theing days. I''m sure she''ll be the brightest among us all, bing the pride of the Zhu family."


    "Ah, you, always looking out for others before yourself. Sometimes, being too kind can get you bullied."


    "I won''t. I have Mother protecting me."


    The mother-daughter pair cuddled together in affection while Granny Zhu nced towards the second floor.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A gentle and patient knock followed - "knock, knock, knock."


    The door opened to reveal a room bathed in brightness, which somewhat dazzled Zhu Xiangxiang.


    The young girl standing before her was donned in a white silk nightgown that flowed down to her ankles, entuating her slender frame even more.


    Above her elongated neck was a small skull devoid of hair, further emphasizing her dainty cheeks.


    Her skin was pale and supple, without a single blemish.


    Her eyes were as deep and serene as ancient wells, akin to the distant mountain peaks nketed under snow ¨C coldly mysterious, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to overflow with life, as though a gentle breeze had swooped over them, revealing a tranquil brook that melted everything in its path.


    Her gaze was difficult to describe in words - while it projected immense pride, it did not bear the least bit of arrogance. Although tender, it was brimming with resilience. Despite itspassionate facade, it was unsympathetic.


    She appeared divine, observing and governing everything, making it impossible for things to hide from her prating gaze.


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s heart began to race. Ming Jing calmly spoke, "Is there a reason for your visit?"


    Calming herself, Zhu Xiangxiang replied, "May Ie in?"


    Ming Jing stepped aside, allowing Zhu Xiangxiang to enter.


    The room had not changed since she moved in, the bed even tidier than before ¨C the only difference was the Diamond Sutraid out on the bedside table.


    "Mother has decided to hold a banquet next month on an auspicious day. She will invite esteemed families from Jiangzhou, and at the gathering, your status will be formally announced," said Zhu Xiangxiang.


    There wasn''t a hint of emotion on Ming Jing''s face. Her eyes did not even blink.


    Zhu Xiangxiang continued, "To present yourself in the best light, from this weekend onwards, let me guide you through some etiquette lessons designed for noble women. We can take it slow if you aren''t well-versed in them."


    Ming Jing merely replied with a thank you.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt rather undermined. She had never encountered such an uninteresting person before ¨C it was like she was a closed book. Had her time in the temple made her lose all worldly desires?


    "By the way, how are you finding school? Can you keep up with the curriculum?"


    Ming Jing responded, "It''s fine."


    The conversation abruptly halted.


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn''t bear it any longer. She didn''t want to spend another moment with Ming Jing beyond what was necessary.


    As soon as Ming Jing closed the door behind her, she got back to her routine of meditating, without feeling that anything was off.


    ¡ª¡ª


    "Where is Shaodan? Why hasn''t he returned yet?" With the clock approaching ten, Lin Qing began anxiously making calls as she failed to locate her son.


    No one answered.


    Lin Qing was always concerned about her son. Perhaps due to their shared connection as mother and son, she had an ominous gut feeling and started calling all of Zhu Shaodan''s friends.


    No one picked up, and those who did hadn''t seen Zhu Shaodan.


    Lin Qing hastily instructed the butler to search the usual locales that Zhu Shaodan frequented. Zhu Shaodan was a textbook version of a spoiled, rich kid ¨Ccking in talent, yet often mingling with the second-generation rich at ces like bars and karaoke lounges. Despite being only fifteen, he had rotated through group after group of girlfriends.


    That night, Lin Qing was restless. Zhu Xiangxiang kept herpany, ying the role of theforting little girl, all the while assuring her mother that Zhu Shaodan would be just fine.


    Just as the sky was brightening, the butler called.


    Zhu Shaodan had gotten into a fight and was sent to the hospital.


    Frantic, Lin Qing immediately rushed to the hospital without a second thought. Zhu Xiangxiang had no choice but to ask for leave to apany her mother.


    Ming Jing, who was ustomed to rising early, saw the two women hurrying out of the house, she arched an eyebrow.


    Zhu Xiangxiang saw her and mentioned hastily, "Ming Jing, Shaodan has been hospitalized. Mother and I are rushing to the hospital to see him. I have to leave the house to you ¨C Granny Zhu is old and can''t take shocks, it''s better if we keep this a secret from her for now."


    Ming Jing merely nodded, prompting Lin Qing to pull Zhu Xiangxiang away while grumbling, "Why bother telling her so much, just seeing her emotionless face annoys me..."


    Ming Jing made her way to the kitchen, where Madam Zhou was preparing breakfast. Granny Zhu, due to her age and poor dental health, had to be dietary restrictions.


    Before The Zhues made their fortune, they were considered a smaller, less recognized family in town. Granny Zhu, an early widow, went through great hardships raising her two children. Now, as an elderlydy, she had grown ustomed to the fine delicacies of the wealthy life. Instead, she preferred modest corn pancakes and drank vegetable porridge.


    Zhu Wentao, being a filial son, had specially brought over Madam Zhou from their hometown. Granny Zhu''s daily meals were generally prepared by Madam Zhou.


    Upon noticing Ming Jing in the kitchen, Madam Zhou was surprised, "Miss, why are you here? The kitchen has too much oil smoke, you should go out."


    Ming Jing rolled up her sleeves, "I can take care of it."


    Ming Jing took the spat from Madam Zhou. The corncakes in the frying pan were sizzling and rapidly rising in response to the heat. Ming Jing quickly flipped the corncakes with skilled movements.


    Madam Zhou was caught by surprise, "Miss, you can make pancakes?"


    While stirring the corn porridge, Ming Jing calmly replied, "In the nunnery, I would make the meals."


    Madam Zhou looked at the slender shoulders of the young girl who showed skilled proficiency, feeling a sense ofpassion in her heart.

 Chapter 5: 005 School Hunk

    <h4>Chapter 5: 005 School Hunk</h4>


    Granny Zhu came out after washing up, sitting at the dining table and taking a bite of the corn pancake.


    Her cloudy old eyes lit up.


    "Madam Zhou''s cooking skills are getting better and better."


    Madam Zhou rubbed her hands on her apron, feeling embarrassed, "Old Madam, today''s breakfast was prepared by Ms. Ming Jing."


    Granny Zhu was surprised, "Ming Jing, that child... where is she?"


    "She took a sandwich to school, Ming Jing leaves very early every day, she basically doesn''t have breakfast at home."


    Granny Zhu sighed, "Poor girl."


    Today''s dining table was exceptionally quiet, Granny Zhu asked, "Where are Lin Qing and Xiangxiang?"


    Miss Xiangxiang specifically reminded not to let old Madam know about little young Master''s hospitalization, so Madam Zhou found an excuse to cover it up.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Zhu Shaodan had three broken ribs, with multiple fractures in his head and legs, and was lying in bed wrapped like a mummy.


    When Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang arrived, Uncle Wen was negotiating with the police at the door of the ward.


    Uncle Wen''s brow furrowed, the young Master had caused trouble in the past, but this time it was much moreplicated, and it couldn''t be resolved in the usual way.


    Because the young Master had offended someone formidable this time.


    Although the other person''s injury was just a flesh wound, much lighter than the young Master''s, because the other party had a strong background, they wanted to handle it as a criminal case. If it went to court and they exerted pressure, the young Master would have a criminal record, and his life would be ruined.


    Uncle Wen''s hair turned white from worry.


    Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang went in to see Zhu Shaodan first, and he was unconscious.


    Coming out to find Uncle Wen to learn about what happened, Lin Qing did not seem to care, "On my Zhu family''s turf in Jiangcheng, is there anything we can''t handle?"


    The Zhus have been rooted in Jiangcheng for many years, and Zhu Wentao and his wife have been skillful inworking. Besides a few old wealthy families, the Zhus were unique, who in Jiangcheng would dare to hit her son? She would tear their skins.


    Uncle Wen received a phone call, his face changed, and he whispered a few words in her ear.


    Lin Qing''s expression went from disdain to solemnity and finally to copse, "It''s impossible, absolutely impossible..."


    Uncle Wen sighed, "Madam, this time''s case is tricky."


    Lin Qing''s face turned pale, and she muttered repeatedly, "How could this happen..."


    Zhu Xiangxiang curiously asked, "Mom, what''s going on?"


    Lin Qing grabbed Zhu Xiangxiang''s hand, "Your brother hit...hit..."


    She whispered a name, and Zhu Xiangxiang''s face changed as if she had thought of something.


    A group of ck-suited bodyguards suddenly appeared and surrounded the ward, not even allowing a fly to fly in.


    A man in a suit and leather shoes strode forward, with an upright face, gentlemanly demeanor, and Zhu Xiangxiang recognized him at a nce.


    This was the most famouswyer in China, Li Qingzhuo, who specialized in criminal cases and had an unbeaten record.


    With Li Qingzhuo taking action, Shaodan was in even greater danger.


    "I''m sorry, everyone, as the patient in this ward is involved in a criminal case, this room is now being taken over by a special team. Please leave as soon as possible," Li Qingzhuo said in a business-like manner.


    Lin Qing was anxious, "What should we do, what should we do about your brother? He''s not really going to jail, is he?"


    Zhu Xiangxiang analyzed calmly, "There are hardly anywyers in the country who can beat Li Qingzhuo, so there''s no way we can go down this road. We have to find another way."


    Lin Qing subconsciously said, "You say, as long as it can save your brother."


    Zhu Xiangxiang said, "I heard that Madam Jiang is on good terms with him, why not try Madam Jiang''s connection? Let her help plead with the other party and let them withdraw thewsuit, and we''ll settle it privately."


    "But I''m not familiar with Madam Jiang, she''s very aloof, and ordinary people can''t even see her face."


    "Then cater to her interests."


    ¡ª¡ª


    "Sister Zhao Qin, why are you so concerned about that transfer student named Ming Jing?" Zhang Jingwen was very puzzled, not only she didn''t stand up for her, but even seems addicted to observing her.


    Zhao Qin was picking at the garlic ribs in her bowl, nced at Ming Jing who was quietly eating in the distance, and said casually, "You will not choke if you keep eating."


    Zhang Jingwen secretly stuck out her tongue.


    Thinking of something, Zhao Qin asked, "Zhu Xiangxiang didn''te to school today?"


    Across her, Sun Qingqing replied, "She''s on leave because of some family matters."


    Zhao Qin sneered, "What a pity, she missed a good show."


    "Ah, it''s Jiang Jinchen! Why is he free toe to the cafeteria today?" Tao Xingxing grabbed Ming Jing''s arm and screamed exaggeratedly.


    It wasn''t just her, the whole cafeteria boiled up at the appearance of this group of people.


    Who is Jiang Jinchen? The heartthrob of Shengde High School, handsome, tall, with a good background, and the basketball team captain, a man of all virtues who attracted attention wherever he went.


    Two teenagers were also with Jiang Jinchen, round face and big eyes named Situ Lin, and the rascal with a cheap smile named Charles Gao, both of whom were good friends of Jiang Jinchen.


    "Miss Zhao, it''s been a few days since we''ve met, and you''re glowing even more. Where did you get your treatment, and can you bring me with you?" Charles Gao smirked and threw a flirtatious nce at Zhao Qin, almost making her throw up herst night''s meal.


    "Get lost," Zhao Qin broke her chopsticks with her bare hands, scaring the surrounding people to shrink their necks.


    Charles Gao shook his head, "Tigress, whoever marries you is unlucky for life."


    Charles Gao''s mouth was so cheap, Zhao Qin wished she could cut it off with scissors.


    Zhao Qin''s eyes rolled, suddenly with a charming smile to Charles Gao, "My family is just short of a son-inw, I think you''re not bad."


    Charles Gao shuddered, "I can''t afford that."


    Their rivalry was quite something, having fought since they were little, and everyone was used to it.


    To the group of "walking heartthrobs," Ming Jing only nced up and then lowered her head again.


    "Have you heard? The young master of Zhu family has offended a big shot, and he''s in for a world of trouble."


    By coincidence, the three of them happened to sit behind Ming Jing after their meal and just happened to start talking about Zhu Shaodan.


    "Serves him right, this kid has been arrogant and domineering, now that he''s messed with a big shot, even the Zhu family can''t cover for him."


    Throughout the conversation, it was just Situ Lin and Charles Gao talking, Jiang Jinchen didn''t say a word.


    "A while ago, the real Miss Zhu caused quite a stir, the real daughter is back, right? The Zhu family is keeping it really tight. They must have something to hide, as for the fake daughter..."


    Charles Gao nced at Jiang Jinchen and chuckled, "Fortunately, our old Chen could hold back, otherwise, he would have fallen into her gutter, too."


    Tao Xingxing blinked and whispered to Ming Jing, "I never thought the male gods would be so gossipy, and, and did you know, I never thought that the grand heartthrob Jiang Jinchen actually liked Zhu Xiangxiang? Isn''t this explosive news?"


    Tao Xingxing was so excited that her voice got louder, just enough for sharp-eared Charles Gao to hear.


    A head popped out between them, "You little girl, what are you whispering about? It''s not a good habit to gossip behind people''s backs."


    They turned their heads and were faced with a pair of deep eyes, like an ancient well. My god, Charles Gao was nearly scared out of his wits.

 Chapter 6: 006 Fickle

    <h4>Chapter 6: 006 Fickle</h4>


    The short-haired girl in front of him had thick bangs covering her forehead, revealing only a delicate, palm-sized face.


    Her skin was so white that it seemed wless, and her nose looked like it had been carved from jade, almost translucent under the sunlight. Her lips were lightly pressed together, giving off a sense of coldness.


    Her eyes nced at him briefly before moving away, as if he was just a de of grass by the roadside, unable to create even the slightest ripple in her heart.


    And yet, Charles Gao''s heart began to race uncontrobly.


    There was a woman in the world who could actually ignore his good looks?


    Impossible, she must be ying hard to get.


    It wasn''t that Charles Gao was narcissistic, but he was as handsome as Jiang Jinchen, even with his fox-like eyes more seductive than Jiang Jinchen''s. If it weren''t for his foul mouth and arrogance, he might have been the most popr guy in the school.


    "Beauty, howe I''ve never seen you before?" Charles Gao asked gently.


    His greatest advantage was his good memory; he would never forget a face once he saw it, especially a woman''s.


    He was certain he had never seen the girl in front of him before.


    What a hidden gem in the school, such a unique beauty she was.


    Ming Jing put down her chopsticks, picked up her tray and left.


    She always took only as much food as she would eat, so there were no leftovers. She rinsed her tray under the tap, ced it in the sterilizer, and then walked away without looking back.


    "Ming Jing, wait for me." Tao Xingxing chased after Ming Jing, not caring about the ongoing conversation with Charles Gao.


    Charles Gao stroked his chin as he watched Ming Jing''s retreating figure: "Her figure is a bit thin, but she''s really quite the clothes hanger. The school uniform looks unique on her."


    "Ming Jing, such a nice name too."


    Situ Lin looked at him speechlessly, "Are you feeling sick again? Every time you see a girl, you''re so eager to chase after her. I bet you''ll get in trouble with women in this lifetime."


    "No," Charles Gao shook his head meaningfully, "I''m serious this time. I have a feeling that she is my muse."


    Situ Lin snickered, "You say that every time. Have you eversted more than one week?"


    Jiang Jinchen had no interest in their teasing and left the cafeteria after finishing his meal.


    He had always been cold and aloof, which made him even more popr among the girls.


    His phone suddenly rang, and Jiang Jinchen checked the message, which was a voice note from the contact marked as "Mother."


    ¡ªJinchen, there is a banquet tonight. Please apany me. I''ll send someone to pick you up after school, and your clothes are prepared.


    Jiang Jinchen frowned; his mother had never asked him to attend such boring banquets before. What was going on this time?


    After a while, Jiang Jinchen replied with an "Okay."


    ¡ª


    "That was Charles Gao who just talked to you. He''s always ranked second on the school''s hottest guys list, and he actually spoke to us! Oh my god..." On the way back to the ssroom, Tao Xingxing couldn''t stop chattering.


    Ming Jing felt as if her ears were developing calluses, but her patience remained intact, and she listened with a faint smile on her face.


    "But he''s too fickle and untrustworthy," Tao Xingxing nced at the girl beside her.


    "I think he likes you, but Ming Jing, you must stay firm. You can''t fall for someone like that, or else you''ll be in pain."


    Ming Jing nodded.


    Tao Xingxing finally brightened up, "I wonder what kind of girl Jiang Jinchen likes?"


    Ming Jing squinted her eyes and casually asked, "Jiang Jinchen?"


    Hearing Ming Jing''s rare initiative to speak, Tao Xingxing immediatelyunched into a lengthy description, eager to share everything she knew.


    "He''s the most handsome and aloof guy in our school, the epitome of perfection, and a man blessed by heaven. I''ve heard that his family background is incredibly powerful, and even the principal has to bow and scrape before him. No one knows the details, but it''s certain that no one can afford to offend him."


    I never thought he would like Zhu Xiangxiang. Well, I admit they are a good match." Tao Xingxing was disheartened.Ming Jing''s eyes sparkled, and sheughed softly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After school, Ming Jing was once again cornered by Zhao Qin.


    However, this time Zhao Qin''s attitude was very amicable: "Ms. Zhu, I want to be friends with you."


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow.


    Zhao Qin walked over and said, "Your identity in high society is no secret. There''s a banquet tonight. Would you like toe with me and broaden your horizons?"


    Fearing that Ming Jing would refuse, Zhao Qin quickly added, "As far as I know, your mother has already taken your fake sister to the party. What does it mean to take her and not take you? Aren''t you upset about it?"


    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle all the arrangements for you," she assured her.


    "Why do you want to help me?" Ming Jing asked indifferently.


    Zhao Qinughed, "I think we''re destined to be friends. You believe me, right? I, Zhao Qin, always speak honestly. I''m determined to be your friend."


    However, Ming Jing still refused, citing too much homework and no free time.


    Zhao Qin stared at Ming Jing''s retreating figure, "Do you think she''s truly indifferent, or is she nning something big?"


    Li Jiaojiao snorted, "I think she''s just scared. She''s afraid of angering Madam Jiang and her daughter and being chased out of the mansion. Since we can''t rely on her, I can only do it myself."


    ¡ª¡ª


    Tonight is the 70th birthday of Li Jiaojiao''s grandfather, and all the prominent figures in Jiangzhou will attend.


    Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang first congratted the old man before searching for their target at the banquet.


    "Mom, will Madam Jiang note tonight?" Zhu Xiangxiang asked.


    "No, she won''t. Li Jiaojiao''s aunt married into the Cheng family of Jingdu, and Madam Cheng is a distant cousin of Madam Jiang. Given this rtionship, even if she wants to keep a low profile, Madam Jiang has to show her face," Lin Qing exined.


    Li Jiaojiao hid in the shadows, her gaze on Zhu Xiangxiang like the stealthy viper, exuding a cold light.


    Zhao Qin walked over with a ss of red wine, "Zhu Shaodan has gotten into legal trouble, and his opponent has a big background. The Zhus can''t handle it, so I think they''re here to seek help."


    Li Jiaojiao gloated, "Serves him right. Who exactly is the opponent? Someone even the Zhus can''t handle?"


    Zhao Qin revealed a meaningful smile, "What do you think?"


    Li Jiaojiao giggled, "I just want to know who they want to ask for help."


    Zhao Qin nodded towards the entrance, "There, they just arrived."


    The neer was a woman in her thirties, dressed in a cheongsam embroidered withndscapes. Her slim and graceful figure was disyed to perfection. Her hair was pinned up with a white jade ornament, which had silver tassels that swayed gracefully with the movement. She exuded an air of elegance.


    Her brows and eyes were stunningly beautiful, her actions filled with exquisite grace, and there was an indescribable charm in her every move.


    As soon as she appeared, all the other gorgeously dressed women seemed to fade inparison.


    The young man beside her was dressed in a white suit, tall and straight, with a refined, handsome appearance. His aloof demeanor only made him stand out all the more like a flower on a high peak, captivating the hearts of all thedies who looked on him.


    Li Jiaojiao stared at the young man in disbelief, "Isn''t that Jiang Jinchen?"


    Grandfather Li hurriedly greeted them, "Madam Jiang, your presence truly graces our humble abode."


    Madam Jiang smiled elegantly, her pride and arrogance exquisitely bnced, "Mr. Li, you tter me. Today is your birthday, and as a younger generation, I wish you a life as vast as the East Sea and as longsting as the South Mountain."


    Madam Jiang gestured to the young man beside her, "This is my son, Jiang Jinchen. Jinchen, greet your elder."


    Grandfather Li''s old eyes lit up, "How wonderful, such a good boy."


    Upon hearing the name ''Madam Jiang,'' everyone present stiffened with attention, and those who had been casually leaning against pirs instinctively stood up straight.


    Lin Qing was excited, "I didn''t expect Madam Jiang to reallye."


    Unbeknownst to her, Zhu Xiangxiang nearby was staring at the young man in the middle of the room with an unfocused gaze.

 Chapter 7: 007 Chips

    <h4>Chapter 7: 007 Chips</h4>


    Madam Jiang may not be known to ordinary people, but her name was well-known among the high societydies and young misses.


    Madam Jiang kept a low profile, rarely attending banquets and public events, making it difficult for thesedies and misses to find a means to curry favor with her.


    No one expected her to actually attend Mr. Li''s birthday party tonight.


    A pleasant surprise.


    Thedies and young misses were eager to make a good impression on Madam Jiang, and when the unmarried girls saw Jiang Jinchen, who was tall and handsome, they couldn''t take their eyes off him.


    This was Madam Jiang''s son, handsome and from a good background, a great catch that could not be found even with antern; anyone who missed him would have to wait another hundred years.


    Li Jiaojiao eximed in surprise, "I can''t believe Jiang Jinchen is Madam Jiang''s son. He''s so low-key at school."


    Zhao Qin scoffed, "With a family like that, how could he be high-key?"


    "F*ck Zhu Xiangxiang, that slut. What scheme is she up to now?" Li Jiaojiao almost crushed the tall wine ss she held in her hand.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood in a corner, her eyes on Jiang Jinchen filled with undisguised joy and excitement.


    In this situation, Li Jiaojiao could easily guess what was going on in Zhu Xiangxiang''s mind.


    She must be dreaming!


    Li Jiaojiao puffed out her chest and confidently strode towards Madam Jiang and Jiang Jinchen.


    "Madam Jiang, it''s an honor to finally meet you in person. When I saw you standing with Jiang Jinchen, I thought you were siblings. You must have really taken good care of yourself."


    Li Jiaojiao was beautiful and sweet-talking, and Madam Jiang was quite pleased. She smiled and said, "You must be Jiaojiao. I remember holding you when you were little. Don''t be so distant, just call me Aunt Lan."


    Madam Jiang''s full name was Jiang Chun.


    With a face full of surprise and delight, Li Jiaojiao affectionately held Madam Jiang''s arm. Her sweet, genuine demeanor was very appealing. Her sweet call of "Aunt Lan" even made the usuallyposed Madam Jiang smile.


    "Mr. Li, you have a treasure for a granddaughter," Madam Jiang said.


    Mr. Li stroked his beard andughed heartily, "She still has a long way to gopared to your son."


    Madam Jiang asked, "You''re ssmates with Xiaochen, right?"


    Li Jiaojiao nced shyly at Jiang Jinchen, "Senior is in his senior year and I''m in my junior year. Senior is a big figure at school, I can''tpare with him."


    Zhao Qin almost wanted to vomit, thinking about how fake Li Jiaojiao was behaving.


    However, seeing Zhu Xiangxiang anxious and helpless, she found it quite satisfying.


    Jiang Jinchen''s lips twitched imperceptibly. Did he not know what Li Jiaojiao was like in school? She was a school tyrant who bullied both boys and girls, relying on her family background to engage in campus bullying.


    With elders present, he didn''t feel like exposing her.


    Madam Jiang smiled and said, "Xiaochen, you should take good care of Jiaojiao at school in the future, understand?"


    Jiang Jinchen nodded with a cold expression.


    Madam Jiang had a good impression of Li Jiaojiao and wanted the two youngsters to talk more. Just then, a few wealthydies approached her for a chat, giving her a chance to distance herself a bit.


    "So, Jiang Jinchen, were you satisfied with my performance just now?" Li Jiaojiao winked at him surreptitiously.


    Jiang Jinchen wore a cold expression, not giving her a nce, "The Oscars owe you a Best Actress Award."


    Li Jiaojiao covered her mouth and giggled, "Thanks for your kind words. I n to join the entertainment industry in the future."


    "Madam Jiang... " Lin Qing finally managed to squeeze in, leading Zhu Xiangxiang to greet Madam Jiang.


    Madam Jiang looked at her with a gentle yet distant gaze, asking with furrowed brows, "Madam Lin?"


    "You still remember me, Madam Jiang?" Lin Qing appeared ttered and hurriedly introduced Zhu Xiangxiang at her side, "This is my daughter Xiangxiang. She''s now in her junior year at Shengde High School, with excellent academic performance, receiving schrships every year."


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled warmly and gracefully, "Hello, Madam Jiang."


    Madam Jiang had a soft spot for well-behaved and beautiful girls, and she smiled, "Madam Lin, you''re truly blessed."


    At that moment, somedy said, "Madam Lin suddenly has two daughters now, not everyone can have such fortune."


    Lin Qing''s face stiffened. She was very reluctant to mention Ming Jing in front of others, believing it to be shameful.


    Madam Jiang raised her eyebrows, showing genuine interest.


    Seeing that Madam Jiang was engaged, thedy began recounting the story of the Zhu family''s true heiress. As she continued, Lin Qing''s face grew darker, but the woman seemed oblivious and continued with greater enthusiasm.


    "The true heiress has had a tough life, growing up in a nunnery. I don''t know what that poor girl turned into. By the way, Madam Lin, since both girls are your daughters, why haven''t we seen the other one? You can''t show favoritism. After all, she''s your biological daughter."


    This remark seemed like a p in Lin Qing''s face.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stepped in to defuse the situation, "My younger sister isn''t used to such asions. We respect her decision."


    "Well, she would''ve gotten used to it if she came." thedy sneered with an undertone that anyone would understand.


    "A nunnery?" Madam Jiang curiously asked.


    "Yes, I forgot that you also believe in Buddha, Madam Jiang. It seems you''re quite destined with the true heiress." Thedy tried to tter Madam Jiang.


    With a far-off look in her eyes, Madam Jiang seemed reminiscent, "I wonder how that little nun is doing now."


    "Little nun?"


    Madam Jiang smiled, "Two years ago, I went to Baitou Mountain for some matters and ran into some trouble. Fortunately, a young nun saved me. She was young but very insightful, well-versed in Buddhist teachings, and resolved many of my doubts."


    "Sounds like quite a remarkable little nun."


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s brow furrowed slightly. Baitou Mountain? Wasn''t that where Ming Jing came from?


    Must be a coincidence.


    "Madam Lin, your family''s story is more exciting than a TV drama. Having two daughters is a blessing either way, so you must treat them both well," Madam Jiang said softly.


    Lin Qing quickly agreed, knowing that it wasn''t the right time to discuss serious matters with Madam Jiang surrounded by a group of wealthydies, but she had no choice but to endure.


    Finally, the banquet came to an end and Lin Qing had no chance to talk to Madam Jiang privately. As Madam Jiang was about to leave, Lin Qing hurriedly chased after her.


    Upon exiting the banquet hall, two tall bodyguards apanied Madam Jiang and immediately stopped Lin Qing from following.


    Madam Jiang, ever the amicabledy, waved her hand and softly asked, "Is there anything else you need, Madam Lin?"


    Lin Qing hesitated for a moment before stating her purpose.


    Under the moonlight, Madam Jiang''s face was as smooth and radiant as the moon itself, her eyes calm as a deep, silent night blooming flower.


    Lin Qing''s heart raced, cold sweat breaking out on her palms.


    "I see. I''m sorry, Madam Lin, but I cannot help you with this."


    At that moment, Jiang Jinchen walked over to his mother''s side, and Madam Jiang, arm in arm with her son, turned and left.


    Lin Qing stood there in a daze, "What should we do? Madam Jiang refuses to help us."


    Zhu Xiangxiang came to her side, watching the receding silhouettes of the two in the night, narrowing her eyes.


    "It''s because our bargaining chip isn''t enough."

 Chapter 8: 008 Match

    <h4>Chapter 8: 008 Match</h4>


    On the way back, Jiang Chun took a nce at the young man sitting beside her.


    Neon lights outside the car window whizzed past, casting an even colder shadow on the boy''s eyebrows and eyes.


    "Xiao Chen, what do you think of Li''s granddaughter?"


    Jiang Jinchen slightly furrowed his brows, saying, "Average."


    He didn''t have the habit of talking bad about people behind their backs.


    Jiang Chun fell silent for a moment before sighing, "The Chengs won the gamble."


    With just one ambiguous statement, Jiang Jinchen, who was sensitive, instantly understood everything.


    Jiang Chun gently patted the back of Jiang Jinchen''s hand and softly said, "Your mother won''t force you. Just try to get to know her first; if it doesn''t work out, forget about it."


    "Everything has been foreseen by Master Wu Xin, I hope everything can turn out well for our family."


    Jiang Jinchen was very curious who was the little master his mother always mentioned ¨C always so elusive.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Lin Qing returned home dejected and bumped into Zhu Wentao outside the main gate.


    "How did it go?"


    Lin Qing shook her head, "Madam Jiang refused to help."


    Zhu Wentao replied helplessly, "I knew this would happen. The situation in Jingdu has changed, and Madam Jiang is struggling to take care of herself."


    Lin Qing did not understand these matters and cried out, "What do we do? Do I have to watch Shaodan go to prison just like that? He is still so young..."


    Zhu Wentao was also worried, rubbing his temples, "I''ll think of another way."


    Recently, hispany''s capital chain had also encountered problems, and he had been working overtime to the point where he didn''t even have time to drink water.


    It''s like misfortunesing one after another.


    Upon entering the living room, Madam Zhou was cleaning up the dining room. A big pot was on the dining table, and its faint aroma teased Zhu Wentao''s appetite.


    Zhu Wentao walked over quickly, lifted the lid, and saw that half a pot of soup remained. "Madam Zhou, give me a bowl."


    Madam Zhou was surprised, "Sir haven''t had dinner? You should have asked your assistant to inform us earlier, so we could have prepared dinner for you."


    "I forgot about it while I was busy. This soup looks good, I''ll make do with it."


    Zhu Wentao took a sip and couldn''t help but praise, "What kind of soup is this? It tastes good."


    Madam Zhou smiled, "It''s Poria, Walnut, and Lean Pork Soup, with more than a dozen Chinese medicinal ingredients. It nourishes the liver and kidneys, and has a gentle taste. Ms. Ming Jing specially prepared it for the olddy."


    Zhu Wentao was stunned for a moment, nodded, and said, "This child is filial, not bad."


    He had hardly seen his own daughter since she arrived home. In this family, she had no presence, like an invisible person. If she could read other people''s faces, she would havee out and shown her existence.


    Lin Qing snorted disdainfully beside him, "Just a little trick."


    Zhu Xiangxiang returned to her room and dialed the number of the private detective Lin Qing had provided her.


    Ever since seeing Madam Jiang tonight, she had been unable to shake a suspicion in her heart. She had always trusted her intuition, so she had to verify it.


    As the private detective had received a generous reward, he naturally answered all her questions.


    After she was swapped, Ming Jing''s mother became pregnant out of wedlock and was unable to raise a child. She deserted her at the gate of Jiyue Temple on Baitou Mountain and waster adopted by Master Wu Xin of Jiyue Temple. Master Wu Xin had adopted a total of five disciples, with Ming Jing being the second.


    Master Wu Xin, with her kind heart and superb healing skills, provided free medical consultations for the poor people from the mountain without asking for any money. In addition, she would also take the initiative to offer medicine. Thus, Jiyue Temple had gained a good reputation in the small town at the foot of Baitou Mountain, and even some people from further away would drive there for treatment.Zhu Xiangxiang asked, "Does Ming Jing often leave the mountain?"


    The private detective paused before replying, "ording to our investigation, Master Wu Xin passed away three months ago and Ming Jing took three junior sisters down the mountain on the temple fair day. Many people saw them and even had conflicts with others. However, with Master Wu Xin''s reputation, the vigers all helped them and they didn''t suffer any loss."


    Zhu Xiangxiang also wanted him to investigate Madam Jiang''s visit to Baitou Mountain two years ago. However, upon hearing this, he directly declined, "I can''t take this job. Do you want to kill me? Not everyone can be investigated." After that, he quickly hung up the phone.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn''t get the answer she wanted, but she wasn''t discouraged. She hoped she was just overthinking it.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the morning, Senior ss 1/8 and Senior 2 ss 1 had physical education ss at the same time.


    As usual, the physical education ss began with running twops for warm-up, then testing the 800 meters for both boys and girls, followed by free time.


    With only one physical education teacher, the two sses were mixed together for the test.


    The students wore special sports uniforms for the ss, which consisted of blue and white short-sleeved sportswear and pants, simple and sporty.


    Ming Jing''s height of 1.7 meters made her stand out among the girls. The smallest S size still appeared a bit big on her, with long arms and legs. Some girls who loved browsing fashion magazines secretly measured her and said enviously, "Wrists past mid-thigh, she''s a standard nine-head figure."


    Ming Jing was ced at the back of the line because of her height. As she waited quietly at the back, her shoulder was tapped.


    "Ming Jing, what a coincidence, we''re in the same PE ss." There was the warm voice of Zhu Xiangxiang, but Ming Jing didn''t turn around.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was the school''s sweetheart, and wherever she went, she was the center of attention. Especially among the first-year students, they had a mysterious admiration for her.


    Seeing the goddess actually talk to an unheard-of transfer student, everyone was puzzled. Tao Xingxing, who was in the line in front of Ming Jing, perked up her ears to eavesdrop, her entire body filled with gossip.


    "Mm." Ming Jing responded indifferently, her gaze focusing on the figures on the track.


    "Let''s run together in a bit, we can be partners. Actually, I really hate the 800-meter test, it''s so painful. This is your first time, you need to be psychologically prepared."


    "Thank you."


    What was going on? Where was the cool and aloof goddess? Chattering like an old woman with the other party, and the other party dared to ignore her?


    Finally, it was thest group''s turn. Five people ran together. Ming Jing stood at the starting line with Tao Xingxing and Zhu Xiangxiang on her left and right.


    "Wanna make a bet?"


    Ming Jing nced over at her.


    As if finally provoking some emotions in the opponent, Zhu Xiangxiang said confidently, "If I win, you''ll wear a nice wig tomorrow. If I lose..."


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s eyes rolled. "I''ll agree to do one thing for you, as long as it doesn''t vite my principles. Whatever you ask, I''ll do."


    If Ming Jing did wear a wig tomorrow, whether it looked good or not, it would confirm the gossip about her wearing wigs. The chances of it damaging her were high if those unstable young minds spread rumors about it.


    Ming Jing''s mouth curved into a smile as the warm spring sun fell into her eyes, making her look like a myriad of tiny stars on the surface of ake.


    "Just leave me alone."


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s face stiffened, not expecting the other party to be so blunt.


    The starting gun rang, and the five of them took off at the same time. For a moment, the cheers for Zhu Xiangxiang on the field attracted many students from nearby ssrooms to stretch their heads outside to watch.


    Ming Jing soon fell behind, but she maintained a constant distance between her and the overtaking Zhu Xiangxiang and another girl from her ss. Ming Jing''s pace was leisurely, without any sense ofpetition.


    More crucially, the other girls were visibly tired as they ran, while Ming Jing remained fresh andposed.


    This made no sense!

 Chapter 9: 009 Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 9: 009 Gathering</h4>


    The finalp.


    The cheering grew louder and louder, Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her teeth, using all her strength for the final sprint.


    She had been dancing since she was little, and her physical fitness was excellent, but running 800 meters was still a bit deadly.


    She caught a glimpse of Ming Jing in the corner of her eye, and the distance between them was getting closer and closer. Zhu Xiangxiang felt tense.


    She mustered her strength once more, but suddenly her calf cramped and a sharp pain shot through her leg.


    A leg cramp!


    Zhu Xiangxiang forced herself to keep running, with the finish line just ahead. She had to persevere... just a little more...


    However, at that moment, Ming Jing easily overtook her and crossed the finish line first.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, with a pale face, crossed the finish line, both hands on her knees, breathing heavily.


    She struggled to lift her head and saw Ming Jing standing calmly in ce, her eyebrows and eyes serene, her face flushed...


    "Ming Jing, three minutes and fifteen seconds."


    "Zhu Xiangxiang, three minutes and neen seconds."


    "Both of your scores are pretty good," praised the sports teacher.


    "Especially Ming Jing, you controlled your pace very well. Have you practiced sprinting before?"


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    The teacher couldn''t help but take a few more nces at her. Compared to the other students who were exhausted after running, she stood out as something special. This girl had talent.


    A minute and a halfter, Tao Xingxing strolled over, roaring like a muddy swamp, and copsed on the ground.


    Once Zhu Xiangxiang calmed down, she approached Ming Jing and said, "I lost."


    Ming Jing nced at her, "I didn''t bet with you."


    Zhu Xiangxiang was momentarily speechless, thinking to herself that Ming Jing really was a boring and uninteresting little nun.


    The spectators were shocked. Zhu Xiangxiang''s reputation as the school''s beauty was not only because of her good looks, but also because she was well-rounded in all aspects -- academics, sports, and talents. In the 800-meter race, almost no other girl could beat her.


    No one expected a nameless freshman girl not only to beat Zhu Xiangxiang, but also to win so easily.


    In an instant, Ming Jing''s name spread to every corner of the campus.


    At noon, when Ming Jing went to the cafeteria for lunch, she finally experienced the feeling of being famous.


    "That''s her, the one who beat Zhu Xiangxiang!"


    "She''s not even that good-looking..."


    "Maybe she has a simple mind and highly developed limbs, haha..."


    Surrounded by malicious mockery, Tao Xingxing furiously waved her fists, "These gossips are so annoying!"


    Ming Jing remained indifferent, as practicing Buddhism meant first cultivating one''s heart. If the heart was calm, others could not be stirred.


    Herposure greatly impressed Tao Xingxing.


    "Jiang Jinchen appeared again! The sun came out from the west! Why has he beening to the cafeteria every daytely?" Tao Xingxing said, watching Jiang Jinchen and his crew enter.


    "Old Chen, why have you beening to the cafeteria every daytely? Wasn''t the food not to your taste before? What, did you take a fancy to some little girl?" Charles Gao had switched back to his yful mode.


    Jiang Jinchen got a set meal and sat down in a corner.


    By coincidence, he sat directly behind Ming Jing and Tao Xingxing.


    Charles Gao''s eyes lit up, "Hey, beautiful, we meet again."


    Charles Gao directly sat down in front of Ming Jing and greeted her with a cheeky smile.


    Ming Jing didn''t even furrow her brow, leisurely eating her food.


    It is said that men are cheap; the less Ming Jing reacted, the more interested Charles Gao became. In his eyes, Ming Jing''s beauty surpassed that of any legendary beauty.


    "I heard you won the 800-meter race against Zhu Xiangxiang in P.E. ss today. Impressive! I bow to you."


    Charles Gao talked nonstop for a long time, but Ming Jing ignored himpletely.


    Eventually, even Charles Gao felt embarrassed and touched his nose, "Oh, right, there''s a party tonight. Wanna go with me? There''ll be good food and fun."


    He thought Ming Jing would refuse, but to his surprise, she nodded.


    Charles Gao was ttered, "You''ll really go?"


    "Bring Xingxing too."


    "No problem."


    Tao Xingxing''s mouth hung open, wide enough to fit an egg in, her cheeks flushed with excitement.


    Could she really attend a party hosted by rich kids? Heaven! A dreame true for her!


    Ever since Jiang Jinchen and his group appeared, many girls had been observing them. Charles Gao was only second to Jiang Jinchen in poprity, and now seeing him being so attentive to a girl who wasn''t a school beauty or any sort of campus belle, with just average looks, many of them felt upset.


    Why would such an ordinary girl deserve Charles Gao''s attention? She was just a bit taller than average with nothing unique about her.


    "Hi, senior, can I sit next to you?" Li Jiaojiao approached Jiang Jinchen with her meal tray, shing a sweet smile.


    It was obvious she had carefully applied her makeup today, with a natural looking yet cunning style, tied her hair in a high half ponytail, looking youthful and sweet.


    Jiang Jinchen nodded, and Li Jiaojiao happily sat down across from him.


    "By the way, I just heard Senior Gao saying there''s a party tonight, can I go?" She blinked her innocent, doe-like eyes, making it hard for anyone to refuse.


    Before Jiang Jinchen could speak, Charles Gao waved his hand, "Of course you''re wee!"


    Jiang Jinchen nced at Charles Gao and said nothing.


    "Can I bring Zhao Qin too?"


    "No problem, the more the merrier! Bring as many friends as you want."


    "Senior Gao, you''re so nice!" Li Jiaojiao said with stars in her eyes.


    People who knew Li Jiaojiao couldn''t help but shiver at this scene, this woman was too terrifying!


    Zhu Xiangxiang, carrying her meal tray, watched from a distance, her knuckles gripping the tray turning somewhat green.


    Just then, she caught a glimpse of Sun Yi approaching from the corner of her eye. Zhu Xiangxiang had an idea, pretending to look down while walking forward, and bumped into him.


    "Ah, I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean to..." Zhu Xiangxiang quickly apologized.


    Sun Yi was about to get angry, but when he saw that it was Zhu Xiangxiang, his eyes immediately lit up with delight, "Are you hurt?"


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, herrge watery eyes filled with sympathy.


    Sun Yi''s crush on Zhu Xiangxiang was no secret. He had once very publicly pursued her for a time, but after being rejected by her, he gave up the chase.


    "Give me your clothes after you change, and I''ll take them to the dry cleaners and give them back to youter."


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked down at his limited-edition sneakers soaked in vegetable soup, "I''ll give you the Chinese Yuan equivalent for the shoes."


    Sun Yi waved his hand, about to say it wasn''t necessary, but then he had a thought and took out his phone, "Then let''s add each other on WeChat."


    After sessfully adding Zhu Xiangxiang on WeChat, Sun Yi strutted away, feeling quite pleased with himself.


    At that moment, Situ Lin waved to him, "Old Sun, over here."


    Sun Yi hesitated for a moment, "Xiangxiang, do you have ns tonight?"


    This was an excellent opportunity to get closer to his goddess.


    Zhu Xiangxiang raised her puzzled face, "What''s going on?"


    "If you really want to make it up to me, apany me to a gathering tonight," Sun Yi said.


    Zhu Xiangxiang could feel her heart race. She''d ced the right bet.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated, showing a troubled expression, "But..."


    Sun Yi, however, didn''t give her a chance to refuse, "It''s settled then. Wait for me at the school gate after ss."


    With that, he hurriedly rushed to Situ Lin.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood in ce, the corners of her lips slowly curling into a hidden smile.

 Chapter 10: 010 Game

    <h4>Chapter 10: 010 Game</h4>


    As a qualified yboy, Charles Gao excelled at organizing social events.


    With Jiang Jinchen present, he dared not y fancy games, so they were just cruising, ying poker, drinking, enjoying the sea breeze, and chatting.


    A group of people drove to the beach and saw a huge cruise ship parked by the shore with brilliant lights, like a towering castle on the riverside in the dark.


    They boarded the cruise ship. A huge table was full of fruits and snacks, with waiters shuttling back and forth with trays of champagne and beer.


    Tao Xingxing was like a country bumpkin entering the Grand View Garden for the first time, her excited little face flushed red with excitement at all the novel sights.


    Only Ming Jing remained calm from start to finish, as if walking in her own backyard.


    "Everyone, eat, drink, and have fun tonight. Everything''s on me," Charles Gao dered with a flourish, very generously.


    "Woo hoo... " Cheers erupted.


    "Charles, old rules, let''s go." Situ Lin wrapped his arm around Charles''s neck, ready to call on a few good brothers.


    With a wave, Charles brushed off Situ Lin''s hand and nced at Ming Jing nearby, whispering, "You guys go ahead, I''ll sit this one out."


    Situ Lin raised an eyebrow: "Are you serious?"


    Charles ran his fingers through his shiny, gelled hair and proudly proimed, "Of course."


    Situ Lin said speechlessly, "Another short-lived enthusiasm, don''t ruin a good girl."


    "Just wait and see."


    There were quite a few people that night, as Charles had many friends; some brought their girlfriends, and some brought their ssmates - there were over twenty people in all.


    Situ Lin looked up at the sky: "It looks like it''s going to rain."


    Jiang Jinchen found a corner sofa to sit on, and Li Jiaojiao immediately chased after him.


    "Senior, I heard you got a guaranteed admission to Jiangcheng University. Congrattions."


    Jiang Jinchen nodded coldly: "Thank you."


    As Li Jiaojiao''s eyes darted around, she spotted Zhu Xiangxiang not far away, with Sun Yi by her side. Although they were some distance apart and she couldn''t see Zhu Xiangxiang''s expression, Li Jiaojiao was certain that Zhu Xiangxiang must be itching to strangle her to death at this moment.


    Li Jiaojiaoughed, trembling with joy, and even intentionally leaned towards Jiang Jinchen.


    With a delicate voice, she called out: "Brother Jinchen..."


    Jiang Jinchen''s mouth twitched, and he coldly nced at her, moving subconsciously to the side.


    The cruise ship set off, slowly sailing on the sea. The salty sea breeze brushed past, apanied by the cool night air, which was both profound and romantic.


    "This is so boring, how about we y a game instead?" Zhao Qin suggested.


    "What game?"


    "Truth or Dare. Even though it''s a bit clich¨¦, let''s y something exciting this time. If someone draws a dare card, they have to jump off the cruise ship."


    "Hahaha, isn''t that a bit too cruel? Who could be so unlucky?"


    Charles raised an eyebrow: "What''s there to be afraid of? There are plenty of lifeguards on the ship."


    The group gathered together, and Zhao Qin began to shuffle the deck. Her shuffling technique was so adept that it was on par with that of the professional card dealers in the ''God of Gamblers'' movie. "The little king represents the truth card, and the big king represents the dare card. Everybody watch carefully."


    Charles whispered to Ming Jing, "Keep an eye on her. Zhao Qin is up to something again. I just don''t know who she''s trying to y this time."


    Tao Xingxing rubbed her arm and peeked at the deck behind her: "It''s so high, won''t you die if you jump?" After saying this, she couldn''t help but shiver.


    To prove that she hadn''t cheated, Zhao Qin shuffled the deck several more times, then went around one by one, letting people draw cards.


    Someone prayed, "Please don''t let me draw it."


    When it was Li Jiaojiao''s turn, the two exchanged a nce, and Li Jiaojiao casually drew a card.


    "Brother Jinchen, if I identally draw a dare card, can you jump for me? I''m afraid of heights."


    Before Jiang Jinchen could speak, Zhao Qin directly said, "No, you have to face the consequences of your own draw; otherwise, the game would be pointless."


    The faces of the girls who were nning to let their boyfriends take their ce changed in an instant.


    Zhao Qin walked in front of Ming Jing, her eyes gleaming with fox-like mischief.


    Ming Jing said calmly, "Xingxing, you draw first."


    Tao Xingxing took a deep breath, hesitated for a long time, and finally chose a card.


    Zhao Qin went back to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing nced at her, her slender fingers brushing over the deck, her eyes intently focused on Zhao Qin''s face.


    Zhao Qin continued to smile calmly, but the pressure from those eyes gradually caused beads of cold sweat to form on her forehead.


    Finally, Ming Jing pulled out a card, and Zhao Qin surreptitiously exhaled a breath of relief.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared at the triumphant Zhao Qin, her palms sweating with anxiety.


    "Our great school beauty, Zhu, aren''t you scared?" Zhao Qin taunted her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood tall and straight, replying calmly, "There''s nothing to be afraid of."


    As she hesitated to draw a card, her fingers pointed at the deck, eventually settling on one card.


    At this moment, as Zhu Xiangxiang pulled the card from the deck, Zhao Qin''s satisfied smile caught her eye.


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s face instantly froze...


    The thin card in her hand suddenly felt unbearably hot.


    Sun Yi drew a card casually, wanting to ask Zhu Xiangxiang what she had drawn, but Zhao Qin suddenly turned andughed, "Don''t reveal the card ahead of time."


    Sun Yi had no choice but to give up.


    After everyone had drawn, Zhao Qin kept thest card for herself, then reminded everyone to flip their cards simultaneously.


    To prevent Zhu Xiangxiang from swapping cards, she watched her every move intently.


    So, seeing the big king in Zhu Xiangxiang''s hand, she smiled with satisfaction.


    However, when Zhao Qin lowered her head to look at the card in her hand, she was instantly dumbfounded.


    Stunned for a moment, she suddenly looked at Ming Jing.


    The girl sat in the crowd, her thin frame unremarkable.


    However, the moment her eyes met with Zhao Qin''s, she felt a chill running from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.


    That little king was meant for Ming Jing, but it ended up in her hand.


    Zhao Qin practiced her card skills out of personal interest, and she could make people draw exactly what she wanted them to draw. Not only was she quick with her hands, but she also dabbled in psychology. She had never met her match in this aspect.


    She never expected to fall into the hands of a young girl today.


    Zhao Qinughed; it was interesting, too interesting.


    Looking at the big king in her hand, Zhu Xiangxiang wasn''t too surprised, as if she had already anticipated this. Sun Yi snatched the card from her hand and gave her his.


    Li Jiaojiao, who had been paying attention, said, "Sun Yi, I know you want to y the hero and save the beauty, but we have to follow the rules of the game. If everyone does what you do, how do we y?"


    "Yeah, Sun Yi, it''s not right for you to do this."


    "It''s not easy to find a chance to show devotion to the school beauty; we can''t miss it so easily."


    "Hahaha... "


    Laughter echoed all around, and Sun Yi couldn''t take it any longer. He pointed usingly at Zhao Qin, saying, "You''re deliberately picking on Xiangxiang, aren''t you?"


    Zhao Qin pinched the little king in her hand and sneered, "Deliberately? If it was deliberate, I wouldn''t have drawn the little king."

 Chapter 11: 011 Accident

    <h4>Chapter 11: 011 ident</h4>


    True, if Zhao Qin really wanted to mess with Zhu Xiangxiang, why give herself a Truth card? Wouldn''t that be asking for trouble?


    Zhu Xiangxiang tugged Sun Yi, "Let it go, I lost the bet fair and square."


    "The seawater is so deep, your body won''t be able to handle it." The seawater was very cold at night, and Zhu Xiangxiang, a delicate and pampered rich youngdy, wouldn''t be able to take it.


    "Sun Yi, if you really can''t bear to see your sweetheart suffer, you might as well jump in with her, at least they''ll have each other forpany," Li Jiaojiao joked.


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s face was slightly pale, but she remained calm, a reminder of why she was Jiangcheng''s number one socialite - her grace was unrivaled.


    Sun Yi, being the ultimate protector, insisted, "I''ll jump if I have to."


    Originally, Zhao Qin nned to have the person who drew the Dare card ask the person with the Truth card a question, and while others wouldn''t know their identities, they''d be able to enjoy the scene. But now with the Truth card in her possession, she could only change the rules...


    However, before she coulde up with a new n, Zhu Xiangxiang took the lead ofughing: "I remember when we used to y Truth or Dare, the person who drew the Dare card would ask the person with the Truth card a question. Am I right?"


    Zhao Qin stiffened and said, "Different people have different ways of ying."


    "I think it''s the most fair to let me ask you a question, is that okay?" Zhu Xiangxiang smiled gently, and it was impossible to refuse.


    Zhao Qin clenched her teeth and forced a smile, "Fine, go ahead and ask."


    Charles Gao took pleasure in the imminent chaos: "Two women are at each other''s throats, the show is starting."


    He poured a ss of champagne for Ming Jing, but she shook her head, "I don''t drink this stuff."


    "What do you drink, then? Soda? Milk?"


    "Nothing, let''s just watch quietly."


    Charles Gao quietly looked at the young girl''s indifferent profile amid the night, feeling an increasing sense of mysterious untouchability.


    He knew Zhao Qin well enough to be sure she would never leave the Truth card for herself. He had been observing her earlier, and ascertained that she intended the Dare card for Zhu Xiangxiang. Their rivalry wasn''t surprising, but the Truth card... His thoughts turned to the undercurrents between Ming Jing and Zhao Qin during the card drawing.


    Managing to outwit Zhao Qin was certainly interesting.


    Zhu Xiangxiang thought for a moment and said, "My question is - who is the first person you''ve hurt since you were born?"


    What a poisonous question.


    As the female bully of Shengde High School, Zhao Qin had bullied countless people - too many to fit in a single truck.


    Zhao Qin''s viciousness wasn''t a secret, and she wasn''t afraid of others gossiping about her. She candidly answered, "When I was seven years old, the daughter of our housekeeper came to our house for a short stay. She kicked my golden retriever, which made me very angry. So, I shaved her head while she was sleeping."


    The next day, the girl woke up to find her headpletely bald and was so frightened that she wet herself. Zhao Qin mocked and took pictures of her, permanently scarring her with a deep psychological trauma, which led to depression and eventually her suicide at fifteen.


    No one, including Li Jiaojiao, knew about this incident.


    "It was just shaving a head, no big deal. I know how much Zhao Qin treasures her golden retriever, so this punishment was mild," someonemented.


    "Hair is so important to a girl. If I woke up one morning to find myself bald, I would go crazy," another chimed in.


    The crowd discussed Zhao Qin''s cruelty with renewed vigor.


    Zhu Xiangxiang nodded, stood up, and walked to the deck, gazing down at the turbulent sea.


    Charles Gao, fearing an ident, ordered a lifeguard to wait in a small yacht below.


    Sun Yi came over and said, "Don''t be scared, Xiangxiang. I''ll jump with you."


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled and shook her head, "I can''t let you suffer with me anymore. Don''t worry, there''s a lifeguard below. I''ll be fine."


    Her perseverance and consideration deeply touched Sun Yi''s heart, and his disgust for Zhao Qin grew even more intense.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked around, the expressions of those present disying sympathy, schadenfreude, or anticipation for the uing drama; each person''s gaze betrayed their true feelings.


    Only Ming Jing and Jiang Jinchen were the exceptions.With such indifferent attitude, even if she were to jump off a cliff today, the two probably wouldn''t even furrow their brows.


    Zhu Xiangxiang let out a bitter smile, climbed onto the railing.


    She had dressed deliberately for tonight, wearing a flowing white dress. Her elegant gown flitting as the night breeze brushed the hem; she seemed to be ready to ride the wind away.


    The hearts of many men present were instantly moved by the fragile beauty of her silhouette, wishing they could take the plunge for her.


    Li Jiaojiao hooked her lips, a malicious smile shing in her eyes.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, I have prepared a big surprise for you. Wait for it!


    Zhu Xiangxiang spread her arms, closed her eyes, and leaped with all her might.


    "Ah...." A timid scream.


    With a "ssh," a huge wave rose from where she fell.


    Just at that moment, the rain started pouring down heavily, forcing everyone to hurriedly return to their rooms, except for Sun Yi, who remained leaning against the railing, looking down into the water.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had learned how to swim, so as she hit the water, she tried to resurface. But suddenly her foot was entangled by something, pulling her down into the depths.


    Filled with terror, Zhu Xiangxiang thought, "I must have had the terrible luck to be caught in an underwater nt."


    She struggled to swim upwards, but the icy water quickly sapped her strength. Despite her exhaustion, her will to survive kept her from surrendering. Biting her tongue, she fought to stay conscious.


    Where was the lifeguard? Why hadn''t anyonee to rescue her?


    In an instant, Zhu Xiangxiang thought of a possibility: Zhao Qin had nned this whole thing to quietly put her to death.


    Filled with hatred, Zhu Xiangxiang vowed that if she could escape alive, she would never let Zhao Qin go.


    Sun Yi was somewhat acrophobic; seeing the deep water below, he hesitated and ultimately did not jump in.


    "Zhu Xiangxiang? Where''s the lifeguard? Where the hell are they? Someone''s going to die...."


    The torrential rain came down, drowning out his cries.


    Suddenly, a figure raced out of a room, swift as lightning and leaped onto the railing. Their lithe silhouette was as graceful as a crane, and without any hesitation, they jumped.


    If Sun Yi was not mistaken, the person who just jumped was the girl Charles Gao had been hovering around all night.


    Of all the people there, only she stepped up.


    Tao Xingxing ran out with an umbre, leaned on the railing, and shouted, "Ming Jing... you must be alright."


    Charles Gao angrily yelled: "Where is the damn lifeguard?!"


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt desperate, was she really going to meet her end here?


    She wouldn''t ept that!


    Suddenly, someone broke through the water, wrapped their arms around her waist, and carried her to the surface>.


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s consciousness was already fading, but she remembered that this person''s face was indifferent, yet gentle, just as striking as when they first met.


    With that memory, she fell intoplete unconsciousness.


    Ming Jing hoisted Zhu Xiangxiang onto the deck, but as she was about to pull herself up, a sudden enormous wave crashed into her, sweeping her away.


    "Ming Jing..." Charles Gao''s heart-wrenching cry echoed in Ming Jing''s fading consciousness.


    Suddenly, a figure leaped onto the yacht, carried the unconscious Zhu Xiangxiang on board and drove the yacht away from the area.


    "Call the police; I''m going to look for her."


    Charles Gao strained his voice, yelling, "Jiang Jinchen, you must bring her back to me!"

 Chapter 12: 012 Heart Demon

    <h4>Chapter 12: 012 Heart Demon</h4>


    "You are the empire''s best special agent, having served the organization bravely for many years and made outstanding contributions. The organization will never forget you...."


    "The money has been transferred to your personal ount. Enjoy the rest of your life!"


    ...


    "Yu''er, you are the only love of my life, and I am willing to give my life for you."


    "Yu''er, don''t you think staying on the ind is too boring? Let''s go to Switzend and have fun skiing. I''ve heard it''s a great ce for that."


    "Yu''er, don''t me me. If you have to me someone, me yourself for knowing too many secrets. Only the dead can keep secrets forever."


    ...


    The snow-covered ski slopes were a dazzling white as far as the eye could see.


    Twenty armed men stood at the ready, their only target a lone woman on the slope.


    "Bang, bang, bang!" Gunshots echoed around the valley, scaring away countless birds.


    Blood bloomed like Red Plum Blossoms on the snowy ground, reaching breathtaking beauty.


    ...


    "Tap, tap, tap" - the wooden fish''s monotonous sound, the distant fragrance of sandalwood providing a sense of peace.


    Master Wu Xin opened the door to the temple, and amidst the freezing cold, a bundled baby had been abandoned at the door.


    Master Wu Xin picked up the baby. She was so beautiful, with fair skin and bright eyes. When she saw the baby''s eyes, she was momentarily surprised. They were a pair of infant''s eyes, pure and innocent, yet with something extra.


    "All forms are illusionary; let go or hold on with a single thought."


    Master Wu Xin ced her hands over the baby''s eyes. "Bodhi has no tree; the mirror has no stand. From now on, your name will be Ming Jing. I hope you cultivate your character and let go soon."


    Life in the temple was simple and austere. Ming Jing grew from an infant to a young girl, showing exceptional talent in understanding the Buddha''s teachings and developing a calm temperament. Her senior and junior sisters in the temple loved her, but her Master had always been particrly strict with her, as if her aplishments were never enough in her Master''s eyes.


    As her Master was on her deathbed, Ming Jing knelt by her side. Her Master''s body was frail, but her gaze remained sharp.


    "In this life, you must cultivate diligently, never allowing yourself a moment''sziness. Do not leave the mountain until your inner demons are vanquished."


    ...


    Ming Jing slowly opened her eyes, the pale dawn light representing the veryst moments of darkness.


    She slowly sat up and found herself on an unknown ind, lying on the beach.


    Her memories fromst night came to her in a sh - she had just saved Zhu Xiangxiang when a massive wave pulled her away. Human power could seem insignificant in the face of nature, and she must have been washed ashore by the waves.


    She suddenly spotted a yacht by the shore and saw a tall, thin figure dragging wooden logs out of the trees.


    The figure approached, his face obscured by the backlighting, revealing a noble-looking man when he came closer.


    Jiang Jinchen!


    Jiang Jinchen nced at her, set up the logs, and retrieved a suitcase from the yacht. He lit the fire with a lighter.


    Ming Jing silently went and sat down. Jiang Jinchen looked at her several times before she finally realized something was wrong and touched her head...


    Her wig had fallen off at some point, leaving her bald.


    Thanks to years of cultivation, Ming Jing had long since left behind worldly desires and felt no embarrassment.


    As long as she wasn''t embarrassed, the embarrassment would belong to others.


    Jiang Jinchen couldn''t hold back his curiosity and asked, "Your hair...."


    No other girl would be so careless with her hair, except for this one. Her cool demeanor was truly something to behold.


    "I just left the temple."


    "Huh?" Jiang Jinchen was confused, momentarily unable to grasp the meaning of her words.


    Once he understood, even the normally stoic Jiang Jinchen couldn''t help but twitch his facial muscles as he took a serious look at the girl in front of him.


    She was truly too thin. Her tiny face was probably smaller than his palm, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, lush eyshes curled, a small and delicate nose, and cold pale lips. Every detail was exquisite.


    When she looked up at him, it seemed as if the vast gxy was contained within her eyes, embracing everything yet indifferent to it all.


    Jiang Jinchen''s heart shuddered, and he hurriedly shifted his gaze, his heart pounding rapidly.


    He quietly clenched his fingers and stole another nce. The girl stared at the dancing mes as they illuminated her blushing face, revealing a hint of rare delicacy.


    He couldn''t help but wonder why she had chosen to be a nun, and why she had decided to return to the secr world. What kind of family did shee from, and what kind of person was she?


    Unknowingly, the sky had brightened, and the sea had returned to calm.


    Ming Jing stood up and looked around. She noted the sky and raised her hand. The sea breeze blew across her fingers as she closed her eyes to silently feel it.


    Jiang Jinchen''s gaze couldn''t help but follow her direction.


    Ming Jing opened her eyes and said softly, "We are on an ind 200 kilometers west of the harbor."


    Jiang Jinchen couldn''t help but ask, "How do you know that?"


    "I paid attention in geography ss." She then headed towards the yacht.


    Jiang Jinchen knew that understanding the monsoons could help determine direction at sea, but he hadn''t expected this level of practical application.


    He hurried to catch up with her. Ming Jing jumped onto the yacht and reached for the wheel, only to withdraw her hand nonchntly and ask, "Do you know how to drive a yacht?"


    Jiang Jinchen immediately replied, "I do. I''ll drive."


    After thinking for a moment, Jiang Jinchen said, "Before I came, I asked Charles Gao to call the police. Let''s wait for the rescue team to arrive."


    Ming Jing stared into the distance, "If you want to wait for death, stay."


    Jiang Jinchen was usually decisive, but for some reason, he always submitted to her unconsciously.


    However, to be honest, Jiang Jinchen''s yachting skills werecking, almost capsizing the boat. In order to not reveal too much, Ming Jing had to endure the rocking as she gave directions.


    Jiang Jinchen grew more adept at driving the yacht, and soon they were sailing smoothly. The two of them, alone on the open sea, made for a beautiful image.


    Jiang Jinchen couldn''t help but look at the girl standing by his side. The howling wind dashed against her beautiful face, revealing a hint of determination in the rising sun.


    "Watch out!" Ming Jing seized the wheel and steered to the side, narrowly avoiding a huge shark that passed by their yacht. Had they reacted anyter, the consequences would have been disastrous.


    "I''m sorry." Jiang Jinchen felt slightly ashamed and focused on driving the yacht without any further distractions.


    The ce where her fingers had touched him grew warm, her temperature as cool as snow...


    "Damn, we''re running out of fuel." Jiang Jinchen frowned at the lit indicator.


    Ming Jing calmly said, "Slow down our speed. The rescue boat should be nearby."


    As she predicted, a shadow appeared on the distant horizon - it was the rescue yacht.


    Even someone as cold as Jiang Jinchen couldn''t help but grin.


    Only Ming Jing remained calm from beginning to end.


    Was she truly able to maintain equanimity or had she been in control of everything all along?


    As the rescue yacht approached, Jiang Jinchen removed his coat and draped it over Ming Jing''s head.

 Chapter 13: 013 Kneel down

    <h4>Chapter 13: 013 Kneel down</h4>


    The two got on the rescue boat, and Charles Gao quickly walked over to Ming Jing to look her up and down: "Are you alright?"


    Covered in Jiang Jinchen''s coat, Ming Jing looked pale and calm, standing among the rocking boat, with apassionate and peaceful expression like that of a Buddha.


    Ming Jing shook her head and walked to the stern to sit down.


    Charles Gao nced at her a few times and finally had the courage to walk up to Jiang Jinchen: "Did you spend the whole time with Ming Jing?"


    Jiang Jinchen drank some water to regain energy and indifferently replied: "What else?"


    "You didn''t take advantage of her, did you?"


    Jiang Jinchen gave him a contemptuous nce and didn''t bother to respond.


    Charles Gao touched his nose, "By the way, I called the policest night, and your mom was alerted too. She''s probably waiting for you at the wharf."


    When the yacht arrived at the harbor, Jiang Jinchen immediately saw Madam Jiang standing on the dock holding an umbre.


    Charles Gao held an umbre over Ming Jing, reminding her, "Be careful."


    Ming Jing''s gaze swept across and saw a familiar figure.


    She lowered her eyes, tightened the coat draped over her head and walked down the steps with her head down.


    Charles Gao walked beside Ming Jing, holding the umbre, and politely greeted Madam Jiang when they passed by.


    Madam Jiang smiled and nodded, her gaze falling on the girl beside him.


    She was really a strange girl, quite tall, with her pant legs wet from the rain and sticking to her calves, revealing a section of her fair, slender legs. The girl walked past her, looking down, with a coat draped over her head, hiding her face, silent.


    Wait, isn''t that Jinchen''s coat?


    Madam Jiang stared at the girl''s back, lost in thought.


    Why did she feel like this girl''s silhouette was familiar?


    "Mom." The voice beside her ear pulled Madam Jiang back from her thoughts. She saw her son, unharmed, and smiled while patting his shoulder.


    "I''m d you''re fine."


    As the two walked back under the umbre, Madam Jiang saw the girl get into a ck car with Charles Gao''s attentive help, and then Charles Gao walked around to the other side and got in.


    It was surprising that the cherished grandson of the Gaos would be so attentive to an ordinary girl.


    "Did you save that girl?"


    "I would have done the same for anyone."


    Madam Jiang believed her son wouldn''t lie. She already knew the whole story; the children''s careless y almost cost lives, and it was that girl who stepped forward to save someone else. If she hadn''t, the consequences could have been disastrous.


    ¡ª¡ª


    As soon as Ming Jing got in the car, Charles Gao handed her a thermos cup: "It''s ginger water; drink it to warm yourself up."


    Ming Jing nced at him; Charles Gao directly unscrewed the lid and put it in her hand: "Don''t worry, it''s not poisoned."


    Ming Jing took a sip. The spiciness rushed into her mouth but helped to ease the chill.


    "Thank you."


    "I have to say, with so many people indifferent at the time, how did you just jump in to save someone? Did you ever think that the sea is so deep that if you didn''t know how to swim, you would have risked your own life? You are just too kind." Charles Gao was still worried to this moment.


    There weren''t many girls as kind-hearted as her.


    Why did she save Zhu Xiangxiang?


    Zhao Qin criticized her behind her back for having a Mother Teresa-like heart, Li Jiaojiao was furious about her nonpetitiveness, and even Charles Gao didn''t quite understand.


    But they forgot that, besides being the true heiress the Zhus just found, she was also a cultivator.


    All things in the world have life; every life is worth saving.


    "Take off the coat in the car." Jiang Jinchen''s coat was still draped over Ming Jing''s head, which made Charles Gao very ufortable.


    Ming Jing removed the coat, and Charles Gao eximed: "Your...your hair!?"Ming Jing nced at him, and something about that look made Charles Gao nervous, causing him to stutter.


    Charles Gao suddenly had a thought: "Did Jiang Jinchen bully you, cutting your hair off?"


    Ming Jing took a sip of ginger tea: "He wouldn''t do something that boring."


    "Could it be that you''re sick? All your hair fell out?" Charles Gao felt pity as he looked into Ming Jing''s eyes, considering this possibility.


    Ming Jing didn''t bother to pay attention to him.


    Seeing Ming Jing silent, Charles Gao figured that he had guessed correctly, and his sympathy grew.


    "You''re still so young; how could fate be so cruel to you?" Charles Gao seemed to have foreseen Ming Jing''s miserable fate and couldn''t help but feel sorrow.


    "Such a strong girl, even when yed by fate, still clings to her hope for life, and does her best to help everyone around her. Are you an angel?"


    Ming Jing: ... You''re quite the drama queen.


    Tired of listening to his nonsense, "I''m a nun."


    Those words left Charles Gao dumbfounded.


    Ming Jing: The world is finally a peaceful ce.


    ¡ª¡ª


    "Isn''t this the Zhus'' house?" When the car stopped, Charles Gao finally realized something was wrong.


    "Thank you for bringing me home. Goodbye." Ming Jing got out of the car and closed the door, moving fluidly.


    Charles Gao was left in the car, feeling dumbfounded.


    Ming Jing, oh Ming Jing, what kind of woman are you?


    The Zhus had been a trending topic recently, and the story of their true and false heiresses was well known throughout Jiangcheng. Could it be...?


    This would exin why Ming Jing risked her life to save Zhu Xiangxiangst night; she must have suffered a lot in the Zhus'' house. If something had happened to Zhu Xiangxiang, she wouldn''t have a good time.


    Charles Gao''s sympathy for her turned into heartache.


    He wouldn''t leave. He would stay here and wait; if The Zhus dared to bully Ming Jing, he would stand up for her.


    Ming Jing entered the living room, and Lin Qing shouted angrily, "Kneel down!"


    Even Madam Zhou in the kitchen was startled by the loud voice and shrank her neck.


    Ming Jing nced at her indifferently and walked straight upstairs.


    Being ignored by someone she looked down upon, Lin Qing fumed and chased after her, blocking her way.


    "Are you deaf? Did you not hear me speak?"


    Ming Jing looked at her calmly, "I don''t know what crime I''vemitted."


    Looking into Ming Jing''s deep, dark eyes made Lin Qing uneasy. She disliked her daughter even more, sneering, "How dare you ask? Xiangxiang went to the party with youst night, how did she end up in the water and unconscious? Tell me, didn''t you bully her? I knew you had ill intentions, scheming to harm Xiangxiang, so you could be the sole youngdy of the Zhus."


    Ming Jing sighed, her eyes filled with pity, "Madam Lin, the person you''re maliciously using is your own daughter."


    Lin Qing choked, "So what if she''s my biological daughter? If she''s bad from the root, I''d rather have never given birth to her."


    Ming Jing knew that it was difficult to break a person''s obsession, and she didn''t bother trying to rectify Lin Qing''s wrong values, "Whether or not I''ve harmed anyone, you''ll know when your precious daughter wakes up."


    With that, she went straight upstairs.


    At this point, Xiao Ying ran over: "Madam, Miss Xiangxiang is awake."


    Lin Qing didn''t care about Ming Jing anymore and hurried to Zhu Xiangxiang''s room.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had woken up once at the hospital, but after undergoing a check-up that showed no major issues, she went home that very night. She was incredibly exhausted and didn''t exin much, only telling Lin Qing to quickly save Ming Jing before falling asleep.


    Lin Qing, half-asleep, didn''t quite hear Zhu Xiangxiang''s words and believed that Ming Jing had caused this whole mess, which was why she came after Ming Jing as soon as she returned.


    "Xiangxiang, rest assured, I will not let Ming Jing off this time. She harmed you like this, she must pay the price."


    Zhu Xiangxiang''s eyes flickered, "Mom, you''ve misunderstood; Ming Jing didn''t hurt me. On the contrary, she saved me."

 Chapter 14: 014 Misunderstanding

    <h4>Chapter 14: 014 Misunderstanding</h4>


    "What? She saved you?" Lin Qing eximed in disbelief.


    Zhu Xiangxiang obediently said, "No one else would help me at that time, only Ming Jing jumped in to rescue me. She waster swept away by the waves, I have no idea if she is okay or not. If something bad happened to her, I would never forgive myself for the rest of my life."


    Lin Qing hadn''t expected this to be the truth and it seemed she had wrongly med Ming Jing.


    Lin Qing said awkwardly, "She just came back, don''t worry, she''s fine."


    Zhu Xiangxiang let out a sigh of relief, "That''s good. Mom, Ming Jing saved my life. I need to be extra nice to her from now on."


    Lin Qing gently stroked her hair and spoke softly: "My dear, you are too kind."


    "Ming Jing appears cold but she''s warm-hearted. As a nun, she embodies truepassion."


    Lin Qing did notment. For some reason, she just couldn''t get close to this daughter.


    "Mom, how is Shaodan doing?"


    "Your father has hired the bestwyer in the country. We are hoping thewyer can help your brother out of this mess at the court."


    "Even the bestwyer can''tpete with Li Qingzhuo. He''s the top authority in the legal world."


    "What else can we do? We have thought about all the solutions; it''s your brother''s fault to mess with the wrong person."


    "We should approach Madam Jiang. She holds great influence and power. Shaodan is not guilty of a capital offence. If Madam Jiang mediated, Shaodan might be saved."


    "But we can''t even meet with Madam Jiang in person. Even if we did, why would she help an unrted family like us?"


    "I heard that Madam Jiang loves gardening and is extremely fond of Clivia. She surely will attend the flower show at Tian''e Lake this weekend. We should win her through what she likes. If she provides some help, then even the fox cannot sessfully impersonate the mighty tiger. Our foes will keep their eyes open."


    Lin Qing touched her forehead indulgently, "You are such a sly fox."


    After calming Zhu Xiangxiang, Lin Qing left the room, strolled to Ming Jing''s room and knocked on the door.


    It was a while before Ming Jing opened the door. Lin Qing couldn''t help but ask: "What have you been doing? You took so long to answer the door."


    Ming Jing stared at her quietly: "Sleeping."


    Noticing that herplexion wasn''t very good, Lin Qing softened her voice: "Xiangxiang told me that you saved her. I misunderstood you before, I''m sorry. Just rest well." With that said, she hastily left.


    Every time she faced this daughter, she felt a suffocating pressure that she could not express.


    Ming Jing closed the door, turned around, and went back to sleep. She had exhausted too much energy the night before and it was now Saturday. She had two days to take a good rest.


    Ever since Ming Jing started practicing Buddhism, she seldom had nightmares. But today, for some unknown reason, she had a chaotic dream filled with long-buried memories.


    When she woke up, it was already dusk, the setting sun was casting mottled light and shadow on the white curtain and the floor.


    Ming Jingy on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.


    "Tick-tock, tick-tock" the clock silently moved towards darkness.


    Miss, are you awake?" the voice of Madam Zhou came from outside the door.


    "I made somete-night snacks,e and have some."


    "Come in." A chill voice drifted by.


    A chill shivered down Madam Zhou''s back. She pushed open the door and walked in with the tray.


    The room was pitch-ck, and a dark silhouette was sitting on the bed. The curtain moved with the wind, creating a strange atmosphere.


    Madam Zhou turned on the light and ced the meal on the tea table. There was a bowl of porridge, two tes of vegetables, and a bun.


    Simple and light, just the way Ming Jing usually ate.


    "Miss, you have slept all day, are you feeling any better?"


    Ming Jing rubbed her forehead: "I''m okay, thanks, Madam Zhou."


    "No problem at all, it''s what I should do." Madam Zhou picked up the dirty clothes from the bathroom to take them to the dry cleaner.


    Ming Jing got up and sipped some porridge. At that moment, her phone rang.


    Ming Jing was startled as she looked at the bedside table.


    The day she returned to the Zhu''s mansion, Zhu Xiangxiang gave her a new phone, thetest model of an iPhone. There were only two contacts: Zhu Xiangxiang and Tao Xingxing.


    Ming Jing didn''t usually bring her phone to school, so she didn''t know when the battery had run out. It was Madam Zhou who had found out about the dead battery while cleaning the bathroom and charged it up.


    Before, Charles Gao kept asking for her WeChat. In the end, Ming Jing caved under pressure and gave him her phone number just to get rid of him.


    Ming Jing picked up the phone. There was a friend request on WeChat.


    The profile picture was a selfie of Charles Gao, showing off and full of self-admiration.


    Ming Jing epted the request, and immediately, Charles Gao initiated a video call.


    "I''ve been waiting for you to add me the whole day, and only now you epted my request. " His tone of voice even had a touch of grievance.


    Ming Jing replied indifferently: "I''ve just woken up."


    Charles Gao seemed to be in a bar. The background was noisy with people talking and lights shing. He looked as if he was in hell with his face reflecting green light.


    "Have you had dinner?"


    "Fuck... Charles has never spoken so softly, who on earth is on the other end of the call?"


    A group of young men huddled together excitedly behind Charles Gao. One of them tried to sneak a peek, but was red away by Charles.


    "Having dinner now."


    The two talked in a nondescript manner. After a while, Ming Jing was going to take a shower and abruptly ended the call.


    At that moment, the investigation report he had requested had also arrived.


    Unexpectedly, Ming Jing was the real heiress of the Zhu family, who was recently discovered after a period of controversy. She had been adopted and raised by Master Wu Xin of Jiyue Temple at Baitou Mountain since childhood. She became a nun, devoted herself to Buddhism, and would still be in the mountains chanting sutras if the private investigators hired by the Zhu family hadn''t found the truth and brought her back.


    Charles Gao was shocked at the information he had been thinking about all day.


    There wasn''t much detailed information in the report. With a few words, a simple image of a girl''s sixteen-year life was sketched out. After returning to her wealthy family, she did not be ostentatious or arrogant, but maintained a low-key and simple lifestyle. At school, she never drew attention to herself and even saved Zhu Xiangxiang, her presumed enemy.


    After reading the report, Charles Gao was filled with mixed feelings, one of the young men asked: "Charles, is she your girlfriend?"


    Charles Gao nced at him: "Don''t speak nonsense."


    The group exchanged nces. It seemed Charles had unusual feelings for this girl.


    Amotion broke out not far away; it seemed someone was making trouble. Such happenings weremon in bars. Charles Gao drank while lost in his thoughts,pletely oblivious to the disturbances.


    A teenager covered in tattoos ran over: "Something happened to Huanhuan."


    The group of young men was surprised: "What happened?"


    Only Charles Gao remained seated, without even furrowing his brow.


    "Huanhuan caught the eye of a rich second-generation youth. The guy was incredibly arrogant and tried to impress Huanhuan with money. Of course, Huanhuan didn''tply, scolded him a few times, and then he dared to have his men pin Huanhuan down and humiliate her."


    "Fuck, that''s going too far."


    "Who the hell does he think he is in Jiangcheng?"


    "Acts so wildly on our turf? Today, we need to teach him a lesson. Let''s go, guys."


    The group was set to fight, Charles Gao said in a deep voice: "Wait."

 Chapter 15: 015 Flower Show

    <h4>Chapter 15: 015 Flower Show</h4>


    "What''s the hurry, Wei Zi? Who''s causing trouble?"


    The young man who came to report the news at first said, "I don''t know him. He looks younger than us, very arrogant. He has four bodyguards with him; seems to have a big background."


    Charles Gao thought for a moment, "Everyone sit down, don''t mind the business."


    A few hot-blooded youths said discontentedly, "Charles, this is our territory. Can we let others run wild? Besides, they''re bullying Huanhuan. Didn''t you used to like Huanhuan the most?"


    With one nce from Charles, the other party knew they had stepped on andmine and quickly shut up.


    Charles remembered the trouble Zhu Shaodan had caused. Although the Zhus tried to keep it quiet, there were no imprable walls in the world. Zhu Shaodan had offended someone he shouldn''t have and was now involved in a bigwsuit. The Zhu family was currently running around in a frenzy trying to deal with it.


    How big was the background of that person?


    A group of people sat down obediently, the noise outside grew more and more intense, asionally mixed with the shrill screams of women. One of Huanhuan''s top fans couldn''t help but rush out.


    Charles sighed, got up, and went out.


    "What the hell are you? It''s none of your business when I teach someone a lesson!"


    He was a very handsome young man, but his eyebrows revealed a strong arrogance. He tilted his neck, looked unapproachably at others, and perfectly disyed the style of a dandy.


    Under his feet was a young woman with a heavy make-up, looking extremely miserable and humiliated at the moment.


    Seeing Charles, she immediately struggled and said, "Mr. Gao, save me...!"


    The young man looked Charles up and down: "Are you from the Gao family?"


    Charles smiled and walked over, "Mr. Bai, long time no see."


    The young man frowned, his delicate and beautiful face appearing unfriendly, and snorted, "You know me?"


    "When the young master of the Baises to Jiangcheng, how can I, as the host, not treat you well? It''s my fault."


    "Hypocritical, I don''t need it."


    "Mr. Bai, this girl has upset you and deserves to be punished. But after all, she''s just a stinky girl. Don''t dirty Mr. Bai''s hands. Leave her to me. I promise she won''t appear in front of Mr. Bai again."


    Bai Ziyan understood the hidden meaning of Charles'' words. The Gao family was different from the Zhu family. The Zhu family had no foundation, but the Gao family had been rooted in Jiangzhou for many years and had strong backers in Jingdu. They were not as easy to manipte as the Zhu family.


    Bai Ziyan was not so arrogant as to be brainless. Since the other party had already said this, he decided to make the best of the situation.


    "Fine, I''ll give you face. Take her away and discipline her properly."


    Xie Huanhuan was taken away. Before she left, she looked at Charles with gratitude, her eyes full of affection, but Charles didn''t even nce at her.


    "If Mr. Bai doesn''t mind, I''d like to apany him for a drink, and we won''t return until we''re drunk."


    Bai Ziyan smiled, "You are good at socializing, much better than Zhu Shaodan."


    Charles replied ambiguously, "Zhu Shaodan was spoiled by the Zhu family, and the Zhu family must take responsibility for their education."


    "Alright, I feel a strong affinity with you. Let''s be friends, and we won''t stop until we''re drunk."


    ¡ª¡ª


    The weekend was a sunny day. Ming Jing got up early to do her morning routine. After finishing her morning routine, it was only six o''clock. She went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.


    Madam Zhou had be ustomed to Ming Jing appearing in the kitchen and even took the initiative to help Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing was efficient in her work and quickly prepared Granny Zhu''s breakfast.


    As for herself, she ate something simpler and lighter. Others were not in her consideration.


    Zhu Xiangxiang also rarely saw Ming Jing at her family''s dining table today.


    "Thank you for saving me the night beforest." Regardless of what she thought in her heart, Zhu Xiangxiang''s eyes and tone seemed very sincere at the moment.


    Ming Jing indifferently said, "You''re wee."


    Knowing her personality, Zhu Xiangxiang didn''t say anything else. The few people silently ate their breakfast.


    "Xiangxiang, how''s your health? If not, you should rest at home today, and I''ll go to the flower exhibition alone." Lin Qing said worriedly.


    "I can handle it."


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the silently eating Ming Jing across from her and said, "Ming Jing, my mother and I are going to the Swan Lake Flower Exhibition today. Would you like toe with us?"


    Lin Qing frowned, "What can she understand? Just stay at home and don''t make trouble for us."


    Ming Jing looked at Lin Qing and suddenly smiled, "Alright, I''m a country bumpkin who has never seen a flower exhibition. It''s a good opportunity for me to broaden my horizons."


    Lin Qing choked and thought to herself, this damn girl, are you deliberately going against me?


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Swan Lake Flower Exhibition can be considered the most grand annual public event in Jiangzhou. At that time, all flowers in the Swan Lake Garden would be blooming,peting to show their beauty.


    The exhibition was actually divided into two parts.


    Ordinary people strolled and appreciated flowers in the garden, while the Swan Lake Garden had a ce called An Zhitinn, which was where the upper-ssdies and youngdies went to y.


    When the trio of Zhu Xiangxiang arrived at An Zhitinn, there were already manydies there. Lin Qing quickly scanned the area and didn''t see Madam Jiang, feeling quite disappointed.


    She cheered up and began to socialize with Zhu Xiangxiang among thedies, showcasing her social skills.


    Ming Jing wore a white gauze dress that reached her ankles today. She was tall and elegant, with an ethereal and transcendent temperament, making her extraordinarily eye-catching among the trio.


    Someone noticed her and asked Lin Qing, "Is this the real daughter of the Zhu family who has just been found?"


    Lin Qing, always adept at dealing with people, smiled and pulled Ming Jing over, "Yes, Ming Jing, this is Madam Li."


    Ming Jingplied, "Madam Li."


    Unlike Zhu Xiangxiang''s dignified and elegant demeanor, Ming Jing seemed unremarkable at first nce. However, she had an unusual temperament that was difficult to capture and describe in words. For these wealthy olderdies who believed in Buddhism, Ming Jing had a very familiar and likable air about her.


    "Ah, Mrs. Zhu, you''re so lucky. This girl is really extraordinary."


    When Ming Jing was praised, Lin Qing was happy on the surface, although she couldn''t see what it was about Ming Jing that the other party liked. She thought it might have just been routinepliments and didn''t take it to heart.

 Chapter 16: 016 Flattery

    <h4>Chapter 16: 016 ttery</h4>


    "Mrs. Zhu has two daughters as beautiful as flowers and jade, such fortune is not something ordinary people have. Here, do you want it?"


    Li Jiaojiao came out of the crowd, and the words she said made the madam feel embarrassed and unable to respond.


    The biological daughter raised in the countryside, the illegitimate child of an unknown family raised carefully for many years, now both looked like beautiful daughters, but when she thought about it, neither of them were truly hers. This kind of fortune was not something most ordinary people could bear.


    This madam was just ttering her, but who knew Li Jiaojiao would bluntly point it out, making both parties feel awkward. Madam Li cursed Li Jiaojiao in her heart for not being able to say anything nice, but she didn''t dare to openly offend her, so she could onlyugh and try to smooth things over.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn''t expect to meet Li Jiaojiao again. That night, she and Zhao Qin set her up and almost got her killed.


    Li Jiaojiao looked at Zhu Xiangxiang with a smile: "Ms. Zhu, I was so worried for a long time after you fell into the water that night. It''s great to see that you are out and about so soon, it seems like you weren''t hurt too badly."


    "Thank you for your concern, Ms. Li, I''m in great health."


    "Ah, what I envy the most is the sisterly bond between you two. That night, I saw it clearly that when you fell into the water, your sister didn''t hesitate to jump down and save you. You should really repay this lifesaving favor."


    Madam Li curiously asked, "What happened?"


    When she looked at Ming Jing again, she was even more pleased. What a kind-hearted child.


    Zhu Xiangxiang held Ming Jing''s hand and said with a smile, "I owe Ming Jing so much, I will make it up to her for the rest of my life."


    Li Jiaojiao sneered, "Anyone can talk big, but it''s easy to bite your tongue."


    Ming Jing quietly withdrew her hand and stood behind Lin Qing as a background.


    Li Jiaojiao nced at her and snorted coldly. She was an incapable person who was just waiting to be bullied by Zhu Xiangxiang.


    "I heard that Madam Jiang ising today too. Madam Li, have you seen Madam Jiang?"


    Madam Li shook her head: "I don''t know. Madam Jiang is always quiet and rarely out. There are too many people at this flower exhibition, I doubt she woulde."


    Lin Qing sighed. It seemed like she was going to make a wasted trip today.


    Zhu Xiangxiang secretly nudged Lin Qing''s arm, Lin Qing turned her head, and Zhu Xiangxiang motioned for her to look at the entrance.


    A charming figure walked in apanied by two noblewomen. Wasn''t this the very Madam Jiang they had been longing to meet?


    Lin Qing was overjoyed, about to move forward but was stopped by Zhu Xiangxiang: "Calm down."


    Li Jiaojiao hooked her lips in a smile and walked forward: "Aunt Jiang, what a coincidence, you also came to appreciate the flowers?"


    Madam Jiang was delighted to see Li Jiaojiao: "Jiaojiao."


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned; every time, Li Jiaojiao would ruin her ns. Annoying!


    Without paying much attention, Lin Qing pulled Zhu Xiangxiang over: "Madam Jiang, I didn''t expect to meet you here. Are you doing welltely?"


    Madam Jiang nced at Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang with a half-smile: "Madam Zhu, Miss Zhu."


    Her gaze seemed to see through everything, making Lin Qing feel ufortable. Although she was a prominent figure among the noblewomen, she always had a sense of inferiority in front of Madam Jiang.


    "It''s a good day for appreciating flowers today. Let''s not let worldly affairs disrupt everyone''s elegant pursuits. Wouldn''t you agree, Madam Zhu?"


    Lin Qing hurriedly said: "What Madam Jiang said is correct."


    Madam Jiang took the lead and walked forward, Li Jiaojiao intimately holding Madam Jiang''s arm. As she passed Zhu Xiangxiang, she stole a triumphant smile at her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her nails into her palm, and turned her head to find that Ming Jing had disappeared.


    "Mom, where''s Ming Jing?"


    Lin Qing was puzzled: "She was just by my side, how did she disappear in the blink of an eye? What is that child doing? She''s not familiar with this ce." Lin Qingined.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked around but couldn''t find Ming Jing''s figure. She had no choice but to follow them for now.


    "Spring brings green leaves, and autumn brings fragrant white flowers." Madam Jiang stopped in front of a clivia nt and recited softly.


    "Wow, this flower is so beautiful!" Li Jiaojiao eximed.


    In the blue and white porcin pot grew a clivia nt over a meter tall. More than a dozen leavesyered and spread out like a gorgeous umbre, and the leaves were glossy withrge veins. The old leaves hung down, while the new leaves stood tall. Atop a long flower stalk was arge orange-red blooming flower that was dazzling and eye-catching. It was as if gold dust had been sprinkled on the petals, shining brilliantly under the sunlight. Surrounded by dozens of sword-shaped leaves, the gorgeous flower was like a queen looking down on the crowd.


    "nts have their own hearts, don''t force beauty to break."


    Madam Jiang looked at Zhu Xiangxiang with a hint of a smile in her eyes: "Do you also like clivia?"


    Zhu Xiangxiang gave a shy smile: "Clivia has bright and beautiful flowers, and its jade-like leaves are extraordinary, lofty, simple, and detached. This is how a person should be."


    "Well said, this clivia is different from ordinary orchids."


    "This nt is an extremely rare top-quality specimen cultivated by Master Huang Ji, who has spent more than a decade cultivating it. It''s lucky to see it today."


    Madam Jiang took a longer look at her. This girl seemed not arrogant or impetuous and spoke humbly and politely. She felt her opinion of her change a bit.


    Li Jiaojiao was not convinced and snorted, "You seem to know quite a bit. Did you look up a lot of information before you came?"


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head with a smile, not bothering to exin. It seemed like she didn''t want to stoop to Li Jiaojiao''s level.


    This enraged Li Jiaojiao. What act was she putting on? Trying every trick to tter Madam Jiang. She should take a look in the mirror and ask herself if she''s worthy of such efforts!


    Lin Qing quickly added, "Xiangxiang has always been fond of flowers and nts. The whole back garden at home has been filled up with flowers and nts she takes care of. She treasures them so much that she doesn''t even let us touch them. I don''t know much about this exceptionally high-quality clivia, but Xiangxiang has raised several pots. If Madam Jiang doesn''t mind, I can ask Xiangxiang to send you a couple of them in the future."


    Madam Jiangughed: "A gentleman should not take what others love."


    "How could this be considered stealing? Rather, it''s like pairing a talented hero with a fine horse or offering a beautiful flower to a beautifuldy."


    Lin Qing''s words actually made Madam Jiangugh.


    Lin Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It''s still Xiangxiang who''s capable of winning Madam Jiang''s favor so easily.


    From then on, everything went smoothly. Zhu Xiangxiang walked beside Madam Jiang, with Li Jiaojiao on one side and herself on the other. No matter what flower they went to admire, Zhu Xiangxiang could speak eloquently, asionally citing ancient texts. Everyone, except Madam Jiang, who was nodding frequently, was confused.


    Li Jiaojiao red at Zhu Xiangxiang resentfully. Stupid girl, you really know how to brownnose.


    Zhu Xiangxiang returned her a triumphant smile. Just wait and see.

 Chapter 17: 017 Sudden Mutation

    <h4>Chapter 17: 017 Sudden Mutation</h4>


    Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the crowd, and thedies and misses who were huddled together scattered with screams like frightened animals.


    A middle-aged man walked out of the crowd, wearing a bomb suit, and fearlessly charged towards Madam Jiang''s direction.


    "What... what''s happening?" Lin Qing was shocked.


    Zhu Xiangxiang quicklyposed herself and stood in front of Madam Jiang. "Let''s get out of here."


    Madam Jiang appeared quite calm, following the flow of people out.


    However, more and more people rushed to the exit, which quickly separated the group.


    "Madam Jiang... Madam Jiang, where are you?" Zhu Xiangxiang struggled to navigate through the crowd but couldn''t find Madam Jiang''s figure.


    "Xiangxiang, let''s just leave, stop worrying about Madam Jiang." Lin Qing tried to pull Zhu Xiangxiang away.


    Zhu Xiangxiang pushed Lin Qing away: "No, Mom, you go first. I must find Madam Jiang. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."


    There was no trace of panic in her eyes, but rather a glimmer of excitement.


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Qing was swept up by the crowd toward the exit, unwillingly yelling, "Xiangxiang...!"


    As for Li Jiaojiao, she had slipped away at the very beginning.


    "Madam... watch out." Jiang Chun almost became a ghost under someone''s foot, but fortunately, a hand reached out and saved her from disaster.


    Jiang Chun steadied herself, "Thank you..."


    Before she could raise her head, the other person grabbed her wrist and started running, "Follow me."


    While everyone was rushing towards the entrance, this person led her in the opposite direction, heading to the back of the crowd.


    The person was a tall, thin young girl, and Jiang Chun felt that she looked familiar.


    Behind the main hall of An Zhiting Lan''s party was a small garden with no back door, only high walls. All the people were heading for the entrance, leaving the rear garden empty.


    Just as the two entered the garden, two masked men in ck jumped down from the walls, one male and one female.


    Jiang Chun calmly said, "Miss, don''t worry about me, just save yourself."


    The male and female were thin and cool, stretching their hands towards Ming Jing''s face without a word, looking somewhat careless.


    Pesky little girl.


    Jiang Chun anxiously said, "Miss, you better go."


    Ming Jing let go of Jiang Chun''s hand, pushed her into the corner, and then suddenly grabbed the wrist stretching toward her face. With a swift twist, she showed no hesitation. The opponent moaned in pain, and she quickly moved behind the female assassin, holding her neck with one hand.


    Her movements were smooth and swift, like lightning, leaving the male assassin with no chance to react.


    Jiang Chun was stunned by this young girl''s incredible skills.


    At the moment, Ming Jing''s back was facing Jiang Chun, making it impossible for her to see Ming Jing''s face.


    The male assassin coldly asked, "Who are you?"


    Assassins usually practice killing skills, aiming for deadly attacks, but this girl seemed even better. He smelled a familiar scent in her skills.


    She was a very young girl with short hair covering her forehead. Her slightly downcast eyes made it difficult to see her true feelings, her skin was too pale, and her thin lips were lightly pursed, indifferent yet gentle.


    "Qinglong Association."


    As soon as the three words were uttered, the opponent''s face turned pale with shock.


    "Go back and tell your boss that this Madam is not someone he can touch. Get lost."


    Even the harshest words were spoken with a calm and gentle tone, strangely making people break out in a cold sweat.


    With a swift chop, Ming Jing knocked out the female assassin and threw her to the male assassin. The male assassin looked deeply at her, picked up the female assassin, and disappeared over the wall.


    "Thank you for saving my life. How should I address you? I''d like to return the favor someday," Jiang Chun tentatively asked.


    "No need." The young girl effortlessly jumped and climbed to the top of the wall. Just as she jumped off the wall, four bodyguards arrived searching for her.


    "Madam Jiang... I finally found you. Are you alright?" Zhu Xiangxiang arrived as well, looking disheveled and worried.


    Jiang Chun took onest look at the wall and felt as if it were all a dream. If she hadn''t seen it herself, it would have been hard to believe.


    Jiang Chun withdrew her gaze and coldly asked, "What''s going on? Get that Guan guy over here immediately."


    One of the bodyguards respectfully replied, "Madam, Chief Guan is on his way. Although the culprit has been subdued, we don''t know if there are still hidden dangers to Madam Jiang. It''s best to leave here as soon as possible."


    Jiang Chun walked forward, exuding an intimidating presence. Zhu Xiangxiang quietly followed, thinking how close it had been.


    Upon reaching the entrance, several armed police officers were restraining a man. It turned out that the bomb suit he was wearing was actually a harmless replica.


    Jiang Chun ordered a bodyguard, "Escort Miss Zhu home safely."


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly said, "Madam Jiang, why don''t I keep youpany."


    Jiang Chun didn''t respond. Instead, she got into a car parked on the side of the road.


    The bodyguard approached Zhu Xiangxiang, "Miss Zhu, please."


    ---


    Entering the car, Jiang Chun instructed the bodyguard, "Investigate the Qinglong Association."


    "Also, help me investigate one more person."


    ---


    When Zhu Xiangxiang got home, Lin Qing was already there waiting for her. Seeing her daughter return, she quickly asked, "Are you alright? You had me worried sick."


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, "Something about today''s incident is strange. I think that man targeted Madam Jiang."


    "It might be more than that. Anyway, let''s keep our distance from Madam Jiang in the future. We don''t want to get involved and lose everything. I''ll keep thinking about how to deal with Shaodan."


    It suddenly urred to Zhu Xiangxiang, "Where''s Ming Jing?"


    Lin Qing was puzzled, "How would I know? It''s her fault for running off."


    Lin Qing''s expression showed no real concern, but Zhu Xiangxiang, her step-sister, revealed genuine care.


    "This is bad. I need to find her." Zhu Xiangxiang turned to leave.


    At that moment, Madam Zhou came out of the kitchen with a tray of tea. "Miss Ming Jing came home a while ago and is resting in her room."

 Chapter 18 - 18: 018 Strange

    Chapter 18: 018 Strange


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°When did shee back?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang frowned and asked.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing just went upstairs when you two came back. I thought you all returned together.¡± Madam Zhou brought brewed flower tea for Lin Qing, and muttered that these three were really strange. They all left together, but didn¡¯te back together.


    ¡°Does she¡­ look strange in any way?


    Madam Zhouughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s strange about her? Isn¡¯t she the same as when she left?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, I was just asking.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang brushed it off and decided to go upstairs to find Ming Jing and get things clear.


    Today¡¯s events were full of mysteries. Ming Jing¡¯s sudden disappearance and her return alone made Zhu Xiangxiang feel something was off.


    Zhu Xiangxiang knocked on the door, and soon the door was opened from inside. Ming Jing stood coolly at the entrance.


    In her slender, white fingers, she held Buddhist beads. The beads were round and glossy, possessing an austere beauty in the delicate spaces between her fingers.


    ¡°Where did you run off to when you were at An Zhitinn earlier? Your mother and I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere, you should¡¯ve at least let us know when you came back.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s tone was somewhat cold, her eyes probing, cautiously scanning every inch of her.


    Ming Jing walked to the floor-to-ceiling window with an indifferent expression, ¡°I was feeling unwell and needed to find a restroom. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt you and Madam Li, so I left alone. When I came back, something had already happened, so I could only leave with the crowd and wait for you to return home.¡±


    The calmer Ming Jing¡¯s exnation, the more uneasy Zhu Xiangxiang felt. Could it really be just a coincidence?


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay, get some rest.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned around and left, walked two steps, then seemed to suddenly remember something, ¡°Oh, I remember you have a few junior temple sisters who should be like real sisters to you. Your master has passed away, and you¡¯re no longer in Jiyue Temple. How do they live? Why not bring them to Jiangzhou? I¡¯ll let Mother arrange good families for them so they can have a worry-free life.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s hand, which was holding the Buddhist beads, paused for a moment before smoothly sliding through her fingers.


    ¡°No need to bother, they have their own opportunities.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s been so long, you should go back and check on them. What if I send the housekeeper to deliver them some food and drinks? They¡¯re all just children, it¡¯s so pitiful.¡±


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°Then I¡¯ll thank you on behalf of my sisters for your kindness.¡±


    ¡°Why be polite with family? Since they are your sisters, they are naturally my sisters too.¡±


    After Zhu Xiangxiang left, Ming Jing stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the garden.


    The flowers were splendid, and the warm sun was melting, but her eyes were filled with boundless gloom.


    ¡°Madam, the identity of the troublemaker has been determined to be a homeless man with no background. The other party¡¯s methods were very clever, leaving no trace.¡±


    ¡°As for the Qinglong Association, more investigation is needed.¡±


    Zhou Xue frowned, ¡°Based on the characteristics you provided, I collected all the surveince footage from An Zhitinn that day. Three girls fit your description, but strangely, after the incident, all the surveince cameras were destroyed, making it impossible to verify which one it was.¡±


    ¡°All a bunch of useless people.¡± Jiang Chun angrily said.


    She paused and continued, ¡°Investigate all three girls. Anyone who knows about the Qinglong Association can¡¯t be an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°Is Madam worried¡­?¡±


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m just being paranoid.¡±


    At this moment, Jiang Jinchen walked in from outside, and Jiang Chun waved her hand. Zhou Xue quietly retreated.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been informed of today¡¯s incident at An Zhitinn. Are you hurt?¡± Jiang Jinchen was the type of person who didn¡¯t show his emotions easily, but at this moment, his eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes were full of concern.


    Jiang Chun smiled with relief, ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks to a girl who saved me.


    Otherwise, I might be having tea with the Qinglong Association now.¡±


    ¡°Qinglong Association?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to get involved in all this, I just wanted you to focus on your studies. But if I don¡¯t tell you, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll target you next time. You¡¯re grown up now, and there are some things you should know.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s face turned solemn, and he unconsciously sat up straight.


    Jiang Chun took a sip of tea and leisurely said, ¡°The reason I stay in Jiangzhou is to investigate a certain matter. This matter is far-reaching and could attract life-threatening disasters any time. Now it seems, the other party can¡¯t hold back any longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve failed, please punish me, my lord,¡± a man and woman knelt in the center of the hall, surrounded by cold-faced individuals in ck attire. In the main seat, a handsome young man sniffed the wine in the cup he held.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even handle such a trivial task, what use are you? Lin Feng.¡±


    A man led a fierce dog into the room. The dog was more than half a person¡¯s height with a sturdy body. As soon as it bared its fangs, it growled, wanting to charge at the pair but was held back tightly by the man behind it.


    The woman¡¯s body trembled slightly, ¡°My lord, the n was perfect, but a girl, out of nowhere, spoiled everything. She had peculiar skills and abilities, and my brother and I couldn¡¯t beat her together. What¡¯s even stranger is that she knows our origin. To prevent more exposure, my brother and I had to retreat.¡± The man narrowed his eyes, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°That girl was young, looked to be in her teens, but she was incredibly skilled. She even seemed to be aware of our affiliation. My lord, we were outmatched, but we should also be careful of internal moles. How else could there be a leak in this otherwise wless operation?¡±


    The man sneered, ¡°Interesting.¡±


    He looked at the silent kneeling man and said, ¡°Ye Jian, what do you have to


    ¡°My lord, everything my sister said is true. If there¡¯s even one lie, let my brother and I be struck by lightning and die a terrible death.¡±


    The man looked at Lin Feng, ¡°Go investigate.¡±


    Lin Feng nodded, leading the fierce dog away.


    Before the siblings could breathe a sigh of relief, they heard an amused but cold voice above them, ¡°Your death sentence can be spared, but you can¡¯t escape a living sentence. The rules of the Qinglong Association cannot be


    vited..¡±

 Chapter 19 - 19: 019 Melodrama

    Chapter 19: 019 Melodrama


    Trantor: 549690339


    Monday morning pop quiz, only covering three main courses.


    In ss 8, a poor academic atmosphere prevails, taking tests is a habitual exercise for them, even scoring zero is a talent of its own.


    During the quiz, some were sleeping, some were reading extracurricr books, some were daydreaming. The proctor, principal Huang Liang, turned a blind eye, expecting nothing good from these young louts, not making a fuss was already a big deal.


    The only exceptions were Hu Tian and Ming Jing who sat upright, diligently writing, standing out as pure streams amid the muddy flow.


    Tao Xingxing yawned, nced at the focused ssmate sitting next to him, and theny heavily on the desk.


    On their way to the cafeteria, Tao Xingxing held Ming Jing¡¯s arm, ¡°That night, when you fell into the water, I was scared to death. Why did you save Zhu Xiangxiang? The sea was so deep. What if something happened to you? Could Zhu Xiangxiangpensate for it?¡±


    ¡°Besides, she has so many fans. Why didn¡¯t those people save her, why did we have to?¡± He rambled all the way to the cafeteria.


    Both Tao Xingxing and Ming Jing picked up the mealbo they usually ordered, just as they were about to find a seat, Zhu Xiangxiang raised her hand in the crowd, ¡°Ming Jing, over here.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang, the school belle, was always the center of attention. Even when she was simply having a meal in the cafeteria, there were always countless eyes on her.


    That girl again? What qualities does she possess to gain the favor of the school belle?


    The seat opposite to Zhu Xiangxiang was empty. Ming Jing went over to sit, and Tao Xingxing squeezed next to him.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zhu Xiangxiang, and I¡¯m Mingjing¡¯s¡­,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang nced at Ming Jing.


    ¡°Good friend. ¡±


    Tao Xingxing raised his brows in surprise at her words, but maintained hisposure, ¡°I¡¯m Ming Jing¡¯s desk mate, my name is Tao Xingxing. By the way, how did you get to know Ming Jing?¡±


    So Ming Jing¡¯s valiant rescue of Zhu Xiangxiang that night wasn¡¯t simply an act of kindness, they knew each other from before.


    Zhu Xiangxiang chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± An annoying voice sounded, and then a figure sat down next to Zhu Xiangxiang.


    It was the pesky Li Jiaojiao.


    ¡°You two sisters are quite interesting, good friends? Zhu Xiangxiang, your face is thicker than a city wall.¡± Li Jiaojiao mocked.


    Tao Xingxing almost choked, his vigorous coughing broke out, ¡°What¡­What? Sisters?¡±


    He nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, then at Ming Jing, they didn¡¯t look alike at all¡­


    Suddenly, he remembered the widespread rumors that Zhu Xiangxiang was a mistakenly reported false heiress, which was why many people wereughing at her behind her back.


    Could it be¡­ Could it be Ming Jing was the real heiress from the rumors?


    Oh god¡­ What kind of magical plot is this? He always thought this type of rich family dispute was something from a melodramatic TV show, far away from him. But now, it was happening right in front of him.


    Ming Jing had suffered so much but still risked her life to save Zhu Xiangxiang. What kind of generous spirit did that involve?


    Many people, their ears perked up, turned their attention to the conversation.


    They naturally heard what Li Jiaojiao said and immediately began to specte along the same lines as Tao Xingxing.


    The discussion spread around the whole school, and the school¡¯s gossip forum was on the brink of exploding.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face remained unchanged, as gentle and elegant as ever, ¡°Ming Jing likes a quiet life, I don¡¯t want my identity revealed to cause her any trouble.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao added fuel to the fire, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, you speak so nicely. Little master Ming Jing, don¡¯t be deceived by this woman. If it wasn¡¯t for her, you would have been the only heiress of the Zhus, enjoying a luxurious life with an advantageous upbringing. The Jiangzhou¡¯s number one socialite should have been you. However, this woman took everything away from you and made you suffer all this hardship from a young age. Do you really think she cares about you?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang red at Li Jiaojiao, angrily, ¡°I will make up for what I owe


    Ming Jing, it¡¯s not your ce to interfere.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao shot back, ¡°I¡¯m the one talking nonsense? Fine then, now that the real heiress is back, shouldn¡¯t the fake heiress return to where she came from? Having enjoyed these benefits for 16 years, and you still want to continue exploiting them?¡±


    Ming Jing, the focus of the argument, was as calm as if she hadn¡¯t heard a word, and quietly continued eating.


    She ate slowly, her movements tranquil and full of an indescribable elegance. Although slow, in no time at all, her te was empty. She took out a napkin, wiped her mouth, got up and left without ncing at the two who had been arguing across from her.


    Li Jiaojiao was stunned and yelled, ¡°Zhu Mingjing, stop! I¡¯m standing up for you. What kind of attitude is this?¡±


    Ming Jing paused, didn¡¯t turn back, and her cold voice echoed, ¡°Firstly, my surname is not Zhu. Secondly, if you want to pick a fight with Zhu Xiangxiang, don¡¯t involve me. Thirdly, when the mistake was made, Zhu Xiangxiang was just a baby. What fault does she bear?¡± With that, she walked away without looking back.o


    But her cold and firm voice lingered in the cafeteria, like an echo resounding around the beams.


    Zhu Xiangxiang watched Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure, her fist clenched tightly. Was Ming Jing standing up for her?


    Li Jiaojiao snorted coldly, ¡°It¡¯s your loss. Your crying days are ahead.¡±


    ¡°Li Jiaojiao, I don¡¯t know what I did to offend you that much, making you stick to me like a dog?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao hit the table, ¡°You¡¯re the dog, your whole family is filled with dogs, you clearly know where you¡¯ve hurt me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang had no interest in arguing with her, she got up with her tray and left.


    The moment the two left, the cafeteria exploded with chatter.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, that new transfer student from ss 8 is the real heiress of the Zhus, unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Of course, she¡¯s from the countryside, how can shepare to Zhu Xiangxiang in terms of looks and temperament¡­¡±


    ¡°Clearly Zhu Xiangxiang took everything away from her, isn¡¯t it a bit too mean to belittle her like this?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I think the real heiress has a good figure, good temperament and she¡¯s exceptionally kind, you didn¡¯t hear her defending Zhu Xiangxiang?¡±


    ¡°If I were the real heiress, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand the sight of the fake heiress and lose my appetite every day. Li Jiaojiao is right, now that the true heiress is back, why should the fake keep up the act and enjoy the luxury?


    ¡°Are you kidding me? If I were the fake heiress, I would never leave.¡±


    ¡°Poor real heiress¡­.¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20: 020 Completely blow up

    Chapter 20: 020 Completely blow up


    Trantor: 549690339


    Within half an hour, the news that ss 8 1 s new transfer student was the real heiress of the Zhu family had spread to every corner of the school, and the explosive news flooded the school¡¯s forums, (IQ and WeChat groups.


    Ming Jing¡¯s photos were also circting on the school¡¯s public forum. People who envied Zhu Xiangxiang tried to praise Ming Jing while disparaging Zhu Xiangxiang. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s supporters followed the principle of nitpicking and tried to find faults in Ming Jing to prove Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s excellence. In short, it was quite lively.


    Even some curious people went to the door of ss 8 to peek, and even started live-streaming.


    ¡°These people are too much, like a group of annoying flies. I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± Tao Xingxing rolled up her sleeves and wanted to stand up and drive the group away.


    Ming Jing practiced a page of calligraphy, authentic running script, with strong brush strokes and restrained elegance.


    Just like her personality, she seemed unremarkable, but elusive like clouds and mist, always hard to grasp.


    ¡°If you care, they¡¯ll intensify their efforts; if you don¡¯t care, they¡¯ll get bored and leave eventually.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have your patience.¡± Tao Xingxing flipped through her phone, browsing the posts on the forum, almost bursting with anger.


    She showed the phone screen to Ming Jing: ¡°Look how horrible these people are, saying you¡¯re ugly and can¡¯tpare to even Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s little finger, and that you deserved to be switched at birth¡­¡±


    Ming Jing nced at it indifferently and then turned her attention away.


    Tao Xingxing shook her arm, ¡°Ming Jing, can we be less like Buddha? People are bullying you! ¡±


    Ming Jing looked at her quietly, ¡°So, if a dog bites you, will you bite it back?¡±


    Her expression was very calm, and her dark eyes were like top-quality ck obsidian, clear and bright. For some reason, people couldn¡¯t help but avert their gaze, as if her eyes could see through one¡¯s heart.


    Tao Xingxing choked andughed out, ¡°Your analogy¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to respond. But if a dog bites me, I¡¯d certainly kill it. What if it bites someone else? It¡¯s better to eliminate the threat.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, then lowered her head to concentrate on practicing her calligraphy.


    Ming Jing instantly became famous in the school. Peoplepared her to Zhu Xiangxiang in various ways: height, appearance, demeanor, speech, and even academic performance. In the end, they concluded that the real heiress was blown away by the fake one. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fans used this method tofort themselves, iming that liking Zhu Xiangxiang was the right choice after all.


    The worst aspect being crushed was their grades. Zhu Xiangxiang was a top student who always ranked among the top ten, received numerous awards, and was a student council member favored by teachers. In contrast, Ming Jing was assigned to the worst-performing ss 8. Need anyone say more about her academic performance?


    Though some people argued that their current situation was due to their educational environment ¨C if the two hadn¡¯t been switched, all the des that Zhu Xiangxiang enjoyed would have belonged to Ming Jing ¨C but the world didn¡¯t have many ¡°ifs,¡± and people only cared about the present.


    Before long, the forum posts discussing Ming Jing disappeared mysteriously, and those surreptitiously mocking Ming Jing were silenced too. Sensing the change in wind direction. people dared not post about Ming Ting anymore and


    stuck to gossiping privately instead.


    ¡°Serves them right! They¡¯re all like gossiping grannies. Kudos to the admins for mping down on them,¡± Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t help but apud the forum administrators.


    During thest self-study ss, nobody was studying, except for Ming Jing. That¡¯s when Hu Tian entered with a stack of test papers and began distributing them one by one.


    It was typical for ss 8 students to stuff the test papers into their desks or crumple them into waste paper. When Hu Tian gave the test paper to Ming Jing, he nced at her and pursed his lips, ¡°You did well.¡±


    As soon as Ming Jing received her test paper, a scream erupted beside her, ¡°120 points? Ming Jing, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    For a math quiz, results usually came out the same afternoon. Many students didn¡¯t take it seriously as the questions weren¡¯t challenging, but it didn¡¯t mean the ss 8 students could score full marks.


    This was math ¨C the subject that tests one¡¯s intelligence the most ¨C and Ming Jing scored full marks.


    They initially thought she was bronze-tier, but who would¡¯ve guessed she was a champion?


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s scream drew the attention of the whole ss, and their gazes unconsciously turned to Ming Jing.


    ¡°You must be joking. She can¡¯t possibly have scored full marks,¡± Zhang Jingwen blurted out. After saying that, she nervously looked at Ming Jing and felt an inexplicable itch all over her body.


    Tao Xingxing snatched Ming Jing¡¯s test paper and looked it over, ¡°Our ss 8 is going to have a top student.¡±


    Zhang Jingwen gritted her teeth, red at Ming Jing, ¡°A top student? Based on her? Who knows if she cheated.¡¯


    Tao Xingxing rolled her eyes at Zhang Jingwen: ¡°If Ming Jing doesn¡¯t deserve it, do you? Show everyone your score. Besides, I¡¯m Ming Jing¡¯s deskmate. I¡¯d know if she cheated. If she did cheat, I¡¯ll write my name, Tao Xingxing, backward.¡±


    For a moment, the students in ss 8 looked at Ming Jing with admiration the kind of admiration for a top student.


    Ever since the real heiress of the Zhu family was revealed, everyone had felt sympathy for Ming Jing. Everything that should have belonged to her was stolen by Zhu Xiangxiang. Ming Jing had devoted herself to studying ever since she transferred and had never caused any trouble. Everyone liked this quiet and well-behaved girl and naturally felt goodwill towards her.


    Maybe the public always sympathizes with the weak. Between Zhu Xiangxiang and Ming Jing, Ming Jing was obviously the weaker one.


    However now, Ming Jing had scored full marks on her math quiz, which showed what?


    She wasn¡¯t weak at all!


    Someone secretly posted on the forum anonymously, iming to be Ming Jing¡¯s ssmate and announcing that Ming Jing scored full marks on the morning¡¯s math quiz.


    Those who were suppressed before now erupted, with many people replying to the post. Some were skeptical, some mocked and bragged, and some were incredulous. In any case, this time the admins didn¡¯t delete the posts or silence anyone.


    ¡ª How could she get assigned to ss 8 if she were academically strong?


    ¡ª Maybe the Zhu family didn¡¯t care about her past grades and casually threw her into ss 8. Who would¡¯ve thought she¡¯d turn out to be such a dark horse? Hahaha, what were the Zhus thinking?


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding. That¡¯s ss 8, where all the worst students gather. If she didn¡¯t cheat, I¡¯ll unscrew my own head and use it as a ser ball.


    The monthly exam ising soon. I¡¯ll make a bet with you. If she makes it to the top scorer¡¯s list, I won¡¯t let you unscrew your head and kick it. Instead,


    ¡ª Bookmarking this bet! Remember your bet, ID ¡°Zuimeng Jinghua¡±. I took a screenshot. You too, ¡°Gaoshan Liushui¡±, I took a screenshot of yours as well..

 Chapter 21 - 21: 021 Cheating

    Chapter 21: 021 Cheating


    Trantor: 549690339


    Just before school let out, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s desk mate Wu Jiajia secretly came over and whispered to her, ¡°Xiangxiang, is Ming Jing really good at studying? I saw on the forum that she got full marks on the math quizzes.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand, which was packing her textbooks, paused, then she nonchntly said, ¡°Really? Ming Jing has always been smart.¡±


    Laughter came from the seat behind her, ¡°You guys actually believe it? It¡¯s just a quiz, not a formal exam, with the learning atmosphere in ss 8. No one cares if you use your phone to copy answers. It¡¯s already fermented on the forum. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? Xiangxiang, your cheap little sister is not simple at all. She knows how to create hype for herself.¡±


    The one who spoke was one of Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s best friends, Huang Yue.


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Ming Jing is not that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°She just came back, and she has no advantagepared to you in any respect. Her appearance and temperament can¡¯t be changed overnight, and it¡¯s a pipe dream to think of surpassing you right away. The fastest way to surpass you is through grades, and the fastest way to improve grades is to cheat, right? A math full score for a student in ss 8 isughable. If she had reined in her ambitions a little and scored 80 or 90, it would have been more credible. A full score¡­is she treating us like fools?¡± Huang Yue analyzed it logically.o


    Wu Jiajia chimed in, ¡°You¡¯re right, but I saw on the forum that her ssmates said she works really hard in her studies. What if it was the result of her own efforts?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? What kind of teaching resources does ss 8 have? Even a genius could be led astray there. She¡¯s just pretending, if not, how can people believe it?¡±


    Wu Jiajia sighed, ¡°Ah¡­Xiangxiang, your little sister has such a deep mind.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang thought of those eyes, always so calm, as if with no desires, no sorrow, no joy.


    Reason told her that Ming Jing had never attended school and, although she could read, she had no foundation. It was impossible for her to achieve a perfect score. But intuition told her that this woman was a mystery, and nothing that happened to her would be strange.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t speak, just silently organized her school bag. As soon as the bell rang for the end of school, she left the ssroom.


    ¡°Do you think Xiangxiang is happy or unhappy?¡± Wu Jiajia asked Huang Yue curiously.


    Huang Yue scoffed, ¡°What do you think, happy or unhappy?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably not happy.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you have it. People are selfish by nature. You¡¯ll see, Xiangxiang is no match for the real heiress, but she owes her anyway. Let her pay it back slowly.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang waited for a while at the school gate but didn¡¯t see Ming Jing.


    The driver asked, ¡°Miss, it¡¯ll be rush hour soon.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang reluctantly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°What good news?¡±


    ¡°This weekend, Madam Jiang is holding a small tea party at her home and has invited several famousdies from Jiangzhou, including you. She just called the house.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang raised her eyebrows, ¡°Did she only invite me?¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face darkened.


    Zhu Xiangxiang immediately understood and took Lin Qing¡¯s hand, ¡°Mom, this is also a good opportunity for Ming Jing to break into Jiangzhou¡¯s social circle.


    I¡¯ll take care of her, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Actually, the assistant¡¯s original words were, ¡°Oh, right, Madam Jiang is very interested in the true and fake daughter of the Zhu family and has invited both.¡±


    Could Lin Qing refuse? No.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that Ming Jing scored full marks in her math quiz this morning. Mom, are you sure Ming Jing never went to school before? Lin Qing was taken aback, ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    She had never actually looked carefully at the results of the private investigator¡¯s investigation, only reviewing the DNA identification result. As for whether Ming Jing had attended school before, she didn¡¯t know. However, thinking about it, Ming Jing had grown up in the nunnery and hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to go to school.


    At that time, she just wanted to put Ming Jing into any ss so she could get a diploma, which would be less humiliating than admitting Zhu Xiangxiang had never attended school. She never had any expectations of Ming Jing excelling in her studies.


    Lin Qing¡¯s first reaction was to be furious, ¡°This damned girl, she has so many wiles, ying the cheating game with me, embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Mom, why are you using her without any investigation? What if Ming Jing really scored full marks? She looks very smart.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still defending her now.¡± Lin Qing went upstairs and came down with a file.


    ¡°These are all the information of Ming Jing¡¯s entire life from when she was a


    baby until now.¡± Lin Qing opened the file bag, revealing the thin stack of papers inside. The top sheet was the DNA identification report, followed by two sheets detailing Ming Jing¡¯s life.


    This time, Lin Qing read it very carefully, her brow furrowed as she read.


    Lin Qing also leaned over to take a look.


    It wasn¡¯t very detailed, just recording a few major events that were known from the vigers living at the foot of the mountain.


    The papers stated that Ming Jing was abandoned at the entrance of the nunnery. Master Wu Xin took pity on her and adopted her. Ming Jing was Master Wu Xin¡¯s second disciple with one senior and three juniors. Ming Jing¡¯s senior, Ming Xin, often went down the mountain to beg for alms and was well-known among the vigers. Ming Jing, on the other hand, hardly ever went down the mountain and only encountered vigers when they came to the nunnery seeking assistance for their illnesses.


    In the vigers¡¯ memories, the second disciple of Master Wu Xin was very mysterious. She never spoke and would silently pass by in the corridors. If she wasn¡¯t meditating in front of the Buddha statue, she was sweeping the courtyard.


    One incident that left an indelible impression on the vigers was the time when a dying old man was brought to the nunnery. Not even Master Wu Xin could save the man¡¯s life. The man¡¯s son threatened to tear down the nunnery and even assaulted Master Wu Xin. Suddenly, a broom rushed over and knocked the man to the ground.


    The young girl in the monk¡¯s robe stood quietly in the autumn sun, her eyespassionate but cold, ¡°The purend of Buddhism will not tolerate this unruly behavior. ¡±


    The man angrily lunged at Ming Jing, but the calm, unruffled girl subdued the muchrger man with a few moves and threw him out ot the nunnery.


    The vigers who witnessed this were dumbfounded. After that incident, they paid more attention to this young master. Most of the private investigator¡¯s information on Ming Jing came from that viger¡¯s ount..

 Chapter 22 - 22: 022 Ancient Temple

    Chapter 22: 022 Ancient Temple


    Trantor: 549690339


    Another memorable event happenedst winter.


    At that time, Master Wu Xin¡¯s health was failing, and she could barely make it through the winter. The vigers from the foot of the mountain came to visit upon hearing the news. Most of them advised Ming Xin and Ming Jing to bring Master Wu Xin down the mountain to the big hospital for treatment, thinking that there might still be hope for recovery.


    But Master Wu Xin refused, stating frankly that her end was near.


    At that time, the five sister disciples were kneeling at the bedside. Ming Xin and the three junior sisters cried their eyes out, whereas Ming Jing didn¡¯t shed a tear and stayed calm throughout.


    When Master Wu Xin suddenly passed away, Ming Xin fainted from grief while Ming Jing calmly left the meditation room to prepare for the funeral rites.


    A viger who was helping Ming Jing couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Your Master has passed away, aren¡¯t you sad?¡±


    After all, Master Wu Xin had raised her, and the favor of raising someone is even greater than the grace of life itself.


    The viger vividly remembered how the young girl¡¯s face contained a shocking indifference. As if death was just an everyday urrence to her.


    ¡°Birth is themencement of death, death is the conclusion of life.¡±


    She is still so young. Even though she has been cultivating Buddhism and has an indifferent temperament, she is still a child. The viger felt that this child was not normal, almost too cold-hearted.


    Three monthster, a private detective came to Jiyue Temple. The investigation led them to Ming Jing and Ming Xin. But at the time, Ming Xin was extremely ill due to grief about her Master¡¯s departure, and confined herself in her room all day. The one who received the private detective was Ming Jing.


    The detective didn¡¯t disclose their purpose at first, only stating that they were a pilgrim who admired the temple and wanted to stay for a few days. During his stay, he observed in secret. Ming Xin was bedridden due to her illness. The thing that puzzled him most was Ming Jing¡¯s age. Even the vigers couldn¡¯t provide an exnation and the three junior disciples imed not to know either.


    Both Ming Xin and Ming Jing might be the legitimate heiress. To be on the safer side, he went through a lot of trouble to collect samples of their hair for DNA identification. In the end, the results showed that Ming Jing was the actual heiress of the Zhu family. Considering that Ming Xin was bedridden and unable to get up, and Ming Jing herself appeared to have more of an aristocratic air, he, therefore, announced the investigation results.o


    After receiving the results of the investigation, Lin Qing didn¡¯t pay much attention to the details. She just looked at the DNA identification report, and then was ordered by the olddy to bring Ming Jing back.


    The report did not mention that Jing had ever been formally educated, implying that Ming Jing had never received nine years ofpulsory education.


    After reading it, Zhu Xiangxiang feltplicated, ¡°It seems Ming Jing truly is a genius.¡±


    Vet T Iin Oing had a chill in her heart- She had underestimated her daughter-


    Upon the death of her Master, who had raised her for more than ten years, as important as a biological mother, she did not shed a tear.


    How severe must her cold-bloodedness be, that she could fell nopassion toward her biological mother who hadn¡¯t raised her?


    While they were talking, Ming Jing walked in.


    Without thinking, Lin Qing folded the documents and shoved them into a gap in the sofa and coldly watched Ming Jing enter.


    Zhu Xiangxiang initially congratted Ming Jing for acing the mock test, then mentioned Madam Jiang¡¯s invitation for her to attend a weekend tea party. Ming Jing gave a lukewarm response and bypassed them both to go upstairs.


    ¡°Look at her attitude! No manners at all. What can I expect from her in the future?¡± Lin Qing was furious.


    ¡°Mom, Ming Jing has been practicing Buddhism since childhood, she isn¡¯t like ordinary people. Please don¡¯t have such high expectations for her.¡±


    ¡°I have high expectations for her? I¡¯m her mother. She doesn¡¯t even have basic manners.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing just came back, she¡¯s not used to it yet. Give her some time.¡±


    A car stopped in the vige below Baitou Mountain.


    Uncle Wen and the driver got out of the car, each carrying numerous gifts, ready to climb the mountain.


    Seeing the towering Baitou Mountain in front of him, Uncle Wen¡¯s legs went weak.


    Not familiar with the mountain path, he found a guide in town. When the guide heard that he was going to Jiyue Temple, he immediately led the way enthusiastically.


    Along the way, the leading viger tried indirectly to find out Uncle Wen¡¯s identity. Uncle Wen also wanted to learn more about Ming Jing¡¯s past, so he exined his purpose.


    ¡°So, you are the family of Sister Ming Jing. Is Sister Ming Jing doing well since she went back? We were all happy for her when we learned that she had found her biological parents.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ming Jing is really a good person. Although she is young, she is very wise. Last year my son had an ident in the big city and became a vegetable. I came to the temple to pray, and Sister Ming Jing gave me guidance, told me to do more good deeds, and gave me a talisman. Don¡¯t doubt it, it really is magical, my son woke up not long after I returned home.¡±


    Uncle Wen thought it was just a coincidence. There couldn¡¯t be such a miraculous thing.


    After a long climb, they finally saw the gate of Jiyue Temple, nestled amongst ancient woods, the ruined ancient gate has a charm of eternity.


    Uncle Wen walked up and knocked on the door, and after waiting for a long time, the door creaked open a crack, revealing a small head.


    It was a little girl about five or six years old, with rosy lips and white teeth. A pair of big eyes darting around, watching the people in front of her warily.


    Uncle Wen bent down and said gently, ¡°Hello little Master, I was sent by your elder sister Ming Jing to bring you gifts, can Ie in?¡±


    Hearing the name Ming Jing, the little girl immediately brightened, hopped down, and took hold of Uncle Wen¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Where is second elder sister? Did shee back?¡± She looked behind Uncle Wen as she said.


    Uncle Wen smiled and said, ¡°Your second elder sister is too busy studying and didn¡¯t have time toe back, so she sent me.¡±


    The sparkle in the little girl¡¯s eyes dimmed immediately, and she hung her head in disappointment.


    Uncle Wen shook the gifts, ¡°Look, these are all gifts your second elder sister bought for you.¡±


    The little girl looked at it lightly, showing no joy at receiving gifts.


    Uncle Wen marvelled to himself, she really is like Ms. Ming Jing.


    ¡°You cane in.¡± The little girl turned around and struggled to open the heavy temple door. The driver instantly put down the gifts and went to help.


    The little girl turned and ran into the temple, her clear voice echoing throughout the ancient temple and woods, startling countless birds.


    ¡°Third elder sister, fourth elder sister,e out quickly, our second elder sister has sent us gifts!¡±

 Chapter 23 - 23: 023 Amazing

    Chapter 23: 023 Amazing


    Trantor: 549690339


    Uncle Wen returned to the Zhu¡¯s homete at night, and as soon as he got off the car, he saw Zhu Xiangxiang waiting for him at the garage door.


    ¡°Miss Zhu.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced around: ¡°Come with me.¡±


    The garden was quiet, and Zhu Xiangxiang asked, ¡°How was it?¡±


    Uncle Wen handed a USB sh drive to Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°The photos are all inside. Ms. Ming Jing has a senior sister named Ming Xin, who is about the same age and has been sick and secluded. I didn¡¯t see her in person. There are three junior sisters, two 9-year-old twins, and the youngest is 6. They usually rely on the vigers at the foot of the mountain for a living, besides that, there¡¯s nothing unusual.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Wen.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not mention other things; that mountain was really hard to climb, high and steep, my old waist almost broke. If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that Ms. Ming Jing grew up in such a poor environment¡­ it was too difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°In addition, I¡¯ve heard many stories about Ms. Ming Jing from the vigers at the foot of the mountain. She is a kind child, has helped many people, and is respected by the vigers as a bodhisattva.¡±


    ¡°The reason I asked you to make this trip was topensate them a little more. They are Ming Jing¡¯s sisters, and thus my sisters too. Uncle Wen, please find someone else to send them supplies once a month, and deduct the funds from my foundation.¡±


    When she was twelve, Lin Qing set up a foundation for her, which regrly transferred money to her as a growth fund. ¡°Miss Zhu is so kind-hearted, and it is also Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s good fortune.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Wen, this is what I should do.¡±


    Back in her room, Zhu Xiangxiang turned on herputer, plugged in the USB sh drive, and browsed the photos.


    The nunnery was indeed dpidated, the ce was not big, but the ancient trees were dense and the quiet atmosphere was reminiscent of a paradise.


    In the photo were three young girls dressed in nuns¡¯ attire, two are 8 or 9 years old and one is 5 or 6 years old, all photographed from the back and their faces were unclear.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared at the photos for a long time, unable to resist the thought that if she hadn¡¯t been mistakenly carried away, she would be the one living a quiet life among the ancient Buddhas in the nunnery now.


    That kind of life was terrifying to even think about.


    For the first time, Zhu Xiangxiang felt a sense of relief.


    ¡°This dress is perfect for Miss Zhu. The soft, pale yellow highlights her icy skin and jade bones, giving her a fresh and noble temperament. It is no wonder she is the toodv of Tianczhou. trulv well-deserving.¡± The designer. who brought the dress, began an eloquent cascade of praise.


    This custom-made gown was indeed perfect for Zhu Xiangxiang, and Lin Qing nodded in satisfaction: ¡°My Xiangxiang naturally looks good in anything she wears, but your craftsmanship is also exceptional.¡±


    The designerughed, ¡°By the way, there¡¯s another one. Could you please invite the other Miss Zhu to try it on?¡±


    The designer took out another gown.


    Lin Qing frowned, and Zhu Xiangxiang said, ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll take it to Ming


    Jing. She doesn¡¯t like meeting strangers.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s quite arrogant. Call her down for me.¡±


    The designer maintained hisposure, thinking that this real daughter didn¡¯t seem to have much status in the Zhu family and mustck emotional intelligence.


    Zhu Xiangxiang reluctantly went upstairs to call Ming Jing.


    The designer saw a tall, thin girl following behind Zhu Xiangxiang as they came downstairs. The girl was wearing a white ankle-length house dress that floated gracefully as she walked.


    She was noticeably taller than Zhu Xiangxiang, making her appear even thinner. Her corbones were clearly visible.


    The designer often mingled with supermodels, and this girl¡¯s figure met the golden proportions of a supermodel. Even a simple, loose white dress had a different ir when worn by her.


    As she approached, the girl¡¯s skin was very white, like it hadn¡¯t seen sunlight for years. Her downcast eyshes, calm beauty, and restrained demeanor were all captivating.


    The designermented that such a beautiful and dignified girl was ruined by her current hairstyle. If she changed it, she would absolutely be a stunning beauty.


    ¡°This must be Ms. Ming Jing. She really has Mrs. Zhu¡¯s youthful grace. She will definitely be a beauty when she grows up.¡±


    Lin Qing smirked, ¡°This is a dress tailored for you. Go and try it on.¡±


    The designer hurriedly stepped forward, ¡°I¡¯ll apany Ms. Ming Jing. This dress is a bit difficult to put on and needs some help.¡±


    After Ming Jing changed and reappeared, Lin Qing casually nced at her, then suddenly widened her eyes and instinctively frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not suitable. Change to another one.¡±


    The designer¡¯s praise stuck in his throat, and the smile on his lips froze.


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed and came over, ¡°I think it looks great, very suitable for


    Ming Jing. Let¡¯s go with this one.¡±


    Lin Qing frowned, ¡°It¡¯s too eye-catching. At Madam Jiang¡¯s tea party, we should be clear about who the protagonist is.¡±


    The designer inwardlyined, how is this considered eye-catching, she hasn¡¯t even changed her hairstyle yet? What kind of thinking is this Mrs. Zhu? Which mother does not want her daughter to be beautiful and morous? Yet she¡¯s afraid of overshadowing others? She does not have this attitude towards Zhu Xiangxiang! Is this a double standard?


    Ming Jing nced indifferently at Lin Qing, not saying a word. But the indescribable coldness and mockery hidden in her eyes made Lin Qing feel suffocated for some reason.


    ¡°Mom, this is Ming Jing¡¯s first public appearance since her return. She must be beautiful and impressive. It will also bring glory to our Zhu¡¯s family. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Lin Qing hesitated, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡±


    The designer hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Ming Jing, I can rmend a stylist for you. She cane to your home on that day and help you with your styling. Here¡¯s her business card.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡±


    In order to appear in the best possible condition, Zhu Xiangxiang practiced light fasting for three days and hardly ate any staple food, so she felt like she was floating.


    Ming Jing, on the other hand, ate lunch as usual. Zhu Xiangxiang noticed that Ming Jing never seemed to gain weight no matter how much she ate, possibly because of her long-term vegetarian diet, but there was no poorplexion that showed on her face.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was different, as she tended to gain weight easily and looked like someone who gains weight even from drinking water. To maintain her goddess-like image over the years, she hardly ate any staple food and didn¡¯t know what fried chicken tasted like or ever had a bite of dessert. Although she was wealthy and had status, she could not enjoy worldly delicacies and sometimes felt a little depressed.


    Looking at Ming Jing¡¯s slender figure, jealousy was inevitable.


    Especially when Ming Jing put on the custom gown, with light makeup and a suitable hairstyle, and reappeared, something inside Zhu Xiangxiang shattered..

 Chapter 24 - 24: 024 Ming Jing

    Chapter 24: 024 Ming Jing


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Jiangs¡¯ residence is situated in the high-end vi district in the West District, home to elites from various sectors, where casually throwing a stone could hit a big shot.


    This is the first time Zheng Xiangxiang hase here. The vi district is more heavily guarded than the Zhu family¡¯splex, with security officers patrolling everywhere ¡ª surprisingly not security guards, but Special Forces. Zhu Xiangxiang found it a bit strange, for she had not sensed such a ss difference before.


    The car couldn¡¯t drive into the courtyard, so they had to walk in. Fortunately, Madam Jiang had thoughtfully arranged for an assistant to greet them at the entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m Madam¡¯s assistant, Zhou Xue, please follow me,dies,¡± said the woman speaking, who was around 25. She wore a white business suit, her hair up in a high ponytail highlighting her proficient andpetent demeanor.


    Zhou Xue scanned Ming Jing with a quiet yet noticeable gaze, then turned around and led the way.


    Theplex¡¯s greenery was impressive, with palm trees lining the roads, shading everything with their lush foliage, and nicely cooling the air.


    The Jiangs¡¯ house was nestled in the northwestern corner. It was a two-story Western-style house with arge courtyard. In the courtyard was a lush bamboo grove that rustled when the wind blew, making the yard fragrant with the smell of fresh bamboo.


    A long table was set up in the yard covered with a blue and white striped tablecloth. Exquisite multicolored zed tea sets were spread out, and artfully arranged flowers filled a cdon vase. Every angle had its own aesthetic style, as if measured with a ruler.


    At this moment, Madam Jiang was sitting in the hostess seat, trimming flowers with a pair of scissors. She wore a ck velvet cheongsam with subtle golden borders and sps evoking an understated sense of luxury. Embroidered blue peonies adorned the left chest and lower hemline, making her appear dignified, graceful, and splendidly elegant.


    Two young women sat left and right next to her, one with a lively charisma, the other a little quieter, both in the bloom of youth.


    Zhu Xiangxiang recognized them immediately, one was Charles Gao¡¯s cousin,


    Gao Tia. the other was Zhao Oin¡¯s cousin. Ye Lan. Both of them were among the


    top socialites in Jiangzhou.


    Gao Jia said something that made Madam Jiangugh; they appeared to get along well.


    ¡°Madam, the two youngdies from the Zhu family have arrived.¡±


    All three looked up, presumably most interested in seeing the genuine heiress of the Zhu family for the first time.


    Zhou Xue stepped aside, revealing the two young girls behind her.


    The girl in the goose-yellow dress stood out the most, capturing people¡¯s attention at first sight. She was like the first rainbow after a rain shower, dazzling and refreshing.


    She was beautiful, with an elegant demeanor, like a well-bred youngdy who stepped out from the olden days. Everything about her was wless, even her smile was perfectly timed.


    This was Zhu Xiangxiang, the number one socialite in Jiangzhou.


    Everyone coveted this lofty title, but none were as adept at marketing as Zhu Xiangxiang. By the time they realized it, this title had already be inextricably linked with Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Both Gao Jia and Ye Lan concealed a hint of deep jealousy in their eyes.


    If it came to family background, they were no worse off than the Zhus. In terms of appearance, they were even better than Zhu Xiangxiang. As for temperament¡­ that is a subjective matter. Why should Zhu Xiangxiang be the number one socialite?


    The world only remembers the first man who walked on the moon. Who cares about the second or the third?


    ¡°Good afternoon, Madam Jiang.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang greeted Madam Jiang with a courteous, gentle voice and a charming smile. Who wouldn¡¯t like her?


    Jiang Chun nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Oh? Is this the genuine heiress who the Zhu family recently found?¡± Gao Jia, looking at the girl standing behind Zhu Xiangxiang to the right, asked curiously.


    Compared to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s dazzling goose-yellow, the other girl¡¯s understated white seemed very in, enough to be overlooked at first nce.


    But once one¡¯s gazended on her, it was hard to look away.


    The young girl was quite tall, nearly one meter seventy. She was half a head taller than Zhu Xiangxiang. She was thin, with a delicate bone structure that gave her a fragile look. She wore a slightly retro, white cheongsam, the waist tied with a purple belt, and grey water ripple patterns embroidered on the hemline, outlining her tall and slender figure. As she moved, an ethereal beauty emanated from her.


    Her long ck hair was draped over her shoulders. A purple headband held up her partially tied hair, trailing down to her waist, adding charm to her demeanor.


    The sun overhead suddenly became dazzling, making it a bit difficult to see her face clearly, reminiscent of a distant dream.


    ¡°Yes, this is my sister, Ming Jing.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang took Ming Jing¡¯s hand and strode forward. The sun now hid behind her head, allowing people to finally see her face clearly.


    No one noticed Jiang Chun¡¯s slightly changing expression as she leaned forward to get a better look at the girl.


    Her exquisite eyebrows resembled the far-off willow trees, her lips as red as cinnabar, a masterpiece of the creator. With her pale, jade-skinnedplexion and inky eyes,


    If Zhu Xiangxiang was a refreshing daisy, then she was a vibrant peony, renowned for its beauty and elegance.


    However, what was contradictory was that her quiet and reserved bearing was at odds with her beautiful appearance. With the warmth of spring, the coolness of a summer night, the tranquility of autumn, the chill of a winter snowfall, the rity of a mountain spring, the serene peace of a midnight breeze, and the gentlepassion of the incense within a Buddhist temple mixed together, it formed a unique temperament that was unforgettable at first sight and drove people crazy at second thought.


    It¡¯s true that people should never bepared because in this girl¡¯s presence, Zhu Xiangxiang just seemed to be a foil. Her perfect manners now looked like a mask of hypocrisy, as the spontaneity of nature can never be surpassed with affected refinement.


    Seeing the stunned expressions on the faces of the three opposite her, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s smile gradually stiffened.


    Jiang Chun suddenly stood up and was about to say something when Ming Jing beat her to it: ¡°Good afternoon, Madam Jiang, I¡¯m Ming Jing.¡±


    Her voice was soft and melodious, with a quiet power.


    Jiang Chun was taken aback, looking straight into Ming Jing¡¯s dark eyes.


    Jiang Chun raised an eyebrow and suddenly broke into a smile: ¡°So the true heiress of the Zhu family is so talented. It¡¯s truly an eye-opener.¡±


    Gao Jia and Ye Lan exchanged nces, spotting a crisis in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Walking over in person, Jiang Chun took Ming Jing¡¯s hand: ¡± I feel a connection with you at first sight. Forget the formalities, just call me Aunt


    Lan.¡±O


    Then she personally led Ming Jing to the table. Only then did she turn her head and say, ¡°Miss Zhu, please take a seat.¡±


    Their attitudes towards the two were poles apart..

 Chapter 25 - 25: 025 Recognizing Each Other

    Chapter 25: 025 Recognizing Each Other


    Trantor: 549690339


    Today, the sunlight is weak, warming the body without feeling hot.O A cool breeze blows, carrying the scent of bamboo.


    The waiter serves various exquisite snacks, both Chinese and Western styles are avable.


    ¡°I specially invited a dessert chef from Jingdu. I heard that his Sweet Chestnut Mousse is unparalleled. Please, everyone, have a taste.¡±


    Charles Gaoughed, ¡°Thanks to Madam, we will have a taste of fortune today.¡±


    Jiang Chun offered a piece of mousse cake to Ming Jing and gently smiled,


    ¡°Ming Jing, you have a taste.¡±


    Ming Jing readilyplied, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Charles Gao¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between the two, ¡®Madam, did you know Ms. Zhu before?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel that Madam Jiang¡¯s attitude towards the real heiress of The Zhus was somewhat unusual.


    Jiang Chun softly smiled, ¡°Ming Jing and I hit it off immediately, so I naturally like her.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang seemed disinterested in the food and nced at the serene girl beside her, gripping the fork tightly in her hand.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, it¡¯s been over a month since you returned to The Zhus. Have you adjusted well during this time?¡± Charles Gao asked curiously.


    Ming Jing responded indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°I heard from my cousin about your situation before; you were living a tough life, even bing a nun at a young age, unable to eat well or dress warmly. It¡¯s quite pitiful. Now that you are back, everything will surely get better.¡± Ye Lan¡¯s face was filled with a kind smile, seemingly like an affectionate elder sister caring for her younger sibling.


    ¡°What? A nun?¡± Charles Gao couldn¡¯t believe it, sizing Ming Jing up and down


    Jiang Chun furrowed her brows and nced at Charles Gao.


    Ming Jing showed no sign of displeasure, maintaining her calm and collected demeanor.


    ¡°Enough, this is Ming Jing¡¯s private matter. Let¡¯s not discuss it further.¡± Jiang Chun¡¯s tone carried a hint of sternness. Knowing her gentle and dignified nature, this was the first time they had seen her speak so harshly. Startled, they didn¡¯t dare to continue the conversation.


    Ye Lan was quite skilled at conversing, dominating the rest of the topics and asionally causing Madam Jiang to burst intoughter. Time slipped away quietly.


    ¡°You all continue chatting, I¡¯ll excuse myself for a moment.¡± Jiang Chun put on her scarf and gracefully walked away.


    When Jiang Chun left, the three of them rxed. Charles Gao leaned against her chair, showing off her newly manicured nails, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, it¡¯s been a while since west met. How does it feel to be a fake heiress to a wealthy family?¡±


    Ye Lan leisurely sipped her floral tea.


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled gently and elegantly, leaving no fault to be found, ¡°I¡¯vemented countless times about the blessings I¡¯ve received from heaven. Otherwise, who knows who would be Jiangzhou¡¯s number onedy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re truly deserving ofing from a remote and impoverished area. None of us here canpare with your shameless skills. Don¡¯t you agree, Ms. Zhu Ming Jing?


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.


    Charles Gao cursed internally, the real heiress was really a dull gourd, never taking the bait.


    ¡°ording to you, I indeede from a remote and impoverished area. It seems I am not qualified to share a table with Ms. Gao.¡±


    Charles Gao couldn¡¯t discern her intentions, she forced a smile and said, ¡°How can that be the same? The aristocracy values lineage most. Although you were raised in a remote and impoverished area, you have noble blood flowing in your bones. Your environment has merely tempered you. For some people, even if they rise to power, they won¡¯t be able to change their humble origins, and their petty-mindedness will be theughingstock.¡±


    This indirect criticism was quite powerful. Zhu Xiangxiang sneered and was about to retort when the person beside her spoke up before her, ¡°Twenty years ago, The Zhu family also emerged from poverty and obscurity. Great Ancestor of Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, was a beggar before founding the Ming Dynasty. Heroes cane from any background. In the 21st century, determining someone¡¯s worth based on bloodline alone is outdated. Dare you look at your Gao family¡¯s genealogy and see how many generations back you were still humble farmers?¡±


    The young girl¡¯s crisp and resonant voice was gentle but firm, like a thunderbolt in the depths of spring. She sat there serenely, with a gentle and cool expression. Her hidden imposing aura was gripping, and yet, she appeared so calm andposed upon a nce.


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at Ming Jing and held her tongue.


    Charles Gao was stunned, anger turning intoughter, ¡°You¡¯re quite interesting. You really treat Zhu Xiangxiang as your close sister. Sooner orter, you will cry.¡±


    Ye Lan hastily tried to smooth things over with a smile, ¡°This kind of matter is like drinking water; one knows best whether it¡¯s warm or cold. Let¡¯s not worry about it on her behalf.¡± Ming Jing suddenly stood up. Zhou Xue quickly walked over, ¡°Ms. Zhu.¡±


    ¡°I want to go to the restroom.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, please follow me.¡±


    Ming Jing left with Zhou Xue. Charles Gao nced at their retreating figures and turned her head to Zhu Xiangxiang with a sarcastic smile.


    ¡°I heard that Charles Gao has been pursuing the real heiress of The Zhustely.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that his taste has gone downhill. It wasn¡¯t until I met Zhu Ming Jing today that I understood: my dear cousin, when he makes his move, it will definitely be earth-shattering.¡±


    How could Zhu Xiangxiang not detect the sarcasm in her words? She smiled, ¡°The version I heard was different. Charles Gao pursued relentlessly, but the other party was toozy to pay attention to him. Isn¡¯t your Gao family known for being a high-ss and amorous family? Are there women that you can¡¯t woo? How rare.¡¯


    ¡°Miss Ming Jing, I never expected that it¡¯s really you.¡±


    Ming Jing turned around. Madam Jiang, usually dignified in front of others, now wore an excited expression. She strode forward and grasped Ming Jing¡¯s hands.


    ¡°It turns out that you are the true heiress of The Zhus.¡±


    She only realized it today after hearing about the numerous rumors.


    Ming Jing took a step back, her fingers forming a flower shape, ¡°Amitofo,


    Madam Jiang. ¡±


    ¡°Young Master, haven¡¯t you secrized?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as secrization. Buddha will always remain in my heart.¡±


    ¡°You are right. How have you been in The Zhu family? Have they mistreated you in any way?


    Both mother and daughter of The Zhu family were not easy to handle. She worried for Ming Jing, thepassionate and kind-hearted girl.


    ¡°Madam Jiang, you are worrying too much.¡±


    ¡°By the way, you saved me at the An Zhi Ting Lan that day, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    All of the eligibledies fitting the description were present today. When she saw Ming Jing, she had already known the answer in her heart..

 Chapter 26 - 26: 026 Divine Mechanism

    Chapter 26: 026 Divine Mechanism


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Do you think Madam Jiang and Zhu Mingjing knew each other before?¡±


    Ye Lan raised an eyebrow: ¡°I don¡¯t think so, wasn¡¯t Mingjing raised in a nunnery in the mountains? How could she possibly know Madam Jiang?¡±


    Gao Jia shook her head, ¡°You didn¡¯t see the expression on Madam Jiang¡¯s face when she first saw Mingjing.¡±


    He turned to Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took a sip of flower tea and said lightly: ¡°You should go ask


    Madam Jiang. ¡±


    Gao Jia secretly rolled his eyes, thinking if I could directly ask Madam Jiang, I wouldn¡¯t be wasting my breath with you¡­


    A tall and thin figure walked in through the main gate, against the sunlight. Gao Jia¡¯s gaze went through Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s shoulders, staring at the tall figure walking in, lost in thought.


    Ye Lan coughed, straightened his back, and flicked a lock of hair behind his ear. Every movement seemed just right, as if carefully measured.


    Zhu Xiangxiang squinted her eyes, the rm bells ringing in her mind. She pinched her palm and suddenly stood up with her flower tea.


    She turned around: ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared at the close-up handsome face like a startled deer, looking pitiful enough to make even the hardest of hearts feel sympathy.


    Gao Jia and Ye Lan red at Zhu Xiangxiang, their eyes almost shooting fire.


    Scheming woman, terrifying mind games.


    Jiang Jinchen furrowed his brows, took a step back, and coldly nced at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    The chill of his gaze felt like winter snow, numbingly cold and painful.


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth and said softly: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senior, I dirtied your clothes. Please change and I¡¯ll take them to be dry-cleaned for you.¡±


    Gao Jia and Ye Lan cursed inwardly, it¡¯s all tricks, Jiang Jinchen, don¡¯t fall for it.


    Jiang Jinchen brushed his long fingers over the wet spot on his sleeve and coldly said: ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    He no longer looked at the three of them and walked straight into the living room.


    ¡°Senior¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang unconsciously chased after him, but was stopped by Gao Jia.


    ¡°He obviously doesn¡¯t want to talk to you, so don¡¯t embarrass yourself by going over there.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook off Gao Jia¡¯s hand, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t hook Jiang Jinchen, so you¡¯re angry and embarrassed? You¡¯re supposed to be Jiangzhou¡¯s topdy, throwing yourself at someone so shamelessly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I think Ms. Zhu didn¡¯t do it on purpose, right, Ms. Zhu?¡± Ye Lan grinned at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang forced a smile and replied: ¡°I did it on purpose, unlike some people who have evil intentions but no guts.¡±O


    Jiang Chun remembered that two years ago, she went to a small town near Baitou Mountain to handle some matters. She got separated from her bodyguard and assistant due to an ident. When things were at their worst, she met a group of gangsters, but a hunter suddenly appeared and saved her.


    She thanked the hunter, but he said: ¡°You¡¯re thanking the wrong person. It was


    Master Mingjing who asked me to save you.¡±


    She was very confused at the time: ¡°Mingjing? Who is she? How could she know I was in danger?¡±


    The hunter pointed to the rolling peaks not far away and said with admiration: ¡°There is a Jiyue Temple on Baitou Mountain, where there¡¯s a nun named Master Wu Xin. Her second disciple, Master Mingjing, is a divine person. There¡¯s nothing she doesn¡¯t know in this world.¡±


    Jiang Chun was worried that someone had set a trap for her and didn¡¯t believe it. The hunter added: ¡°If you have nowhere to go for the time being, you can go to the temple. Master Wu Xin is very kind-hearted and often takes in homeless people.¡±


    With a mindset of understanding both oneself and the enemy, she decided to take a chance and let the hunter lead her up the mountain.


    Unexpectedly, there really was a Jiyue Temple, located on a cliff. The ce was small and somewhat dpidated, but ancient and peaceful, a pure and holy ce.


    She didn¡¯t see Master Wu Xin, who had apparently gone wandering.


    Inside the main hall was a golden statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and a slim nun in in clothes Imelt on a meditation cushion, facing away from her. The hall was filled with the scent of sandalwood and the sound of a wooden fish, which made her feel incredibly calm involuntarily.


    ¡°Are you¡­Master Mingjing?¡± Jiang Chun tentatively asked.


    The sound of the wooden fish paused for a moment and then continued. A soft and serene voice seemed toe from far away, ethereal and dreamlike, making her feel as if she was in a fantasy world.


    ¡°Why have youe so far, master?¡±


    Jiang Chun nced around and thought the nun was too young: ¡°How did you know I was in trouble?¡±


    ¡°The secrets of heaven must not be revealed.¡±


    She was being mysterious on purpose.


    ¡°Since Master Mingjing has such great powers, can you calcte why I am here?¡±


    ¡°To establish a heart for the world, to establish life for the people, to be sharp and aggressive, but too stern is easy to break.¡±


    Jiang Chun was surprised for a moment, ¡°Master Mingjing¡­¡±


    She stayed at the temple for three days, living on simple meals and talking with Master Mingjing over tea. Those three days were the mostfortable days of her life, until her assistant and bodyguard found her on the third day.


    Before she left, Master Mingjing gave her eight words: ¡°Keep a low profile, we will meet again if fate allows.¡±


    After returning, she often thought of Master Mingjing. The young, seemingly underage girl had eyes like an old man who had seen through the world. She couldn¡¯t see through those eyes herself and always felt a sense of awe in front of Master Mingjing, as if she was a god to be worshiped.


    She never expected that the Master Mingj ing she admired so much was actually the true daughter of the Zhu family.


    What virtues and abilities did the Zhu family have!


    She wanted to ask about the incident involving the Qinglong Association that day. Although the Qinglong Association was well-known, ordinary citizens wouldn¡¯t know about it. How did Master Mingjing find out? The martial skills she had disyed that day were also beyond that of ordinary people.


    Gazing into those deep, calm, ck eyes that seemed like ancient wells, full ofpassion and mystery.


    Jiang Chun¡¯s questions got stuck in her throat.


    She only needed to believe that Master Mingjing would never harm her. That was enough.


    ¡°Madam, the young master is back,¡± came the reminder from her assistant Zhou Xue.


    Apanying the sound was the faint and rhythmic sound of footsteps. Jiang Chun smiled and took Mingjing¡¯s hand: ¡°Come, let me introduce someone to you..¡±

 Chapter 27 - 27: 027 Fish Eyes

    Chapter 27: 027 Fish Eyes


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Is it you?¡± Jiang Jinchen looked at Ming Jing, and a crack appeared on his million-year-old icy face.


    Jiang Chun knew her son well, raised her eyebrows, and asked with interest, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen gave a light cough, without making any noise, and looked away: ¡°She is my junior sister. We met at the yacht partyst time.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Jiang Chun¡¯s ¡°oh¡± was quite meaningful.


    ¡°Senior.¡± Ming Jing opened her mouth politely.


    Jiang Jinchen pretended to be indifferent and nodded, asking, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Jiang Chun snorted lightly, knowing the answer already!


    ¡°I invited Ming Jing here, having some tea and chatting. Oh, right, I mentioned to you before¡­ ¡°.


    Jiang Chun suddenly stopped, swallowing the words that were about to slip out of her mouth.


    Her son¡¯s personality is a bit strange. If he knew that Ming Jing was once a nun, would heugh at Ming Jing?


    Although Master Ming Jing has a high image in her heart and is considered sacred, nowadays young people believe in scientific materialism and treat feudal superstitions like trash.


    ¡°What?¡± Jiang Jinchen asked.


    Jiang Chun smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Since you are in the same school as Ming Jing, please take care of herter. She just returned to the Zhus and is not familiar with Jiangzhou¡¯s people and environment. This way, she won¡¯t be bullied.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen looked at Jiang Chun seriously. He understood his mother. Over the years, many socialites have actively approached her, and she generally didn¡¯t bother with them. The only one she was close to was Li Jiaojiao because of the Chengs¡¯ influence. This was the first time he saw his mother actively getting close to a girl.


    And the other party didn¡¯t show any surprise at the favor, but instead, she wasposed in an unbelievable way. Although this just fits Ming Jing¡¯s character.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a call.¡± Zhou Xue reminded from the side.


    ¡°You young people have your topics to chat about, I¡¯ll go answer a call.¡± With that, she left to take the call.


    Jiang Jinchen said a little unexpectedly, ¡°It seems that my mother really likes you.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. In the garden, three people were having a lively conversation, and the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious.


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°What does it mean to like or not like?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen nced at her and pursed his lips, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯m going upstairs to change my clothes.¡±


    When Jiang Chun finished the call and came out, she saw the two standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, silent.


    ¡°This son of mine, he is good at everything but talks too little. What will he do when he chases after girlster on?¡±


    Zhou Xue covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Madam, you are overthinking it. You know how many women are wrapped around him. They could form a line around Jiangzhou three times.¡±


    Jiang Chun frowned, ¡°None of those vulgar women are good enough for my


    Chen¡¯er.¡±


    Zhou Xueughed, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Seeing that the sun was about to set, Ye Lan proposed to leave.


    Jiang Chun kindly said, ¡°Come to y again when you have time. Chen¡¯er, send thedies off on behalf of your mother.¡±


    Gao Jia¡¯s face lit up with joy, and she shyly nced at Jiang Jinchen.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated, looking at Jiang Chun. She had never found an opportunity to be alone with Madam Jiang, and Shaodan¡¯s situation couldn¡¯t wait.


    Before leaving, Jiang Chun held Ming Jing¡¯s hand and earnestly asked her to send a WeChat message when she got home, and to visit the Jiang¡¯s residence again when she had time.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, Gao Jia, and Ye Lan¡¯s faces changed at the same time.


    As the four of them disappeared at the entrance, Zhou Xue sighed, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought Ming Jing was the real daughter of the Zhu family? The world is full of uncertainties.¡±


    ¡°How is she doing in the Zhu family?¡±


    Although Zhou Xue didn¡¯t intentionally investigate the Zhu family¡¯s affairs, her job was to collect information. She wouldn¡¯t miss any news.


    ¡°Master Ming Jing isn¡¯t highly valued in the Zhu family. Her biological mother, Madam Lin, doesn¡¯t like her, and her rtionship with the fake daughter isn¡¯t good either. Ming Jing¡¯s life must not be easy, but she is extraordinary, and she should be able to handle it.¡±


    Both of them knew what kind of people Zhu Xiangxiang and Lin Qing were, but they didn¡¯t think they could bully Master Ming Jing.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange that Madam Lin doesn¡¯t like her biological daughter and only likes the fake one. If you raise her for sixteen years, you should develop feelings, right? But isn¡¯t it even more owed to the real daughter and should bepensated? Madam Lin¡¯s behavior is really hard to agree with.¡±


    Jiang Chun sneered, ¡°Lin Qing mistook fish eyes for pearls. Her vision is too shallow.¡±


    Zhou Xue nodded, ¡°She will regret it sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°Book an early morning flight back to Jingdu tomorrow. There are some things that I need to deal with personally.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡¯


    On the way back, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned green with anger.


    Recalling the scene just now, it was a great shame in her life. How could she be so impatient?


    She bravely added Jiang Jinchen¡¯s WeChat, only to be rejected by him.


    Gao Jia seized the opportunity to ridicule her and made her lose face.


    This matter would soon spread, and as the number one socialite in Jiangzhou who was rejected, she couldn¡¯t imagine how horrible the rumors would be after they were exaggerated.


    Zhu Xiangxiang took a deep breath, nced at Ming Jing who had been silent all along, and asked with a flicker in her eyes, ¡°Ming Jing, did you add Madam


    Jiang¡¯s WeChat?¡±


    Ming Jing gave a faint hum.


    ¡°It seems that Madam Jiang really likes you. Ming Jing, you should seize this opportunity, get along well with Madam Jiang, it¡¯s all benefit and no harm.¡± No one responded.


    Looking at Ming Jing again, her eyes were slightly closed, her breath steady, clearly in a state of forgetfulness.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, who was treated like air: So angry! o


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help Shaodan.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes reddened.o


    Lin Qing¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it because of Madam Jiang¡­?


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that I can¡¯t win Madam Jiang¡¯s favor.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said self-mingly.


    Lin Qing hugged her with heartache, ¡°Silly child, it¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t me yourself. Your father and I will figure something out, Shaodan will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Although I can¡¯t help Shaodan, Ming Jing can. Do you know? Madam Jiang really likes Ming Jing. She talked to her privately for a long time. I really want to know what Ming Jing said to make Madam Jiang like her so much.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lin Qing was shocked and then angry.


    Usually, she didn¡¯t even call her mother, and her face was cold all day, as if she owed her eight million dors. Lin Qing thought Ming Jing was born with such a character, but she was actually able to tter Madam Jiang.O


    She was truly capable, really capable..

 Chapter 28 - 28: 028 Fool

    Chapter 28: 028 Fool


    Trantor: 549690339


    Jingdu International Airport.


    Jiang Chun emerged from the VIP channel, where a middle-aged man in a suit briskly approached her and spoke respectfully.


    ¡°Madam, you must be tired from your journey. I will take you to the hotel to rest first.¡±


    Jiang Chun strode toward the exit.


    ¡°No need, let¡¯s get to business first.¡±


    The terminal was bustling with noise, with a blend of shrill screams that pierced the ears.


    Jiang Chun nced from afar, seeing a sea of faces thatpletely blocked the arrival area.


    ¡°These are all fans, here to wee those stars. There are so many people and it¡¯s chaotic, Madam. We should leave as soon as possible.¡± Jiang Hui reminded.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah. Qu Feitai hase out¡­.¡±o


    ¡°Fly bravely, Qu Feitai. Pursue for a lifetime like a moth.¡±


    A loud and united chant filled the entire airport hall.


    ¡°Qu Feitai? The crowned prince of the Qu family?¡± Jiang Chun raised an eyebrow, intrigued.


    Jiang Hui let out a strained chuckle, ¡°This Mr. Qu ignored a life of leisure and instead, chose to venture into the entertainment industry. It is said that because of this, he infuriated his father, who vowed to disown him.¡±


    Jiang Chun chuckled, ¡°The younger generation of the Qus are not what they used to be. Theyck the charisma of their ancestors.¡±


    ¡°But honestly, Qu Feitai is quite popr now. He is the hottest celebrity. My younger sister adores him so much that it¡¯s driving me crazy.¡±


    Exiting the airport terminal, an unexpected drizzle had started.


    Jiang Chun looked up at the overcast skies and sighed, ¡°The weather in Jingdu is as unpredictable as ever.¡±


    A ck Audi pulled up in front of Jiang Chun. Jiang Hui went to open the rear door, waiting for Jiang Chun to get in before Zhou Xue climbed into the other side.


    Jiang Hui opened the passenger door, sat inside, and told the driver, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The car sped along the broad avenues of Jingdu. Tall buildings stood shoulder to shoulder, and the roads were packed with cars. The prosperity of this international metropolis was just the tip of the iceberg.


    Jiang Chun stared at the scenery whizzing past the window, thinking back to the time when she had left.


    ¡°Madam, this is Zhao Kang¡¯s dossier.¡± Jiang Hui handed a tablet to Jiang


    Chun.


    ¡°Zhao Kang¡¯s wife, Wu Rumei, is a daughter of the Wu family. Over the years, he exploited his connection with the Wus to amass wealth andmit nefarious deeds, inciting public outrage. However, that¡¯s not all. He also leads a very disordered private life, keeping many mistresses, one of whom is a popr rising star named Zheng Qing. Recently, Zheng Qing secretly gave birth to a son for him. Wu Rumei found out about this and caused a major uproar. Initially, the Wu family was furious and wanted to sever ties with Zhao Kang, but then Zhao Kang must have said something to them, and the matter was dropped. A weekter, Wu Rumei was sent to a mental hospital, and Zheng


    Qing now lives in Zhao Kang¡¯s house.¡±


    Zhou Xue scoffed, ¡°Does the Wu family have something to be fearful of Zhao Kang?¡±


    ¡°ording to our insider, Zhao Kang is very cautious. He keeps a ledger that records all gifts he has given over the years, perfectly detailed. The Wu family has epted a lot from him over the years. If such a ledger indeed exists, the Wu family naturally dare not act rashly.¡±


    Jiang Chun scanned quickly, ¡°Find Wu Rumei. The key to this issue lies with her. And this Zheng Qing, have someone keep an eye on her.¡±


    Today was Ming Jing¡¯s turn on duty. By the time she got home, it was almost seven o¡¯clock.


    Approaching the living room, the lights were on, brilliantly illuminating the room.


    Lin Qing and Granny Zhu were sitting on the sofa chatting. Seeing Ming Jinge in, Lin Qing immediately stood up, walked over with a smile, and took


    Ming Jing¡¯s backpack, ¡°Why are you sote today? Don¡¯t go alone in the future.


    It¡¯s not safe for a girl. Take the car with Xiaoxiang tomorrow.¡±


    This was the first time Ming Jing heard Lin Qing speak to her in such a gentle tone.


    ¡°You must be starving. Go wash your hands. We were all waiting for you to eat dinner.¡±


    Granny Zhu watched the two with a beaming smile. It seemed that Lin Qing had finallye to her senses.


    Ming Jing took back her backpack and said tly, ¡°I¡¯m not eating dinner.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I forgot. But you can still have some soup, right? You don¡¯t eat meat, so I especially made a mushroom soup for you. I put a lot of medicinal herbs in it to help boost your health.¡±


    Granny Zhu added, ¡°Ming Jing, your mother has been simmering it for the whole afternoon.¡±


    Ming Jing knew well that this was a banquet set up in her honor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and change.¡±


    Watching Ming Jing¡¯s back as she headed upstairs, Lin Qing¡¯s eyes instantly darkened.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you have realized this. Ming Jing is your biological daughter. She suffered a lot in the past and yet, she is so sensible. You, as her mother, should take good care of her and show her some love.¡± Granny Zhu spoke with deep sincerity.


    ¡°Mom, Shaodan is in trouble.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Granny Zhu¡¯s blood pressure immediately spiked.


    ¡°The situation is veryplicated. Right now, only Ming Jing can save Shaodan.¡±


    Granny Zhu immediately understood and snorted, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re being so kind today. You have ulterior motives.¡±


    Lin Qing chuckled coldly, ¡°Mom, can you please prioritize? Shaodan is your grandson. Don¡¯t you care that he is in trouble?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before that you spoil him too much. With his personality, he was bound to end up in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you used to adore Shaodan the most. If you won¡¯t help, fine. But why are you adding insult to injury?


    ¡°What can an olddy like me help with? Beg someone with a shameless face? I haven¡¯t even enjoyed the happiness of a family, and now I have to beg, regardless of my dignity. I don¡¯t know how I ended up with such unworthy children and grandchildren.¡±


    Lin Qing inhaled deeply, muttered ¡®stubborn old woman¡¯ under her breath, ¡°Fine, if you could just not mention anythingter, it would be a great help.


    Agreed?¡±


    Granny Zhu thought of something and asked, ¡°Even you and Wentao are at a loss. How can Ming Jing help? She just returned from the mountains. Who does she know in Jiangzhou?¡±


    Knowing that Ming Jing and Granny Zhu had a good rtionship, Lin Qing revealed the issue of Madam Jiang to win Granny Zhu over, expecting her to understand. To her surprise, Granny Zhu justughed and pointed at her scornfully, ¡°You numbskull. You brought this disaster onto a perfectly fine family.¡±


    ¡°What do I mean? The most important thing between people is sincerity. You can resort to tricks with others, but you also scheme against your own daughter. No wonder Ming Jing is not close to you. You¡¯re failing as her mother..¡±

 Chapter 29 - 29: 029 Committing Sins

    Chapter 29: 029 Committing Sins


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°That¡¯s right, she¡¯s not close to me, but she¡¯s close to others. Has she even called me ¡®mom¡¯ since she returned?¡±


    ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done and said. Would a child dare to be close to you? You don¡¯t even reflect on your actions. Let me tell you, Ming Jing is not an ordinary girl. She¡¯s very smart, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t be able to win Madam Jiang¡¯s favor. If you really do what you said today, you¡¯ll be pushing this daughter away for good.¡±


    ¡°Think about it seriously. What if you didn¡¯t have prejudice against her from the beginning, and treated her with sincerity? Children can tell whether a person is really good to them. When her younger brother is in trouble, she would help without you telling her. But by morally kidnapping her now, you¡¯re only pushing her further away.¡±


    Granny Zhu stood up with her cane, ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore. Think about what I said and make your own decision.¡±


    She then left the dining room and returned to her bedroom.


    Lin Qing frowned, thinking if she had really done something wrong.o


    Zhu Xiangxiang sighed, ¡°Granny has a point, but Shaodan can¡¯t wait. If I could turn back time, I would treat Ming Jing with twice the kindness. Even if it means leaving the Zhu family, I would do it, as long as I can save Shaodan.¡±


    With a sympathetic pat on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s shoulder, Lin Qing said, ¡°You are the Zhus¡¯ youngdy, and no one has the right to drive you away. You¡¯re right, regardless of whether I owe Ming Jing anything, the most pressing issue is to save Shaodan. We can talk about everything elseter.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ will Ming Jing be unhappy if we do this?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t worry about that now. Besides, Shaodan is her own brother. Can she really stand by and watch him die?¡±o


    As expected, Lin Qing¡¯s words were met by a rejection.


    Suppressing her emotions, she said earnestly, ¡°Ming Jing, please, your brother


    Shaodan needs you. He¡¯s still so young. If he goes to court, his whole life will be ruined.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because there¡¯s a mother like you, always cleaning up after him, that he¡¯ll never grow up. This will serve as a perfect lesson for him.¡± Ming Jing coldly responded without looking at her.O


    ¡°How can I have such a cold-blooded daughter?¡± Lin Qing mmed her chopsticks against the table, stood up and pointed at Ming Jing, ¡°Since you¡¯vee back, I¡¯ve fed you, clothed you, and treated you like a princess. Now when your brother is in trouble, and I only ask you for a favor, but you refuse. Do you even consider yourself part of this family?¡±


    ¡°Mom, calm down, let¡¯s not force Ming Jing. We¡¯ll find another way.¡±¡±I¡¯m asking onest time, will you help or not?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at Lin Qing. Her jet-ck eyes seemed like a shadow-filled abyss, exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers down the spine.


    Lin Qing involuntarily shrank back, her anger intensifying once she realized what just happened.


    What was she afraid of? Just a little girl.


    ¡°You¡¯ve brought this on yourself.¡± Ming Jing stood up, not looking at them again, and went straight upstairs.


    She hadn¡¯t touched the mushroom soup throughout the entire meal.


    ¡°This family is cursed. Why did I even bring you back?¡± Lin Qing grabbed a bowl and smashed it on the ground.


    The crash scared the maids hiding nearby, who realized that Ms. Ming Jing had just dared to defy Madam.


    Her life at home would not be easy from now on.


    The monthly exams were approaching.


    The whole school was immersed in an atmosphere of nervousness. The examssted two days, with thest subject scheduled for the weekend.


    Everyone was discussing ns for where to go and have fun the next day. When Ming Jing returned to the ssroom to pack her schoolbag, all eyes were on her.


    Without a word, Ming Jing returned to her seat. Tao Xingxing whispered, ¡°The online forums and QQgroups are all cing bets on whether or not you can make it onto the grade honors list this month. I believe you can do it. I¡¯ve bet all my money on you. Don¡¯t let us down.¡±


    Ming Jing silently packed up and left the ssroom.


    As soon as she left, the ss exploded.


    ¡°ce your bets, everyone! Can our true heiress Ming Jing get onto the grade honors list this month?¡± A boy excitedly called out.


    Zhang Jingwen sneered, ¡°Grade honors list? How ambitious! Do you really think she¡¯s a top student?¡±


    Wang Lin disagreed, ¡°That¡¯s not certain. After all, everyone has seen Ming Jing¡¯s efforts. What if she makes it? You¡¯ll be eating your words then.¡± Wang Lin felt the impact of the bathroom incident greatly. Ming Jing was not an ordinary person, so why didn¡¯t Zhang Jingwen just ept it and move on?


    Recently, the hot topic at school centered around Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang, the true and fake heiresses. The forums were filled with discussion threads, and a previous betting thread reemerged after the monthly exam.


    ¡°Ming Jing, wait for me.¡±


    Just as Ming Jing stepped out of the school gate, Charles Gao caught up with her, drenched in sweat.


    ¡°There¡¯s my basketball game tonight. Do you want toe and watch?¡± Charles Gao asked, looking tall and handsome in his purple and white jersey.


    Bunches of girls excitedly stared at him as they left school in groups. When they saw him talking to Ming Jing and thought about the recent rumors surrounding the two, their eyes stabbed Ming Jing with jealousy.


    Charles Gao eagerly awaited Ming Jing¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Sorry, I have other things to do.¡± Ming Jing left without looking back.


    Charles Gao watched her receding figure, standing there long after she had disappeared into the distance.


    ¡°Stop staring, or you¡¯ll turn into a ¡®husband-waiting stone¡¯ Situ Lin teased, putting his arm around Charles Gao¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I never thought our unattainable Charles Gao would ever feel frustrated. It¡¯s rare. I think Ming Jing was sent by heaven to subdue you. If you don¡¯t change your ways, you might just fall for her.¡±


    Charles Gao snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Back at the basketball hall, Jiang Jinchen emerged after changing his jersey. He nced at the empty space behind Charles Gao and couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed.


    ¡°Hey Jiang, you won¡¯t believe it. Charles is really serious this time. I just can¡¯t understand what special charm that girl Ming Jing has, to make our Charles so attached.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen nced at him, dribbling the ball, and said indifferently, ¡°If you put as much energy into ying basketball as you do gossip, we wouldn¡¯t have lost to Yi Highst time.¡±


    With a leap, he made a perfect shot.


    Situ Lin muttered, ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t y, Jiang. This time we¡¯ll crush them..¡±

 Chapter 30 - 30: 030 Divine Doctor

    Chapter 30: 030 Divine Doctor


    Trantor: 549690339


    These past few days, the atmosphere at the Zhus¡¯ residence had been strange, with the servants treading carefully in fear of overstepping boundaries.


    Ming Jing had been elusive, and even Zhu Xiangxiang was unable to track her whereabouts.


    On Sunday morning, the servants discovered that Granny Zhu was ill and quickly informed Lin Qing.


    Granny Zhu had always been in good health and rarely fell ill, but she was getting older, and it was not surprising that she had some health issues.


    ording to Madam Zhou, Granny Zhu had not had an appetite for days and had been unable to sleep well at night. As she was getting older, it was only a matter of time before she would fall ill due to exhaustion.


    Lin Qing hurriedly dialed 120 and then informed Zhu Wentao.


    Hispany had been very busy, and Zhu Wentao hadn¡¯t been back home for three days.


    When the filial Zhu Wentao heard that his mother was sick, he initially panicked but soon calmed down and told Lin Qing to take good care of her while he was unable toe home. Once he finished his work, he would visit the hospital. His assistant called him into a meeting, and Zhu Wentao hurriedly hung up the phone after speaking.


    Lin Qing held the receiver, feeling a little stunned. Her intuition told her something must have happened at thepany.


    With Shaodan¡¯s issue unresolved, Granny falling ill, and now problems at thepany, it truly felt like misfortune hade all at once.


    All of these incidents urred after Ming Jing¡¯s return, forcing her to wonder if this girl was a curse upon their family.


    She looked up and saw Ming Jinging down from the second floor, dressed in a white cotton robe with a look of peaceful indifference on her face, giving her an air of a celestial being.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t spare her a nce, making her feel like she was as unimportant as air. Lin Qing clenched her fist in anger as Ming Jing walked past her, a faint scent of sandalwood intermingled with a hint of mint and the refreshing fragrance of forest nts catching Lin Qing¡¯s attention.


    The scent was faint and delicate, like a cool breeze on a summer night, gently soothing her rage.


    The moment Lin Qing was taken aback, Ming Jing had already entered Granny Zhu¡¯s bedroom.


    Granny Zhuy in bed, her face pale, and moaned unintelligibly. Madam Zhou sat by the bedside with a worried expression. As soon as she saw Ming Jing enter, she quickly stood up and said, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Jing approached the bedside, looked down, and suddenly ced her hand on Granny Zhu¡¯s pulse.


    Madam Zhou eximed in surprise, ¡°Miss, do you know how to treat illnesses?¡±


    Ming Jing did not reply. Lin Qing, who had followed Ming Jing into the room, sneered, ¡°She knows how to treat illnesses? What a joke.¡±


    Madam Zhou quickly ryed all she knew.


    Ming Jing said, ¡°Go to my room, there¡¯s a ck bundle in the drawer beside my bed. Bring it to me.¡±


    Madam Zhou hurriedly agreed and rushed off.


    Ming Jing checked Granny Zhu¡¯s eyes and nails and determined the cause of her illness.


    Madam Zhou came back at a run, handing a ck bundle, wrapped with white string, to Ming Jing. Opening it revealed a row of silver needles, varying in size and style.


    Ming Jing¡¯s slender white fingers gently brushed the needles as she said, ¡°Remove Granny¡¯s upper garments.¡±


    Madam Zhou quickly obliged, efficiently removing Granny Zhu¡¯s blouse.


    Ming Jing picked up a silver needle, and Lin Qing angrily grabbed her wrist, demanding, ¡°What are you doing? Do you want to kill your grandmother?¡± Ming Jing did not look at her but calmly stated, ¡°Let go.¡±


    Her constantck of emotion made it impossible to determine if she was angry or happy, and her inscrutability was what made her all the more terrifying.


    Lin Qing was about to release her hand subconsciously but reminded herself that she was Ming Jing¡¯s biological mother and elder; Ming Jing shouldn¡¯t be speaking to her in such a tone. Anger trumped fear.


    ¡°Do you know anything about medicine? Don¡¯t mess around here. If you worsen your grandmother¡¯s condition, even ten of your lives won¡¯t be enough to make amends.¡±


    Ming Jing flicked her wrist gently, causing Lin Qing to cry out in surprise as her entire arm went numb, forcing her to retreat. Ming Jing sternly instructed, ¡°Stop her from interfering.¡±


    Granny Zhu whimpered as needles were ced at several points on her chest, her breathing gradually slowing from rapid to calm and steady.


    In amazement, Madam Zhou eximed, ¡°Old Madam¡¯splexion has improved! Ms. Ming Jing, you are a miracle doctor!¡±


    Ming Jing removed the needles and replied lightly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call myself a miracle doctor, but I¡¯ve learned some medical skills from my master. Granny Zhu has an overactive thyroid due to old age. She needs to worry less and eat a mild diet with little spicy or stimting foods. I¡¯ll write a prescription for you to prepare some herbal medicine for her. Within a week, she should be better. Additionally, I¡¯ll give you a recipe for a medicinal meal to help her adjust to it daily.¡±


    Ming Jing handed the prescription to Madam Zhou, who quickly sent someone to fetch the medicine and stayed by Granny Zhu¡¯s bedside, never leaving her side.


    After all that had happened, Lin Qing wanted to say something but found herself at a loss.


    Just then, the ambnce arrived, apanied by a middle-aged man named


    Wu Zheng, an expert from a renowned hospital. He had been employed as the Zhus¡¯ family doctor, and whenever a family member had a minor ailment, he would make a house call. Lin Qing had called him earlier, and upon hearing that Granny Zhu had fallen into aa, he had hurried over with the ambnce, fearing the worst.


    Lin Qing hurriedly said, ¡°Professor Wu, please take a look at my mother. This girl used needles on her without my permission. What does a young girl like her know? Don¡¯t make my mother¡¯s situation worse.¡±


    Wu Zheng nced at Ming Jing, who was a tall and silent young girl. She had left the room as soon as they entered.


    Not wanting to waste time, Wu Zheng quickly examined Granny Zhu and dered with surprise, ¡°Old Madam has an overactive thyroid.¡± Madam Zhou chimed in, ¡°Just as Ms. Ming Jing said.¡±


    Wu Zheng thought to himself, this young girl indeed had skills.


    ¡°She saved Old Madam¡¯s life with her timely use of needles.


    Madam Zhou immediately added, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing is very amazing. She even gave me a prescription for Old Madam to drink.¡±


    Madam Zhou handed Wu Zheng the prescription, and he praised, ¡°This is a good prescription, focusing on gentle nourishment suitable for the elderly. It seems your daughter is quite a skilled healer.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have Old Madam hospitalized for a thorough examination? I¡¯m not reassured,¡± Lin Qing suggested.


    Wu Zheng smiled, ¡°Madam, Old Madam is elderly and can¡¯t handle the stress of hospitalization. Besides, the hospital environment is not conducive to her recovery. Since your daughter is a medical expert and knows how to care for the elderly, I wouldn¡¯t worry too much..¡±

 Chapter 31 - 31: 031 Fearless

    Chapter 31: 031 Fearless


    Trantor: 549690339


    Wu Zheng finally had a full-body check on the old madam, and after finding no problems, he left.


    ¡°Professor Wu, the one who saved the person is the real daughter of the Zhu family who just returned, right? She¡¯s quite young but knows medical skills; that¡¯s amazing.¡± On the way back in the ambnce, a young nurse eximed.


    Another slightly older nurse said, ¡°She¡¯s quite extraordinary. The rumors outside say the real daughter came from a small ce, ugly and vulgar beyond belief,pletely different from the fake one. These people should reallye to see for themselves, to know who¡¯s ugly and who¡¯s vulgar.¡±


    Wu Zheng chuckled, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the whole picture, so I won¡¯tment. This is the best proof.¡±


    After waking up and hearing about the incident, Zhu Xiangxiang hurried to see Granny Zhu. Granny Zhu was resting, and she didn¡¯t see her.


    ¡°Mom, I heard that Ming Jing saved Granny, and she even knows medical skills! That¡¯s so amazing.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face showed displeasure, and she snorted, ¡°Just some petty tricks.¡±


    o


    Zhu Xiangxiang was taken aback. When she first learned that she was the faux daughter, she was terrified, afraid that the Zhus would kick her out, afraid that Lin Qing would like her biological daughter more, and nothing could outweigh blood bonds.


    After the real daughter returned, she was on tenterhooks every day. Later, without knowing why, Lin Qing only scoffed at Ming Jing, never giving her a proper look, as if Ming Jing was not her biological daughter, but an enemy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was curious and relieved at the same time. At least she didn¡¯t have to worry about being disliked by Lin Qing as she didn¡¯t need to put any effort into breaking the bond between Lin Qing and Ming Jing.


    ¡°It was her who caused the problem. If she doesn¡¯t take responsibility, who will?¡± Lin Qing was now in a mess, with a chaotic mind.O


    ¡°What does Granny¡¯s illness have to do with Ming Jing?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. She suddenly realized that when someone is determined to me you, no matter what you say or do, it¡¯s in vain.


    To charge someone with a crime, they can always find a reason. For the first time, Zhu Xiangxiang felt a little sympathy for Ming Jing.


    ¡°That night, your Granny objected to us asking Ming Jing for help. I didn¡¯t listen to her. She got angry, and many illnesses are caused by anger. Your


    Granny is no exception. Shouldn¡¯t I put this me on Ming Jing¡¯s head?¡± Lin Qing said boldly and confidently.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was shocked by her absurd logic, opened her mouth, and found that anything she said would be in vain, so she simply kept quiet.


    Lin Qing worried about Zhu Wentao and stood up, saying, ¡°I will go and see thepany. You stay at home and take care of your Granny.¡±


    Lin Qing used to be a strong woman, but after having Zhu Shaodan, she shifted her focus to family and stopped dealing withpany matters. She only asionally went to thepany to remind everyone that she was the boss¡¯s wife.


    Recently, due to Ming Jing¡¯s affairs, she hadn¡¯t been to thepany for a long time, more than three months.


    Zhu Group Building was located in the bustling city center. As soon as she got out of the car, the security guards at the door immediately came forward:


    ¡°Hello, Madam.¡±


    Another security guard was about to make a phone call, but Lin Qing stopped him: ¡°Hold on, I came today just to take a casual look around. Don¡¯t rm the others.¡±


    Lin Qing entered the lobby, and the two receptionists at the front desk were whispering. Lin Qing happened to overhear them.


    ¡°Do you think Secretary Zhou is really resigning? She¡¯s the President¡¯s most trusted subordinate, always being taken everywhere, even more favored than Secretary Wang. Why does she want to resign?


    ¡°You¡¯re silly. She¡¯s only been with thepany for three months and is already more favored than Secretary Wang. Even a fool could guess what¡¯s going on. Secretary Wang has been with the President for ten years.¡±


    ¡°So thepany¡¯s private rumors are true? Secretary Zhou, she¡­ ¡±


    One of the girls looked up and saw a noblewoman standing in front of her, casting a huge shadow. She saw the woman¡¯s expressionless face, as if a storm was brewing.


    The girl was frightened and cautiously stood up: ¡®Ma¡­Madam, when did you arrive?¡±


    The other receptionist was new and hadn¡¯t met Lin Qing before. She stood up calmly, ¡°Hello, may I help you with anything?¡±


    Herpanion silently gave her a thumbs up, only the ignorant are fearless.


    Lin Qing smiled and spoke gently, ¡°Gossiping is prohibited during working hours. Remember that?¡±


    The girl hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, I know I was wrong, Madam. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Knowing your mistake and correcting it is the greatest virtue. Work hard. By the way, don¡¯t notify the secretary¡¯s desk about my visit. I¡¯m just taking a casual look.¡±


    With that, she turned and walked towards the elevator.


    The other girl whispered, ¡°Why are you so scared of her? Who is she?¡±


    The girl hurriedly covered her mouth: ¡°Keep your voice down. Let me tell you, she is the President¡¯s wife, the head of the Zhu family, Lin Qing.¡± The other person widened her eyes in surprise, ¡°My God, then what we just


    ¡°¡­A storm ising.¡±


    The VIP elevator went straight to the top floor of the President¡¯s office.


    Lin Qing touched up her makeup in the elevator¡¯s mirror, fixed her hair, straightened her cor, smiled at herself in the mirror, tilted her chin slightly, and her noble and dignified image as ady fully disyed.


    ¡°Ding¡± The elevator door opened, and Lin Qing walked out slowly, in her high heels and with her limited-edition handbag on her arm.


    Standing at the door of the office, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and felt her hands trembling, but she absolutely couldn¡¯t panic at this time.


    Opening her eyes again, there was no emotion in her eyes, only endless aloofness and coldness.


    The office was veryrge, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city¡¯s hustle and bustle. To the left was a rest bedroom with a full set of rooms, including a kitchen and bathroom, as well as a small bar. She had personally designed the office to ensure Zhu Wentao could rest well when he was busy.


    No one was there. Lin Qing looked around, and her gaze fell on the coat rack at the door, where ady¡¯s sun hat and a white alligator skin handbag hung identical to the one on her arm.


    The handbag was a gift from Zhu Wentao for her birthday this year, one of only five in the world.


    Lin Qing tugged at the corner of her mouth; it was so ironic.


    At that moment, the door of the bedroom suddenly opened, and a young woman walked out, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a meeting? How did youe back so soon¡­?¡±


    As the woman looked up, she saw the woman standing in the office, and her face instantly turned pale..o

 Chapter 32 - 32: 032 Make do

    Chapter 32: 032 Make do


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Qing supported Zhu Wentao to build his wealth from scratch; one could say that they started from nothing, and she took the brunt of the hardships. After the bitterness came the sweetness, and she is nowfortably living the life of a wealthy woman. Over time, however, she had started to be a little blinded by their wealth.


    She trusted Zhu Wentao unconditionally. From their impoverished beginnings, they shared moments of joy and pain together, establishing more than just a bond. Even after his sess, Zhu Wentao didn¡¯t disy themon habits of the rich, he wasn¡¯t outgoing, and always checked in whenever he attended social events, never spending the night away from home. Which rich woman in their circle wouldn¡¯t envy her for having such a loving, loyal, and clean-living husband?


    Lin Qing isn¡¯t a fool. Over the years, she¡¯s been very vignt, never giving Zhu Wentao an opportunity to falter. But who would have guess that, despite all her precautions, she couldn¡¯t prevent what happened.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the return of Ming Jing, if she hadn¡¯t ced all her energy into their family, she might have been able to guard against it.


    Lin Qing added another grievance against Ming Jing in her notebook.


    The moment she saw this woman, Lin Qing¡¯s heart turned ice cold. No need for investigation or interrogation; she was one hundred percent certain, this woman was the other woman, a high-level other woman at that.


    The woman was young, her face full of cogen glow, dressed in a white western-style suit skirt, with apact and delicate figure, curves in all the right ces, long hair tied back, strands falling gracefully at her temples, thin eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a fairplexion, red lips. She wasn¡¯t breathtakingly beautiful, but she had an elegance and grace¡ª a kind of refreshing charm typical of Jiangnan women.


    Lin Qing looked her up and down, as if she was inspecting a piece of merchandise, then pursed her lips: ¡®You¡¯re Mr. Zhou¡¯s secretary, right?¡±


    The woman quicklyposed herself, then calmly said: ¡°Madam, please take a seat. The CEO is in a meeting, you¡¯ll need to wait a moment.¡±


    Lin Qing walked over to the sofa in her high heels and sat down, then pointed to the opposite side: ¡°Sit down, let¡¯s have a chat.¡±


    Mr. Zhou¡¯s secretary walked to the bar and inquired softly: ¡°Madam, what would you like to drink?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    Mr. Zhou¡¯s secretary poured a cup of floral tea and handed it to Lin Qing. Lin Qing picked up the cup and sshed the tea directly onto secretary Zhou¡¯s face,ughing as she said: ¡°This floral tea, which costs a measly ten-plus yuan a pack, is fit for me to drink?¡±


    Zhou¡¯s secretary stood there without moving, pausing for a moment before gracefully taking out a tissue to wipe her face, then calmly asked: ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to make Madam so angry?¡±


    A chill swept over Lin Qing¡¯s heart, this woman was good at managing her emotions; even at this moment, she was not angry. Lin Qing immediately realized she was dealing with a formidable opponent.


    ¡°We¡¯re both smart women, so let¡¯s not beat around the bush. How long have you been sleeping with him?¡± Lin Qing got straight to the point, it was pointless to y games with a woman as clever as this one.


    Zhou¡¯s secretary slowly wiped the dampness off her face. The tea was a bit hot, causing her cheeks to redden, making her skin appear even rosier. This added a strangely captivating charm to her look.


    mes of anger sparked in Lin Qing¡¯s eyes as she suppressed her rage, trying to look nonchnt.


    ¡°Madam, what are you talking about?¡± The woman chuckled and shook her head, then brewed another cup of floral tea and ced it in front of Lin Qing.


    ¡°Although this cheap floral tea may not be suitable for someone of your stature, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Madam, you might as well make do with it.¡¯


    Make do? This home wrecker dare tell me to make do? The words ¡®make do¡¯ don¡¯t exist in Lin Qing¡¯s vocabry.


    She understood that this woman wouldn¡¯t modify her behavior, talking more was useless. First, she¡¯ll investigate in detail, as the saying goes ¡®know thyself, know thy enemy¡¯, she would take her on without fear.


    She somewhat regretted her impulsiveness, it might have alerted the enemy prematurely.


    As she stepped out of the building, Lin Qing took a deep breath, from now on, her days of peace were over, the battle was about to begin.


    She didn¡¯t have time to cry, there were more important things to do.


    She took out her phone and dialed a number: ¡°Please investigate a person for me. Dig up everything about her, even her family history, as far back as eighteen generations. Money is no object. ¡±


    Zhu Wenjie heard Granny Zhu was ill, so he and Zhou Bao came to visit. Arriving empty-handed, Madam Zhou frowned upon her arrival, every time this damned girl showed up, it was never for anything good.


    Granny Zhu didn¡¯t even want to see her, they say a daughter is a mother¡¯s intimate cotton-padded jacket, but Zhu Wenjie¡¯s jacket was full of holes and Granny Zhu simply chose to ignore her to avoid feeling irritated.


    Using Granny Zhu¡¯s illness as an excuse, Zhu Wenjie brought Zhou Bao to live at the Zhu¡¯s. The house had several maids, and a driver for when they wanted to go out, yet this woman wouldn¡¯t even lift a finger. She spent the entire day idly watching television on the sofa.


    Zhou Bao, on the other hand, headed to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room under the pretext of bonding with her cousin. However, it was clear to see that she just wanted to feast her eyes on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s wardrobe full of clothes, her eyes filled with envy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang seemed generous towards her younger cousin, letting her choose what she wanted. In reality, she just found pleasure in Zhou Bao¡¯s disy of poverty-stricken behavior and loved the way she ttered her.


    ¡°Xiangxiang cousin, is Cousin Ming Jing home?¡± Zhou Bao asked curiously.


    ¡°She should be, why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go y with cousin Ming Jing.¡± She fluttered away cheerfully as soon as she finished speaking.


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help butugh, interested in seeing how Ming Jing would deal with this annoying cousin, she secretly followed along.


    ¡°Cousin Ming Jing, Cousin Ming Jing, I¡¯vee to y with you.¡± Zhou Bao pounded on the room door, her voice loud as a vegetable hawker in the marketce.


    Xiao Ying came out from theundry room and gently reminded her, ¡°Miss


    Zhou, Miss Ming Jing doesn¡¯t like noise, could you lower your voice?¡±


    Zhou Bao rolled her eyes at her: ¡°You¡¯re the one who talks too much. This is my grandmother¡¯s house, therefore it¡¯s also my house. I can do whatever I want. How dare you, a mere cleaningdy, tell me what to do?¡± Making a face, Xiao Ying lowered her head and left.


    After knocking on the door for quite a while, no one responded.


    Frustrated, Zhou Bao went to find Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Cousin Xiangxiang, you tricked me, Cousin Ming Jing isn¡¯t home at all.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang merely replied, ¡°Oh, maybe I remembered wrong then.¡±


    She forgot, when Ming Jing doesn¡¯t want to deal with someone, even if you broke down the door, she still wouldn¡¯t spare you a nce.


    Lin Qing entered and saw Zhu Wenjie lounging on the couch, cracking sunflower seeds and watching soap operas, with beer bottles scattered across the table.


    Seeing Lin Qing, Zhu Wenjie cracked an eyelid: ¡°Oh, sister-inw¡¯s home. Been out ying the whole day, must¡¯ve been tiring huh? Quick, sit down. Madam


    Zhou, bring tea.¡±


    Her tone wasmanding, as if she were the mistress of the house.


    Lin Qing had been holding in her anger, and this young sister-inw had just thrown herself in harm¡¯s way. Lin Qing fetched a bucket of water from the kitchen and threw it at Zhu Wenjie.O


    Zhu Wenjie jumped up frantically, screaming, ¡°What are you doing?


    Lin Qing pointed to the door, ¡°Get out!¡±

 Chapter 33 - 33: 033 Noisy

    Chapter 33: 033 Noisy


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This is my home too! Who are you to tell me to get the hell out?¡± Zhu Wenjie roared.


    ¡°Once a daughter is married, she¡¯s as good as gone. Go back to your inws!¡± Lin Qing, in a bad mood, didn¡¯t bother giving her any face.


    When Lin Qing first got married, she had suffered quite a lot from this younger sister-inw. She no longer wanted to put up with her.


    Now that Granny Zhu was sick and couldn¡¯t care for herself, it was a perfect opportunity to take Zhu Wenjie down a peg.


    Zhu Wenjie was provoked, and having never attended much school and started working at an early age, she didn¡¯t know the principles of not resorting to violence. All she knew was that when she got bullied, she would fight back. With a ¡°peh¡± sound, she lunged at Lin Qing.


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t back down either. Upon hearing themotion, Madam Zhou rushed out to see the two middle-aged women tussling on the floor like shrews, pulling hair, ripping clothes, and biting ¨C using all kinds of ugly tactics.


    Madam Zhou was shocked and dumbfounded.


    Upon recovering from the shock, she immediately went to pull the two apart. However, the two of them were too caught up in their fight and exchanged filthy words without giving an inch to one another.


    ¡°You shameless woman, Lin Qing! No wonder my brother is keeping a mistress outside. With this sort of behavior, I doubt my brother would ever like you. Just wait, you¡¯ll be reced by his mistress sooner orter, and when you¡¯re old and unwanted, no one will remember you.¡± Zhu Wenjie felt pleased and expected Lin Qing to go crazy. However, to her disappointment, Lin Qing didn¡¯t show any surprise or anger on her face, even though she was rather disheveled from the fight. The anger she disyed was directed at Zhu Wenjie, not because of what she had just said.


    Zhu Wenjie was puzzled. Did Lin Qing not hear her or just not understand?


    On the other hand, Zhu Xiangxiang looked incredulous and angrily said, ¡°Aunt, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m just talking nonsense? The rumors have spread throughout thepany, your dad is keeping a woman hidden away; that¡¯s been going on for a few months already. I hear he even takes her everywhere they go, like they¡¯re inseparable, with a very strong emotional connection. I guess it won¡¯t be long before your mom will have to step down and make way.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie didn¡¯t make baseless usations. As Zhu Xiangxiang nced at Lin Qing, she found that Lin Qing was unnaturally calm, so she couldn¡¯t help but blurts out: ¡°Mom .


    Lin Qing coldlyughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t know my husband was cheating on me, but you apparently know everything. ¡±


    Zhu Wenjie smugly said, ¡°The person my brother trusts the most now is Zhou Ping. Not to mention the gossips in thepany, Zhou Ping personally witnessed how affectionate my brother is to her. She¡¯s young, beautiful, and has a great figure; way better than you when you were young. Sister-inw, with you acting like a shrew, my brother will only despise you more. If you were nice to me, I might put in a good word for you with him, get him to give you more money and save your dignity. But now, it¡¯s all toote.¡±


    Her expression was one of pure malicious glee.


    Lin Qing listened to these heart-piercing words while her heart bled in agony, but her face showed no emotion.


    It turned out that everyone knew about it while she was like a fool, kept in the dark.


    ¡°No need for you to get involved. You better take care of yourself first. Madam Zhou, see our guest out.¡± Lin Qing, exhausted, turned and headed upstairs.


    ¡°What right do you have to kick me out? I¡¯ll wait for my brother toe back, and I¡¯ll tell him how you¡¯ve been bullying me, and watch him beat you to death!¡± Zhu Wenjie plopped down on the sofa, folding her arms in a manner that screamed entitlement.


    Zhou Bao surreptitiously approached Zhu Wenjie and whispered, ¡°Mom, does


    Uncle really have an affair?¡±


    She took no joy in others¡¯ misfortune, feeling that Lin Qing was treated too unfairly. Although Aunt Lin was fierce and never gave her a happy face, the greatest sorrow a woman could experience came from her husband¡¯s betrayal.


    o


    She looked at Zhu Wenjie in confusion. Her mother had also experienced the same, and at that time, she had cried until her eyes swelled up. But why, when it came to Aunt Lin, would her mother not only show no sympathy but also rub salt in the wounds?


    The adult world was tooplicated!


    At 6 0¡¯clock in the evening, Ming Jing came downstairs to check Granny Zhu¡¯s pulse.


    This was her second timeing downstairs today.


    Zhu Wenjie hadn¡¯t seen her during lunch, and Madam Zhou didn¡¯t say anything when asked. She found it odd.


    When she first met Ming Jing, she was bald, but now she wore a wig, with a noticeably different temperament. The moment Zhu Wenjie recognized her, she let out a cry, ¡°So you¡¯re at home. Why didn¡¯t you open the door when I knocked for so long?¡±


    Without giving them another nce, she walked directly into Granny Zhu¡¯s room.


    Zhu Wenjie followed suit and saw Ming Jing skillfully checking Granny Zhu¡¯s pulse. Zhu Wenjie had heard Madam Zhou¡¯s ount of the morning¡¯s events and refused to believe that a little girl could be more capable than arge hospital¡¯s specialist.


    ¡°Miss Ming Jing, where did you learn medical skills?¡±


    Ming Jing unwrapped her cloth bundle and picked up a silver needle. Fearing that she would be distracted, Madam Zhou replied, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s master is a renowned divine doctor, so naturally, she has inherited her true teachings.¡±


    Zhu Wenjieughed, ¡°An old nun is a divine doctor? You¡¯ve got to be joking. Be careful, my mother can¡¯t take too much trouble. If anything happens to her, I won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡±


    Ming Jing frowned, ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    At that moment, it seemed like the room¡¯s temperature dropped by ten degrees, feeling icy cold.


    Ming Jing¡¯s white fingers picked up the silver needle and quickly inserted it into Granny Zhu¡¯s chest. Her agile movements were so smooth that Zhu Wenjie involuntarily shuddered upon witnessing them.


    After administering the needles, Granny Zhu slowly regained consciousness. Seeing Ming Jing, she showed affection in her eyes and kindly said, ¡°Ming Jing, thank you for your efforts. I heard everything from Madam Zhou.¡±


    Ming Jing tucked her in, ¡°You¡¯re in good health, so you have no problem living to be a hundred years old. Don¡¯t worry about anything else; I¡¯m here.¡±o


    Granny Zhu¡¯s eyes moistened, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with your mother. She¡¯s not doing well either. She¡¯s just confused at the moment. Once she suffers a bit, she¡¯lle to her senses. I hope you can still ept her by then.¡±


    Ming Jing was silent for a moment, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about that now. Just get some rest.¡±


    She instructed Madam Zhou a few more things before leaving the room.


    ¡°Mom, do you really believe this girl? She¡¯s so young, so how could she possibly know how to treat illnesses? We should take you to the hospital.¡± Zhu Wenjie said to Granny Zhu.


    Granny Zhu turned away, ¡°Go back to your home and stop bothering me.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie grumbled, ¡°This is my home too. Why are you kicking me out?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m deaf when you and your sister-inw argued this afternoon? I¡¯m telling you not to cause trouble at home. If your sister-inw¡¯s not doing well, would you be better off? How did I give birth to such a brainless daughter like you?¡± Granny Zhu was fed up and couldn¡¯t bother arguing with her anymore so she asked Madam Zhou to kick her out.


    ¡°Cousin Ming Jing, why are you hiding from me?¡± Ming Jing was about to go upstairs when she was blocked by Zhou Bao, who suddenly sprang out..

 Chapter 34 - 34: 034 Joy and Sorrow

    Chapter 34: 034 Joy and Sorrow


    Trantor: 549690339


    It was the second time Zhou Bao had seen Ming Jing in a little over a month.


    When she first came back that day, she wore a filthy robe and had a shaved head. Though she had a pretty face, it didn¡¯t catch anyone¡¯s interest.


    Today, she was wearing a shoulder-length wig and a white cotton long skirt, making it seem as if she was glowing. She looked unbelievably gentle and beautiful.


    As her gaze swept over in a faint manner, Zhou Bao¡¯s legs weakened without saying a word.


    ¡°Co¡­ Cousin, you¡¯ve be so much prettier,¡± Zhou Bao stuttered and squeezed out a sentence, staring at her face with envy.


    Ming Jing was much more beautiful than Cousin Zhu Xiangxiang. It was clear that everyone had the same two eyes, one nose, and one mouth, so why did they look so good on her face?


    Upon a closer look, Ming Jing was not wearing any makeup, her face waspletely natural. Her skin was immacte and could burst with a touch, and Zhou Bao¡¯s stomach filled with envy.


    Ming Jing walked past her towards the upstairs, and Zhou Bao immediately followed: ¡°Cousin, I have something very important to tell you.¡±


    Ming Jing took a nce at her, her eyes were pitch-ck and deep like an abyss, filling people with an inexplicable fear.


    Zhou Bao shuddered for a moment, but in the end, she mustered the courage to say: ¡°Uncle¡­ Uncle is having an affair, Aunt knows about it now, she¡¯s very sad. You should try tofort her, and you and Aunt must be strong. Don¡¯t give the mistress any opportunity, even if you divorce, you must protect your property. ¡±


    The young girl¡¯s eyes were filled with pure worry and sincerity.


    Ming Jing nced at her, and this time her eyes softened considerably.


    This little girl remained untainted by her mother¡¯s influence, which was a miracle.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ming Jing walked past her and went upstairs.


    Zhou Bao watched Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure, wanting to talk more with her, but for some reason, she was a little afraid of her.


    Before Zhu Xiangxiang knew her true background, she always thought she was the world¡¯s happiest princess, with loving parents and a wealthy family. All she had to do was study hard and maintain her elegance as the topdy, and she practically didn¡¯t have any worries in life.


    In less than three months, everything copsed.


    It was bad enough that she was a fake princess, but at least her foster parents had feelings for her and nothing would change if she continued to be dutiful to them. But now, even her parents¡¯ love was fake.


    Her father, whom she had always admired like a mountain, had cheated on her mother.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was both angry and sad. As a woman, she couldpletely understand her mother¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Mom, who is the mistress?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang calmed herself down, their priority right now was to get rid of the threat.


    She Imew very well that she could stay in this house thanks to Lin Qing. If Lin Qing were gone, who would rely on a stepmother to be kind to this fake daughter? That¡¯s just wishful thinking.


    Lin Qing would never show any weakness in front of her daughter, so she didn¡¯t shed a tear because tears were useless.


    ¡°She¡¯s your father¡¯s secretary, she¡¯s been here for three months, and I saw her at his office today.¡±


    ¡°Only three months? There shouldn¡¯t be much feelings. Mom, don¡¯t worry, maybe Dad is just ying around? He wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything and jeopardize the decades of love you and he shared.¡±


    Lin Qing shook her head with a bitter smile: ¡°You don¡¯t understand men, and that woman is not simple.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her teeth: ¡°Well, then give her a sum of money and have her leave Dad voluntarily.¡±


    ¡°Too naive.¡±


    Lin Qing said: ¡°Leave this to me, don¡¯t let these messy things affect your studies. I promise you that no matter what happens, I will never leave you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang cried and threw herself into Lin Qing¡¯s arms: ¡°Mom, I will always be with you and be your obedient daughter for the rest of my life.¡± Alter leavmg Lin Qing?s room, Lnu Niangng tnougnt aDOut It ana KnocKea on Ming Jing¡¯s door.


    Ming Jing opened the door, and Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her with teary eyes:


    ¡°Such a big thing happened at home, and you don¡¯t care at all?¡±


    Ming Jing turned away, leaving her with a back view: ¡°The world¡¯s joys and sorrows are not shared, and all the self-righteous pain is just the disturbance of mediocrity.¡±


    Her voice was so calm that it was excessive, like an onlooker standing in the clouds.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered: ¡°You are really cold-blooded. This is your home, your parents. If they get divorced, will you still have a foothold in this family?¡±


    ¡°I give this sentence to you, I have no attachments and can live anywhere. And you¡­ without the Zhu family, you have nothing.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was resentful: ¡°Are you deliberately taking revenge on us, taking revenge for stealing your identity, taking revenge on my mother for treating you poorly?¡±


    Ming Jing said indifferently: ¡°Are you even worthy?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was choked, and it took her a while to find her voice: ¡°If you still consider yourself part of the Zhu family, don¡¯t be a spectator. All of us are actors in this y, and you are no exception.¡±


    With that, she mmed the door shut and left.


    Ming Jing yed with the Buddhist beads on her fingertips and said leisurely: ¡°Senior, what would you do if it were you?¡±O


    At seven o¡¯clock, Zhu Wentao came home.


    Zhu Wenjie immediately rushed up to tattle, wishing Zhu Wentao would divorce Lin Qing immediately, so she could go out and set off fireworks in celebration.


    Zhu Wentao was in a low pressure, he scolded at Zhu Wenjie: ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Go home now.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie said with grievance: ¡°Brother, I¡¯m doing it for your own good.¡±


    Zhu Wentao couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with her and waved to the housekeeper: ¡°Let the driver take her home.¡±


    After saying this, he went directly to Granny Zhu¡¯s room to y the dutiful son. Zhu Wenjie stomped her foot in anger, ¡®You all just wait.¡±


    That night, the couple slept on the same bed as usual, but with their backs facing each other.


    Decades of affection were not enough to withstand a moment of indulgence.


    Lin Qing shed a tear in her sleep.


    The next day was a Monday, the day when the exam results were posted.


    Ming Jing got up and meditated, visited Granny Zhu, and had breakfast before leaving the house. Zhu Xiangxiang was sitting in the car, and when she saw Ming Jinging out, she coldly told the driver: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, walked down the hill, and took the bus, then transfered to the subway. It was still early.


    When she arrived at school, the scoreboards were crowded with people both inside and outside. Ming Jing nced at the crowd and headed towards the first-year teaching building.


    No one knew who had sharp eyes and saw her, but they immediately pointed at her and said: ¡°That¡¯s Ming Jing.¡±


    In an instant, all eyes flooded towards her like a rising tide..

 Chapter 35 - 35: 035 Laughing Proudly

    Chapter 35: 035 Laughing Proudly


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So she¡¯s Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Her figure is so good, tall and thin. Even the school uniform looks good on her. ¡±


    ¡°I always feel there¡¯s something odd about her hair¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you guys missing the point here? We¡¯re supposed to be discussing her grades, not her looks.¡±


    Ming Jing filtered through the whispers around her and walked towards the scoreboard.


    As she appeared, the crowd around the scoreboard automatically parted, looking at her with curiosity, awe, or envy.


    Ming Jing walked to the scoreboard like a queen.


    The name ¡®Ming Jing¡¯ was disyed at the very top, more than twice the size of the second name, very eye-catching.


    Ming Jing scanned through the list and found a familiar name at seventy-eighth ce.


    Hu Tian.


    Only two students from ss 8 made it into the grade¡¯s honor roll, one of them proudly led the board, which was a great humiliation for those top students in ss 1.


    ¡°What¡¯s her background? She¡¯s so amazing!¡±


    ¡°Did she cheat? It¡¯s not like this kind of thing hasn¡¯t happened before. I think the teachers should check, otherwise it¡¯s unfair to everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Is it that hard to admit that she¡¯s outstanding?¡± Suddenly, a loud voice came from the crowd. Tao Xingxing pushed through the people and pointed at a boy with sses: ¡°You, yes you, say what you just said again.¡±


    The boy who was named hesitated for a moment. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, his face flushed red, and he said defiantly: ¡°She¡¯s a nobody from ss 8 who got first ce in the whole grade. Does she think we¡¯re all stupid? She didn¡¯t even try to hide her cheating.¡±


    Tao Xingxing walked up to him, looked him up and down: ¡°You look like a decent person, but your mouth stinks. Did you just eat shit?¡±O


    The boy was humiliated and his face turned purple with anger. He pointed at


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s nose: ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±


    Tao Xingxing pped his hand away and spat: ¡°You what? Either bring out the evidence or shut your stinking mouth.¡±O


    Tao Xingxing walked around the open space in the crowd, with calm Ming Jing at the center. She nced at everyone and said loudly: ¡°From today on, you¡¯ll know the name Ming Jing. Of course, she just transferred here a little over a month ago, so you didn¡¯t know her before, but now you do. Remember her name from now on, she¡¯ll be your nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Stop with the nonsense about cheating. She¡¯s a genuine top student. If you envy her, don¡¯t spread rumors. Take part in a fairpetition in the exam room. You¡¯re wee to challenge Ming Jing¡¯s position in the next exam.¡±


    In the crowd, a boy lowered his voice: ¡°Song Yinzhang, this girl is too arrogant. You have to surpass her next time and get back at her.¡±


    A young man with a slender figure and gold-rimmed sses stood in the crowd, looking cultured. He replied indifferently: ¡°There are always mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people.¡±o


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and walked away from the crowd, Tao Xingxing immediately followed her, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m overstepping, but I know how these people are really like. They look down on us from ss 8. They spread even worse rumors behind our backs. We must take the initiative and suppress them. At the very least, they won¡¯t dare bother you for a while.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her with a smile: ¡°Thank you for considering so much for me. But now that you¡¯ve made that statement, what if I don¡¯t get first ce next time?


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Tao Xingxing didn¡¯t hesitate at all.


    ¡°I trust your abilities. If you don¡¯t get the first ce next time, I¡¯ll write my name backwards.¡±


    ¡°But the biggest threat might be Song Yinzhang. Before you came, he always ranked first. He¡¯s never dropped from first ce since junior high. This time, he scored only two points less than you. Close call. All in all, he¡¯s a formidable opponent.¡±


    The biggest news in school today was Ming Jing, who once again became the center of attention for the entire school.


    The old posts in the forum were brought up again. ¡°GaoShanLiuShui¡± ¡°@¡± ¡°Zuimeng Jinghua¡±: ¡°Remember the bet we madest time? Do I need to remind you? Be a good sport and save face.¡±


    The replies were all about adding fuel to the fire.


    ¡ª¡ª1 remember the bet was that the loser had to run tenps wearing underwear on the yground, right?


    ying dead? If you¡¯re not admitting, then don¡¯t brag. Coward.


    ¡ªMaybe they¡¯re busy picking out underwear, haha.


    Until noon, this ¡°Zuimeng Jinghua¡± kept ying dead. If he doesn¡¯t show up this time, he won¡¯t have the face to show up again. People wereughing at him on the forum and QQgroup.


    At noon, there was a disturbance in the cafeteria.


    Students stopped eating to watch the drama unfold.


    ¡°Oh my god, the mysterious administrator @¡¯ed ¡®Zuimeng Jinghua¡¯ and threatened to expose his real identity. The inte is not a ce for bragging, people should be responsible for their words and actions, even if they are hidden behind the screen. The administrator is righteous, they should weed out all those who spew foulnguage and stir trouble anonymously.¡±


    ¡°Haha, if ¡®Zuimeng Jinghua¡¯ doesn¡¯t show up now, the administrator will expose their ount. It¡¯ll be even more embarrassing. It¡¯s better to be proactive and save some face.¡±


    Tao Xingxing looked at her phone excitedly and said: ¡°I¡¯ve got to see who this


    Zuimeng Jinghua is. Pretending to be mysterious in front of your boss Tao? Good job, Mr. Administrator. You too, GaoShanLiuShui.¡±


    Ming Jing sat across from a boy who broke into a big grin: ¡°Ming Jing, just sit back and enjoy the show.¡±


    Ming Jing seemed not to hear, just eating her meal quietly.


    Charles Gao touched his nose, he really liked her calm demeanor, so charming.


    ¡°It¡¯s happening! There¡¯s someone running on the yground wearing underwear, and it¡¯s so exciting.¡± Someone shouted in the cafeteria, and all the students rushed out to watch.


    Photos were already posted on the forum, and Tao Xingxingughed loudly when she saw them, holding up her phone in front of Ming Jing. ¡°You¡¯ve got to see this guy wearing Peppa Pig underwear, it¡¯s hrious.¡± Ming Jing nced at the image impassively and left with her tray. Charles Gao took a look and frowned, his brows scrunching as if to kill a fly.


    ¡°Son of a b* *** pulling this kind of switcheroo on me..¡±

 Chapter 36 - 36: 036 Touching Porcelain

    Chapter 36: 036 Touching Porcin


    Trantor: 549690339


    The running boy is from ss 7, named Wang Xiaoshuai, who has average grades and is honest and upright, belonging to the type that blends in with the crowd.


    If it wasn¡¯t for him losing a bet on the forum and running in his underwear on the yground, no one would know who he was.


    Now, everyone knows.


    ¡°I never thought it would be Wang Xiaoshuai; he looks so honest, yet he¡¯s so crazy online, such a big contrast.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover! If it wasn¡¯t for the administrator forcing him, he might have just retreated like a turtle. Who knows how many seemingly honest boys have another side online?¡±


    At noon, under the scorching sun, the yground was filled with students watching the excitement, and more people were gathering after hearing the news. It was all very lively with different conversations happening.


    The boy on the yground, running like a lone ranger, was skinny and short, not very attractive, and the kind that can¡¯t be found in a crowd, He wore the school uniform on his upper body and a pair of Peppa Pig boxers on the lower half. His short, thin legs struggled to move like a tireless old ox, both funny and an eyesore.


    There were also cheers,ughter, sneers, and sympathy around the yground that mixed together.


    The boy appeared to be in terrible shape, and by the fifthp, he copsed and didn¡¯t get up. Immediately, someone rushed forward to carry him to the infirmary.


    He became theughingstock in the forum once again.


    Although the incident wasughed off, Tao Xingxing still remembered what Charles Gao had said.


    Taking the me for someone else?


    Charles Gao was the former student council president, and his abilities shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. There has always been a spot for the student council among the school forum administrators, and Charles must have known who ¡°Zuimeng Jinghua¡± really was.


    Is Wang Xiaoshuai not the real Zuimeng Jinghua?


    Tao Xingxing clenched her fist, and stood up excitedly. At this time, it was lunchtime, the ssroom was extremely quiet, and her actions suddenly made a noise. Everyone looked at her with annoyance.


    Tao Xingxing quickly sat down and nced at Ming Jing.


    Even at this moment, she remained calm and collected, quietly reading her book.


    As if all the worldly troubles had nothing to do with her.


    A holy goddess like her shouldn¡¯t be stained by such filth, so let me clear all obstacles for her.


    As soon as ss was over, Tao Xingxing ran to ss 7 to chat with friends, secretly observing Wang Xiaoshuai and indirectly finding out more information about him.


    Among a heap of messy clues, Tao Xingxing caught hold of the most important one: Wang Xiaoshuai liked Zhang Jingwen from ss 8.


    The reason it became so widely known was thatst Christmas, Wang Xiaoshuai mustered up the courage to give an apple to Zhang Jingwen to profess his love, only to be despised by her. Coincidentally, someone from


    ss 7 happened to pass by and exaggerated the story when they returned. Everyone mocked Wang Xiaoshuai for being like a toad trying to eat swan meat, and after that, he became even more taciturn.


    Well, well, Wang Xiaoshuai is quite the devoted lover, willing to take the me for love. But he should know whether the other person wants it or not.


    After school, Tao Xingxing greeted Ming Jing and left. She followed Zhang Jingwen, and sure enough, in a small alley, Wang Xiaoshuai blocked Zhang Jingwen¡¯s way.


    Tao Xingxing quickly took out her phone to take pictures, her eyes gleaming with the frenzy of gossip.


    It was the peak time for getting off work, and the subway station was swarming with people.


    The elevator slowly descended to the underground, and before her was a sea of heads. Ming Jing stood quietly in the crowd, her outstanding temperament attracting asional gazes from others.


    ¡°Hey, what a coincidence.¡± A familiar voice came from behind Ming Jing.


    Charles Gao was already used to Ming Jing¡¯s indifference, and patted the shoulder of the boy in front of him, ¡°Bro, can you step aside?¡±


    The boy blushed and looked at Ming Jing, standing still.


    Why should I step aside just because you asked? The boy pretended not to hear and stood still.


    Charles Gao put his hands on his hips, holding back his anger.


    As they got off the elevator and lined up for security check, Charles Gao was a stepte again, and the boy got ahead of him, standing behind Ming Jing. Charles grabbed the cor of the boy, ¡°Are you looking for trouble?¡±


    The boy pointed at his face, ¡°Go ahead and hit me, show me how tough you are. ¡±


    Making trouble on the subway was noughing matter. With the prevalence of the inte, a video could easily get online, and while Charles had nothing to lose, he didn¡¯t want Ming Jing to be implicated.


    She was an exemry student who couldn¡¯t be stained by such filth.


    Charles¡¯s eyes swept across the boy¡¯s namete on his school uniform and smirked, ¡°Mingde High School, Zhao Heng, I¡¯ll remember you.¡±


    Zhao Heng pushed away his hand, straightened his cor, and turned to stand quietly behind Ming Jing in the line.


    Today, the subway was especially crowded. Charles protected Ming Jing, fearing that someone would bump into her. Finally, they entered the train carriage, while watching Zhao Heng falling behind. Charles purposely blocked the door, yelling, ¡°It¡¯s too crowded, just wait for the next one.¡±


    The doors closed, and Charlesughed loudly at Zhao Heng, raising his middle finger in mockery.


    Zhao Heng stomped his foot in anger.


    The subway environment was cramped, and Charles cornered Ming Jing to protect her from strangers.


    ¡°Tell me, why don¡¯t you take a private car instead of cramming into the subway like this? You¡¯re almost squeezed into a pancake.¡±


    At that moment, there were screams andmotion from the front of the car. The crowd became agitated as someone shouted, ¡°An old man has fainted, and there¡¯s a lot of blood¡­!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the conductor? Is there a doctor? Quickly call 120¡­¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Make way.¡±


    Charles instinctively stepped aside, watching Ming Jing dart through the gaps in the crowd. Despite her tall and slender figure, her movements were nimble, and she disappeared in the blink of an eye like a monkey.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Charles struggled to make his way through the crowd.


    An old many on the ground with a pool of blood under his head, a shocking sight. The old man¡¯s body kept convulsing, with vomiting out of his mouth. The crowd formed a circle around him with no one daring to step within half a meter.


    Nowadays, people are cold -hearted, with an increasing number of scams involving idents. It¡¯s rare for strangers to lend a hand, as it often leads to trouble. Calling 120 would already be considered generous.


    As everyone hesitated, a girl emerged from the crowd, squatting in front of the old man and quickly checking his condition.


    Everyone looked astonished at the sudden appearance of the girl. A kind-hearted person advised, ¡°Girl, don¡¯t be a hero in this day and age. You might get scammed and lose everything. You¡¯re so young; don¡¯t get involved in this mess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, wait for the doctor toe. You¡¯re not a doctor; what can you do to help?¡±


    The girl checked the old man¡¯s pulse, swiftly positioned him in the recovery position, and gently rubbed and pushed his back.


    The series of actions were smooth and practiced..

 Chapter 37 - 37: 037 Compassion

    Chapter 37: 037 Compassion


    Trantor: 549690339


    The old man gradually calmed down and stopped convulsing.


    The unforgettable scene took ce when the young girl took a tissue from her bag.


    An incredibly beautiful and neat girl, her tender white fingertips seemed like they were crafted from snow-lotus, untouched by the dust of the mortal world. Such sacred and beautiful hands were now wiping away vomit¡­


    The contrast in the scene was too strong, many people closed their eyes in difort but couldn¡¯t help but look at the girl again.


    Her expression remained calm as ever, as if she were doing something ordinary.


    It was the excessively calm demeanor that made people feel uneasy.


    Even the old man¡¯s own granddaughter might not be able to do this. This girl was too kind, too strong¡­


    Charles Gao squeezed through the crowd and saw this scene.


    A scene he would never forget in his life.


    The old man slowly opened his eyes and whispered his thanks with his fading breath.


    Ming Jing saw a corner of the phone sticking out of the old man¡¯s pocket and took it out, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll notify your family.¡±


    The old man¡¯s phone was not password protected, so it was easily opened. There was a recent call history with someone named Shen Zhou, so Ming Jing called to inform him.


    Upon hearing that the old man had fainted on the subway, the other party was shocked and immediately asked for the location.


    ¡°He is momentarily on Subway Line 2, next stop Renmin Park. Some passengers have already called 120. It¡¯s a case of acute cerebral hemorrhage, very critical.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Ming Jing heard the other person give instructions: ¡°Contact the nearest hospital to Renmin Park, clear a life channel, and ensure my father¡¯s safety.¡±


    This voice had a strong determination and authority, which only those who had been in power for a long time would have.


    ¡°Miss, thank you for your brave deeds. The doctor will be here soon. Before the doctores, please make sure to stay with my father. In the future, I, Shen Zhou, will repay your favor for saving our lives.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small thing, not worth mentioning.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for the Renmin Park stop to arrive. The passengers began to move, and the attendants hurried over to direct the subway police to disperse


    the crowd.


    Ming Jing asked the police officer, ¡°Help me get the elderly man out first.¡±


    The officer hesitated for a moment, after all, there was blood all over the old man¡¯s head, looking terrifying. Was it okay to move him casually?


    But now during peak hours, the subway couldn¡¯t stop operating just because of the old man.


    The officer received notification, and his face changed immediately. He said, ¡°We have just been notified, the subway will temporarily stop operations until the medical staff arrives.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, realizing the old man¡¯s family must have some influence.


    The subway stopped, and the crowd became restless. Many people started taking photos and recording videos on their phones. The subway stopping during peak hours was no small matter and soon made small sshes on the inte.


    Most of the discussion surrounded the brave girl, but her face was not visible in the video, as she kept her head down, her long hair covering her features, and the resolution of the video was not good either. However, her elegant and tall figure was enough to make her unforgettable.


    In less than five minutes, with the police leading the way, paramedics rushed in with a stretcher and quickly assessed the old man¡¯s condition, ¡°The patient has an acute cerebral hemorrhage, heart rate and blood pressure are normal¡­¡±


    The doctor quickly nced at Ming Jing, ¡°Was it you who put him in the recovery position?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.


    ¡°In the case of acute cerebral hemorrhage apanied by vomiting, the vomit must be cleaned up as soon as possible, otherwise, it can cause asphyxia and shock. You did a great job on that and saved a life.¡±


    The doctor and nurse worked together to lift the old man onto the stretcher and quickly pushed him out of the subway. Ming Jing followed, and Charles Gao hurried to catch up.


    A man in a suit squeezed through the crowd and asked the subway police,


    ¡°Where is thedy who saved the old man?¡±


    The officer pointed towards the back, ¡°She¡¯s over there¡­¡±


    As he turned his head, the restless crowd behind him had already swallowed the girl from sight.


    Originally wanting to catch up with Ming Jing, Charles Gao was surprised when he saw the man approaching, ¡°Is that him?¡±


    When Shen Zhou arrived at the hospital, the dean had been rmed and mobilized the hospital¡¯s best medical staff to ensure Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s safety.


    The operating room light went out, and the doctor came out. He was a highly reputable expert in neurosurgery, and with him as the lead surgeon, the patient was naturally out of danger.


    ¡°Mr. Shen, rest assured, your father¡¯s surgery was very sessful. He has been transferred to ICU, under observation for 24 hours. If there are no problems after that, he can be transferred to a general ward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Professor Wu.¡± Shen Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, almost losing his bnce. Professor Wu quickly supported him.


    ¡°Mr. Shen, it was actually the timely rescue that saved your father¡¯s life. Acute cerebral hemorrhage is very dangerous. Your father was in a critical condition at that time, but someone performed emergency measures on him. Thanks to the timely transfer to the hospital, your father¡¯s life was saved. Otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable. It¡¯s not me you should be thanking ¡ª saving lives and healing injuries are a doctor¡¯s duty.¡± After finishing speaking, he left.


    Shen Ke quickly walked over at this moment, ¡°Sir, the girl who saved him had already left when I went to look for her.¡±


    Shen Zhou said solemnly, ¡°She is the savior of my father and me.


    Shen Ke took out his phone and showed Shen Zhou the video circting online.


    It was aplete video, beginning when the old man fainted. Everyone was around, but nobody stepped forward except a girl who squeezed into the crowd.


    She was thin, but her back seemed to carry a sacred light.


    As people tried to persuade her not to cause trouble, she disregarded their words and stayed determined.


    She calmly checked on the old man and, fearlessly of getting dirty, cleaned the vomit¡­ A crowd gasped in surprise.


    From beginning to end, the girl showed no hesitation or signs of being overwhelmed. She remained calm, knowing exactly what she was doing.


    Upon seeing this, Shen Zhou couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised.


    He remembered her voice on the phone; it was both soothing like a bird¡¯s song and as solid as a mountain, calm and cold. Not only was she brave and kind, but she also had a vast heart. Such a talent must be found.


    Ming Jing left the subway station and went to the opposite side to wait for the bus.


    ¡°Ming Jing, why didn¡¯t you wait for me?¡± Charles Gao caught his breath as he caught up to her.


    Ming Jing nced at him and quickly looked away.


    ¡°You were so brave just now. Weren¡¯t you afraid it was a scam?


    ¡°Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-storied pagoda,¡± the girl said with an unexpressable sense ofpassion on her indifferent face, standing out from the chaotic crowd in a world of her own.


    Charles Gao stared nkly, his eyes locked onto her, forgetting what he wanted to say, only knowing that at this moment, the most beautiful scene in the world was right before him..

 Chapter 38 - 38: 038 Business Sea

    Chapter 38: 038 Business Sea


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing stepped into the living room, her senses quickly picking up the tense atmosphere.


    Madam Zhou emerged from the kitchen, subtly hinting her with a low whisper, ¡°Sir is back. He had an argument with Madam upstairs. I guess there¡¯s some disagreement. Be careful, Miss Ming Jing. ¡±


    After the uproar caused by Zhu Wenjie that day, everyone tacitly acknowledged that the couple¡¯s marriage was in name only.


    Ming Jing nodded and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Granny today?¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s face broke into a smile, ¡°Madam is doing better today, managed to eat some food. Just now, she was speaking about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    After checking on Granny Zhu, Ming Jing headed upstairs. To the right of the staircase was Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing¡¯s bedroom, opposite theirs was Zhu


    Shaodan¡¯s bedroom. To the left were Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room and a guest room.


    From Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing¡¯s bedroom came faint sounds of a heated argument punctuated with the sound of a flower vase shattering.


    ¡°Zhu Wentao! Twenty years of marital devotion doesn¡¯t measure up to a three-month -old fling! You have utterly disappointed me¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop making a fuss over nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making a fuss? Look deep into your heart and tell me, have I not struggled, raising our two children and caring for your mother, is that an easy task?¡±


    ¡°We have maids to take care of the kids and my mother, what have you done? You are loitering every day, shopping, drinking tea, ying mahjong. All of your friends envy you. Is it that your life is toofortable now that you¡¯re makingints?¡±


    ¡°Zhu Wentao, you¡¯re not even human¡­¡±


    ¡°Bang.¡± The harsh sound of a door mming.


    Zhu Wentao stomped out of the bedroom, rage still stered on his face when he bumped into Ming Jing who had juste upstairs. His face reflected a momentary embarrassment.


    He opened his mouth as if to say something, but feeling too ashamed to face his daughter, he promptly headed downstairs without uttering a word, his pace quickening with each descent.


    The sound of heart-wrenching sobs came from the room.


    Lin Qing had always held her head high. It was Ming Jing¡¯s first time seeing such a vulnerable side of her.


    Ming Jing stood at the top of the stairs as the sobs gradually subsided. Lin Qing made a phone call.


    It was likely a call to a private detective, urging them to speed things up, as she couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    Men and women have never been equal in marriage. To pursue the so-called equality, you must stay absolutely sober.


    Luckily, she¡¯s not foolish.


    Downstairs, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice echoed. Ming Jing headed back to her room without a word.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, we¡¯ve got a problem at thepany.¡±


    Zhu Wentao had just pressed the doorbell when he received a call from Secretary Wang.


    Zhou Ling opened the door, her face adorned with a gentle smile. Seeing Zhu Wentao¡¯s face turn instantly, she tactfully fell silent.


    Zhu Wentao hung up the phone, his voice heavy, ¡°You should eat on your own, don¡¯t wait for me. I need to return to the office.¡±


    Zhou Ling didn¡¯t ask any questions, and just said, ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    When she returned, she had a small lunch box, ¡®You have a sensitive stomach, so I made your favorite tbread and simmered pork trotters soup all afternoon. It might not taste as good when reheated in a microwaveter, but it is better than going hungry.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face softened slightly at the gesture, he caressed her face,


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Zhou Ling tiptoed to adjust his cor, speaking softly, ¡°Drive carefully, send me a message when you get there. You should leave now, don¡¯t let your work be dyed.¡±


    Zhu Wentao lightly kissed her forehead, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    After he left, Zhou Ling brushed a stray hair away from her face, smiled, then turned to enter the house.


    The Zhu Group had made its start in the catering business. Back then, a well-known local mutton soup restaurant was gaining poprity, their family imed to have been imperial chefs, guarding their secret recipe for several centuries.


    But a family crisis forced the owner of the restaurant to sell it. Acting decisively, Zhu Wentao borrowed money from rtives and friends to buy the secret form, and took over the restaurant. Together, he and Lin Qing worked hard, quickly building the reputation of Zhu Family¡¯s Mutton Soup. In less than five years, it had be a provincial trademark, with branches opening all over the province.


    Later, Zhu Wentao caught the real estate bubble. He shifted his investments to the property market and had a lucky streak, getting help from influential people, making a fortune. His industry transition was sessful, and thepany sessfully went public ten years ago. Over the years, Zhu Wentao has been bold and decisive, hiring talented individuals, leading thepany to flourish. Today, he¡¯s considered a prominent figure in Jiangzhou.


    The Zhu¡¯s biggest recent move was a joint venture with the old real estatepany, Shengda, to develop the Spring Academy residential project. Shengda, failing to keep up with the economic strength in the changing macro environment, agreed to cooperate with the Zhu Group, each party contributing proportionally. The project is in a coveted location, often referred to as the most expensive piece ofnd in Jiangzhou. This coboration between the two major estatepanies is a strong alliance that caused quite a stir in the city. Spring Academy, not yet open for sale, was already a hotmodity, with the price soaring to an astonishing number.


    However, half a month ago, Shengda was suddenly dered bankrupt and was about to foreclose, with the aid of judicial seizure, on the invented residential property. In this interim, almost all of Zhu¡¯s Group¡¯s main focus was on this project. The setback had dealt a severe blow to thepany, causing massive losses. The capital is unable to return and the uing major projects are all likely to be aborted.


    And this was not the worst of it, the news of Shengda¡¯s ident was leaked, and if it affected the stock price, things could be veryplicated.


    To make a terrible situation worse, the person responsible for the project had absconded with the money, leaving no scapegoat. Zhu Wentao had to shoulder all the pressure.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, we¡¯ve lost contact with President Qian. We¡¯ve already contacted the police, but the loss to thepany can¡¯t be estimated. Moreover, we won¡¯t be able to suppress the news for long, we muste up with a solution as soon as possible.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face was a scary shade of sullen, ¡°That bastard Qian, he better hope I never see him again.¡±


    ¡°Can Shengda do anything to salvage the situation?¡±


    Secretary Wang shook his head, ¡°Earlier there was a rumor that Shengda was going to be acquired by Fangzhou Group, but for some reason, the news suddenly disappeared. I suspect that this time Shengda¡¯s ident is a setup by the others, making ourpany the sacrificialmb.¡±


    ¡°Fangzhou Group? Every day of dy means considerable losses. Shen Zhou lives up to his shrewd, calcted reputation as a ruthless businessman.¡± ¡°Mr. Zhu, should we arrange a meeting with Mr. Shen?¡±


    Zhu Wentao didn¡¯t want to plead with anyone. But after many years of navigating the tumultuous business waters, he hade to realize one thing¡ª face doesn¡¯t hold any value.


    ¡°Arrange it.¡±


    Jiyuean temple.


    Ming Ti sitting on the porch, lost in thought, gazing at the night sky, with her hands supporting her chin.


    ¡°Second Senior, it¡¯s been thirty-five days since you¡¯ve left, when are youing back to see us? We miss you so much.¡±


    The door behind creaked open, and out came a little girl, about eight or nine years old.


    ¡°Ah Chen, how is big sister doing?¡± the little girl asked turning her head. Ming Chen shook her head, ¡°I hope second Sister can bring good news..¡±

 Chapter 39 - 39: 039 Zheng Qing

    Chapter 39: 039 Zheng Qing


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I quite liked Zheng Qing, what a shame.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to pity? She knew her ce, drove the original wife insane, and stole what¡¯s not rightfully hers. Such a hateful woman. The adulterer is not a good guy either; they deserve to die together.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, the paparazzi were diligent. I was wondering why Zheng Qing had suddenly disappeared when her career was taking off. It turns out she was secretly giving birth to an illegitimate child, disgusting. ¡±


    Ming Jing arrived at ss in the morning. During self-study time, nobody was studying. They were all discussing gossip.


    Ming Jing has a regr routine, and she goes to sleep at 9 pm. As a result, she missed the entertainment newsst night about the shocking scandal of the popr young actress.


    Tao Xingxing greeted with no energy while lying on the desk, ¡°Good morning, desk mate.¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    Tao Xingxing moved closer and examined Ming Jing¡¯s face, ¡°Yourplexion is rosy, you must have slept wellst night.¡±


    Her swollen eyes, on the other hand, seemed like a valuable national treasure.


    Hu Tian collected homework in the order of the seating chart, and it was Ming Jing¡¯s turn. He pursed his lips, secretly nced at Ming Jing, and guiltily looked away.


    Ming Jing ced her homework on the stack Hu Tian was holding.


    Tao Xingxing handed over her homework, jokingly said, ¡°ss leader, why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Hu Tian let out an ¡°ah¡± in panic, then swiftly moved away.


    ¡°What a joke, he¡¯s like a toad wanting to eat swan meat, dreaming!¡± Tao Xingxing sneered.


    Ming Jing reached into her desk and her brows slightly furrowed.


    In her hand were several beautifully wrapped envelopes with exaggerated hearts drawn on them¡­


    ¡°Desk mate, you¡¯re now the hot topic, with a great figure, pretty face, and excellent grades. You¡¯re much better than Zhu Xiangxiang. I¡¯ll help promote you, and be the campus beauty.¡±


    ¡°But your hair bothers me, it¡¯s seems off and ruins your temperament. It would be incredibly stunning if you changed your hairstyle. Why did you get such a straggly haircut? No, I¡¯ll take you to a hair salon after school to get it fixed.¡± Ming Jing ignored her and started reviewing English vocabry.


    A girl seated in frontined furiously, ¡°Zheng Qing, that bitch, not only did she do something shameful, but she also messed up Qifeng¡¯s first appearance on a reality show, my idol¡¯s ruined now.¡±


    Tao Xingxing patted her shoulder andforted her, ¡°I¡¯ve been cursing all night too. Qu Feitai had never participated in any variety shows before, and it¡¯s such a pity this show got canceled because of Zheng Qing¡¯s scandal. Our fandom is suffering.¡±


    After she finished talking, Tao Xingxing took out her phone and began typing.


    After venting, Tao Xingxing took out a picture and stabbed it with a small knife, cursing while she did so.


    Ming Jing¡¯s pupils slightly contracted when she inadvertently nced at the picture.


    It appeared as if a tiny stone had been thrown into the vast sea, creating ripples but eventually returning to calmness.


    However, under the calm surface, unknown undercurrents surged.


    Noticing Ming Jing staring at the photo, Tao Xingxing became instantly intrigued and asked, ¡°Do you know who she is?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re like an immortal who doesn¡¯t care about worldlv affairs, so vou definitely don¡¯t know about entertainment industry celebrities. But how could you not know about popr stars like Zheng Qing? What isted ce were you living before?¡±


    ¡°Let me enlighten you. This ugly woman is Zheng Qing, thirty-four years old this year, the rising star in the entertainment industry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by her pretty looks. This high-profile actress who¡¯s been on the rise has a secret child, destroyed the original wife, and stole her ce. Her shamelessness is rare to see.¡±


    Ming Jing stared at the woman in the photos, still confused.


    The young and beautiful woman in the picture had a bright and innocent smile that was captivating.


    This face gradually merged with the one in her memory.


    Twelve years had passed, and everything had changed.


    But she was still beautiful.


    Jiang Chun angrily asked, ¡°Who leaked the news? Our previous efforts have gone to waste.¡±


    Jiang Hui¡¯s face turned ugly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Please punish me, Madam.¡±


    ¡°What use is punishing you? Now that Zhao Kang is discarded, he¡¯s bound to cause problems.¡±


    Jiang Chun calmly ordered, ¡°Notify Night Hawk. It¡¯s time to take action.¡±


    Jiang Chun sat in the living room, waiting until midnight for news from


    Jiang Hui, ¡°Zhao Kangmitted suicide, and the items have vanished.¡±


    Jiang Chun sneered, ¡°Suicide?¡±


    ¡°What about Zheng Qing?¡±


    Without needing an answer, Jiang Chun had already guessed the oue. ¡°I underestimated her. She¡¯s not an ordinary person. Even Night Hawk didn¡¯t sense her, we must dig up her whereabouts.¡±


    This night, disturbances are inevitable.


    In the western suburb of Jingdu, a car drove along a deserted road, turning off the highway onto a narrow path. After ten miles, they crossed a grove, and an abandoned factory stood silently in the dark.


    A woman dressed in ck and wearing a ck mask got out of the car. She was cautious, surveying the surroundings while touching her waist, gradually moving towards the factory.


    ¡°Squeak.¡± The rusted, decaying factory door slowly opened, and a tall figure stood against the moonlight.


    Like a lone wolf wandering in the dark.


    ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± said a bleak, aged voice that echoed throughout the empty factory, as though from the depths of hell, chilling to the bone. The woman snorted, ¡°I was being followed and shook them off.¡± ¡°I brought the things you wanted. Fulfill your promise and set me free.¡± ¡°Are you bargaining with me?¡± A disdainful, coldugh could be heard.


    The woman was furious, ¡°You should keep your word. I¡¯ve been working diligently for you for twelve years, waiting for this day. Are you backing out now? Aren¡¯t you human?¡±


    ¡°Integrity?¡± It seemed like he heard some hrious joke, and the manughed loudly. The sound was unnerving and chilling in the cold, empty factory.


    ¡°I knew your promises were just farts, or else that night¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she turned pale and froze in ce.


    A ray of red light targeted her forehead..

 Chapter 40 - 40: 040 Change

    Chapter 40: 040 Change


    Trantor: 549690339


    In this modern information society, it¡¯s easy to find someone.


    Zhu Wentao instructed someone to investigate, but after three days, there was no trace.


    This girl was a great benefactor to the Shen family. Mr. Shen Zhou believed in repaying kindness, especially lifesaving ones like this.


    The Elder had been out of danger and transferred to a general ward yesterday morning. Mr. Shen Zhou had been by his side, taking personal care of him. With all thepany affairs piling up on him, he barely had time to catch his breath and drink some water. It had been three days, and there was still no trace of the girl who saved his life. He sighed softly.


    In this day and age, there are still people who do good deeds without leaving their names behind. They should know they saved the life of the famous Mr. Shen Zhou¡¯s father.


    However, without noble morals, it¡¯s impossible for someone to step forward in the face of suspicion.


    Even Shen Ke admired her.


    At this time, the secretary entered with a knock on the door: ¡°Secretary Shen, there is a person outside iming to be the president¡¯s secretary of Zhu Group, who wants to see you. He says there¡¯s an important matter to discuss with you.¡±


    Shen Ke understood the other party¡¯s intention upon hearing this. As he quickly signed the documents, he said, ¡°Tell him I¡¯m busy.¡±


    The secretary came in after a while and said, ¡°He said he would wait until you¡¯re willing to see him. He also mentioned that the two of you came from the same ce and should be considered hometown friends. He brought you some local specialties.¡±


    The secretary said this while cing a gift box of local specialties on the desk.


    Shen Ke curved his lips, Zhu Wentao was quite impatient.


    Shen Ke nced at the secretary without saying anything. The secretary was terrified and trembled, ¡°Did I¡­did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Copy the secretary¡¯s code of conduct 100 times and deduct three months¡¯ bonus.¡±


    The secretary obedientlyplied, thinking Secretary Shen was still as impartial as ever.


    As she turned to leave, she heard a cold voice behind her, ¡°Take the gifts away.¡±


    ¡°If it happens again, you can leave.¡±


    After finishing processing all the documents, it was already dusk. Looking at his watch, it was already seven o¡¯clock.


    Shen Ke picked up his coat from the side and draped it over his arm, loosened his tie, and walked out.


    He guessed that Wang Zheng hadn¡¯t left yet, so he took the VIP elevator straight to the underground parking lot.


    Mr. Shen had other ns for the Zhu Group, and the time was not right yet.


    Head home to change clothes first, then go to the hospital to visit Elder Theodore Shelby. After staying by his side for three days, it was time for the Elder to rest well and let him take the shift.


    He lived in a high-end residentialplex with an elegant and serene environment, nestled between the mountains and the sea. Many wealthy stars owned properties here.


    While waiting for the elevator, he took out his phone and opened the video he had watched countless times.


    She appeared to be a student by her age, but she did not wear a school uniform, so it was impossible to pinpoint which school she belonged to. At the time, the subway was packed, and as it was the busiest, that line had seven or eight high schools. To investigate one by one would take ages. Continuing in this manner would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.


    He was lost in thought for a moment, not realizing the elevator had arrived. There was one elevator per household, exiting the elevator was the entrance foyer.


    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re finally back! I¡¯m so hungry, ¡± the teenager pounced over and acted coquettishly, hugging his arm.


    ¡°Eh? Uncle, you¡¯re also watching this video?¡±


    To avoid unnecessary trouble, Elder Shelby¡¯s ident had been kept a secret. Although it was a hot topic on social media, everyone treated it as an ordinary old man having an emergency, and no one would associate the old man with Elder Theodore Shelby.


    After all, how could Elder Shelby possibly take the subway?


    Shen Ke nonchntly nodded his head.


    The teenager broke into a smile. ¡°I never expected her to be so brave and kind. It¡¯s a pity that I was one step behind, otherwise, I could have witnessed it personally.¡±


    Shen Ke suddenly looked at him, ¡°You know this girl?¡±


    Zhao Heng was a little surprised by his uncle¡¯s reaction. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know her, but I¡¯ve seen her on the subway before. She was so beautiful that I couldn¡¯t help but secretly follow her. One time, I finally gathered the courage to stand beside her and was about to ask for her WeChat ID, but someone suddenly appeared and ruined my n. I missed the subway, and it was on that train that she saved someone¡¯s life. That very night, when I saw this video, I recognized her immediately. I knew I wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªshe¡¯s amazing. ¡±


    He thenughed triumphantly.


    Shen Ke never expected his nephew to have this kind of connection with the girl. He asked, ¡°Can you find her?¡±


    Zhao Heng looked at him cautiously, ¡°What do you want with her?¡±


    Shen Ke asked, ¡°Do you know who she saved?¡±


    Zhao Heng shook his head, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just an ordinary old man?¡± Shen Ke said word by word, ¡°Elder Theodore Shelby.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Heng eximed in disbelief.


    Granny Zhu¡¯s health improved day by day , but the atmosphere in the house grew more oppressive. The nanny was extremely cautious in her actions.


    Granny Zhu counted the days, ¡°Today is the fifth, right?¡±


    Madam Zhou, whilebing Granny Zhu¡¯s hair, replied, ¡°Yes, it is. Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, Ms. Ming Jing has been back for more than a month.¡±


    ¡°Ask Lin Qing about the wee banquet for Ming Jing, nned for the eighth. Is everything ready? If not, don¡¯t bother doing it. She has no real sense of being a mistress, and peopleugh at her. ¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be angry. So many things have happened recently, perhaps the mistress cannot cope?¡±


    ¡°She could deal with one thing at a time. How can she not take care of her own child? She¡¯s acting like she¡¯s still twenty years old and being so willful.¡±


    ¡°Tell her that on the eighth, Ming Jing¡¯s wee banquet must be held. Make it beautiful and don¡¯t let peopleugh at us.¡±


    As the words finished, there were footsteps behind them.


    Madam Zhou turned her head to find Lin Qing with her makeup delicately done and dressed in neat, fashionable clothes. Her previous days¡¯ depression and gloominess had vanished. Although not radiant, she looked dignified and proper.


    Madam Zhou looked at her carefully, seeing no trace of sadness on her face, only calmness andposure. ¡°Mother, how is your health?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I n to hold Ming Jing¡¯s wee banquet at Qingyang Hotel on the eighth. I already contacted the hotel. Here¡¯s the guest list, please take a look and see if anyone is missing.¡±


    Madam Zhou was surprised at Lin Qing. Was this the Madam she knew? Especially concerning Ms. Ming Jing, her attitude was so good.


    Granny Zhu said, ¡°I¡¯m getting old and can¡¯t handle everything. You can make the arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call and invite everyone this afternoon. You rest.¡± With that, she turned around and left.


    Madam Zhou whispered, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Madam¡­?¡±


    Granny Zhu sighed, ¡°As long as the family is harmonious, everything can prosper. Perhaps this time, she has finally understood..¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41: 041 Suffering from Scarcity

    Chapter 41: 041 Suffering from Scarcity


    Trantor: 549690339


    Jiang Chun returned home after her hurried journey.


    This operation ended in failure, she didn¡¯t obtain anything and instead, stirred up trouble.


    The servant noticed Jiang Chun¡¯s unhappy expression and brought her favorite flower tea, carefully saying, ¡°Madam, Madam Zhu called you the day before yesterday.¡±


    As expected, Jiang Chun¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Tomorrow evening, the Zhus have prepared a wee banquet in Qingyang for Ms. Zhu, and they invite you to attend.¡±


    The servant observed Jiang Chun¡¯s expression, knowing that Madam didn¡¯t like the Zhus, but her impression of the new Ms. Zhu, was quite good. Usually, Madam wouldn¡¯t attend such shy banquets, but this time she wasn¡¯t so sure.


    Jiang Chun took a sip of the flower tea and after a while, indifferently said, ¡°Arrange it.¡±


    The servant thought to herself, this new Ms. Zhu must have some great influence.


    ¡°Aunt Lan, there¡¯s a banquet tomorrow night, I want to go too.¡±


    The teenager yawned as hezily walked downstairs from the second floor, slumping onto the sofa, appearing boneless and sinking in.


    Jiang Chun gave him a nce, ¡®You sneaked to Jiangzhou, do you know how worried your parents are? Stop causing trouble and go back.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go back, Jiangzhou is much morefortable.¡±


    ¡°Is fightingfortable? What did the Zhus¡¯ young master do to you? It¡¯s enough to have beaten him once, but you had to send him to jail.¡±


    The teenager snorted, ¡°I just didn¡¯t like him, challenging me means he must pay the price.¡±


    He then blew on his clenched fist.


    Jiang Chun sighed helplessly, ¡°Just do what you want.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow night¡¯s banquet is hosted by the Zhus, and you¡¯ve beaten their son, so don¡¯t add to themotion. Stay home obediently, or else I¡¯ll call Bai Ziyu to take you back.¡±


    The teenager¡¯s eyes rolled, and cleverly said, ¡°The Zhus are hosting it? Then I have to go join the fun. Isn¡¯t it said that the Zhus have a true and a fake daughter? It¡¯s more exciting than a TV show, I want to see what¡¯s different between them.¡±


    Jiang Chun: ¡­Is it toote to take back what I just said?


    The Zhus¡¯ wee banquet was held in a grand manner in Qingyang, with invitations sent to almost all the celebrities in Jiangzhou.


    The banquet began at six in the evening, and the guests arrived one after another.


    ¡°The scale of the banquet is not bad, it seems the Zhus have a good attitude towards their genuine daughter.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking? She is their biological daughter after all, with blood ties. Just like our traditional wealthy families, we value bloodline the most. How could they possibly leave their property to a wild child of unknown origin?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that Lin Qing doesn¡¯t treat his biological daughter as well as his foster daughter. This banquet is just for show, to keep up appearances¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. After all, the foster daughter has been raised and cultivated with great effort since she was a child, surpassing all the well-knowndies and earning Lin Qing a lot of face. As for the genuine daughter, who grew up in the countryside and doesn¡¯t know a single word, she¡¯s crude and vulgar, making it impossible topare with the carefully trained fake daughter. It¡¯s difficult to treat them equally.¡±


    ¡°Why do I hear something different¡­?¡±


    A group of wealthy women gossiping walked away, with Li Jiaojiao, Zhao Qin, and Sun Qingqing following behind. They exchanged nces andughed in unison.


    ¡°A fake daughter is a fake daughter. I¡¯ll let everyone know that a wild chicken can never be more than just that.¡± Li Jiao intently said with a cold smile.


    ¡°Is everything arranged?¡± asked Zhao Qin.


    ¡°Last time, I didn¡¯t finish her off. This time, I want her to be theughingstock of the entire Jiangzhou. ¡±


    Sun Qingqing hesitated for a moment and whispered, ¡°Will there be any trouble? After all, the Zhus¡­


    ¡°Zhu Group is in crisis, there¡¯s nothing left to fear,¡± Zhao Qin said disdainfully.


    Behind the three of them were the families of Gao Jia and Ye Lan, each apanying their parents. As the two families were old friends, the elders were chatting amiably. Gao Jia was holding Ye Lan¡¯s arm, ¡°I seemed to have seen your cousin just now?¡±


    Ye Lan was wearing a pink, slim-fit dress today, looking charming and gentle, very feminine. Hearing this, she said with a smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her for a few days. I didn¡¯t expect her toe.¡±


    The Zhao family held a special status in Jiangzhou; no one dared to provoke them, but they also didn¡¯t dare to get too close.


    Gao Jia nced around andmented, ¡°The Zhus seem to have spared no expense for this genuine daughter. Wasn¡¯t it said that the Zhus did not value


    ¡°Ms. Zhu is fair and elegant, and generous. Who wouldn¡¯t like her?¡± Ye Lanughed, ¡°Let¡¯s go, tonight is bound to be a lively night.¡±


    Upstairs in the lounge.


    Granny Zhu looked at the young girl in front of her with satisfaction, ¡°The wigs nowadays are made so lifelike that you can¡¯t tell at all.¡±


    Indeed, this twenty-thousand-dor wig looked even more realistic than real hair, reaching the waist with gentle curls, like seaweed. The hair color had a slight touch of chestnut green, pure and enchanting.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood behind Granny Zhu, staring at the elegant young girl before her, her eyes dark and uncertain.


    Had this day finallye?


    She couldn¡¯t ept it¡­


    ¡°Xiangxiang, there will be many guestster, so you should take care of Ming Jing¡­¡± Granny Zhu called her once, and received no response.


    She called out azain, ¡°Xianzxianz?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly came back to her senses, looking flustered, ¡°Granny.¡±


    Granny Zhu squinted her eyes and scrutinized her. Zhu Xiangxiang was scared and panicking at the bottom of her heart. She struggled to maintain herposure on her face and gently smiled, ¡°Granny, I was just thinking about how beautiful Ming Jing is and wondering how many eyes she will dazzle tonight. In the future, the threshold of the Zhus¡¯ house may be trampled beyond recognition.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary people are nowhere near good enough to match Ming Jing. And she is a well-breddy, notparable to those unprincipled ones at all.¡± Granny Zhu said sternly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face suddenly turned pale.


    What did granny mean? Who were the unprincipled ones?


    With her head drooping, Zhu Xiangxiang quietly said, ¡°Granny, I¡¯m sorry, I misspoke.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can go downstairs and join your mother in greeting the guests.


    You don¡¯t need to be here.¡±


    Her daughter received guests? The word was so humiliating, Zhu Xiangxiang nced at Ming Jing¡¯s indifferent face, agreed and turned to leave.


    Walking out of the room, she could still hear Granny Zhu¡¯s loving voice, ¡°Ming Jing, don¡¯t be afraid, granny will support you tonight¡­


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her fist, her eyes instantly darkening.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes lightly swept the doorway.


    Nothing is as worrysome as unequal distribution.


    She looked at the elderly man in front of her, who was full of tender words and affection, and sighed softly..

 Chapter 42 - 42: 042 Scenery

    Chapter 42: 042 Scenery


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I thought sister-inw didn¡¯t like Ming Jing? Why did she invite so many people this time?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie looked at the scene in front of her, feeling a little confused. She pointed at a young man who was walking by and said, ¡®Who¡¯s that? He¡¯s pretty good-looking.¡±


    Zhou Bao whispered in her ear, ¡°Charles Gao.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie¡¯s eyes widened instantly, ¡°The young master of the Gao family?¡±


    Zhou Bao nodded, ¡°He¡¯s even more handsome than a movie star.¡¯


    Zhu Wenjie quickly walked over and said, ¡°Young Master Gao, your appearance lives up to your reputation.¡±


    All her learning was spent on this kind of thing.


    Charles Gao furrowed his brows at the middle-aged woman who suddenly appeared in front of him, ¡°And you are?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie hurriedly replied, ¡°I am Ming Jing¡¯s aunt, and this is my daughter, Zhou Bao.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie pulled Zhou Bao over and introduced her straightforwardly.


    Upon hearing that she was Ming Jing¡¯s aunt, Charles Gaffs expression softened, and he politely greeted her, ¡°Hello, Auntie Zhu.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie was even more pleased. He was handsome, from a good family, and well-educated- -a rare good match.


    Zhu Wenjie secretly pinched Zhou Bao¡¯s hand, causing her pain. Zhou Bao frowned and said, ¡°Why are you pinching me?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie wished she could p her silly daughter.


    Charles Gao could clearly see Zhu Wenjie¡¯s intentions. He smiled and looked at the approaching group of people, stunned for a moment, and then weed them with a smile.


    ¡°Auntie Lan, you¡¯re here too.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Bai also came to join the fun.¡± He said, winking at the young man.


    Bai Ziyan leaned on Jiang Jinchen¡¯s shoulder, bored, ¡°Why not go for a drink instead? Come on, I¡¯ll treat.¡¯


    Charles Gao touched his nose, ¡°I can¡¯t. It would be impolite to leave at the door. After this, I¡¯ll definitely get drunk with Young Master Bai.¡±


    ¡°Fine, Brother Chen,e along.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen furrowed his brows and brushed off Bai Ziyan¡¯s hand on his shoulder, ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡±


    Bai Ziyan pouted, ¡°Boring.¡±


    Jiang Chunughed as she watched the three young men, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not block the entrance. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie watched the four of them walk past her, her gaze falling on the woman in the middle wearing a green cheongsam. She was transfixed.


    ¡°Jiang¡­ Madam Jiang? Does sister-inw really have such influence?¡±


    Everyone in Jiangzhou was in awe when mentioning Madam Jiang. Zhu Wenjie couldn¡¯t figure out her background, only that she had moved here from Jingdu ten years ago. She had a son, but no one had ever seen her husband. Everyone addressed her as ¡°Madam.¡± Zhu Wenjie¡¯s world was limited, and she could only follow the suit of those higher-ranking officials. In short, she was a big figure.


    Madam Jiang rarely showed up in public and was very hard to get an invitation from. It would be a huge honor for any family to have her attend their banquet.


    So when Madam Jiang appeared at the banquet, not only Zhu Wenjie but everyone was shocked.


    Surrounded by three handsome young men, each outstanding, the youngdies couldn¡¯t take their eyes off them.


    Those who wished to start a conversation hesitated and eventually decided not to.


    Truth be told, although Madam Jiang seemed mysterious, like looking at flowers through a fog, many people didn¡¯t know what she did and could only perceive her as someone unattainable and untouchable.


    It was the Zhu family¡¯s face that was quite impressive. Ms. Zhu could bask in glory today.


    Lin Qing was amazed and thought back to how Xiangxiang told her that Madam Jiang really liked Ming Jing¨Cseemed like it was true.


    Lin Qing immediately walked up to greet her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had juste downstairs when she saw Madam Jiang and her entourage. Her gaze fell on Jiang Jinchen¡¯s face, and she pursed her lips, tidied her skirt, and walked over gracefully.


    Zhao Qin nudged Li Jiaojiao¡¯s arm, ¡°I thought having Madam Jiang attend your grandfather¡¯s birthdayst time was already impressive. Who would have thought the Zhu family has such a big face too.¡± Li Jiaojiao sneered, ¡°It¡¯s not the Zhu family, it¡¯s that real daughter.¡±


    Zhao Qin was surprised, ¡°She just came back, right?¡±


    ¡°At thest tea party, somehow she caught Madam Jiang¡¯s eye. I don¡¯t know how much she likes her, but shepletely ignores Ye Lan and Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    Zhao Qinughed, ¡°I never underestimated her from the start.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for our Zhu family to have Madam Jiang and the young masters present. Pleasee in,¡± Lin Qing greeted them with a dignified and appropriate smile.


    Jiang Chun nced at her and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Ming Jing?


    Lin Qing replied with a smile, ¡°She¡¯s upstairs getting ready. Would you like to


    see her now?


    Jiang Chun nodded.


    Lin Qing¡¯s gaze shifted to the exquisite gift bag in her hand, thinking it was probably a gift for Ming Jing.


    She couldn¡¯t help but be amazed, as Madam Jiang seemed to like Ming Jing even more than she had thought.


    What on earth had that girl done to win Madam Jiang¡¯s favor? Lin Qing couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard she thought.


    As quickly as thoughts coulde and go, Lin Qing called Zhu Xiangxiang over and said, ¡°Xiangxiang, take Madam Jiang to the second floor to see Ming Jing.¡± ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sorry, but with so many guests downstairs, I can¡¯t get away.


    Please let Xiangxiang take you.¡±


    Jiang Chun didn¡¯t mind.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s gaze swept over Jiang Jinchen before she lowered her eyes,


    ¡°Madam, please.¡±


    Jiang Chun followed Zhu Xiangxiang to the second floor.


    Bai Ziyan stroked his chin, eyes following Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s retreating figure,


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, she¡¯s the fake daughter, right?¡±


    Charles Gao raised an eyebrow, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°The airs of a socialite are not suited to a girl from the countryside. Besides, she¡¯s just average-looking. Uninteresting.¡±


    Bai Ziyan regretteding and turned to the silent Jiang Jinchen again, ¡°What¡¯s up with that fake daughter, making Madam Jiang personally go see her? What a big shot.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    Charles Gao patted Bai Ziyan¡¯s shoulder andughed, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    ¡°Madam Jiang?¡± Granny Zhu stood up in surprise as she saw the enchanting womaning through the door.


    Jiang Chun hurriedly supported her, ¡°Please sit down, Granny Zhu. I just came to see Ming Jing and give her a small gift. I have something else to doter, so I¡¯ll leave after a few words.¡±


    Granny Zhu smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a blessing for Ming Jing to have your care.¡±


    Jiang Chun looked at the girl in front of her, her eyes full of admiration, ¡°I¡¯m already entranced, and I don¡¯t know which lucky young man will get her in the future.¡±


    An idea suddenly crossed her mind ¨C don¡¯t let the good water flow into others¡¯ fields..

 Chapter 43 - 43: 043 Bodhi

    Chapter 43: 043 Bodhi


    Trantor: 549690339


    When a young girl receive praise, most people would respond with a show of shyness, especially in front of respected elders.


    Not so with Ming Jing. She didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid, as calm as if this were just casual conversation.


    More terrifying was that Madam Jiang didn¡¯t disy any annoyance, but insteadughed more heartily.


    Granny Zhu and Zhu Xiangxiang were both quite surprised.


    The difference was that Granny Zhu was proud, while Zhu Xiangxiang¡­ was resentful.


    ¡°Aunt Lan.¡± Ming Jing called out.


    Jiang Chun responded handing over a gift bag to her: ¡°A small gift, congrattions on finding your family.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Jin Chen is also here, you both are young; spend some more time together. He is usually a little introverted, but I noticed he lightens up when he talks to you.¡±


    Granny Zhu had a strange feeling about this. She gazed at this mysterious woman of high status from the rumors. Did the rumors get it wrong, or was she blind?


    She was so approachable.


    And the information within her words carried heavy implications¡­ She didn¡¯t dare to think any further¡­


    Jiang Chun left after a few words. She exited through the back door so as not to draw any attention.


    On the way, Zhu Xiangxiang appeared to want to speak several times but ultimately chose to stay silent.


    Granny Zhu looked at Ming Jing, who always spoke candidly to Madam Jiang without acting submissive or arrogant. This might be why Madam Jiang liked her.


    ¡°Madam Jiang came today to back you up, you are truly a fortunate girl.¡±


    Ming Jing ced the gift bag on the table. The wig was getting a bit ufortable, and she hoped that the banquet would end soon.


    ¡°Granny, when will it begin?¡±


    Granny Zhu looked at the clock on the wall ¨C it was ten minutes to seven.


    Just then, Zhu Xiangxiang came back. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for father, we can start as soon as he arrives.¡±


    Granny Zhu frowned, showing her displeasure: ¡°He¡¯s getting more and more disrespectfultely. Call him and rush him.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said: ¡°Father is busy with lots ofpany stuff recently and can¡¯t get away. He should be here soon though.¡±


    Granny Zhu snorted coldly: ¡°Those are just excuses. Does he think hispany can¡¯t run without him, even on the day of his daughter¡¯s wee party?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t know what to say in response. She noticed the gift bag on the table and went over to it with a smile: ¡°Ming Jing, Madam Jiang is really good to you, giving you gift like this. Can we take a look at what it is?¡±


    Granny Zhu didn¡¯t object; she was also quite curious.


    Ming Jing nced at both of them and untied the tie on the gift bag. Inside lied a fine rectangr wooden box. When opened, a Bodhi pendant was revealed inside. A silver thread made for the string, fitted through a tag, which was made from purple sandalwood. On the front was a delicately carved tranquil lotus flower that seemed lifelike. On the back was a line from the Tan Jing written in small seal script, and in the lower right corner, the name ¡°Ming Jing¡± was also inscribed in small seal script.


    The tag was strung through with red-gold Tianzhu, Vajra, Xueshan, and a white jade Bodhi Seed. Every single one was a top-grade Bodhi Seed, said to bring luck, avert disaster, and purify the spirit. The scent of it carried a light fragrance of sandalwood, bringing about a tranquil state of mind.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t fully understand, but she knew it was extremely valuable. It was custom-made for Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing traced the small seal script on the tag with her finger, murmuring: ¡°Bodhi has no tree, Ming Jing is not a tform, originally there is not a single thing, where could the dust arise?¡±


    The Dharma names of all five of their sisters were derived from this Bodhi Pooja Gatha.


    Their hopes were to see through to their original nature and attain Bodhi for themselves.


    Granny Zhu also had some understanding about this. After she got older, she had developed a liking for being a vegetarian and chanting Buddha¡¯s name.


    Although she wasn¡¯t obsessed, she did have some knowledge, which was why she felt a kindred spirit when she first saw Ming Jing and took a liking to her.


    ¡°Keep it well, this is Madam Jiang¡¯s good intentions, don¡¯t let it go wasted.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, have you left your monastic life now?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly asked.


    Granny Zhu shot her a nce.


    Ming Jing ced the pendant back in the wooden box, and replied indifferently: ¡°Cultivation doesn¡¯t depend on the environment, but on the heart.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang lowered her eyes, feigning profound insight.


    Outside the door, Xiao Ying knocked, ¡°Madam, the two young mistresses, Mr. Zhu has arrived.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang began to smile: ¡°Father is here, let¡¯s go down.¡±


    Xiao Ying had a strange look on her face and seemed hesitant to speak.


    Zhu Xiangxiang slightly furrowed her eyebrows and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Ying lowered her voice: ¡°Mr. Zhu brought his secretary.¡±


    In the Zhu family, it was well known that Mr. Zhu¡¯s female secretary was also his mistress.


    Bringing his mistress to his daughter¡¯s wee banquet, wasn¡¯t this just asking for trouble?


    Granny Zhu¡¯s face darkened: ¡°This damn man.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mouth edged upward in a hidden and quickly suppressed smile. Then she put on a worried face and said: ¡°This is Ming Jing¡¯s banquet. What is father trying to do? Allow our guests to witness a spectacle?¡± Ming Jing smoothed her dress and gently said: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As soon as Zhu Wentao appeared with his female secretary, it immediately stirred up amotion.


    There are no secrets that cannot be exposed. The affair between Zhu Wentao and his secretary had already spread. Lin Qing was conspicuously absent in recent gatherings of high society women, and people had started mocking her without restraint.


    The same people who were once so envious had be ruthless in their mockery.


    Everyone had thought that Zhu Wentao would, for the sake of Lin Qing and his daughter¡¯s face, not overstep certain boundaries. However, it turned out that they had underestimated a man¡¯s capability to be cold -hearted and shameless.


    The secretary didn¡¯t fit the traditional image of a seductive and provocative mistress. Hers was a demeanor of elegance and simplicity, grace andposure, a mild-mannered domestic charm that easily won people¡¯s hearts.


    All the women present understand that the more unassuming and affable a woman seems, the harder she is to deal with.


    At first, Lin Qing¡¯s face darkened, but she quicklyposed herself and showed no sign of it, she just smiled and went up to greet them. She linked arms with Zhu Wentao as if it waspletely natural, softly saying: ¡°You arete. The guests have been waiting for a long time.¡±


    The secretary automatically distanced herself from Zhu Wentao, keeping a polite and gentle smile on her face.


    If they didn¡¯t know the story behind this, everyone would have been fooled by them.


    No one could deny that all three of them had acting skills that could rival those of award-winning actors, especially Lin Qing. How strong a heart she must have had to be able to maintain herposure in the face of her unfaithful husband and his exceptional mistress.


    Zhu Wentao smiled and apologized to the guests, his charm palpable: ¡°I had an important meeting at thepany, please forgive me for beingte.¡±


    ¡°How about punishing yourself with three drinks then?¡±


    Zhu Wentao took a wine ss from a waiter¡¯s tray and downed three drinks in a row, eliciting apuse from the guests.


    Lin Oinz turned her back to the crowd. her gaze Dassing over Zhu Wentao¡¯s


    shoulder to rest coldly on Zhou Ling.


    Suddenly, someone shouted: ¡°Mr. Zhu and Madam Zhu shouldn¡¯t monopolize the spotlight, the real protagonist of tonight¡¯s banquet hasn¡¯t appeared yet..¡±

 Chapter 44 - 44: 044 Make an Entrance

    Chapter 44: 044 Make an Entrance


    Trantor: 549690339


    Who is the real protagonist of tonight¡¯s banquet? Of course, it¡¯s Miss Zhu.


    Bai Ziyan enjoys watching the show and shouted this out before hiding back in the crowd, deep in anonymity.


    Lin Qingughed and said, ¡°Of course, tonight¡¯s protagonist is my daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know about the dramatic scene that happened in my family when these two children were born and were mistaken for each other, resulting in this child growing up outside our home. I owe her too much. It¡¯s not easy for me to find her. In this short month of getting to know her, I have learned how much she has suffered in the past.¡±


    ¡°There are rumors outside that I don¡¯t like her and treat her badly. God knows, she is my own flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy. If it weren¡¯t for this twist of fate, she would be my precious baby held in the palm of my hand.¡±


    As Lin Qing recounted the story, her expression was sorrowful, and it was truly heartbreaking for everyone to hear, especially those who were parents themselves, who sympathized with and understood her.


    As a result, some people¡¯s gazes towards Zhu Wentao changed, thinking that him cheating with a mistress at this time was simply inhuman, bah¡­


    Zhu Wentao stepped forward and gently hugged Lin Qing, wiping away her tears, ¡°It¡¯s good that the child is back. We still have a lifetime to make it up to her. From now on, she is our little princess.¡±


    ¡®What about the fake daughter? Her existence is unfair to the real daughter. If you really want to make up for the real daughter, you should deal with the fake one properly.¡± Li Jiaojiao shouted from the back of the crowd.


    In front of so many guests, she wanted to see how Lin Qing would respond.


    Bai Ziyan leaned against Jiang Jinchen¡¯s shoulder,zily remarking with a grin, ¡°The main act hasn¡¯t even appeared, and the drama has already begun.


    Fascinating, truly fascinating.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen expressionlessly brushed off his hand again, looking anxiously towards the second floor.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood at the corner of the second floor, her face as white as a ghost as she listened to the voices downstairs.


    They were discussing how to deal with her as if she were amodity that could be traded at will.


    The elegance of the once firstdy had vanished, and now she was nothing more than a fake of unknown origin, carrying the sin of her existence.


    She looked at the girl beside her, whose appearance tonight wouldpletely knock her off her pedestal.


    Why?


    She was the victim too, and the mix-up was not her fault. Over the past sixteen years, she had been filial to her elders, worked hard to improve herself, surpassed many other famousdies, and brought much face to the Zhu family and Lin Qing. One DNA identification result had wiped out all her efforts, was blood really that important?


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t like Ming Jing, but she still threw a wee banquet for her. Her sixteenth birthday party hadn¡¯t been as grand as this. Actions spoke louder than words.


    They all lied to her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly felt she was really pitiful. She had nothing left now, and even thest bit of warmth she possessed was gone.


    If she¡­


    At that moment, Ming Jing nced at her. Her indifferent eyes seemed to prate her soul, revealing all her ugliness as if she were exposed under the sunlight with nowhere to hide.


    Zhu Xiangxiang froze, a chill running down her spine.


    Ming Jing nonchntly turned her head and moved her eyes away, ying with her Buddhist beads.


    Those beads she always carried with her, as her heart was sinking into the abyss with every flick of the beads.


    ¡°Xiangxiang is a good child and also a victim. Over the past sixteen years, we have developed deep feelings for each other. If she leaves the family, where can she go? This is unfair to Xiangxiang as well. Fortunately, both children get along well. Having an extra sister is a blessing for both of them.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s gentle voice overpowered the soft music, reaching everyone¡¯s ears.


    Li Jiaojiao asked, ¡°These are just your assumptions. Have you ever asked the real daughter how she feels about having a non-blood-rted sister show up out of nowhere? This sister has enjoyed sixteen years of her wealth and privileges, while she has taken her hardship. Good sisters? Not even a saint could do that. Madam Zhu, don¡¯t whitewash the situation here, haha.¡±


    Although her words were somewhat harsh, they made sense upon careful thought.


    Lin Qing looked at the crowd, unable to find the speaker, ¡°It¡¯s pointless to look back at what has happened. What we need to focus on now is the present, the future. Even though it¡¯s unfair to both children¡¯s destinies, the mistake has been made. We should be trying to make up for it, not putting the me on Xiangxiang.¡±


    Everyone thought about it and realized that if it were them, they probably wouldn¡¯t be any better than Lin Qing.


    Blood or kin, each had its merits.


    Not waiting for the other party to speak, Lin Qing took the first step and said, ¡°After all this talking, it¡¯s finally time for the protagonist of tonight¡¯s event to make her official debut. My daughter, the little princess of the Zhu family, Ming Jing.¡±


    In the middle of the hall was the staircase leading to the second floor, with a red carpetid on top. A beam of light shone at the end of the staircase.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were expectantly looking towards the direction of the light, wondering who the person about to appear was.


    Bai Ziyan rubbed his hands excitedly, ¡°Herees the entrance! After such a long build-up, I have to see what kind of divine presence the real daughter has.¡±


    Sun Qingqing whispered, ¡°The Zhu family does seem to be taking her seriously, making such a big fuss.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao scoffed, ¡°The Zhu family is best at keeping up appearances. Look at Lin Qing, her husband is openly parading his mistress, and she can still keep a straight face. How could she be an ordinary person?¡±


    ¡°Here shees.¡±


    Two figures, one tall and one short appeared at the end of the staircase and stepped into the light.


    The shorter one was a woman in her sixties or seventies, with short silver-white hair, dressed in a dark blue printed suit, wearing arge pearl ne around her neck and pearl earrings. Her face was beaming and kind, even though wrinkles piled up, she looked very endearing and respectable.


    The elderlydy¡¯s arm cradled a fair and beautiful slender hand, contrasting sharply with the dark blue clothes, further highlighting the clean white of the hand like a snow lotus.


    Everyone watched as the two figures ascended the red-carpeted stairs, which seemed like a stairway to heaven. At the end of the stairs, bathed in the light, stooa a Deautlrul sunouette.


    She looked down at them quietly, her gaze both proud andpassionate, as if the divine were gazing upon them all, giving everyone the urge to prostrate and worship.


    The entire venue fell silent.


    Bai Ziyan turned and saw that everyone was staring wide-eyed.


    Charles Gao¡¯s drool almost flowed out, while Jiang Jinchen could still maintain some restraint, but the excitement in his eyes couldn¡¯t deceive anyone. ¡°Tsk, tsk, this is the country bumpkin girl? I¡¯ve really opened my eyes..¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45: 045 Outstanding People

    Chapter 45: 045 Outstanding People


    Trantor: 549690339


    As the soft piano music yed, the young girl, holding the arm of the olddy, slowly walked down the stairs from the second floor.


    The girl stood tall with a straight back, a calm and indifferent expression, and a graceful and dignified bearing. She neither rushed norgged, like a queen inspecting her territory, while all those looking up to her from the floor below were her subjects.


    ¡°Can this really be the girl from the countryside? Impossible! Look at that aura!


    I bet even Zhu Xiangxiang can¡¯tpare!¡±


    ¡°What kind of rumor is that about her being rude and uncultured? If that¡¯s the case, nody in Jiangzhou is worth living. ¡±


    ¡°What luck has the Zhu family? How can one daughter be better than the previous one?¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, she¡¯s much better looking than anyone in the Zhu family. Those eyes and nose, so delicate, like they were meticulously crafted. She must have picked out the best features from her parents.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, the noses of all the Zhusbined are not as good as hers!


    This isn¡¯t inheritance, it¡¯s a gic mutation¡­¡±


    Listening to the murmurs around her, Lin Qing¡¯s face showed a hint of pride, as if she had finally been vindicated.


    This was the first time she felt that this daughter, whom she had never liked, actually brought honor to her, and it must be because of the inheritance from her bloodline.


    But the more she listened, the more ufortable she felt. Why did they say she didn¡¯t resemble the Zhu family members? Was it really so hard to admit that others were outstanding?


    Lin Qing simply dismissed theirments as jealous nder.


    Stopping at the middle of the staircase, the two paused; Granny Zhu, with Ming Jing¡¯s hand in hers, smiled and said, ¡°Wee, everyone, to tonight¡¯s reception. This is my granddaughter, Ming Jing, who will greet you.¡±


    Granny Zhu encouraged Ming Jing with her gaze.


    All eyes were on Ming Jing simultaneously. For most sixteen-year-old girls, it would be difficult to bear so much scrutiny and attention without bing nervous or flustered.


    However, Ming Jing looked calmly at the people below, her gaze as cool as winter snow and as nurturing as spring rain. Her tenderness grazed everyone¡¯s hearts silently.


    ¡°Hello, everyone, I¡¯m Ming Jing.¡± Her ethereal voice, dream-like and unreal, added to an utterly surreal sensation.


    ¡°I¡¯m delighted to have you all here at my reception. Please pardon any shorings in the days toe.¡±


    Humble yet confident, poised and gracious.


    Granny Zhu led Ming Jing down the stairs, introducing her to the elders one by one. Ming Jing acted like a pleasant and obedient granddaughter, giving an initial impression of superiority when she first stood on the stairs, but now, standing beside Granny Zhu with appropriate humility and few words, she easily won everyone¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Granny Zhu, you are indeed blessed to have such a lovely and beautiful granddaughter; I¡¯m green with envy!¡± Madam Ye remarked with admiration.


    Granny Zhuughed heartily, looking very spirited. Turning to Ye Lan, she said, ¡°She still has a lot to learnpared to Miss Ye.¡±


    Yet her eyes were full of pride.


    Madam Ye then said to Ye Lan, ¡°As Ming Jing has just returned, she is not familiar with many things. You, as her older cousin, should take good care of her. ¡±


    Ye Lan smiled and took Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Sister Ming Jing, may I call you that?¡±


    Ming Jing, who chose not to ce herself above everyone else, amiably replied, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°At Madam Jiang¡¯s tea partyst time, I was stunned by your radiant beauty the moment Iid my eyes on you. Regrettably, I didn¡¯t have the chance to chat with you more. I¡¯m d that we have the opportunity tonight.¡± Seeing how easily Ming Jing grew closer to Ye Lan, Granny Zhu nodded in satisfaction.


    Only by sessfully joining the circle of high-ssdies could Ming Jing¡¯s future path be smoother.


    Next, Ye Lan took Ming Jing to meet Gao Jia, Zhao Qin, and Li Jiaojiao, who all belonged to the same circle and didn¡¯t object to Ming Jing¡¯s integration. In no time, they seemed to be getting along swimmingly, at least on the surface.


    ¡°Miss Zhu, I truly feel sorry for you.¡± Swirling her ss of red wine, Li Jiaojiao sighed regretfully.


    Ming Jing nced at the bustling scene, lightly smiling, ¡°Wealth and nobility are granted by heaven, and everyone¡¯s fate is different.¡±


    ¡°You are so worthy of being a nun, always brimming with wisdom.¡± sneered Li Jiaojiao. However, she was not afraid of Ming Jing. It¡¯s simply because she still found Ming Jing useful, for now.


    Unfazed, Ming Jing continued to smile gently, like an unassuming and unimposing presence. Li Jiaojiao scoffed, irritated, ¡°Don¡¯t think you can just refuse a toast and avoid punishment!¡±


    Zhao Qin patted her on the shoulder, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Ming Jing offers wise words; it¡¯s the enlightenment of a master.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, don¡¯t mind her; she¡¯s just being a spoiled girl.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°No worries, Miss Li is very adorable.¡±


    Adorable? Li Jiaojiao felt it was a grave insult to describe her as such.


    Even so, looking at Ming Jing¡¯s unaffected expression, Li Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t muster any strategies or machinations against her, bafflingly so.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zhu Xiangxiang? Is she too embarrassed to show her face?¡± Li Jiaojiao didn¡¯t stop mocking Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Gao Jia, seeing a young man across from them, nudged Ye Lan, ¡°Who is that shy-looking guy in the tight shirt next to Jiang Jinchen? I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±


    The brightly patterned shirt, short white pants and tacky perm made him the loudest presence in the crowd, standing out obnoxiously.


    His lively gaze held its own, sandwiched between the two stunning young men, Charles Gao and Jiang Jinchen.


    Ye Lan shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your brother nearby? Why not call him over and ask?¡± Gao Jia pursed her lips, ¡°No, thanks. I can¡¯t handle that guy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s looking this way, is he looking at you?¡± Gao Jia tossed her hair and disyed her most charming smile.


    ¡°The beauties of Jiangzhou are truly stunning, each having their unique charm, especially tonight¡¯s protagonist. Atst, I understand the meaning of the poem, ¡®A fairdy in the north, so unique and unparalleled.¡±¡®


    Jiang Jinchen nced at him, ¡°You can recite poetry?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are belittling? I can even recite ¡®Unlocking the heavy door, a moonlit jewel, with a dew-soaked red peony¡­¡±¡®


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s face darkened, and he quickly covered his mouth, sneering,


    ¡°Such a young age and you¡¯re already devoting yourself to mischief.¡±


    Bai Ziyan chuckled slyly, his eyes twinkling, ¡®Would you have known the meaning of that poem if you hadn¡¯t read it? Don¡¯t pretend to be so virtuous at such a young age; Brother understands you.¡±


    ¡°Get lost,¡± Jiang Jinchen turned away, unwilling to look at him.


    His ears, however, turned a subtle shade of red..

 Chapter 46 - 46: 046 Hidden Needle

    Chapter 46: 046 Hidden Needle


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Zhu Wentao, I really underestimated how shameless you are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. She has to be present as a trantor at a very important international conference at ten o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°Aside from embarrassing myself, can¡¯t you give your daughter some respect?


    Or do you just think everyone is a fool?¡±


    To outsiders, the two appeared to beughing and talking. Lin Qing casually straightened Zhu Wentao¡¯s cor, affectionate and natural, a perfect couple.


    There are no men in this world who don¡¯t cheat, as long as they know toe back, and maintain their wife¡¯s position, no high-level mistress can shake that.


    Everyoneughed, and the incident became gossip material after dinner.


    Among the elite in Jiangzhou, such events were not umon. Once-proud Lin Qing also fell from grace. There were taunts and sighs, but seeing Lin Qing able to converse with Zhu Wentao without changing her expression, it must be said that many women trapped in the same pain admired her.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou?¡±


    Zhou Ling turned her head at the sound, and saw an exquisite and elegant young woman standing in front of her, smiling at her.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu.¡± Zhou Ling whispered softly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the woman in front of her. She had only seen pictures before, but seeing her in person for the first time, she looked even more beautiful and younger than in the photos. Her eyes were watery and filled with the colors of spring, yet without any hint of lust, pure and innocent.


    Her figure was beyond reproach, especially her waist, so delicate that it couldn¡¯t bear a grasp.


    Her temperament was gentle and fragile, easily arousing a man¡¯s protective instincts.


    Zhu Xiangxiang thought to herself that it was no wonder that Lin Qing had fallen for this woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said with a sneering tone in her voice, not even trying to hide her sarcasm.


    Zhou Ling just smiled and didn¡¯t speak, only looking at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, being young, couldn¡¯t keep her patience and scoffed, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Are you here to defend your mother¡¯s honor, Ms. Zhu? Are you here to settle the score with me?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang snorted, ¡°You already know that, so you should be clearer about the situation and leave my father voluntarily. It would save face for everyone, otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise what?¡± Zhou Ling smiled coldly, ¡°Will I not see the sun tomorrow?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang choked.


    ¡°These words should be left for the madam to discuss with me. You, a little girl, are too naive.¡± Even when speaking such hateful words, her expression remained gentle.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned red, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a mistress as arrogant as you. You have no shame at all.¡±


    Zhou Ling looked toward the hall, ¡°Look.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed her gaze and saw Ming Jing shining brightly among a group of socialites. Even without saying a word, just a faint smile was enough to outshine them all.


    The socialites who used to target and suppress her were now surrounding Ming Jing, chatting happily with her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suppressed her jealousy and bitterness.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing is a rare beauty, already so stunning at a young age. When she grows up, do you think she¡¯ll make a name for herself in Jiangzhou?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said coldly, ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°After tonight, everyone in Jiangzhou will know of the Zhu family¡¯s beautiful Ms. Ming Jing and her exceptional temperament. Who will remember you as the number one socialite?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her lip tightly, her face pale.


    ¡°She has extraordinary beauty and the legitimate bloodline of the Zhu family. How confident do you think you are in surpassing her? From now on, you can only serve as her foil. When people mention you, they¡¯ll just say, ¡®Ah, that fake heiress of the Zhu family, it¡¯s so kind of the Zhus not to drive her out, taking in an extra person is not a burden to them, and they even gain a good reputation, why not do it?¡±¡®


    The woman¡¯s gentle voice seemed to have a magical power of bewitching. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face was filled with pain as she suddenly shouted, ¡°Stop talking!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sad.¡± The womanforted softly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s tears rolled down like broken beads, watching the dazzling banquet scene and the dazzling person in the distance through her blurry eyes. Once, all of this belonged to her, but now, she could only watch from afar.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy. I¡¯m your friend.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang murmured, ¡°Friend?¡±


    Thinking of something, her face changed and she said fiercely, ¡°Who wants to be friends with a mistress like you?¡±


    The woman still smiled gently, looking at her like an innocent child, her eyes gentle and tolerant. ¡°Some people are born with everything, while we, despite striving hard, still end up with nothing in the end. It¡¯s unfair, isn¡¯t it? Sometimes, life can be so unfair¡­¡¯


    ¡°Look, your dear mother only has eyes and heart for Ms. Ming Jing. Has she ever thought of you? What are you holding on to? The world is unfair, and what you want, you have to fight for yourself. Don¡¯t pin your hopes on anyone else¡­¡±


    ¡°The Zhus keep you around, do you think it¡¯s because they have feelings for you? It¡¯s just fear that driving you away would make them seem cold-blooded.


    You¡¯re just a tool for them, a prop to gain a good name. Wake up, little girl. Things that don¡¯t belong to you from the start, no matter how hard you try, will never belong to you.¡±


    Gentle words, one by one, like needles hidden in cotton, pierced Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart.


    Looking at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s distorted face of pain, the woman sighed softly, her eyes filled with pity, ¡°Such a pitiful girl.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao grew impatient and gave Sun Qingqing a look. Sun Qingqing understood and slipped away to the corridor, sending a text message.


    After a short while, a male waiter came out carrying a tray.


    Li Jiaojiao snapped her fingers and called him over, ¡°Miss Zhu, we¡¯re friends from now on. Here¡¯s a toast to you.¡±


    She took a ss of champagne from the tray.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t move. Li Jiaojiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Miss Zhu, you wouldn¡¯t even give me this little face, would you?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the male waiter, who didn¡¯t dare meet her gaze and quickly looked away.


    Ming Jing picked up another ss of champagne, and Li Jiaojiao clinked their sses together,ughing, ¡°Oh, I forgot. People who have left home aren¡¯t supposed to drink alcohol. But a little bit shouldn¡¯t matter, right? Especially since Miss Zhu has returned to secr life.¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, saying lightly, ¡°I can¡¯t refuse Ms. Li¡¯s kindness, but this champagne is not worthy of Ms. Li.¡±


    She put the champagne back on the tray and instructed the waiter, ¡°Go find Uncle Wen, my father has a bottle of fine red wine in his collection. Bring it to entertain Ms. Li.¡±


    The waiter hesitated, his face breaking out in a nervous sweat.


    Li Jiaojiao squinted her eyes and examined the young girl in front of her, suddenly feeling that she was inscrutable, like a heavy fog that couldn¡¯t be seen through..

 Chapter 47 - 47: 047 Hacker

    Chapter 47: 047 Hacker


    Trantor: 549690339


    The waiter brought two more sses of red wine.


    Ming Jing took a step ahead of Li Jiaojiao and picked up the ss of red wine closest to her, smiling and raising her eyebrows, ¡°Miss Li, please.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao frowned, looking at the remaining ss, her expression not very pleasant.


    She didn¡¯t believe Zhu Mingjing could predict the future.


    As the saying goes, one shouldn¡¯t refuse a friendly gesture. She had to drink this ss of wine, whether she wanted to or not¡­


    Li Jiaojiao had just picked up the red wine when the waiter, feeling relieved, tried to leave.


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s expression changed, and she shouted, ¡°Stop.¡±


    The waiter¡¯s figure stiffened. He turned around and asked nervously, ¡°Miss, do you have any orders?¡±


    ¡°What are you nervous about?¡± Li Jiaojiao looked him up and down.


    Ming Jing had a faint smile on her lips, changed to afortable sitting position, waiting to see the drama unfold.


    Zhao Qin nced at Ming Jing, finding her even smarter than she had thought.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t drink the wine, which would reduce the uing effect considerably.


    The waiter stuttered, ¡°No¡­ Not nervous¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, the air conditioning in the hall is so strong, yet you¡¯re sweating.


    Are you feeling guilty?¡±


    The waiter opened his mouth to argue, but Li Jiaojiao suddenly pushed the wine ss in front of him: ¡°Drink it.¡±


    The waiter looked frightened and shook his head involuntarily, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®I¡¯? I¡¯m ordering you, drink it.¡± Li Jiaojiao became domineering, quite intimidating.


    Themotion here immediately attracted many eyes. Li Jiaojiao was known for her bullying, and some thought she was still up to her old tricks at the Zhus¡¯ party, showing no restraint.


    The waiter clenched his teeth, thinking that he could tolerate the small dose, so he took the wine ss and drained it.


    Holding the empty ss, he looked at Li Jiaojiao and asked resentfully, ¡°Miss Li, can I leave now?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao looked at him silently.


    The waiter turned and walked away. After a few steps, he suddenly began to tear at his clothes. As he tore, he let out strange screams. In just a few moments, he became pletely exposed.¡±


    Some youngdies covered their eyes when they saw this scene, and screamed exaggeratedly, ¡°Pervert!¡±


    Bai Ziyan had been paying attention to Ming Jing¡¯s side and immediately became excited, ¡°The climax of tonight¡¯s banquet is here. I can¡¯t miss this excitement.¡± He then pushed through the crowd with Jiang Jinchen.


    Lin Qing came over with a stern face, looked at Ming Jing and Li Jiaojiao, and then at the now half-naked waiter in a frenzied state. Frowning, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Uncle Wen came over with the security guards and quickly restrained the waiter, pressing him to the ground with his hands behind his back.


    Li Jiaojiao sneered, ¡°Madam Zhu, is this your way of treating guests? Spiking the wine? If it weren¡¯t for this guy¡¯s poor mental strength, I¡¯m afraid I would be the one losing face now, right?¡±


    The guests gathered around. Hearing Li Jiaojiao¡¯s words, they were shocked. Spiked wine?


    Everyone attending the banquet today was a prominent figure in Jiangzhou. How could the Zhus¡¯ management have allowed for such a despicable trick?


    Everyone looked at the wine ss in their hand, feeling sick to their stomachs.


    Looking at the half-naked, frantic waiter, they couldn¡¯t help but think¡­ If it had happened to a girl instead¡­ the consequences would be unthinkable.Lin Qing¡¯s face changed as she looked at the man kneeling on the ground and said coldly, ¡°Using such despicable means at the Zhu family¡¯s banquet, if I find out who¡¯s behind this, I won¡¯t let them off easily.¡±


    The servant was half-fainted and half-crazed, and Lin Qing ordered, ¡°Bring cold water.¡±


    The security guard quickly brought a basin of cold water, and Uncle Wen took it and poured it over the servant¡¯s head. The servant shivered and instantly sobered up.


    He looked around at the angry faces in confusion, and then at his bare upper body. His face turned pale after being flushed red just a moment ago. He trembled as he knelt on the ground.


    ¡°Tell me who instructed you?¡±


    ¡°Madam, I made a mistake. I will tell, I will say everything. Three days ago, a stranger added me on WeChat and asked me to do something for her. She gave me 50,000 yuan as a down payment and promised another 50,000 when the job was done. My son has leukemia and I desperately needed the money, so I agreed¡­ She told me to drug Miss Ming Jing¡¯s drink today. I was afraid of killing someone, so I asked her what kind of drug it was. She said it was a sleep-inducing drug, just to make Ming Jing faint during the banquet. This would spread rumors that Ming Jing was weak and sickly and her goal would be achieved. No one would suspect me afterwards. But I didn¡¯t know it would be such a harmful substance. If I had known from the beginning, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to do it.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions varied greatly. The target was actually tonight¡¯s banquet¡¯s main star?


    They all looked at Ming Jing subconsciously, only to see her standing quietly, with calm and gentle eyes and a soft smile on her lips.


    Someone with such a malicious scheme targeted such a lovely girl. Their heart must be punished severely.


    Li Jiaojiao went up and kicked the man, who rolled on the ground and immediately knelt down again.


    ¡°What a wicked intention. If I hadn¡¯t noticed your guilty conscience, do you know what would have happened to Ming Jing if she drank this? She just came back to Jiangzhou, who could she have offended? Speak up, who instructed you? If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll send you to prison and you¡¯ll never see your son again.¡±


    The servant shook his head in fear, ¡°I really don¡¯t know. We onlymunicated on WeChat. Oh, I have her WeChat ID¡­.¡±


    The servant took out his cellphone from his pocket, found the most recent contact on WeChat, and handed it to Li Jiaojiao. ¡°Miss Li, I¡¯m not lying. This is her WeChat ID. You have great connections, you must be able to find out who it is. Please, just don¡¯t send me to jail¡­¡±.


    Lin Qing subconsciously furrowed her brows, she wasn¡¯t foolish. The situation was bing more and more strange. As Li Jiaojiao said, Ming Jing just came back, who could she have offended?


    It couldn¡¯t be¡­ by instinct, Lin Qing dismissed the thought.


    Li Jiaojiao analyzed, ¡°The person targeting Ming Jing must hate her very much. They must be watching all this happen. I suspect this person is here. I¡¯ll call the number now and whoever¡¯s phone rings, it will be obvious who is responsible.¡±


    At that moment, a handsome young man squeezed through the crowd and walked out with a smile, ¡°Since this person coulde up with such a malicious n and fool everyone, they must have nned it through. It¡¯s too far-fetched to determine the mastermind just by who has the phone. What if it¡¯s a setup? We should investigate the ID instead.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao furrowed her brow at the grinning young man, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who I am is not important; just know that my friend here is a hacking genius.¡±


    As he spoke, he gestured to the taciturn young man next to him, ¡°Hero, it¡¯s time to save the beauty.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen shook his head helplessly, looked at Ming Jing, but didn¡¯t object.


    The young man snatched the phone from Li Jiaojiao and instructed Charles


    Gao, ¡°Bring aputer.¡±


    As Jiang Jinchen skillfully typed on the keyboard, Li Jiaojiao nced uneasily at Zhao Qin. Zhao Qin gave her a reassuring look, and Li Jiaojiao let out a sigh of relief. She stole a nce at Zhu Xiangxiang, who was standing on the periphery of the crowd, straining her neck to look over. A fleeting look of satisfaction shed in her eyes.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly felt uneasy.


    While Jiang Jinchen was typing, Bai Ziyan circled over to Ming Jing and asked yfully, ¡°Miss Zhu, are you close to your brother?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡®What do you think?¡±


    Bai Ziyan pursed his lips, ¡°Your brother is so annoying, you must not be close.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered, and she looked seriously at Bai Ziyan.


    Bai Ziyan blinked, ¡°Did you suddenly think I¡¯m handsome?¡±


    Finding a WeChat ID for a top hacker was a piece of cake. Jiang Jinchen stopped typing and calmly said, ¡°I¡¯ve found it.¡±


    He then looked up at Zhu Xiangxiang standing outside the crowd, his eyes cold and haunting..

 Chapter 48 - 48: 048 Bell Series

    Chapter 48: 048 Bell Series


    Trantor: 549690339


    Li Jiaojiao nced at it, at first disbelieving, then as if she understood something, looking as if she just got it.


    Everyone was curious, wondering what kind of person would be so despicable.


    Upon seeing Jiang Jinchen¡¯s look, Zhu Xiangxiang startled in her heart. Looking at Li Jiaojiao jumping up and down, she got a bted hint of what was happening and instinctively wanted to slip away.


    At this moment, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t run. If you do, you won¡¯t be able to clear your name.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang, who is still just a sixteen-year-old girl, is genuinely thrown into a panic by such an incident. She looked at the woman beside her, gentle andposed, and subconsciously regarded her as a lifeline.


    She sobbed out, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Zhou Ling took note of the girl¡¯s frantic grip on her arm, her skin was quite pale, the spots where she held onto it turned red instantly.


    She gently patted the back of Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand, her soft, mellow voice carried a soothing effect, alleviating the fear and unease in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart bit by bit.


    ¡°The person who creates the problem is the one who has to solve it.¡±


    She looked at the silent girl in the crowd, her head dropped slightly, revealing her graceful neck line.


    She bore the nobility and elegance of a swan and possessed the rity and calmness of those who have gone through hardships.


    Lin Qing instinctively wanted to stop Li Jiaojiao. At the very least, she couldn¡¯t let her make a scene in public. ¡°Perhaps it was someone¡¯s idea of a joke. It¡¯s lucky that Miss Li was precautious, and no severe consequence was caused. Let¡¯s drop the matter, and avoid disturbing everyone¡¯s peace.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao scoffed, ¡°Madam Zhu, I¡¯m afraid you have the answer in your heart already. Speak up. Let¡¯s see to what extent a mother can be biased.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face darkened, warningly ring at Li Jiaojiao, ¡°Miss Li, it¡¯s better to spare people when possible.¡±


    The crowd sensed something was off, and a sharp voice suddenly rose,


    ¡°Sister-inw, since you know who it is, just say it. Otherwise, it¡¯s not fair to


    Ming Jing. If the schemer seeds, can you imagine what will happen to Ming Jing? Ming Jing is your daughter too.¡±


    Lin Qing shot an angry stare at Zhu Wenjie.


    Zhu Wenjie, who loved adding fuel to the fire, walked over to Ming Jing, held her hand with a face of distress, ¡®My niece, she¡¯s been so unfortunate. She was originally the legitimate daughter, who¡¯d think she would be reced by an illegitimate child, and spent 16 hard years in a broken temple. Just when her life was starting to look up, she was framed by jealousy. My poor niece, why is your life so hard? Even your own mother isn¡¯t on your side. I, as your aunt, really can¡¯t bear to see this.¡±


    Ming Jing gently patted Zhu Wenjie¡¯s hand and faintly smiled, ¡°Wealth is in heaven¡¯s hands, and each person has their own fate. I don¡¯t feel wronged, so aunt, why do you worry for me?¡±


    Originally, everyone felt sympathy for Ming Jing after hearing Zhu Wenjie¡¯sments. But now seeing the calm andposed young girl, they couldn¡¯t help but feel admiration.


    It¡¯s rare to see such a mature and clear-headed young girl at her age.


    Zhu Wenjie was taken aback, thinking, you sure know how to y the good guy.


    ¡°Since Madam Zhu knows who this person is, it means she definitely knows this person. Miss Ming Jing has just returned to Jiangzhou, and she herself is calm and low-ke, unlikely to make enemies. So, from the point of motivation or vested interest, who do you think would like to frame Miss Ming Jing?¡± Li Jiaojiao suggested gently.


    Everyone looked at one another, obviously there was such a person.


    ¡°What was your impression of Miss Ming Jing at first? Raised in the countryside? Coarse and unrefined? Illiterate? Stupid and vulgar? Unfit for elegant circles?¡±


    The crowd felt a bit awkward, especially those gossipingdies. Seeing the slender young girl standing in the crowd, they really felt embarrassed. If she is considered stupid and vulgar, then all the socialites in Maniianzzhou


    should go jump in the river.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, the number one socialite, stood next to her, lookingpletely overshadowed. Wait, where is Zhu Xiangxiang?


    ¡°There was one person who thought the same too. Of course, this was just her own assumption, but when Ming Jing returned to the Zhus and she saw her in person, those who harbored such thoughts found themselves wrong, grievously wrong. Some people are naturally favored by heaven, or it should be said, even if they fall among themon people, a princess is still a princess. While those who usurp others¡¯ nests, can never change their inherent maliciousness. ¡±


    Li Jiaojiao suddenly looked towards a certain point in the crowd, and sternly said, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, am I right?¡±


    The crowd exploded with chatter, making way. Zhu Xiangxiang stood alone, her face pale as a sheet.


    Bai Ziyan shook his head with a smirk on his face, when you looked carefully, he was clearly deriving pleasure from someone else¡¯s misfortune, ¡°Women, oh women, your name is jealousy.¡±


    Even though she had mentally prepared herself, when actually faced with this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help feeling terrified, her hands were trembling.


    ¡°It¡¯s her? My God, that¡¯s unimaginable¡­.¡±


    ¡°I guessed it was her long ago. Only she has the motive to do this. Actually, I can understand her feelings. The real daughter of the family has returned, and she is so excellent, how could she be indifferent? I just didn¡¯t think she would use such a vicious method¡­.¡±


    ¡°The education of the Zhus is aplete failure. In contrast, their daughter who was lost has an outstanding temperament¡­¡±.


    Listening to the unrestrained discussions around her, Zhu Xiangxiang went paler. She clenched her fist, standing up straight.


    Li Jiaojiao scoffed, ¡°Who are you putting on this innocent act for? Jiang Jinchen has already traced the ID, why don¡¯t youe over to see who it is?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said with a clear face, ¡°Believing in a wrongdoing gives you an excuse to incriminate.¡±


    ¡°You have the nerve to do it but not admit it? Zhu Xiangxiang, you are a coward! The evidence is conclusive, and you cannot deny it.¡±


    As matters progressed this far, Lin Qing had no choice but to step forward and asked Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Tell mom, did you do it?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up unbelievably, her lips trembling with emotion. ¡°Mom, do you not believe me either?¡±


    Lin Qing was in a dilemma, she knew Xiangxiang, this child didn¡¯t have the nerve, but only she had the motive, and now there was even evidence¡­


    ¡°Sister-inw, you should stop covering for her. Uncultured brutes are incapable of gratitude. You looked the wrong way when the outstanding Ming Jing is your own daughter but doted on this illegitimate child instead. Haven¡¯t you heard of the story of the farmer and the snake? I think this one is even more vicious than the snake. She must know how important reputation is to a girl, so she must be both stupid and wicked.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie was ted, hopping around, almost wishing to directly beat Zhu Xiangxiang to death.


    Zhu Xiangxiang remembered Zhou Ling¡¯s words; sure enough, she was redundant in this family. She was nothing more than a tool for the Zhus to gain a good reputation. Once she conflicted with Ming Jing, she would unconditionally be the one abandoned.


    Licking her lips, Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the all along quiet Ming Jing, ¡°Ming


    Jing, do you think I did it too?¡±

 Chapter 49 - 49: 049 My persistence

    Chapter 49: 049 My persistence


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t answer her. She walked over to the kneeling waiter, looking down at him from a higher position.


    Her gaze was deep and hard to fathom.


    The waiter had known from the moment she switched from champagne to red wine that the true heiress of the Zhu family, Zhu Xiangxiang, was smart. She probably had figured it out. Lucky for him, if she went along, he could get away scot-free.


    So when he locked eyes with her, he couldn¡¯t help but tremble.


    ¡°When was thest time they contacted you?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao frowned. ¡°You already have solid evidence; why are you still asking? You don¡¯t believe that Zhu Xiangxiang would harm you? Don¡¯t be deceived by this woman!¡±


    Ming Jing ignored her and just stared quietly at the kneeling waiter.


    Li Jiaojiao was furious, and Zhao Qin shook her head slightly at her.


    Standing here, no one was a fool. Insisting stubbornly would only backfire.


    Although her gaze was faint, it invisibly exerted a strong pressure on the waiter, turning his face pale.


    ¡°Seven twenty-three, just twenty-five minutes ago,¡± Jiang Jinchen said.


    Ming Jing nodded, looking at Uncle Wen. ¡°Uncle Wen, are there any surveince cameras in the hall?¡±


    Uncle Wen nodded. ¡®Yes, the entire hall is monitored with no dead zones.¡±


    Uncle Wen understood Ming Jing¡¯s intentions at once. ¡°Miss, wait a moment, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and hurried away.


    Zhao Qin sensed trouble and was about to signal Sun Qingqing, but Ming Jing suddenly looked at her.


    However, the words were addressed to Li Jiaojiao. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful to Ms. Li for caring so much about my affairs. Ming Jing is grateful.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao snorted coldly. ¡°I think you¡¯re turning kindness into ingratitude. The evidence is irrefutable. Why are you still investigating? As long as you¡¯re around, Zhu Xiangxiang will always be a fake heiress, and vice versa. How can you be so stupid?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao had paved the way for Ming Jing, who only needed to follow the flow. Ming Jing would first ruin Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s reputation, which would benefit everyone.


    Li Jiaojiao despised Ming Jing¡¯s naivety and had never seen such a sanctimonious woman.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was not stupid. She knew that the whole set-up tonight was probably orchestrated by Li Jiaojiao. Ming Jing could have just sat back and watched, which was what Zhu Xiangxiang had expected. But she never thought¡­


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s emotions were mixed.


    ¡°I only seek the truth,¡± Ming Jing said calmly and gracefully. When her words fell on everyone¡¯s ears, they suddenly found her figure to be imposing.


    Jiang Jinchen stared deeply at her.


    Uncle Wen quickly returned with a USB sh drive in his hand. He handed it to


    Jiang Jinchen. ¡®Master Jiang, please y the video copied inside.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was also someone he had watched grow up, and he would not allow anyone to nder her.


    Jiang Jinchen did as asked, and Ming Jing nced at the video. ¡°The surveince clearly shows that Zhu Xiangxiang was talking to someone at seven twenty-three. She didn¡¯t have her phone.¡±


    As soon as the wordsnded, the crowd broke into discussion. ¡°So it turns out


    Zhu Xiangxiang was wronged? My goodness! Who could be so vicious and


    e up with such a treacherous n?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone. Mrs. Zhu, has your family offended someone? They¡¯re using such ruthless means.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Ling stepped forward and said, ¡°I can testify. At that time, Miss Zhu Xiangxiang was talking to me.¡±


    Now the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces were interesting. They looked at Zhu Xiangxiang, then at Zhou Ling, and finallynded on Lin Qing.


    Zhou Ling had no reason to help Zhu Xiangxiang. Her statement was all the more credible for that.


    Lin Qing¡¯s face was even darker than when she first found out that Zhu Xiangxiang was the mastermind.


    Uncle Wen said, ¡°This video proves Miss Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s innocence, but further investigation is needed for the rest.¡±


    ¡°Call the police,¡± Lin Qing said coldly.Sun Qingqing panicked and instinctively grabbed Zhao Qin¡¯s arm.


    Ming Jing squinted and smiled lightly.


    Although the banquet ended on an unhappy note, everyone had enjoyed a good show and deemed the trip worthwhile.


    Even though the real culprit wasn¡¯t found, it was a slight regret, but from now on, there would be one more name in the circle of socialites in Jiangzhou.


    ¡°Was it really not Zhu Xiangxiang? Actually, I guessed it was her right after the incident, only she had the motive. After meeting the true heiress, I became even more convinced.¡±


    ¡°Doing this would be like telling everyone that there are three hundred taels of silver here. She wouldn¡¯t be so foolish.¡±


    ¡°Well, you never know, a woman¡¯s jealousy is a terrifying thing.¡±


    ¡°I think Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s suspicions haven¡¯t been cleared. What if she had someone else do it for her? This kind of cover-up doesn¡¯t convince me.¡±


    ¡°But you know, if I were Zhu Xiangxiang, I would probably be insanely jealous of the real heiress. The key is, the real heiress didn¡¯t hold a grudge and actually helped her out. None of us thought about checking the surveince, so clever and magnanimous. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s loss was well deserved.¡±


    ¡°Actually, if Zhu Mingjing had said nothing at that time, Zhu Xiangxiang would have been rendered speechless and left with no defense, everyone would pin the me solely on her, then Zhu Mingjing¡¯s position as the real heiress would be even more secure. But she stood up and cleared Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s suspicion. At such a young age, she has the magnanimity and kindness to do so. It¡¯s really quite rare.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s grace as the number one socialite is nothing more than


    that. ¡±


    ¡°I think Zhu Mingjing is the only one deserving of the title of the number one socialite. She¡¯s both talented and beautiful, and incredibly humble too. It¡¯s hard to believe she grew up in the countryside. I¡¯ve heard that Madam Jiang values her a great deal and came tonight on her behalf¡­¡±


    Everyone discussed as they left the hotel and went their separate ways.


    Jiang Jinchen, Charles Gao, and Bai Ziyan were thest to leave. Bai Ziyan whispered to Ming Jing, ¡°I¡¯m definitely making friends with you. I¡¯lle over to your house tomorrow. Wait for me there.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen grabbed his cor and pulled him away. Charles Gao sighed, having not been able to help much, and also left.


    ¡°Ms. Li, Ms. Zhao, Ms. Ye, Ms. Gao, and Ms. Sun, please take care.¡± Ming Jing personally escorted the five out.


    Li Jiaojiao stared at her deeply and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re really good, Zhu Mingjing.¡± Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°I ept your kind words, Ms. Li.¡±


    That feeling was like a punch in cotton, making Li Jiaojiao choke with anger.


    ¡°So you used our n against us, gained a good reputation while making fools of all of us. Are you happy?


    She scoffed coldly, ¡°We¡¯ll see!¡± and left in a huff.


    Zhao Qin patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand, her eyes mysterious as she asked, ¡°Ming


    Jing, can you forgive me?¡±


    There was no need for beating around the bush between intelligent people.


    Ming Jing dispassionately brushed Zhao Qin¡¯s hand away and a set of Buddhist beads appeared on her fair, jade-like fingers.


    ¡°Jealousy causes deep sorrow when one sees the prosperity of others. This discontent derives from greed, anger, and ignorance, all of which arise from the root of self-attachment.¡±


    Her eyes seemed to see through all the filth and grime in the world, leaving nowhere to hide.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s scalp tingled, contemting carefully, ¡°ording to the master¡¯s opinion, how should I handle this?¡±


    ¡°The attachment to self is the root of all afflictions. If there is no attachment to self, there will be no afflictions.¡±


    Zhao Qin pressed her palms together, her face a picture of devotion, ¡°I have learned from this. I will take the opportunity to listen to the master¡¯s teachings in the future.¡±


    With that, she turned and left.


    Gao Jia stared at Ming Jing with a strange look in her eyes, muttering, ¡°You little nun, so unlucky,¡± before walking away.


    Ye Lan gave Ming Jing a friendly smile before quickly catching up to Gao Jia.


    For some reason, Sun Qingqing was particrly afraid of Ming Jing. The moment Ming Jing looked at her, she fled in a panic.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a wry smile, ¡°One thought of anger brings forth a myriad of obstacles. The long road of cultivation lies in seeking up and down.¡±


    ¡°Amitofo, well said..¡±

 Chapter 50 - 50: 050 Flying Stage

    Chapter 50: 050 Flying Stage


    Trantor: 549690339


    After sending all the guests away, Zhu Wentao left with Zhou Ling, not wanting to say a word to Lin Qing.


    Granny Zhu was sent back to the Zhus¡¯ residence halfway through the banquet because of her poor health. She had already managed tost well into the event.


    During the ride back, Lin Qing remained silent, her face as dark as the bottom of a well.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Mom, I wanted to talk to Mr. Zhou¡­¡±


    Lin Qing waved her hand dismissively: ¡°Just let me have some peace.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang wore a worried expression on her face.


    Upon arriving at the Zhus¡¯ residence, Lin Qing got out of the car first and quickly walked into the living room without waiting for the others.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Jing hesitated for a moment and looked back at her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked up to her and asked softly, ¡°Why did you help me?¡±


    She looked up at Ming Jing, who was much taller than her. Even wearing high heels, Zhu Xiangxiang had to look up to her.


    The young girl¡¯s pitch-ck eyes were unfathomable, even darker than the night behind her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like being used.¡±


    With that, Ming Jing turned and left, leaving Zhu Xiangxiang with her cold


    back.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared nkly before murmuring, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    No one heard her, except for herself.


    Jiangzhou¡¯s paparazzi and entertainment reporters were quite dedicated, constantly keeping an eye on the Zhu family in hopes of digging up some explosive news. Tonight¡¯s banquet had strict security measures, prohibiting reporters from entering, so there was no firsthand information for them to grab.


    However, the news still leaked out.


    Half an hour after the banquet ended, the entertainment section was updated with eye-catching headlines ¡ª A Reversal in the Genuine vs. Fake Heiress Scandal: The Fake Heiress Set Up the True Heiress?


    The former firstdy¡¯s charm and grace are gone, her vicious nature fully exposed.


    ¡ª The true heiress is as stunning as ever, still your princess.


    Most of the articles were one-sidedly ndering Zhu Xiangxiang. In the age of inte and information, news spread incredibly fast. Ordinaryizens who were bored loved to read about wealthy family gossip. Nationwide, Zhu Group was somewhat famous, considered a medium-sized elite family. Therefore, the term ¡°true and fake heiresses of the Zhu family¡± quickly shot up the trending list.


    It was unclear who bought the trending topic this time, or if the public was just too passionate about it. The topic heated up quickly during peak inte hours at night, sparkingrge-scale discussions and setting off a new round of gossip in various entertainment forums.


    Ordinary people empathizing with the true heiress were furious. Regardless of whether it was true or not, Zhu Xiangxiang was the only one with motivation. Netizens didn¡¯t care, directly cing the me on Zhu Xiangxiang and cursing her from head to toe. They also demanded that the Zhu family kick out the fake heiress who had usurped the nest for sixteen years.


    In any case, after this incident, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s reputation was thoroughly ruined.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, seeing the overwhelming criticism against her online, couldn¡¯t help but cry. She tried calling various people to suppress the trending topic, but it was useless. Someone else spent even more money to keep it at the top.


    Zhu Xiangxiang understood ¨C other than Li Jiaojiao, who else could hate her so much?


    ¡°Li Jiaojiao, you¡¯ve brought this on me, but I will never let you off the hook.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang vowed in secret.


    Ming Jing waspletely unaware of the bloodbath online.


    The next day was Sunday. After breakfast, Ming Jing saw that Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang, who hadn¡¯t slept all night, were still in bed. Granny Zhu was sunbathing in the garden.


    Tao Xingxing called her. ¡°I checked the trending topics,st night was thrilling! It¡¯s such a pity I didn¡¯t see it for myself. Do you know our school¡¯s forum is about to explode? Those admirers of Zhu Xiangxiang are going crazy hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°This incident wasn¡¯t her doing.¡± Ming Jing casually picked up a fashion magazine. On the cover was a handsome young man with proud eyebrows, piercing eyes, strong bone structure, and an air of arrogance about him.


    Next to it,rge letters read ¨C The Peak of Idol and Talent: Exclusive Interview with Singer Qu Feitai!


    Ming Jing nced at it and focused on his eyes. People were easily deceived by appearances, and the entertainment industry was no exception. It was the most superficial ce in the world. This man, despite his high position and being trapped in the muddy waters, had a pair of clear, determined eyes that were truly rare. It showed his unwavering spirit and unlimited potential for the future.


    Looking at his facial features, he had raised eyebrows, a high nose, a full forehead, and round cheekbones. Born into wealth and splendor, he possessed a voice ot solid gold and a lite ot riches, honor, and endless longevity.This is an excellent face reading.


    Ming Jing praised and then casually flipped the page.


    ¡°How could it not be her doing? You¡¯re just too kind, defending her. Let me tell you, she¡¯s the only one with a motive. Don¡¯t be fooled by her; she might be crying thief to catch the thief herself.¡±


    Some people are inherently sinful, just like Zhu Xiangxiang right now.


    Ming Jing remained silent.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s almost time, I have to go grab tickets, we¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    ¡°What tickets?¡±


    ¡°The tickets for Qu Feitai¡¯s summer concert tour at the Jiangzhou station. The first batch will be released for grabs at exactly nine o¡¯clock. Every year, his concert tickets sell out in a second. I can¡¯t even get them with software. After this concert, he will be in seclusion preparing for his new album, and it might take a long time before I can see him again. One of the stops of this concert is in Jiangzhou, no matter what, I must get the tickets. I have already asked all my rtives and friends around me to help me grab them. My dear Ming Jing, will you help me too? Even a 0.1% increase in the chance is still an opportunity.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t expect that young girls were so crazy about chasing stars these days. Since she had nothing better to do, she said: ¡°Teach me how to do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, Ming Jing, you actually agreed! You are so kind, wuwu¡­ If I can get two tickets, I will definitely take you to see my idol¡­.¡±


    Borrowing aptop from Uncle Wen, Ming Jing followed Tao Xingxing¡¯s instructions to register and log in to the website. The front page had arge banner promoting Qu Feitai¡¯s concert grab tickets.


    With just five minutes left until nine o¡¯clock, she saw it was just a few clicks away to get the tickets, and she waited.


    In those five minutes, Tao Xingxing never stopped talking about Qu Feitai to Ming Jing, how handsome, diligent, and talented he was¡­


    As soon as it was nine o¡¯clock, Tao Xingxing roared: ¡°I¡¯m going all out, sess or die trying!¡±


    Ming Jing felt the sincerity and passion of the young girl, as if being infected herself, and a me ignited in her chest. Her fingers started clicking the mouse rapidly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get it,¡± came Tao Xingxing¡¯s disappointed voice from the phone after a while.


    Ming Jing stared at her screen, frowning: ¡°I think I got one, A zone¡ª32.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh, Ming Jing, I love you! This is difficult-to-get VIP zone where I can see my idol¡¯s eight-pack abs up close! There were only twenty VIP seats up for grabs, with tens of millions of people trying to get them. Ming Jing, you are my lucky star¡­¡± Tao Xingxing said excitedly.


    Ming Jing¡¯s frown deepened: ¡°There is a 10-minute countdown appearing at the top of the screen¡­¡¯


    There was a three-second silence on the other end, followed by a terrified scream: ¡°I forgot to have you bind your bank card! What do we do now, there are only ten minutes left!¡±


    Without panic, Ming Jing said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll grab my bank card.¡± Her voice was like a gentle breeze in the mountains, calming Tao Xingxing¡¯s anxiety.


    Just as Ming Jing stood up, Xiao Ying ran downstairs, offering her bank card with both hands: ¡°Miss, this is for you.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and thanked her.


    With a flushed face, Xiao Ying whispered: ¡°I really like Qu Feitai too.¡±


    This bank card was arranged for her by housekeeper Uncle Wen after she came to the Zhu¡¯s house. Her monthly pocket money was regrly transferred into it. Ming Jing had never used it before, and it had always been in her bedside drawer.


    She calmly entered her bank card number, typed the verification code, and


    sessfully made the payment.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I love you so much! I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal at noon today.¡± Tao Xingxing said.


    At this moment, housekeeper Uncle Wen walked in: ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a young man named Bai who ims to be looking for you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a handsome young man with his hands in his pockets swaggered in and greeted Ming Jing with a smile.


    ¡°Nice to see you obediently waiting for me at home.¡±


    Uncle Wen secretly rolled his eyes. Who is this young man? He seemed to have no manners, arrogant, and shy.


    Uncle Wen suddenly furrowed his brows, staring at the young man¡¯s back.


    A Bai¡­


    Within the next instant, his eyes widened in disbelief.


    ncing at theputer screen, Bai Ziyan raised an eyebrow: ¡°So, you like Qu Feitai. Well, it just happens that he¡¯s a good buddy of mine, the wear-the-same-open-crotch -pants kind of buddy. Just say the word, and I can get you a few tickets. Why did you have to go through the trouble of grabbing them yourself? My friends shouldn¡¯t be undervalued like this..¡±

 Chapter 51 - 51: 051 Lovely

    Chapter 51: 051 Lovely


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing was still on the phone with Tao Xingxing.


    ¡°Who is this¡­ acting so arrogant? I can also say I¡¯m Qu Feitai¡¯s girlfriend. Bragging doesn¡¯t cost a dime.¡±


    Bai Ziyan squinted, pointing at the phone, ¡°Hey, little girl, Master Bai and Qu Feitai almost had a contract marriage. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I¡¯m a man¡­ Heh, do you love-struckdies even stand a chance?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, where did you meet such a mental case? Hurry up and take your medicine, kid. You¡¯re seriously ill.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Bai Ziyan with a smile.


    Bai Ziyan put his hands on his hips, ¡°You little girl, still wet behind the ears, what do you know? Fine, you want to see Qu Feitai¡¯s concert? Master Bai can make a call and get you a photo and handshake with Qu Feitai. But when the timees, you have to kneel down and call me grandpa. How about that?¡± ¡°I spit on you! Take your medicine! Don¡¯t use my idol to make yourself happy.¡±


    Bai Ziyan had never been so humiliated in his life. Heughed in anger, took out his cell phone, and scrolled through his contacts.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you? Today I¡¯ll make you cry out for your grandpa.¡±


    He dialed the number marked as Xiao Qu¡¯er, sweat beading on his forehead as he fanned his free hand at his head.


    ¡°The number you dialed is temporarily unavable. Please leave a message after the beep¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Bai Ziyan cursed silently.


    From Ming Jing¡¯s phone, Tao Xingxing¡¯s exaggeratedughter could be heard. ¡°Stop pretending. Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t possibly have a thick-skinned friend like you. Are you usually a scammer, Ming Jing? Keep your eyes open, and don¡¯t be fooled by him!¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s cute?¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s handsome face visibly cracked. ¡°Cute?¡±


    Tao Xingxingughed, ¡°Poor thing, nobody loves you. Enough, I¡¯ve got guests at my ce. We probably can¡¯t meet for lunch. Let¡¯s change it to evening, and I¡¯ll contact you then.¡±


    After they hung up, Bai Ziyan angrily asked, ¡°Who exactly is that girl? I¡¯ll tear her mouth apart forughing at me.¡±


    Ming Jingughed and said, ¡°The weather is hot, people are easily irritable. The liver stores the soul and manifests as anger. The yang within the yin element, connected to the energy of spring. Young man, where do you get so much anger from?¡±


    She picked up the teapot from the tray, washed the tea, and poured it, her movements smooth and graceful.


    Her slender jade-like fingers picked up a cup of tea and set it in front of Bai Ziyan, ¡°Have some tea to cool down.¡±


    The young girl sat quietly on the sofa, wearing a simple white long dress. She was very thin, and the dress seemed empty on her body. Her back straight, her neck long and elegant, she lowered her head slightly, her skin snow-white and dark eyebrows, red lips and white teeth, pure beauty resembling the autumn moon.


    In her presence, one would never see any negative emotions, like the sea or the sky, embracing everything and calmly observing the world.


    He suddenly remembered many years ago when he went to Jingdu¡¯s Daxiangguo Temple with his mother, where the statue of the Guanyin was enshrined. She always looked at the world withpassion and tolerance, the love and separation, anger, delusion, greed, and desire in the eyes of the Bodhisattva were nothing but illusions and dreams of life.


    Many yearster, the girl in front of him gave him the same feeling.


    ¡°Miss, Mr. Bai, here are some snacks made by Madam Zhou.¡± Uncle Wen walked over and ced the snacks on the tea table, sneakily ncing at Bai Ziyan.


    ¡°Mr. Bai, based on your ent, are you from Jingdu?¡± Uncle Wen casually asked.


    Bai Ziyan took a bite of the snack and it tasted good, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Heart racing, Uncle Wen thought to himself, how many Bai families could there be in Jingdu? They were all illustrious; the Zhus had no chance to be on their level.


    Wasn¡¯t this young master being¡­?


    As his thoughts raced, Uncle Wen¡¯s gaze swept over Ming Jing.


    Young Master Bai seemed to get along well with Miss Ming Jing, first Madam Jiang, and now Young Master Bai. Miss Ming Jing didn¡¯t make a sound, but she had quite the social skills.


    He needed to discuss this with the madam. After all, they already had a lesson from before, and Miss Ming Jing was not someone easily manipted.


    After Uncle Wen left, he quietly went upstairs and knocked on Lin Qing¡¯s door.


    ¡°Bored, aren¡¯t you? How about we go horse riding? I¡¯ll teach you. Call Charles


    Gao and Jiang Jinchen, and if you have any sisters, bring them along.¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Horse riding?¡±


    Bai Ziyan nodded in boredom, ¡°I heard there¡¯s a new horse farm in Jiangzhou. The ¡®star¡¯ horse Violent Wind can¡¯t be tamed by anyone. I want to see just how untamable it is.¡±


    Ming Jing stood up, ¡°Give me a moment to change my clothes.¡±


    Bai Ziyan grumbled, ¡°Girls are always so troublesome when going out.¡±


    Xiao Ying carefully added tea for Bai Ziyan and asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Bai, are you our miss¡¯s friend?¡±


    Bai Ziyan sat on the sofa with his legs crossed on the tea table, his whole body boneless like a Lima bean. He sneered, ¡°What, your miss can¡¯t have a handsome friend like me?¡±


    ¡°No, no, you misunderstand. I¡¯m just happy for our miss that she could have a friend like you, Mr. Bai, who¡¯s so witty and humorous. Our miss had a hard time in the past, and she¡¯s very introverted. I¡¯m really grateful that you can make our missugh and apany her.¡±


    ¡°You little girl, you worry too much.¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and he picked it up to take a look.


    Xiao Qu sent a message on WeChat: Itching again?


    Bai Ziyan sent a little man waving a knife emoji: You¡¯re so busy ignoring Master Bai¡¯s calls?


    Xiao Qu: Haha, I, this young master, have a lot on my te every day. What kind of onion are you?


    Bai Ziyan: The man your Qu family can never get.


    Xiao Qu: Bleh¡­


    Xiao Qu: Where are you hanging out? Let big brother tighten your skin for you. Bai Ziyan: Jiangzhou is a ce of talented people and beautiful women. I don¡¯t want to leave once I¡¯m here.


    Xiao Qu: You little lecher, don¡¯t harass innocent women, be careful of retribution.


    Bai Ziyan: When ites to troublemaking,pared to you, Young Master Qu, I¡¯m just a small-time sorcerer. You¡¯ve ruined the lives of millions of girls, millions! What a scumbag.


    Xiao Qu: Ah, I¡¯m too charming, can¡¯t help it, and it troubles me as well.


    Bai Ziyan: [Angry] Get lost.


    Xiao Qu: Going to practice dancing now, we¡¯ll settle this when I get back to Jingdu. Bye-


    Bai Ziyan: Wait, I haven¡¯t gotten to the main point yet.


    ¡°Fuck, Qu Feitai you son of a bitch, dare to block me¡­.!¡±

 Chapter 52 - 52: 052 Cause and Effect

    Chapter 52: 052 Cause and Effect


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Qing hurried out, bumping into Ming Jing who was about to go downstairs.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Jing stopped in her tracks, silently observing her.


    Lin Qing took a deep breath. With no makeup on, she looked somewhat haggard, less sharp and more gentle than usual.


    She nced downstairs and mournfully said, ¡°1 wronged you before, and I apologize. I don¡¯t expect your forgiveness, but could you please save Shaodan for the sake of him being your sibling? You¡¯re the only one who can save him now. As long as you rescue Shaodan, I promise I will never scold you again and treat you doubly well.¡±


    As she said this, she tried to kneel down. Uncle Wen cried out in rm behind her, ¡°Madam¡­¡¯ .


    Ming Jing silently watched her.


    As Lin Qing began to kneel, she saw that Ming Jing remained indifferent. She hesitated, unsure whether to kneel or not.


    When she nced up, the young girl looked back at her with quiet, dark, mysterious, and dangerous eyes, like an ancient well. Lin Qing felt embarrassed. Was this girl¡¯s heart made of stone?


    ¡°Whoever nts the seed, must reap the fruit. Shaodan¡¯s fate is the consequence of you constantly indulging and spoiling him. If he faces tough opposition today, and one day, if he does not restrain himself, causing great disaster, what then?¡± Ming Jing¡¯s cold, gentle voice came, shocking Lin Qing with every word.


    She murmured, ¡°Isn¡¯t this how every parent spoils their child? He¡¯s the only son of the Zhus.¡±


    ¡°Absurd. Do the Zhus have a throne to inherit? How other families raise their children is their business. Are you going to follow the trend when ites to education too? You brought him into this world, surrounded him with worldly pleasures, and what have you created? A good-for-nothing, a prodigal son. And then you im to love him while actually holding him hostage with this indulgence. That is not love; you¡¯ve ruined him.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face grew paler and paler, unable to argue.


    Uncle Wen looked deeply at Ming Jing. If it were not for the wrong moment, he would have pped in agreement.


    What was said was true. He had subtly tried to advise Madam many times before, but Madam simply wouldn¡¯t listen. A doting mother has a spoilt son; this is an eternal truth.


    Now that the young master is in trouble, it¡¯s time for Madam to wake up.


    ¡°Why is a man considered more valuable than a woman? Some women wield weapons and ride horses, expanding territories; Wu Zetian was a master strategist, a woman who became an emperor; Li Qingzhao was a stunning literary talent. None of these women were lesser than men. As a woman, you should understand the difficulties women face in life. You should teach your son to respect others, not to abuse power and money, bully men and tyrannize women. When the dayes that he cries in jail, asking why you didn¡¯t advise him, regret will torment you night after night.¡±


    ¡°For him, this is a lesson. If you truly care for him, start thinking about how to proceed from now on.¡±


    With that, she turned around and went downstairs.


    After walking a few steps, she nced sideways and said softly, ¡°I promised someone I wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to him. This time, for him, it will be a real growth.¡±


    Lin Qing whispered, ¡°Was I really wrong?¡± Uncle Wen sighed, ¡°Madam, what Miss Ming Jing said makes sense.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang stood at the door, looking dazed.


    The two left the Zhu residence. Bai Ziyan nced at Ming Jing, ¡°I always thought I underestimated you. Just now, after hearing your words, it was like gaining ten years of wisdom. I am enlightened.¡±


    ¡°But seriously, Shaodan is your own brother. Don¡¯t you feel the slightest bit sorry for him?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has to pay the price for their actions. Why should he be any different?¡±


    Bai Ziyan gave a thumbs up, ¡°Tell me, how do you want me to teach him a lesson?¡±¡±Just do what you originally intended and let things take their natural course.¡±


    Bai Ziyan asked curiously, ¡°You just said you promised someone, who did you promise? The more I think about it, the more it feels wrong.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as she fiddled with her Buddhist beads, walking and speaking softly, ¡°An old friend.¡±


    Bai Ziyan stroked his chin, dropping the subject, and asked instead, ¡°You said that those who abuse power are worthless hedonists, what about me? Am I a worthless hedonist in your eyes?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him, ¡°Buddha says that all beings are equal, and all phenomena spring from the mind. If awakened, all beings can be Buddhas; if deluded, even Buddhas be ordinary beings. Both Buddhas and ordinary beings are equal. But since the feudal society, the emperor¡¯s power has been supreme, so where is the true equality? In the realm of ultimate power, one can indeed do whatever they please. For example, did the emperors of ancient times believe in Buddhism? No, they just used Buddhism to consolidate their power and to educate the masses in faith. Equality for all is humanity¡¯s ultimate ideal, and yet since the creation of the world, the differences and sses in human society have never truly disappeared. In this sense, you are an intelligent hedonist.¡±


    At a young age, he had be quite skilled at the game of human ss struggle.


    Bai Ziyan rolled his eyes, ¡°Such a great set of principles, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re praising or insulting me.¡±


    As if struck by a thought, Bai Ziyan sized her up and down, ¡°Is it true that those who study Buddhism are truly without desires and needs? You¡¯re a girl in the prime of youth, I don¡¯t believe that you won¡¯t have any thoughts of love.¡±


    ¡°From lovees worry, from lovees fear, if we abandon love, there would be no worry or fear.¡± The girl¡¯s ethereal voice seemed toe from the distant sky, her expression imbued with an indescribable sadness that made Bai Ziyan ufortable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Everyone has emotions and desires. I¡¯ll be watching you to see if you really are without desires and needs.¡±


    Ming Jing simply responded with a smile.


    The driver waited at the gate, and the two set off in the car for the Western Suburbs Horse Race Track.


    On the way, Bai Ziyan called Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao. Charles readily agreed, while Jiang Jinchen refused, citing his studies. Upon mentioning Ming Jing, the other party went silent and hung up the phone.


    The Western Suburbs Horse Race Track was built amidst the undting ruralndscape, surrounded by lush, verdant scenery. The racetrack¡¯s east side featured stands that could amodate thirty thousand spectators, while the west side housed imposing stables. An array of amenities such as a five-star hotel, restaurant, swimming pool, and museum could also be found within the racecourseplex. As horse racing required vast amounts of resources and was always a form of entertainment for the wealthy, those who frequented the track were either rich or noble.


    With plenty of time to spare, Bai Ziyan and Ming Jing went to the restaurant and ordered fruit juices to drink while they waited.


    By noon, the restaurant was bustling with customers.


    At this moment, two men dressed in ck entered. Both wore serious expressions and moved with steady steps, walking in step with each other. Scanning the restaurant quickly, they took a seat by the window, their eyes never leaving the other diners, as if searching for something.


    Ming Jing stirred her ss of fruit juice with her delicate white fingers.


    Unaware of his surroundings, Bai Ziyan lounged on the sofa, engrossed in his phone.


    As a female server holding a cup of coffee passed by Ming Jing, her slim frame and graceful silhouette were evident despite her stiff uniform. Yet her face was so in and ordinary that it evoked a sense of regret.


    In the instant she passed by, Ming Jing¡¯s hand stopped stirring, and the fruit chunks in her ss tumbled and churned.


    One of the ck-d men cast a nce in the direction of the female waiter.


    Ming Jing narrowed her eyes and suddenly stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡±


    Bai Ziyan casually responded with a hum.


    The restaurant¡¯s interior was a square with a walkway surrounding the entire area. After delivering the coffee, the woman did not retrace her steps, but instead circled around to the front and entered the restroom.


    Exchanging nces, one of the ck-d men followed her.


    The woman retrieved a dagger from under the restroom washbasin and wiped it gently with a paper towel. Reflected in the mirror was a in face, but her eyes were seductive and cold.


    Footsteps approached from outside the door, and the woman¡¯s cold lips curled into a smile. She hid in a corner, raised her dagger high, and prepared to strike.


    Suddenly, she frowned, noting that the footsteps sounded wrong¡ªalternating between light and heavy, with the lighter, quicker steps in the lead..

 Chapter 53 - 53: 053 A-Yu (First Update)

    Chapter 53: 053 A-Yu (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    One foot stepped forward. The woman¡¯s expression tensed, and she hid the dagger behind her back, pretending to adjust her clothes.


    From the corner of her eye, she noticed a young girl walking in without looking around, seemingly oblivious to the person standing at the corner. The girl walked straight to the inner partition.


    Closing the door, she could see nothing.


    The woman breathed a sigh of relief and raised the dagger again.


    That person stopped at the entrance of the women¡¯s restroom but didn¡¯t go inside.


    As the toilet flushed, the girl pushed the door open and came out.


    She walked straight to the sink and bent down to wash her hands.


    The woman squinted her eyes, approached the girl from behind, and quietly held the knife to her neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. The knife doesn¡¯t have eyes.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the girl didn¡¯t panic, nor did she furrow her eyebrows. She kept her head down and continued to wash her hands.


    The woman raised an eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Help me with a small favor, and don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t nurt you.¡±


    The girl pulled out a paper towel from under the mirror, slowly wiped each finger, lightly lifted her hand, and the paper towel urately fell into the corner garbage can.


    Ignoring the knife on her neck, she calmly said, ¡°Hide well.¡±


    Then she walked straight out.


    The woman¡¯s pupils constricted, watching the girl¡¯s slender, tall figure. She quickly turned around¡­


    The man had just taken out a cigarette, preparing to light it when the girl who had just gone in rushed out in panic, her face pale. She saw him and immediately said: ¡°Quick, help! I just saw someone jumping out of the window. ¡±


    This was the second floor, quite tall ¨C equivalent to the height of the third floor in an ordinary building.


    The man¡¯s face changed, throwing the cigarette away and quickly running inside to the window. They found it wide open and saw awn below, but no sign of the woman.


    ¡°Damn, she still got away!¡± He pped the windowsill hard.


    ¡°Should we call the police?¡± The girl stood at the restroom door, seemingly frightened, her face pale.


    The man stared at her and said dismissively: ¡°Shut your mouth. Pretend you didn¡¯t see anything, and avoid trouble for yourself.¡±


    He left quickly after speaking.


    The moment they passed each other, the girl¡¯s frightened expression gradually disappeared, her facial features rxing, appearing serene.


    The door to the partition opened, and the woman came out, frowning suspiciously at her. The atmosphere was tense and neither of them spoke first.


    Finally, the woman couldn¡¯t help herself, ying with the dagger and coldly asking: ¡°Who on earth are you? What is your purpose in helping me?¡±


    ¡°Just now, that man had a precise stride. His forearm muscles were developed, and the third knuckles on his middle and ring fingers had callouses. He¡¯s someone who has been strictly trained in firearms. He doesn¡¯t have the tyranny of a regr soldier. He¡¯s probably a hired mercenary, right?¡± The woman¡¯s expression paused, sizing up the girl: ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°An ordinary person,¡± the girl answered indifferently.


    The woman scoffed: ¡°Feigning profundity. I can test if you are human or ghost.¡±


    No sooner had she finished speaking than she lunged at the girl with the dagger in her hand. The girl stayed still.


    ¡°Do you want to live?¡±


    Halting the dagger only millimeters away from her eye, the girl showed no fear, staring back into the woman¡¯s eyes without flinching.


    Those eyes felt like two ancient wells, fathomless. The woman¡¯s heart tightened, inexplicably apprehensive.


    ¡°What is your purpose?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find outter.¡± Ming Jing lightly brushed her skirt and appeared nonchnt.


    The woman put the dagger away, smiling instead: ¡°Do you know what kind of people you¡¯re dealing with?¡±


    ¡°The Night Hawk group. Are they very powerful?¡± Her tone was as casual as if she were discussing the pleasant weather , seemingly unaware of the woman¡¯s subconscious change of expression and fleeting terror in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­


    ¡°Those people won¡¯te back for now. Hiding is your strong point. You infiltrated this ce, so naturally, you can leave. Contact me when you find a safe ce. ¡±


    ¡°I believe you can soon find out my identity.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and left. After taking two steps, she spoke as if she just


    The woman¡¯s pupils contracted, looking as if she had just seen a ghost: ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed.¡±


    She paused, softly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t let your son be the next sacrifice.¡± With that, she strode away.


    The woman stood there, her expression puzzled, whispering: ¡°The next one?¡±

 Chapter 54 - 54: 053 A-Yu (First Update)_2

    Chapter 54: 053 A-Yu (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Who are you, really?¡±


    When Ming Jing returned, Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao had already arrived, greeting her as they saw her.


    Bai Ziyan called a waiter over to order food, nning to eat well before going horse riding.


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s best to ride on an empty stomach.¡±


    Charles Gaoughed and patted Bai Ziyan on the shoulder, ¡°Do you want to throw upst night¡¯s dinner too?¡±


    Bai Ziyan shivered, ¡°Well, let¡¯s not do that.¡±


    Charles Gao and Jiang Jinchen had been here before. Charles Gao was a lifetime member of the club, and every time he came, a young man named Yang Shuai would lead the way. Yang Shuai took everyone to the stable to choose horses.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, this is your first time here, right? You can choose a gentle horse at first. Our coaches are very responsible. If you feel ufortable, we also have female coaches here.¡±


    Charles Gao immediately volunteered, ¡°I¡¯m good at riding, let me teach you.¡± Ming Jing just smiled, without saying anything.


    Charles Gao¡¯s horse was a stately ck horse housed in the stable, which he named ck Wind.


    Jiang Jinchen chose a red-brown horse, just like him, which looked gentle and low-key.


    Bai Ziyan asked, ¡°I heard that no one has been able to tame your Violent Wind here? Where is it? Let me have a look.¡±


    Though it was Yang Shuai¡¯s first time meeting Mr. Bai, he knew the people apanying Charles Gao must be of special status, so he respectfully replied, ¡°Violent Wind originated from the oldest and purest Andalusian breed in Spain, one of the finest horse breeds in the world. They are naturally gentle, but this horse is wild and extremely difficult to tame for some reason. After its introduction, hardly anyone has been able to tame it. Mr. Bai, this horse is very dangerous. For your own safety, it¡¯s better to choose a gentler horse, like this Hanoverian, which would be more suitable for you.¡±


    Bai Ziyan put on a yboy¡¯s arrogant face, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I want Violent Wind.¡± Yang Shuai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly contacted the manager.


    As they went deeper into the stable, they finally saw the legendary Violent Wind: a white, strong, and tenacious horse with long mane on its neck, holding its head high, noble and proud. If it could be personified, Violent Wind would definitely be a charming prince and peerless beauty among horses.


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he couldn¡¯t help reaching through the railing to touch the horse¡¯s back, ¡°So beautiful.¡±


    Yang Shuai warned, ¡°Mr. Bai, please be careful¡­.¡±


    Suddenly, Violent Wind snorted and raised its front hooves high. A wave of pressure rushed towards everyone, causing them to quickly retreat. The moment the hoovesnded, it felt as if the ground was trembling. Yang Shuai quickly asked, ¡°Mr. Bai, are you alright?¡±


    Bai Ziyan was still in shock, patting his chest, ¡°I choose Violent Wind.¡±


    At this moment, a group of people walked up, and the man in the lead said, ¡°Violent Wind is mine.¡±


    The man was in his early 20s, draped in branded clothes andrge gold chains. His heavily bagged eyes made him look very tired, yet he still had an extremely arrogant demeanor.


    ¡°Young Mr. Ran, Violent Wind is very dangerous. For your safety, why don¡¯t you consider a different horse?¡± Yang Shuai advised.


    Why were these young masters obsessed with Violent Wind? Courting death.


    ¡°Less nonsense, I want Violent Wind.¡±


    Bai Ziyanughed in anger, ¡°You want topete with me for something? You¡¯re tired of living?


    Charles Gao whispered, ¡°He is Ran Tenghui.¡±


    Bai Ziyan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Someone from the Rans? No wonder he¡¯s so arrogant. But even if he¡¯s a crown prince, he needs to yield before me.¡± Ran Tenghui sneered, ¡°You call yourself a young master in front of the older generation, who gave you the nerve?¡±


    The Rans weren¡¯t prominent in Jiangzhou, but no one dared to provoke them.


    Thirty years ago, the Rans were a feared presence in the entire Southern Region because the then -Ran patriarch, Ran Bowen, was a force to be reckoned with, establishing the Qinglong Association and shaking Hua Country. However, twelve years ago, the Rans suffered a major setback. No one knows the exact reason, but it is known that Ran Bowen died in an incident. After that, the Qinglong Association underwent power struggles, and Ran Bowen¡¯s two brothers, Ran Boxue and Ran Bocai, fought for control and died in the process. Ran Bowen had no heirs, so the Qinglong Association fell into the hands of Ran Boxue¡¯s son, Ran Yang, and the association never recovered.


    Ran Yang had a cousin, Ran Bocai¡¯s daughter Ran Qing, who married into the Zhaos twenty years ago and gave birth to a daughter, Zhao Zhen.


    Ran Yang had two sons. After Ran Yang retired due to illness, his elder son, Ran Tengxiao, took over the Qinglong Association. He was intelligent and shrewd, and in just a few years, he revived the Qinglong Association, reiming its position as the dominant power.


    This Ran Tenghui was Ran Yang¡¯s younger son, a half-brother to Ran Tengxiao, and it was rumoured that the two didn¡¯t get along..

 Chapter 55 - 55: 053 Ah Yu (First Update)_3

    Chapter 55: 053 Ah Yu (First Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    In Jiangzhou, the Rans were renowned local tyrants. Even a Dragon King would have to coexist with them cautiously. As for people like them, who were ruthless and unscrupulous,mon folk could not dare to provoke them.


    Bai Ziyan was about to curse with his hands on his hips, but Charles Gao stood in front of him and whispered a warning: ¡°This is Mr. Bai from Jingdu.¡±


    However, Ran Tenghui didn¡¯t catch the hint in his words; ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re Mr. Bai or Mr. ck. Violent Wind is mine, and no one is allowed to touch it. He then ordered Yang Shuai, ¡°Bring Violent Wind out for me.¡±


    Out of helplessness, Yang Shuai had the master of horses lead Violent Wind out. Ran Tenghui nced at Bai Ziyan and his party, showing a smug smile. When his eves fell on Ming Jing, he suddenly paused.


    Jiang Jinchen took a step forward, blocking Ming Jing from Ran Tenghui¡¯s view.


    Ran Tenghui knew who Jiang Jinchen was, and he wasn¡¯t sure about Jiang Chun¡¯s background, so he didn¡¯t want to offend this person for now.


    ¡°Hah! This shameless bastard dares to act arrogant in front of me? I dare to beat him so badly he won¡¯t be able to get out of bed for three months!¡± Bai Ziyan was about to roll up his sleeves for a fight.


    Charles Gao hurriedly stopped him, ¡°Mr. Bai, even a powerful dragon cannot beat the local tyrants. Let¡¯s bear with it for now, and find a chance to teach him a lessonter.¡±


    Bai Ziyan pointed at him, ¡°I can¡¯t stand it even for one day.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see how he can tame Violent Wind. It would be wonderful if it could kick this heartless bastard to death.¡±


    The party brought their horses to the racetrack. Ming Jing picked a gentle pony that followed her obediently.


    ¡°Cousin, what a coincidence!¡± A girl dressed in red equestrian attire approached them, leading a tall red-brown horse. She smiled charmingly, looking valiant and spirited.


    Ran Tenghui squinted his eyes, ¡°Ah! So it¡¯s you, cousin! You¡¯ve be more and more beautiful. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you!¡±


    Zhao Zhen smiled, then nced at the horse next to him that seemed to be trying to break free from the master of horses.


    ¡°This is Violent Wind, right? Cousin, be careful! A few days ago, someone tried to tame Violent Wind and ended up being thrown off, breaking three ribs. It¡¯s pitiful, truly. Cousin, you must be cautious.¡±


    Ran Tenghui sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, cousin. I will show you how I can tame it.¡±


    After saying that, he snatched the reins from the master of horses who reminded him, ¡°Young Master Ran, please be careful. Make sure you¡¯ve got all your gear, and if anything goes wrong, call for help.¡±


    Ran Tenghui turned to look at Bai Ziyan, gave him a thumbs-down, and made a disdainful face.


    Then, he stepped on the stirrup and tried to mount the horse gracefully. However, Violent Wind didn¡¯t give him any chance to show off; it started to shake violently and threw Ran Tenghui off, making him lose bnce. The master of horses swiftly caught him.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Ran Tenghui shook off his hand and stubbornly tried to climb onto the horse again.


    Bai Ziyan covered his stomach andughed, ¡°He¡¯s hrious! This coward! I thought he was so powerful.¡±


    Ran Tenghui¡¯s face turned red as he clung to the horse¡¯s mane. The horse threw him all the way back, but he held on to the horse¡¯s neck. Suddenly, Violent Wind neighed loudly, and Ran Tenghui was thrown off again.


    Violent Wind suddenly went wild, running like mad. There were other people and horses on the track, and it was terrifying to think of the consequences if someone got hurt during its rampage.


    The master of horses turned pale, ¡°Oh no!¡± He yelled for help while pursuing the horse. As for Ran Tenghui, who had just fallen to the ground, the master of horses didn¡¯t even bother looking back.


    Zhao Qin walked over to help Ran Tenghui up, ¡°Cousin, are you alright? Did you break your leg?¡± After saying that, she intentionally pressed her hand down on his leg a little harder.


    ¡°Ahh¡­!¡± Ran Tenghui¡¯s face turned deathly pale as he let out a scream like a ughtered pig.


    Bai Ziyan pped excitedly, ¡°Well done, Violent Wind!¡±


    Jiang Jinchen frowned, worried. There were many people ahead, and Violent Wind was charging recklessly. It would be serious if someone got hurt.


    The best horse trainer here was Han Cheng, who was chasing after Violent


    Wind, but his two legs couldn¡¯t keep up with the horse¡¯s four. Additionally, Violent Wind was agile by nature and sprinted like an arrow. Han Cheng yelled at the people ahead, ¡°Run! Run!¡±


    Suddenly, Charles Gao noticed a sh in front of his eyes and saw Ming Jing snatch the reins from him. She stepped on the stirrup, and her long legs drew a beautiful arc in the air as she gracefully sat on the horse¡¯s back.. With a pull of reins and a squeeze of her legs on the horse¡¯s belly, she shouted, ¡°Go!¡±

 Chapter 56 - 56: 053 Ah Yu (First Update)_4

    Chapter 56: 053 Ah Yu (First Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    ck Wind beneath her raced forward instantaneously. While Charles Gao¡¯s ck Wind didn¡¯t have the same bloodline as Violent Wind, it was also a purebred fine horse, leaving the others behind in the blink of an eye.


    All that could be seen was the lonely figure with its proud and straight back galloping into the backlight, disappearing into the distance. Bai Ziyan opened his mouth in amazement, ¡°She¡¯s incredible.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen immediately got on his horse and chased after her. With a pale face, Ran Tenghui asked, ¡°Who is she?¡±


    Zhao Qin nced at him with a smile, ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve recovered well enough to strike up a conversation. Let me tell you, she¡¯s the real daughter of the Zhus who they¡¯ve just found. A word of advice, don¡¯t mess with her.¡±


    Ran Tenghui scoffed, ¡°The Zhus?¡±


    Zhao Qin raised her eyebrow and saw the rescue team running towards them with a stretcher, so she got on her horse and followed them.


    Wherever Violent Wind went, people and horses were turned upside down. On the north side of the racecourse, there was a fence separating it from the youth section, where most of the children were learning to ride horses. As Violent Wind broke through the fence and entered the youth zone, screams erupted and chaos ensued.


    At that moment, a girl on horseback jumped over the fence and was about to catch up with Violent Wind. She squeezed the horse¡¯s belly, and ck Wind elerated abreast to Violent Wind. The girl then leaped up, perched on her fingertips on horseback, and floated down like a cloud wisp onto Violent Wind¡¯s back.


    Obviously, Violent Wind wouldn¡¯t ept this easily, and it bucked violently, trying to throw her off. But the girl held onto the reins tightly, her feet mped into the stirrups, keeping her body parallel to the horse¡¯s back. She appeared slim, but no matter how furiously Violent Wind thrashed about, her feet remained firmly nted in the stirrups.


    At this point, it was all about endurance.


    The girl on the horse shouted to the children around, ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    The young riders scattered, making way as she raced by like a gust of wind, soon leaving only a small dot in the distance.


    Everyone was still reeling when a boy whispered in awe, ¡°Her riding skills are amazing, even better than Instructor Han.¡±


    ¡°Taming Violent Wind is just wishful thinking. Overestimating her abilities.¡±


    Han Cheng caught up and asked, ¡°Where did she go?¡±


    Everyone pointed toward the small ck dot in the distance. ¡°She went that way.¡±


    Han Cheng paled, ¡°This will cause big trouble.¡±


    Ms. Zhu was just showing off. If something were to happen to her, the responsibility would fall on the riding club and him as an instructor. He had to deal with these wealthy students daily, and there was never any reasoning with them¡ªjust an endless fight for power.


    Han Cheng was both angry and anxious, but mostly resenfful of the girl. Girls from rich families only added chaos. Horse riding wasn¡¯t a game for them to y.


    However, Jiang Jinchen¡¯s opinion differed, as he had seen Ming Jing¡¯s riding abilities from the beginning. But with Violent Wind untamed, he worried for Ming Jing¡¯s safety. By the time he caught up, they were long gone.


    Charles Gao, Bai Ziyan, and Zhao Qin caught up one after another. Charles Gao anxiously looked into the distance, ¡°Will Ming Jing be alright?¡±


    Bai Ziyan spat at him, ¡°Don¡¯t jinx her. But seriously, where did Ming Jing learn to ride? Can you even keep horses in the mountains?¡±


    Everyone fell into deep thought. Ming Jing was like an onion, eachyer revealing another one beneath. You could never truly know who she really was.


    With a gloomy expression, Han Cheng said, ¡°Young Master Gao, as you saw, it was Ms. Zhu who voluntarily went after Violent Wind. If anything happens to her, it has nothing to do with me personally or the horse club. Everything is on her own ord.¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a young man excitedly shouted, ¡°Look, she¡¯sing back.¡±


    In the distance, a figure raced toward them, the zing sun overhead rendering them nearly unable to open their eyes.


    Astride the horse, the girl wore indigo-blue riding gear, her stunning face as serene and beautiful as the moon. Her back straight and regal, she appeared as if a queen returning from a city tour.


    As they neared, the girl pulled on the reins, and the horse reared up. Standing firmly on the horse, the girl let out a long neigh that resounded in the sky.


    Everyone was awestruck, their eyes blinded by the sunlight, leaving only the graceful silhouette of the girl on horseback. This image would forever be etched into their memories.


    As Violent Wind calmed down and put its front hooves back on the ground, the girl patted it gently. The wild and unruly horse had disappearedpletely, reced by an incredibly docile creature that affectionately nuzzled Ming Jing¡¯s palm.


    Han Cheng couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing, ¡°You actually tamed it?¡±


    Ming Jing sat on the horse and spoke softly, ¡°Horses understand human nature too. Treat them with sincerity, and they will reciprocate.¡±


    His face a mixture of emotions, Han Cheng asked, ¡°Is it really that simple?¡±


    Can talking about sincerity actually work with a horse? Wasn¡¯t that like ying a lute to a cow?


    Not far away, a woman stood quietly, her gaze fixed on the girl seated on the horse. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes filled with deep curiosity and amazement.


    ¡°Qingqing, does the coach have something against me? Why did he deliberately assign me the fiercest horse? I almost died today. Since you¡¯re such an excellent rider, can you teach me? Pretty please, I¡¯ll treat you to your favorite fried rice cakes,¡± she had pleaded with her friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, actually. Horses are the most loyal and human-like creatures. As long as you treat them with sincerity, they can feel it.¡±


    A Yu, is that you?


    No, A Yu had died twelve years ago. She had seen the gruesome corpse herself ¡ªa sight too horrifying to even reminisce.


    So, who was this girl with traces of A Yu?

 Chapter 57 - 57: 054 Daughter (Second Update)

    Chapter 57: 054 Daughter (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    News that Violent Wind had been tamed by a young girl spread quickly throughout the horse-riding grounds.


    Many people wanted to see who this woman was who could tame Violent Wind.


    Unfortunately, by the time many people had heard the news and came, Ming Jing had already left.


    The youngsters who had seen her talked about how majestic she was on horseback, how she galloped, and how she turned the tide. Everyone listened in awe, but it was a shame they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes. ¡°Who is she? Do you know her?¡±


    A teenager said, ¡°I heard Coach Han address her as Ms. Zhu.¡±


    Zhu? There is only one Zhu family in Jiangzhou, and they had been in the entertainment headlinestely because of their two true and fake heiresses issue.


    Could it be that this amazing horse tamer who subdued Violent Wind is the fake heiress of the Zhu family?


    Initially, everyone thought the real heiress had caught up during the weing banquet, but they didn¡¯t expect this fake heiress to have such an impressive skill.


    Han Cheng listened as the children whispered and chattered about Ms. Zhu and how her riding skills were remarkable, even better than Coach Han¡¯s. They wished she could rece Coach Han to teach them, and they evenmented on how beautiful she was, unlike Coach Han, who was fierce and ugly, with just a glimpse of his face enough to scare them to death¡­


    Han Cheng¡¯s face darkened, and he barked, ¡°What are you staring at? Have you all mastered the starting and stopping techniques? I will check each one of youter, and if anyone does not meet the standards, just wait for it.¡±


    He pointed his finger at each of them, and the color drained from their faces as they quickly scattered to find their horses.


    At the restaurant:


    Charles Gao closed the menu and said to the waiter, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, quickly tell us where you learned horseback riding and who your coach is!¡± Bai Ziyan anxiously asked.


    Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao, along with Zhao Qin, looked at her with the same curiosity in their eyes as Bai Ziyan.


    Under the pressure of so many pairs of eyes, Ming Jing took her time to drink some water and said, ¡°It¡¯s probably natural talent.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you could just call us stupid! No matter how talented you are, if you¡¯ve never touched a horse before, there¡¯s no way you could be so skilled. Besides, Violent Wind is not an ordinary horse. Even grown men can¡¯t ensure they won¡¯t get hurt, let alone someone as delicate as you¡­¡±


    Bai Ziyan looked her up and down, finding it hard to believe that someone as small as her could have tamed the wildest horse.


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s gaze became serious, and he called a waiter over, whispering a few instructions. The waiter nodded and walked away.


    Soon, he brought a simple first-aid kit to Jiang Jinchen.


    Jiang Jinchen opened the kit, took out a cotton swab, dipped it in antiseptic solution, and said to Ming Jing, ¡°Give me your right hand.¡±


    Ming Jing hesitated, as did Charles Gao and Bai Ziyan, while Zhao Qin pursed her lips, a hint of a smile in her eyes.


    Without thinking, Ming Jing held out her right hand, revealing two gashes in the middle of her palm. Underneath her delicate skin, they appeared somewhat terrifying.


    Bai Ziyan said unhappily, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything when you got hurt?¡± Ming Jingughed, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±


    What were these minor injuries from the bridle inparison to mosquito bites, or even lighter than that? If you¡¯ve experienced heartache like that, this little wound didn¡¯t matter at all.


    But her nonchnt tone changed the expressions of the three people acrossThey had heard that she was responsible for cooking and caring for her three younger juniors at the temple, taking on so much responsibility at such a young age.


    That¡¯s why she treated this small wound with such indifference.


    Jiang Jinchen reached out and grasped her right hand, spreading her palm t. Her skin felt soft, with a faint coolness.


    Jiang Jinchen hesitated for a moment, then looked up and told her, ¡°Bear with it for a moment.¡±


    With his other hand, he carefully cleaned her wounds with the cotton swab. Her expression was calm, and she didn¡¯t even furrow her brows.


    After the wounds were cleaned, he applied ointment and bandaged them with gauze.


    Ming Jing looked at her hand, now wrapped like a dumpling, and couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry, ¡°How am I supposed to hold a pen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get it wet for now. Change the dressing at this time tomorrow,¡± Jiang Jinchen disregarded her words and instructed gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s better not to leave a scar, and remember to wear gloves next time you ride a horse. Otherwise, after a few more times, you might ruin your hand.¡± Charles Gao furrowed his brows thoughtfully.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes flitted between Jiang Jinchen and Ming Jing, and sheughed, ¡°Senior Jiang, I¡¯ve never seen you so attentive to any girl before. If your fans at school were to see this, they would definitely be heartbroken.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen closed the first-aid kit, and his handsome face remained cold and detached, ¡°What do they have to do with me?¡±

 Chapter 58 - 58: 054 Daughter (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 58: 054 Daughter (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So, Brother Jiang, does this mean that you have something to do with Ming Jing?


    Jiang Jinchen looked up at her, his eyes extremely cold.


    Zhao Qin raised an eyebrow and looked at Bai Ziyan, ¡°Mr. Bai, my cousin doesn¡¯t know better, sorry for making youugh. I apologize on his behalf.¡±


    Bai Ziyan chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, let him personally apologize to me.¡±


    Zhao Qin sighed, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about him. What surprised me today was Ming Jing¡¯s horsemanship. I¡¯ve practiced for five years, andpared to you, it feels like a waste. Next time I get a chance, I¡¯ll definitely ask you for advice, I hope you won¡¯t mind that I¡¯m a slow learner.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, you¡¯re too kind, it¡¯s just a trivial skill, not worth mentioning.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest, I¡¯ll call you in advance to ride horses next time.¡±


    Zhao Qin didn¡¯t stay long, she left after receiving a phone call.


    Charles Gao subtly reminded, ¡°Ming Jing, it¡¯s better not to get too close to Zhao


    Qin. Her family situation is quiteplicated. ¡±


    Her mother is from the Rans, when Ran Yang came to power, Ran Qing also contributed, and has a strong say in the Rans.


    It¡¯s best for ordinary people to stay away from such families like the Rans.


    As Bai Ziyan put a piece of steak in his mouth, he said while chewing, ¡°I remember there was a very powerful female fighter who was Ran Bowen¡¯s confidant. There were rumors that she was an undercover police officer, and she killed Ran Bowen. After Ran Bowen died, she disappeared.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s hand holding the knife and fork paused for a moment, and she lowered her eyes without showing any emotion.


    Charles Gao said in surprise, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Bai Ziyan lowered his voice, ¡°I have a close friend who was kidnapped when he was a kid. He said he saw Ran Bowen¡¯s confidant killed him with his own eyes. He never mentioned how exactly it happened and I only found out by eavesdropping on his conversation with the police. But, make sure you don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s another theory that this female fighter was a killer hired by Ran Boxue. However, it happened too long ago, so it¡¯s impossible to verify.¡±


    The three men continued to chat, while Ming Jing silently ate her meal without saying a word.


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao, a true disciple of Ran Bowen, but unlike Ran Bowen, he is purely a scoundrel who stops at nothing to achieve his goals.¡±


    Charles Gao clenched his teeth, ¡°Last year, my uncle bid on a piece ofnd which was eyed by Ran Tengxiao. He even threatened my uncle with his cousin¡¯s safety to make him give up the bid. Anything that despicable could be imagined, he was even worse than I thought.¡±


    Bai Ziyan snorted, ¡°To deal with such scoundrels, you have to use even more nefarious methods. Ran Tenghui, huh? I¡¯ll remember you.¡±


    Ming Jing put down her knife and fork, wiped her mouth, and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡±


    As soon as Ming Jing left, the three men were less restrained and chatted about everything under the sun.


    The water gently washed over both hands as an ethereal figure appeared in the mirror.


    ¡°The true heiress the Zhus have just found, I have heard much about you.¡±


    Ming Jing leisurely wiped each finger, ¡°True to form for someone in intelligence, I suppose you¡¯ve dug up everything about my ancestors within a short time.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the more I find out, the harder it is to see through you. What exactly is your rtionship with Jiang Yu?¡±


    Jiang Yu?


    Ming Jing stared at the person in the mirror, how long had it been since she had heard that name.


    ¡°Jiang Yu died twelve years ago, and I have checked your identity. You were adopted by Master Wu Xin of Jiyue Temple sixteen years ago, and only returned to the Zhus two months ago. However, in the dossier the private detective gave to Mrs. Zhu, the most important point was omitted.¡± Ming Jing squinted her eyes, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The other person leaned close to her ear and whispered, ¡°Why are you and Master Wu Xin¡¯s eldest disciple, Ming Xin, the same age? The private detective took DNA samples from both of you, and finally, only yours matched, don¡¯t you find it strange?¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡®What¡¯s so strange about that?¡±


    ¡°Where is Ming Kin? Why has she never appeared since her master¡¯s death, and your age is also questionable? The private detective only wanted to find someone quickly to get the reward and didn¡¯t care about the inconsistencies in the case. As long as the DNA identification results were correct, they wouldn¡¯t bother to investigate further, which gave you a perfect opportunity. What a scheme to use the Li Substitute Trick.¡±


    Ming Jing pped her hands, ¡°You didnt disappoint me. You¡¯re good at catching clues from the smallest details and then deducing the truth you want.¡±


    ¡°Do you admit it?¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Does it matter whether it¡¯s true or not?¡±


    Zheng Qing carefully examined her, ¡°If you¡¯re not Jiang Yu, why are you so


    familiar with my situation?¡±

 Chapter 59 - 59: 054 Daughter (Second Revision)_3

    Chapter 59: 054 Daughter (Second Revision)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Something shed through Zheng Qing¡¯s mind and she suddenly began to scrutinize Ming Jing¡¯s facial features as if she was trying to find something in them.


    ¡°Jiang Yu was the tallest among all the girls in our group. She herself said that she had overpassed 1.7 meters when she was just ten. She used to joke that her biological parents must have been basketball yers, and that her towering height made it difficult to find a boyfriend,¡±


    Ming Jing sighed sorrowfully.


    ¡°Given our identities, we are destined not to show our real faces to the world. Only a few have seen her true appearance , and I am one of them,¡± she continued.


    Examining her beautiful reflection in the mirror, the familiar feeling she experienced upon their first meeting finally had a usible exnation.


    ¡°Twelve years ago, she came to Jiangzhou.¡± ¡°So what does this prove?¡±


    ¡°It proves that you are Jiang Yu¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Ming Jing froze for a moment, thenughed while tears sprang to her eyes.


    With a frown, Zheng Qing asked, ¡°You returned under the identity of the true Zhu¡¯s daughter, found me¡­you¡¯re seeking revenge for your mother, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You came to the right person. Of all the people in the world, only I would help you,¡± Zheng Qing confidently stated.


    Ming Jing neither confirmed nor denied it, instead she said, ¡°I¡¯ve been out for too long. It¡¯s time I return. Contact me once you find a ce to settle down after you leave here.¡± She then turned and left.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡± Zheng Qing hesitated for a beat.


    ¡°May I call you that? A Yu and I were good friends, you can just call me Aunt Qing. You¡¯re smarter than your mother, I¡¯m sure you can avenge her,¡± said Zheng Qing.


    Ming Jing paused her steps but didn¡¯t turn around, thus Zheng Qing didn¡¯t catch the turbulent emotions in her eyes.


    After lunch, it was close to half past two in the afternoon.


    Tao Xingxing texted her, suggesting they meet at the front gate of Huaqiang Square.


    Ming Jing parted ways with the other three. Bai Ziyan insisted on apanying her, but Ming Jing firmly rejected him.


    Ming Jing took a cab to Huaqiang Square. The journey took an hour, and she arrived right at half past four.


    Tao Xingxing texted her saying there was a bit of a traffic jam. She asked Ming Jing to wait for her briefly.


    The square was lively on a Sunday. The cooling spray from the musical fountain, people in clumsy puppet costumes handing out leaflets, hordes of kids running around, and the hustle and bustle of the crowd made it an exceptionally lively scene.


    At that moment, a group of fashionably dressed girls passed in front of Ming Jing. They were mboyantly dressed, sporting bare belly buttons and thighs, hair dyed in dazzling colors, and faces heavy with makeup, radiating youthful vitality.


    Theyughed and joked without a care for the strange looks they received from the surrounding crowd.


    The leader of the group, a girl with smoky eye makeup, nced at Ming Jing as she passed, squinting subconsciously.


    Not only her, nearly everyone who passed by would take a look at Ming Jing. She stood still, yet was captivating enough to draw people¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Liu Shengnan, what are you looking at?¡±


    Another girl, her hair bound up in dreadlocks, followed the gaze and sneered when she saw Ming Jing. ¡°She really knows how to put on a show, she looks like a goody-two-shoes.¡±


    ¡°How do you know she¡¯s not a tease? Haha.¡±


    ¡°What do you know! Teasing girls usually don¡¯t look too good. They just string men along with sweet nothings. But goody-two-shoes definitely rank higher. They¡¯re really good at acting weak and pitiful.¡±


    The girls raised their voices on purpose, cackling and giggling as they walked into the mall.


    Soon enough, Tao Xingxing panted her way over to Ming Jing, and bent over, hands on her knees, catching her breath. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. There was an ident en route, causing a traffic jam.¡±


    Ming Jing pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Tao Xingxing to wipe off the sweat from her forehead. ¡°It wasn¡¯t long. Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Tao Xingxing happily linked arms with Ming Jing and said, ¡°You¡¯re so kind,


    Ming Jing. Let¡¯s go shopping first. I want to buy a skirt.¡±


    The mall was filled with fashion brand stores from the first to fifth floor. It was Ming Jing¡¯s first time apanying someone on a shopping spree, and the myriad of clothes made her eyes dazzle.


    Finally, in a fashion store on the third floor, Tao Xingxing set her eyes on a bold blue dress. The dress, which revealed more than half of the wearer¡¯s back and arge part of the corbone, was very sexy. Tao Xingxing fell for it at once; she had never worn this style of clothing before, and thought that a change of style might be fun.


    Just as she was about to ask the shop assistant to fetch it for her to try on, a hand suddenly reached out and took the dress before her.


    Turning her head, Tao Xingxing saw a delinquent girl with a messy bun, smoky makeup, and a midriff shirt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know the concept of ¡®firste, first served?¡± Tao Xingxing reached out to snatch back the dress.


    The girl gave a coldugh. ¡°Is your name written on the dress? Whoever gets it, gets it..¡±

 Chapter 60 - 60: 054 Daughter (Second Update)_4

    Chapter 60: 054 Daughter (Second Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    As she spoke, she nced at Ming Jing standing behind Tao Xingxing, and the dirty braided girl behind her sneered, ¡°See that just now, the little white lotus.¡±


    ¡°The skirt doesn¡¯t have your name on it either, you¡¯re just seizing it forcibly, a despicable act.¡± Tao Xingxing spat.


    ¡°No ss.¡±


    The dirty braided girl pointed at Tao Xingxing¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°Who are you cursing? Say it again if you dare!¡±


    The salesperson could see a fight breaking out and hurried over to stop it.


    Tao Xingxing was not one to be bullied, she scolded with hands on her hips, ¡°I¡¯m cursing you! And you, too! With all your colorful appearances, people would think your family runs a dyeing workshop! It¡¯s not your fault that you¡¯re ugly, but it¡¯s definitely your fault foring out and hurting everyone¡¯s eyes.¡±


    The other party refused to back down, ¡°You should take a look at yourself first, as fat as a pig! Are you sure you can fit in this skirt?¡±


    This remark hit Tao Xingxing in the sore spot. She was 163 cm tall and weighed 110 pounds, slim in the right ces and plump elsewhere, with a curvy figure. She might look slightly plump, but she was far from being fat.


    Tao Xingxing instantly got angry, reached out and pulled the other girl¡¯s hair, ¡°I¡¯m fat, your fucking ***** you¡¯re the fat one, your whole family is fat!¡±


    The other party had more people, and Tao Xingxing was quickly surrounded. The girl who got her hair pulled pointed at Tao Xingxing¡¯s nose and said ominously, ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±


    Ming Jing sighed, ¡°Xingxing, this skirt isn¡¯t very nice, let¡¯s go look in other stores.¡±


    Tao Xingxing regretted her impulsiveness just now. They were outnumbered, and these girls looked like they were from the underworld, afraid that her impulsiveness would drag Ming Jing down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the skirt anymore, whoever likes it can take it.¡± With that, she turned and walked away.


    The dirty braided girl blocked Tao Xingxing¡¯s way, ¡°Trying to run? Where¡¯s that attitude from just now?¡±


    ¡°What do you want then?¡±


    ¡°What do I want? Kneel down and kowtow three times to me, then I¡¯ll let you go.¡± With that, sheughed loudly, and the other three girls joined in theughter.


    ¡°Bullying too far!¡± Tao Xingxing gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Now I¡¯ll show you what bullying too far is!¡±


    The girl raised her hand to p Tao Xingxing, but the moment before itnded, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.


    The girl winced in pain, unable to break free. Turning her head, she saw a pair of beautiful eyes staring at her quietly, like two deep, cold pools, sending chills down her spine.


    ¡°You¡­ let go of me.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want any trouble, but please show some respect.¡± The girl spoke calmly but in the gentlest tone.


    Another girl cursed, ¡°Fuck you, bitch!¡± and reached out to grab Ming Jing by her hair, amon move in girl fights.


    Ming Jing¡¯s free hand fended off the attacker, her arm was slender and agile like a swimming dragon, entwining the other girl¡¯s arm and twisting it like a twisted roll. The girl screamed in pain as Ming Jing let go, she crouched on the floor clutching her arm.


    Ming Jing released the dirty braided girl and looked at the smoking-eyed girl who hadn¡¯t spoken, ¡°Being a person, ss is very important.¡±


    With that, she pulled Tao Xingxing along and walked away.


    ¡°Sister Nan, we can¡¯t let them go like this.¡± The dirty braided girl clutched her wrist urgently.


    Liu Shengnan sneered, ¡°No one dared talk to me like that.¡±


    With that, she took out her phone and made a call, speaking in a coquettish voice that melted bones: ¡°Brother Hui, someone is bullying me, will you do something about it¡­?¡±


    The two walked out in silence, with Tao Xingxing stealing nces at Ming Jing and not daring to speak.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Say what you want.¡±


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s chatterbox opened in an instant, ¡®You actually know martial arts? I¡¯ve never heard you mention it. What¡¯s that move where you wrapped her arm called? Can you teach me? It was so cool!¡±


    ¡°You have to start learning basic skills when you¡¯re young, it¡¯s toote for you now. Without putting in the hard work, it would just be fancy moves. If you want to learn self-defense, I can teach you a few emergency moves.¡±


    Tao Xingxing shook Ming Jing¡¯s arm excitedly, ¡°I will study hard!¡±


    Tao Xingxing lost interest in shopping after the altercation with the girls. She bought two cups of milk tea and handed one to Ming Jing, ¡°This ce has exceptionally good cheese cream.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the milk tea in her hand, momentarily stunned.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯ve never had milk tea before, have you?¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, Tao Xingxing regretted it. Of course, Ming Jing, who grew up in the mountains, had never had milk tea. What a stupid thing to say!


    Fortunately, Ming Jing didn¡¯t overthink it and took a sip with the straw, her eyes squinting happily.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Tao Xingxing also smiled, ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll go shopping every weekend, and I¡¯ll take you to eat all over Jiangzhou City.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Now let¡¯s go have dinner. Fu Xiang Zhai¡¯s roast duck is amazing. To celebrate getting the tickets to Qu Feitai¡¯s concert, dinner is on me.¡± With that, she strode toward the seventh floor with Ming Jing in tow..

 Chapter 61 - 61: 055 Sins (first update)

    Chapter 61: 055 Sins (first update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Fu Xiang Zhai¡¯s roast duck really lives up to its reputation.¡± Tao Xingxing covered her round belly, a satisfied expression on her face.


    As the two walked out of Fu Xiang Zhai¡¯s entrance, a thought seemed to cross Tao Xingxing¡¯s mind, and her little face suddenly fell.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to gain five pounds when I weigh myself tomorrow morning, it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    She nced at Ming Jing beside her and snorted, ¡°I treated you to roast duck, and all you did was drink water on the side. How could you resist such a delicious roast duck? No wonder you¡¯re so thin; it¡¯s not something ordinary people can aplish.¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°I don¡¯t have dinner to lose weight.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± Tao Xingxing suddenly remembered the rumor that Ming Jing had grown up in the Nunnery.


    She felt a bit distressed, ¡°But didn¡¯t you return toy life already? It¡¯s okay to eat a little.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°I¡¯ve developed this habit over the years, besides, the desires of the mouth and the stomach are endless.¡±


    Tao Xingxing looked at her, suddenly feeling somewhat ashamed, and quickly smiled slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re really a fairy, feeling full just by drinking dew. I¡¯m not the same, my goal is to taste all the delicious food in the world.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting fat?¡±


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m fat? I¡¯m clearly plump. I have breasts and a buttocks. It¡¯s the modern aesthetic that¡¯s distorted. If I lived in the Tang Dynasty, even Yang Guifei would have to stand aside.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded, ¡°Confident women are the most beautiful.¡±


    As the two walked out of the mall, it was already dark outside. Tao Xingxing asked, ¡°Ming Jing, how are you getting home?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early, I¡¯ll take the subway.¡±


    ¡°My mom is attending a social event nearby and will be here to pick me up soon. Why don¡¯t I ask her to drive you home? It¡¯s sote, there must be a lot of people on the subway.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, ¡°No need, it¡¯s too far out of the way for you both.¡±


    As they spoke, a ck Audi stopped on the opposite side of the road, and the driver¡¯s window slid down. An exquisite middle-aged woman waved at them frnn? ineidp


    Tao Xingxing said to Ming Jing, ¡°My mom¡¯s here to pick me up. I¡¯ll leave first. Send me a message when you get home.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you go ahead.¡±


    Tao Xingxing waved her hand, crossed the traffic, and climbed into the back seat of the car.


    The woman¡¯s gaze seemed to pass through the surging traffic and boundless night, looking at Ming Jing.


    She quickly raised the car window, started the car, and disappeared into the flow of traffic.


    Ming Jing stood still for a while, feeling the breeze, and then slowly walked toward the subway entrance.


    ¡°Xingxing, is that your ssmate?¡± Wu Jiaqi asked while driving.


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s fingers flew quickly over her phone screen, moving so gracefully. Without looking up, she said, ¡°Yep, she¡¯s the real heiress of the Zhu family.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi was taken aback, ¡°The real heiress of the Zhu family? Are you close to her?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ming Jing is really outstanding. Last time, she ranked first in the monthly exam, and she¡¯s great at fighting too. Today, while shopping, a girl bullied me, and Ming Jing stepped in. The girl left in a huff, it was so cool¡­¡± Mentioning Ming Jing, Tao Xingxing started chattering nonstop, even forgetting to y her game.


    ¡°Really? She¡¯s quite an impressive child.¡±


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t the Zhu family send a driver to pick her up thiste?¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t even mention it. Her parents are so biased, and only care about that fake heiress. But Ming Jing doesn¡¯t seem to care.¡±


    ¡°Poor girl. Since she¡¯s your good friend, invite her over for dinner when you have time. ¡±


    Themercial area is bustling at night, with bright lights everywhere and people weaving in and out. It¡¯s even more lively than during the day.


    The faint sound of Erhu drifted through the air, out of ce amidst the bustling city.


    Ming Jing saw a crowd gathered around a square not far away, from which the sound of the Erhu came.


    Ming Jing walked over, and around her, people were scattered in groups. A man in his seventies sat on the ground, eyes closed, ying the Erhu with abandon.


    An open box in front of him held some scattered change: fifty-cent and one-yuan coins, as well as one-yuan and five-yuan bills.


    Erquan Yingyue, it wasn¡¯t Ming Jing¡¯s first time hearing it. She had been to the National Grand Theater to listen to well-known artists perform it live. Though their skills were impable, their performances ultimately remained exquisite art pieces.


    But this lonely old man, sitting on the street cornerte at night¡ªhis technique might not be as exquisite, and he even made a few mistakes, but¡­ Ming Jing looked around. Many people¡¯s eyes were red, and one woman was even sobbing uncontrobly..

 Chapter 62 - 62: 055 Sin (One More)_2

    Chapter 62: 055 Sin (One More)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    At its deepest point, it was heartrending and distressing; as the passion surged, it took on the poignant bitterness of righteous indignation. In the end, everything settled down into tranquil calm, apanied by a wider understanding of life and fate¡¯s yful hand. Destiny hit me with suffering, yet I answered with a song.


    The experiences that truly touch the soul are personal ones. Those times of weeping, struggling, and being tormented through sleepless nights¡ªthese too are smoothed over with time. Only now do I sit here, telling my tale as carefree as a gentle breeze.


    The listeners might be reminded of their own lives, might empathize, or feel as if they were there. However, the originator of these stories now sits calm andposed, like a peaceful spring.


    The final note dissipates, and sobs rise around the room. The old man opens his eyes. His pupils are pallid and focus on nothing, creating an unnerving sight against the darkness of the night.


    A gasp passes through the crowd. He appears to be blind.


    Pity swells in their hearts.


    At this point, even the most heartless wouldn¡¯t simply turn their backs and leave. But in today¡¯s society, who carries physical cash anymore? Not a single cent is found after patting down their pockets. The thought of mobile payment crossed their minds, but the blind man doesn¡¯t have a QR code. As their sympathy gradually waned, so too did the impulse to donate.


    Eventually, a few older people threw whatever change they had into his open case.


    In the fric society of today, emotions arrive swiftly before departing just as abruptly. Soon, the crowd disperses until there are none left.


    Only two figures remain, stark against the surroundings.


    An old erhu yer and a tall, slender young man. One is standing, the other seated, their silhouettes elongated on the ground by the streetlights above. Ming Jing crosses the street to a convenience store and returns with a bag in her hand.


    The old man fumbles to his feet, packs away his erhu, and starts to leave.


    The blind man¡¯s hearing far surpasses the ordinary. He hears footsteps drawing near and stops to listen attentively.


    He hears the rustle of a stic bag set beside him.


    A gentle, youthful female voice murmurs into his ear. ¡°To understand what caused this life, look at who suffers in it. To predict the fruit of the next life, examine the actions of this one.¡±


    What ultimately decides a person¡¯s destiny?


    Even Buddha himself might notprehend it fully.


    Buddhism proposes the concept of karma and the cycle of reincarnation, attributing the suffering in your life to deeds from a past one. You can be liberated from this cycle through devotion and enlightenment.


    But for those struggling desperately at the bottom of society, these concepts feel too distant. Meeting the immediate need for food is what really matters.


    The old man¡¯s lips quivered. After some time, he croaked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand these grand principles. I¡¯ve lived a whole lifetime, seen the ups and downs of life, tasted the sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy. I do not believe in reincarnation; all I want is to live well. To have food each day, a bed to sleep in, sunshine to bask in, an erhu to y, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    A childlike grin spread across his wrinkled face.


    ¡°Many pity me, despise me, see me as a wretched old blind man who would be better off dead than alive. But I think, if the heavens will have me live, there must be a reason. Whether living or dying, we all need to breathe, so might as well live and see what else the heavens throw at me.¡±


    With a smile, the old man shouldered his erhu and bent down to lift the bag. ¡°Thank you, youngdy. I won¡¯t hold back, now it seems I won¡¯t go hungry these next few days.¡±


    With that, he turned and ambled off, moving slowly but purposefully with each step.


    Ming Jing stood alone in the night air for a long time.


    Was her past life filled with sufferinq?


    So much so that it could be likened to hell.


    She wed her way out of that hell and at the moment she opened her eyes, she saw the Buddha.


    Buddha said her life was sinful and that she needed to spend it atoning for those sins.


    She was confused. While Buddha preached equality among all beings, why was she born sinful?


    Was it simply because her hands were once coated in blood? But for that, she had already paid a terrible price.


    After twelve years of devotion and contemtion, she found greater peace, her nightmares grew more infrequent, but her confusion never disappeared.


    Unconsciously, she continued walking. The streets grew emptier, the cars fewer, only the streetlights kept herpany. She walked alone, through the deste streets ofte-night.


    Madam Zhou called, asking why she hadn¡¯t returned home yet, had something happened?


    Against the deste backdrop of Ming Jing¡¯s heart ran a faint current of warmth. She responded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m on the way, tell grandma to get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Please, stay safe on your way home, miss.¡±


    After the call with Madam Zhou, several men appeared around a corner ahead, cigarettes hanging from their lips, leering at Ming Jing.


    ¡°Hey sweetheart, why are you wandering the streets thiste? Are you feeling lonely? Do you want thepany of us ¡®big brothers¡¯?¡± The man¡¯s lewd expressions were mirrored by hispanions around him, not even bothering to hide the malicious intent in their gazes..

 Chapter 63 - 63: 055 Sin (One More)_3

    Chapter 63: 055 Sin (One More)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    The girl was entirely enveloped in the shadows, only a tall and thin silhouette was visible.


    At that moment, the street light above flickered, and everyone¡¯s heart involuntarily tightened.


    The girl walked out of the shadows, and for an instant, even the moonlight seemed to dim.


    A few men leered at her face, ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful. That woman didn¡¯t lie to us.


    Tonight, we can have a great time.¡±


    Ming Jing seemed to ignore them and continued to walk straight ahead.


    The men looked at each other, wondering if the girl was blind.


    As she walked past them, they instinctively stepped aside, opening a path for her. When she was almost out of sight, they finally reacted, cursing and quickly catching up to her.


    A man reached out to grab Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, but just as his hand was about to touch her, it seemed as if she had eyes on her back. She grabbed his wrist, twisted it lightly, and the next moment, a pig-like scream filled the air.


    Ming Jing turned and kicked the man¡¯s stomach, sending him flying like a cut kite. He crashed into another man who was chasing after him, and the two fell to the ground, looking pathetic.


    The other six men were stunned. The man on the ground, infuriated and frightened, pointed at Ming Jing and shouted, ¡°Get her! I¡¯ll disown her if I don¡¯t kill her today!¡±


    The girl stood indifferently, her beautiful eyes as calm as water, her gorgeous face emotionless. Her pretty eyes seemed deeper and more mysterious than the night behind her, as if hiding some unknown danger.


    Her pure white dress fluttered gently in the night wind, making her look like a ghost, mysterious and enigmatic.


    The men felt chills down their spines from the girl¡¯s strange demeanor. She was so beautiful, and so powerful¡­Could she be a ghost?


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Get her! Are you big men really afraid of a little girl?¡± The man roared. The others hesitated no more and charged at her.


    The man initially smiled triumphantly, but gradually his face grew paler and paler.


    In the darkness, the only sh of white moved as though a phantom. In the blink of an eye, the six meny on the ground, wailing in pain.


    He hadn¡¯t even seen how she had attacked them.


    The girl emerged from the shadows, and he realized she made no sound when she walked. A chill ran through him, thinking they had encountered a ghost.


    ncing at the girl¡¯s shadow, he eased his breath, relieved.


    He instinctively retreated, but the girl approached relentlessly, ¡°You¡­you stay away¡­¡±


    He fumbled in his back pocket for a dagger and pointed it at Ming Jing, ¡°I¡¯m warning you to stay away, or I-I won¡¯t be polite!¡± His voice was full of uncertainty.¡±, tranext_generation¡± >


    He closed his eyes and let out a roar before charging at her.


    The next moment, his body was sent flying, and the dagger nked onto the ground.


    Ming Jing picked up the dagger, walked to the man, and crouched down. The de rested on his neck.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡±


    The man clenched his jaw, his eyes filled with anger and fear as they stared at the girl before him.


    The de moved downwards, tracing from his neck to his heart, then continued down, ¡°This is the heart, this is the stomach, this is the liver. Hmm¡­ here are therge and small intestines¡­¡±


    Her voice was soft and gentle, but the man¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    ¡°Do you know how to make a corpse? First, drain all the blood from a person¡¯s body, then remove all their internal organs¡­ Soak them in turpentine and medicine for forty-nine days¡­¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare. That¡¯s murder¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice trembled.


    The girl smiled sweetly, like an innocent child. She stretched out her slender and fair left hand, ¡°Do you know how much blood my hands have touched? Let me tell you a secret.¡±


    She whispered into the man¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ve killed more people than the salt you¡¯ve eaten. ¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in terror, as if he had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a momentary pain. Just bear with it, and it¡¯ll be over,¡± the girl said nonchntly, but the man was so scared that he wet his pants.


    She had a beautiful face as enchanting as the spring and autumn, and a gentle, melodious voice, but at this moment, she appeared more terrifying than a ghoul and more horrifying than a demon in the man¡¯s eyes.


    The girl wrinkled her nose in disgust, looking like a petnt little girl. And somehow, he found her adorable at this moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll tell you everything. Liu Shengnan asked us to teach you a lesson.


    We¡¯ve been following you since you left the mall. We didn¡¯t mean anything else. Please spare us, we won¡¯t dare to do it again,¡± he begged..

 Chapter 64 - 64: 055 Sin (One More)_4

    Chapter 64: 055 Sin (One More)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    The young girl gently frowned, ¡°Liu Shengnan?


    ¡°She¡¯s one of Ran Tenghui¡¯s girlfriends, in vocational high school, often fights with people off-campus, so Ran Tenghui let us protect her.¡±


    ¡°Ran Tenghui?¡±


    The man nodded vigorously.


    Ming Jing smiled, probably understanding the situation.


    The most poisonous thing in the world is the human heart. Because of some conflicts, people are treated like this. Facing eight young delinquents, it¡¯s clear to see what a beautiful young girl would encounter.


    ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡±


    The man hurriedly nodded. How dare he refuse?


    ¡°Sister Nan, per your instructions, everything¡¯s settled.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice trembled on the other end of the phone.


    Liu Shengnan, painting her nails, didn¡¯t notice and couldn¡¯t help sounding smug, ¡°Thank you for the hard work. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll put in a good word for you in front of Ran Tenghui. How¡¯s that bitch doing?


    ¡°How do you want her to be, Sister Nan?¡±


    Liu Shengnan didn¡¯t want to make things too serious, ¡°Just teach her a lesson for now. If you like her, you can keep her for yourself. The girl does have some looks. Aren¡¯t you tempted?¡±


    ¡°Sister Nan, you¡¯re joking! Oh, by the way, I heard from some of my subordinates this afternoon that Ran Tenghui seems to have been injured and is in the hospital. Do you know about that?¡±


    The person on the phone was shocked, their voice suddenly raised by an octave, ¡°What? Injured? What happened?¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t know? It seemed like he fell off a horse at the equestrian club this afternoon and got seriously hurt.¡± ¡°Which hospital is he in? I¡¯ll visit him tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find out and let you know, wait for my news.¡±


    Qian Wei hung up the phone and secretly nced at the young girl in front of him.


    ¡°Very well, see you tomorrow.¡±


    As she gracefully got up, the young girl took a wet wipe out of her bag and slowly wiped each finger with gentle, elegant movements. However, after what just happened, he only thought the young girl was too terrifying.


    With a light flick of her hand, the crumpled wet wipe floated into the trash bin. Qian Wei sat in the darkness, watching the young girl¡¯s increasingly distant figure.


    His younger brother crawled over, holding his stomach, ¡°Bro, what does she really want?¡±


    Qian Wei thought for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°If we be her henchmen, will Sister Nan report us to Ran Tenghui?¡±


    Qian Wei nced at him, ¡°Who do you think we are? Ran Tenghui has too much on his te to even remember our names. We are just small fries in Baihu Hall.


    As for Liu Shengnan, do you know how many girlfriends Ran Tenghui has? She¡¯s just the most inconspicuous one. At first, he¡¯s infatuated with the novelty, but he¡¯ll gradually get bored. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t she know about his injury? The rtionship between that woman just now and Ran Tenghui is definitely not ordinary. We¡¯ll observe and see.¡±


    The men helped each other limp away, stumbling as they went.


    ¡°Damn, that woman was too ruthless, I feel like my organs are disced.¡±


    ¡°Shush, be careful she hears you¡­¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have supersonic hearing, what¡¯s there to be afraid of¡­¡±


    When Ming Jing arrived at the Zhu¡¯s house, it was almost eleven o¡¯clock, and the lights in the living room were bright.


    Lin Qing was sitting on the living room sofa. When she saw Ming Jing enter, her lips twitched, ¡°Go wash up and sleep.¡±


    With that, she wrapped her cloak tighter and went upstairs.


    Madam Zhou took the bag from Ming Jing¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Madam asked me to call you; she¡¯s been sitting in the living room since dinner. Despite not saying anything, deep down she¡¯s worried about you, Miss.¡±


    Ming Jing went back to her room without a word for the night.


    The next day, Monday, Lin Qing left after eating breakfast and taking a call.


    Before leaving, she told Ming Jing, ¡°Don¡¯t take the subway anymore. I¡¯m giving you one of my cars and hiring a driver specifically to pick you up. From now on, let him follow you when you go out.¡±


    Ming Jing hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Lin Qing. Lin Qing left the living room without looking back.


    In the short period of time, she seemed to have aged quite a bit, her delicate makeup failing to hide her haggard appearance.


    Her son got into trouble, her husband cheated, and her two daughters had their own problems. This once incredibly proud woman gradually started topromise with fate.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was quieter than ever today. After finishing breakfast, she picked up her school bag and left.


    Lin Qing had two cars: a red Ferrari, fashionable and cool, and a white BMW X5, elegant and low-key.


    She gave the BMW to Ming Jing.


    Standing beside the BMW was a young man who immediately bowed respectfully when he saw here out.


    ¡°Hello, Miss. I¡¯m your new driver, A Qing. I will serve you from now on.¡± With that, he walked over and opened the rear door of the car..

 Chapter 65 - 65: 055 Sin (One More)_5

    Chapter 65: 055 Sin (One More)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing squinted slightly, quietly watching him.


    The man couldn¡¯t help but raise his head, secretly winking at her and raising his voice, ¡°Miss, please get in the car.¡±


    Ming Jing bent down and got in.


    The man secretly breathed a sigh of relief, walked around the front of the car, sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and drove away.


    There was silence in the car.


    After a while, Ming Jing said faintly, ¡°Your disguise is pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I knew I couldn¡¯t fool your eyes, pretending to be a man is exhausting.¡± The rough male voice just now instantly turned into a charming and brisk female voice, belonging to the driver.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    ¡°You are A Yu¡¯s daughter, so naturally, you are also my daughter. I will take good care of you from now on, and we will n our revenge slowly together.¡± Ming Jing wanted tough; clever people are like this, only believing what they think.


    But she couldn¡¯tugh, and instead sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s beneath you to be my driver?¡±


    ¡°When performing tasks in the past, I¡¯ve even been a mistress, so this isn¡¯t a humiliation at all. Protecting you is something I¡¯m more than willing to do. A Yu would be overjoyed to know that you¡¯re still alive and well.¡±


    Her tone was very casual as she spoke andughed.


    ¡°I used to joke with A Yu that if we both had children, we¡¯d be inws. Now it¡¯se true; I have a son, and she has a daughter, but my son is too young, so he can only be your brother.¡±


    Zheng Qing looked at the girl through the rearview mirror, her eyes curving into a smile. She had always had a cold demeanor, and this was almost the first time Zheng Qing had seen her smile.


    Zheng Qing was stunned, thinking that the girl truly was A Yu¡¯s daughter. She had the same little habit of smiling, just like A Yu, with an understated, demure charm.


    ¡°Is your current identity safe?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t spent all these years for nothing. The highest realm of disguise is recing someone; a person cannotpletely disappear from the world, but if she bes someone else, even the opposite sex, it will be like finding a needle in a haystack for those people.¡±


    ¡°However, due to time constraints, there are still some loose ends. I¡¯ll handle them in the next few days.¡±


    Zheng Qing nced at the rearview mirror, ¡°Can you tell me about your life before?¡±


    There was one thing she didn¡¯t understand: with Ming Jing¡¯s young age, she seemed to know everything, as though A Yu had told her everything before dying. But back then, Ming Jing should still have been a baby, or maybe A Yu left some message? For example, recording all her stories to give to Ming Jing, so that when she grew up, she would discover everything and avenge her mother?


    The year A Yu died, Zheng Qing was on an overseas assassination mission, so she wasn¡¯t sure about the specifics. However, A Yu once had a lover, and she agreed to leave the organization for their sake, exchanging her final mission for a life together.


    Zheng Qing wasn¡¯t sure about the details, but she had some guesses.


    She felt that all the mysteries were rted to Ming Jing, and that there should be answers.


    At lunch, Ming Jing had just eaten a few bites when a shadow fell in front of her, and a man sat down across from her.


    The cafeteria was immediately abuzz, and countless pairs of eyes focused on them.


    Ming Jing looked up. Jiang Jinchen opened a medicine bag and said to Ming


    Jing, ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    Ming Jing had already removed the gauze on her hand, and when Jiang Jinchen saw it, his brow was furrowed tightly enough to kill a fly.


    He nced at Ming Jing and didn¡¯t say anything, making her feel pressured. Ming Jing pursed her lips, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    The wound had already scabbed over, the tender red scar on her delicate palm looking particrly eye-catching.


    Jiang Jinchen carefully applied the medicine, blew on it gently, and once it dried, he decided not to wrap it in gauze again.


    Tao Xingxing focused on her own thoughts, trying to minimize her presence while keeping her senses sharp to catch any gossip.


    Jiang Jinchen applied the medicine and left. As soon as he left, the whole cafeteria erupted. Jiang Jinchen had always had a cold demeanor, not even sparing a nce at the school¡¯s popr girls. Now, however, he was carefully applying medicine to a girl¡¯s hand.


    What did this mean?


    Everyone wasn¡¯t stupid. Some took pictures and posted them on the forum; some were jealous, ring at Ming Jing, and some even started cursing in excitement.


    Tao Xingxing blinked, ¡°I always thought that Jiang liked Zhu Xiangxiang. It¡¯s nice that he¡¯s turned over a new leaf and remains a good love interest.¡±


    After school, Tao Xingxing walked out of the school gate with Ming Jing. After an afternoon of fermenting, Ming Jing¡¯s departure from school was the center of attention.


    With countless pairs of eyes on her, Ming Jing got into a BMW car, leaving the girls full of sorrow and envy. They suddenly remembered that she was the rich heiress of the Zhus. Looking at their own old cars, they sighed.


    After getting in the car, Ming Jing said, ¡°Go to Nanjing Road.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised her eyebrows, and the car made a beautiful drift, turning onto another road..

 Chapter 66 - 66: 056 Stopping Evil (Second Update)

    Chapter 66: 056 Stopping Evil (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Why is it so remote? Is it one of those Putian affiliated hospitals?¡± Liu Shengnan looked at the disy on her phone¡¯s navigation, showing that the hospital where Ran Tenghui was staying was nearby.


    But this was a dead-end street.


    ¡°Sister Nan, could Qian Wei be wrong? If Ran Tenghui is injured, he should be in a big hospital,¡± Du Juan said, touching her dirty braids.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give Ran Tenghui a call and ask?¡±


    Liu Shengnan¡¯s face was slightly unnatural. ¡°His phone should be out of battery and turned off.¡±


    Ever sincest night, she had not been able to contact Ran Tenghui. Whenever this happened, she knew that Ran Tenghui did not want her to find him, probably because he was with one of his girlfriends.


    She, too, was just one of those girlfriends.


    She had to find Ran Tenghui and warn those women not to be delusional about eating swan meat as toads; Ran Tenghui was hers.


    Suddenly, arge piece of ck cloth fell from above their heads, covering both Liu Shengnan and Du Juan. Both of them shrieked in unison.


    Four men jumped down from the wall, each of them standing in a corner and exchanging looks.


    They proceeded to punch and kick the two people covered with ck cloth.


    The two screamed for help, ¡°Save us¡­!¡±


    Their fists rained down like torrential rain, and soon the two could only moan and were unable to speak.


    A white BMW pulled up quietly at the mouth of the alley, effectively blocking the exit.


    The car window was half down, revealing the girl¡¯s calm and beautiful side profile.


    Zheng Qing clicked his tongue, ¡°How ruthless. Is this the consequence of messing with you?¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have the ability to protect myself, what you would be seeing today would be my corpse. Some people are born evil and cannot be taught, so the only way is to fight evil with evil.¡±


    Zheng Qing nced at her, ¡°Weren¡¯t you raised a Buddhist? Outsiders say how kind and generous you are,passionate. They should see what you¡¯re like now.¡±


    The girl¡¯s white fingertips turned the Buddhist beads, her eyes as ethereal as mist.


    ¡°Everyone has to pay the price for their actions, and I have my own karmic consequences. ¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I like your temper. You¡¯re just like your mother, always seeking revenge.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.


    The battle quickly ended. One of the men spat viciously, ¡°Liu Shengnan, you¡¯ve done so much evil that even the heavens can¡¯t stand it anymore! They sent us to punish you. If you still don¡¯t repent, let your parents prepare for losing a child.¡±


    With those words, he deftly jumped back onto the wall and disappeared.


    The two huddled on the ground, the ck cloth still covering them, for a long time the only sound was their sobbing.


    Ming Jing looked away and raised the car window, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Liu Shengnan lifted the ck cloth covering her body, struggling to sit up. Her face was white as a ghost, but there were no injuries on her face.


    Du Juany on the ground, utterly without strength to get up, ¡°Nan¡­ Nan¡­ Who¡­ Have you¡­ Offended?¡± Her words were halting and broken.


    Liu Shengnan gritted her teeth, ¡°How would I know?¡± With that, she covered her chest and gasped for air.


    ¡°Once I find out who it is, I¡¯ll skin her alive.¡±


    Lately, Zhu Xiangxiang had be invisible, whether at school or at the Zhu¡¯s. Once proud and gentle, she had grown more and more silent.


    After school, she walked out and saw her ck Volkswagen, her face darkening.


    A few days ago, Lin Qing had given his newly-bought BMW X5 to Ming Jing, along with a dedicated driver.


    She had been using this Volkswagen since she started junior high, for five years now. Lin Qing never thought of getting her a new car.


    What was she still hoping for? Zhu Xiangxiangughed mockingly at herself.


    As she got in the car, her phone made a sound.


    ¡ªMiss Zhu, do you want to have a cup of coffee? The person who sent the message was Zhou Ling.


    Zhou Ling somehow got a hold of her WeChat ount and added her proactively.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t want to have too many interactions with her initially, but she unknowingly epted her invitation that day.


    Treat me to coffee? Are you that kind-hearted?


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered but ignored the message.


    Ding! The other party sent another message¡ªA location at Huaqiang Square¡¯s popr caf¨¦.


    As the car flowed into traffic, Zhu Xiangxiang dreaded facing Ming Jing and Lin Qing and felt the pressure. She instructed the driver, ¡°Go to Huaqiang Square.¡±


    ¡°Miss, Sir is back. He¡¯s on the second floor.¡± Ming Jing returned from school, and Madam Zhou pointed towards the second floor.


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°How is Grandma doing?¡±


    ¡°Very well. She drank the medicine you gave, and her health is improving day by day. Now she can eat two bowls of rice per meal..¡±

 Chapter 67 - 67: 056 Stop Evil (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 67: 056 Stop Evil (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Wentao came down from upstairs, carrying a luggage bag that should have a few sets of clothes inside.


    Seeing Ming Jing, he unconsciously paused and said, ¡°School¡¯s over.¡±


    As a father, Zhu Wentao was very unqualified. This was probably the first time he had asked Ming Jing voluntarily.


    Ming Jing looked at him quietly.


    Zhu Wentao seemed guilty, coughing to cover it up, ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± Madam Zhou replied, ¡°Sir, the youngdy doesn¡¯t eat dinner.¡±


    Zhu Wentao suddenly remembered her rule of not eating after noon.


    His face turned even more awkward.


    ¡°I have to go on a business trip. Behave at home and take care of your grandmother.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.


    Zhu Wentao appreciated her obedience and was about to leave when Granny Zhu came out of the bedroom in her wheelchair.


    With a cold face, she said, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    With that, she turned her wheelchair around and returned to the bedroom.


    Zhu Wentao reluctantly followed her, closing the door behind him.


    Madam Zhou knew what the olddy wanted to talk to her husband about, and sighed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to cherish it in this good home, man. He¡¯ll regret it in the future.¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Where is he going on his business trip?¡±


    ¡°How would I know such a thing as a wife?¡±


    ncing around, Madam Zhou whispered, ¡°He said it was a business trip, but maybe he is going on a honeymoon with that mistress of his. Poor Madam.¡±


    Not long after, Zhu Wentao opened the door and walked out with a gloomy face, not even ncing at the two of them before leaving with his luggage.


    Soon after, a cry of surprise came from the bedroom, ¡°Madam, Madam, what happened to you?¡±


    After the injection, Granny Zhu¡¯splexion improved, and her breathing became more steady.


    Madam Zhou anxiously asked, ¡°Youngdy, is the olddy okay?¡±


    ¡°It was a fainting spell caused by anger. Just rest well and don¡¯t get angry again.¡±


    The olddy gradually woke up and suddenly grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Ming


    Jing, Granny is sorry.¡±


    Ming Jing sat on the bedside and tucked in her quilt, ¡°What have you done wrong?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t manage your father properly, and let him fool around outside. Now our Zhu family has be a joke.¡±


    ¡°You can control him for a moment, but can you control him for a lifetime? If a person bes greedy, even nine bulls couldn¡¯t pull him back. Don¡¯t punish yourself for someone else¡¯s mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, you are a sensible child. Granny doesn¡¯t ask much of you, just that you protect your mother and brother when necessary. As for your father, I don¡¯t have any expectations. Your mother ¡­ she actually loves you, she just feels guilty and can¡¯t face you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Get some rest and stop thinking about these things.¡±


    Ming Jing walked out of the bedroom and returned to her room when a figure jumped in through the window.


    Zheng Qing looked around the room, ¡°Unbelievable that this is a young girl¡¯s bedroom. Are you even human?¡±


    It was cold in the room¡ªa single word.


    Even a disy house wasn¡¯t this exaggerated.


    Ming Jing nced at her, picked up her pajamas, and went into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water sshing could be heard.


    Zheng Qing leaned against the door, folded her arms, and said, ¡°Your father is so disposable, seriously! Living together with that mistress of his, who isn¡¯t an easy one either. Both are partners in crime. If you don¡¯t prepare yourself, don¡¯t me me for not warning you when you get kicked out.¡±


    Ming Jing walked out of the bathroom, and Zheng Qing subconsciously straightened her body, staring at Ming Jing.


    It was her first time seeing Ming Jing¡¯s bald head, quite shocking. She couldn¡¯t find her voice for a while, ¡°My Ming Jing, you¡¯ve suffered all these years. Such a fine girl ruined like this.¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°That Mr. Zhou, can you check him out when you have time? I met him at the banquetst time, and he seemed intriguing.¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll dig up his 18 generations for you.¡±


    Ming Jingy down to sleep, and Zheng Qing eximed in surprise. Ming Jing frowned at her.


    What¡¯s all the fuss about?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you putting on skincare?¡±


    Ming Jing was speechless, ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a girl, and girls need to take care of their skin! Over time, you¡¯ll have ckheads, freckles,rge pores, and your face will be greasy


    Ming Jing remembered that Zheng Qing was a strange girl who would cry over a single pimple on her face. Her greatest achievement was drinking some water from a shrine, iming it was more effective than applying externally ¡­


    ¡°I have good skin. I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do, even the most basic sunscreen is necessary. You can mess around for now, but when you get older, all the money in the world won¡¯t help. Skincare should start young. You¡¯re still small, so natural is better..¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68: 056 Stop Evil (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 68: 056 Stop Evil (Second Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    She stole two cucumbers from the kitchen, sliced them, and ced the slices on Ming Jing¡¯s face: ¡°Cucumbers have the best hydrating effect. When you wake up in the morning, your skin will definitely not feel tight.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at her alluring face without any disguise. This was her true self.


    She was only thirty-four years old, but there were already fine lines around her eyes.


    Zheng Qing noticed Ming Jing staring at her, and she touched her face: ¡°In the entertainment industry, there isn¡¯t a single female star who takes better care of her skin than I do. Unfortunately, after giving birth, I seemed to age overnight, and even the most expensive cosmetics can¡¯t make up for it.¡±


    Sheughed while saying that, her eyes shining, ¡°But I don¡¯t regret having him at all.¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s expression turned serious: ¡°Starting from now, I¡¯ll teach you all my skincare secrets. You must not waste your natural beauty, and as for your hair, thick ck long hair is a must-have for a beautiful woman. In this aspect, I¡¯m the master.¡± She confidently flicked her own hair while saying that.


    Ming Jing closed her eyes and began to meditate.


    Then, she slipped out through the window.


    Nighttime was her true world.


    ¡°Wentao, I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult position. Let¡¯s¡­break up.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Zhu Wentao sped her shoulders with both hands, looking down into her eyes.


    ¡°Never say that again.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to live secretly like this anymore. I want to be openly by your side. I know that¡¯s a luxury, and that Madame has suffered with you through thick and thin. I can¡¯tpare to her in your heart. I¡¯m well aware of that, so I¡¯m choosing to step back.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face disyed a mix of grievance, struggle, and relief ¨C perfect proportions of each emotion.


    Men are easily swayed by this, especially sessful men like Zhu Wentao, who haven¡¯t had much experience with women. He gently held Zhou Ling: ¡°Can you give me a little more time? I promise I¡¯ll give you a grand wedding.¡±


    In an angle the man couldn¡¯t see, the woman¡¯s mouth curled into a brief and triumphant smile.


    The woman wrapped her arms around his waist and softly said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you one more time.¡±


    After discussing their rtionship, it was time to talk about work.


    One of the main reasons Zhou Ling could quickly capture his heart was that she helped him share the workload and contributed ideas, effectively solving many of Zhu Wentao¡¯s worries.


    ¡°Has that bastard Qian been found yet?¡±


    Zhu Wentao shook his head; the bastard had fled to another country.


    ¡°The scandal involving Shengda is about to be exposed, and the consequences of the leak will be unimaginable. We need to be prepared to deal with it, or else the stock price will plummet, and the shareholders will cause trouble, making it hard for you to maintain your position as chairman.¡±


    Zhu Wentao said gravely, ¡°I founded thepany single-handedly and have weathered storms over the years. This time won¡¯t be an exception.¡±


    ¡°This time is different. You lost a lot of money on that project in Nanshan, and the shareholders are already very dissatisfied. They¡¯re just waiting for you to make another mistake so that they can use it as a pretext to oust you.¡± Zhu Wentao¡¯s expression grew darker.


    ¡°I heard that Secretary Wang has been trying to contact Shen Ke?¡±


    Zhu Wentao coughed, ¡°This Shen Ke is just an assistant, but he acts as if he¡¯s the boss.¡±


    Zhou Lingughed, ¡°Although he¡¯s technically Shen Zhou¡¯s assistant, he¡¯s also Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s adopted son and Shen Zhou¡¯s brother. He¡¯s very capable and cunning. Without him, Shen Zhou wouldn¡¯t have achieved what he¡¯s got today.¡±


    ¡°Am I supposed to ask him myself? As a boss, do I still need any face?¡±


    Zhou Ling helplessly said, ¡°People who achieve great things don¡¯t bother about trivial matters. However, I have a way to meet Shen Zhou without denting your pride. Shall we proceed?¡±


    Zhu Wentao looked surprised, ¡°Secretary Wang can¡¯t even arrange a meeting, so what can you do?¡±


    ¡°I have an acquaintance who¡¯s from the same hometown as me and works for the Shens. I asked about it, and Elder Theodore Shelby has been hospitalized recently. Shen Zhou, being a filial son, spends all his time at the hospital.¡±


    Shen Zhou had been very secretive about the news, so hardly anyone in Manjiangzhou knew about it.


    Zhu Wentao pondered on her words, ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­?¡±


    Zhou Ling smiled gently, ¡°I¡¯ve done all I can to help. The rest is up to you.¡± Zhu Wentao gave her a resentful kiss, ¡°You¡¯re trulv mv luckv star.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby was not used to hospital life and he caused a ruckus to be discharged.


    Shen Zhou wouldn¡¯t allow it and stayed with him every day in the hospital room.


    Elder Shelby couldn¡¯t stand idleness and loved being active. Although Shen Zhou had arranged two private drivers for him, he preferred to take the subway, saying it made him feel more alive. Every morning, he would take the subway to the park to practice tai chi with a group of elderly men and women.


    ording to Shen Ke, Elder Shelby had be close to an olddy there. Having been kept away for so long, he must have been itching to return.


    Shen Zhou was slicing an apple while Elder Shelby ate an apple and grumbled in his hospital bed.


    ¡°By the way, have you found the girl who saved me yet?¡± Elder Shelby took the apple and bit down hard.


    Shen Zhou sighed, ¡°Slow down. Nobody¡¯speting with you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still looking for her. There¡¯s a lead, so let¡¯s wait a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. When she¡¯s found, I want to recognize her as my goddaughter. I liked her the moment I saw her¡ªwe¡¯re connected as father and daughter.¡±


    Shen Zhou had a headache, ¡°Dad, look at your age. She¡¯s just a teenage girl.


    Even being her grandfather would seem too old.¡±


    Elder Shelby stubbornly said, ¡°Where am I old? I¡¯m so energetic; I can eat and run. Besides, who cares what others think about me recognizing a goddaughter?¡±


    Upon finishing his sentence, he looked displeased at his son. ¡°You¡¯re still a bachelor, and all my old friends keep unting their children and grandchildren. Now they¡¯re even showing off great-grandchildren. Do you Imow how embarrassed I am in front of them? I feel like a loser. Why did fate deal me such a difficult hand?¡±


    ¡°What if I find the girl and recognize her as my daughter? That way, you¡¯d also have a god-granddaughter, and people wouldn¡¯t gossip.¡±


    Suddenly needing to ept a much younger sibling was something even he couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°No. If you suddenly recognize a daughter now, people will think even weirder things about a bachelor like you.¡±


    Shen Zhou was speechless.


    Elder Shelby took out his phone and yed the video that he had watched countless times. Hemented as he watched, ¡°My daughter is amazing. When I take her out in the future, she¡¯ll definitely make those old turtles blow their tops in envy..¡±

 Chapter 69 - 69: 057 Elder Sister (First Revision)

    Chapter 69: 057 Elder Sister (First Revision)


    Trantor: 549690339


    On this night, Lin Qing finally got Zhou Ling¡¯s information.


    She looked through it over and over again, unwilling to believe it, and called the private detective: ¡°Is this the extent of your ability? I paid you so much money, and this is what you came up with?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any useful information in the file, her family, interpersonal rtionships, friends were all nk.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve done my best. Her records before she went to university seem to have been moved. The only useful information that could be found is this.¡±


    ¡°Fine, keep an eye on her for me. Report everything she does every day, who


    she meets, what she eats, and so on. Double the payment.¡±


    The other party seemed hesitant at first but bowed their head under the temptation of money.


    Lin Qing couldn¡¯t let it go and looked through it a few more times. Zhou Ling graduated from Jiangzhou University with outstanding grades two years ago, and after graduation, she worked in a securitiespany. Three months ago she met Zhu Wentao at a cocktail party, and for him, she gave up her great position in the securitiespany and became Zhu Wentao¡¯s secretary at the Zhu Group.


    She checked out the securitiespany and found out that it had gone bankrupt due to losses in proprietary business and misappropriation of client margin, and its business had been taken over by Nansheng Securities two months ago.


    If she remembered correctly, Nansheng Securities had always been the biggest partner of Zhu Group. Was this all just a coincidence?


    No¡­


    Lin Qing was once a strong woman herself, but her family held her back. In terms of business acumen, she was no worse than professionals.


    She went to the Zhu Group¡¯s official website to check their financial statements for thest quarter, and everything seemed perfect.


    However, the Spring Academy project had been dyed for a long time and couldn¡¯t bepleted. Many property owners had expressed their dissatisfaction.


    Spring Academy was the most important project for Zhu Group at this stage. She had heard Zhu Wentao mention it before, and the Zhu Group had invested a lot of money in it. If this project had any problems, it would cause a domino effect and copse.


    Lin Qing called Secretary Wang: ¡°What¡¯s going on with the Spring Academy project?¡±


    Secretary Wang was surprised that Madam had suddenly inquired about thepany¡¯s affairs. He had been warned by the boss not to tell her about thepany¡¯s business, so he just brushed it off.


    ¡°So, you are all hiding from me, treating me like a fool? As a founder of thepany, I own 23% of the shares, making me a major shareholder. Don¡¯t I have the right and responsibility to ask questions?¡±


    Secretary Wang replied, ¡°Madam, didn¡¯t you receive thetest notice of changes in shareholding?¡±


    Lin Qing was stunned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Secretary Wang coughed and discreetly reminded her, ¡°I suggest you read the notice of changes in shareholding first.¡±


    Lin Qing found the notice on the official website, dating back several months.


    Her hand holding the mouse trembled.


    She trusted Zhu Wentao so much, handing over all her shares to him to manage. This unfaithful man, however, had been diluting her shares behind her back for a long time. From 23% to 0.03%, men can be so heartless when they want to be.


    She remembered that many times Zhu Wentao would bring her files to sign, usually while she was eating or putting on makeup. If she tried to look at the documents more carefully, he would pull up a conversation on a topic she was interested in. Her attention would be taken away, and she had always trusted him, never suspecting anything.


    Lin Qing felt utterly devastated, realizing that she had never truly known the man she had shared a bed with for 20 years.


    From such an early time, he had been guarding against her.


    Lin Qing suddenly burst intoughter, realizing how foolish she had been.


    As for Zhu Xiangxiang and Zhu Shaodan, whose shareholdings she gifted, they had already switched to Zhu Wentao as their legal representative since they were minors.


    How calcting.


    Listening to the crying on the phone, Secretary Wang felt a little bad: ¡°Madam,


    take it easy.¡±


    ¡°Answer me, does he live with that bitch now?¡±


    Secretary Wang didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°They want to kick me out of the game? They want to be lovey-dovey? Dream on! Even if I die, I¡¯ll drag them down with me.¡±


    After hanging up, Lin Qing checked all the assets under her name. Over the years, she had given Zhu Wentao full authority over her shares and the dividends to invest. She hadn¡¯t seen much of the returns from those investments, guessing that Zhu Wentao had taken it all to subsidize his private stash. At the moment, she had two cars, four properties in Jiangzhou, two shops, one property in Jingdu, and some jewelry, antiques, and ancient calligraphy and paintings she collected years ago. All these assets were worth about a billion..

 Chapter 70 - 70: 057 Older Sister (First Update)_2

    Chapter 70: 057 Older Sister (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Compared to the shares Zhu Wentao pried away from her, these were slight.


    Lin Qing took all the jewelry she had collected from the safe deposit box, some of which Zhu Wentao had given her, and some she had acquired from auctions. Most of this jewelry was rather extravagant, suitable for collection, but not for wearing out.


    She divided the jewelry into two portions, then moved a piece made of mutton-fat jade from the left to the right. After some hesitation, she picked a jade thumb ring from the Ming Dynasty and ced it on the right side.


    After a struggle of thoughts, Lin Qing put a dazzlingly beautiful ruby ne on the right side.


    Only then did she nod in satisfaction.


    Then she took out all the property title deeds, arranged them and put them into two folders.


    Finally, she dialed a phone number: ¡°Hello, Attorney Han, I¡¯m sorry to bother you sote¡­¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby was watching a video when the door of his room was suddenly knocked on.


    Elder Theodore was taken aback. Shen Ke had not called to say he wasing, and he had hidden the fact that he was sick just to avoid those opportunists who wanted to climb up thedder under the pretense of visiting him.


    Elder Theodore coughed, ¡°Come in.¡±


    A middle-aged man walked in carrying fruit baskets in both hands and a box of health products in his right hand.


    ¡°Mr. Shelby, I heard that you were hospitalised, so I came to visit.¡±


    Elder Theodore squinted at him, ¡°Who told you?¡±


    The visitorughed, looking simple and honest. Simple and honest? Elder Theodore saw only one word in his eyes: cunning.


    Without bothering to answer the question directly, the man put the items on the floor, sat on the stool next to the bed, and kindly asked, ¡°So how is your illness now?¡±


    Elder Theodore grunted: ¡°Do I look like a sick person to you?¡± ¡°Of course not, you¡¯re very chipper, could live over a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°After all that chatter, who the hell are you?¡± Elder Theodore spoke impatiently.


    ¡°I am Zhu Wentao. Elder Theodore, you might not know me, but you must have heard of Zhu Group. I am the founder of Zhu Group. I am in business with Mr. Shen Zhou and we are friends. So, by sentiment and reason, as a junior, when I heard you were hospitalised, I was obliged toe and visit.¡± Zhu Wentao politely said.


    Elder Theodore responded with an ¡°Oh¡±: ¡°Waiting for Shen Zhou, huh? He¡¯s busy and can¡¯t make it.¡±


    Zhu Wentao cheerfullyughed: ¡°I came specially to visit you.¡±


    Hypocrite!


    Elder Theodore no longer paid any attention to him, took out his mobile phone and continued watching the video. Zhu W¨¦ntao felt uneasy being ignored. He nced at Elder Theodore¡¯s phone screen and saw a noisy background, the voices of many people talking, like a secretly recorded small video. He squinted at the silhouette of a girl and found it strangely familiar.


    ¡°Uncle Shelby, what are you watching?¡±


    Elder Theodore shot him a nce: ¡°Nothing.¡± After closing the phone, Elder Theodore suddenly said: ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    Zhu Wentao quickly got up to pour him water.


    ¡°Are you trying to scald me to death¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­old people have bad digestive systems, why would you let me drink such cold water, what is your intention?


    Zhu Wentao, barely holding back his impatience, refilled a cup of warm water. This time it should have no problem. But Elder Theodore was a tough nut to crack, he spat the water in Zhu¡¯s direction: ¡°There¡¯s tea stain, is this drinkable for anyone?¡±


    ¡°I want to watch television.¡± ¡°I want to eat an apple¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to use the restroom¡­¡±


    Zhu Wentao fled in a panic, only returned to his senses after exiting the hospital.


    Elder Theodore was simply a troublemaker. Zhu began to have some sympathy for Shen Zhou.


    Today he didn¡¯t meet Shen Zhou and was even yed with by Elder Theodore. Full of anger, Zhu Wentao returned to thepany. Secretary Wang informed him that several major shareholders wanted to see Mr. Zhu.


    It seems that the issue regarding Spring Academy could no longer be kept a secret, the shareholders were here to pressure him.


    Mr. Zhu felt annoyed: ¡°Find some excuse to send them away, I don¡¯t have time to see them for now.¡±


    Secretary Wang hesitated, ¡°Mr. Zhu, Mr. Fu from Nansheng Securities has invited you to a dinner meeting at seven this evening at the Cha Tower. What do you think¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhu also had something to speak with him: ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Inside a disco, Charles Gao and Bai Ziyan were nestled on a sofa in the corner. Charles pointed to a man dancing closely with a dancer on the dance floor not far away and sarcastically said, ¡°His leg isn¡¯t even healed and he¡¯s out ying. Looks like the injury was light.¡±


    Bai Ziyan had his legs propped on the tea table. He saidzily, ¡°I¡¯m heading back to Jingdu day after tomorrow..¡±

 Chapter 71 - 71: 057 Older Sister (first update) —3

    Chapter 71: 057 Older Sister (first update) ¡ª3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Charles Gao raised his eyebrow: ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°I have to vent my anger before I go.¡± Bai Ziyan rubbed his hands together, a sinister smile slowly spreading on his face.


    Dancing in the middle, Ran Tenghui suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, harboring an ominous hunch.


    ¡°Ran, I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere. Do you know how much I¡¯ve been bullied?¡± Liu Shengnan pushed her way out from the crowd and squeezed away the female dancer clinging to Ran Tenghui, pressing herself almost against him.


    Irritated, Ran Tenghui flicked her hand away: ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy? Get lost.¡±


    Liu Shengnan inspected his leg: ¡°Ran, I heard you hurt your leg while riding a horse. Are you okay?¡±


    Mentioning the incident pissed Ran Tenghui off. He pushed her away, yelling:


    ¡°Get lost! ¡±


    Looking at him angrily, Liu Shengnan turned around and left.


    Bai Ziyan took a sip of his wine, excited: ¡°Opportunity¡¯s here.¡±


    Bai Ziyan snapped his fingers, and a delicate girl walked over. She looked at Charles Gao shyly before greeting Bai Ziyan modestly: ¡°What can I do for you,


    Mr. Bai?¡±


    Bai Ziyan handed a packet of medicine powder to Xie Huanhuan, whispered something in her ear, Xie Huanhuan surprised, and he pointed at Charles Gao:


    ¡°He¡¯s responsible if something happens.¡±


    Charles Gao¡¯s face was a picture of helplessness.


    Xie Huanhuan smiled: ¡°I promise to aplish the task.¡±


    Once she had left, Charles Gao said: ¡°Isn¡¯t this method of yours a bit too mean?¡±


    Bai Ziyan raised his eyebrow: ¡°Mean? I¡¯m merely considering the women of the world. If it weren¡¯t for me, how many more women would fall into this beast¡¯s trap.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that kind?¡±


    Bai Ziyan caressed his meticulously done hairstyle,ughing: ¡°Under Master Ming Jing¡¯s influence, my lifelong aspiration is to rid the world of all trash-men.¡±


    Charles Gao snorted in disdain.


    ¡°Where did you get that despicable medicine powder?¡±


    Bai Ziyan leaned in mysteriously, whispering: ¡°I got it from Ming Jing. You wouldn¡¯t believe it, this medicine is extraordinary, I tested it on a dog, the effect is¡­hahaha¡­¡±


    The corner of Charles Gao¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°Ming Jing? Where did she get it?¡± Had the perfect image of his goddess begun to crack?


    ¡°She made it herself. What¡¯s so surprising about it? Her master is a divine healer. Mixing some powders isn¡¯t that hard for her.¡± Bai Ziyan didn¡¯t see any issue with that.


    ¡°How did you know Ming Jing had this medicine powder?¡± Charles Gao couldn¡¯t believe his perfect goddess would be involved in such activities. No, Bai Ziyan must have forced her.


    Bai Ziyan nonchntly replied legs crossed: ¡°One day I asked Ming Jing what was the deepest punishment for a man, she said, to shatter his ego.¡± What mattered most to a man¡¯s pride, Bai Ziyan knew too well.


    He casually asked Ming Jing where to get such a medicine powder, and she gave it to him. He didn¡¯t think too much of it at that time. Nothing that happened to Ming Jing caught him by surprise.


    She was like that, naturally miraculous.


    Charles Gao made a face: ¡°Just go back to Jingdu. You¡¯vepletely spoiled


    Ming Jing.¡±


    I should thank Master Ming Jing for giving me this opportunity.¡± Charles Gao almost spat out his dinner.


    ¡°Ah, right, there is one more thing I need to do before I leave. I need your help.¡±


    Charles Gao grumbled: ¡°What help could I possibly provide?¡±


    ¡°It concerns your goddess.¡±


    Charles Gao became serious: ¡°Stop beating around the bush, just tell me.¡±


    In the middle of the night, Liu Shengnan rose from bed satisfied. Looking at the man who had already passed out on the bed, she smirked.


    That man didn¡¯t deceive her. From now on, Ran Tenghui wouldn¡¯t be able to live without her.


    After giving it a thought, she poured the rest of the medicine powder into a cup, stirred it evenly, and ced it on the bedside table.


    ¡°Breakfast time.¡± The nurse ced the breakfast box on the table and walked away coldly.


    Zhu Shaodan looked at the unappetizing breakfast, feeling like he was going to lose his mind.


    After a long month, he hadn¡¯t stepped outside his hospital room once. The only ces he could go were the bed and the bathroom.


    Eating meals as in as grass three times a day, he had lost more than twenty kilos.


    That day he had heard his mother and Uncle Wen speaking outside the door. Even they couldn¡¯t help him now; it seemed he had provoked someone big this time.


    His feelings had turned from anger to numbness, and finally to regret. When thewyer said he might have to go to a juvenile detention center, which was a horrible ce, he regretted it, he wanted to go home..</p

 Chapter 72 - 72: 057 Elder Sister (First Update)_4

    Chapter 72: 057 Elder Sister (First Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Looking at the light breakfast in front of him, Zhu Shaodan forced himself to eat it.


    Now he had no arrogance to show, only the hope to survive and get out.


    At that moment, he heard people talking outside the door. It was the two bodyguards who were watching him. They were chatting since they were bored.


    ¡°Finally, these days will be over.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, once we send this curse into the juvenile detention center, we¡¯ll be free.¡±


    ¡°Will the Zhus really send him there? After all, he is their precious young master.¡±


    ¡°How can they not? He messed with Mr. Bai, someone even his father doesn¡¯t dare to provoke. You can only me his reckless and ignorant behavior.¡±


    ¡°The juvenile detention center is filled with juvenile killers, rapists, and others who need strict control. Most of them have personality ws. With his skinny body, can hee out intact?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to his own abilities.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan listened with fear and regret.


    ¡°Mr. Bai.¡± A respectful voice from the bodyguard came outside the door.


    Zhu Shaodan was startled, and the next moment, Bai Ziyan pushed the ward door open and walked in.


    Zhu Shaodan stared nkly at Bai Ziyan, who had his hands in his pockets, a slight upward tilt to his chin, and a look of disdainful impatience. He perfectly embodied the arrogant demeanor of a spoiled nobleman.


    Zhu Shaodan wilted like a frostbitten eggnt.


    Bai Ziyan walked over and sat on the sofa opposite, leaning back in the chair, crossing his legs, looking like the idle grandson of a noble family.


    Only then did Zhu Shaodan notice that there was another person behind him. It was Charles Gao. He hurriedly said, ¡°Brother Charles, please help me.¡± He wasn¡¯t close with Charles, but they had some connection.


    Charles sighed, ¡°Shaodan, I came to see you on behalf of your sister. How have you beentely?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan eximed in surprise, ¡°My sister? Where is she?¡±


    Charles didn¡¯t answer him, instead asking, ¡°Why don¡¯t you apologize to Mr.


    Bai? If he sees you doing it for your sister¡¯s sake, he might let you off the hook. Otherwise, if you¡¯re really sent to the juvenile detention center, your life will be ruined. ¡±


    Zhu Shaodan thought to himself, ¡°For my sister¡¯s sake? Are they somehow connected? At this critical moment, my sister is the most reliable one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for offending you. My sister has nothing to do with this. Whatever anger you have, just take it out on me. Don¡¯t bully my sister.¡±


    ¡°Not bad, kid. You have some guts. Fine, let¡¯s make it happen. Someone, send Master Zhu to the juvenile detention center.¡± Bai Ziyanmanded.


    Zhu Shaodan panicked. This wasn¡¯t what he expected.


    Weren¡¯t you friends with my sister? You should give her face, right?


    As the two bodyguards walked in to drag Zhu Shaodan off the bed, he quickly jumped up. ¡°Mr. Bai, I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong. Please be magnanimous and forgive me just this once. I promise to reform and live a new life.¡±


    Charles nced at Bai Ziyan, smiling, and thought that this was exactly the same as his lofty ambitionsst night.


    Bai Ziyan coughed and said unhappily, ¡°Your mouth runs like a train. Can I trust your words?¡±


    ¡°I swear to heaven, if I ever act up again, let me¡­¡±


    Zhu Shaodan scratched his head and thought, then said with a conflicted expression, ¡°Let me stay single for the rest of my life.¡±


    Bai Ziyan looked at him with disgust, ¡°With your character, don¡¯t ruin other girls¡¯ lives. Pick something else.¡±


    ¡°Then let me have no descendants.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. It will save a lot of food.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan fumed but had to tolerate it. ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Easy, be your sister¡¯s dog for life. Let her hit, scold, and order you around. If you dare to resist or be disrespectful, you¡¯ll always be wee here.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face lit up, not expecting it to be so simple. ¡°Alright, I promise.¡±


    ¡°No going back?¡±


    ¡°No going back.¡±


    Bai Ziyan smiled satisfactorily and waved his hand. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan couldn¡¯t wait to get out. Charles walked over and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Charles.¡±


    Charles looked at Zhu Shaodan¡¯s excited face, as if he was about to break out of prison, and kindly reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s because of your sister¡¯s face that I came to pick you up.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan waved his hand, ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely put in a good word for you in front of my sister. I never knew my sister had such charms¡­¡±


    ¡°Which sister do you think it is?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan subconsciously said, ¡°I only have a few sisters. It must be Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    As the words fell, he suddenly remembered that he had another step-sister, whom he had only met once. After the fight with Bai Ziyan and his imprisonment, he had been cut off from the outside world and knew nothing more about her..

 Chapter 73 - 73: 057 Older Sister (First Update)_5

    Chapter 73: 057 Older Sister (First Update)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    With a snort, he scoffed, ¡°Could it be that little nun? What a joke¡­¡±


    Charles Gao kicked him in the butt, sending Zhu Shaodan rolling on the ground. Zhu Shaodan yelled indignantly, ¡°What the hell, Charles?¡±


    Charles dragged him by his cor to the faucet, ¡°Let¡¯s wash your brain, show some respect when you speak, that¡¯s your sister.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan struggled and shouted, ¡°My sister¡­ ugh¡­ is Zhu Xiangxiang, not that little nun.¡±


    Charles pped him twice, ¡°Did that wake you up?


    ¡°Keep going.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan suddenly realized something and incredulously asked, ¡°The sister you¡¯re talking about isn¡¯t Zhu Xiangxiang?


    Charles let go and watched him copse on the ground, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan looked astonished, ¡°That little nun¡­¡±


    Feeling Charles¡¯ darkening gaze, he quickly changed the subject, ¡°What¡¯s Mr. Bai¡¯s rtionship with her?¡±


    ¡°Is that any of your business? We¡¯ve already exined everything to you, and you swore to Mr. Bai as well. It¡¯s time for you to prove yourself. Don¡¯t disappoint us. Go.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was silent all the way home. Once there, Madam Zhou was astonished to see him, ¡°Young Master?¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhou, I¡¯m starving. I want to eat your sweet and sour pork ribs, braised pork, and pine nut crusted fish.¡±


    Seeing how much Zhu Shaodan had thinned, Madam Zhou¡¯s heart ached and she nodded hurriedly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make it right away.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my mom? And my sister?¡± Zhu Shaodan felt a twinge in his heart, sensing that something significant must have happened during the past month he was gone.


    ¡°Madam went out to take care of something, and your sisters are at school. Granny Zhu is in her bedroom. She hasn¡¯t been feeling welltely and has been very worried about you. She¡¯ll be so happy to see you.¡±


    Granny Zhu used to dote on him, so Zhu Shaodan was very close to her. He went to pamper and behave around her, but instead of the usual affection, Granny Zhu sternly scolded him.


    Filled with a sense of grievance, Zhu Shaodan went back to his room, bathed, changed, ate a big meal, and then slept.


    When he woke up and went downstairs, he heard the sound of a car outside the door.


    He rushed out to see a white BMW parked outside the garage, with a tall, slim girl getting out of the car.


    Zhu Shaodan was taken aback, remembering it was his mother¡¯s newly bought car.


    The girl saw him and gave him a cold nce before looking away.


    Zhu Shaodan felt unhappy, thinking, are you blind? You can¡¯t see such a big living person here.


    Then a ck Volkswagen drove in, with Zhu Xiangxiang getting out of the car. Upon seeing Zhu Shaodan at the doorstep, she was overjoyed and ran to embrace him, ¡°Shaodan, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan happily spun Zhu Xiangxiang around, ¡°Sis, I missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°So did I.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, move aside.¡± An indifferent voice was like a bucket of cold water poured over them.


    Zhu Shaodan stared at her emotionless face, folding his arms and blocking the door with a sly grin, ¡°This is my house. I can let whoever I want in.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang tugged his sleeve, ¡°Shaodan, she¡¯s your sister too.¡±


    Without even looking at him, Ming Jing took out her phone and dialed a number, ¡°Bai Ziyan, there¡¯s someone named Zhu Shaodan blocking my door and won¡¯t let me in. What should I do?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan paled with fear, and reached to snatch her phone. Ming Jing stepped back, and Zhu Shaodan missed, almost stumbling and falling. Zhu Xiangxiang quickly steadied him.


    Ming Jing took the opportunity to walk in.Zhu Shaodan angrily pointed at her retreating figure and roared, ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re on good terms with the Bai family, you have me by the throat! I¡¯m telling you, no way!


    In this family, I call the shots, and if I say you leave, you leave.¡±


    Ming Jing turned around and looked at him, her expression calm. She didn¡¯t react at all to being pointed at and scolded, as tranquil as the sea before a storm. Zhu Shaodan subconsciously felt a little panic, puffed out his chest, and stubbornly stared at her.


    ¡°Zhu Shaodan, I forgive you for being young and ignorant, but after all this, you still haven¡¯t changed,¡± she said.


    Ming Jing shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even worthy to be my brother.¡± With that, she walked away and went upstairs without looking back.


    Zhu Shaodan scoffed, ¡°Did you hear what she said? I¡¯m not worthy of being her brother? Who gave her that much face? Liang Jingru?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang defended Ming Jing in a soft voice, ¡°You¡¯re too prejudiced against Ming Jing. In fact, she¡¯s a very easy-going person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because she¡¯s a nun. I hate nuns the most in my life,¡± said Zhu Shaodan.


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°But it¡¯s also not something she could choose, Ming Jing is a victim too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, sister. I only have you as my sister.¡± Zhu Shaodan hugged her and acted spoilt.


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled helplessly, ¡®You¡¯re such a grown-up.¡±


    In her eyes, there was a quick sh of smugness. Ming Jing, not everyone in this family is on your side.


    Lin Qing returned home that night and saw Zhu Shaodan; the mother and son embraced and cried.


    ¡°Shaodan, you were able to get out this time thanks to your sister, ah, I mean Ming Jing; you have to thank her properly.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan impatiently said, ¡°Everyone says it¡¯s her credit. Did she seduce


    Mr. Bai with her body?¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face darkened, and she scolded angrily, ¡°How can you nder your sister like this?¡±


    Lin Qing shook her head in disappointment, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve spoiled you too much in the past. You¡¯re not only disrespectful, but your character is rotten. She¡¯s your biological sister; she ran around for your sake, negotiating. Instead of being grateful, you¡¯re insulting her with such vulgar words. I¡¯m such a failure as a mother. The past fifteen years of education have beenpletely wrong.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan pouted, ¡°What other excuse is there? How can Bai Ziyan let me go so easily?¡±


    Lin Qing said seriously, ¡°You don¡¯t understand your sister. Even Madam Jiang admires her. She¡¯s even more incredible than we thought. You¡¯re really stupid.


    Now, immediately, go and apologize to your sister.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Zhu Shaodan stubbornly refused.


    ¡°Fine, then starting tomorrow, all your allowance will be taken away each month, all your room¡¯s gaming equipment will be confiscated, and you won¡¯t be allowed to take a private car to school. Let¡¯s see if your bones stay hard.¡± Lin Qing retorted.


    She left him and went upstairs.


    Ever since Ming Jing¡¯sst words, she had been reflecting on herself, especially after Zhu Wentao¡¯s affair, which made her suddenly realize how foolish she had been before, how self-righteous she had been.


    Without the halo of the Zhu family and her indulgence, this child would be a waste in society with a problematic character.


    She just realized that her previous actions had destroyed her child.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood in the shadows, clenching her fists tightly.


    ¡°Did you know that your mother made a secret will? She divided her assets into two parts, got the documents notarized at awyer¡¯s office, leaving arger share to Ming Jing and a smaller share to Zhu Shaodan. As for you, a wild child with an unknown origin, how could you be qualified to inherit her wealth?¡±


    ¡°People always say she favours the fake daughter, but the poor girl still foolishly believes that her mother loves her. Her so-called love is leaving all her assets to her own daughter, even spoiling her own son less¡­ She deceived all of us.¡±


    She was so foolish, so very foolish.


    She¡¯s just an orphan abandoned by her biological parents, so what else is there to remember?


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed mockingly at herself, her eyes gradually bing deeper..

 Chapter 74 - 74: 058 Green Dragon (Second Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 74: 058 Green Dragon (Second Watch of the Night)


    Trantor: 549690339


    After breakfast, Ming Jing put on her backpack and left.


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at Shaodan, and Lin Qing reminded her, ¡°I told you yesterday that he is not allowed to take a private car to school.¡±


    Shaodan wiped his mouth, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re being unfair, giving her the BMW and letting my sister still ride the old Volkswagen.¡±


    Lin Qing looked at him, ¡°Ming Jing has been suffering on the outside for sixteen years, who has ever been fair to her?¡±


    Shaodan choked, ¡°I don¡¯t care, give the BMW to my sister, and I¡¯ll take the bus to school.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Lin Qing turned to Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°If I find out you¡¯re giving him money on the sly, you can forget about your pocket money next month.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang softly said, ¡°Mom, Shaodan knows he¡¯s wrong. Don¡¯t punish him anymore.¡±


    Lin Qing looked at Shaodan, ¡°Do you know you¡¯re wrong?¡±


    Shaodan turned his head, ¡°I will apologize to her only if the sun rises in the west.¡±


    ¡°Tough talk. I hope you can keep it up.¡±


    ¡°After all, she has a good rtionship with Charles Gao and Mr. Bai. Mom doesn¡¯t dare to do anything to her out of respect for them.¡±


    Shaodan scoffed, ¡°She just got back, and already she has these men flocking around her. She must be really something.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly covered his mouth and nervously looked around, ¡°Don¡¯t ever say this again.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, I got it.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang got in the car and left, and Shaodan walked alone on the street. It took him a long time to finally reach the gate.


    As it turned out, there was still a long distance from the gate to the bus stop. When he finally reached the bus stop and saw the swarms of people pouring onto the bus, Shaodan was dumbfounded.


    Is it toote for regret now?


    That evening, Bai Ziyan hosted a dinner party for Ming Jing, Charles Gao, and Jiang Jinchen at a Japanese barbecue restaurant chosen by Charles Gao.


    It was one of his family¡¯s restaurants. Taking care of their own kind, so to speak.


    Charles Gao specially reserved a private room.


    After school, the three of them came together and were respectfully ushered into the private room by a woman dressed in a kimono.


    Pushing open the sliding door, Bai Ziyan was seen leaning on a cushion, with one leg bent, and his right hand holding a small, white porcin wine cup. His left hand rested on his bent knee, tapping gently.


    Opposite him, the sliding door opened to reveal a woman in a Japanese-style dress sitting kneeling on the ground. In front of her was a table with a guzheng, and she bowed her head slightly to reveal her graceful neck as she yed the instrument. The clear, lively, and elegant music filled the room and seemed to be a famous piece called ¡°High Mountain and Flowing Water¡±.


    The elegant, pure tone of the music seemed to dilute the air of luxury in the room.


    And Bai Ziyan, leaning there, looked like an indulgent dandy.


    The three of them entered, and he raised his eyelids a bit, ¡°Come in and sit anywhere.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen nced at the woman ying the guzheng, frowned slightly, and said to Bai Ziyan, ¡°Ming Jing is here. Don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    Bai Ziyan shot him a nce, ¡°What are you thinking? She sells her art, not her body.¡±


    Ming Jing said lightly, ¡°In search of kindred spirits through ¡®High Mountain and Flowing Water,¡¯ Mr. Bai is truly thoughtful.¡±


    Bai Ziyan showed a teachable smile, ¡°Only Ming Jing understands my intentions.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen squinted his eyes, and Bai Ziyan hurriedly changed his pose,


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s one more person who hasn¡¯t arrived yet. Let¡¯s wait a bit longer.¡±


    As they were talking, footsteps were heard outside the door. The female attendant pulled open the door, and a boy appeared at the entrance. Seeing the number of people in the room, he hesitated subconsciously. Bai Ziyan waved his hand, ¡°Xiao Zhang,e in.¡±


    The boy was wearing a white shirt and ck trousers, tall and thin, with fair skin and a refined appearance. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed sses, giving him a clean and schrly look.


    The female attendant knelt down to help him take off his shoes, but he politely said, ¡°Thank you, I can do it myself.¡±


    After saying this, he took off his shoes and entered.


    ¡°Let me introduce him, this is my good buddy, Song Yinzhang.¡± Song Yinzhang smiled and nodded to them, ¡°Senior Jiang, Senior Gao.¡±


    His gaze tell on Ming Jing, and his smile deepened, ¡°Ms. Zhu, you are the tirst person to steal the top spot from me.¡±


    Ming Jing finally remembered, this was the Song Yinzhang that Tao Xingxing had mentioned to her, the one she had pushed off the first ce, the legendary super top student who had never been second.


    Ming Jing nodded slightly in response.


    Bai Ziyan patted Song Yinzhang¡¯s shoulder and said to Ming Jing, ¡°My buddy has always been a top student. No matter what exam, he has never ranked second. When he was in junior high, his father was transferred to Jiangzhou, and he transferred to a school in Jiangzhou as well..¡±

 Chapter 75 - 75: 058 Qjnglong (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 75: 058 Qjnglong (Second Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    She turned to Song Yinzhang and said, ¡°Although Ming Jing took your first ce in thest exam, Ming Jing is also my good friend, and I care about both of you. Please reconcile for my sake and shake hands.¡±


    Song Yinzhangughed and said, ¡®Ziyan, do you really think I¡¯m that narrow-minded? Just because someone gets better exam results than me, I should hold a grudge against them? You not only underestimate me, but also insult Ms. Zhu.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at Song Yinzhang, smiled, and said, ¡°For the next exam, I¡¯m happy to have you challenge my first ce.¡±


    The two seemed to have a mutual appreciation for each other.


    While they chatted and ate, Song Yinzhang quietly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance that you wereing to Jiangzhou? You only told me when you were about to leave.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so busy, I didn¡¯t want to disturb your studies.¡±


    ¡°Did you sneak out again? Go back and wait for Mr. Bai to break your legs.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we good brothers anymore? Why do you keep rubbing salt on my wounds?¡±


    ¡°You should behave yourself when you return this time, don¡¯t make Mr. Bai angry again. By the way, Fei Tai¡¯s birthday ising soon, can you help me give him a birthday present?¡±


    ¡°You give it to him yourself. That bastard cklisted me, and sooner orter, I¡¯ll settle this score with him.¡±


    ¡°Why do you two act like kids, always ying with cklist tricks? Alright, don¡¯t bother yourself, I¡¯ll just send it myself.¡±


    Across the table, Charles Gao put some grilled beef into Ming Jing¡¯s te, ¡°This is Kobe beef, specially air-shipped from Japan this morning. Give it a try.¡±


    Ming Jing took a sip of water, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She left her chopsticks untouched on the table.


    At that moment, there was a ¡°bang¡± from the neighboring room, and even the table in their own room shook from the impact.


    Hurried footsteps approached the door, then disappeared at the entrance to the next room.


    Charles Gao furrowed his brows and got up to leave, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Bai Ziyan said, ¡°Some drunk must be making trouble.¡±


    Charles Gao walked out of the room and carefully closed the door. As he turned around, he saw a middle-aged man walking towards him in a hurry.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    Gao Xu was surprised to see him, and Charles exined, ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with friends.¡±


    He pointed to the next room, ¡°What happened there?¡±


    Gao Xu¡¯s face was serious, ¡°Go back. Pretend you didn¡¯t see anything and leave with your friends as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­.


    Gao Xu said sternly, ¡°Go.¡±


    Charles caught a glimpse of the neighboring room, where a bloodied hand suddenly reached out through the closed door, straining to reach outward, the bones on the back of the hand bulging, looking horrifying and bloody.


    The hand slowly retreated into the room, carrying a sense of despair and unwillingness, until the door closed, cutting off everything.


    Gao Xu¡¯s face was somber, he whispered, ¡°Leave with your friends quickly, curiosity killed the cat, you understand?¡±


    Charles sensed the urgency and guessed, ¡°Qinglong Association?¡±


    Gao Xu waved his hand.


    Charles returned to the private room and said to everyone, ¡°Have you finished eating? I¡¯ll take you somewhere fun.¡±


    Bai Ziyan gave him a look, ¡°What¡¯s going on next door?¡±


    Charles coughed, dragging Bai Ziyan away and said, ¡°My Mr. Bai, you¡¯re leaving tomorrow, so let me show you a good time tonight, okay?¡±


    As they exited the room, Ming Jing quietly nced at the room next door.


    Gao Xu was surprised that Charles was also dining with a girl and couldn¡¯t help but take a second look. He told his assistant, ¡°Escort young master and his friends out of here. ¡°After leaving the restaurant, Ming Jing said, ¡°It¡¯s toote, I should go back.¡±


    Charles Gao thought the girl should go back early so as not to scare Ming Jing about tonight¡¯s events, ¡°Do you want me to give you a lift?¡± ¡°No need, my driver is picking me up.¡±


    In the meantime, a white BMW stopped in front of Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing waved to the others, opened the car door, and got in.


    Bai Ziyan put his arm around Song Yinzhang¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Xiao Zhang, let¡¯s move to the KTV and continue to have fun.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired. I want to go back and rest. You guys have fun.¡±


    With that, he hailed a taxi at the side of the road and left.


    Charles Gao looked worriedly at the restaurant behind him, then at Bai Ziyan, sighed helplessly, and followed them resignedly.


    The car turned a corner and slowly stopped by the side of the road.


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao has been investigating the events of twelve years ago. Twelve years ago, Ran Bowen died at the hands of Yu Jiang, who then disappeared. All these years, the Qinglong Association has been searching for Yu Jiang.


    Recently, Ran Tengxiao seems to have found some clues.¡±


    Ming Jing was stunned, ¡°Is he going to avenge Ran Bowen?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? Of all people, he would like Ran Bowen to die the most. But to inherit the Qinglong Association, he needs the support of the four elders. The condition of the four elders is that he must exchange Yu Jiang¡¯s head. This move will also help him establish his prestige.¡±


    ¡°Yu Jiang, Yu Jiang.¡± Ming Jingughed. A glimmer of light passed through the depths of her eyes, and when she looked again, it seemed like an illusion, only a boundless, deep, cold abyss could be seen.


    ¡°Yu Jiang is already dead.¡± The girl¡¯s in voice echoed like a thunderburst. Zheng Qing was surprised, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Strangely enough, I investigated Yu Jiang. Her identity and background were perfectly fabricated, at least Ran Bowen didn¡¯t suspect it. At that time, the higher-ups wanted to clean up the Qinglong Association. I suspect Yu Jiang was working with me.¡±


    ¡°Twelve years ago, Yu Jiang was Jiang Yu¡­¡± Zheng Qing widened her eyes in disbelief.


    She jumped to the back seat, grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s shoulders, and eagerly asked, ¡°Yu Jiang was Jiang Yu? That makes sense now. Herst mission at the time was to infiltrate the Qinglong Association, incite internal strife, and take the opportunity to kill Ran Bowen.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it was?¡± Zheng Qing was somewhat agitated. Ming Jing closed her eyes, her face showing neither sorrow nor joy.


    ¡°Do you know how she died?¡±


    In Ming Jing¡¯s mind shed the scene of that day¡¯s snowfield. Nothing was more beautiful than the red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.


    ¡°By the time I rushed back from abroad, she had already died. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I stormed in and saw her body, riddled with bullet holes. She died so miserably, her face was unrecognizable.¡±


    Zheng Qing covered her eyes, her shoulders trembling involuntarily.


    Suddenly she looked up, ¡°Was it Night Hawk who killed her? We knew too many secrets. Once we left the organization, we would pose a threat to it. So without hesitation, Night Hawk killed her¡­ but Night Hawk clearly liked her so much¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Ming Jing suddenly shouted.


    Zheng Qing stared nkly at her, the first time she had seen Ming Jing so emotional.


    The girl¡¯s dark eyes seemed like whirlpools, and she said emotionlessly, ¡°He¡¯s not worthy.¡±


    Zheng Qing wiped her tears, ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s not worthy. I must kill him personally to avenge A Yu.¡±


    Ming Jing twirled the Buddhist beads on her fingertips, saying faintly, ¡°They were just using the hunt for Yu Jiang as an excuse. The real goal was to obtain the Qinglong Seal she held.¡±


    Zheng Qing unconsciously asked, ¡°Qinglong Seal?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s mouth twitched, revealing a hint of cold mockery.


    ¡°Ran Bowen, a man of great ambition and ability, trained a group of assassins to expand his power. Each of them was a one-in-a-million talent, scattered in various industries, only obeying the Qinglong Seal. Ran Bowen was very cautious, dividing the Qinglong Seal in two, just like the ancient tiger talisman.


    Only when the two parts arebined can these assassins be ordered.¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°It seems my intelligence work is still not good enough.¡±


    She then clicked her tongue, ¡°Ran Bowen was courting death. How could he live and sleep in peace while raising so many killers? It¡¯s no wonder he was killed..¡±

 Chapter 76 - 76: 059 Slap in the Face (First Update)

    Chapter 76: 059 p in the Face (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ran Bowen was a very cautious man. He divided the Qinglong Seal into two halves, keeping one half for himself, and the other, as she guessed, was given to someone he trusted very much. Despite being undercover for a year, Yu Jiang failed to get any information on this person.


    Although everyone knew that Ran Bowen had no offspring, he actually had a marriage once. His wife was killed by his enemies when she was six months pregnant, and since then, Ran Bowen seemed to have be a different person, secretly plotting and recruiting soldiers, training assassins.


    But ording to Yu Jiang¡¯s observations and guesses, Ran Bowen had a lover who bore him a child. To prevent the tragedy from repeating itself, he protected the lover and the child very well, and they remained hidden from the outside world, with even his close rtives being unaware.


    The other half of the Qinglong Seal should be in the hands of Ran Bowen¡¯s lover.


    ¡°Did your mother give you the other half of the Qinglong Seal?¡± asked Zheng Qing.


    Ming Jing had be immune to this appetion, ¡°She¡¯s already dead, what do you think?¡±


    Zheng Qing cursed through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll take Night Hawk¡¯s skin off, pull out his tendons, and cut him up piece by piece one day to vent my anger.¡±


    ¡°There are different positions, and right or wrong doesn¡¯t matter. His mistake was to deceive.¡±


    A cold light suddenly burst in Ming Jing¡¯s eyes, killing intent surging and disappearing in an instant, returning to calmness.


    ¡°So, what should we do now?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered, thinking back to the assassination attempt on An Zhitinnst time.


    Madam Jiang, what role did you y in the incident twelve years ago?


    ¡°Has Ran Tengxiao found any clues?¡±


    Zheng Qing frowned: ¡°I¡¯m not very clear, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the Ran family and the Qinglong Association before. If I had known earlier, I would have collected more information about the Ran family, so as not to bepletely blind now. ¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°No harm, just give me your disguise tools.¡±


    Zheng Qing looked at her suspiciously, then reached into the trunk and pulled out a ck duffle bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in here, what are you going to do?¡±


    Ming Jing unzipped the bag, revealing various tools, including wigs and a set of night clothes.


    Ming Jing took out the tools and started skillfully putting on makeup in front of the mirror, applying foundation that transformed her fair skin into a dull yellow, instantly changing her aura.


    Zheng Qing¡¯s mouth grew wider and wider, finally able to fit an egg inside.


    She put on a short wig, night clothes, and a cap with a duckbill.


    A tall, reticent young man was born.


    Zheng Qing incredulously looked at the young man in front of her, whose skin was a healthy wheat color, with sharp eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and bright, ck eyes that were like the brightest star in the night sky. The face was the same, yet the feeling waspletely different. The whole person had undergone a radical transformation, as if they had been reborn.


    If she hadn¡¯t witnessed it firsthand, she would have found it hard to believe.


    ¡°Could this disguising skill be inherited?¡±


    Ming Jing put on a mask, ¡°Wait for me here.¡±


    As she was about to leave the car, Zheng Qing suddenly grabbed her hand,


    ¡°Ming Jing, let me go, I have experience.¡±


    Ming Jing looked back at her, her dark eyes flickering in the dim car, ¡°I will avenge my own grudges personally.¡±


    What surprised Zheng Qing even more was that her voice had changed too.


    With those words, she opened the car door and disappeared into the night in a blink of an eye.


    A suffocating silence filled the room, with a faint scent of blood lingering.


    The man sat on a meditation cushion, one hand gently tapping on the table, the other swirling a wine ss, his handsome face bearing deeply chiseled, sharp features, like a sharp and intimidating sword.


    On either side of him, a man stood silently, their heads bowed.


    In front of the many a bloodied figure, his heaving chest indicating that he was still alive.


    ¡°Ten minutes have passed,¡± said the man leisurely, taking a sip of his wine.


    Ye Jian drew out a dagger, squatted next to the bloody man, and cut off his right middle finger.


    And only his thumb and index finger were left on his right hand. The man screamed in pain, his whole body convulsing.


    ¡°Just kill me, ¡± said the man in despair.


    ¡°No, no, no, I enjoy torturing people, watching them die a little bit at a time in despair. Don¡¯t you find it interesting?


    ¡°You¡¯re a freak¡­..¡±


    The man frowned, ¡°Annoying. Since you won¡¯t talk, and I don¡¯t want to listen, let¡¯s cut off your tongue and take it back for soaking in wine..¡±

 Chapter 77 - 77: 059 Slapping the Face (First Update)_2

    Chapter 77: 059 pping the Face (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ye Jian gripped the man¡¯s jaw, his de edging closer.


    The man¡¯s pupils reflected the de. After enduring hours of torture, both his body and spirit exhausted, he finally broke down, crying out, ¡°I¡¯ll talk. I¡¯ll say everything.¡±


    The man in the main seat scoffed, ¡°No tears until you see the coffin.¡± With a wave of his hand, Ye Jian put away his dagger and backed off.


    The man slowly said, ¡°But I have one condition, spare my family. They are innocent, or I swear I¡¯d rather die than let you off.¡±


    ¡°That depends on your sincerity.¡±


    The man paused, then continued, ¡°Twelve years ago, Ji Chang betrayed Master


    Wen. Over the years, he has hidden a lot of evidence. He took the evidence to Jingdu, Master Wen pursued him, captured his son to threaten him, but the intel was wrong, and they captured the wrong child¡­¡±


    Man started to cough violently. In the silent room, his coughing sounded particrly harsh.


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°That child had an important identity, Master Wen got trapped in Jingdu. When that kid saw Master Wen, Master Wen wanted to kill him to eliminate the threat, but unexpectedly, Yu Jiang turned against him, killed Master Wen when he wasn¡¯t looking, and tried to kill me as well. It was only because my heart was on the right side that I survived and then I went into hiding.¡±


    Man squinted his eyes, ¡°You think, Yu Jiang did this to save that child?¡± ¡°No, she was an undercover agent from the start,¡± the man said decisively.


    ¡°Why are you so sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Because she told Master Wen before his death. I can read lips, and I saw it.¡±


    ¡°What did she say?


    ¡°She said she would trade Ran Bowen¡¯s head for her freedom.¡± ¡°What about the Qinglong Seal, did she take it?¡± The man¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It seems this won¡¯t do,¡± sighed Ran Tengxiao.


    ¡°Your uncle has already died, clinging to this secret is pointless now. Why not let the Qinglong Association thrive under mymand?¡±


    ¡°We once swore in front of Master Wen that we would never betray. I¡¯ve already broken my oath.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you¡¯ve already been a traitor, there¡¯s no need to keep up this false pretense. Tell me, I will ensure that your family lives a better life.¡±


    ¡°Daddy save me.¡± A child¡¯s cry for help came from the next room. It was quickly muffled, leaving behind only the sounds of struggle.


    The man crawled to Ran Tengxiao¡¯s feet and started kowtowing, ¡°Master Xiao, I beg you, spare my son. He knows nothing.¡±


    ¡°I already gave you a chance.¡±


    Man gritted his teeth, ¡°Master Wen¡¯s Qinglong Seal was taken by Yu Jiang.¡± ¡°What about the other half, who did your uncle give it to?¡±


    Man hesitated for a moment, a cry for help came from the next room again.


    cing his forehead on the ground, the man said despairingly, ¡°Master Wen¡¯s lover.¡±


    A man raised his eyebrows, ¡°Oh? Howe I don¡¯t know my uncle had a lover?¡±


    ¡°Master Wen protected her well. Every time he saw her, it was alone. So, I only know she existed but I have never met her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still not telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Master Xie, I swear, it¡¯s the truth. That¡¯s all I know, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you,¡± the man knocked his head on the ground.


    ¡°In that case, use that woman in exchange for your son.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao stood up, slowly heading towards the exit. At the doorway, he turned back to nce at him, ¡°I¡¯ll give you three months. If I don¡¯t see that woman by then, prepare a coffin for your son.¡±


    A group of people left. The man sat kneeling on the floor, clutching his head, banging it on the floor, crying in despair.


    ¡°Master Wen, Shou Chang has failed you.¡±


    On the roof, a shadowy still. It had stayed so long, it seemed to blend in with the darkness.


    After the people had gone, it jumped lightly to the backyard. Upon turning around, it saw a tall man standing there, asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Ye Jian coldly observed the teenager standing opposite him. Dressed all in ck, he was tall and thin. The brim of his hat was pulled very low, giving him a mysterious appearance.


    The youth tilted his head. A simple movement gave off an eerily unsettling vibe.


    ¡°Just a passer-by.¡± The voice of the youth was very cold, but his Mandarin wasn¡¯t very good, mixed with an awkward ent.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere today.¡± Ye Jian flexed his hands and charged at him.


    The youth sidestepped with agile movements, like a wandering dragon. Ye Jian silently admired his beautiful moves, realizing the youth was not simple and got even more serious..

 Chapter 78 - 78: 059 Slapping the Face (First Update)_3

    Chapter 78: 059 pping the Face (First Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    After several rounds, he hadn¡¯t gained any advantage, but rather, he was kicked to the ground like a dog eating shit by the opponent stepping on his shoulder.


    As he fell to the ground in embarrassment, he incredulously looked back to see the young man with his arms crossed, his chin slightly raised, his eyes shining from beneath the brim of his cap, and a proud and arrogant expression on his face, his right hand clenched into a fist, the thumb pointing downward.


    ¡°So, the subordinates of the Qinglong Association¡¯s head are such losers. What an embarrassment.¡±


    Ye Jian finally realized what was strange about his ent ¨C it was the ent foreigners often had when speaking Mandarin.


    ¡°You¡­ where are you from, you little brat? Don¡¯t you want to live?¡± Ye Jian rubbed his buttocks and got up, finding the teenager¡¯s martial arts quite extraordinary.


    Four more men suddenly emerged from the darkness, each of them tall and strong.


    The teenager raised his eyebrows and beckoned with his fingers, saying extremely arrogantly, ¡°Come on, all of you.¡±


    The four men looked at each other and felt extremely humiliated, so they rushed at him from four directions.


    Though it would be disgraceful to win in a four-on-one fight against a weak teenager, this teenager was just too arrogant for them to bear.


    In the darkness, a pair of eyes watched all this with great interest.


    ¡°Hall master, this teenager is really overestimating his own abilities. Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning are experts personally chosen by you. With my senior brother and I working together, it¡¯s hard to handle even one of them. It¡¯s really giving this kid too much credit for the four of them to go together,¡± Ye Shuang said indignantly.


    The man raised an eyebrow, ¡°Don¡¯t speak too soon. Be careful that you don¡¯t end up with a p in the face.¡±


    Ye Shuang looked again and saw the teenager skillfully moving within the four men¡¯s encirclement. He was neither losing the advantage nor gaining much, but this was already unbelievable.


    Wind was good at close-range attacks and excelled in speed; Rain¡¯s palm techniques were soft and fluid, like water; Thunder¡¯s movements were as fierce as thunder, swift and vigorous; Lightning¡¯s attacks were rapid, with deadly one-hit kills.


    Each of the four had their own unique characteristics andplemented each other. They were all experts when separated and undefeatable when working together.


    This was Qinglong Association¡¯s greatest contribution to its rise and the sharpest weapon in Ran Tengxiao¡¯s hands.


    However, at this moment, the fragile-looking teenager dodged and moved, agile as a swimming dragon. It was as if he had eyes all over his body, urately anticipating Lightning¡¯s sneak attack from behind. He leaped up, his legs wrapping around Lightning¡¯s hands, while his left and right hands simultaneouslynded on Wind and Rain¡¯s shoulders. His body rolled in the air, and the three of them were thrown away at the same time. As theynded, he slid under Thunder¡¯s crotch, climbed onto his back, his knees pressed against Thunder¡¯s ribs, one hand gripping Thunder¡¯s throat, and the other holding a dagger up and stopping right in front of his eyeballs.


    All this happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that one could barely see more than a blur. Everything was already settled.


    ¡°*p, p, p.*¡± From the darkness came the sound of resounding ps.


    A man emerged from the darkness, looking at the teenager with great interest, ¡°Not a bad skill you got there, want to consider working under me?


    Ye Shuang eximed, ¡°Hall master, this kid has an unknown background. What if¡­¡±


    Ran Tengxiao paid her no heed; he only stared at the teenager, his tone like a big bad wolf luring Little Red Riding Hood. ¡°You can think about it. House, car, women, wealth, power ¨C everything you want, I can satisfy you.¡±


    The teenager jumped down from Thunder and said disdainfully, ¡°Who wants those things?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want? Just say it, and I will definitely agree.¡±


    ¡°I want to kill you, will you promise that?¡± The teenager¡¯s proud eyebrows were extremely cold.


    Ye Shuang scolded, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, brat? Tired of living?¡±


    Ran Tengxiaoughed, ¡°As long as you give me a satisfactory reason, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    The teenager snorted coldly, ¡°All of the people in Qinglong Association don¡¯t keep their promises. You¡¯re his nephew, so you must be even worse.¡± Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, ¡°Oh? Do you know my uncle?¡±


    The teenager hesitated for a moment, then continued venomously, ¡°Ran Bowen betrayed his promise and killed my father. He¡¯s already dead, but he has a son. I must kill his son to pay the debt.¡±


    Silence enveloped the whole courtyard for an instant. Ye Jian hung his head in silence, Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning¡¯s breathing slowed, and Ye Shuang¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    In this suffocating silence, Ran Tengxiaoughed softly, asking gently, ¡°Who is your father? How did you find out that my uncle has a son?¡±


    The teenager seemed somewhat annoyed, ¡°What reason do I have to tell you? You and Ran Bowen are the same, all betraying your promises. I will never work for people like you..¡±

 Chapter 79 - 79: 059 Slap in the Face (First Update)

    Chapter 79: 059 p in the Face (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± Ran Tengxiao said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any misunderstanding, you¡¯re still Ran Bowen¡¯s nephew and that¡¯s all that matters. When I find Ran Bowen¡¯s illegitimate son and kill him, I¡¯lle for you.¡±


    With those words, he jumped onto the wall and disappeared into the darkness.


    Ye Jian instinctively wanted to chase after him, but Ran Tengxiao said: ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±


    At this moment, a man walked out from behind Ran Tengxiao. He was about 1.75 meters tall, very thin, with a square face and restrained eyes, hiding intelligence.


    ¡°Ji Chang has a son who was sent abroad when he was young. If you count the years, he should be about this age now.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked at the man, ¡°Is he Ji Chang¡¯s son?¡±


    Lin Feng furrowed his brows, ¡°This young man¡¯s every word is meant to guide us. If he¡¯s not really a young man with a young man¡¯s temperament, then his actions are too terrifying for someone his age. If he¡¯s Ji Chang¡¯s son, his appearance must be for revenge for Ji Chang. As for the secret of Master Wen¡¯s illegitimate son, as Ji Chang¡¯s confidant, it¡¯s impossible for him not to know the secret. It all makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Ji Chang¡¯s son?¡± Ran Tengxiao rubbed his chin and suddenlyughed.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°But we shouldn¡¯t be careless. Yu Jiang serves as a lesson. Master, please have someone go abroad to investigate, just in case.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nodded, ¡°If he¡¯s really Ji Chang¡¯s son, we can use him.¡±


    Ming Jing got out of the car and slowly walked towards the living room.


    Just as she entered the living room, suddenly, the lights came on.


    Zhu Shaodan walked over with crossed arms, looking Ming Jing up and down. ¡°Look at the time! A girl like youing home sote, is this appropriate?¡±


    Ming Jing found that some people looked like humans but couldn¡¯t understand humannguage, like Zhu Shaodan in front of her.


    ¡°So what?¡± Ming Jing replied indifferently.


    Zhu Shaodan sneered, ¡°There¡¯s a curfew in the Zhus, if you don¡¯t return before eight o¡¯clock, go ahead and sleep at the doorstep.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him, her calm gaze making Zhu Shaodan feel a bit uneasy. To cover up his feelings, he puffed out his chest and raised his head, ¡°What are you looking at? If you keep looking, I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out.¡±


    Ming Jing said calmly, ¡°Since you dislike me and I dislike you, let¡¯s just ignore each other. But you insist on appearing in front of me, so either you deserve a beating or you want to get my attention. You can choose.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan incredulously said, ¡°Trying to get your attention? What gives you such confidence?¡±


    ¡°Then stop looking for attention in front of me.¡± With that, she didn¡¯t look at him again and went upstairs.


    Zhu Shaodan pointed at her retreating figure, angrily going in circles, ¡°Saying


    I¡¯m trying to get her attention? What a joke!¡±


    Madam Zhouughed beside him, ¡°Young Master, I think Miss has a point. She doesn¡¯t pay attention to you, and it¡¯s always you who initiates arguments. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, isn¡¯t it just because you want to catch her attention? If a person dislikes another person, they absolutely don¡¯t want to say a word to them, let alone see them. What¡¯s more, how can you stay upte and wait by


    tne door Just to say a tew angry words( Don¡¯t you tn1nR(¡±


    Zhu Shaodan stomped his feet, ¡®What do you know? I will absolutely never like her, just you wait and see, humph.¡±


    Madam Zhou watched the young man¡¯s retreating figure as if he was running away, shaking her head with a smile, ¡°Such a childish mentality.¡±


    ¡°Sis, that woman actually said I deliberately tried to get her attention. That¡¯s outrageous!¡±


    Zhu Shaodan suddenly burst in, making Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly hide her phone. She frowned at him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan scratched his head, ¡°Oh, I forgot. Anyway, what secrets do we siblings have between us? Are you doing something bad behind my back?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes flitted nervously and she quickly looked away, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? We¡¯re adults, there should be a clear distinction between men and women, not to mention we don¡¯t have blood rtion.¡¯


    ¡°So you don¡¯t think of me as your brother anymore?¡± Zhu Shaodan said unhappily.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated, pursed her lips, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan rolled his eyes and tugged on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Sis, my buddy¡¯s having a birthday next week. As his good brother, I have to give him a birthday present, but I don¡¯t even have money for food now. Can you lend me some money? When I have money and leave, I¡¯ll repay you.¡±


    ¡°No, I promised Mom that I won¡¯t give you a penny.¡±


    ¡°As long as we don¡¯t let mom know, we can do this secretly. I promise not to let a third person find out.¡± Zhu Shaodan raised his hand to swear an oath.


    Zhu Xiangxiang broke free of his grasp, helplessly saying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you the money, but remember, never let Mom know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sis.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took out her phone, which was on a chat screen. Zhu Shaodan sneaked a nce but Zhu Xiangxiang quickly switched screens and opened WeChat to transfer him money.


    Zhu Shaodan curiously asked, ¡°Sis, it¡¯s sote, who are you chatting with?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stiffened and replied indifferently, ¡°A ssmate, asking me about a question.¡±


    ¡°A guy or a girl?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at him, ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll be deceived by men. My sister is so beautiful, don¡¯t be fooled by sweet talk. Men are no good, except for Dad and me, of course.¡± Zhu Shaodan confidently touched his slicked-back oily hair.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered in her heart, none of the men in the Zhus are good..

 Chapter 80 - 80: 060 Tiger’s Den (Second Update)

    Chapter 80: 060 Tiger¡¯s Den (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing had just finished her shower and lied down on the bed, when Zheng Qing entered the room through the window carrying a delicate bag.


    Ming Jing opened her eyes: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Zheng Qing pulled out various bottles and jars from the bag, cing them on the empty dressing table.


    ¡°These are all the skincare products that I used to endorse, purely formted with nts, they won¡¯t harm your skin. If you often change your appearance, it can be very damaging to your skin, it¡¯s more crucial for you to take good care of it.¡± She uncapped a bottle of cream, scooped out a small amount, and applied it to Ming Jing¡¯s face.


    Ming Jing wrinkled her brows at her, but did not refuse her.


    ¡°The most important thing for your skin is to hydrate, you used to live in the mountains where the climate is dry. Though your skin is very white and wless, it is a bit dry. Please remember to moisturize before bed; I¡¯ve left the creams here for you.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.


    ¡°By the way, your cheap mom, I¡¯ve underestimated her. She secretly made a will, do you know what¡¯s in it?¡±


    Ming Jing remained silent.


    Zheng Qing could no longer hold it in; she would never beat Ming Jing at a patience contest.


    ¡°She divided all her real estate properties, jewels, paintings, and other assets into two portions in her will. Arger portion was given to you and a smaller one to Zhu Shaodan. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s name wasn¡¯t even mentioned in the will.


    It seems she is not that stupid after all.¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Is Zhu Wentao nning to divorce her?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, Zhu Wentao has diluted her shares in thepany; now he is the sole owner. That woman Zhou Ling is pushing him hard, I guess it won¡¯t be long. What will you do then? Do you still want this identity?¡±


    Ming Jing closed her eyes: ¡°Gather some information for me about the Zhu


    Group, then you should go to sleep.¡±


    Zheng Qing startedughing: ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t give this up.¡±


    After Zheng Qing left, the room returned to silence.


    In the darkness, Ming Jing slowly opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling for a long time.


    She ced both her hands on her chest, turning her Buddhist beads one by


    one, slowly, just like her heartbeat at the moment.


    ¡°Senior¡­¡±


    News broke out that Shengda Group has dered bankruptcy and liquidation.


    The CEO of Shengda has been invited for tea due to a debt crisis, and Spring Academy, once the housing market¡¯s focal point, has now be an unfinished project. The news shocked everyone in Manjiangzhou.


    Countless property owners rushed over to the Zhu Group to demand an exnation. As the stock market opened, the Zhu Group¡¯s stock price plummeted.


    Thepany urgently called a shareholders¡¯ meeting to discuss solutions.


    All the shareholders gathered together, waiting for the chairman toe to the meeting.


    Zhu Wentao made his appearance apanied by Secretary Wang. Despite the significant incident at thepany, he still appeared vibrant. Everybody sneered secretly, ¡°Looks like his life with Mr. Zhou was pretty fulfilling.¡± ¡°All shareholders are here, right? Good, let¡¯s start the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Who said everyone is here?¡± As the voice died away, the conference room door swung open, and a sophisticatedly made-up middle-aged woman walked in.


    Seeing who had arrived, the shareholders looked at Zhu Wentao in surprise. Some were excited for the show, and others took pleasure in his misfortune.


    ¡°Madam Zhu.¡± The shareholders greeted her one after another.


    Zhu Wentao coldly regarded Lin Qing.


    Lin Qing swept a nce around; all the seats were taken.


    She turned her head to Secretary Wang and ordered: ¡°Secretary Wang, could you please bring me a chair from the next conference room?¡±


    Secretary Wang instinctively looked at Zhu Wentao, who waved his hand. Secretary Wang excused himself as if pardoned.


    Lin Qing removed her sunsses and, standing next to Zhu Wentao, greeted the elderly man with white hair at the bottom of the table with a smile: ¡°Uncle Zhang, it looks like you¡¯ve been keeping well. I heard you were delighted to have a grandson recently. Congrattions.¡±


    Uncle Zhangughed and said, ¡°We will hold the man yue (full moon) party on the sixth day of next month. You muste.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve even prepared a red envelope.¡±


    Then, she turned to the middle-aged man with a bald head on her right and said with a smile: ¡°Mr. Li, your face is glowing with joy. Your daughter got into Stanford University, it seems good things are happening in your family. Good fortune indeed.¡±


    Mr. Li was pleased and said, ¡°Miss Zhu is so outstanding, Madam Zhu is also blessed.¡±


    Secretary Wang quickly returned with a chair and Lin Qing gestured for him to ce it opposite the main seat: ¡°Put it there.¡±


    No one had ever sat in that seat because the spot was right across from the Chairman.


    With all the shareholders watching, Secretary Wang couldn¡¯t say anything. He moved the chair there.


    Lin Qing, her handbag slung over her shoulder, with high heels and her head held high, strutted over.


    After sitting down and before Zhu Wentao could speak, she preemptively said: ¡°Dear shareholders, hello, as the chairman¡¯s wife and major shareholder, I am deeply saddened by the current crisis that thepany is going through. It is a critical time for ourpany, and we must all work together to ovee


    these difficulties..¡±

 Chapter 81 - 81: 060 Tiger’s Den (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 81: 060 Tiger¡¯s Den (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Madam Zhu is right, but when this project was proposed, most of the shareholders were against it, and Mr. Zhu insisted on it. Now that something has gone wrong, shouldn¡¯t Mr. Zhu bear the main responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I need to support my family, and I really can¡¯t afford this. Mr. Zhu, you need to give us an exnation.¡±


    ¡°Now most of the property owners are gathering at thepany¡¯s door to demand an exnation, causing great damage to thepany¡¯s image. Thepany¡¯s stock price has plummeted, and the losses are immeasurable, Mr.


    Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Qian Degui, the main person in charge of the project, was handpicked by you, Mr. Zhu. Now that he has run away with the money, don¡¯t you need to exin something to everyone?¡±


    Zhu Wentao coldly looked at the woman who was standing across from him with her arms folded, his hands on the table, and his authoritative gaze sweeping over everyone. He had umted great authority in thepany over the years, and these people couldn¡¯t shake his position with just a few words. It was like a lunatic talking in his sleep. ¡®What kind of solution do you want?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, at a loss for a moment.


    Someone suggested: ¡°Now thepany needs to stabilize its stock price first and no negative news should leak out. Mr. Zhu, I heard that your rtionship with Madam Zhu is not good, and you¡¯ve made a mistake that all men in the world would make. I don¡¯t know if the exposure of this matter will make thepany¡¯s stock price even worse?¡±


    Everyone looked at the person who spoke, and their eyes were full of praise. He really dared to speak his mind.


    Lin Qing smirked, waiting to see how Zhu Wentao would exin himself.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face was gloomy, staring at the man who spoke: ¡°Do I need to report my private life to you?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, you can¡¯t say that. You are the head of a listedpany, and the stability of your marriage is directly rted to the stability of thepany¡¯s stock price. As the saying goes, ¡®To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.¡±¡®


    Zhu Wentao said solemnly: ¡°I will handle my private life well, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    An old man with white hair suddenly said: ¡°I heard that Shenzhou Group¡¯stest Oasis Program is bidding. If ourpany can get the agency rights of this project, it should be able to temporarily ease the current situation.¡± Everyone was silent. This was not a simple matter. ¡°We have not been involved in emerging industries yet. Would it be too risky?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s use a dead horse as a living horse doctor.¡±


    Zhu Wentao slowly said: ¡°This is not a bad solution. I will consider it. But for now, getting through the current difficulties is the most important thing. I have already talked with Manager Fu from Nansheng Securities, and I n to issue bonds to the public in the name of thepany.¡±


    ¡°Bonds?¡±


    Everyone was shocked.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t do that! This is like using one hole to patch another.¡±


    ¡°Manager Zhang, you¡¯re wrong. Mr. Zhu must have thought it through. Issuing bonds can not only get the necessary funds but also not affect thepany¡¯s shares. I¡¯m sure Mr. Zhu has weighed the pros and cons.¡±


    Issuing bonds required the support of shareholders, but Zhu Wentao owned more than half of thepany¡¯s shares. If these people didn¡¯t know better, he had other ways.


    Lin Qing sneered in her heart, ¡°Zhu Wentao, Zhu Wentao, your little mistress has been whispering sweet nothings in your ear, and you¡¯ve be too confident. Financing at this time is simply suicidal.¡±


    Only Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing remained in the conference room. Lin Qingughed and said, ¡°Mr. Zhu, it¡¯s amazing how quickly you found a solution. I just don¡¯t Imow if you thought of it yourself or if it was your little secretary¡¯s idea?¡±


    Zhu Wentao replied coldly: ¡®What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to kindly remind you not to let a woman deceive you and ultimately lose everything.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can only be disappointed.¡± With that, he turned around and left.


    ¡®%hu Wentao.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s steps paused for a moment.


    ¡°Is this how you want to treat our years of marriage?


    Zhu Wentao left without turning his head back.


    Lin Qing gave a bitter smile. She should have stopped hoping a long time ago. She made a phone call: ¡°Proceed with the n as scheduled.¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhu Xiangxiang, here¡¯s your delivery.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang came home from school, and Madam Zhou handed her a package.


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t buy anything online recently?¡±


    Just as she was about to open the package, her face changed, and she stopped tearing the tape.


    ¡°Xiangxiang, are you tired from studying at school today?¡± Lin Qing walked in from the door with high heels on.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned pale, and she instinctively hid the package behind her, lowering her eyes: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not tired..¡±

 Chapter 82 - 82: 060 Tiger’s Den (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 82: 060 Tiger¡¯s Den (Second Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t notice her strange reaction and handed the package to Madam


    Zhou, casually asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Ming Jing? Didn¡¯t shee back with you?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, ¡°Ever since she got her own car, she¡¯s beening hometer andter. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s busy with every day.¡±


    Lin Qing frowned, ¡°This child¡­¡±


    Madam Zhou smiled, ¡®Ms. Ming Jing knows her limits, madam, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lin Qing had long decided to let Ming Jing be, knowing that she couldn¡¯t control her anyway.


    She nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Are you sick? Why is your face so pale?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely and haven¡¯t been able to take care of you. Take care of yourselves and don¡¯t worry me, alright?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips and nodded.


    ¡°Do you have enough pocket money this month?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hands were clenching the cardboard box behind her so tightly that she was almost tearing a hole in it.


    ¡°By the way, Madam Li¡¯s daughter is getting married this weekend. You¡¯ll apany me, okay?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang raised her head in surprise, ¡°Me?¡±


    Lin Qing looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to prepare well.¡±


    She turned and went upstairs.


    Madam Zhou pretended not to know, ¡°Perhaps Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s return has had some impact on her. She¡¯ll get better with time.¡±


    Lin Qing sighed, ¡°Why is this child so sensitive? After Ming Jing came back, I¡¯ve treated her even better than before. What more does she want? Blood is thicker than water after all.


    Madam Zhou coughed and thought to herself: Finally, you¡¯ve figured it out, madam.


    ¡°How¡¯s mother today?¡±


    Madam Zhou smiled, ¡°With Ms. Ming Jing around, Madam has been getting better day by day.¡±


    Lin Qing breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± One less trouble was always wee.


    Before going upstairs, Lin Qing nced at the entrance. It was already dark outside; why hadn¡¯t that girle back yet?


    In her room, Zhu Xiangxiang locked the door and opened the express parcel. Upon seeing the contents inside, her face turned pale, and she instinctively threw it away.


    ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    She slumped to the floor, staring at the small pink package lying motionless on the ground.


    ¡ªWhat are you hesitating for, Zhu Xiangxiang? No one in this family has ever treated you as a member. Ruin them, ruin them all¡­


    With a sinister smile on her lips, the girl crawled over and clenched the pink package tightly in her hand.


    ¡°I absolutely, absolutely won¡¯t admit defeat.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.


    ¡°This semester¡¯s final exams will determine your grades, so I hope everyone does their best. Also, registration for the Math Olympiad has begun, and those interested cane to me for the application form.¡±


    As soon as the headteacher Huang Liang finished speaking, all eyes in the ss fell on Ming Jing.


    In the past, the headteacher would never bring up such matters in ss, as it was of no use¡ªthere wasn¡¯t anyone in the ss worth looking up to. But now, these words were directed at Ming Jing.


    After going over some test instructions, the school bell rang.


    Tao Xingxing packed her things and said, ¡°Ming Jing, are you going to participate in the Math Olympiad?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a new milk tea shop in Huaqiang Square, and their new pearl stocking milk tea is said to be great. Should we try it out?¡±


    Ming Jing put on her backpack and the two walked out together. ¡°No, I¡¯m busy. I¡¯ll treat you on the weekend if I have time.¡±


    Tao Xingxing lowered her head in disappointment, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ming Jing got into the car, and on the seat next to her was a ck luggage bag. She opened it, skillfully applying makeup.


    ¡°For the past month, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on Shou Chang, but there has been no progress. It seems he really doesn¡¯t know the whereabouts of Ran Bowen¡¯s little mistress.¡± Zheng Qing said as he drove, one hand on the steering wheel, smoothly merging into traffic.


    Ming Jing put on her cap, ¡°This woman is now married, lives in a small,fortable home, has a handsome, considerate husband, obedient children, and presumably has a respectable and easy job. She¡¯s just an ordinary woman among the numerous people in this world.¡±


    Zheng Qing asked in surprise, ¡°How do you know? Have you found her?¡±


    ¡°If Ran Bowen didn¡¯t want them to be exposed, he would definitely arrange everything in such a way that they would hide without a trace. Even if Ran Tengxiao searched the entire Jiangzhou, he wouldn¡¯t find any trace.¡±


    Once a month, Ran Bowen would disappear for an entire day, and nobody could find him. During these times, he would send his trusted men away on errands. Ran Bowen was very alert and had managed to remain undetected for many years.


    ¡°We can put this matter on hold for now. Clues will surface eventually.¡±


    Before getting out of the car, Zheng Qing stopped her, ¡°Ming Jing, are you sure you want to do this? Do you know how dangerous it is?¡±


    ¡°Not entering the tiger¡¯s den, how can one obtain the tiger¡¯s cub?¡±


    The thin figure of the young girl disappeared into the night without looking back.


    The Rans¡¯ Vi.


    ¡°Get out, all of you! What kind of useless doctors!¡± The angry roar of a man came from upstairs.


    Ran Tengxiao sat on the sofa in the living room, his gaze shifting from his phone screen to the second floor. An old man in a white coat stumbled down the stairs, his forehead skinned, looking utterly embarrassed.


    ¡°Master Xiao, my medical skills are not good enough to treat Young Master¡¯s¡­hidden ailment. I must take my leave.¡±


    The old man dashed away as if being chased by a vicious dog, his short legs surprisingly quick.


    Ran Tengxiao couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°He¡¯s only twenty-one, but he¡¯s already ruined his body? Wasn¡¯t he fine before? Could it be rted to that fall from the horsest time?¡±


    Ye Jian¡¯s mouth twitched, but said nothing in response to this sensitive topic.


    Rumors swirled around Manjiangzhou that Ran Tenghui was having difficulties in the bedroom and was seeking treatment from various doctors. For a man, this was a humiliation worse than death.


    But for others, this was great news to rejoice over.


    There was no better punishment for a scumbag than impotence.


    At that moment, Lin Feng entered the room and whispered, ¡°Chief, someone is causing trouble at Bojii Casino.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao yawned, ¡°You can handle it. Do you really need me to step in?


    Lin Feng continued, ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be interested in the person causing the trouble.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow and looked at him.


    ¡°That kid?¡±


    Lin Feng silently nodded.


    Ran Tengxiao slowly stood up, ¡°Such a beautiful night shouldn¡¯t be wasted..¡±

 Chapter 83 - 83: 061 Yu Jiang (First Midnight)

    Chapter 83: 061 Yu Jiang (First Midnight)


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Qinglong Association owns eighteen casinos, over 90% of which are unlicensed gray businesses.


    Bojii is thergest of these casinos. Its entrance is hidden in the deepest part of the F3 underground parking lot of a shopping mall. After walking through a long tunnel and pushing open the glittering golden door, another paradise awaits.


    Fortunes could be made or lost overnight here.


    Countless men walked in during the quiet hours of the night, with dreams of making a fortune overnight, only to lose themselves in the fleeting pleasures of gambling.


    Ye Jian handed over a veil, and Ran Tengxiao covered his mouth and nose with it before entering the main entrance of Bojii Casino.


    Inside was another kind of paradise, filled with thick smoke and an otherworldly atmosphere that seemed ethereal.


    Beyond the noise of rattling dice, the excited shouts of men filled the air.


    In those lust-filled eyes, there was only victory or defeat.


    However, most of these men tonight were discussing one person.


    ¡°That kid was way too arrogant. He is just a punk without even fully-grown hair.¡±


    ¡°Did he cheat? Otherwise, he shouldn¡¯t have won against Xie Zi. That¡¯s just impossible.¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? Would Xie Zi not notice if he cheated? Since Xie Zi admitted defeat, the kid must be really good.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao squinted and passed through several crowded gambling tables to the inner lounge. He lit some incense and turned on an air purifier, finally feeling a bit morefortable.


    A man inside quickly pulled out a chair for him,ying a thick nket on it.


    After Ran Tengxiao sat down, the man respectfully served him a cup of tea.


    Without taking a sip, Ran Tengxiao put the tea aside and asked, ¡°Where is the person?¡±


    Xie Zi looked just like his name ¨C he had a scorpion tattoo from his forehead to the back of his neck, which made him appear extremely terrifying.


    He respectfully answered, ¡°That kid challenged our entire casino alone, then slipped away after calling us a bunch of trash. Our people couldn¡¯t stop him, and he said he¡¯de back on the 15th of this month.¡± Ran Tengxiao asked Ye Jian, who was standing nearby, ¡°What day is it today?¡±


    Ye Jian replied, ¡°It¡¯s the first day of the month.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nced at Xie Zi, ¡°You lost as well?¡±


    Xie Zi looked somewhat indignant, ¡°That kid¡¯s cheating technique was very clever, but if hees back next time, I won¡¯t let him get away.¡± ¡°Since you admit he¡¯s clever, it means you¡¯re simply no match for him.¡±


    Xie Zi sullenly responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sighed, ¡°I¡¯m toote.¡±


    Ye Jian thought to himself, why does the hall master seem so disappointed?


    The air was no good here, so Ran Tengxiao didn¡¯t stay long. He left swiftly.


    Upon breathing the fresh air outside, the color returned to his face, and he asked, ¡°What progress has been made at Ji Chang?¡±


    Ye Jian shook his head, ¡°There are no leads.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re so careful, even leaving us with such a tough challenge after your death. Qinglong Association was founded by you, so would you just stand by and watch it decline?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao casually walked along the street with his hands behind his back. In the middle of the night, there weren¡¯t many people out on the streets.


    ¡°Could they have already left the country?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao shook his head, ¡°No, my big brother is a very traditional person, especially when ites to foreigners. He wouldn¡¯t send his wife and children abroad.¡±


    ¡°With no leads, searching would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Two months¡¯ time simply isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°Put some pressure on Shou Chang. He used to be my big brother¡¯s confidante.


    He surely knows some secrets that we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Also, keep investigating Yu Jiang.¡±


    Ye Jian nced at Lin Feng, who had suddenly joined them, and silently retreated to one side to observe the surrounding situation.


    ¡°The deeper we investigate, the more mysteries emerge. Do you still remember the girl who saved Madam Jiangst time? Who is she?¡±


    Lin Feng thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s normal for someone with Madam Jiang¡¯s identity to be surrounded by extraordinary people. We shouldn¡¯t get too caught up on this person. She¡¯s not a variable, just a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ran Tengxiao smirked, ¡°I have a feeling that this girl is somehow rted to Yu Jiang.¡±


    Lin Feng asked, ¡°What kind of person did you see Yu Jiang as?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked at the night sky, and his eyes exuded a subtle sense of emotion.


    ¡°Every time I met my brother, she was always silently following him. At first, I thought she was mute and always wanted to tease her. But she never showed any emotion, like she didn¡¯t have any.. She looked very ordinary, but her eyes were gorgeous, as if they held countless stories¡­¡±

 Chapter 84 - 84: 061 Yu Jiang (Second Midnight)_2

    Chapter 84: 061 Yu Jiang (Second Midnight)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Later, he smashed his father¡¯s beloved flower vase, got severely punished, and was sent over to his uncle¡¯s house for discipline.


    At first, he looked down on Yu Jiang, thinking that a woman couldn¡¯t be that capable. Later, when trouble broke out in the gambling house, his uncle sent her to settle the dispute, and he followed secretly.


    He watched as the silent and seemingly frail woman single-handedly dealt with an entire gang.


    The once arrogant men begged pitifully at her feet while she stood over a head dully, uttering with icy coldness, ¡°A bunch of garbage.¡±


    As it turned out, she wasn¡¯t mute.


    The group was terrified and wet themselves. Thus, she became famous after the fight.


    He had been staying at his uncle¡¯s ce for about a month, insisting that Yu Jiang teach him martial arts. Bothered by his persistence, she finally agreed to teach him, but he had to get up at five in the morning to practice basic skills every day.


    That was the happiest month in his life, even though the training was painful.


    While he practiced, she would sit alone in the corridor, lost in thought. One day, he noticed that she was holding a heart-shaped stone that seemed to have something engraved on it. Before he could see it clearly, she swiftly put it away.


    He teased that it might be a gift from her lover, which caused her cheeks to blush and ordered him to do fifty push-ups.


    At that time, he couldn¡¯t make out the feeling in his heart. It just felt sour and agitated.


    He sneaked to the riverside in the middle of the night, wore his fingers raw until he found a more beautiful heart-shaped stone. He engraved her name on it and intended to give it to her. However, on that morning, a major incident urred in the Qinglong Association.


    Ji Chang, his uncle¡¯s close confidant, had turned traitor. His uncle took Yu Jiang and left Jiangzhou.


    Ever since then, he never saw Yu Jiang again.


    He didn¡¯t know whether she was dead or alive, or maybe, living a happy life with her lover. Perhaps that was the best oue.


    The unsent stone, he strung it with a rope and wore it around his chest. This stone seemed to remind him constantly that he couldn¡¯t stop. He must keep going forward.


    The answer you want is up ahead.


    Lin Feng sensed something different in the implication but remained silent, feeling as if a wild storm had been stirred inside his mind.


    He casually asked a question, but why did it seem like he had stumbled upon the leader¡¯s hidden secret?


    The leader wouldn¡¯t kill him to keep the secret, right?


    Lin Feng sort of regretted asking that question. Who would have thought that the leader, who was usually calm andposed, could chatter so much?


    Even the most rational person tends to get emotional when alone at night.


    After a long silence, Ran Tengxiao sighed, ¡°What do you think? Is she dead, or is she alive somewhere in the world?¡±


    Lin Feng considered his answer carefully. ¡°She might have died, or she might still be alive¡­¡±


    Ran Tengxiao gave him a nk look, wasn¡¯t that just stating the obvious?


    ¡°The key to unlocking this mystery lies with Madam Jiang. This time, we must ensure that everything goes smoothly. ¡±


    Zhu Shaodan had had a rough month, his friends grew tired of him freeloading, and the girl he had painstakingly pursued had fallen into the arms of another man.


    Zhu Shaodan confronted Zhao Shun, the man who had stolen his girlfriend, and dered a duel after school.


    He rallied some friends and confronted Zhao Shun in an alley after school.


    He underestimated his opponent. Zhao Shun turned out to be a Taekwondo expert and gave Shaodan a severe beating.


    The girlfriend who used to be so affectionate towards him now looked at him with distaste, leaning into Zhao Shun¡¯s arms, ¡°Shun, does it hurt? This guy is an idiot, don¡¯t stoop to his level.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was furious and wanted to tear apart this pair of cheating lovers.


    His friends quickly held him back, ¡°Shaodan, we can¡¯t afford to provoke Zhao Shun. His elder brother is someone from the Qinglong Association, a small gang leader. If we really mess with the Qinglong Association, we might not get away unscathed. Let it go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s leave. Consider this a lesson. A woman who changes her feelings so quickly isn¡¯t worth your effort.¡±


    As soon as Zhu Shaodan heard the word ¡°Qinglong Association¡±, he sobered up immediately. In Jiangzhou, those three words were enough to scare off even little children.


    The Zhu family was nothing more than a nouveau riche family without any real underlying power or influence. If the Qinglong Association really wanted to deal with him, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.


    But there was no way he could back down in front of this cheating couple. He clenched his teeth and said, ¡°The¡­The Qinglong Association isn¡¯t so great. If his¡­his brother can be a member, so can 1..¡±

 Chapter 85 - 85: 061 Yujiang (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 85: 061 Yujiang (First Watch)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s eyes lit up as if he had discovered a new continent.


    Seeing how influential the Qinglong Association was, he thought to himself, wouldn¡¯t I be invincible in fights if I joined them? He could even settle his score with Bai Ziyan.


    His friends gasped with surprise.


    Zhao Shun looked at him disdainfully upon hearing this statement. ¡°You¡¯re really an ignorant brat. The Qinglong Association isn¡¯t just a ce where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can join.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan snorted, ¡°Why can¡¯t I join? You must be afraid that I¡¯ll surpass you once I join the Qinglong Association. What a vicious mind.¡±


    Zhao Shunughed derisively, looking at him like a fool. ¡°You foolish kid, do you even know the rules of joining the Qinglong Association?¡±


    ¡°What rules?¡± Zhu Shaodan asked subconsciously.


    ¡°Firstly, you need a sponsor who must be at least a branch leader of the Qinglong Association. Secondly, you must capture a traitor within the association and sever one of his fingers with your own hands.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan jumped in fright, ¡°In today¡¯swful society, that¡¯s a crime!¡±


    Zhao Shun gave him a disdainful nce, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been speaking with a fool for this long.¡±


    Zhao Shun, arm around a beautiful woman, turned and left without another word.


    His friends sighed in relief, ¡°The Qinglong Association is truly terrifying. I¡¯ve heard about this rule before. As a new member, you¡¯re supposed to capture a runaway, sever one of his fingers personally and offer it as a token of your initiation.¡±


    Another friend added, ¡°What Zhao Shun said is true, but in reality, you can choose one of the two methods. If you find the second one too violent, you could always find a branch leader to sponsor you. But would someone in that position lightly rmend you? What¡¯s more, if you betray the Qinglong Association or harm its interests, your sponsor would be implicated and suffer the same punishment ¨C losing a finger. That¡¯s why they¡¯re reluctant to rmend anyone. The association has many strict rules, a rigid hierarchy, and intensepetition. We¡¯re just ordinary people, let¡¯s not get carried away.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s cool? Have you ever watched the movie Young and Dangerous? Don¡¯t I resemble Chicken Wang?¡± He added, ruffling his hair and disying a ¡®greasy¡¯ grin.


    The others nced at each other, thinking he was one step away from losing his mind.


    Zhu Shaodan asked, ¡°Do you guys know who the branch leaders of the


    Qinglong Association are?¡±


    Seeing his determination, his friends shared everything they knew. ¡°You can frequently patronise ces like casinos, bars, discos and entertainment venues, those are their territories.¡±


    ¡°However, I advise you against it. Once you¡¯re initiated into the Qinglong Association, it¡¯s hard to pull out. Regardless of whether you¡¯re of royal descent or part of the business elite, they only respect power within the association.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan, lost in thought, bid his friends goodbye and hailed a taxi to go home. Realising he was out of cash, he waved the taxi off and decided to walk home.


    As the sky gradually darkened, the neon signs on both sides of the road started to shine.


    Just as he turned a corner, he saw a signboard for the Sweetheart Bar, its name brightly illuminated.


    A group of men of varied heights and weights, some tattooed and others with facial scars, approached him. They were certainly an intimidating bunch.


    Zhu Shaodan nced at them, then stepped forward to stop them. ¡°Gentlemen, may I ask if you¡¯re from the Qinglong Association?¡±


    The leader of the group looked him up and down, scoffing, ¡°Kid, what do you Zhu Shaodan shed his best sycophantic smile, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the prowess of the Qinglong Association for a long time but sadly, I have no connections. Brothers, please ept me as your little brother. I promise to be obedient.¡±


    One of the men, skinny with a pointed chin, looked Zhu Shaodan up and down before addressing the scar-faced leader. ¡°Scar, this kid¡¯s clothes aren¡¯t cheap, he must be a spoiled rich kid. His naive look makes him perfect to run errands for us.¡±


    The scar-faced man raised an eyebrow, ¡°Not afraid of hard work?¡± Zhu Shaodan perked up, seeing a glimmer of hope. ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m eager and full of energy.¡±


    He added, thumping his chest with enthusiasm.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±, Scar asked.


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s eyes rolled, ¡®Every debut needs a stage name, right?¡¯ He had never liked his name ¨C it sounded too feminine.


    ¡°My name is Lin Shaoxia. The ¡®Lin¡¯ is from ¡®lin shuangmu¡¯ (forest), ¡®Shao¡¯ is from ¡®shaoye¡¯ (young master), and Ixia¡¯ from ¡®wuxia¡¯ (martial hero)..¡±

 Chapter 86 - 86: 061 Yu Jiang (First Midnight)_4

    Chapter 86: 061 Yu Jiang (First Midnight)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Shaodan was quite satisfied with the new nickname he had given himself, which he thought was really cool.


    Scarface manughed: ¡°What strange nickname did your parents give you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, my dad is a fan of martial arts novels, he hoped that I could be a young hero to eliminate evil in the martial arts world.¡±


    ¡°Alright, from now on, you¡¯ll be my little brother, Laiba. If there¡¯s a piece of meat for me, there¡¯s soup for you too. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to learn something new.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan chuckled: ¡°Thank you, brother. Thank you.¡±


    A group of people swaggered through the door of the Sweetheart Bar.


    Zhu Shaodan held his head high and chest out, feeling a surge of excitement in his chest, not expecting such a surprise toe so quickly.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s bond investment project was focused on Shenzhou Group¡¯s ¡°The


    Oasis Program.¡±


    Shenzhou Group had a strong foundation and was one of the top three giants in the country. The ¡°Oasis Program¡± was a key national initiative. From any perspective, it was the best choice at the moment.


    Zhu Wentao set up a dedicated group to secure the project¡¯s agency rights at Shenzhou Group¡¯s bidding conference in three days.


    For this, he and his team members worked around the clock for half a month on the project proposal.


    When Zhou Ling came to thepany to deliver food to him, she saw every employee greet her with a smile. In her three months at thepany, she had handled all the personal rtionships well, and no one could point out any of her ws.


    She was impable in this regard.


    Although many people cursed her as a mistress behind her back, none dared to show her attitude in person.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, this woman is really skilled. Look how she¡¯s trained Mr. Zhu to be so obedient. I heard that Mr. Zhu has even moved out of his house and is living with her now.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Mr. Zhu will divorce Madam Zhu?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Madam Zhu is not an ordinary person either. She and Mr. Zhu founded thispany together, and they have three children. They can¡¯t just easily divorce, or it will affect thepany too.¡±


    ¡°Then won¡¯t Secretary Zhou have to remain a mistress forever? Her child will be born out of wedlock. Why did she choose to be a mistress when there are so many other choices? Others nt trees, and others enjoy the shade. Poor


    Madam Zhu.¡±


    ¡°With their wealth, do they need our pity? We should pity ourselves instead. Have you repaid your credit card and Huabei debts this month?¡±


    The two of themughed and left the bathroom together.


    The door of the innermost partition in the bathroom opened, and Zhou Ling came out, washing her hands and wiping them quietly with a paper towel. Then she took out her phone, opened WeChat, switched to another ount, found a contact, and sent a message.


    Zhou Ling raised her head, looked at the woman in the mirror, and smiled lightly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Shaodantely. What has he been busy with every day?¡±


    Lin Qing had been too busy recently, giving her three children a free-range upbringing. She asionally saw Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang at home, but Zhu Shaodan waspletely missing.


    Madam Zhou replied: ¡°The young master has been going out early anding homete every day. He didn¡¯te back until one o¡¯clock in the morningst night. Today is Saturday, and he hasn¡¯t gotten up yet.¡±


    Lin Qing nced at the clock on the wall; it was already 11 0¡¯clock in the morning.


    ¡°This child is getting more and more reckless.¡±


    Lin Qing rushed into Zhu Shaodan¡¯s room, which waspletely dark with the curtains drawn.


    Lin Qing swiftly pulled the curtains open, and arge amount of sunshine instantly flooded in, illuminating the whole room.


    Zhu Shaodan, who had a severe case of being woken up, shouted: ¡°Who the hell dares to¡­!¡±


    Seeing Lin Qing standing at the head of the bed, his momentum instantly wilted.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Get up! The sun is shining on your buttocks! You have ten minutes to wash up ande downstairs for breakfast!¡±


    She turned and left as soon as she finished speaking.


    Zhu Shaodany back down, Lin Qing came back, lifted his quilt, and yed loud music on her phone. Zhu Shaodan shouted in protest.


    Lin Qing looked at the boy on the bed, looking dazed, and felt both soft and angry inside.


    If something happened to her in the future, this child, with his bad temper and personality, would not be able to live on his own. His manners could only lead to begging.


    Lin Qing looked at him with disgust.


    Zhu Shaodan walked down from the second floor in slippers. Madam Zhou had already set up breakfast in the dining room. Granny Zhu sat in the main seat, with Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang on her right and Ming Jing on her left.


    Zhu Shaodan unwillingly sat on the chair next to Ming Jing. He deliberately moved a bit to the side, and the chair legs rubbed against the floor, making an unpleasant sound. Granny Zhu frowned involuntarily..

 Chapter 87 - 87: 061 Yu Jiang (First Midnight)_5

    Chapter 87: 061 Yu Jiang (First Midnight)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Shaodan, what were you up tost night? You came home sote.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan thought to himself that he was out doing something important, but he estimated that if he told the truth, the whole family would beat him, so he couldn¡¯t be honest: ¡°A ssmate was celebrating their birthday, we had a gathering.¡±


    Lin Qing mmed the table angrily, ¡°Do your ssmates celebrate their birthdays every day?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s because I have so many friends.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang spoke softly, ¡°Shaodan, speak properly to mom.¡± ¡°I am speaking properly, it¡¯s you guys who don¡¯t like me.¡±


    Lin Qing hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°I have a friend who runs an agency. Herpany is about to select a group of trainees to go to South Korea for two years of training. You should pack up and go.¡±


    Lin Qing had considered that Shaodan wasn¡¯t good at studying, and going to college wasn¡¯t an option for him. If the Zhus were to fallter on, he didn¡¯t even have the ability to work as a waiter in a restaurant. His only good traits were his appearance and height, and among the entire world, only the entertainment industry could offer him opportunities based on these factors.


    Going overseas for two years of training would refine his character. When he returned to the country, she would spend some money to help him debut and make a living in the entertainment industry without starving.


    Unexpectedly, Zhu Shaodan jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a trainee! You go, don¡¯t drag me into this.¡±


    He had bigger ns in mind, how could he settle for being a minor celebrity?


    He pointed at Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Let my sister go, or let her go.¡± He pointed at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing kept her head down and continued to eat, not even giving him a nce.


    Zhu Xiangxiang said, ¡°Mom, Shaodan is so young, and going abroad alone isn¡¯t good right? Besides, the entertainment industry is so chaotic, why make Shaodan suffer?¡±


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t bother exining, she pointed at his nose and said, ¡°Pack your things, you¡¯re leaving on the 15th. I¡¯ll personally send you to the airport.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan looked at Granny Zhu, ¡°Granny, I don¡¯t want to go abroad, or I won¡¯t be able to fulfill my filial duties to you.¡±


    Granny Zhu sneered, ¡°When have you ever been filial to me? Your mother¡¯s suggestion is good and for your own good. You should understand her difficulties.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan suddenly burst into tears, ¡°You guys don¡¯t love me anymore, everything has changed since she came. You all like her, not me anymore. In that case, I¡¯ll leave and not bother you¡±/>.


    Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively wanted to chase after him, but Lin Qing shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t bother him, let him go. When he has no ce to go, he¡¯ll naturallye back obediently.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Lin Qing, her lips pursed slightly.


    Her mother used to pamper Shaodan the most, holding him in her hand as if he would break, and in her mouth as if he would melt. Now why had her attitude changed sopletely?


    She nced silently at Ming Jing across from her, everything had begun to change since she returned.


    Even at a time like this, Ming Jing could eat peacefully, truly a heartless person.


    Lin Qing looked a little unwell, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, probably didn¡¯t rest wellst night. ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes shed, she picked up some braised pork with her chopsticks and put it in Lin Qing¡¯s bowl, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t I apany you to the hospital for a check-up?¡±


    As expected, Lin Qing¡¯s face changed at the mention of the hospital.


    Granny Zhu said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to the hospital, don¡¯t we have a divine doctor at home?¡±


    With that, she looked at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing never talked while eating, and several pairs of eyes were now on her. She swallowed herst bite, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and finally looked at Lin Qing.


    Lin Qing said, ¡°I know my own body the best, I¡¯m fine. I just need to rest more.¡± Ming Jing stood up and went upstairs, ¡°Come to my roomter.¡±


    Granny Zhu said to Lin Qing, ¡°Trust Ming Jing, her medical skills are great.¡± Lin Qing bit her lip, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of? She¡¯s your own daughter, you have no old grudges with her. If Ming Jing really held a grudge against you, with her nature, she wouldn¡¯t even look at you, let alone invite you into her room.¡±


    Lin Qing felt a sense of relief in her heart, failing to notice that Zhu


    Xiangxiang¡¯s hand gripping her chopsticks was getting tighter and tighter..

 Chapter 88 - 88: 062 Nine Luminaries (Second Watch)

    Chapter 88: 062 Nine Luminaries (Second Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    This was the first time Lin Qing had entered Ming Jing¡¯s room.


    Originally, the room was a guest room, decorated like a model room. After Ming Jing came back, they asked Uncle Wen to clean it up for her to stay.


    It was Zhu Xiangxiang who took over the task from Uncle Wen¡¯s hands. At that time, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the child and just let Xiangxiang do as she pleased.


    So, this was the room Xiangxiang prepared for Ming Jing.


    There was no significant change from before; in one word, the room was cold.


    Lin Qing should have noticed it long ago. There was an insurmountable gulf between the two children. Forcing them to be good sisters was unfair to both.


    There was a yellowed scripture on the bedside table, and a few bottles and jars on the dressing table, which were a set of decent skincare products.


    She thought they were prepared by Zhu Xiangxiang, thinking that at least Xiangxiang wouldn¡¯t make a mistake in terms of face.


    In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows was a small round table with a single sofa on each side.


    Ming Jing brewed two cups of tea, ced them on the table, and sat down on one of the sofas, turning her head to look at Lin Qing.


    ¡°Please sit.¡±


    Lin Qing felt ufortable with her polite attitude; her face didn¡¯t show it. She walked over and sat down in front of Ming Jing.


    ¡°Stretch out your right arm.¡±


    Ming Jing folded a towel and ced it under Lin Qing¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Adjust your breathing and rx, ¡± Ming Jing slowly said.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes were slightly closed, and the wind blew in from outside the window, making the white curtains flutter gently.


    Lin Qing stared at the girl in front of her.


    This was the first time she had looked at her so seriously.


    Lin Qing carefully recalled everything that had happened since Ming Jing¡¯s return. Ming Jing had neverined or asked anyone to do anything for her. No matter what happened, she never had any emotions, as if no one or anything was worth stirring her feelings.


    Was it because she had studied Buddhism and had no desires since she was young, or was it because their so-called rtives were not worth mentioning in her heart?


    Either answer would make her feel ufortable.


    ¡°Recently, have you often felt chest tightness and shortness of breath? Dizziness?¡± Ming Jing asked in a nd tone. Lin Qing was startled and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Stick out your tongue and let me see.¡±


    Lin Qing opened her mouth and extended her tongue.


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°You¡¯ve been staying upte and worrying too muchtely, which has led to a weak spleen and stomach. I¡¯ll write you a prescription, and you can take it as instructed.¡±


    Ming Jing bowed her head to write.


    Lin Qing watched her calmly lower her head, and the bold and energetic cursive script appeared on the paper, extremely unrestrained.


    She had never really looked at this child before, even though she was so outstanding.


    Lin Qing¡¯s eyes gradually moistened, and she quickly bowed her head to hide her emotions.


    After Ming Jing finished writing, she handed it to Lin Qing, who took it and left.


    As she was about to leave the room, Lin Qing turned back for another nce. Ming Jing sat quietly in the sunlight, looking out the window. In the silhouette of the sunlight, the young girl¡¯s side face was calm and beautiful, like a silent, serene flower blooming in time.


    Lin Qing turned around with the prescription in hand and left, closing the door carefully.


    At this time, everyone in the Zhu family was taking a nap. Madam Zhou had prepared dinner and was about to go back to her room to rest for a while.


    ¡°Miss? Why are you here?¡±


    Ming Jing was standing at the doorway. Why would shee to the nanny¡¯s room?


    Ming Jing nced around: ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the room.¡±


    Madam Zhou shared a room with Xiao Ying. When Ming Jing walked in, Xiao Ying was lying in bed ying with her phone. As soon as she saw Ming Jing enter, she immediately got up from the bed, quickly put on her slippers, and stood at attention.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    Madam Zhou closed the door and asked curiously, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not taking a nap. Is there anything you want to tell us?¡±


    Ming Jing went straight to the point, ¡°Has mother eaten anything exclusivelytely?¡±


    Madam Zhou was overjoyed in her heart that Miss showed concern for Madam.


    ¡°Madam drinks a bowl of snow fungus bird¡¯s nest soup before going to bed every night. It has been her habit for many years to beautify and nourish her face.¡± ¡°Every night?¡±


    ¡°Yes, every night.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°I see.¡±


    With that, she left the room.


    Madam Zhou and Xiao Ying exchanged nces, seeing surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    That night, Ming Jing apanied Granny Zhu to watch TV in the living room.


    Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang also watched together, chatting andughing. Granny Zhu hadn¡¯t been this happy for a long time and was reluctant to leave even when it was time to sleep.


    Ming Jing personally helped Granny Zhu back to her room: ¡°Old people should go to bed early. In the morning, I¡¯ll teach you the Five Animal y, which helps prolong life. Your leg bones will be more agile, and you¡¯ll have no problem running..¡±

 Chapter 89 - 89: 062 Nine Planets (Second watch) 2

    Chapter 89: 062 Nines (Second watch) 2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Granny Zhu couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang walked up the stairs side by side. As they climbed, Zhu Xiangxiang supported Lin Qing and asked, ¡°Mom, did Ms. Ming


    Jing find any problems when she took your pulse at noon?¡±


    Lin Qing nced at her: ¡°Why?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she looked worried: ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about your health.¡±


    Lin Qing looked away and said lightly, ¡°Ming Jing said that it¡¯s just spleen and stomach weakness caused by fatigue. She prescribed me some medicine, and


    I¡¯ll be fine if I take it on time.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    After sending Lin Qing to her room, Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the clock on the wall. It was 9¡ä.15pm, and she went downstairs to the kitchen. Madam Zhou was pouring the simmered bird¡¯s nest soup with white fungus into a porcin bowl. ¡°Miss Xiangxiang,¡± she said with a smile, ¡°are you hungry again?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nodded, ¡°Madam Zhou, do you have anything to eat?¡±


    Madam Zhouughed, ¡°I knew it! I made a few extra shrimp dumplings for you tonight and saved them for you. Let me serve your Madam this soup first, then


    I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    The kitchen had the bitter aroma of Chinese medicine simmering on a nearby stove.


    Madam Zhou was about to leave with the bowl when Zhu Xiangxiang took it from her. ¡°I have nothing to do, let me take it to mom.¡±


    ¡°Miss Xiangxiang is so filial,¡± Madam Zhou praised her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang carried the bowl out and saw Ming Jinging out of Granny


    Zhu¡¯s room. Zhu Xiangxiang smiled and asked, ¡°Has Granny gone to bed?¡± Ming Jing¡¯s eyes nced at the bird¡¯s nest soup in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand beforending on her face.


    Zhu Xiangxiang touched her face: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ming Jing silently turned and entered the kitchen.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and she nced at the soup in her hand before going upstairs.


    Ms. Ming Jing, the medicine for Madam has been simmering for a full two hours, just as you instructed.¡±


    After waiting for two minutes, Madam Zhou turned off the heat and grabbed a cloth to hold the medicine pot.


    Ming Jing took the cloth and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She wrapped the cloth around the handle of the pot, ced a strainer in a bowl, and carefully poured the hot medicine through it.


    It took three filtrations for all the medicinal residue to be removed.


    Each of her movements was very meticulous. Madam Zhou silently watched and thought to herself that Ms. Ming Jing was truly filial. She didn¡¯t talk much, but like the gentle spring rain, she nourished and cared for others without making any noise.


    Ming Jing picked up the medicine bowl, and Madam Zhou eximed, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s hot!You should use a towel to hold it!¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± she said, and left the kitchen with the bowl.


    Lin Qing was a bit surprised when she saw Ming Jing personally bring her the medicine, even though Ming Jing was her biological daughter.


    Lin Qing hurriedly reached for the bowl, but the heat made her quickly withdraw her hand.


    Ming Jing carried the bowl inside, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    T .in Oing watched her unflinching exnression. feeling the scorching nain on her


    fingertips and aplex sensation in her heart.


    The unopened bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup sat on the tea table.


    ¡°I forgot to mention, the bird¡¯s nest is heaty and shes with the medicinal properties, so don¡¯t drink it for now.¡± She took the soup bowl and left the room.


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t think much of it and stared at the ck medicine, falling into silence.


    How many years had it been since shest drank it?


    Ming Jing returned to her room with the bird¡¯s nest soup. Zheng Qing was lying on the sofa, doing a pedicure, while wearing a facial mask.


    Seeing Ming Jing bring the bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup, she instinctively reached for it, ¡°How thoughtful of you, is this for me to drink?¡±


    Ming Jing put the bowl on the table, and Zheng Qing could tell it wasn¡¯t that simple.Ming Jing took out a needle case from the bedside drawer, opened it, and took out a silver needle, then inserted the needle into the soup.


    Zheng Qing raised his eyebrows: ¡°When I was filming a costume drama, there was a scene where the eunuch tested the emperor¡¯s food with a silver chopstick. If the chopstick turned ck, the food was poisonous. I always thought it was fake, but it turned out to be true.¡±


    Ming Jing took out the silver needle without any change in color.


    ¡°Did you make a mistake? There¡¯s no poison in this.¡±


    Ming Jing pushed the bowl towards her: ¡°Drink it.¡±


    Zheng Qing sneered: ¡°There is a kind of colorless and odorless poison that can¡¯t be detected with a silver needle. If I die from poisoning, you¡¯ll never find a cuter and more powerful assistant than me.¡±


    Ming Jing gave her a calm look. Zheng Qing hurriedly picked it up: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drink! Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°Why are you still testing for poison? Are you ying some kind of pce intrigue game?¡± Zheng Qing wiped her mouth.


    Ming Jing¡¯s face was somber, ¡°When I checked Lin Qing¡¯s pulse at noon, I found she had been poisoned with chronic poison.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow: ¡°Interesting, who do you think did it?¡±


    ¡°I gave her a chance.¡± Ming Jing shook her head in disappointment.


    Zheng Qing patted Ming Jing on the shoulder: ¡°When someone is determined to go bad, no amount of persuasion will work. It just proves that they are rotten to the core.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡± Zheng Qing frowned: ¡°Lin Qing has never mistreated her. She even put up with you because of her. How could she do such a vicious thing? It¡¯s utterly conscienceless. Did she find out about the will?¡±


    No one can suddenly turn bad for no reason. Ming Jing thought about the evening of the wee banquet when Zhou Ling stood up and testified for Zhu Xiangxiang.


    ¡°Did you find anything about Zhou Ling, whom I asked you to investigate?¡±


    Speaking of that, Zheng Qing became more excited: ¡°This woman is fascinating. The more I investigate her identity, the more confusing it bes. It¡¯s obvious that someone with power has deliberately erased her past and created fake records. From this, it¡¯s clear that her approach to Zhu Wentao was premeditated. However, I can¡¯t hack into the National Security Bureau yet to get their files, otherwise, I would know if she¡¯s a human or a ghost.¡±


    ¡°What could Zhu Wentao have that she would be after?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    ¡°Lin Qing is also investigating her and seems to have found something. This woman is not simple either. She and Zhu Wentao have a big showdowning. You can just sit back and watch the show.¡±


    Suddenly, a thought shed through Zheng Qing¡¯s mind, and she pped her hands, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang wouldn¡¯t dare. Could it be Zhou Ling?¡±


    Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s calm face, she knew that she had already guessed it and couldn¡¯t help but exim: ¡°You¡¯re so quick witted. Zhu Xiangxiang, that fool, is being used without knowing it. Lin Qing is the only person she could rely on. How could she expect a mistress to be good to the adoptive daughter of the original wife? She¡¯s quite naive.¡±


    Ming Jing lowered her eyes indifferently, ¡°There¡¯s a saying in Buddhism, one thought creates Buddha, one thought creates a demon, heaven and hell, often only a thought apart.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you n to tell Lin Qing? So she can be on guard.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid that Lin Qing won¡¯t be able to bear the heartbreak of her beloved adopted daughter betraying her, are you? She used to treat you in such a way, and she¡¯s not even your real mother. Isn¡¯t it the perfect opportunity to see her being pped in the face?¡±


    Ming Jing yed with her Buddhist beads, ¡°She is the mother of my senior sister. ¡±


    Zheng Qing choked: ¡°Your senior sister wasn¡¯t poisoned to death by you, was she?¡±


    Isn¡¯t this how it¡¯s written in novels to steal an identity and seek revenge?


    That would only make her a major viin instead of the main character.


    ¡°My senior sister was very good to me. She was the best senior sister in the world.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was as gentle as a dreamy murmur.


    ¡°When she wakes up, I will return her family to her, safe and sound.¡±


    Zheng Qing wanted to ask what happened to her senior sister, but Ming Jing got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Zheng Qing had no choice but to give up.


    The night deepened, and so did the dreams.


    ¡°Your senior sister has a major disaster in her life. She may not be able to escape this cmity. As a master, I know you have achieved great sess in the Nines Technique, and you must have seen it as well.¡±


    ¡°You and your senior sister have always had deep feelings for each other. If you cross this cmity, your senior sister will be safe, but you will fall into the demons of your heart again.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, forget it. Everything is the cause and effect of past lives, the cycle of the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    ¡°A debt owed must always be repaid..¡±

 Chapter 90 - 90: 063 Flavor (First Update)

    Chapter 90: 063 vor (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    North City Snack Street¡¯s open-air barbecue stalls were packed with people.


    At thergest table sat nine men, eight of them with tattoos, smoking, drinking, and cursing. Everyone stayed away from them as soon as they saw them.


    They clearly belonged to the underworld, the kind of people one should stay away from.


    One of the young men had rosy lips and white teeth, clean-cut and handsome, looking out of ce among the rough crowd. He held a bottle of liquor in his hand, pouring drinks for one person and then lighting a cigarette for another.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he was covered in sweat.


    ¡°Screw that Wang Quan, the bastard. Just because his uncle is the Heavenly Master of Baihu Hall, what¡¯s there to be arrogant about? I¡¯ll chop him off sooner orter.¡± Laiba¡¯s drunkenness got the better of him and started ranting.


    Zhu Shaodan perked up his ears to eavesdrop and got two key points: Baihu Hall and Heavenly Master.


    The images of swordfights and chivalry from martial arts novels he had read shed through his mind, making every pore in his body excited.


    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s good to have connections in high ces. We don¡¯t have money or power, so we can only be trampled and ground underfoot by others.¡± One of the underlings, Huang Mao, sighed.


    Zhu Shaodan cautiously asked, ¡°Scar Bro, what do Baihu Hall and Heavenly Master do?¡±


    Outsiders only knew the name of the Qinglong Association but were not very clear about the internal hierarchy.


    Laiba nced at him and sneered, ¡°Why do you want to join the Qinglong Association?


    Zhu Shaodan said admiringly, ¡°Of course I admire the prestige of the Qinglong


    Association. When I go out to fight, as long as I say I¡¯m a member of the


    Qinglong Association, I¡¯ll scare the opponents so much they¡¯ll piss their pants.¡± Laiba couldn¡¯t help butugh, scolding with a smile, ¡°So childish.¡±


    Laiba took a sip of wine and began to exin the Qinglong Association to Zhu Shaodan.


    The Qinglong Association is divided into three halls: Xuanwu Hall, Zhuque Hall, and Baihu Hall. The founder, Ran Bowen, heads Xuanwu Hall while his two younger brothers, Ran Boxue and Ran Bocai, control Zhuque Hall and Baihu Hall respectively. Xuanwu Hall is the most powerful.


    Each hall consists of three Masters, and under the Masters, there are nine sub-halls. At the beginning, during Ran Bowen¡¯s reign, the association started by seizing territories and opening casinos. Casinos have always been at the core of the Qinglong Association, firmly held by Xuanwu Hall, leaving only crumbs for Zhuque Hall and Baihu Hall.


    After Ran Bowen¡¯s death, the cause of which these minions were not clear about, brothers Ran Boxue and Ran Bocai fought each other for control over Xuanwu Hall. When the two brothers died, Ran Boxue¡¯s son, Ran Yang, took over Xuanwu Hall, Ran Qing took over Zhuque Hall, and one of Ran Bowen¡¯s confidants, Lu Chang, took over Baihu Hall. The three did not trust each other, leading the Qinglong Association into a split era.


    Things began to change two years ago when Ran Yang¡¯s son, Ran Tengxiao, returned from studying abroad and took over the Xuanwu Hall from his father.


    First, he won over his aunt Ran Qing and together they forced Lu Chang out of power. He quickly promoted his own loyal follower, Lin Feng, to take charge. Using iron-fisted methods, he conducted a major internal purge, eliminating the remnants of Ran Bowen¡¯s influence and recing them with his own confidants. Thus, the internal strife within the Qinglong Association was settled, and the split ended.


    Now, within the three halls, Ran Tengxiao is in charge of Xuanwu Hall, with more and more casinos under his control, and profits pour in daily. Ran Qing has grown old and has gradually withdrawn from the affairs of Zhuque Hall, leaving everything to her confidants. Lin Feng, the master of Baihu Hall, is a business genius who mainly focuses on expanding external businesses, such as investments and managing entertainment industries. He keeps up with the times, developing whatever is popr.


    Ran Tengxiao is not inferior to his uncle Ran Bowen in any way and even surpasses him in some aspects. In just two years, the Qinglong Association has rapidly grown under his leadership, reminiscent of the glory days when Ran Bowen was alive. Moreover, he is a cunning and resourceful man who maintains good rtions with the government while strictly restraining his subordinates from causing trouble. Any conflicts are resolved internally. The benefits and treatment offered to members after joining are good, but the price of betraying the Qinglong Association is terrible.


    Even so, many people are eager to join for the prestige of the Qinglong Association alone, but the strict rules make it difficult for ordinary people to join.


    The more Zhu Shaodan listened, the more excited he became. He asked, ¡°How old is Master of Xuanwu Hall this year?¡±


    Laiba took a sip of wine and said, ¡°Twenty-four years old.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan looked up to him admiringly, ¡°He¡¯s so young and already the boss of the Qinglong Association, my idol.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, his methods in dealing with Lu Chang were incredible back then, it didn¡¯t matter who was whose nephew. Also, Master Xiao holds a martial arts


    petition every year to select talents- The voting members of the association


    can participate, and as long as they perform well, they¡¯ll be promoted by Master Xie. Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning were chosen in thepetition two years ago..¡±

 Chapter 91 - 91: 063 Flavor (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 91: 063 vor (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Shaodan was like a curious baby: ¡®What is Wind, Rain, Thunder, and


    Lightning?¡±


    Laiba gave him a nce: ¡°They are the four top masters around Master Xie, each one being a talent chosen from thousands.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan let out an ¡°Oh,¡± ¡°When will the next Martial Arts Competition be held?¡±


    Laiba calcted the time: ¡°It¡¯s at the end of October this year, still half a year away. Why, do you want to participate?¡±


    The disdainful look in his eyes stimted Zhu Shaodan, and he secretly vowed in his heart to work hard on his kung fu and make those who looked down on him regret it.


    Huang Mao¡¯s phone rang, he took it out and looked at it, saying: ¡°Brother Ba, have you heard about the Bojii Casino thing on the first day?¡±


    Laiba said: ¡°A guy challenged the entire audience, it¡¯s been a crazy rumor for half a month now, how could I not know.¡±


    ¡°The kid said he woulde back on the 15th before he leftst time, today is the 15th, everyone in the group is going to Bojii Casino to watch the excitement.¡±


    Laiba threw down an empty bottle of wine and stood up: ¡°Of course, we should go.¡±


    A group of people left abruptly, the boss wanted to stop them but didn¡¯t dare. Suddenly, he noticed Zhu Shaodan, who was left behind, and quickly pulled him: ¡°You guys haven¡¯t paid yet.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan resented in his heart for those people eating and drinking for free, andpletely treating him as a cash machine. But he tolerated it for the sake of joining the Qinglong Association.


    He took off his wristwatch and stuffed it into the boss¡¯s hand: ¡°This watch is worth at least ten thousand yuan, just use it to pay for the meal.¡±


    The boss, holding the watch and shining it under the light, couldn¡¯t see anything valuable about it. He wanted to catch the guy and get him to pay, but the guy had already slipped away.


    At this moment, a young man next to him said: ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll give you one thousand yuan, sell me this watch.¡±


    The boss suddenly became alert and realized that the watch might not be cheap. He said with a straight face: ¡°Not for sale.¡±


    He was overjoyed in his heart, thinking he had really encountered a rich and foolish guy, making a fortune.


    The boundless underground parking lot was empty and cold, and a single word would echo far. Zhu Shaodan rubbed his arms and carefullygged behind.


    On the way, they encountered several groups of people, all probably from the Qinglong Association, and greeted each other as they walked forward with great momentum.


    Before entering Bojii, the entrance was already crowded with people. However, these people were divided into two groups, each with their own camp.


    The two men at the front quarreled: ¡°Master Li, long time no see, you seem to be living a prosperous life and gained quite a bit of weight since thest time we met.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m far worse than Master Zhang. Who doesn¡¯t know that you married a young model in her twenties? You must be having a veryscivious and happy life. I really can¡¯tpare to you,¡± the other man replied.


    Zhu Shaodan pulled Huang Mao¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°Brother Mao, who are these two?¡±


    Huang Mao looked impatient but recalled that he still needed Zhu Shaodan¡¯s support, so he exined: ¡°The fat one is Li Shengli, the Heavenly Master of Zhuque Hall; and the one with a pale face is Zhang Baicheng, the Earthly


    Master of Baihu Hall. Both of them have backers and are not to be trifled with.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan had a look of enlightenment, the deeper he delved into the Qinglong Association, the more excited he became, as the experience seemed even more thrilling than reading martial arts novels. This was the real world of martial arts


    At this moment, someone shouted: ¡°Master Xie ising.¡±


    In an instant, there was an eerie silence, and the crowd made way for him.


    Zhu Shaodan stood on the outer edge of the crowd and saw a young and handsome man walking over. He was about 6 feet tall, wearing loose casual clothes, with a cold demeanor and a faint smile. His dark, deep eyes were inscrutable.


    ¡°Master Xie¡­,¡± everyone bowed their heads respectfully.


    The man walked leisurely, strolling through the crowd like he was in a garden,


    ¡°There are quite a few people here tonight.¡±


    Following him were two men ¨C one of them a silent middle-aged man with a square face and sharp eyes. He was Lin Feng, the Master of Baihu Hall and the most trusted man of Ran Tengxiao. The other man was lean and strong, with a serious and somewhat wooden demeanor. He was Ye Jian, the Heavenly Master of Xuanwu Hall.


    ¡°Cousin, wait for me.¡± A crisp girlish voice sounded a bit abrupt among the crowd. Everyone saw a stunning beauty, with a voluptuous figure, chasing after him. ¡°I was just touching up my makeup. Why didn¡¯t you wait for me, cousin? You have no sense of pity for the fairer sex at all. I wonder which girl would dare marry you in the future.¡±


    The girl¡¯s tone was sweet and yfully annoyed, and her eyes were full of charm and grace. She reminded people of the beauty of peonies and could definitely be called a nation¡¯s beauty.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    Those who didn¡¯t know her asked directly: ¡°Is this Master Xie¡¯s new favorite? She is so beautiful..¡±

 Chapter 92 - 92: 063 Flavor (First update) _3

    Chapter 92: 063 vor (First update) _3


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Are you dumb? Didn¡¯t you hear her calling Master Xie as ¡®cousin¡¯? She¡¯s Rachel, the daughter of Auntie Qing, and Master Xie¡¯s cousin, the missy from the


    Zhaos.¡±


    ¡°Miss of the Zhaos huh¡­¡± someone sighed.


    Upon seeing Zhao Qin, Zhu Shaodan instinctively shrunk his head.


    ¡°You! You¡¯ve been spoiled by your aunt. No decent man would marry you,¡± someone scoffed.


    ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t want to marry. I¡¯ll take over Zhuque Hall, be my cousin¡¯s right-hand woman, and help our Qinglong Association thrive.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes sparkled. He chuckled, ¡°Still young, yet full of ambition.¡± ¡°Of course. My dream is to be a powerful woman, just like my uncle.¡±


    As they chatted, they walked inside. Since Ran Tengxiao had been informed beforehand, Bojii Casino had done a major clean -up. Everywhere was dust-free, and a faint fragrance drifted in the air.


    Though Bojii was packed tonight, everyone was quiet. Upon seeing Ran Tengxiao, they respectfully called him Master Xiao. Ran Tengxiao showed up briefly and then went to the lounge inside, sipping tea while waiting for others.


    ¡°Cousin, do you think that guy wille tonight?¡± Zhao Qin asked, twirling a lock of her hair.


    ¡°Why, are you interested in him?¡±


    ¡°I heard that he had challenged the whole casino single-handedly. I¡¯m curious which arrogant punk dared to intrude on my cousin¡¯s territory and stir up trouble. I must meet him tonight and teach him a lesson. He must be given to understand that Qinglong Association is no ce to act recklessly.¡± The youngdy¡¯s beautiful face radiated with arrogance.


    Ran Tengxiao nced at her with a smile. ¡°Okay, enough with your little tricks.


    Don¡¯t embarrass me.¡±


    ¡°Cousin!¡± She stomped her foot, pouting.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to keep youpany. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Zhao Qin turned around and walked out.


    Zhao Qin had been frequenting the casino since she was young. She was highly proficient in various forms of gambling. Being the miss of the Zhaos, everyone showed her respect and somewhat conceded to her.


    ¡°Xie Zi,e y with me,¡± Zhao Qin said, grabbing Xie Zi¡¯s arm and shaking it coquettishly.


    Xie Zi looked helpless, ¡°Missy¡­¡±


    She was too good at acting spoilt. He couldn¡¯t win.


    Just then, a junior brother rushed in, shouting excitedly, ¡°Xie Zi, he¡¯s here¡­he¡¯s here¡­¡±


    Xie Zi clenched his teeth and sneered, ¡°Finally, he¡¯s here.¡±


    Zhao Qin raised an eyebrow curiously.


    Zhu Shaodan, hiding in the crowd, grabbed someone and asked, ¡°Who is everyone waiting for?¡±


    The man looked at Zhu Shaodan as if he were an idiot. ¡°If you don¡¯t even know that, why are you here making a fuss?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan said aggrievedly, ¡°I¡¯ve just joined. I haven¡¯t had time to get to know things yet.¡±


    This man had patience, he exined to Zhu Shaodan about the events of the first night, ¡°Xie Zi is known as the gambling king of Bojii. He was undefeated until he lost to that guy. The incident surprised even Master Xie. That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s here tonight purposely waiting for that guy.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was stunned, ¡°That powerful?¡±


    This ce seemed like another world to him- a world of decadence, violence, and bloodshed; a new, exciting, and thrilling world that he had never known, but that made his blood boil with excitement.


    He suddenly felt that he had wasted his first fifteen years of life. Only now, with his heart pounding, did he realize the true meaning of life.


    At that moment, two shadowy figures came flying in from the door, thudding onto the floor. The crowd gasped in surprise, each drawing out their sticks and waiting in confrontation.


    The atmosphere was tense.


    Unable to help himself, Zhu Shaodan shrunk his neck and stared at the entrance.


    A tall, thin figure slowly walked in. The man was wearing an all -ck outfit, skinny and tall, with a duckbill hat and a mask. He looked cold, mysterious, defiant, and arrogant.


    As the man walked closer, everyone stepped back. Faces exchanged nervous nces, and then they charged at him.


    Armed with batons and being bouncers at the casino, they were not to be underestimated. The boy was thin and frail. Zhu Shaodan thought this guy was really overestimating himself. However, the next moment left him with his mouth hanging wide open.


    The young man skillfully fought off the crowd. Agile, he knocked one down with a kick, scattering a group with one hit. His arm was as thin as a twig, yet when it came to breaking wrist bones, he was ruthless. Watching him, Zhu Shaodan flinched subconsciously.


    Within an eye¡¯s blink, most of the mob was howling in pain on the ground. The young man dusted off his clothes leisurely, ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve prepared a grand weing party, I must give something in return. I would hate for your hall master¡¯s painstaking efforts to go to waste.¡±


    Every word from the youth felt like a cold wind sweeping over the backs of their necks, sending chills up their spines..

 Chapter 93 - 93: 063 Flavor (First Update)_4

    Chapter 93: 063 vor (First Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhao Qin sized up the young man, broke into a sudden smile, and said, ¡°You¡¯re not bad yourself, kid. Dare to gamble with me?¡±


    The young man frowned at her, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Zhao Qin flicked her hair, revealing an intoxicating smile: ¡°Master Xie is my cousin, who do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°Ran Qing¡¯s daughter? The Missy of the Zhao¡¯s?¡± There seemed to be a hint of contempt in the young man¡¯s tone.


    ¡°You¡­.¡± Zhao Qin, his words angering her to the point ofughter, retorted: ¡°If you dare, let¡¯s settle this on the gambling table.¡±


    The young man crossed his arms, disdainfully replied, ¡°I don¡¯t y with women.¡±


    Zhao Qin pointed at his nose and scolded, ¡°Imand you as ady to y with me.¡±


    The young man snorted coldly, disregarding her.


    Enraged, Zhao Qin stamped her foot. Never in her life had she been so humiliated, she wanted to rush at him and tear him apart.


    Xie Zi whispered, ¡°Miss, calm down. This young man is too arrogant. Let


    Master Xie handle him.¡±


    ¡°Where is Ran Tengxiao?¡± The youngster demanded, ¡°Call him out, I will only gamble with him.¡±


    The entire venue gasped. This kid really talked big.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? My cousin is the head of the Qinglong Association, you¡¯re not even worthy of carrying his shoes!¡± Zhao Qin retorted.


    The young man red coldly. In a blink of an eye, he gripped Zhao Qin¡¯s throat. It happened so fast that no one had time to react.


    Zhao Qin stiffened. The young man leaned in, his voice yful: ¡°I might not be anything, but with a slight move of my finger, you¡¯ll be on your way to meet the King of Hell, where you¡¯ll be even less than nothing.¡±


    Zhao Qin smelled a faint peppermint scent from the young man, it was somehow refreshing.


    His words filled with deadly serious, she was taken aback by it. Just a tiny squeeze from him and she would be in the underworld reporting to the King of Hell.


    Zhao Qin could almost smell death. She was trembling, her instincts urged her not to show weakness. He wouldn¡¯t kill in broad daylight, but who knew if the young man was crazy, she dared not gamble. ¡°If you kill me, do you think you could escape?¡±


    The young man snorted, appearing to despise life and death.


    ¡°Let go of my cousin, I¡¯ll gamble with you.¡± Ran Tengxiao came out of the rest room, his gaze fell upon the faces of the two in the circle.


    The young man let go of Zhao Qin and pushed her away, showing no chivalry at all.


    ¡°Miss Zhao.¡± Zhang Baicheng hurried to support her, remarking on how slim her waist was.


    Zhao Qin shook off his hand in disgust, her eyes ring ferociously at the young man among the crowd. She subconsciously touched her neck, it seemed to still hold his fingertip¡¯s warmth.


    ¡°Finally stopped hiding in your shell?¡±


    Ran Tengxiaoughed, ¡°What shall we gamble on?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao had yed dice and Pai Gow with the young man previously. He noticed that the youngster was a pretty high skilled yer. Ran Tengxiao decided to change the game and ordered the gambling table to be set.


    Both of them stood on either side of the table, as the dealer dealt the cards. The others were kept away, no one coulde within three feet of them, everyone could only watch from afar.


    Ran Tengxiao leaned on the gambling table, staring at the young man: ¡°Since it¡¯s gambling, we need to have stakes.¡±


    The young man casually leaned against his chair, holding up his chin with one hand. Under the re of the overhead light, his silhouette appeared blurry. His air of mystery, indifference, and cold-bloodedness created a fascination that was like a drug.


    Watching from a distance, Zhao Qin felt the burning sensation on her neck intensify.


    The young man changed his posture, his maic voice carrying an air of nonchnce: ¡°If I win, you give me Lu Chang¡¯s head.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes narrowed. As he thought, the young man was here for revenge for Ji Chang.


    Heughed, ¡°And if I win?¡±


    The young manughed scornfully, ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°If I win, you stay by my side, at my disposal. After two years, if you want Lu Chang¡¯s head, you can take it.¡±


    The young man pped the table, impatiently saying: ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time, can you afford that?¡±


    The dealer quickened the dealing.


    The first round, both picked up their cards.


    Zhao Qin frowned at Xie Zi, ¡°How good are my cousin¡¯s gambling skills?¡± She had never seen her cousin on the gambling table.


    Xie Zi smiled confidently: ¡°This brat is underestimating. Master Xie once set a record in Las Vegas. His golden handprint is still kept there.¡±


    Zhao Qin smiled with satisfaction, ¡°I must teach this guy a hard lesson.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nced at the young man across the table, revealing his cards.


    The crowd craned their necks to look, ¡°Ace of Spades! Master Xie is safe, this kid is out of his depth.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master Xie has been running the Bojii Casino for so long, he must have his skills.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he revealing his card? Could it be that he¡¯s scared? Just wait and see how Master Xie will destroy him.¡±


    The young man satzily, his slender fingers gently flipping the corner of the card. No one saw the smirk on his lips behind the mask.


    Zhao Qin clenched her fist, praying silently that her cousin would win.


    The young man pinched a card between his fingers, flipping it gently. The big King of Hearts was blisteringly bright under the light..

 Chapter 94 - 94: 064 Trickery (Second Update)

    Chapter 94: 064 Trickery (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Tsk¡­ No matter the size or the suit, Master Xie has won. Get ready to kowtow and beg for mercy, kid.¡±


    Unfazed, the young man continued to draw cards.


    He revealed a Spade K and a Heart A.


    It was a tie.


    Everyone watched anxiously, witnessing a formidable opponent.


    The third and fourth cards were drawn in session.


    ¡°Master Xie is going to create a miracle again; this kid can only turn the tables with a J as hisst card, but it¡¯s impossible since Master Xie has a straight flush.¡¯


    Ran Tengxiao looked at the young man across from him: ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡±


    The young man sneered: ¡°You¡¯ll have the privilege to know when you win against me.¡±


    The underlings were infuriated: ¡°This kid is too arrogant to speak to Master


    Xiao like that.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Remember our bet, and don¡¯t renege when the timees.¡±


    The young man scoffed.


    The final decisive moment hade.


    Both yers revealed their cards simultaneously. Ran Tengxiao was a bit stunned to see the Heart J on the table.


    The young man seemed a bit surprised as well.


    They both looked up at each other, and everyone could feel the tension in the air as it became stifling.


    The young man picked up the card, his eyebrows sharp as a freshly unsheathed sword, menacingly sharp.


    ¡°Master Xie, you¡¯re quite skilled, to cheat under my watch, heh¡­¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow: ¡°Takes one to know one.¡±


    He picked up the card: ¡°Those who always linger by the river are bound to get their shoes wet; your skills are extraordinary, I admit my inferiority.¡± ¡°Enough, don¡¯t give me that talk, a bet is a bet.¡±


    The young man pushed the cards forward like a stubborn child.


    Ran Tengxiaoughed: ¡°Neither of us won this round, so let¡¯s call it a tie.¡± The young man held his head high, proudly saying, ¡°Not winning is losing.¡±


    He stood up, looking down at Ran Tengxiao, ¡°I lost. In two years, I¡¯ll take Lu


    Chang¡¯s head.¡±


    With that said, he left without looking back.


    Zhao Qin caught up to him: ¡°Hey, are you just leaving like that?¡± The young man snapped irritably: ¡°Don¡¯t follow me!¡±


    Zhao Qin was startled, and in the blink of an eye, the young man had disappeared from sight.


    Xie Zi walked up to Ran Tengxiao and bowed respectfully: ¡°Master Xie, it was a draw.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao fiddled with the cards and chuckled, ¡°For a gambler, not winning is losing.¡±


    ¡°How could he win against a master like you, Master Xie?¡±


    The man¡¯s pitch-ck eyes were deep and mysterious, subtly alluring humor swirling within, profound and incalcble. ¡°Do you know what the cleverest way to cheat is?¡±


    Xie Zi listened attentively.


    ¡°Losing without giving oneself away.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan watched with confusion: ¡°Who won and who lost in the end?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tie; no one won, no one lost.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan smacked his lips: ¡°How can it be like this?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that young man supposed to work for Master Xie if he lost? Master Xiao seemed to like him; why did he leave?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand the actions of these powerful people.


    Everyone looked at him as if he were an idiot: ¡°You¡¯re new, right? It¡¯s okay to not understand; just learn it slowly.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan pouted, he had gained new insight today. The mysterious young man didn¡¯t look much older than him but was so formidable, daring to challenge Master Xie.


    He felt like more of a waste than ever.


    He secretly vowed to learn as much as he could, striving to get closer to Master Xie as soon as possible.


    Zhao Qin chased after him, but he¡¯d already vanished.


    She stared nkly into the empty underground parking lot.


    ¡°What are you staring at? I¡¯ll take you home, don¡¯t worry your aunt.¡± Ran Tengxiao leisurely walked out.


    ¡°Cousin, he almost killed me just now, you have to take revenge for me.¡± Zhao Qin pointed to her neck.


    There were a few bruised spots on her snow-white neck, made even more clear by her delicate skin.


    Ran Tengxiao nced at it, the corner of his mouth curling in amusement;


    ¡°Are you really willing to do that?¡±


    Zhao Qin stomped her foot: ¡°Cousin, what do you mean?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao coughed: ¡°I mean nothing; it¡¯ste, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    At the same time, a white BMW merged into traffic and quickly disappeared at the end of the road.


    Ming Jing changed her clothes, wiped off the foundation on her face, revealing a fair, delicateplexion.


    No one could have imagined that the arrogant, domineering young man at the gambling table was such a calm and beautiful girl.


    Zheng Qing sighed in admiration: ¡°It¡¯s a pity you¡¯re not in the entertainment industry; with your acting skills, even an Oscar-winning actress would be overshadowed..¡±

 Chapter 95 - 95: 064 Thousands of Techniques (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 95: 064 Thousands of Techniques (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I was worried before because Ran Tengxiao is a ruthless person, and a famous figure in Las Vegas. Yet, you were able toe and go freely in his hands. Where did you learn this card technique? Who is your teacher?¡±


    Yu Jiang manages the casino for Ran Bowen, where people of all sorts mix together. Without real skills, it would be impossible to control the ce.


    Once, in order to practice her skills, she almost ruined her ten fingers.


    Ming Jing looked out the window at the neon lights passing by and said indifferently, ¡°Talent.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, knowing she had many secrets, and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He changed the subject.


    ¡°ording to the n, we have sessfully entered Xuanwu Hall. What should we do next?¡±


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°The final exams are in a few days. After the exams, I need to take a trip. You keep an eye on Zhou Ling and Zhu Wentao and wait for my return.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zheng Qing didn¡¯t ask any more questions.


    The final examssted for two days, and the exam rooms were arranged ording to the ranking of students¡¯ scores.


    Ming Jing was assigned to the first exam room, No. 001, the first seat as she entered.


    When Ming Jing entered the exam room with her pencil case, it was almost full, with just her seat remaining. Everyone in this exam room was a top student.


    As soon as she entered, almost all eyes fell on her.


    Ming Jing calmly walked to the first seat, and just as she was about to sit down, the boy in the row behind her greeted her with a smile, ¡°Ming Jing, we meet again.¡±


    The boy had a pair of golden-rimmed sses on his nose, was handsome and fair-skinned, and his smile was gentle and clean, giving a veryfortable feeling.


    ¡°Holy shit, Song Yinzhang actually took the initiative to greet her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him speak so gently to a girl.¡±


    Various spections and gossip sounded around them.


    Ming Jing nodded slightly and sat down.


    The invigtor came in with the bag of test papers and began to distribute them.


    After finishing thest test, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began to discuss where to go for the holiday.


    Ming Jing packed up her pencil case and prepared to leave the ssroom. Song


    Yinzhang caught up to her and whispered, ¡°I heard you also signed up for the


    Math Olympiad? Are you going to attend the training next week?¡±


    The training for the Math Olympiad is very expensive, it¡¯s charged in tens of thousands, and ordinary families can¡¯t afford it. It¡¯s often joked that this is an exam that only the rich can take.


    Ming Jing thought for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to discuss it with my family.¡±


    ¡°Alright, there are only two of us in our grade. We can keep each otherpany during the training.¡±


    As the two walked side by side downstairs, theirughter and conversation caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    Song Yinzhang was a well-known ¡°study god,¡± and Ming Jing had snatched the first ce from him. Yet, he could still talk andugh with her without any grudges. The breadth of a study god¡¯s mind was truly iparable to ordinary people.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡± Tao Xingxing ran up and grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I looked at the review notes you gave me. During the exam, I felt so inspired. I have a premonition that I¡¯ll definitely improve this time. My mom said that if I can advance ten ces, she¡¯ll reward me with a VIP ticket to Qu Feitai¡¯s concert during the summer vacation. We¡¯ve already got one ticket, and if my mom rewards me with another, I can take you along. For the sake of being able to watch my idol¡¯s concert together, I¡¯ll definitely work hard.¡±


    Tao Xingxing was very excited, ¡°I have to thank you for the notes.¡±


    ¡°So she likes Qu Feitai.¡±


    Ming Jingughed and said, ¡°The notes were prepared for you, and it¡¯s naturally good if you can improve.¡±


    ¡°To celebrate, let me treat you to king crab. Song Yinzhang, do you want toe along?¡± Tao Xingxing naturally admired ¡°study gods,¡± especially someone like Song Yinzhang, who was gentle like jade.


    Song Yinzhang hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Can I join as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course. With the brilliance of both of you study gods shining on me, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll improve. As the saying goes, one who stays near vermilion gets stained red and one who stays near ink gets stained ck.¡±


    Song Yinzhang nced at Ming Jing, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to respectfullyply.¡±


    Although Tao Xingxing said it was his treat to celebrate Ming Jing¡¯s achievements, he was the only one eating during the entire meal. Ming Jing only asionally drank water, while the rest of the time she watched Tao Xingxing eat.


    Song Yinzhang already knew Ming Jing¡¯s habit of not eating dinner since thest gathering, so he picked up a kettle and filled her cup with hot water.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ming Jing gracefully epted.


    ¡°Actually, I have a question for you.. How many methods did you use to solve the parameter range in the second part of thest math question where the inequality holds

 Chapter 96 - 96: 064 Trickery (Second Update) _3

    Chapter 96: 064 Trickery (Second Update) _3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Song Yinzhang sighed, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re going to be first again this time.¡±


    A hint of a smile appeared in Ming Jing¡¯s eyes, ¡°It¡¯s fine, there¡¯s always next time.¡±


    Song Yinzhang shook his head andughed.


    ¡°Hey, can you two give it a rest? I can¡¯t enjoy the taste of this crab while you¡¯re discussing math problems. It feels like chewing wax, no vor at all,¡± Tao Xingxing said with a mournful face.


    ¡°In the eyes of us academic losers, there¡¯s no such thing as thest big question. What even is that?¡± She seemed more and more like she wanted to cry.


    Ming Jingughed and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done talking. You eat slowly.¡±


    After finally calming Tao Xingxing down, Song Yinzhang said, ¡°The mathematicspetition trainingsts for 15 days and prepares you for the nationwidepetition in the middle of next month. If you rank in the top five throughout the province, you can join the provincial team and get a ticket to the Winter Camp. The Winter Camp takes ce at the end of December, and January and gold medal winners from the camp can join the national team to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad next March and April.¡±


    With shining eyes, Song Yinzhang looked intently at Ming Jing, ¡°This is a thorny path so many students dream of. Let¡¯s walk it together.¡±


    Ming Jing frowned, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the format of the Olympiad questions. I might¡­¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your math exam papers. You have a sharp mind and flexible thinking.


    Many of your methods are often unexpected. If you¡¯re not suitable for the


    Olympiad, no one is! Moreover, if you win an international prize, you can not only get into top domestic universities but also choose from prestigious ones abroad.¡±


    Tao Xingxing burst into tears, ¡°I can¡¯t go on living like this¡­¡±


    What¡¯s the point of enjoying crabs when you¡¯re in thepany of two


    academic gods? She should just eat exam papers instead.


    Song Yinzhang¡¯s driver came to pick him up.


    Ming Jing took Tao Xingxing home.


    Her family lived in a high-end residential building in the south district, where most of the residents were middle-ss professionals likewyers, doctors, and university professors.


    Tao Xingxing touched the leather seat and sighed, ¡°This BMW cost more than a million yuan. It looks like your mom¡¯s favoritism is cured.¡±


    Even when she got out of the car, she was still somewhat reluctant, ¡°It is definitely morefortable than my mom¡¯s Audi, which only cost a few hundred thousand yuan.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, we¡¯re at my doorstep now. Come in for a cup of tea before you leave.¡± Tao Xingxing swung Ming Jing¡¯s hand back and forth.


    Ming Jing hesitated, ¡°Uncle and Auntie are home, right? It might be inconvenient.¡±


    ¡°My mom¡¯s on a business trip, and my dad¡¯s working at the hospital.¡±


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s mother ran aw firm, and her father, still young, was already an assistant director of a department. The family was full of social elites.


    Unable to resist Tao Xingxing, Ming Jing followed her upstairs.


    The area of Tao Xingxing¡¯s home was not veryrge, about 150 square meters, three bedrooms, and two living rooms. The decoration was warm and cozy, full of warmth and happiness.


    As they entered, a wedding photo hung on the wall. The woman was gentle and beautiful, and the man was handsome and gentle. The two leaned on each other, truly a match made in heaven.


    Tao Xingxing took out a brand new pair of women¡¯s slippers for Ming Jing to change into and then went to the kitchen to boil water.


    Ming Jing never drank that kind of junk drink; she only drank hot water.


    The living room and dining room were very clean, and it was obvious that the hostess was diligent and virtuous.


    There were many photos on the TV wall, almost all of Tao Xingxing, arranged neatly by age, from infancy to toddlerhood, and now a graceful young girl.


    Time was truly magical. As Ming Jing looked at these photos, she could imagine the indulgence and satisfaction in the eyes of her parents when they looked at them.


    She nced at the busy girl in the kitchen, smiled, and thought that only a happy family and loving parents could raise a lively and adorable personality like Tao Xingxing¡¯s.


    Suddenly, her gaze focused.


    There was a potted money tree half a person tall near the TV cab. The surface wasyered with various sizes of goose egg stones. She dug around in it and found a small white pill that was barely visible among the white goose egg stones.


    Ming Jing held the pill between her fingers and examined it. She nced around and saw a small box on the dining table with variousmon medications. She picked up a bottle of vitamin B, unscrewed the cap, and sniffed the bottle.


    Her eyebrows twitched slightly.


    Tao Xingxing came out and saw Ming Jing looking at the pill bottle. She felt a little strange but didn¡¯t think much of it. She said, ¡°My mom takes those. She works so hard that her health isn¡¯t great. My dad often gives her vitamins and supplements to eat.¡±


    Ming Jing put down the pill bottle and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    From an angle Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t see, Ming Jing held a shing white pill between her fingers.


    ¡°Are Uncle and Auntie usually busy at work?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. My mom¡¯s busier, so my dad spends more time with me.


    Whenever he has time, he cooks delicious food for me and takes me to amusement parks. He even encourages me to be a star chaser. I have the best dad in the world.¡± Tao Xingxing hugged her stuffed bear with a proud, happy look on her face.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°You really are enviable.¡±


    Recalling Ming Jing¡¯s family situation, Tao Xingxing realized that it wasn¡¯t very kind of her to brag that way.


    She stuck out her tongue, hugged Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, and said, ¡°From now on, my parents are your parents, too. I¡¯ve told them about you, and they both like you a lot. In the future, whenever you have time,e over to our house for dinner. My dad¡¯s cooking is delicious, and he¡¯ll definitely like you.¡± Ming Jing didn¡¯t stay long and left.


    Returning to the car, she stared at the pill in her hand thoughtfully.


    Zheng Qing asked, ¡°What are you holding in your hand?¡± Ming Jing replied, ¡°Amitriptyline.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Where did you get it from?¡±


    This stuff is used to treat depression, but because of its serious side effects, it¡¯s notmonly used in clinical practice, and only severe depression patients would take it.


    Zheng Qing knew this because she had used it too.


    However, that was in the past. She had made it through now.


    There¡¯s nothing more important than living.


    Ming Jing pinched the pill and muttered, ¡°Why hide it from her husband?¡±


    Zheng Qing probably understood, ¡°Hey, life is so fast-paced these days, and with all the stress, who doesn¡¯t have depression? What¡¯s the point of worrying about it? Are you scared your ssmate would get hurt?¡±


    They say the heartless are the most ruthless.


    But deep down, she was full ofpassion..

 Chapter 97 - 97: 065 Descending the Mountain (First Watch)

    Chapter 97: 065 Descending the Mountain (First Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the midst of summer, lush little flowers lined both sides of the mountain path, their vivid colors dancing in the wind, an invigorating sight to behold.


    The sun zed overhead, scorching the earth, while cicadas incessantly called out, adding to the stifling heat of the afternoon.


    At the foot of the mountain, a few bent figures could asionally be spotted in the farnd, faces to the dirt and backs to the sky.


    A tall, slender figure walked between the fields, holding an umbre to protect from the sun. It seemed as if a cool breeze followed in her wake, even the sun above didn¡¯t feel as scorching.


    The end of the field led to the entrance of Baitou Mountain. Quickly, the silhouette ascended the stairs, dwindling into a small dot.


    ¡°Is it Master Ming Jinging back?¡± A middle-aged woman in the field looked up at the figure in the distance.


    ¡°It seems so. Hurry back and tell Grandpa Geng Zi, and let him bring Geng Zi up the mountain,¡± another replied.


    The woman promptly left the field and rushed toward the vige, muttering, ¡°Amitofo, Master Ming Jing has finally returned.¡±


    Upon reaching the entrance of the vige, she shouted loudly, ¡°Master Ming Jing is back!¡±


    The quiet vige suddenly buzzed with activity as vigers awoke from their noon naps and asked, ¡°Is Master Ming Jing really back? Am I not dreaming?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming! Sister Cui Lan just saw her, cutting grass in the field. She saw Master Ming Jing going up the mountain. How could she be mistaken?¡± The sister from across the street locked her door. ¡®Master Ming Jing is back. I must go to the temple to burn some incense, praying that she will bless our family.¡±


    The neighbor quickly closed their door and went inside, ¡°Wife, stop sleeping. Hurry up and get up. Master Ming Jing is back.¡±


    The woman in bed stirred groggily, ¡°What?¡±


    She suddenly came to her senses and eximed, ¡®Master Ming Jing has returned! That¡¯s great! We should bring our child and pay our respects to Master Ming Jing.¡±


    The news in the vige spread like wildfire, and a wave of excitement filled the vige as word of Master Ming Jing¡¯s return reached everyone.


    Stone steps had been built, leading to the top of the mountain, seemingly endless.


    Alongside the steps were vast, dense woods that blocked out the sun, repelling the sweltering heat and bringing with them a sense of coolness.


    The young girl ascended the stairs with poise and elegance, at a leisurely pace.


    The hem of her skirt brushed against the steps, lifted gently by the mountain breeze.


    After a seemingly long climb, the monastery entrance finally came into view.


    Ming Jing adjusted her skirt, smiling softly as she approached and knocked on the monastery door.


    ¡°Someone is here!¡± A crisp voice rang out from within, and the sound of approaching footsteps grew closer.


    With a creak, the door opened just a crack, and a little head peeked out.


    On seeing the person standing at the entrance, the girl¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief before rubbing them once, then twice.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize your Senior Sister anymore?¡±


    Upon hearing the familiar voice, the girl burst into tears and mmed the door shut.


    Ming Jing, with a face full of dust, froze for a second before hearing the girl¡¯s excited shouts from inside, ¡°Third Sister, Fourth Sister, Second Sister is back!¡± Ming Jing shook her head with a wry smile.


    As she entered through the monastery gate, she felt as if nothing had changed since her departure.


    The next moment, two shadows rushed towards her like whirlwinds and embraced her tightly, sobbing uncontrobly.


    ¡°Second Sister, sob, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, I missed you so much. Please don¡¯t leave again.¡±


    An eight- or nine-year-old girl ran over but did not embrace Ming Jing like the others. Instead, she stood three steps away, her lips pursed and eyes fixed on Ming Jing, looking extremely awkward.


    ¡°Why did youe back from your wealthy life? What are you doing here?¡± The girl said coldly.


    The girl who had been hugging Ming Jing¡¯s waist the whole time looked up and red at her, ¡®Ming Ti, don¡¯t talk to Second Sister like that. She¡¯s not happy either.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. She seemed to be enjoying her life in that wealthy household. She¡¯s just here to see if we¡¯ve starved to death,¡± Ming Ti retorted.


    The little girl who had been hugging Ming Jing¡¯s leg angrily ran over to Ming Ti and scratched her, ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t talk about Second Sister like that. You¡¯re mean.¡±


    Ming Ti rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re so dumb. She¡¯s not our Second Sister anymore. She¡¯s a richdy now. We, a group of little nuns, are beneath her.¡±


    The little girl burst into tears, ¡°Second Sister will always be our Second Sister.¡± Ming Jing sighed softly, walking over and gently patting the little girl¡¯s head,


    speaK1ng sortiY, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. your sister will never leave you..¡±

 Chapter 98 - 98: 065 Descending the Mountain (Second Watch)

    Chapter 98: 065 Descending the Mountain (Second Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Yi¡¯s delicate white face was still covered in tears, holding back her sobs, looking particrly adorable. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Monks don¡¯t lie.¡±


    Ming Yi threw herself at Ming Jing and hugged her neck. ¡°Second Senior, I really missed you a lot.¡±


    Ming Jing gently patted her back, her eyes warm and loving, ¡°Senior missed you too.¡±


    Ming Jing stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go pay our respects to Master first.¡±


    On the table was the memorial tablet for Abbess Ming Xin, and on the altar were fresh fruits and snacks. The ce was spotless, which showed that the juniors cleaned it every day.


    Ming Jing pulled them to kneel on the meditation cushions and held incense in her hands.


    ¡°Master, we were all orphans you took in. To us, you are our mentor, the one who gave us a new life. You taught us how to read and write, the principles of the world, and gave us a ce in the world, a name, and an identity. You didn¡¯t want us to just live a quiet life on this mountain. Although the world is full of suffering, perhaps the only ce free from it would be the teachings of Buddhism. But I still hope that my juniors can venture into the worldly life at least once. Only then will they not live in vain as humans. No matter the oue, it¡¯s their destiny. Master, you think so too, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The gentle, clear voice of the girl echoed in the Buddhist nunnery, and behind her, the three girls kneeling looked at her back in shock.


    Did they mishear?


    ¡°From now on, disciple Ming Jing will take good care of the three juniors and repay Master¡¯s kindness in raising and teaching us.¡±


    Three bows and nine kowtows, all with solemnity.


    Ming Jing inserted the three incense sticks solemnly and reverently into the censer, turned around, and the three pairs of eyes stared intently at her.


    Ming Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Second Senior, are you taking us down the mountain?¡±


    Ming Chen looked expectantly at Ming Jing, and Ming Ti lowered her eyelids, her lips pressed tightly together.


    ¡°Although Master has raised us and brought us into Buddhism, it is ultimately up to the individual to follow the Buddha¡¯s teachings. Today, you will leave your worldly roots and follow me down the mountain. The vast, rolling world is what you should be pursuing.¡±


    Ming Ti suddenly looked up, unbelievingly staring at Ming Jing, her lips quivering violently.


    ¡°What I am about to say next, the three of you must remember well.¡±


    The three of them straightened their backs, earnestly and solemnly gazing at Ming Jing.


    ¡°In Buddhism, it is said that there are eight sufferings in life: birth, aging, sickness, death, encountering hatred, being separated from loved ones, unattainable desires, and the impermanence of everything. Only when you experience the world will you truly understand life. You can love, hate, be happy, and be sad. You can eat meat and drink wine. Maybe your life will be ordinary, or maybe it will be extraordinary.


    ¡°I have only one request for you, no matter what kind of person you be or what experiences you encounter, you must always remain kind-hearted at your core.¡±


    ¡°If someone bullies you, don¡¯t simply endure it, as it will only embolden the other party. Kindness has its limits, too. Endless tolerance also generates invisible karma.¡±


    The three nodded seriously, ¡°Senior, we will remember it.¡±


    ¡°After we go down the mountain, please don¡¯t call me Senior anymore. Call me second sister.¡±


    Ming Ti asked, ¡°Second sister, when we leave, what will happen to the eldest sister?¡±


    Ming Chen and Ming Yi nodded in unison.


    Ming Jing paused, ¡°I have already arranged for her to be sent to a convalescent home where someone will take care of her.¡±


    Ming Jing pushed open the door to the side room, and the young girl was lying on the bed, breathing evenly as if she were asleep.


    Ming Jing tucked the girl in and sat beside the bed, silently watching her pale sleeping face.


    ¡°Senior, I finally understood what Master meant by your great tribtion.


    Maybe this deep sleep is the best arrangement for you.¡±


    ¡°When I find the Vajra Bell and the Soul Recruiter g, everything will be settled by the time you wake up.¡±


    Ming Jing stayed in the room for a long time. Outside the door, three little girls huddled together, whispering, ¡°Is second sister really taking us down the mountain? Third sister, fourth sister, I¡¯m scared.¡¯


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Second sister wouldn¡¯t sell us out.¡± Ming Ti rolled her eyes at her.


    ¡°After we go down the mountain, will we follow second sister? Won¡¯t we cause trouble for her?¡± Ming Chen said worriedly.


    Ming Ti pressed her lips, ¡°Since she said that to Master, she must have a n. If she thinks we are a burden, we can alwayse back. Life in the convent is tough, but at least we won¡¯t starve..¡±

 Chapter 99 - 99: 065 Descending the Mountain (Third Watch)

    Chapter 99: 065 Descending the Mountain (Third Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door, and Ming Yi ran over with her short legs to open it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be unhappy. Sister Ming Jing is taking us down the mountain, we should be happy. Haven¡¯t you been tired of the life in the mountain for a long time?¡± Ming Chen said.


    Ming Ti furrowed her brow.


    Ming Chen held her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, we¡¯ll walk the road ahead together.¡± Ming Yi opened the door and was stunned.


    Today is not the first day of the month, so why are there so many people?


    ¡°Little Master Ming Yi, has Master Ming Jing returned?¡± Sister Cui Lan asked softly.


    Ming Yi nodded, ¡°Sister Ming Jing has returned.¡±


    Sister Cui Lan was overjoyed, ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t be wrong about her. No one can imitate Master Ming Jing¡¯s temperament. Little Master Ming Yi, we¡¯d like to see Master Ming Jing. ¡±


    ¡°Little Master Ming Yi, please be lenient with us. We¡¯ve been waiting for a long time. My grandson is seriously ill and the big hospitals can¡¯t figure it out. Only Master Ming Jing can help us now.¡±


    Ming Yi looked at the people chattering, licked her lips and said, ¡®You wait here, I¡¯ll go ask Sister Ming Jing.¡± She closed the door with a ¡°bang.¡±


    Everyone was anxiously waiting.


    After hearing Ming Yi¡¯s words, Ming Jing said, ¡°Put a desk and chair in the yard, Ming Ti get everyone to line up, Ming Chen you take the pen and record everyone¡¯s needs, Xiao Wu you follow me.¡±


    The three of them said in unison, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the table was set up in the courtyard, the vigers lined up outside the mountain gate, looking forward with anticipation.


    As soon as Ming Jing appeared, everyone¡¯s emotions erupted immediately as if they had seen a living Bodhisattva.


    Ming Jing said gently, ¡°Thank you, fellow vigers, for your care and support for me and my juniors over the years. Today I have returned not only to visit my master, but also to take my juniors down the mountain. They are still young, and it¡¯s not their choice to be born into Buddhism. So I decided to take them back to secr life.¡±


    After listening, the people were not very surprised. ¡°The three little masters are too young to waste their lives in the mountains. They should go to school. It¡¯s right for Master Ming Jing to do this.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s just that we won¡¯t be able to see Master Ming Jing in the future.


    We are reluctant to let her go.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Jiangzhou is not far from here. If you have any requests in the future,e to the Zhus from Jiangzhou. I¡¯m quite famous there. You can find out with just a little inquiry.¡±


    Everyone smiled kindly, ¡°Master Ming Jing is so outstanding, she shines wherever she goes.¡±


    ¡°The Zhus have picked up a treasure, having such an outstanding daughter like Master Ming Jing. ¡±


    ¡°Tell me your requests one by one, and I will solve them one by one today.¡± Ming Jing sat down behind the table.


    These vigers are simple by nature, and even a headache and fever have to be seen by Ming Jing. There¡¯s even one who said her house was haunted and asked Ming Jing to drive out the ghost for her.


    The evil ghosts of the world are invisible to ordinary people. Those who can see them are the ghosts in people¡¯s hearts.


    Ming Jing picked up the pen and drew a symbol on the paper, which no one could understand. Ming Jing chanted a spell and handed it to her.


    ¡°Auntie, this is a ghost-expelling talisman. Put it under your pillow every night when you go to bed, and no ghost will dare toe near.¡±


    The auntie treasured it like a precious gift, ¡°Thank you, Master Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Yi leaned into Ming Jing¡¯s ear, teasing, ¡°Sister, monks should not tell lies.


    Their master had never taught them to draw ghost-expelling talismans. Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Belief makes it real, disbelief makes it nonexistent.¡±


    ¡°Master Ming Jing, you are our family¡¯s great benefactor.¡± A couple led a little girl over and knelt down to kowtow to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing hurried over and helped them up, ¡°What is this for?¡±


    ¡°Master Ming Jing, do you remember my daughter? She was ill and couldn¡¯t be cured even after going to so many big hospitals. We had lost hope, but then my father-inw called and said that Master Wu Xin had a miraculous touch. We rushed back from another city with our daughter, hoping to catch Master Wu Xin, only to learn she had passed away. We had given up hope, but you saw our daughter and immediately knew there was a problem, and you gave her acupuncture and free medicine. Miraculously, she was healed. When we went to the big hospital for a check-up, the doctors said it was incredible.


    ¡°An An, kowtow to Master Ming Jing quickly. If it weren¡¯t for Master Ming Jing, our family wouldn¡¯t exist.¡¯


    The little girl, who was about the same age as Ming Yi, kowtowed in bewilderment as Ming Jing picked her up and said to the couple, ¡°This is the blessing you have cultivated in your past lives. Get up..¡±

 Chapter 100 - 100: 065 Descending the Mountain (Fourth Watch)

    Chapter 100: 065 Descending the Mountain (Fourth Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    The two helped each other stand up.


    Ming Jing asked the little girl, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The little girl said innocently, ¡°My name is Guo Zian.¡±


    ¡°Master Ming Jing, have you forgotten? You named her. You said her original name shed with her birthdate, and if it wasn¡¯t changed, she would suffer misfortunes her whole life. You named her Zian.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°My memory.¡±


    ¡°Zian, in the future, you must study well and be a kind and sincere person, okay?¡±


    The little girl nodded, ¡°I want to be a person as amazing as Master Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°Good.¡±


    Next, there was an old man holding his grandson who came to Ming Jing for treatment. His situation was simr to Guo Zian¡¯s, but it had been dyed for a long time. Ming Jing needed to give him acupuncture for three consecutive days. She initially nned to leave the mountain tomorrow morning, but this meant she would have to stay in the mountains for two more days.


    Looking at the patched clothes the old man wore, and the child who was so thin that his bones were visible, Ming Jing sighed and handed the prescription to the middle-aged woman waiting at the side, ¡°Auntie Cui Lan, I¡¯ll trouble you.¡±


    Yang Cun hurriedly took it and said, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, it¡¯s my honor to help Master Ming Jing. Besides, Geng Zit s parents are no longer here, and the child is quite pitiful. His grandfather¡¯s eyes aren¡¯t good either. I¡¯ll definitely help if I can.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the old man, his right eye cloudy and unfocused.


    ¡°Grandpa, Geng Zits treatment requires three days of continuous acupuncture. The mountain roads are difficult to travel. Please stay in the temple for these three days.¡±


    The old man, holding the child and crying gratefully, said, ¡°Thank you, Master. Thank you, Master.¡±


    Ming Jing thought her heart had been hardened by a thousand hammers, but it seemed that in the face of true suffering, it could still soften.


    The sun crept up the trees, and the temple gradually quieted down.


    The vigers sent over many oils, rice, and vegetables. Yang Cun stayed to help cook, quickly preparing arge table of food.


    When Master Wu Xin was still here, she would oftene to the temple to help with chores and was well-liked by everyone for her vegetarian cooking. ¡°Where¡¯s Master Ming Jing?¡± Yang Cun looked around but didn¡¯t see her. Ming Chen replied, ¡°She¡¯s with my eldest sister.¡±


    Yang Cun found it strange, ¡°What illness does Master Ming Xin have? It¡¯s been several months, is everything really okay?¡±


    At this moment, Ming Ti came over and said, ¡°Eldest sister¡¯s illness can¡¯t be exposed to sunlight. Don¡¯t worry, Auntie Cui Lan. Ming Jing learned Master¡¯s true teachings, and her medical skills are extraordinary. She will definitely cure my eldest sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± Yang Cun didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°Dinner is ready. Come and eat.¡±


    After Yang Cun turned around, Ming Ti red at Ming Chen, ¡°Remember what second sister said. Don¡¯t reveal anything about eldest sister to anyone.¡± Ming Chen nodded, ¡°I know. I wasn¡¯t nning on saying anything anyway.¡± At night, Ming Jingy in bed, preparing to sleep.


    The door creaked slightly open. A small head peeked in, ¡°Second sister, I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Ming Jing helplessly said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The next moment, Ming Yi scrambled onto the bed and snuggled into Ming Jing¡¯s arms, hugging her neck with a grin, ¡°Second sister, I want to sleep with you.¡±


    Since this child was brought to the temple, Ming Jing had been taking care of her. She had always loved to cling to Ming Jing when she was little.


    Ming Jing had tried to let her sleep alone, but the child would sneak into her bed in the middle of the night. Eventually, Ming Jing stopped trying to stop her.


    Ming Yi smelled Ming Jing¡¯s scent and sighed with satisfaction, ¡°Second sister, did you have a good time in the city? Is it really fun there? Are there many delicious foods? I heard from fourth sister that it¡¯s much better than the town.¡±


    Ming Jing held the soft little body in her arms and said, ¡°The vast world is full of splendid and bustling sights. You have a lifetime to experience it.¡±


    At this moment, the door creaked again, and two more heads peeked in. Ming


    Jingughed, ¡°You two aren¡¯t going to sleep?¡±


    Ming Chen walked in with a pillow, holding back a grin, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll wake up and find it¡¯s all a dream, and you¡¯ll be gone again, second sister.¡±


    Ming Jing felt a wave of tenderness in her heart, ¡°When have I ever lied to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. If Xiao Wu can sleep with you, we want to sleep with you too.¡±


    Ming Jing helplessly said, ¡°The bed is only this big. It won¡¯t fit.¡±


    They didn¡¯t listen to her exnations and jumped onto the bed, even if they had to squeeze themselves into a pancake just to sleep next to Ming Jing.


    The night was cool as water. The bright moonlight prated the window and spilled onto the bed. The three children slept in awkward positions, but the smiles on their faces were peaceful and blissful.


    ¡°Second sister, don¡¯t go¡­¡± Ming Yi mumbled in her sleep.


    Ming Jing pulled the covers over them, put on her robe, and got up. She looked at everything in the temple: the nts, the bricks, and the tiles..

 Chapter 101 - 101: 065 Descent (First Watch) 5

    Chapter 101 - 101: 065 Descent (First Watch) 5


    Trantor: 549690339


    Twelve years.


    She looked up at the full moon in the sky.


    The moon was still the same, but the person was no longer the same.


    Three days blinked by.


    Guo Yuangeng¡¯s illness stabilized, and Ms. Ming Jing sent many herbs and cured his eyes, only then letting Yang Cun send the grandfather and grandson down the mountain.


    As they were about to descend, the three kids were extremely excited, discussing packing their bags.


    Yet what belongings did they have? Just two sets of washed-out clothes and faded shoes, nothing more than that.


    Life in the mountains was tough, and these children, who should have been in the bloom of their youth, had restrained their natures and desires, enduring grinding loneliness.


    Ming Jing made a call, and soon, two men came up the mountain, respectfully bowed to her: ¡°Miss.¡±


    Ming Xin ran behind Ming Jing, gripping the hem of her skirt nervously.


    These two were hired to carry Ming Xin down the mountain. They covered her with a hood, Ming Jing closed the door, and hand-in-hand with Ming Xin, turned around to nce at the que.


    Then, without looking back, she descended the mountain.


    Lin Qing hadn¡¯t expected Zhu Shaodan to be so stubborn this time, truly disappearing for half a month. When she sent someone to look for him, he seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.


    She was a bit worried, afraid the events ofst time would recur and considered filing a police report if his whereabouts remained unknown.


    At this time, Uncle Wen came in and said, ¡®Madam, Ms. Ming Jing called. She said she wants to bring her juniors back to live for a while. She¡¯s asking whether you would agree. If not, she will look for a ce outside.¡±


    Lin Qing frowned. There were several vacant rooms on the third floor, so it would just be adding a few people. Yet she felt ufortable. Was the Zhu¡¯s residence supposed to be a nunnery?


    ¡°Is she nning to take all those liabilities on herself? This kid is really foolish, anyone else would¡¯ve tried to shake them off.¡± Lin Qing felt a headacheing on. Was the child too kind-hearted?


    Uncle Wen, who recently often went to the nunnery to deliver goods, quite liked the little girls. ¡°Madam, miss¡¯s juniors are all very sensible and obedient. When their master died, as their senior, it¡¯s only natural that miss would take care of them. After all, these were all her own decisions.¡±


    Lin Qing waved her hand irritably: ¡°Let her be.¡±


    After some thought, she suggested: ¡°If arrangements for the children¡¯s schooling need to be made, go ahead and arrange it.¡±


    Uncle Wen chuckled, ¡°Your kindness, madam, will surely be rewarded.¡±


    Lin Qing rolled her eyes at him: ¡°What sort of soup has Ming Jing been feeding you that you¡¯re so biased towards her?¡±


    Uncle Wen said: ¡°Madam, after all this time we¡¯ve spent together, don¡¯t you know what kind of person Miss Ming Jing is? If she had abandoned her juniors, would you be pleased then?¡±


    Lin Qing fell silent, then sighed deeply after a long while.


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s all debt, and I¡¯ll repay it slowly.¡±


    The car stopped outside the Zhus¡¯ gate, and Ming Jing led them inside. Ming Xin eximed, ¡°What a big, beautiful house.¡±


    Ming Ti shot her a nce: ¡°Don¡¯t behave like a country bumpkin who hasn¡¯t seen the world. You¡¯ll embarrass Senior. Embrace change calmly, understand?


    Just maintain a poker face.¡±


    Ming Xin nodded obediently: ¡°I understand, Ming Ti.¡±


    Taking the initiative, Ming Ti looked at Ming Jing; Ming Jing patted her head: ¡°Don¡¯t be too clever. Just be yourselves, whatever happens. Remember, your senior is always there for you, never be afraid. Stand tall and behave with dignity.¡±


    Ming Ti wore an expression of someone soaking up a lesson.


    Lin Qing, Granny Zhu, and Zhu Xiangxiang were waiting in the living room. It


    wasn¡¯t long before they saw Ming Jing leading three young girls into the room.


    Two twins, aged around eight or nine, already exhibiting beauty in their young faces. Although identical, their temperaments differed sharply.


    One was delicate and soft, shy and timid, resembling Lin Daiyu from Cao Xueqin¡¯s writings, her lovesick demeanor too captivating to bear.


    The other had clear, defiant eyes. She held her back straight and chin slightly lifted while walking, exhibiting quite impressive maturity for her age. It was rare for one so young to show suchposure.


    The twins were indeed two blossoming beauties, each unique in her own way.


    The third girl appeared to be about five years old, with rosy cheeks and white teeth, cute and lovable, like a child from a new year painting. Her smile was so joyous it made people want to hold her and spoil her. She currently held Ming Jing¡¯s hand, walking obediently by her side.


    Granny Zhu, Lin Qing, and Zhu Xiangxiang were all stunned. They were expecting three dirty and ugly novice nuns, but unexpectedly, each of them was beautifully distinct.


    So Ming Jing wasn¡¯t an exception.


    What kind of Feng Shui does this nunnery have, anyway!

 Chapter 102 - 102: 066 Junior (Second Update)

    Chapter 102 - 102: 066 Junior (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    The three little girls were all dressed in neat and clean dresses, and the hair on their heads, whether it was fake or not, could not be traced.


    Some were cute, some were beautiful, and some were ssical; each of them had bright eyes and their own unique charm.


    Standing in The Zhus¡¯ Hall, they instantly brightened up the entire living room.


    Granny Zhu was delighted and waved them over: ¡°Come here.¡±


    She took Ming Yi by the hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Ming Yi chuckled: ¡°Hello Granny, my name is Ming Yi.¡±


    ¡°What a pleasing child,¡± Granny Zhu caressed Ming Yi¡¯s little face.


    Then she looked at the twin sisters in front of her: ¡°Let me guess, who is the big sister and who is the little sister?¡±


    Granny Zhu¡¯s gaze moved back and forth between the two, eventually settling on Ming Ti: ¡°You are the big sister?¡±


    Ming Ti shook her head: ¡°Granny guessed wrong; I am the little sister.¡± Granny Zhu wore a disappointed expression on her face.


    Ming Chen spoke with grace: ¡°Hello, Granny. My name is Ming Chen and she is my little sister, Ming Ti.¡±


    Granny Zhu liked them more and more: ¡°Since you are here, treat this ce as your own home and don¡¯t be restrained.¡±


    Lin Qing couldn¡¯t help but soften her cold face in front of the adorable little girls and said: ¡°Listen to your Senior Sister and feel at ease living here.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang squeezed Ming Yi¡¯s hand and pinched her face: ¡°Little sister, you are really cute.¡±


    Ming Yi furrowed her delicate little brows, her innocent smile still on her face: ¡°Big sister, you are very beautiful too.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed somewhat dryly, seeing the three blossoming smiles before her, she felt inferior¡­


    Ming Ti nced at Zhu Xiangxiang and lowered her eyes without a trace.


    To wee the three young guests, Madam Zhou prepared arge table of dishes. Ming Jing had a habit of not eating dinner, but the Junior Sisters did not share that habit. Once they encountered so manyvish dishes and delicacies, they would inevitably devour them heartily, as if they hadn¡¯t eaten a proper meal in their lives.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was disappointed once again.


    Although the three of them ate with joy, their manner of eating was elegant and unhurried, demonstrating good upbringing.


    Granny Zhu was more and more gratified as she watched. She personally served Ming Yi some dishes: ¡°Yi Yi, eat more.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Granny.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed: ¡°You three are really lucky to have a Senior Sister like Ming Jing to take care of you for life.¡±


    Granny Zhu frowned and nced at her.


    Ming Ti put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and then looked up at Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Big sister, if we are talking about the luckiest person, it should be you. Otherwise, you would be the one eating self-grown vegetables in the nunnery and not having the chance toe down the mountain. ¡±


    Ming Chen secretly gave Ming Ti a thumbs-up.


    They had Imown about the true and false heiresses of the Zhu family for some time, and this imposter heiress really thought they were easy prey.


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked for a moment, but her smile quickly returned, and she said: ¡°Yes, we are all basking in Ming Jing¡¯s brilliance.¡±


    ¡°Enough, let¡¯s eat,¡± Granny Zhu interrupted Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words and gave her a warning re.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a chill in her heart and lowered her eyes.


    After dinner, Ming Jing took them to the third floor. Ming Yi shared a room with her, and Ming Chen and Ming Ti shared another.


    ¡°Ming Jing, be careful of that fake heiress. She¡¯s not a good person, ¡± Ming Ti whispered to her Senior Sister.


    Ming Jingughed: ¡°It seems that you have learned your lessons on face reading well.¡±


    Ming Ti snorted: ¡°A darkened forehead spells disaster, and the red corners indicate a viinous character.¡±


    She looked at Ming Jing anxiously: ¡°Is she plotting against you?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and patted her head: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all that nonsense. Senior Sister can handle anything. Get a good rest today, and tomorrow I¡¯ll take you all out for some fun.¡±


    The next morning, after breakfast, Ming Jing took them out, and Zhu Xiangxiang volunteered to apany them, showing off in front of Lin Qing.


    They took two cars and set out.


    When the three girls entered the dazzling mall, they were all stunned, like Granny Liu¡¯s first time entering the Grand View Garden.


    Ming Jing first took them to buy clothes, entering only high-end children¡¯s clothing stores where each item was expensive.


    As long as they tried on clothes, no matter how expensive they were, Ming Jing had them boxed up.


    The three little girls fluttered around like happy butterflies in their beautiful new clothes, while Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¡°Ming Jing, we only need a few outfits for a change of clothes, and these clothes aren¡¯t cheap. You don¡¯t have much pocket money every month, do


    Ming Jing ignored her, took a ck card from her wallet, and handed it to the salesperson: ¡°Take all these clothes.¡±


    The salesperson, of course, was thrilled to have such a generous customer and was even more surprised when she saw the card, her demeanor bing even


    more respectful..

 Chapter 103 - 103: 066 Junior (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 103: 066 Junior (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the ck card, aware of its value. It looked remarkably like a Centurion Card¡­


    The so-called world limited ck card, only billionaires or political and business celebrities are eligible to have, it generally symbolizes identity and status.


    She asked, ¡°Ming Jing, who gave you this card?¡±


    She thought that even Zhu Wentao himself wouldn¡¯t be eligible to have such a card.


    Ming Jing gave her a smile. ¡°Madam Jiang gave it to me. What do you think?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a lump in her throat. If it was Madam Jiang, that¡¯d make sense.


    She had never expected Madam Jiang to like her so much.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, recalling that Jiang Yu had always been cautious. She had created a separate ount and kept her savings secretly in the Swiss Bank, which the Night Hawk couldn¡¯t trace after her death.


    Not long ago, she asked Zheng Qing to withdraw this money, and the ck card belonged to Zheng Qing.


    Ming Jing left the address, letting the salesperson deliver the clothes hometer, and then led them to have dinner.


    Ming Chen quietly pulled Ming Ti aside, whispering, ¡°I saw the price tags; those clothes are quite expensive. Our senior must have spent quite a bit of money, right?¡±


    Ming Ti nced at Ming Jing¡¯s figure. ¡°Let¡¯s consider it a loan from our senior; we will pay her back in the future.¡±


    ¡°We must always remember our senior¡¯s kindness towards us.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering who it was, turns out it¡¯s our Miss Zhu.¡±


    As soon as Ming Jing walked into the restaurant, she saw Li Jiaojiao. Opposite her were Zhao Qin and Gao Jia, and Sun Qingqing was sitting next to them.


    All four of them looked at Ming Jing at the same time.


    Ming Jing walked over with a smile. ¡°Good afternoon,dies.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s gaze swept over the three young girls behind her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow. ¡°My juniors are a bit shy. I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb youdies.¡±


    ¡°So, these are Miss Zhu¡¯s juniors. Looking at this setup, has Miss Zhu taken them under her wing? Are you nning to take care of them in the future?¡±


    Ming Jingughed. ¡°Yes, indeed. Our master has passed away. As their senior, it is naturally my responsibility to take care of them.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao sneered. ¡°You¡¯re such a saint. I don¡¯t know what to say about you.¡±


    Her gaze sliced across the faces of the three girls as if they were blood-sapping locusts.


    As Ming Jing led them away, Li Jiaojiao shit-talked. ¡°Did you see Zhu


    Xiangxiang¡¯s face? She¡¯s green with envy. So satisfying.¡±


    Gao Jia shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what life¡¯s like for the Zhus now. Buy one, bring three for free. No, wait, it¡¯s get four for free. It¡¯s worst for the Zhus.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao turned to the silent Zhao Qin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯ve been acting weird since I saw you today. Are you daydreaming? Got dumped?¡± Zhao Qin red at her. ¡°You just got dumped.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s gazended on the scarf around her neck. ¡°It¡¯s the middle of summer and von¡¯re wearing a scarf- Are von sick or something?


    Zhao Qin coughed, subconsciously touching her neck. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao narrowed her eyes. ¡°Definitely something going on. Spit it out.¡±


    Zhao Qin pursed her lips. ¡°What if, I mean IF, a man almost kills you, and you wish nothing more than to tear him apart, but you dream about him every night, nightmares¡­ Why would that be?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao looked at her with a strange expression. ¡°Is he handsome?¡± Zhao Qin thought for a moment. ¡°Not sure, but he should be¡­ probably?¡±


    ¡°Is he rich?¡±


    Zhao Qin shook her head. ¡°Should be¡­ I guess? ¡°You¡¯re done for.¡± Zhao Qin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Stockholm Syndrome.¡±


    Ming Jing asked the waiter to arrange a private room and let the three of them order whatever they wanted from the menu.


    Although they grew up in the mountains, they were raised by Ming Jing, unknowingly assimting with her lifestyle and demeanor. Their calmposure at a young age made quite an impression.


    So, faced with an array of delicious food, they didn¡¯t lose their poise. They simply chose what they liked and didn¡¯t overdo it.


    Halfway through the meal, Ming Jing was full. She put down her chopsticks and stood up: ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡±


    Ming Chen immediately jumped down from her seat and grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand: ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, Ming Jing.¡±


    Once the two left, the private room immediately quieted down.


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the two identical faces across the table, ¡°Did you like the meal? If you¡¯re still hungry, we can ask the waiter to bring more food.¡±


    Ming Ti smiled: ¡°We¡¯re not pigs. We can¡¯t eat that much. But you¡­ you¡¯re so thin that you don¡¯t have a double chin. You should eat more.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face darkened. This girl¡¯s words were sharp, mocking her for having a double chin.


    Stress recently had Zhu Xiangxiang reaching forfort food, and she could indeed feel herself gaining weight.


    The girl¡¯sments felt like a direct attack.


    ¡°Is every monk as biting and sharp-tongued as you are? You don¡¯t have theposed temperament at all.¡±


    Ming Ti replied with a naive, innocent look: ¡°We¡¯ve reverted to secr life. We¡¯re just ordinary people now, not disciples of Buddha. But you¡­ if you hadn¡¯t been fortunate to be taken in by the Zhus, you would have been our senior sister. We would have lived a quiet life of bells and simple food in the mountain. Surely, we wouldn¡¯t have double chins then.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang found herself unable to win against the nine-year-old girl.


    ¡°You look pale. Are you feeling unwell? My elder sister is great at medicine, why don¡¯t we have her to take your pulseter? Apart from incurable diseases, she can treat anyplicated conditions. ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang mmed down her chopsticks. She had suffered enough at the Zhu¡¯s house. Why should she tolerate these two brats? ¡°Shut up! You two are as abhorrent as your sister.¡±


    Birds of a feather flock together.


    Ming Ti¡¯s eyes turned cold. She stared at Zhu Xiangxiang, who somehow felt a chill run down her spine. Ming Jing terrified her, but why should she fear a nine-year-old brat?


    ¡°My sister is the best person in the world, and I won¡¯t allow you to insult her.¡±


    Ming Chen, unable to speak, could only nod and send angry res at Zhu


    Xiangxiang. ¡°You can¡¯t speak ill of our sister!¡±


    I am a Zhu? I was the leadingdy of the Zhus before your elder sister arrived.¡±


    Ming Ti curved her lips: ¡°Oh, now it seems that you are the one who needs to mind her manners, Miss Zhu.¡±


    Ming Jing led Ming Chen out of the bathroom. Ming Chen, tiptoeing and failing to find the faucet handle, was turning red with frustration.


    Ming Jingughed: ¡°The faucet works on a sensor. Just put your hands under it, and the water wille out automatically.¡±


    Ming Chen did as told and water began to flow. She giggled, ¡°That¡¯s advanced.¡±


    Ming Jing then looked up to see Zhou Qin in the mirror.


    She quietly kept her emotions hidden in her gaze.


    Zhou Qin was still pondering over Li Jiaojiao¡¯s words. Stockholm Syndrome?


    Isn¡¯t that just masochism?


    She was joking. That brat¡­ she¡¯d definitely skin him next time she saw him.


    Engrossed in her thoughts, she didn¡¯t notice Ming Jing until she passed by her. Only then did she smell a light, refreshing scent.


    Zhou Qin stopped abruptly.


    She turned her head and saw Ming Jing.


    She looked down, disappointed.


    She suddenly sshed some water on her face. What was she thinking?


    She must be going crazy..

 Chapter 104 - 104: 067 Worldly Matters (First Update)

    Chapter 104: 067 Worldly Matters (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing led Ming Yi into the private room, finding the atmosphere inside a bit tense.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face was pale, and seeing Ming Jing entering, she didn¡¯t have time to hide, so she appeared somewhat awkvvard and funny.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen were unconcerned, eating and drinking as usual, not taking anything to heart¡­


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows slightly.


    After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.


    Ming Yi, a child of her age, needed a nap. As soon as shey down, she fell into a deep sleep. Ming Jing tucked her nket in and turned up the temperature in the room, ready to lie down and rest for a while.


    There was a knock on the door.


    Ming Jing opened the door, and Lin Qing forced a smile, saying, ¡°Ming Jing, your mother didn¡¯t want to bother you, but I have no choice¡­¡±


    Ming Jing indifferently asked, ¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    For some reason, Lin Qing¡¯s anxiety calmed down when she heard Ming Jing¡¯s calm tone, as if she found her backbone.


    ¡°Your brother Shaodan has been missing since thest time he left home. He doesn¡¯t answer my calls, and I can¡¯t find him after sending people out. It has been half a month, and this is the first time he has been away from home for so long. I¡¯m afraid something might have happened to him. If we can¡¯t find him today, I¡¯m ready to call the police.¡±


    ¡°You have many friends. Can you help me to ask around?¡± Lin Qing asked cautiously.


    She didn¡¯t dare to treat Ming Jing with the same attitude as before. She had a vague feeling that this daughter should not be messed with.


    Ming Jing thought for a moment and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you ask around. ¡±


    Hearing the young girl¡¯s gentle voice, Lin Qing couldn¡¯t help herself anymore, covering her mouth and trying not to cry.


    She turned around immediately, ¡°Sorry for bothering you. If you hear anything about Shaodan, please let me know right away.¡±


    With that, she left quickly.


    Ming Jing sighed and called Jiang Chun to ask her to help inquire about Zhu Shaodan¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°Your brother is missing? Did he get into another fight?¡±


    Bai Ziyan had already returned to Jingdu, so it shouldn¡¯t be him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, a grown child like him will be fine. I¡¯ll send someone to look for him immediately, and I¡¯ll notify you as soon as there¡¯s any news.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still being polite with me? Come visit our house when you have time.¡±


    After hanging up, Jiang Chun arranged for someone to look for Zhu Shaodan. With her connections in Jiangzhou, it should be easy to find someone.


    ¡°Madam, recently Young Master Zhu has been hanging around a person called Laiba. Laiba is just a small-time thug whomits petty crimes. I¡¯m afraid that Young Master Zhu won¡¯t learn anything good if he continues to hang out with him.¡±


    Jiang Chun had been investigating the matter with An Zhitin recently and asked, ¡°What was Ran Tengxiao¡¯s purpose in meddling with An Zhitinst time?¡±


    She still hadn¡¯t figured it out, as Ran Tengxiao wasn¡¯t that stupid.


    ¡°Could it be that he already suspects my identity?¡±


    Jiang Chun rubbed her brow, ¡°I really underestimated that Ran Tengxiao.¡±


    Over the past two years, Ran Tengxiao had be adept at intrigues. Now it was not as easy to take him down as before, and moving against him would affect the whole situation. She might not even be able to leave Jiangzhou alive.


    ¡°He¡¯s so young, yet so formidable, not inferior to his great uncle. If we don¡¯t cut off his wings at the beginning, there will be no chance once he grows stronger.¡±


    Jiang Chun sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve already missed the best opportunity.¡± Zhou Xue asked, ¡°Madam, what should we do now?


    Jiang Chun hooked her lips and revealed a calcting smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I still have onest trump card.¡±


    ¡°By the way, has Zheng Qing been found?¡±


    ¡°Madam, he has been killed by Night Hawk personally. The matter with Zhao Kang has been settled, and your record can be updated ordingly.¡±


    Jiang Chun smiled and said, ¡°Night Hawk, you didn¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    During the half-month of hanging out with Laiba, Zhu Shaodan had gained a lot of insight and was itching for some action.


    Soon, the opportunity came.


    ¡°Scar, this kid is with the Second Young Master. Let¡¯s not be impulsive.¡± Huang Mao held Laiba back.


    The two groups were on the edge of breaking out into a fight. Zhu Shaodan tightened his grip on the stick in his hand, eager to give it a try.


    At this moment, a white sedan stopped at the entrance of the alley. Qian Wei saw the car and thought it looked familiar.


    The two groups stopped and looked at the car.


    Men loved cars, and they could tell at a nce that it was a luxury car.


    Zhu Shaodan also thought it looked familiar and instinctively gripped his stick tighter.


    The rear door of the car opened, and a tall, beautiful girl emerged.


    She was wearing a white dress with a gentle and calm demeanor, like a fairy who had identally entered the human world..

 Chapter 105 - 105: 067 Worldly Situations (Second Watch) 2

    Chapter 105 - 105: 067 Worldly Situations (Second Watch) 2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Everyone¡¯s eyes shed with astonishment at the same time.


    Qian Wei was shocked. It was her?


    Facing a group of fierce men holding clubs, the young girl¡¯s face showed no fear. Her gaze swept across the crowd and quickly locked onto her target.


    ¡°Leave by yourself.¡± With the gentlest tone, she uttered the harshest words. Everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat, looking at each other in shock.


    Zhu Shaodan shrank his neck and cursed at her deep down.


    How did this persistent woman find here?


    Qian Wei suddenly noticed the girl staring at him. His heart skipped a beat, and he bravely stepped forward.


    ¡°Do you have amand, miss?¡±


    Everyone was surprised to find that the domineering Qian Wei was as docile as a cat in front of this young girl.


    Qian Wei, are you blind? What is there to fear about her?


    Ming Jing looked at Zhu Shaodan in the crowd: ¡°Tie him up and put him in the trunk.¡±


    Qian Wei didn¡¯t know how this boy had offended the girl, but he had to do it himself.


    Zhu Shaodan leaped out from the crowd, dodging Qian Wei while pointing at Ming Jing and cursing: ¡°Why do you have the right to catch me? I¡¯m not going back with you, you ugly and evil nun! I don¡¯t want to follow you.¡±


    The air seemed to quiet down for a second. Qian Wei thought, does the damn kid not want to live?


    Laiba and Huang Mao were stunned. Laiba was a man of loyalty. That little brother had followed him for half a month, and he had seen all the efforts. It was time to show his big brother¡¯s role.


    Laiba quickly stood up, while Huang Mao didn¡¯t have the time to hold him back. This woman has a huge background, let¡¯s not cause trouble, ok?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how my little brother offended you, but you can¡¯t just tie people up like that. It¡¯s unreasonable!¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s eyes filled with tears of gratitude. My good brother, I will follow you for the rest of my life.


    He clung tightly to Laiba¡¯s back: ¡°Brother, save me! I don¡¯t want to go with her.¡±


    Laiba, considering himself the incarnation of justice, straightened his back and red at Ming Jing: ¡°Did you hear that? He doesn¡¯t want to go with you.¡± Ming Jing calmly said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Are you going or not?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan peeked out from behind Laiba¡¯s shoulder and gritted his teeth: ¡°I will not go with you even if I die. Just give up.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Very good.¡±


    She looked at Qian Wei: ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Qian Wei no longer hesitated, calling his men to grab Zhu Shaodan. Laiba protected Zhu Shaodan, and soon, the two groups started to fight.


    Ming Jing watched quietly. In the end, Laiba¡¯s men gained the upper hand, and Qian Wei was injured in many ces.


    Zhu Shaodan smugly made a face at Ming Jing, wearing an expression that asked what she could do to him.


    Ming Jing took a step towards Zhu Shaodan. Seeing she was a frail looking woman, Laiba felt it inappropriate to fight her and backed away.


    Zhu Shaodan retreated while speaking: ¡°Don¡¯te any closer, or I won¡¯t be polite.¡± He tightened his grip on the wooden club in his hand.


    ¡°In the past, I tolerated you because of your young age. However, you have be more and more ridiculous. You left home and enjoyed your freedom, but did you know your mother washes her face with tears every day worrying about you? As a son, this is unfilial.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s cold and calm voice was like a sharp knife, making Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face turn pale without a word to say.


    His lips moved, and he yelled: ¡°What do you know? On what basis do you say that?¡±


    ¡°When your elder sister, who you share the same blood with, returned home, instead of showing any concern, you cursed her. Have you ever thought about it? While you grew up pampered and extravagant, she might not have had a single warm piece of clothing. Ignoring family ties and acting selfishly is unrighteous.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face turned even whiter, wanting to retort but suddenly finding no words.


    ¡°A young master as naive and stupid as you is like a flower in a greenhouse, thinking the world is as you imagine it. You can¡¯t listen to any advice, arrogant and impulsive to the point of stupidity. Fine, I¡¯ll let you be. From now on, if you ever set foot in the Zhu family again, I will break your legs.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and left. ¡°The world is like a thin silk. Who makes the horse-riding guests in the capital? You should experience the world as it is by yourself.¡±


    She got into the car, and it sped away in the blink of an eye.


    Zhu Shaodan stared nkly at the alley entrance, subconsciously wanting to chase after her, but he cursed instead: ¡°Damn it, who are you trying to scare? It¡¯s my home, if I want to go back, I¡¯ll go back.. Who do you think you are controlling me?¡±

 Chapter 106 - 106: 067 Worldly Manners (First Watch)J

    Chapter 106 - 106: 067 Worldly Manners (First Watch)J


    Trantor: 549690339


    Laiba walked over to help him up and curiously asked, ¡°Who is that girl? Is she a member of your family?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan snorted, ¡°An unimportant person. No need to worry about her. Brother, from now on, you¡¯re my real brother, and I¡¯ll follow you for the rest of my life.¡±


    Laiba frowned, ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re so young. Did you sneak out without your family knowing? You should go back to school. Knowledge is what changes one¡¯s fate, not hanging out with us.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m not the studying type. I¡¯ve made up my mind. Brother, from now on, we¡¯ll share our fortunes and hardships together.¡±


    Laiba sighed, knowing that this young man must have aplicated background, and wondered if it would bring fortune or disaster.


    Zhu Shaodan looked at Qian Wei, ¡°Hey, why are you so afraid of her?¡±


    Qian Wei snorted, ¡°Why should I tell you? Just you wait, Second Young Master will deal with you sooner orter.¡±


    With that, he limped away with his minions.


    Ming Jing told Lin Qing that Zhu Shaodan had been found, but he was unwilling toe back.


    ¡°He¡¯s alreadypletely ruined. If you still want to save him, you can only try by putting him in a desperate situation.¡±


    Lin Qing was at a loss and could only choose to follow Ming Jing¡¯s advice.


    Ming Jing ordered everyone in the Zhu family that from now on, there would be no more Young Master Zhu Shaodan. Even if he came back, he would be turned away. No one from the Zhus was allowed to secretly help him.


    Granny Zhu had no objections, and Lin Qing remained silent.


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned, ¡°In the end, Shaodan is just a child. How can you be so harsh on him? He doesn¡¯t know how to survive on his own, and what if he¡¯s bullied outside? The Zhu family only has this one descendant. If something happens to him, how can Granny and Mom ept it?¡±


    She looked at Ming Jing with eyes mingled with something ufortable, ¡°I know Shaodan has a bad attitude towards you and you feel resentful, but you can¡¯t take revenge on him like this.¡±


    Such a twisting of words, turning Ming Jing¡¯s actions into an act of revenge.


    Granny Zhu said unhappily, ¡°Xiangxiang, I have no objections to what Ming Jing is doing. This child has been spoiled, and it¡¯s time for him to go out and learn some harsh lessons from society.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Lin Qing, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t really agree with this, do you?¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with everyone?


    Lin Qing rubbed her forehead, feeling a headacheing on. Standing up, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Do whatever you want.¡±


    She was actually going to be hands-off.


    With that, she went straight upstairs.


    ¡°I know you have deep affection for your brother, but now that Zhu Shaodan has been expelled from the family, if you secretly help him and I find out, you can join him to be a pair of unfortunate siblings. The small family of Zhus can no longer amodate you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t expect Ming Jing to say such words. She looked towards Granny Zhu, only to see her calmly drinking tea, as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything at all.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly realized that at some unknown point in time, Ming Jing had gradually infiltrated the Zhu family. Now Granny Zhu and Lin Qing were both following her orders, and she hadpletely lost her say.


    Zhu Xiangxiang endured the anger, and it took her a lot of effort not to curse on the spot. When she returned to her room, she smashed a flower vase.


    ¡°Why on earth do you exist, Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, even for a day.


    The Bojii Casino was very lively tonight. In fact, it had been lively for the past few nights.


    Ever since that mysterious young man gambled with Master Xiao and ended in a draw, the story had spread throughout the circle.


    People talked about the young man with awe, and many who had never seen him became even more curious. They thought he woulde again, so they waited for him at Bojii Casino every night.


    But several days passed without a single sighting of him.


    ¡°Master Xiao rarely used toe to Bojii Casino, but recently he¡¯s been here almost every night. And that youngdy, she never misses a single night. What kind of dogshit luck did that kid have?¡±


    ¡°He admitted he lost and promised to work for Master Xiao. Why didn¡¯t he keep his promise?¡±


    Various voices of discussion could be heard.


    In the lounge, Ye Jian sighed as he saw that it was already half-past eleven, well past bedtime, while cup after cup of tea was consumed. ¡°Master Xiao, let¡¯s go back. Staying upte every day isn¡¯t good for your health.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao put down his teacup, stood up, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He nced at Zhao Qin, who was sleeping on the table across from him, and ordered his subordinates, ¡®Wake her up.¡±


    Ye Jian¡¯s mouth twitched, showing not a trace of sympathy for the sleeping beauty..

 Chapter 107 - 107: 067 Worldly Affairs (First Watch)_4

    Chapter 107 - 107: 067 Worldly Affairs (First Watch)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Without Ye Jian¡¯s help, Zhao Qin woke up on her own, rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Cousin, are you going back?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll walk you home.¡±


    Zhao Qin stretchedzily, ¡°No need, I¡¯m going to sleep here. You can go on your own.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao chuckled, ¡°A grown woman really can¡¯t stay put.¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s face flushed, angrily retorting, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You should hurry up and find yourself a sister-inw to keep you in line. ¡±


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, and the room temperature seemed to instantly drop.


    Realizing she had said something wrong, Zhao Qin obediently stood up, ¡°Cousin, please walk me home.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao went ahead and walked out first.


    Zhao Qin waved her fist at Ran Tengxiao¡¯s back.


    Who knows if he had ever been deceived by a woman for money or sex and thus became immune to women charms.


    She even suspected if her cousin was gay.


    Otherwise, with his status and identity, he should have frequent rtionships with women just like Ran Tenghui. However, her cousin led a straight and disciplined life, showing no interest in women. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the leader?


    Zhao Qin followed him, dawdling, and walked out of the front door of Bojii Casino. A cold wind blew in their faces, and she shivered subconsciously.


    The air on the third floor underground was cold and mixed with an unpleasant dampness.


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao, you damn mongrel, go to hell!¡± Suddenly a man sprung out from behind a pir, brandishing a dagger and viciously stabbing it towards Ran Tengxiao.


    Ye Jian¡¯s face changed, and he rushed forward quickly. However, the man moved incredibly fast and was too close. The dagger was about to impale Ran Tengxiao¡¯s neck.


    Just then, a stone hit the man¡¯s hand, causing the dagger to ¡°ng¡± on the ground. A hemp rope suddenly flew over, looped around the man¡¯s neck, and with a strong yank, he was hurled away. He crashed on the floor solidly, and


    Zhao Qin even felt a tremble beneath her feet.


    She hurriedly stepped forward, ¡°Cousin, are you alright?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao showed no change in his expression, looking ahead with a smile in his eyes, as though he had just narrowly escaped death.


    However, Zhao Qin was pale, clearly still in shock.


    She followed Ran Tengxiao¡¯s gaze towards the front.


    She saw a tall, thin man struggling violently with his hands around his neck, the rope tightening around it. Behind him, a tall, thin figure slowly strolled out of the shadows.


    Dressed in ck, he looked mysterious and aloof.


    The young man raised his right foot and stepped on the man¡¯s head, looking over in their direction.


    The voice-controlled lights flickered on and off, adding a ghostly and cold atmosphere.


    Even at such a distance, Zhao Qin could feel the overwhelming arrogance in the young man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So easy to be assassinated, I overestimated you.¡± The young man snorted coldly.


    Ran Tengxiao smiled, showing no embarrassment for being mocked, ¡°Since taking over Xuanwu Hall, countless people have tried to kill me, but I¡¯m still standing intact here, am I not?¡±


    The young man frowned and spoke unhappily, ¡°Are you implying I am interfering in your affairs?¡±


    ¡°I never said that. I should thank you.¡±


    The young man snorted, kicked the man on the ground, and dragged him towards Ran Tengxiao. Ye Jian quickly moved forward, stepped on the man pinned on the ground, who was in such pain that he couldn¡¯t even scream.


    Immediately, two men came forward and took him away. Ran Tengxiao took two steps forward, ¡°It¡¯s still early, how about a cup of tea?¡±


    ¡°Drink it yourself, I have other things to attend to. Excuse me.¡±


    He turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The young man stopped and looked back, with an apparent hint of impatience.


    ¡°Now you are one of my people, but I don¡¯t even know your name.¡±


    ¡°Xi Yu.¡± He left two words and disappeared into the darkness.


    Zhao Qin chased after him, but there was no trace of him left.


    ¡°What the hell, running even faster than a rabbit. Are you afraid that thisdy will eat you?¡± Zhao Qin waved her fist at the air.


    Ye Jian came over and whispered, ¡°I found out, he¡¯s the one who slipped away from the White Heights Incidentst time.¡±


    The matter was quiteplicated, and Master Xiao dealt with many people.


    Ran Tengxiao waved his hand, ¡°Deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.. ¡°

 Chapter 108 - 108: 068 Score (Second Update)

    Chapter 108 - 108: 068 Score (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Today is the day to pick up report cards at school.


    All the effort from a whole semester of sowing, fertilizing, and watering will bear fruit today.


    Before leaving, Ming Jing arranged for Xiao Ying and Ming Ti to go out, so they could get used to the pace of modern society.


    The school didn¡¯t require uniforms today, so everyone could dress casually, which is why all the girls made a special effort to doll themselves up.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shrieked at the number on the scale.


    ¡°The scale must be broken, it must be.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took a deep breath and sucked in her stomach.


    Just as she came downstairs, she saw Ming Jing in a flowing white dress heading out.


    So tall, so ethereal¡­


    Her slender waist strained against the morning light as if she could be swept away by the wind at any moment.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly felt a tightness in her stomach. Starting from today, she decided to skip dinner.


    rlhvvo cars left the Zhu¡¯s house, one after the other.


    When Ming Jing entered the ssroom, the entire ss fell silent for three seconds.


    No one noticed her beauty when she wore the bulky school uniform, but the white dress highlighted it.


    Not looking at her face, just her figure¡ªwhat did it mean to be perfectly slender yet perfectly proportioned?


    What did it mean to have a beautiful neck, a whiteplexion that glistened like dew, and a graceful, floating stride that seemed to kick up dust even in her silk stockings?


    These words automatically popped up in the minds of these academically challenged students.


    Ming Jing took her seat and Tao Xingxing said with a giggle, ¡°Everyone saw it straight, if you change your hairstyle, you could blow female stars out of water.¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, asked about Zheng Qing, and casually asked, ¡°Do you still remember Zheng Qing?¡±


    Tao Xingxing made a disgruntled face: ¡°Why bring her up all of a sudden? She¡¯s been cklisted in the entertainment industry. She can¡¯t bounce around anymore. Serves her right, someone who makes a scandal deserves it.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, what you see is what others want you to see.


    Homeroom teacher, Huang Liang, walked in with a stack of notices and the ss instantly fell silent.


    Tao Xingxing nervously grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s arm, ¡°What should we do? I¡¯m so nervous¡­¡±


    Ming Jing patted the back of her hand, ¡°Just let it be.¡±


    When the report card reached Tao Xingxing, she dared not to look. She handed it to Ming Jing, ¡°You help me look.¡±


    Ming Jing scanned it, saying, ¡°Student, Tao Xingxing, you¡¯ve paid close attention in ss this semester,pleted homework on time, made substantial progress in both your studies and interpersonal rtions. Your teacher is quite pleased and encourages you to keep up the good work.¡±


    Tao Xingxing snatched her report card, looked at the overall score and rank, and incredulously said, ¡°I¡¯ve improved, I went up by 25 ces! Ah, Ming Jing, I did it!¡±


    At this moment Huang Liang standing on the podium said in a delighted tone,


    ¡°There is a student who has made significant progress in this exam. That is Tao Xingxing. She went from 10th from the bottom in the midterm to 15th in the ss in the final exam. She has made remarkable progress and everyone should learn from her.¡±


    All the students in the ss focused on Tao Xingxing likesers, and Tao Xingxing said cheerfully, ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous of me, who made me have the first-ranked student in our grade as my desk-mate. As the saying goes, those who are near vermilion get stained red. I must give my thanks to them.¡±


    We all are struggling, and you didn¡¯t even tell us you were leaving the pit. Is there any humanity left in you?


    Everyone stared at Tao Xingxing with using eyes.


    But in the bottom of their hearts, they envied her. Is this the halo of a top student? Just being covered in that aura brings academic progress?


    After all, they didn¡¯t see Tao Xingxing studying that hard, she was either mooning over someone or chasing after stars.


    These academically poor students were not born that way; for various reasons, they had fallen behind or gave up. Their family usually tried to motivate them by promising gifts they wanted for their academic improvements. But they preferred not to struggle in their studies if it meant giving up the gifts they desired so dearly. They didn¡¯t worry about food and clothing, their families could send them overseas to polish their credentials when they came of age, then they could take over the family business. They saw their whole lives yed out before them, and striving seemed pointless.


    Now someone told them there was a shortcut to academic sess, and their eyes shone with greed.


    Looking again at Ming Jing, now they saw her as the shining beacon of schrly talent that was so dazzling, it hurt their eyes.


    Huang Liang continued, ¡°And we have Ming Jing, who maintains her usual standard in this test, and ranked first in the entire grade, bringing glory to our ss 8.¡±


    There waspetition between the teachers too. Ming Jing was once an unwanted student by all the sses, but now she proved them wrong. The ss 1 teacher even went to the principal to request Ming Jing to transfer to his ss.


    Huang Liang remembered, what was it that he said back then?

 Chapter 109 - 109: 068 Score (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 109 - 109: 068 Score (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    I¡¯d rather die than have her in our ss, she¡¯d drag us down, and no other ss would take her, so I had to ept her in the end.


    Never would have thought, she turned out to be a gem in the sea.


    Thinking about those people who can¡¯t get what they want and are frustrated, I feelpletelyfortable, and my eyes looking at Ming Jing be even more loving.


    Who would have thought that I could actually make aeback just by having a student like her, something I never dared to think of before.


    Once again, she¡¯s first ce in the entire grade, and everyone¡¯s pretty numb to it by now.


    Tao Xingxing raised her hand: ¡°Teacher, is the second-ce student Song


    Yinzhang?¡±


    Huang Liang nodded: ¡°Yes, his total score is very close to Ming Jing¡¯s, only two points behind.¡±


    The whole ss gasped at the same time, feeling the intense rivalry between these academic gods from just these two points.


    That was close.


    Ming Jing was mentally prepared for this, so she wasn¡¯t very surprised.


    In ss 1, Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the transcript in her hand, her face very unpleasant.


    Her deskmate Wu Jiajia asked: ¡°Xiangxiang, how many points did you get in total?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly stuffed the transcript into her school bag, picked it up and left: ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, please ask the teacher for leave on my behalf,


    I¡¯m leaving first.¡±


    She said this and quickly walked out of the ssroom.


    Wu Jiajia muttered: ¡®What¡¯s the big deal? I was just asking, why is she so afraid of me finding out.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do well on the exam, and you asking her about it is just rubbing salt in her wounds, right?¡± Huang Yue said from the back seat.


    ¡°Do you think Xiangxiang has changed a lot recently? She¡¯s been acting weird,¡± Wu Jiajia said.


    Huang Yue sneered: ¡°It would be weird if she didn¡¯t change! Zhu Mingjing is the first in the whole grade again, only two points away from Song Yinzhang. If she found out about it, she¡¯d probably be even more upset.¡±


    Wu Jiajia subconsciously looked at Song Yinzhang and said with a sigh: ¡°Song Yinzhang is still as gentle and elegant as ever. Even if he¡¯s not ranked first, he¡¯s still the best in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Look, the forum has exposed that ¡®Zuimeng Jinghua¡¯ is not Wang Xiaoshuai, but Zhang Jingwen from ss 8. It¡¯s so hateful, she fooled everyone and even used Wang Xiaoshuai.¡±


    Everyone hurriedly opened the school forum, and thetest post revealed a big secret.


    It turned out that the widely known ¡°Zuimeng Jinghua¡± incident was a hoax, and the real Zuimeng Jinghua was Zhang Jingwen from ss 8. After being exposed by Goshanliushui, she was afraid of losing face and had Wang Xiaoshuai, who had a crush on her, take the fall for her. Wang Xiaoshuai ran fourps for her and fainted on the yground, making a big scene.


    This matter had only gradually settled down recently, but no one had thought it was Zhang Jingwen¡¯s doing. The students who had been deceived began to leavements cursing Zhang Jingwen in the post.


    ¡°Have you seen the photo? She even pped Wang Xiaoshuai. He took the me for her, but she not only didn¡¯t appreciate it, but she also hit him. This woman is disgusting.¡±


    ¡°My heart aches for Wang Xiaoshuai, see this woman¡¯s true colors, and hurry up and expose her.¡±


    ¡°Wang Xiaoshuai is love-struck. ¡±


    At first, Zhang Jingwen wondered why all her ssmates were staring at her. Was it because her makeup was too good today?


    It wasn¡¯t until her deskmate reminded her: ¡°Hurry up and check the forum,


    you¡¯ve Deen exposea.¡±


    Zhang Jingwen btedly opened the forum and saw the pinned thread, suddenly feeling her blood running cold, as if she were in an ice cer. She opened her mouth to exin: ¡°It¡¯s not me, someone is trying to frame me¡­¡±.


    ¡°Frame you? Look at the evidence listed, it¡¯s clear.¡±


    ¡°Look, Wang Xiaoshuai has left a message under the post, saying he was deceived by Zhang Jingwen. The deal was if he took the me for her, she would agree to date him. Zhang Jingwen not only reneged but also pped him.¡±


    Zhang Jingwen¡¯s face grew darker and darker, feeling like sitting on pins and needles, and she left without waiting to receive her summer homework.


    Tao Xingxing made a YES hand gesture while holding her phone, ¡°Mission aplished, finally dealt with this matter on thest day of the semester, and exposed this woman¡¯s true colors to the world. I want to thank Charles Gao for his sponsorship here.¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Charles?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how else do you think I got the screenshots of Zuimeng Jinghua¡¯s ID? Only the forum administrator has that authority. Charles used to be a student council member and had forum administrator privileges.¡±


    ¡°Charles is really nice to you, why don¡¯t we invite him to lunch today?¡± Ming Jing hesitated, ¡°I have something to do at noon, maybe next time.¡±


    Tao Xingxing disappointedly said, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    After receiving her summer homework, Ming Jing was about to leave when the ss leader standing at the door called out, ¡°Ming Jing, the ss teacher wants you to go to his office.¡±


    The ss 1 teacher¡¯s office was arge,prehensive office..

 Chapter 110 - 110: 068 Score (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 110 - 110: 068 Score (Second Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing walked in and saw several teachers busy writing at their desks.


    As Ming Jing entered, the other ss teachers looked up at her simultaneously.


    Ming Jing¡¯s name was well-known, but there were only a few teachers who had actually met her in person other than the ones who taught her.


    Unexpectedly, she was such a beautiful girl. There were still many legendary things about her ¨C born in a wealthy family, she was the true heiress who had been lost outside for many years. As for the fake heiress¡­


    Several teachers turned their gaze to the headteacher of ss 1, Zou Wei.


    The fake heiress, Zhu Xiangxiang, was his proud student. Teachers often gossiped about her in their spare time to add some excitement to their dull lives. They had enjoyed the recent drama about the true and fake heiresses in the Zhu family.


    Zou Wei coughed and nced at Ming Jing, who bowed her head and worked.


    ¡°Ming Jing, the reason I called you here is to discuss the Math Olympiadpetition scheduled for this week. Go and discuss the training ss with your family. Here¡¯s the registration form. Fill it out and give me a call.¡±


    Huang Liang handed her the registration form: ¡°This time, our school has registered a total of five students, but the teachers have high hopes for you and Song Yinzhang. We hope you two won¡¯t let the teachers and school down.¡±


    After Ming Jing left, the headteacher of ss 2 sighed, ¡°Mr. Huang, you¡¯re so lucky. Your underachieving ss suddenly got a top student, which has raised your ss¡¯s average score and surpassed ss 7. You¡¯re no longer the worst, and it looks like you¡¯ll keep this month¡¯s bonus.¡±


    The headteacher of ss 7¡¯s face turned sour.


    Huang Liang coughed and said with a smile, ¡°I remember back then that Director Zhao wanted to move Ming Jing to your ss, Mr. Li. It seems you pitied me, knowing my financial difficulties, and deliberately gave up the bonus to me.¡±


    Mr. Li, the headteacher of ss 2, stiffened at these words, feeling that he had unknowingly dug his own grave by trying to mock others.


    As soon as Zhu Xiangxiang entered the house, she saw Zhu Wenjie sitting on the living room sofa eating fruit, and she sensed something was wrong.


    As expected, Zhu Wenjie asked, ¡°Xiangxiang, today¡¯s the day you received your test scores, right? You must have done well. Show me so your cousin can learn from you.¡±


    Zhou Bao scoffed, ¡°Never mind, if I want to learn from anyone, it¡¯ll be my cousin Ming Jing.¡±


    Granny Zhu also asked from the side, ¡°How did you do on this test?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened, ¡°Well¡­ I did okay, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Show your test scores to Granny, I¡¯ve already prepared your red envelope.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang reluctantly walked over and handed the test scores to her. Zhu Wenjie snatched them first and read aloud. ¡°Math 105, Chinese 109, English 111, Physics 82¡­ total 739.¡±


    ¡°Rank 87 in the whole grade and 32 in the ss.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie raised her voice by several octaves, making sure every corner of the vi could hear. She looked at Zhu Xiangxiang incredulously, ¡°Xiangxiang, are these really your test scores? Weren¡¯t you always in the top ten before?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang snatched her test scores back, her face burning with humiliation.


    Granny Zhu frowned at her and sighed.


    Just then, Zhou Bao eximed excitedly, ¡°Cousin Ming Jing¡¯s back!¡± Zhou Bao, like a happy little bird, excitedly ran out, ¡°Cousin Ming Jing, can I take a peek at your test scores?¡±


    Ming Jing always indulged her cute little cousin and took the test scores out of her bag to give to her.


    Zhou Bao treasured the scores like a priceless gem, and incredulously said, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re incredible! Full scores in every subject except Chinese! ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly turned her head, her face pale as she stared at Ming Jing.


    Zhu Wenjie took a look and eximed, ¡°The first in the entire grade. This is so strange, our Zhu family doesn¡¯t have the top student gene.¡±


    Granny Zhuughed, ¡°Ming Jing has really brought honor to our family. I must burn incense and pray to her grandfather. He¡¯ll be thrilled in heaven to see how outstanding she is.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang wished she could disappear on the spot.


    Zhu Wenjie, however, had no intention of letting her off easy, ¡°Xiangxiang, I remember you used to do well in school. What happened? You should learn more from Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Ming Jing didn¡¯t receive education since childhood, but as soon as she came back, she scored full marks. What does this mean? It just means she¡¯s a genius. There¡¯s a wide gap between a genius and ordinary people, like the Milky Way. Don¡¯t embarrass Xiangxiang. I guess this is the best she can do,¡± Zhou Bao said.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face burned as Zhou Bao¡¯s words made her sound like a fool.


    Zhu Wenjie feigned a sigh, ¡°A dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix begets a phoenix, a rat¡¯s son can dig holes. I finally understand the meaning of this saying. All the money my big sister-inw spent nurturing Xiangxiang for more than a decade has gone down the drain.¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop it. The child must feel terrible. Xiangxiang, just do your best next time, and don¡¯t listen to your aunt,¡± Granny Zhuforted her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang reluctantly replied, ¡®Yes.¡±


    Zhou Bao secretly took a photo of Ming Jing¡¯s test scores with her phone before returning them to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang went upstairs together. With her back to the others, Zhu Xiangxiang murmured, ¡°Zhu Mingjing, you must be very happy now. ¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Just as you wished.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was furious, but Ming Jing had already left her and returned to her room.


    Downstairs, Granny Zhu asked Zhu Wenjie, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Mom, listen to you. Can¡¯t I visit you if I have nothing to do?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯te unless you had a good reason. I know what you¡¯re like. Just speak up and get it over with,¡± Granny Zhu said impatiently.


    Zhu Wenjie lowered her voice and looked around, ¡°Mom, Lin Qing¡¯s not here, right?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your sister-inw.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie scoffed, ¡°Not for long.¡±


    Granny Zhu narrowed her eyes, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie leaned in mysteriously, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth, mom. My brother ns to divorce Lin Qing and drive her out of the house. The Zhu family¡¯s fortune will still be firmly in your and my brother¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Granny Zhu pointed at her nose and scolded, ¡°Get out of here.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie snorted, ¡°Why are you getting angry at me? It¡¯s Lin Qing who couldn¡¯t hold onto her man. She brought it upon herself. Besides, she¡¯s not good to you either. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a new daughter-inw who treats you with respect?¡±


    ¡°An old wife shouldn¡¯t be too easily discarded. If Zhou Ping divorced you now and married someone else, could youugh it off?¡± Zhu Wenjie snorted, ¡°He dares! I¡¯ll skin him alive..¡±

 Chapter 111 - 111: 069 Imitation (First update)

    Chapter 111: 069 Imitation (First update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Don¡¯t take pleasure in other people¡¯s misery. What goes around,es around.


    Granny Zhu hummed, got up, and returned to her room.


    ¡°Madam Zhou, see the guests out.¡±


    Madam Zhou said with a beaming smile: ¡®Madam needs her rest, perhaps you could visit another day.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie was furious, pointing at Granny Zhu¡¯s retreating figure, he yelled: ¡°You¡¯ll regret this someday, you old hag.¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s gaze turned cold, intensifying the tone: ¡®Madam Zhu.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie pointed at her nose and cursed: ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    He stormed out, cursing and bickering with Zhou Bao.


    Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of this woman¡¯s antics, stirring up trouble every now and then, afraid that the Zhu family was too peaceful. What kind of grudge did she have against the Zhu family?


    When Lin Qing came home in the afternoon, she was genuinely pleased to hear of Ming Jing¡¯s top rank achievement.


    Previously, Zhu Xiangxiang had been among the top ten, which already brought her considerable prestige in the circle ofdies, but Ming Jing brought her even more honor.


    When you dislike someone, you see only their ws.


    When you like someone, you see only their merits.


    As situations change ording to mindset, Lin Qing wasn¡¯t sure when her attitude towards Ming Jing had changed, but now, wherever she looked, she found Ming Jing pleasing to the eye and excellent overall.


    When Ming Jing mentioned wanting to register for the Mathematical Olympiad training ss, Lin Qing immediately agreed without considering the cost.


    Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang both proved that the elite education in wealthy families is a joke and it¡¯s all about gic inheritance.


    Because Ming Jing is her daughter, with her blood in her veins, is why she could be so outstanding.


    Just like that.


    From beginning to end, she didn¡¯t ask Zhu Xiangxiang a single word about how she did on her exams. In light of such outstanding achievement, how Zhu Xiangxiang did bes utterly meaningless.


    Nevertheless, her neglect pierced Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart, although she was relieved that Lin Qing hadn¡¯t asked, otherwise the one who would be embarrassed would be her.


    ¡°Madam, Granny Zhu asks if you could join her in her room,¡± Madam Zhou said, respectfully.


    Lin Qing nodded, instructed both to rest, and went to Granny Zhu¡¯s room.


    ¡°Mother, are you feeling better these days?¡±


    Granny Zhu¡¯s room has arge French window that fills half the room with sunshine on a sunny day.


    Elderly people like to bask in the sun, and this room was designed especially for Granny Zhu.


    At this moment, Granny Zhu was sitting in a rocking chair on the balcony, with a nket on herp and a cup of tea in her hand.


    ¡°With Ming Jing around, I feel better every day. She taught me the Five Animal y in the morning, and I feel much stronger than before.¡±


    Lin Qing nodded: ¡°That¡¯s good, you did right to bring Ming Jing back.¡±


    After finding out about Ming Jing¡¯s and Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s real identities, feeling affection for Zhu Xiangxiang, whom she raised for so many years, but fearing that Zhu Xiangxiang might be treated unjustly, she thought it was better to carry the mistake forward, not bring Ming Jing back, secretly fund her education, arrange her life well. Apart from nominal kinship, all else would bepensated.


    This suggestion was strongly opposed by Granny Zhu, who insisted on bringing Ming Jing back. Looking back, that decision was absolutely right.


    Granny Zhu gave her a sidelong nce, her cloudy eyes filled with wisdom: ¡°You, as a mother, are muddled. After going through so much, I suppose you can see clearly now. It¡¯s about returning heart for heart.¡±


    Lin Qing lowered her head: ¡°Mother, you are indeed more enlightened than me.¡±


    ¡°Just look at how old I am. If I were still as confused as you, my life would be a joke.¡±


    Lin Qing chose to remain silent.


    ¡°How are things between you and Wenda now?¡± Granny Zhu suddenly changed the topic.


    Lin Qing was taken aback, her lips pressed tightly together.


    Granny Zhu sighed: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can tell right from wrong. He grew tired of you, looking for new possibilities. I will not support him. Even if you divorce and take it to court, I will testify for you. I¡¯ll make that man leave with nothing. ¡±


    Lin Qing looked up in surprise.


    There are so many examples of this: No matter how good the rtionship between a mother-inw and daughter-inw, during a divorce, the mother-inw sides with her own son, finding fault even in the seemingly perfect.


    Her rtionship with Granny Zhu was not the best, they often quarreled, she never expected Granny Zhu would support her at this time.


    She dared not believe itpletely. After all, her spouse of twenty years had been deceiving her all this time.


    Granny Zhu took a file bag from the drawer of her bedside table and handed it to her.


    Curious, Lin Qing asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Open it and see for yourself.¡±


    Subconsciously, Lin Qing took it and opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise. Inside, there were several property deeds, including one for the Nanhu Vi, which is the most expensive vi area in Jiangzhou, worth at least 50 million at the lowest. There was also the deed for their current vi and several other school district houses, including an office building and a shop in the busiest downtown area..

 Chapter 112 - 112: 069 Imitation (Second update)

    Chapter 112: 069 Imitation (Second update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Qing suddenly felt that it was a bit overwhelming. She didn¡¯t expect her mother-inw to be so wealthy.


    Granny Zhu took a sip of tea and said slowly: ¡°Wenjie is a filial son. He gives me a lot of money every month. As an old woman with nothing to spend on, I used the money to invest in real estate. Since our family is in this business, I gave it a try and it turned out pretty well. I have made quite a profit over the years through various investments, and this is just a part of it.¡±


    All Lin Qing could think of was that sentence: this is just a part¡­ a part..


    Fortunately, Zhu Wenjie didn¡¯t know about it, otherwise, he would flip outpletely.


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t put up with Wenjie anymore, and I won¡¯t try to persuade you. A woman¡¯s life isn¡¯t just about marriage. I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve done for this family. Now, when you are in need of money, take these funds first. If it¡¯s not enough,e back to me,¡± said Granny Zhu.


    Lin Qing hurriedly pushed the money back: ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t take it.¡¯


    Granny Zhu replied, ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for you, but for Ming Jing and


    Shaodan.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re doing well, the children will be fine too, understand?¡±


    Lin Qing pursed her lips, and nodded solemnly: ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll consider this a loan from you.¡±


    Granny Zhu waved her hand: ¡°I¡¯m tired, you can go out now.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Granny Zhu suddenly stopped her.


    Lin Qing turned around: ¡°Mom, anything else you want to say?¡±


    ¡°About Xiangxiang, I know we¡¯ve raised her for years and have developed feelings for her. I understand your feelings, but people can be unpredictable. She can be scheming, so you need to be cautious. When necessary, let go if you have to.¡±


    A trace of cold glimmer shed in Granny Zhu¡¯s murky eyes, and Lin Qing shuddered and nodded.


    As Lin Qing left the room, Madam Zhou approached and massaged Granny Zhu¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You still worry so much. If Ms. Ming Jing knew this, she would scold you again.¡±


    Granny Zhu chuckled: ¡°That girl is all bark and no bite.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, is this your report card? First in your grade? That means you¡¯re the smartest student in your school!¡± Ming Chen kept turning the report card over, examining it.


    Ming Ti rolled her eyes at her: ¡°Of course, haven¡¯t you seen who it is? At the age of three, Ming Jing could recite the Lotus Sutra. At five, she attained enlightenment. There¡¯s no one smarter than her in this world.¡± Ming Ti said with pride.


    Ming Yi pped her chubby hands: ¡°Ming Jing is the best!¡±


    Ming Jing touched Ming Yi¡¯s baby-fat cheeks, earning a giggle from her: ¡°I¡¯ve enrolled you all in a study ss during the summer break to learn primary school courses. You¡¯re all smart, and I¡¯ve taught you some basic knowledge since you were little. When school starts, we¡¯ll choose sses based on your performance. ¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, will we be able to go to school as well?¡± Ming Chen asked excitedly.


    ¡°Of course, now we have nine years ofpulsory education. In the future, you¡¯ll also go to high school, college, and graduate school¡­ Life is more than just this. Love, marriage, family and friends, career¡­ Every choice you make has unlimited possibilities.¡±


    Ming Chen rested her chin in her hands, daydreaming, ¡°Just like the TV dramas, right? A tall, handsome CEO falls in love with me¡­¡±


    Ming Ti pped her on the head: ¡°TV dramas are all lies! Stop daydreaming! Haven¡¯t you forgotten what Buddha said? No desire leads to strength. Love is just a deceptive thing,¡±


    Ming Chen covered her head, grumbling: ¡°But TV dramas are made to be watched!¡±


    Ming Jingughed: ¡°Alright, you two never stop arguing for a day. Although you¡¯re twins, your personalities are poles apart. Your paths in life will be different. Don¡¯t interfere with each other. If you don¡¯t like love, focus on your career; if you prefer handsome men, work on your beauty and social skills. The choice is yours; live your own life and have fun with it.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, what about me?¡± Ming Yi looked up and asked.


    Ming Jingughed and picked her up: ¡°As for our Ming Yi, just be a happy baby. Ming Jing will support you.¡±


    ¡°I love Ming Jing the most.¡± Ming Yi hugged Ming Jing¡¯s neck and kissed her cheek with a ¡°mwah!¡±


    Starting from that day, Zhu Xiangxiang noticed that Lin Qing treated her and Ming Jing differently.


    Lin Qing even made a special call to her friends, asking for favors to get the three children into school. She hired a famous teacher to give private lessons at home to the twins so they could catch up with the school curriculum. Afraid they might get hungry or thirsty during their studies, Lin Qing specifically asked Xiao Ying to prepare their favorite snacks and serve them..

 Chapter 113 - 113: 069 Imitation (Third update)

    Chapter 113 - 113: 069 Imitation (Third update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Even back then, no one was so devoted to her, almost causing Zhu Xiangxiang to cough up blood in envy.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble. These two kids don¡¯t have much of a foundation. Please take extra care of them,¡± said Zhu Xiangxiang. ¡®Madam Zhu, have these two children really never studied before?¡± Mr. Li asked.


    Lin Qing hesitated for a moment, ¡°No, they haven¡¯t even attended a single day of school.¡±


    Mr. Liughed, ¡°Then these kids are geniuses! They understand everything at once, especially Ming Ti. He has a photographic memory, he¡¯s going to be incredible in the future.¡±


    Lin Qing was startled, thinking: Are geniuses mass-produced?


    After sending Mr. Li off, Lin Qing entered Ming Jing¡¯s room, where she was ying with blocks with Ming Yi. The once cold room, simr to a show room, had be more lively due to the children.


    Lin Qing stood at the door, watching. Ever since her juniors arrived, she had been smiling more, finally not resembling a cultivator. She seemed more human.


    Ming Jing saw Lin Qing standing at the door, whispered to Ming Yi, and stood up to walk over.


    ¡°I just sent Mr. Li off and wanted to tell you that he praised both kids for being smart and quick learners. Your two juniors are just like you, both geniuses.¡±


    Lin Qing sighed inwardly, thinking about what kind of extraordinary person her master must be to teach such intelligent disciples.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±


    ¡°Between mother and daughter, don¡¯t be so polite. From now on, your two juniors can live with us peacefully. Since they are your sisters, they are my daughters as well.¡±


    As Ming Jing looked into Lin Qing¡¯s earnest eyes, she thought of her own ill-fated senior sister, her gaze softening.


    ¡°Come in, let me check your pulse again,¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face lit up, and she hurried in.


    After checking her pulse, Ming Jing thought for a moment. Lin Qing asked in a soft voice, ¡°How is it? Has it gotten worse?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her, ¡°As long as you take your medicine on time, there won¡¯t be any major problems.¡±


    Lin Qing breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± It¡¯s time for her to see some things clearly.


    ¡°Madam Zhou, is there any food? I¡¯m a little hungry.¡±


    Madam Zhou looked at Zhu Xiangxiang andughed, ¡°Weren¡¯t you talking about losing weight during the day, saying you absolutely couldn¡¯t eatte night snacks?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sighed, ¡°You need energy to lose weight.¡±


    Madam Zhouughed helplessly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare a night snack. How does chicken soup wonton sound?¡±


    ¡°Great, I love chicken soup wontons.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the small fire on the stove, ¡°Is this the herbal tea for my mother?¡±


    Madam Zhou leaned against the fridge and replied without looking back, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s recipe. It¡¯s carefully proportioned for beauty and longevity.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Madam Zhou didn¡¯t notice the cold light flickering in the girl¡¯s eyes in the hidden corner.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sat in the living room holding her wontons, while Madam Zhou went upstairs to bring Lin Qing her tea.


    She looked at the wontons in her bowl, frowning slightly.


    At that moment, a little figure came down the stairs, sniffing the air, ¡°Smells so good.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang squinted her eyes, smiling and waving, ¡°Ming Yi sister.¡±


    Ming Yi scampered over, ¡°Xiangxiang sister.¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang asked gently.


    Ming Yi obediently nodded.


    Zhu Xiangxiang pushed a bowl of wontons in front of her, ¡°Here, eat.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang curled her lip, ¡°But Xiangxiang sister isn¡¯t a stranger, right? Look, if we both don¡¯t say anything and your second sister isn¡¯t here, no one will know, right? These wontons smell so good, it¡¯d be a waste not to eat them. Didn¡¯t your second sister teach you that one should cherish every grain of food, as someone worked hard for it?¡±


    Ming Yi furrowed her brow in confusion, then said, ¡°But this bowl of wontons is yours. If you can¡¯t finish them and they¡¯re wasted, that¡¯s your fault, not mine.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked, staring at the innocent face before her. Truly worthy of being Ming Jing¡¯s disciple, equally infuriating.


    At this moment, Madam Zhou came down from upstairs, smiling, ¡°Is Yi Yi hungry too?¡±


    Yi Yi nodded, ¡°Grandma, I want wontons.¡±


    While blinking her eyes at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s bowl, her aggrieved expression seemed to me Zhu Xiangxiang for not letting her eat.


    Zhu Xiangxiang: ..


    Little girl, why are you looking at me like that? People might misunderstand!

 Chapter 114 - 114: 069 Imitation (Fourth update)

    Chapter 114 - 114: 069 Imitation (Fourth update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Sure enough, Madam Zhou nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, and the meaning in her gaze was obvious. Zhu Xiangxiang almost spat blood in anger.


    ¡°Mingyi, tell Madam Zhou the truth. Your sister obviously gave you this bowl of wontons to eat, but you refused.¡±


    Mingyi shrank back and quickly hid behind Madam Zhou, poking her little head out and lisping, ¡°Yes, sister, you wanted to give it to me, but I didn¡¯t want to eat it. Madam Zhou, don¡¯t me Xiangxiang sister.¡±


    These words made it even worse. Especially because they came from a cute five-year-old little girl, who would doubt her?


    Now Zhu Xiangxiang was portrayed as an adult bullying a child over a bowl of wontons, even forcing the other party to speak up for her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang almost lost her breath in frustration.


    Madam Zhou already liked Mingyi¡¯s cleverness and cuteness, treated her as her own granddaughter, and believed her without a doubt. She couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhu Xiangxiang and said, ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, Mingyi is just a child. It¡¯s just a bowl of wontons.¡±


    As she spoke, she squatted down and rubbed Mingyi¡¯s head, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, my little one. Grandma will cook for you, we can eat as much as we want.¡±


    Mingyi bit her lip, her eyes sparkling and adorable, winning Madam Zhou¡¯s soft heart over.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam Zhou.¡±


    Madam Zhou led Mingyi into the kitchen, wondering in her heart how much more outrageous Miss Xiangxiang could be, even bullying a five-year-old child.


    Suddenly, Mingyi turned her head and made a face at Zhu Xiangxiang. Not a hint of the pitiful look she had just a moment ago was left.


    Zhu Xiangxiang: ..


    To think she was actually yed by a little girl, how infuriating!


    Lin Qing stared at the cup of flower tea on the table, her eyes gradually dppnpnino


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a video. See if you recognize the girl in it, and if you could find her that¡¯d be even better.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang opened the video. The scene was set on a subway where an old man suddenly fainted. A crowd gathered around, taking photos and videos, but no one stepped forward to help him.


    A girl emerged from the crowd, calmly administering first aid to the old man, ignoring the well-meaning advice from others to not get involved.


    Throughout the video, the girl kept her head down, and the low pixel quality made it impossible to make out her face clearly. However, Zhu Xiangxiang immediately recognized her; it was Zhu Mingjing.


    Having lived with Zhu Mingjing for over three months, no one knew her better than Zhu Xiangxiang.


    She asked, ¡°Why are you looking for this person?¡±


    Zhou Ling replied, ¡°Do you know Shen Zhou?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was taken aback, ¡°The CEO of Shenzhou Group? He¡¯s the richest man around.¡±


    Zhu Wentao was nothingpared to him.


    Zhou Ling said, ¡°Exactly. The old man in the video is Shen Zhou¡¯s father, who suddenly had a stroke on the subway and was saved by a stranger. After the incident, Mr. Shen Zhou wanted to find this girl, but there¡¯s been no news. I had to go through a lot of trouble to find out this information. If we can find this girl, it will mean a great favor for Mr. Shen Zhou. You Imow that your father is going through a difficult time now, but if we can get Mr. Shen Zhou¡¯s help, this crisis will be safely passed.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang in disbelief said, ¡°She saved Mr. Shen Zhou¡¯s father?¡±


    Her voice was a bit shrill due to the excitement.


    Zhou Ling sensed something, and calmly smiled without any hint of emotion.


    ¡°Mr. Shen Zhou is someone who values loyalty and filial piety. Saving his father is equivalent to saving him. I heard that if he finds this girl, he intends to adopt her as his goddaughter. What a lucky girl. ¡® Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s breath was caught in her throat.


    Her head was buzzing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know her?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took a deep breath, ¡°My phone¡¯s almost out of battery, I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    She hung up and sat down on the sofa.


    What were the odds that she would recognize the person in the video? She watched the video back and forth several times, absolutely sure that it was Zhu Mingjing. In the video, she had just returned to the Zhu family and was still wearing the somewhat ugly short bob wig with bangs. Even if Zhu Mingjing turned to ashes, Zhu Xiangxiang would still recognize her.


    If Mr. Shen Zhou found out and adopted her as a goddaughter, Zhu Mingjing would have even more status over her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s first thought was that she absolutely couldn¡¯t let Shen Zhou know, and she certainly couldn¡¯t let Zhou Ling know either, lest she inform Shen Zhou to curry favor with him.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mind shed with a daring idea.


    What if she were the one who saved Elder Theodore Shelby?


    Nobody knew it was Zhu Mingjing, and even Zhu Mingjing herself might have forgotten it.


    Once she became Shen Zhou¡¯s goddaughter, being the real daughter of the Zhu family would mean nothing to her. By then, Zhu Mingjing would never be able to act arrogantly in front of her again..

 Chapter 115 - 115: 069 Imitation (First Update)_5

    Chapter 115: 069 Imitation (First Update)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    At this thought, she was thrilled, her whole body boiling with excitement.


    She must carefully n this to ensure its sess.


    At breakfast, Ming Chen blinked her innocent big eyes, ¡°Xiangxiang sister, is there something dirty on Second Sister¡¯s face? Why do you keep staring at her?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened, and she said insincerely, ¡°You must be mistaken.¡±


    Ming Ti nced at Zhu Xiangxiang and sneered.


    Ming Jing never spoke during meals, so she ignored the quarrels among them.


    Back in her room, Ming Chen said to Ming Ti, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Sister Xiangxiang is acting weird? She¡¯s always¡­¡±


    Ming Chen frowned, unable to find the right words to describe it. ¡°She¡¯s imitating Second Sister, just like us.¡±


    Ming Ti rolled her eyes, ¡°We are learning from Second Sister¡¯s mindset, wisdom, and social skills. That woman is imitating Second Sister, very pretentious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Ming Ti snorted, ¡°What¡¯s her ulterior motive? I have a feeling she¡¯s up to no good.¡±


    Ming Chen nervously said, ¡°Will Second Sister be in danger?¡±


    Ming Ti squinted her eyes, ¡°Since Second Sister returned to the Zhu family, she hasn¡¯t caused much trouble. She¡¯s very smart; no one can mess with her. Just wait and see.¡±


    Second Sister has a Buddha-like nature, but in reality, she understands everything.


    Ming Ti didn¡¯t gild the lily.


    In the morning, Ming Jing went to sign up for thepetition ss, and in the afternoon, she did her summer homework at home.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti were having ss in their room, while Ming Yi apanied Granny Zhu.


    The whole vi was immersed in a joyful and peaceful atmosphere.


    Zhu Xiangxiang carried her bag out the door, ncing back at the vi and sneering.


    She would make them regret it.


    Shenzhou Group¡¯s headquarters was located in Jiangzhou New District, covering an area of over one hundred acres. Unlike other skyscrapers, the Shenzhou Group building was shaped like a rocket, exuding modern and futuristic vibes. It had be a newndmark in Jiangzhou, attracting countless inte celebrities to check in.


    Nearby, there were shopping streets, food streets, and arge shopping mall, all owned and operated by the Shenzhou Group, specifically built to provide convenient living conditions for its employees.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had been waiting at the entrance for a long time before she finally saw a man in a suite out.


    She checked the photo on her phone.


    Shen Ke, Shen Zhou¡¯s assistant. Yes, it was him.


    Shen Ke entered a coffee shop at the entrance, ordered atte, and sat down by the window. Many women around looked at him, wanting to chat him up but not having the courage.


    Thepany was swamped with work, and he had to rush back as soon as he came out for a breather. The reception had already started calling him just as he sat down.


    Shen Ke picked up his coffee and turned to leave, only to bump into a young girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Shen Ke hurriedly said.


    The girl took a step back. Dressed in a white dress, she had a bit of coffee on her chest, and with her head drooping, she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Her voice was cold and clear like jade beads falling onto a te.


    Shen Ke raised an eyebrow, feeling that the voice was somewhat familiar. He carefully examined the girl.


    The girl had short hair that reached her ears, and was wearing a white dress, her face hidden with a drooping head. She appeared graceful and elegant, without even ncing at him as she walked to the cashier.


    Shen Ke looked back at her, noticing her long and stylish skirt.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯d like an Americano and a carameltte,¡± she said.


    The more Shen Ke listened, the more familiar the voice became.


    After getting her coffee, the girl left without even ncing at him.


    Shen Ke slowly walked out.


    The girl sat down at an outdoor table outside the coffee shop, and soon after, a young woman in a professional attire ran over.


    ¡°Junior, I¡¯m sorry I kept you waiting,¡± she said.


    The girl smiled, ¡°Senior, I¡¯m the one who should apologize for troubling you. Here¡¯s your favorite carameltte..¡±

 Chapter 116 - 116: 070 Real or Fake (Second Update)

    Chapter 116: 070 Real or Fake (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to remember me, Junior.¡± Zhu Qianqianughed.


    ¡°But you were a legendary figure in our school back then. It was an honor to even exchange a word with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary person. You could¡¯ve just sent me an email for the information you needed, rather than making a trip in this hot weather.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do to thank you for your help, Senior. I picked out this small gift, I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang pushed a bag towards her.


    Zhu Qianqian immediately refused when she saw the logo on the bag: ¡°No, this is too extravagant, I can¡¯t ept it.¡±


    ¡°Senior, I¡¯ve always wanted to thank you properly. Do you remember when I got a high fever and fainted during gym ss in elementary school? You were the one who took me to the hospital. From then on, you became my hero, and I decided to apply for medical school because of you.¡±


    Zhu Qianqian was surprised: ¡°I don¡¯t remember that!¡±


    ¡°You must have forgotten since you¡¯ve helped so many people.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang took a sip of her coffee and continued, ¡°In recent years, I¡¯ve been studying traditional Chinese medicine on my own, and I¡¯ve been debating whether to study Chinese or Western medicine in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! You¡¯re just a freshman in high school, and you¡¯re already thinking about college? Junior, you¡¯re even more determined than I was back then. ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled faintly: ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m passionate about it.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Zhu Qianqian¡¯s face and furrowed her brow slightly. Qianqian touched her own face: ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Senior, have you been experiencing acid reflux and stomach difort


    tely?¡±


    Zhu Qianqian was surprised: ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said: ¡°Give me your hand, and I¡¯ll take your pulse.¡±


    Zhu Qianqian obediently handed her hand over.


    Zhu Xiangxiang ced her hand gently on Zhu Qianqian¡¯s pulse and closed her eyes, giving off an air of a worldly expert.


    Zhu Xiangxiang opened her eyes and sighed.


    Zhu Qianqian¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she anxiously asked: ¡°I¡¯m not going to fall seriously ill, am I?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head with a smile: ¡°No, it¡¯s just spleen and kidney yang deficiency caused by an improper diet, as well as stagnant qi and blood congestion. If you take good care of yourself, you¡¯ll be fine. Let me teach you a massage technique¡­¡±


    Zhu Qianqian followed her instructions and massaged the acupoints on her hand. The acid reflux really did lessen significantly, and she couldn¡¯t help but praise: ¡®You¡¯re really good at this, I can tell you¡¯ve learned a lot about traditional Chinese medicine.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang exined: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s because my grandma is not well, so I¡¯ve been taking care of her and learning from experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really filial.¡±


    A trace of sadness shed in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes, ¡°¡±Being filial hasn¡¯t helped much¡­ ¡±


    Zhu Qianqian suddenly remembered the recent scandal surrounding the true heiress of the Zhus and reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with your talents, you¡¯ll definitely be very sessful no matter where you go. They will eventually beg you toe back.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang forced a smile: ¡°Thank you, Senior. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll send you the prescription on WeChatter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, since you¡¯re here, let me give you the information you wanted. These are my study notes from when I attended an advanced math ss in high school. I¡¯ve organized them a little, I hope they¡¯ll be helpful to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Senior. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal sometime. And please, do ept the gift, or else I¡¯ll feel guilty.¡±


    Zhu Qianqian epted it, considering her enthusiasm, and thought she¡¯d find a way to make it up to herter.


    ¡°Senior, I have to go for registration this afternoon, so I¡¯ll leave now. I¡¯ll be in touch. ¡±


    Zhu Qianqian watched Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s departing figure in a daze until a shadow fell across her and she looked up, startled enough to nearly fall out of her chair.


    She immediately stood up respectfully: ¡°Shen¡­ Secretary Shen.¡±


    Shen Ke nced at the girl¡¯s retreating figure and asked, ¡®Who¡¯s she?¡±


    Zhu Qianqian was a bit confused but still honestly replied under Shen Ke¡¯s imposing gaze: ¡°She¡¯s my junior, Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang?¡± Shen Ke frowned.


    As an ordinary employee in Shenzhou Group¡¯s administration department, Zhu Qianqian had only been able to admire someone like Secretary Shen from afar, not even having the opportunity to talk to him. Even her immediate boss probably wasn¡¯t qualified to chat with Shen Ke. Now, he was actually speaking with her, even though he was asking about someone else, Zhu Qianqian still felt extremely ttered.


    Could it be that Shen Ke had taken an interest in Zhu Xiangxiang?


    Given Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s background as a rich and elegant young woman from a prestigious family, and her status as the top socialite in Jiangzhou, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Shen Ke was attracted to her..

 Chapter 117 - 117: 070 Real or Fake (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 117: 070 Real or Fake (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Qianqian suddenly realized that this was a good opportunity to get closer to Secretary Shen, and perhaps a promotion and raise were just around the corner.


    ¡°She should be quite famous, right? As soon as I mentioned Secretary Shen, he knew about it. He must have heard of the recent uproar in Jiangzhou about the true and false heiresses of the Zhus, right?¡±


    Shen Ke nodded: ¡°So she¡¯s the fake heiress of the Zhu family?¡±


    It seemed that everyone could guess the identity of the true and false heiresses right away since they all believed that the fake heiress was groomed by a wealthy family for many years, and she must have a remarkable presence and temperament, while the true heiress was thought to have been lost in the countryside and wouldn¡¯t be outstanding.


    Zhu Qianqian nodded: ¡°Yes, but Xiangxiang is very outstanding. She studied traditional Chinese medicine specifically to honor her grandmother. Just by looking at me, she knew that I had stomach problems and even taught me massage techniques. She came to me today to get some notes on a mathematicspetition. Such an excellent girl is hard to find. It¡¯s a pity that her family doesn¡¯t appreciate her.¡± Shen Ke pondered with a furrowed brow.


    Could it be this girl?


    Shen Ke hurriedly left.


    Zhu Qianqian was a bit puzzled. What did Secretary Shen mean by that?


    ¡°Ding¡± A WeChat message came in on her phone. Zhu Qianqian checked it, and it was a voice message from Zhu Xiangxiang.


    ¡ªSenior sister, I will sort out the prescription for youter. If you are too busy at work to make the medicine, you can ask the hospital to do it for you. They can make it for half a month at a time, which is very convenient.


    Zhu Qianqian appreciated her junior sister¡¯s thoughtfulness. She felt that mentioning Shen Ke to Xiangxiang wasn¡¯t a bad thing, and maybe she could even do her a favor. So, she sent her a WeChat message.


    ¡ªXiangxiang, after you left just now, the president¡¯s special assistant at ourpany specifically asked me about you. I suspect he might be interested in you. He is famous in ourpany for being an icy-faced killer. Many beautiful womene and go, but he doesn¡¯t give them a second nce. Since he asked about you personally, there must be something going on.


    Zhu Xiangxiang held her phone, feeling a surge of emotion in her heart.


    She seeded; she had seeded.


    It was too hot, and wearing a wig was really ufortable, so she took it off.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hooked her lips in a triumphant smile, ¡°The first step of the n was a sess. Now, let¡¯s move on to the next step.¡±


    Shen Ke returned to his office and made an internal call. Soon, his secretary, Xiaolin, came in.


    Shen Ke instructed: ¡°Help me find some information on the false heiress of the Zhus.¡±


    Xiaolin hesitated for a moment and then quickly left.


    Shen Ke was aware of the Zhus as their stocks had plummeted due to the Spring Academy property issues, and recently Zhu Wentao was preparing to deal with bonds, targeting Shenzhou Group¡¯s ¡°The Oasis Program¡±. Unfortunately, the Zhu Group had crossed them off their list from the beginning and never considered them again.


    If the false heiress was really the one who saved Elder Theodore Shelby, then the Zhu Group would definitely take advantage of the situation. It would be Detter to Keep tms matter a secret ror now.


    Xiaolin looked up information on the true and false heiresses of the Zhu family, but she only found some gossip from websites. Since Lin Qing had done some work ahead of time, these media outlets didn¡¯t dare to write anything indiscriminately. After the banquet incidentst time, there was an uproar online, but Lin Qing quickly paid to settle it the next day. The gossip waspletely wiped off the Inte, and there wasn¡¯t even a trace of the two girls¡¯ photos online.


    However, there were ways to investigate if one wanted to. They could hire private detectives.


    Zhu Xiangxiang came out of the bank and sent a message to her WeChat contact, David Detective Agency.


    ¡ªThe deposit has been transferred. Don¡¯t disappoint me. The other party quickly replied: ¡ªDon¡¯t worry, Ms. Zhu.


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled in satisfaction.


    When Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s information was ced in front of Shen Ke, he was increasingly convinced that she was the person he had been desperately searching for.


    He went through the information several times to make sure there were no ws before calling Shen Zhou.


    Shen Zhouughed for the first time in days upon hearing that they had found his savior.


    ¡°Bring her home quickly. The old man keeps talking about her, and it¡¯s driving me crazy.¡±


    Shen Ke asked: ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about her identity?¡±


    Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with her identity?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard about the matter of the true and false heiresses of the Zhu family?¡±


    Shen Zhou thought for a moment: ¡°I¡¯ve heard a bit about it. Could it be that she is¡­?¡±Shen Zhou¡¯s first reaction was that it might be Zhu Xiangxiang, the fake heiress of the Zhu family. After all, this fake heiress was said to be the number one socialite in Jiangzhou, which should be quite in line with the girl in his heart.


    ¡°The fake heiress of the Zhu family, Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    Shen Zhou gave an ¡°Oh¡± and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Zhu Wentao, who has no abilities, raised a pretty good daughter.¡±


    ¡°After the real heiress returns, her days in the Zhu family probably won¡¯t be easy. ¡±


    Shen Zhou smiled: ¡°When fake turns real, the real bes fake. Zhu Wentao has no vision. The daughter he doesn¡¯t want, I¡¯ll take.¡±


    Shen Ke thought for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep this a secret for now. Zhu Wentao is a bottomless person. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he used this to threaten


    Ms. Zhu again.¡±


    ¡°Find an opportunity to tell her about this. If she¡¯s willing toe, she cane. If she doesn¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force her. I can meet her three requirements, and I¡¯ll respect whatever choices she makes.¡±


    Shen Ke suggested, ¡°Next week is Granny Gao¡¯s birthday, and the Zhus should be invited. Ms. Zhu will be there too. Do you want to ask her yourself what she thinks at that time?¡±


    After all, it was a major life decision, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to simply ry the message.


    Shen Zhou nodded. ¡°Alright, who makes me listen to the Old Man nagging about having a daughter all day? I¡¯ll just go and take the trouble for them.¡±


    Shen Keughed. ¡°You¡¯ve declined Mr. Gao¡¯s invitation several times. He could never imagine why you agreed this time.¡±


    ¡°Let the old man guess.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt happy, so Ming Yi seemed more pleasing to her eyes than hpfnrp


    Seeing no one around, Zhu Xiangxiang pulled Ming Yi into a corner and whispered, ¡°Yi Yi, sister has a question for you. If you answer your sister honestly, your sister will take you to the amusement park, alright? But you have to promise not to tell anyone else.¡±


    Ming Yi had already learned from the TV that the amusement park was a very fun ce, so she obediently nodded, ¡°Ask me, sis.¡±


    ¡°Did your second sister learn her medical skills from your master?¡±


    Ming Yi nodded, ¡°Yes, master said that among all her disciples, my second sister has the greatest wisdom and has perfectly inherited her mantles in both Buddhism and medicine.¡±


    ¡°What kind of medical skills does your second sister usually practice?¡± Ming Yi counted on her fingers, ¡°This is the second question, right?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangined in her heart about the shrewd girl. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal.¡±


    ¡°Second sister likes to read the Lotus Sutra most.¡±


    What on earth was that? Zhu Xiangxiang frowned.


    ¡°Xiao Wu.¡± Ming Ti came downstairs and nced at Zhu Xiangxiang. Ming Yi ran to Ming Ti¡¯s side, and Ming Ti held her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t run around.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Xiangxiang, I¡¯m sorry if Xiao Wu caused you any trouble.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang smiled, ¡°No, Yi Yi is very cute.¡±


    ¡°Your second sister is looking for you. Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡±


    Ming Ti led Ming Yi upstairs, and Ming Yi whispered, ¡°Fourth Sister, the sister just now kept asking me about my second sister. She said she would take me to the amusement park but told me not to tell anyone.¡±


    Apparently whispering, but in fact, every word fell into Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s ears.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned green with anger. This stinky girl sold her out immediately after she turned her head, just like a cunning monkey.


    ¡°Really? Maybe she likes Second Sister too much. Has Xiao Wu heard the story of the cloned sheep?¡±


    Ming Yi asked naively and curiously, ¡°I love stories about littlembs the most,


    Fourth Sister, tell me.¡±


    ¡°They say that once upon a time, there was a cloned sheep named Dolly. She died when she was only six years old¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah? Wasn¡¯t that very pitiful?¡±


    The voices of the sisters grew farther and farther away, and Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help but catch the innuendo in Ming Ti¡¯s story.


    You all just wait and see..

 Chapter 118 - 118: 071 Success or Failure (Part 1)

    Chapter 118: 071 Sess or Failure (Part 1)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Granny Gao was celebrating her seventieth birthday this weekend, and the Zhus were invited.


    Lin Qing had been feeling unwelltely, but it would be impolite not to attend Granny Gao¡¯s birthday feast. So, she had designers make custom dresses for Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang early on.


    ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t go to the birthday feast; let Ming Jing go instead.¡±


    Lin Qing frowned and nced at Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Why? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid of what happened at the wee banquetst time¡­¡±


    Lin Qing waved her hand: ¡°That¡¯s already in the past. Don¡¯t mention it again.


    Just get ready.¡±


    She left without listening to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s exnation.


    If they only brought Ming Jing without Zhu Xiangxiang, who knows what kind of nasty rumors those gossipmongers woulde up with.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Lin Qing¡¯s retreating figure and subtly curled her lips upward.


    As soon as she returned to her room, Zhou Ling called: ¡°Did you find the person I asked you to look for?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang found afortable position on the sofa and replied, ¡°I did.¡±


    The other party was startled; their voice noticeably rose: ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Promise me one thing, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    The other partyughed: ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, you¡¯re not going to tell me it¡¯s you, are you?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s breath caught, but she quicklyughed: ¡°If it¡¯s me, what would you do?¡±


    A chuckle came from the phone, apanied by a hint of mockery, ¡°If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me down with you.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve never seen this girl, how can you be sure she¡¯s fake?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, that¡¯s Shen Zhou, not one of those sixteen-year-old kids in your ss. He¡¯s a business tycoon who¡¯s been around for years. Do you think you can fool him with such a trick?¡±


    ¡°Have you considered the consequences if the truth is exposed?¡± ¡°Have you considered what will happen if it seeds?¡±


    The other side fell silent: ¡°No, it¡¯s too risky.¡±


    ¡°Fortune favors the bold.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Ling suddenly asked, ¡°The person you¡¯re talking about is Zhu Mingjing, right?¡±


    She had suspected it all along but hadn¡¯t been able to confirm it. Now, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s reaction gave her the answer.


    People who hadn¡¯t seen Ming Jing could easily be misled, but those who had would never mistake her in the video.


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed, ¡°If Zhu Mingjing bes Shen Zhou¡¯s goddaughter, do you think she¡¯ll let you destroy her family? By that time, you probably won¡¯t even be able to stay in Jiangzhou. My suggestion is that you consider it carefully, as it will bring nothing but benefits.¡±


    ¡°I underestimated you before.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment; it¡¯s not toote to get to know me now.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do to help you?


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed, ¡°Keep an eye out for whether Shen Zhou will attend Granny Gao¡¯s birthday banquet.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t go,¡± Zhou Ling said decisively.


    Zhu Xiangxiang asked instinctively, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Shen Zhou never attends such boring banquets. If it¡¯s a business partner or something simr, his assistant Shen Ke usually attends on his behalf. He doesn¡¯t have any connections with the Gaos, so he shouldn¡¯t go.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang let out a sigh of relief, as this wouldn¡¯t disrupt her n for the time being.


    The Gaos had initially made their fortune in catering and hotels. Being an old and wealthy family in Jiangzhou, Granny Gao had three sons and one daughter. Her eldest son, Gao Yang, is the current head of the Gao Group with one daughter, Gao Jia. Her second son, Gao Xu, holds a significant position in the Group and manages its catering businesses. He has a son named Charles Gao. The third son, Gao Ming, settled abroad after studying overseas and never returned. Granny Gao¡¯s daughter, Gao Chen, married into a wealthy family in


    Jingclu and was said to be living a good lite.


    The guests invited tonight were mostly the same as those who attended the Zhu family¡¯s wee banquetst time¡ªold familiar faces.


    As Lin Qing entered with Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang, she skillfully greeted the guests.


    As the host, Gao Jia was in charge of weing these socialites tonight.


    Upon seeing Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang, she greeted them with a smile, graceful and eloquent.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s presence tonight is so radiant that it outshines everyone else here.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t mere ttery; the Zhu family wasn¡¯t worthy of such praise.


    That evening, Ming Jing wore a ck, off-shoulder waist-cinching gown with a slit at the side, revealing the white gauze underneath. The cold color would usually make a young person appear dull and rigid, but Ming Jing wore it perfectly. The off-shoulder design was sexy with a hint of yfulness, and the white gauze peeked through as she walked, giving her an ethereal, fairylike aura..

 Chapter 119 - 119: 071 Success and Failure (First Update)_2

    Chapter 119: 071 Sess and Failure (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Walking slowly under the lights, she truly resembled calm brows like clear autumn water, her skin like jade kissed by the gentle breeze.


    No matter how expensive and high-end the dress Zhu Xiangxiang wore was, no matter how delicately and vibrantly she applied her makeup, in the face of such stunning beauty that was like a gift from the heavens, she appeared dim and dull inparison.


    Many young men¡¯s gazes trailed the monochrome movement, their hearts and eyes unable to amodate anything else.


    The girl carried a warm and dignified aura, giving off a sense of holiness that one can only admire from afar but not disrespect. It was as if any thought of disrespecting her in one¡¯s heart was a desecration. Consequently, they naturally overlooked the exquisite beauty of her facial features.


    The girl lowered her eyes and smiled, that smile seemed like the breaking of winter snow, heralding the arrival of spring blossoms.


    Gao Jia held Ming Jing¡¯s hand. ¡°Let me introduce you to a few friends. Everyone wants to meet you.¡±


    Shepletely ignored Zhu Xiangxiang from beginning to end, treating her as if she were air.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned slightly awkward. She stood there, all alone, appearing pitiful.


    At that moment, a boy appeared in front of Zhu Xiangxiang. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. Those people are just a bunch of snobs who only respect the strong and trample over the weak. They will regret it sooner orter.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang raised her head, looking surprised. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    Sun Yiughed. ¡°Are you surprised to see me? My aunt is Gao Jia¡¯s mother. Technically, she and I are cousins.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed bitterly. ¡°Why do you want to help me? I¡¯m someone who is despised by everybody.¡±


    Sun Yi frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that you were taken in by mistake. Only incapable people vent their anger on you.¡±


    ¡°But everyone is saying that I drugged Ming Jing at the wee party. I¡¯m a person with a malicious heart.¡±


    ¡°Clear waters run deep. Anyway, I believe that you¡¯re not that kind of person.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang raised her eyes incredulously, the bottom of her eyes shimmering with tears. Coupled with her face that seemed on the verge of bursting into tears, it was indeed a sight that instilled pity in others.


    ¡°Do you really believe me?¡±


    Sun Yi patted his chest, assuring. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang broke into a smile, tears streaming. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Ms. Zhu ranked first in the final exam again. Could you tell us your secret to maintaining excellent academic performance?¡± The one who asked was a girl named Li Qingyao, the heiress of the Lis Electronics.


    Everyone else seemed ready to listen attentively.


    This Li Qingyao was one of the few academic stars among the second-generation rich. She had just finished her college entrance exam and was waiting for the results. She hadn¡¯t hung out much with Li Jiaojiao and the other socialites, so when she asked this question, she genuinely wanted to know rather than making insinuations.


    Ming Jing thought for a moment and said, ¡°Everyone has one-on-one tutoring from distinguished teachers. It would be presumptuous of me to share my little experience. ¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, you¡¯re too modest. I heard that you never attended school before. To achieve such results, it¡¯s already more than genius. You¡¯re really different from us ordinary people.¡± Li Qingyao seemed to think of her own college entrance examination results and frowned deeply.


    ¡°Enough, stop talking about exams or grades, they give me a headache.¡± Li Jiaojiao said impatiently.


    For a poor student, this was a severe humiliation.


    Granny Gao¡¯s health was not very good. After most of the people had arrived, her daughter Gao Chen pushed her out on a wheelchair.


    There was a young girl standing by Gao Chen. She was dressed in a goose-yellow dress, looking fresh and beautiful, quite eye-catching. Li Jiaojiao nudged Gao Jia. ¡°Who is the girl in the yellow dress?¡± Gao Jia¡¯s brows slightly furrowed. ¡°My aunt¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao nodded. ¡°She¡¯s just like us ¡ª a debutante from Jingdu.¡±


    The girl noticed them, smiling as she approached, warmly linking arms with Gao Jia. ¡°Cousin, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me?¡±


    Gao Jia calmly removed her hand, putting on a fake smile. ¡°This is my cousin,


    Bai Weining.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao assessed her. Up close, this girl had very fair skin, as if a slight blow could break it. She had big double eyelid eyes and a very ssic and beautiful face. Li Jiaojiao suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you a little star?¡±


    Bai Weining suddenly leaned closer to her, blinked her big eyes, and said joyfully, ¡°Sister, do you recognize me? It seems like I¡¯m a little famous.¡± This flirtatious tone gave Li Jiaojiao goosebumps.


    Li Jiaojiao said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your picture on gossip news. So, you really are a star.¡±


    At that moment, Sun Qingqing added, ¡°You¡¯re Bai Weining from the girl idol group Super star?¡±

 Chapter 120 - 120: 071 Success and Failure (First Update)_3

    Chapter 120: 071 Sess and Failure (First Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Weining said with a grin, ¡°So another sister knows who I am!¡±


    Sun Qingqing instantly became interested, ¡°It really is you! I followed your debut show from start to finish and I really liked you. I thought you looked familiar just now, I didn¡¯t expect it to be you. So you¡¯re sister Gao¡¯s cousin.¡±


    What a small world.


    Bai Weining said happily: ¡°Sister shouldn¡¯t stop pick me either.¡±


    Sun Qingqingughed: ¡°Of course, I am your Lemon fan. By the way, your group and Qu Feitai belong to the samepany, so will your group be the guest at his concert? That¡¯s what the rumor online says. You must know the inside scoop.¡±


    Bai Weiningughed: ¡°Sister, won¡¯t you know when you pay attention to brother Qu¡¯s concert then? If I tell you now, there will be no surprise.¡±


    Brother Qu? Sun Qingqing¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Looking at the innocent and pure face of the girl in front of her, there seemed to be nothing wrong.


    Belonging to the samepany as Qu Feitai, they must have had many opportunities to meet privately. Maybe they were really called that in private.


    Li Jiaojiao rolled her eyes: ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being killed by Qu Feitai¡¯s fans? Like me.¡±


    Bai Weining asked, ¡°Sister, are you a fan of brother Qu?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, red at Gao Jia fiercely, and Gao


    Jia shrugged helplessly, meaning she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    ¡°Since there are no men here, who are you pretending to be cute for?¡± Li Jiaojiao usually doesn¡¯t give face to anyone, she would confront if she was ufortable.


    Bai Weining frowned, looking wronged: ¡°But brother Qu told me to call him


    that. ¡±


    ¡°If Qu Feitai told you to go die, why didn¡¯t you do it?¡± Li Jiaojiao choked back.


    Bai Weining pursed her lips, her eyes filling with tears, and looked like she had been bullied by a group of people.


    ¡°How could brother Qu bear to tell me to die?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao really wanted to ssh the wine in her ss on her face.


    Gao Jia coughed, and stood up to make peace: ¡°Weining, there are many fans of Qu Feitai, don¡¯t call him like this in front of outsiders in the future, people will misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°Misunderstand what? That I have a good rtionship with brother Qu? But our rtionship has been good. He often sends me snacks and milk tea, and teaches me to dance¡­¡± she immersed in the expression of happiness.


    Li Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t stand it: ¡°Enough¡­ Bai Weining, I beg you, wake up from your daydream.¡±


    Bai Weining bit her lip, ¡°Sister Lili, do you not like me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not Chinese Yuan, why should I like you?¡±


    Ming Jing sat in a corner, silent and still as if the dispute here had nothing to do with her.


    However, her own brilliance could not be ignored. Seeing her, Bai Weining¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°This sister, you look like a good person, can you help me exin?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao almost coughed up blood from her anger, what did she mean? Was she implying that she was a bad person?


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes lifted lightly, seeing that face, Bai Weining couldn¡¯t help but be stunned, her hand hanging by her side tightened slightly.


    ¡°Miss Bai, the more you speak, the more likely you are to make a mistake.¡±


    Meaning, you talk too much.


    Li Jiaojiao wished she could give Ming Jing a thumbs up, saying you should talk more.


    Bai Weining murmured, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so beautiful. I¡¯ve never seen a girl as beautiful as you.¡±


    Her skill in changing the topic was really impressive.


    Ming Jing gave a faint smile: ¡°Miss Bai, you are innocent and charming, eloquent in speech, I am ashamed inparison.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao could not help butugh, Zhu Mingjing¡¯s ability to subtly ridicule people was amazing.


    Bai Weining seemed not to hear the underlying tone and sat down next to Ming Jing: ¡°Sister, what¡¯s your name? Howe I¡¯ve never seen you before?¡± Ming Jing nced at Li Jiaojiao, and Li Jiaojiao shrugged helplessly.


    Just then, there was amotion at the door, and Gao Xu and Gao Yang escorted a man in.


    For a moment, the whole hall went quiet for a few seconds.


    Ming Jing looked up, saw the man in his thirties, about 1.75 meters tall, dressed casually. It was actually impolite to wear casual clothes in high-ss banquet venues, but his rxed and calm demeanor didn¡¯t make people feel ufortable.


    The man had a square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, a high nose and a wide face, a full forehead, and thick ears. His eyes were steady and gentle, and his gestures had the dignity and calmness of someone who had been in power for a long time.


    Judging from his appearance alone, he was destined for great wealth, with abundantnd and a wealth like a fountain. However, his fortune would experience some ups and downs in hister years, and he would meet a benefactor in his life..

 Chapter 121 - 121: 071 Success and Failure (First Update)_4

    Chapter 121 - 121: 071 Sess and Failure (First Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Following him was a slightly younger man, also disying an air of wealth and nobility, with high-bridged nose and square mouth, clear brows and bright eyes ¨C suggesting that he had the aid of influential people in his life.


    Ming Jing observed them without showing any emotions as murmurs began to rise all around them.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually Mr. Shen Zhou, why wasn¡¯t there any news beforehand?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Shen Zhou woulde, such an honor for the Gao Family.¡± Ming Jing understood, it was Shen Zhou.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face changed as she saw Shen Zhou suddenly appeared.


    Didn¡¯t Zhou Ling say he wouldn¡¯te? What¡¯s going on?


    Sun Yi asked worriedly, ¡°Are you alright? Why do you look so pale?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang touched her hair, cursing silently in her mind, ¡°I suddenly feel a bit unwell, senior, can you help me outside to get some fresh air?¡±


    Sun Yi nced in Shen Zhou¡¯s direction, feeling somewhat regretful, and helped Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned and caught sight of Ming Jing in the corner, her face turning even paler.


    She rubbed her brow and said, ¡°Senior, my sister Ming Jing has a misunderstanding with me, I really want to take the opportunity to exin it to her, but she never believes me, can you help me?¡±


    No man could resist her pitiful appearance, Sun Yi asked, ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°Help me invite Ming Jing to the back garden, but don¡¯t let her know I asked for her, otherwise, she will definitely refuse to see me.¡± Sun Yi believed her without any doubt, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely help you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled palely, ¡°Thank you, senior.¡±


    Gao Yang apanied Shen Zhou as he walked in, ¡°Mr. Shen, your presence in our humble abode truly brings honor to our household.¡±


    Shen Zhou scanned the room and smiled, ¡°It is Granny Gao¡¯s 70th birthday, as a junior, how can I note and visit?¡±


    Gao Yang chuckled, ¡°Mother will be delighted to see you.¡±


    Gao Jia walked up to them, and Gao Yang immediately introduced her, ¡°This is my daughter, Gao Jia.¡±


    Gao Jia respectfully said, ¡°Hello, Uncle Shen.¡±


    Shen Zhou smiled and nodded.


    Charles Gao apanied Gao Xu beside him and whispered, ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you say Mr. Shen wouldn¡¯te tonight?¡±


    Gao Xu lowered his voice, ¡°How would I know? It¡¯s impossible to guess the thoughts of these big shots.¡±


    Charles Gao nced at Shen Ke beside him and narrowed his eyes, asking, ¡°Is


    Mr. Shen looking for someone?¡±


    Shen Ke smiled, ¡°Young Master Gao has a keen eye, I am looking for an old friend.¡±


    Charles Gao thought of the incident that happened on the subway that day and wondered if it was really because of that?


    He looked at the crowd but couldn¡¯t find Ming Jing. She was definitely here tonight; when he greeted the guests at the entrance, they had said hello to each other.


    Following the procedure, Shen Zhou first visited Madam Gao, and once he emerged, he was immediately surrounded by a group of people ¨C which was why Shen Zhou disliked attending banquets.


    Finally rescued by Shen Ke, he took a breath and asked, ¡°Have you found the person yet?¡±


    Shen Ke shook his head, ¡°I heard the Zhu sisters both came tonight, but I didn¡¯t see them in the banquet hall, they might have been held up by something.¡±


    Shen Zhou found the glitz and mour of the ce distasteful, while Charles Gao suggested from the side, ¡°Uncle Shen, let me take you to the back garden for some fresh air.¡±


    Shen Zhou grinned, ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Granny Gao loved tending to flowers and nts, so a special area was set aside at the back of the vi for her to nt flowers, forming a not-so-small back garden.


    The back garden had several gstone paths, with flower beds and fruit trees nted on both sides of the paths. Stepping in felt like entering a maze.


    Ming Jing looked at Sun Yi walking in front and calmly asked, ¡°You said someone fainted here, where are they?¡±


    Sun Yi pointed ahead, ¡°Over there, hurry up, or it¡¯ll be toote.¡±


    Ming Jing stopped and leisurely said, ¡°If someone fainted, you should call 120 (emergency services), why find me? Or rather, why do you know I have medical skills?¡±


    Those pitch-ck eyes seemed to see through everything, making Sun Yi¡¯s scalp tingle. He stammered, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, I heard it from Xiangxiang. It¡¯s a matter of life and death, hurry up and follow me.¡±


    As he subconsciously tried to grab Ming Jing¡¯s arm, she gently waved her hand, causing him to involuntarily retreat a few steps, looking at her in disbelief.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I should be asking you.¡± Ming Jing looked around at the surroundings; the flower beds were quite tall, andbined with the dim light of the night, visibility was low. The cheerfulughter from the brightly lit vi in the distance only served to highlight the silence of the garden.


    ¡°What did Zhu Xiangxiang say to you?¡± Ming Jing asked indifferently.


    A sudden chill ran through Sun Yi¡¯s heart, he pursed his lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about..¡±

 Chapter 122 - 122: 071 Success and Failure (First Update)_5

    Chapter 122 - 122: 071 Sess and Failure (First Update)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°You really are her helpful aplice.¡± Ming Jing smirked: ¡°These days, she has been intentionally and unintentionally imitating me and trying to get information from Xiao Wu. Let me see what she¡¯s really up to.¡±


    Sun Yi, furious with embarrassment, said, ¡°Don¡¯t nder Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    Ming Jingughed: ¡°Then youe with me and see.¡±


    Sun Yi remembered Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words: the womanuralworkssage,¡¯,cene, snake-hearted woman.¡±


    ¡°Although I am patient, I don¡¯t like to waste time on boring people and things.


    Do you want to leave on your own, or should I call someone to take you away?¡±


    Sun Yi gritted his teeth: ¡°You really are as Xiangxiang described, a deep-hearted, venomous woman.¡±


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him and turned to leave.


    Subconsciously, Sun Yi tried to grab her, thinking that he couldn¡¯t let her leave and must wait for Xiangxiang toe over.


    Ming Jing suddenly grabbed his outstretched arm and, with a gentle twist, Sun


    Yi¡¯s face visibly distorted with pain.


    ¡°It hurts¡­ let go!¡±


    This woman looked so thin, but why was she so strong, her fingers seeming like iron hoops?


    ¡°Behave and follow me, and don¡¯t try any tricks.¡± As the words fell, she released him and turned to leave.


    Sun Yi rubbed his arm, feeling it burning hot, pain making him gasp.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up and saw Shen Zhouing to the back garden with Shen Ke and Charles Gao, his gaze anxiously looking deep into the garden.


    She gritted her teeth and braced herself to step forward. No matter what, sess or failure depended on this move.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu?¡± Shen Ke called out to her.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up at Shen Ke, her eyes nk as if she was seeing him for the first time.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Her voice was cold, aloof yet gentle and firm.


    Charles Gao frowned at Zhu Xiangxiang. The person Shen Ke was looking for was her?


    Upon hearing her voice, his difort intensified.


    This was not Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice. This feeling, it was more like¡­


    Shen Zhou scrutinized the young girl in front of him, feeling that something was off.


    Could it really be her? The tone of her voice was simr to those he had heard on his phone, but it was only a resemnce.


    Shen Ke smiled: ¡°Do you still remember saving an old man with a brain hemorrhage on the subway two months ago?


    Charles Gao¡¯s face changed, disbelief flickering in his eyes.


    How could a bigpany¡¯s chief executive like Shen Ke make such a mistake? Was this a joke?


    What he hadn¡¯t expected was what happened next.


    Zhu Xiangxiang seemed lost for a moment, as if recalling something. After a while, she nodded with realization: ¡°Oh, I remember now. It was just a small effort on my part. Why do you ask?¡±


    Charles Gao coughed, incredulous as he stared at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Could someone be so shameless?


    He finally realized why the feeling was so unsettling¡ªZhu Xiangxiang was imitating Ming Jing¡¯s tone. She didn¡¯t usually talk like that at all.


    Given that, she was deliberately trying to rece Ming Jing.


    As the only one aware of the truth, Charles couldn''t stand it any longer and was about to expose her true face, when Shen Ke asked, ¡°Ms. Zhu, do you know who you saved?¡±


    Charles Gao thought Zhu Xiangxiang wouldn¡¯t dare to impersonate Ming Jing without ensuring she was prepared. He wanted to see how she would perform.


    Zhu Xiangxiang furrowed her brow: ¡°No matter who the grandfather is, since I saved him, I won¡¯t delve into his background.¡±


    Shen Ke smiled: ¡°Yes, Ms. Zhu¡¯s integrity is admirable. I am truly impressed.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at them, raised her chin slightly, an air of arrogance about her.


    She was waiting for further questions, but Shen Ke just looked at her, and the atmosphere became awkward.


    With no choice, she had to break the silence: ¡°Are you a family member of the elderly person? Did you find me because the old man¡¯s condition has changed?


    Do you want me to take responsibility?¡±


    Charles Gao¡¯s mouth twitched, thinking that Zhu Xiangxiang was overacting. He looked at Shen Zhou, a man who had built a massive business empire, realizing that she couldn¡¯t fool him. Her little scheme wasughable.


    Besides, she couldn¡¯t possibly learn Ming Jing¡¯s integrity even in eight lifetimes.


    The words she just spoke were something Ming Jing would never say. A trulypassionate person would never assume the worst about others..

 Chapter 123 - 123: 072 Fate (Second Update)

    Chapter 123 - 123: 072 Fate (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    As expected, upon hearing Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words, Shen Zhou slightly furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu misunderstood.¡± Shen Ke exined.


    ¡°We came to thank you for your heroism that day. If it weren¡¯t for you stepping up, our family¡¯s old man might have been in danger.¡±


    ¡°So, you are the family of that old man.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang looked at them.


    ¡°Is the old man okay now? If I have time, I¡¯d like to visit him.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang asked with a worried expression.


    ¡°The old man is in good health and has been discharged from the hospital.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Charles Gao suddenly took out his phone and found a video: ¡°So the girl who saved people in the video was Ms. Zhu.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled: ¡°You tter me. It was just a small deed.¡±


    Charles Gao suddenly frowned: ¡°But I don¡¯t think the person in the video looks anything like Ms. Zhu.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened, and Shen Ke noticed that her hairstyle had changed.


    She had short hair when he saw her at the caf¨¦st time, but now, her hair was long?


    ¡°The girl in the video had short hair, but Ms. Zhu has long hair. Can your hair change length at will?¡± Charles Gao pressed.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s smile stayed on her face as she flipped her hair: ¡°Can¡¯t I wear a wig for my styling needs?¡±


    Charles Gao nodded: ¡°Of course, but¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was hating Charles Gao in her heart. Why was he always against her?


    ¡°But being Ms. Zhu of the Zhus, having a private car to pick you up and drop you off at school, why would you take the subway during rush hour?¡± Charles Gao looked at Zhu Xiangxiang with a smirk, wondering how she would exin this.


    Shen Ke furrowed his brows; he had overlooked this fact.


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth: ¡°I asionally take the subway to and from school to experience the hardships of life.¡±


    Charles Gao almostughed. What a weak excuse.


    Did she think she was the emperor? Going on an undercover tour to experience the people¡¯s suffering?


    Shen Zhou gave Zhu Xiangxiang a deep look: ¡°Ms. Zhu, on the phone that day, you said you would stay with my father until he woke up. Why did you leave when my assistant went to find you?¡± Telephone?


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Shen Zhou looked at Shen Ke and then turned and left.


    Realizing toote, Shen Ke asked seriously: ¡°Ms. Zhu, was that really you who saved people on the subway that day?¡±


    Shen Ke¡¯s stern face was intimidating, especially to Zhu Xiangxiang, a girl who hadn¡¯t even left high school. Her expression changed instantly.


    ¡°Are you¡­ suspecting that I¡¯m pretending? It¡¯s disgraceful to be used like this. It¡¯s ridiculous to get in trouble for doing good deeds.¡± The girl¡¯s face was full of righteous indignation, as if she had been wronged.


    Shen Ke shook his head. He had been muddleheaded. This whole matter felt strange, and he should investigate it more thoroughly.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, we¡¯ll meet again.¡± With that, Shen Ke hurriedly left to catch up with


    Shen Zhou.


    ¡°Stop acting. All the audience is gone. Who are you performing for?¡± Charles Gao crossed his arms and looked down at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang red at him: ¡°Why are you always against me?¡±


    Charles Gao sneered: ¡°Because some people are just too shameless.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at him suspiciously. Did he know something?


    Charles Gao pointed at her and said: ¡°People do things, and God watches. Do you think everyone is a fool?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned: ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Charles Gao rolled his eyes: ¡°I truly underestimated the thickness of your skin.¡±


    With that, he hurried away. He was busy tonight and had no time to tangle with her. Once tonight¡¯s banquet was over, he would settle ounts with her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart raced. Why were things not going as she had expected, and instead, none of them believed her?


    Did she say something wrong?


    Shen Zhou and Shen Ke hadn¡¯t seen Zhu Mingjing, so they certainly wouldn¡¯t know, but what about Charles Gao? He knew Zhu Mingjing well. If he recognized her and told Shen Zhou¡­


    She would be in trouble.


    Zhu Xiangxiang immediately chased after Charles Gao.


    Ming Jing stepped out of the darkness, shaking his head with a smile.


    So this was what Zhu Xiangxiang had been up to these days behind everyone¡¯s back.


    How could someone be this foolish?


    ¡°So that¡¯s the backstory between Xiangxiang and Shen Zhou.¡± Sun Yi sighed. Ming Jing nced at him: ¡°You and Zhu Xiangxiang are quite a match.¡±


    Sun Yi smiled, already thinking they were a great match.


    ¡°One is blind, and the other is foolish.¡±


    With that, Ming Jing left, ignoring the ugly look on Sun Yi¡¯s face..

 Chapter 124 - 124: 072 Fate (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 124 - 124: 072 Fate (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing walked into the banquet hall, Shen Zhou and Shen Ke had already left.


    Bai Weining happily ran over: ¡°Sister Zhu, where have you been? I¡¯ve been looking for you for a while and couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    She had already learned about Ming Jing¡¯s identity from Gao Jia.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows and smiled: ¡°I went to the back garden to get some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°My cousin and the others want to y a drinking game. Sister Zhu, do you want to join them?¡±


    Thesedies, when they get together, love to y some strange and peculiar games.


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°I won¡¯t y.¡±


    Bai Weining giggled: ¡°I don¡¯t like ying either. Sister Zhu, I¡¯ll just stay with you.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t bother her, found a corner seat, and watched Lin Qing dance gracefully among the circle ofdies.


    Bai Weining took a te of snacks and handed it to Ming Jing: ¡°Sister Zhu, do you want to eat?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    Bai Weining sat next to her, took a bite of the snack in her hand, and took out her phone for a video call from her teammates.


    Bai Weining connected the call, pointing the camera at her face: ¡°Hello Annie.¡±


    ¡°Ah Ning, where are you? Why is it so noisy in the background?¡± The girl¡¯s Mandarin was a bit rusty.


    ¡°Look.¡± Bai Weining aimed the camera at the entire banquet hall, and thest shot was a glimpse of Ming Jing¡¯s side profile.


    ¡°I¡¯m back in Jiangzhou to attend my grandma¡¯s birthday party. Sorry, I can¡¯t join you guys for dance practice. When I get back, I¡¯ll make up for it. Brother Qu¡¯s concert ising up, and I can¡¯t drag you all down.¡±


    ¡°Wait, who is that beautiful girl who just shed by in the camera? So pretty¡­¡± ¡°You mean Sister Zhu?¡± Bai Weining leaned closer to Ming Jing and captured both of them in the camera.


    There were exmations from the phone, and two more girls gathered around, chattering: ¡°This sister is so beautiful, Ah Ning, where did you kidnap her from?¡±


    ¡°Sister Zhu is very nice, she¡¯s my new friend that I met tonight.¡± Bai Weining looked up at Ming Jing and smiled.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, these are my teammates. They all like you. Can you say hello to them?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the phone, and her stunning appearance instantly made the three girls on the other side of the phone scream exaggeratedly, cradling their hearts.


    ¡°Hello everyone, I am Ming Jing.¡± She spoke in a gentle tone that was almost unbelievable.


    Superstar member Huang Chuchu was doing a live broadcast and was attracted by Annie¡¯s shouting. She came over with her phone, just in time to see a stunning girl looking at the camera in the video call. She couldn¡¯t help but scream loudly,pletely forgetting that she was live streaming.


    The barrage in the live room was updating rapidly at this moment.


    ¡ªWhat level of beauty can make Chuchu and AnnieBABE scream at the same time?


    ¡ªAh ah ah Chuchu, quickly move the camera and let everyone see!


    ¡ªI haven¡¯t seen Ah Ning BABE for a long time, Mom misses you.


    ¡ªDidn¡¯t you hear what Ah Ning just said? She¡¯s attending her grandma¡¯s birthday party in Jiangzhou.


    ¡ªAh ah ah I¡¯m in Jiangzhou! Ah Ning, where can I meet you by ident?


    ¡ªAm I the only one curious about who Ah Ning¡¯s good friend is? I think I heard her name is Ming Jing? Such a gentle voice, you can tell she¡¯s a great beauty just by her voice.


    ¡ªAh Ning¡¯s good friend? As expected, beautiful girls only hang out with beautiful girls.


    This group has always been quite popr, and Huang Chuchu, as the leader and center of the group, has over a million fans watching her live broadcasts. But now their idol has left millions of fans to admire another girl?


    Huang Chuchu¡¯s style is androgynous, and she usually likes to take care of her teammates. Everyone loves to ship her and her teammates as couples, and all three of her teammates are hot CPS (couple pairings). In short, Huang Chuchu is a walking CP machine.


    But she¡¯s usually very reserved and won¡¯t flirt proactively. Now she¡¯s screaming so out of control that everyone is more curious, their hearts itching to know.


    At this moment, a group of people walked past the dance studio. The young boy leading the group was wearing a baseball cap and an all-ck outfit, with only his beautiful but cold eyes showing under the mask.


    Assistant Tian Long heard the racket in the practice room and nced at it subconsciously.


    ¡°These young girls can make quite a fuss. You can hear theirughter from a distance.¡±


    The young boy didn¡¯t even look and went straight away.


    Huang Chuchu¡¯s live broadcast was facing the door, and coincidentally, the group of people walking by the entrance were captured on camera.


    Then the bullet screen in the live room went wild.


    ¡ªDid I just see things? Was that Qu Feitai who just walked by the door?


    ¡ªYou didn¡¯t see wrong, I guarantee with my 2.0 vision, that¡¯s our day-and-night-dreaming Qu Feitai.


    ¡ªIt¡¯s been so long, I never thought I¡¯d catch a glimpse of Qu Feitai in Chuchu¡¯s live broadcast. What kind of karma is this?


    ¡ªAh ah ah, my dear child, Mom loves you! Let¡¯s get the airnes and rockets going!


    ¡ªBrother, please take good care of yourself. See you at the concert!


    In preparation for the concert, Qu Feitai had disappeared for a whole month. During this month, he had stopped allmercial performances, advertisements, and shootings to focus on practicing dancing and singing. He was such a serious person, always striving for the best in everything he did.


    So when he appeared, even if it was just a fleeting glimpse, it was enough to drive his fans crazy.


    The name Qu Feitai itself represents poprity, and as expected, he made it to the trending list. Fans from all corners got wind of it and began promoting his uing concert.


    This concert tour consisted of four stops: June 28th at Yunzhou, July 12th at Binzhou City, July 21st at Nanzhou, and July 29th at Jiangzhou.


    Among the trending search terms, the names Huang Chuchu and Bai Weining would asionally appear, as well as Ming Jing¡¯s name. However, her name was quickly drowned out by Qu Feitai¡¯s fervent fans.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t know her name was being linked to Qu Feitai in such a way. What she was even more unaware of was that, at this moment, the wheel of fate began to turn..

 Chapter 125 - 125: 073 Making Money (Part One)

    Chapter 125 - 125: 073 Making Money (Part One)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I apologize, sir, I rushed the investigation on this matter, and it¡¯s my mistake.¡±


    The ck luxury car was driving through the nighttime traffic, with the neon lights on both sides of the road refracting a dazzling brilliance through the car windows.


    Shen Zhou was browsing the stock market information on his tablet and said without even lifting his head, ¡°Tell me, why did you think she was the person I was looking for?¡±


    Shen Ke said, ¡°Last week, I identally bumped into her at the coffee shop near thepany¡¯s entrance. At first, I thought her voice sounded familiar. She came here to borrow study materials from one of thepany¡¯s employees, who was her senior in school. I inquired about her through her senior, found out she was studying Chinese medicine for her grandmother, and she also resembled the girl in the phone in terms of her clothing and hairstyle. I then asked Lin Qing to investigate, and every detail of the investigation seemed to point to her as the person we were looking for.¡±


    Shen Ke¡¯s face became more and more unpleasant as he spoke.


    Just borrowing study materials, did she need toe all the way to thepany?


    Shen Zhou casually said, ¡°Sometimes when coincidences happen too often, it¡¯s not a coincidence.¡±


    It was deliberate.


    Shen Ke said, ¡°I¡¯ll continue the investigation.¡±


    ¡°No need, let¡¯s put this matter on hold for now. The person who should appear will naturally show up.¡±


    ¡°But what about the old man¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been making a fuss for a long time, let him be.¡±


    Shen Ke couldn¡¯t let go of this anger. He was yed by a little girl, and it would be shameful if word got out.


    But if he really wanted to argue with a little girl, it would make him seem petty.


    As the saying goes, it¡¯s the father¡¯s fault if the child is not well-taught. Let¡¯s put this me on Zhu Wentao¡¯s head.


    Since Zhu Xiangxiang dared to impersonate, she must know who the culprit is. It seemed that this person was right beside her.


    After the evening banquet, Bai Weining was still reluctant to part with Ming Jing.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, I¡¯m going back to Jingdu tomorrow. You muste to visit me when you¡¯re in Jingdu in the future.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao rolled her eyes, ¡°A weasel paying a visit to a chicken, either tomit adultery or theft.¡±


    Without even ncing at the two, she walked away with her head held high.


    At that moment, Lin Qing walked over and saw Ming Jing getting along well with the socialites, feeling quite relieved.


    It was only when they were about to leave that she suddenly remembered, ¡°Where¡¯s Xiangxiang?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m here.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang walked over with a pale face.


    Lin Qing frowned and instinctively reached out to touch her forehead, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang avoided the touch by turning her head, walked forward and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little tired.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s extended hand was left awkwardly hanging in mid-air.


    Gao Jia saw this scene and wanted tough but held it back.


    The otherdies walked out of the banquet hall in groups, exchanging looks when they saw the scene.


    It¡¯s just not the same when they¡¯re not born from your own womb.


    ¡°Is that Mrs. Zhu¡¯s real daughter?¡± asked ady, pointing at the girl in a ck dress standing next to Lin Qing.


    She had missed the Zhus¡¯ reception banquetst time and was seeing Ming Jing for the first time.


    After receiving a positive answer, thedy eximed, ¡®Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be raised in the countryside and unfit for polite society?¡± Someoneughed, ¡°Mrs. Li, you¡¯re out of the loop.¡± Mrs. Li sighed, ¡°Madam Zhu is really fortunate.¡±


    But such fortune is not desirable for everyone.


    Lin Qing felt the gaze of severaldies and wished she could run away immediately.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ming Jing took the initiative to hold Lin Qing¡¯s arm, and Lin Qing looked at Ming Jing in disbelief.


    This was the first time she had actively approached her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say Mrs. Zhu and her real daughter are not close? I think the rumor is wrong, the mother and daughter look quite intimate.¡±


    ¡°After all, she was born after ten months of pregnancy; Mrs. Zhu is not stupid, would she favor a wild child from nowhere and neglect her own daughter?¡±


    Lin Qing heard the faint whispers behind her and felt a surge of turmoil in her heart.


    This simple truth was clear to outsiders, but it took her so long to understand.


    Lin Qing gently patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand, and the girl didn¡¯t resist. Lin Qing felt a sudden joy in her heart.


    On the way back, Zhu Xiangxiang remained silent. She was restless inside, not knowing how her ruse had been exposed.


    She nced at the girl sitting beside her, her slender and elegant neck, her beautiful, aloof face, gentle and exquisite in every way.


    She had everything, so why did she have to take away Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯sst shred of hope?

 Chapter 126 - 126: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_2

    Chapter 126 - 126: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help but reveal a hint of resentment in her eyes, which was inadvertently caught by Lin Qing.


    She was taken aback.


    People are unpredictable, even if it¡¯s a child she raised herself, she can¡¯t understand what she¡¯s really thinking.


    Lin Qing shook her head in disappointment.


    When Ming Jing returned to her room, Xiao Ying had already put Ming Yi to sleep.


    ¡°Miss, Yi Yi was looking for you just a while ago, she just fell asleep.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard at all, Yi Yi is very well-behaved, taking care of her is not tiring at all, you should rest early, Miss.¡± She softly shut the door behind her as she left.


    Zheng Qing jumped in through the window, nced at the little girl on the bed, and lowered her voice, ¡°You¡¯re just a child yourself, why are you taking care of another child who isn¡¯t even rted to you? You could just send her to a regr family, pay them monthly to watch her. It¡¯d be easier and less effort.¡±


    Ming Jing tucked Ming Yi into her nket and said lightly, ¡°I made a promise to Master, to take care of them until they grow up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dealing with one burden, but three, no, four.¡±


    Zheng Qing sat down on the sofa, picked an apple from the fruit bowl and crunched it, ¡°They¡¯re really lucky to have you, a senior sister who is naive and wealthy.¡±


    ¡°By the way, did anything interesting happen at Granny Gao¡¯s banquet tonight?¡±


    The apple crunched loudly as she bit into it.


    ¡°Alright then, you¡¯re like a tumbler toy, never reacting no matter how much one tries to provoke you. It¡¯s exhausting to talk to you. I am leaving, you should get some rest.¡±


    Ming Jing suddenly asked, ¡°Does Bai Weining know?¡±


    Zheng Qing was stunned, ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that one of the members from Superstar? I met her backstage at a fashion ceremonyst year. This girl is too coquettish, I couldn¡¯t stand it.¡± She shivered unintentionally.


    She still remembers the fear of being mockingly called ¡®sister Zheng¡¯ by that little girl.


    ¡°Why do you suddenly ask about her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Granny Gao¡¯s granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Superstar was formed from a talent showst year. At that time, the program group wanted to invite me as a mentor, but since I was busy filming, I refused. The biggest selling point of this group is that they are from the samepany as Qu Feitai¡­ they created waves by marketing this point.¡± Zheng Qing suddenly turned to look at her, ¡°She didn¡¯t bully you, did she?¡± Ming Jing chuckled, ¡°Do I really seem like an easy target in your eyes?¡±


    ¡°No one in the entertainment industry is naive. These people have more tricks than a wasp nest. This Bai Weining appears innocent and cute on camera, but do you know she made fun of me behind my back, calling me old? Even if I¡¯m older, I¡¯m still more attractive and have a higher status than her.¡±


    Zheng Qing was fuming as she recalled.


    ¡°Next time you see her, give her a good lesson for me. This little girl has yet to learn the harsh realities of society.¡±


    Ming Jing asked with a smile, ¡°Is the entertainment industry fun?¡±


    Zheng Qing nodded and then shook her head.


    ¡°The entertainment industry, it seems morous and luxurious to outsiders. Everyone is rushing to make a fortune and gain fame and recognition. However, once you¡¯re in, you¡¯ll realize how messy and dirty it is. When I first entered the industry, a director wanted to take advantage of me. Being straightforward as I was, I beat him up. It relieved my anger and got mepletely cklisted. After two years, the director was jailed for drug abuse, and I got my career back. This time I learned my lesson, anyone who wants to take advantage of me can, but only after signing a contract. If they went back on their word, they¡¯d have topensate for breach of contract. Relying on such unscrupulous audacity, I made my way in the entertainment industry.¡± Recallinq the past, Zhenq Qing was rather reflective, ¡°In the entertainment


    industry, you can¡¯t have a sense of shame. If you do, others will step on you to climb up. In this circle, don¡¯t bother with emotions.¡±


    Ming Jing thought for a moment and said, ¡°You must have made a lot of money since you were able to get the ck card.¡±


    Zheng Qing was energized when this was mentioned, ¡®Well, putting everything else aside, celebrities do make a lot of money. Just by filming a movie, tens of millions are credited into your ount. Pose for few pictures, sign an advertising contract, and again, tens of millions are credited into your ount. Simply live-stream and sell products, and money pours in. Of course, this only applies to top-tier artists like us who have both poprity and acting skills, and we have climbed to the top of the industry with great effort.¡±


    ¡°But, in today¡¯s world, capital reigns supreme. As long as you have capital support, celebrities can be mass-produced like products. If they¡¯re pushed hard enough, they can still manage somehow.¡±


    Zheng Qing looked at Ming Jing, sizing her up, ¡°With your look, you¡¯re basically blessed by God. If you entered the entertainment industry, with my guidance, I guarantee you¡¯d be a superstar..¡±

 Chapter 127 - 127: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_3

    Chapter 127: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    And sighed: ¡°With such a Buddha-like temperament, I knew you wouldn¡¯t agree. Life¡¯s too boring, we need to find something to do.¡±


    Ming Jing said: ¡°Lin Qing is currently looking for investment projects. What do you think about investing in which industry is better?¡±


    Zheng Qing thought for a moment: ¡°The golden age of real estate has passed, and the emerce industry is declining. On the other hand, the entertainment industry has great development prospects, and we¡¯ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.¡±


    ¡°So, as an industry insider, what suggestions do you have for the entertainment industry?¡±


    Zheng Qing sat up straight: ¡°Are you nning to¡­?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes twinkled faintly, and she smiled faintly: ¡°If you¡¯re going to raise a child, you have to make more money.¡±


    Zheng Qingughed and said, ¡°Howe you can say such a materialistic, yet still look so ethereal? Of course, I have a share in raising a child, too. My son¡¯s milk powder money is still up in the air.¡±


    Zheng Qing left through the window: ¡°Wait for my message.¡±


    As Ming Jing was about to go to bed, a call from Charles Gao came in.


    ¡°Sorry, I was busy entertaining guests tonight and didn¡¯t have a chance to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°As the host, it¡¯s your responsibility.¡±


    Listening to the crisp, cold voice of a girl on the phone, Charles Gao¡¯s restless heart gradually calmed down.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to tell you¡­.¡± Charles Gao hesitated for a moment, but it was still necessary to clear the air with her to prevent any misunderstandings caused by ill-intentioned people.


    Ming Jing probably guessed what he was going to say.


    ¡°You saved an old man on the subway before, right? Do you know who that old man is?¡±


    Ming Jing said indifferently: ¡°At the time I saved him, he was just an ordinary old man.¡±


    Charles Gao smiled, knowing that Zhu Xiangxiang would never think like this in her eight lifetimes.


    ¡°He is the father of Mr. Shen Zhou, Elder Theodore Shelby.¡±


    Extremely famous, impressive.


    Ming Jing was expected to be surprised, but the other side remained indifferent, as if the identity of Shen Zhou or Elder Theodore Shelby made no difference to herpared to roadside beggars.


    Charles Gao was shocked by this sudden thought in his mind.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Charles Gao felt a bit frustrated: ¡°You saved Elder Theodore Shelby, and Mr. Shen Zhou has been wanting to find you and thank you properly.¡±


    ¡°I never thought about the reward when I saved the old man. It was just a brief encounter, not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°But Zhu Xiangxiang found out about this somehow and tried to impersonate you. I was amazed at her acting and shamelessness. Luckily, Mr. Shen Zhou is smart and didn¡¯t fall for her trick.¡±


    Ming Jing asked: ¡®You didn¡¯t tell Mr. Shen that it was me, did you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone without your permission.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You should still be careful around Zhu Xiangxiang. I never badmouth people behind their back, but she has crossed a line ¡ª she¡¯s so shameless. I don¡¯t know how many behind -the-scenes things she has done to harm you.¡± Charles Gao¡¯s tone was quite indignant.


    Ming Jing thanked him and hung up the phone.


    She never expected that the old man she saved on the subway was Shen Zhou¡¯s father. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was restless all night, fearing that Charles Gao knew something and would spill it to Shen Zhou.


    With a sudden ¡°ding¡± from her phone, her heart jumped. Seeing the caller was Zhou Ling, she became angry immediately.


    ¡°Liar, you said Shen Zhou wouldn¡¯t go to The Gaos¡¯ banquet, did I see a ghost tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a mind-reader, I can¡¯t control his sudden changes. Why are you so angry? Could it be¡­?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang gasped for breath.


    ¡°Did you mess up your act?¡± Zhou Ling¡¯s tone was somewhat gloating.


    ¡°I warned you before, you shouldn¡¯t try to outsmart Shen Zhou ¨C it¡¯s like dancing with a big knife in front of your own face. You made your bed, now lie in it; I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°Where was this attitude when you needed my help? Two-faced!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh, little sister, you¡¯re so naive. You¡¯d better think about how to remedy the situation.¡±


    She hung up the phone with a ¡°snap.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang angrily threw her phone away.


    After hanging up the phone, Zhou Ling frowned slightly.


    She didn¡¯t expect Zhu Xiangxiang to be so ipetent, knocked out in just one round.


    Luckily, she didn¡¯t intervene, or else she would be tainted by it.


    In this case, since Shen Zhou would find out sooner orter, might as well do him a favor instead?


    Zhou Ling¡¯s eyes shifted, knowing that this was a good opportunity to connect with Shen Ke, she found his contact and dialed the number..

 Chapter 128 - 128: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_4

    Chapter 128: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Just when she was about to hang up, the other side picked up. Zhou Lingughed and said, ¡°Secretary Shen, I¡¯m sorry to bother you sote.¡± Shen Ke nced at the iing call and hung up directly.


    He was busy just now and answered the call without looking at the screen when he heard the ring. When he heard a woman¡¯s coquettish voice and saw the caller disy was an unfamiliar number, he hung up directly and marked it as a harassing call.


    Zhou Ling¡¯s face darkened. Did he just hang up on her?


    She tried calling again but found out she was blocked.


    The next day¡¯s breakfast table was harmonious and happy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s dark circles under her eyes made it seem like she hadn¡¯t slept for three days, and she looked listless.


    ¡°Sister, Mr. Li said he will take Ming Chen and me to the history museum this morning for a field visit to better understand history,¡± Ming Ti said as she took a sip of milk.


    The milk was so delicious. When she was living in the mountains, she never knew there was something as delicious as milk in the world.


    Ming raised her hand: ¡°I want to go too, I want to go too.¡±


    Ming Ti snorted, ¡°We¡¯re going there to study. You think we want you to follow us and cause trouble?¡±


    Ming obediently said, ¡°I won¡¯t cause trouble, I won¡¯t run around, and I¡¯ll be well-behaved.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Let Xiao Ying take Xiao Wu with you guys, Xiao Wu is such a good learner, we can¡¯t dampen her enthusiasm.¡±


    Granny Zhuughed, ¡°Xiao Wu has been eager to learn since she was little. When she grows up, she will be as academically outstanding as your second sister. ¡±


    Lin Qing looked at the four girls sitting across in the morning light. Each of them was stunning. It would be a great blessing to have all four of them as daughters.


    Looking at Zhu Xiangxiang sitting next to her, Lin Qing sighed in her heart.


    After breakfast, Mr. Li came to pick up Ming Ti and Ming Chen, Xiao Ying and Xiao Wu followed behind, and they were picked up by the Zhus¡¯ car.


    Ming Jing packed her bag and went out. Today was the registration day for thepetition ss.


    Zhu Xiangxiang also registered for thepetition ss, but she was just there to make up the numbers.


    When Lin Qing heard that Zhu Xiangxiang wanted to register for thepetition ss, she didn¡¯t feel happy at all, but rather disgusted.


    On the final exam score report, Ming Jing scored full marks in math, but how many points did Zhu Xiangxiang score? Did she even have the face to sign up for thepetition ss?


    Thepetition ss was only interested in making more money, they let anyone join as long as they pay, nobody cares about your actual level.


    For the sake of her child¡¯s self-esteem, she couldn¡¯t point it out directly. She hoped the child would understand and give up.


    Who knew that Zhu Xiangxiang had no self-awareness? She probably didn¡¯t want to be outdone since she saw Ming Jing going to join thepetition ss too.


    Lin Qing was left with a headache. Well, they would just spend a bit more money.


    Thepetition ss was in the neighboring Yi High School. There were fifty students in a ss, and these fifty students came from various schools across the city. Ming Jing walked in and immediately received countless gazes.


    Shengde High School was considered one of the top aristocrat schools in the city, full of rich and powerful students. But other schools were different; they were mostly public high schools. Those who participated in thepetition ss were basically students from well-off families or those supported by their entire families. As a result, Ming Jing attracted everyone¡¯s attention the moment she entered the room.


    The male-to-female ratio in thepetition ss was five-to-one, with less than ten female students.


    Song Yinzhang stood out among the crowd. He smiled and waved, ¡°Ming Jing, over here.¡±


    These students were the cream of the crop. Some of them were exceptionally gifted and intelligent. This group of students could be seen from their trendy clothing, cheerful personalities, and interest in pursuing thetest fashion trends. As soon as Ming Jing walked in, she was instantly recognized by them.


    ¡°She¡¯s the real daughter of the Zhus who just returned. I saw her photo in the news. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so pretty in person,¡± Xie Zhen eximed.


    The girl next to her gave Ming Jing a cold nce and lowered her head.


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s also very good at her studies, surpassing Song and ranking first in the whole grade. Poor Song¡¯s myth has been broken,¡± another female student said.


    The girl frowned, ¡°Song¡¯s myth cannot be broken by anyone.¡±


    Xie Zhen pouted. She and Tang Wan were Song Yinzhang¡¯s ssmates in their third year of junior high, and Tang Wan even used to be Song¡¯s deskmate. At that time, Song Yinzhang was the subject of their ss¡¯s female students¡¯ crushes, but he wasn¡¯t interested in anyone.


    Later, he transferred to Shengde High School, while Xie Zhen and Tang Wan, who came from ordinary wage-earning families, could only attend Yi High School. They never expected to run into Song Yinzhang in thepetition ss.


    ¡°Is Song really close with her? He doesn¡¯t talk to other people, but he voluntarily greeted her,¡± Xie Zhen said enviously..

 Chapter 129 - 129: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_5

    Chapter 129: 073 Making Money (Additional Update)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°She¡¯s Miss Zhu, the daughter of the Zhus. Our family¡¯s new apartment is a property of their family. Usually, kids of nouveau riche families are not talented, but she¡¯s an exception.¡±


    Tang Wan frowned, irritated.


    The second type was students who worked hard and relied on studying. These students were generally in and uninteresting, not paying attention to outside matters and only focusing on their studies. So when Ming Jing entered, they only nced at her once before lowering their heads to work on their questions.


    In the corner, Zhao Heng was sleeping with his head on the table. His deskmate nudged him, ¡°Old Zhao, look, a beautiful girl.¡±


    Zhao Heng¡¯s dream was interrupted. He looked up irritably, saw the girl who just entered, rubbed his eyes and rubbed them again.


    ¡°F*ck¡­ Am I seeing things?¡±


    His deskmate, Ding Hai, teased him, ¡°Told you, a beautiful girl.¡±


    Without much effort, Zhao Heng excitedly sent a message to his uncle.


    The person you¡¯re looking for is right now two meters away from me.


    The other side did not renly. probahly in a meeting-


    Zhao Heng saw the girl sit down at Song Yinzhang¡¯s desk, irritably tousling his hair.


    Ding Hai, who had been asking around, came back and whispered, ¡°I found out.


    Have you heard about the rumor surrounding the true heiress of the Zhus?


    She¡¯s that true heiress they just found.¡±


    Zhao Heng raised an eyebrow in surprise, so she was the heiress of the Zhus.


    Having seen a peony that was a true beauty, who would be attracted by wild chrysanthemums on the roadside? So when Zhu Xiangxiang entered, it didn¡¯t cause much of a stir.


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang, then found a corner seat and sat down quietly.


    The teachers of thepetition sses were all provincial Gold Medal teachers. For example, Mr. Ren Chuan, the leader of the mathematics department in Jiangzhou City, was a Provincial Olympic Maths Gold Medalist and had produced many outstanding students.


    The pace of sses in thepetition ss was quick. You might not be able to keep up if you were slightly inattentive, and the pressure was immense.


    After one ss, Zhu Xiangxiang felt like her head was about to explode. She hadn¡¯t slept well the night before and felt a buzzing in her head.


    ¡°Girl in the pink dress sitting in the back row, stand up and answer this question. ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang, who was called on, stood up with difficulty, feeling embarrassed and her scalp tingling.


    She didn¡¯t understand¡­


    Silence, for a long time.


    Mr. Ren said with a straight face, ¡°Thepetition ss is different from regr math sses. Don¡¯t waste your time here if you don¡¯t have the determination.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt everyone¡¯s mocking eyes on her, her face flushed, wishing she could dig a hole and crawl in.


    Mr. Ren left as soon as the ss ended, but no one left the ssroom because he had given out a test paper, and they could only leave afterpleting it and putting it on the podium.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the test paper, feeling dizzy.


    Ming Jing finished, checked it from the beginning, and then left after handing in the paper.


    Song Yinzhang handed in his paper at the same time, and the two left the ssroom one after the other.


    Tang Wan nced at their backs and bit the pen, still having several difficult questions left.


    Zhao Heng quickly wrote his name on the paper and prepared to hand it in.


    Ding Hai hurriedly stopped him, ¡°You still have two big questions left. Do you know how terrifying Mr. Ren is? He¡¯ll kick you out of thepetition ss.¡± Zhao Heng frowned and sat down, feeling defeated.


    ¡°Not doing it is worse than doing it wrong. Don¡¯t let flirting mess up your mind.


    Finish it first.¡±


    Zhao Heng reluctantly sighed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a nice grilled fish ce nearby. Want to go?¡± Song Yinzhang asked.Ming Jing thought for a moment and said, ¡°Sorry, I need to go to the history museum.¡±


    Song Yinzhang smiled and said, ¡°Great, my mom works at the museum, I¡¯ll go with you, and check out my mom¡¯s work environment while I¡¯m there.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t expect such a coincidence, and since the other party said so, she couldn¡¯t refuse.


    Ming Jing let Zheng Qing take Ming Chen and Ming Ti, while she took a taxi. Song Yinzhang rode a bicycle and patted the back seat, ¡°I hope it won¡¯t be too ufortable for you.¡±


    Ming Jing sat on the backseat of the bicycle, feeling the wind and the sun shining on her face, it was a different kind of experience.


    Yi High School was not far from the museum, about 15 minutes by bicycle.


    The gatekeeper immediately greeted Song Yinzhang with a warm smile, ¡°Xiao Song is back, are you here to see your mom? A group of leaders just came to visit, Mr. Jiao is apanying them. You can wait in Mr. Jiao¡¯s office first, and this


    The old man¡¯s cloudy gaze fell on Ming Jing, wondering how young people these days seemed to be growing up more and more beautiful. ¡°This is my ssmate, we¡¯re together, thank you, Sir, we¡¯ll go in first.¡± Song Yinzhang pushed the bicycle and walked in with Ming Jing.


    From a distance, Ming Jing saw a group of people walking out of the main building. The man in the lead looked very familiar; it was Shen Zhou who she had seenst night. A woman in her forties apanied him, and the group seemed to be getting along well as they walked and talked together.


    Song Yinzhang and Ming Jing stopped at the same time. The woman seemed to sense something and nced in their direction, then turned her head back.


    This woman should be Song Yinzhang¡¯s mother, the director of the museum.


    The group walked towards the left side of the administrative building, and therge group of people came and went quickly.


    Ming Jing called Ming Ti, and as soon as the call connected, Ming Ti said anxiously, ¡°Ming Jing, it¡¯s bad, Xiao Wu is missing.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes darkened, but she remained calm, ¡°Slow down, when did she disappear, and where?¡±


    Hearing Ming Jing¡¯sposure, Ming Ti¡¯s anxiety calmed down a bit, ¡°I was walking ahead with Ming Chen and Mr. Li. Xiao Ying was holding Xiao Wu¡¯s hand behind us. Mr. Li was telling us historical stories, and we were both fascinated. Since Xiao Ying was there, I didn¡¯t pay attention to Xiao Wu.


    Suddenly, Xiao Ying said Xiao Wu was gone, and we couldn¡¯t find her even after looking for a long time. This ce is really too big, Ming Jing, Xiao Wu won¡¯t be in any trouble, will she?¡±


    Ming Jing softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Wu is very smart, she won¡¯t be in trouble. I¡¯m at the entrance of the museum now, you guyse out first.


    Song Yinzhang roughly understood the situation, ¡°Ming Jing, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll call my mom right away and ask her to send more people to look for Xiao Wu. She must be still inside, just running around like a naughty child. But I want to know, how old is she?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Wu is five years old, wearing a pink floral dress and a yellow fisherman¡¯s hat.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s brows furrowed slightly,forting others but feeling anxious in her heart.


    After all, she¡¯s just a five-year-old child.


    Song Yinzhang immediately called his mother, briefly exined the situation, and she quickly called the security room. The entire museum was put on alert, no one was allowed to enter or exit, and all avable staff were sent to search for the little girl while announcements were continuously broadcasted.


    There were other visitors inside the museum at this time, so closing it was not practical.


    Shen Zhou asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Mr. Jiao sighed, ¡°A child got lost in the museum, I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shen, it¡¯s not easy for you toe here¡­¡±


    Shen Zhou waved his hand, ¡°Finding the child is more important, go now, don¡¯t dy.¡±


    Mr. Jiao called his subordinates to apany Shen Zhou and left in a hurry.


    Having a child disappear could be a big or small matter. It would be troublesome if something happened, especially with Mr. Shen here.


    It seemed that the lost child was a sister of Mr. Jiao¡¯s son¡¯s ssmates.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen ran out, saw Ming Jing, and immediately rushed over, hugging Ming Jing and crying.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯ve lost Xiao Wu, hit me, scold me.¡±


    Wiping the tears from her face, Ming Jing softly said, ¡°Xiao Wu will be fine, trust me.¡±


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault for not watching Yi Yi closely,¡± Xiao Ying apologized beside them..

 Chapter 130 - 130: 074 A Thousand Gold (Second Revision)

    Chapter 130: 074 A Thousand Gold (Second Revision)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°On which floor and in which gallery did Xiao Wu go missing?¡± Compared to the crying and weeping of the three, Zhu Mingjing was the mostposed.


    Ming Ti replied: ¡°The Song Dynasty exhibition area on the third floor, C2. Ming Chen and I searched the entire third floor and couldn¡¯t find her. Could she have gone to the second floor?¡±


    At this moment, Jiao Mei walked over, calmly looked at the girl standing with her son and said, ¡°You guys don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to search for her. The museum isn¡¯t that big, and she definitely couldn¡¯t have run far.¡±


    Jiao Mei nced at Song Yinzhang: ¡°Is this your ssmate?¡±


    Song Yinzhang answered, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my ssmate in thepetition ss, Zhu Mingjing.¡±


    Zhu?


    Song Yinzhang had slipped to second ce in thest two exams. She thought her son¡¯s grades had declined, so she called his homeroom teacher to inquire about the situation. It turned out it wasn¡¯t that her son¡¯s grades had declined, but that a transfer student, who appeared to be named Zhu Mingjing, had surpassed him.


    She could only think of one Zhu family in Jiangzhou.


    She had seen Zhu Xiangxiang, so this must be the true daughter of the Zhus that they had just found.


    Jiao Mei looked meaningfully at the extraordinary girl in front of her, who had both exceptional demeanor and appearance.


    Zhu Mingjing said, ¡°You and Ming Chen wait outside for me, I¡¯ll go in and search.¡±


    As she finished speaking, she left the others and entered the search area.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Song Yinzhang caught up quickly.


    Jiao Mei couldn¡¯t help but frown. This kid was only causing more chaos by following along.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen couldn¡¯t help themselves and chased after them.


    At the same time, Mr. Shen finally had some free time and took a nce at his phone when he saw the WeChat message from Zhao Heng.


    Zhao Heng had seen the person?


    He called Zhao Heng directly and asked what was going on.


    Zhao Heng chuckled, ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s a game console I¡¯ve been wanting for a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up, daring to bargain with me.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want to know.¡± He was about to hang up.


    Zhao Heng quickly started exining, ¡°This is the daughter of the Zhus..¡±


    Mr. Shenughed, ¡®Zhu Xiangxiang?¡± Great, after fooling him, she wanted to continue fooling others.


    Zhao Heng hurriedly said, ¡°There are two daughters in the Zhu family, the real daughter and the fake daughter. The one who saved Elder Theodore Shelby was the real daughter of the Zhu family, I saw her today in thepetition ss. I swear on my uncle¡¯s reputation that I absolutely did not recognize the wrong person.¡±


    Mr. Shen was stunned for a moment: ¡°The real daughter of the Zhu family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, her name is Zhu Mingjing, and she just came back to the Zhu family not long ago. No wonder we couldn¡¯t find her before, she¡¯s been very low-key¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t hear whatever Zhao Heng said after that, the only words that lingered in his mind were ¡®real daughter¡¯.


    How foolish he had been, he had been yed by Zhu Xiangxiang. He should have thought of it sooner, the person was right beside Zhu Xiangxiang, who else could it be besides the real daughter?


    Shen Ke felt his cheeks burning, having initially nned to settle ounts with Zhu Wentao, but the situation had reversed itself.


    It was his own daughter again.


    What kind of luck did Zhu Wentao have?


    Shen Zhou flipped through the newspaper, got up and walked out. The people behind him followed immediately, ¡°Mr. Shen.¡±


    Shen Zhou waved his hand: ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk.¡±


    The others could only follow from a distance.


    Shenzhou Group was nning to invest in building a new gallery in the museum. They were here today to inspect the site, and the museum staff naturally treated them as VIPs. This group of people was just like eunuchs around an emperor, only less obsequious.


    When he left the administration building, there was a corridor connected to the side of the main exhibit hall, with green nts on both sides.


    Shen Zhou stood in the corridor, looking towards the main exhibit hall, and asked, ¡°Has the child been found yet?¡±


    Jiao Mei¡¯s person replied, ¡°Not yet, but Mr. Shen, you don¡¯t need to worry, the museum is not that big, and the child couldn¡¯t have run far.¡±


    Shen Zhou frowned, ¡°If a child can¡¯t find their parent, the first reaction is to cry. There are so many people in the museum, it would be easy for someone to notice the child and take them to a staff member. But up until now, there has been no news. There¡¯s only one possibility.¡±


    The other person asked nervously, ¡°Could she have been abducted by human traffickers?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that someone had been watching this child for some time and took her into hiding when she was alone. Look for her in hidden ces, like restrooms, fire stairs, and rooftops.¡±


    Shen Zhou thought for a moment and quickly walked towards the exhibit hall. Jiao Mei saw himing and hurriedly came forward to greet him, ¡°Mr. Shen, why did youe here in person?¡±


    Shen Zhou didn¡¯t answer her. He entered the museum lobby, where there were peopleing and going. When they saw him appear, some recognized him, excitedly pulling out their phones to take pictures..

 Chapter 131 - 131: 074 Miss Thousand Gold (Second Watch) 2

    Chapter 131: 074 Miss Thousand Gold (Second Watch) 2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Zhou¡¯s poprity was no less than that of a high-profile star.


    The entire hall was open from the second to the fifth floor, forming a circr promenade. Shen Zhou looked around the upper floors.


    ¡°It¡¯s really Shen Zhou, why would he appear in a museum?¡± ¡°He himself looks so elegant, much younger than his actual age.. ¡°I heard he¡¯s never been married. If I could marry him, I would wake upughing from my dreams.¡±


    At this time, a public announcement echoed through the spacious hall, announcing a missing child. The crowd began to be somewhat restless, and those with children immediately tightened their grip on their children¡¯s hands.


    At this point, Shen Ke rushed over. Deciding it wasn¡¯t the best timing to converse, he suggested, ¡°Sir, you rest, I¡¯ll arrange for people to look for the child.¡±


    Shen Zhou shook his head, suddenly his eyes fixed on a woman who was walking out with a child in her arms. The child seemed to be asleep, covered in an adult¡¯s coat, and the woman was walking rather quickly, intending to leave through a side exit.


    Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow, Shen Ke quickly caught on and swiftly intercepted her: ¡°Miss, please wait¡­¡±


    The woman, like a cat stepped on its tail, jumped back, ¡°What are you doing?¡± She was tightly holding the child in her arms, her eyes drooping, not looking at the man.


    Shen Ke frowned: ¡°Is this child yours?¡±


    The woman burst out, screaming, ¡°What do you mean? Is this child not mine but yours? Do you have no decency? Is it wrong for me to take my daughter home when she¡¯s asleep? Get out of the way, or I¡¯ll call the police.¡±


    Shen Ke stood his ground, his eyes suddenly turning cold as he grabbed the woman¡¯s arm: ¡°Are you a child trafficker?¡±


    The woman was startled and started to yell loudly, attracting many onlookers. ¡°Outrage! Come and see, this shameless man is viting me.¡±


    Shen Ke¡¯s face turned pale, and in this moment of distraction, the woman shook his hand off, ready to flee.


    At this moment, the girl in the woman¡¯s arms woke up and struggled to jump out of her arms, shouting: ¡°Help, Ming Jing, save me¡­¡±


    Shen Ke tried to chase, but the woman turned to run. Jiao Mei immediately instructed on his walkie-talkie: ¡°Mr. Wu, guard the main entrance. A woman is trying to escape with a child. Stop her.¡±


    People who saw this were shocked. It turned out that someone really was kidnapping a child in broad daylight.


    Shen Ke shot off in pursuit. The woman ran while tightly holding the girl in her arms: ¡°Be good, baby, Mommy is taking you home, we¡¯re going home.¡±


    The girl in her arms was stunned and murmured, ¡°Mom?¡±


    The woman suddenly stopped, looked down at the girl in her arms, her weary face revealing a tender smile.


    ¡°Yes, I am your mother, Nannan, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± The warmth in the woman¡¯s eyes gradually spread, revealing a touch of madness and obsession.


    The girl jumped in fright and cried out: ¡°I don¡¯t want a mother, I want Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°I am your mother, I am your mother, Nannan, how can you not want your mom?¡± The woman said heartbrokenly, tightly grasping the girl¡¯s body. The girl felt pain and the woman seemed to realize this, she quicklyforted, ¡°Nannan, be good, Mommy was wrong, Mommy shouldn¡¯t have been harsh to you.¡±


    Shen Ke noticed that this woman seemed to have mental issues and he was afraid she might harm the girl in her arms. He stopped at a distance before her, coaxing, ¡°Can you put the child down first?¡±


    The woman immediately hugged the child, took a step back, biting her lip: ¡°No one should think of stealing my child again, whoever dares to, I¡¯ll fight to the death. ¡±


    At this moment a man ran over, shouting at the woman, ¡°Suwen, she¡¯s not our Nannan, please let her go.¡±


    The woman was tightly holding the child, shaking her head desperately: ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, she¡¯s my Nannan.¡±


    The girl struggled while crying out: ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡±


    At this moment, security guards rushed over and surrounded the woman.


    Shen Zhou and Jiao Mei also gave chase.


    A group of curious bystanders followed suit, taking photos and videos, creating quite a stir.


    The man exined to Shen Ke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my daughter went missing when she was young. My wife couldn¡¯t bear the shock and her mental health has been affected. You can rest assured, she will definitely not harm the child, let me talk to her.¡±


    Shen Ke said, ¡®We have already called the police. If she¡¯s not persuaded within ten minutes, to ensure the child¡¯s safety, we¡¯ll have to take measures.¡±


    The man nodded in difficulty.


    Shen Ke suddenly noticed the man¡¯s temples had turned white, even though he looked rather young.


    It seems that losing a child is a significant blow to him and his family.


    Shen Ke softened his tone and said, ¡°She is also the precious daughter of another family. You wouldn¡¯t want another family to suffer like yours, would you?¡±


    The man was silent.


    ¡°Xiao Wu.¡± Suddenly, a clear and shocking voice rang out from behind.


    Shen Ke and Shen Zhou both turned their heads, only to see a girl of eight or nine years old breaking through the crowd and running over. She was extraordinarily beautiful and pointed at the woman angrily, shouting, ¡°Let go of my sister.¡±


    The little girl in the woman¡¯s arms struggled violently, ¡°Ming Ti, save me.¡±


    The woman retreated while clutching onto Ming Yi, ring at everyone cautiously.


    Ming Ti was furious. She turned her head and shouted, ¡°Ming Jing, what should we do? Xiao Wu has been taken hostage by a bad woman.¡±


    A beautiful young girl walked through the crowd. Besides her were a girl looking identical to her but with a softer expression, a handsome and elegant boy, and a slightly chubby young girl.


    The moment the young girl appeared, the sun above seemed to get even brighter.


    The onlooking public was getting excited, this beautiful and unrealistic young girl seemed to be the kidnapped girl¡¯s sister, and those twins were also her sisters? Four sisters, each more beautiful than the next, what god-like parents could possibly produce such beautiful daughters?


    Ming Jing slowly approached, silently staring at the woman.


    Facing Ming Jing, the man seemed somewhat at a loss, this girl was too beautiful and seemed toe from a wealthy family, they were in big trouble.


    Shen Ke frowned as he looked at her. She seemed¡­


    Ming Yi saw Ming Jing and couldn¡¯t hold back her tears, ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Wu, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was as gentle and soothing as a spring breeze, refreshing and invigorating.


    Shen Zhou and Shen Ke turned around at the same time. That voice¡­.

 Chapter 132 - 132: 075 Human Nature (First Update)

    Chapter 132: 075 Human Nature (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing took a step forward, and the woman holding the child took a step back, her eyes seeming to want to tear Ming Jing apart.


    ¡°No one can take my Nannan away¡­ Nannan, be good, Mommy will take you home.¡± The woman gently patted the girl¡¯s back. her voice soft as water-


    ¡°Sister, she is Nannan.¡± Ming Jing walked forward step by step, her steps slow and gentle, her calm voice seemed to carry a magical power to bewitch.


    The woman was stunned, ovee with joy and tears, and said to her husband, ¡°I told you, she¡¯s my Nannan, how could I mistake her for the daughter I gave birth to?¡±


    The man said bitterly, ¡°Suwen, wake up, she¡¯s not¡­¡±.


    Shen Ke quickly grabbed him and shook his head.


    ¡°Now we can¡¯t stimte her. Let her say whatever she wants, and first cate her feelings. Look at that girl.¡± Shen Ke signalled him to look at Ming Jing.


    Before they knew it, she was almost close to Han Suwen.


    Qin Xu hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, she¡¯s our Nannan. You hurt Nannan, let her go first, okay?¡±


    Han Suwen looked down at the child in her arms, ¡°Nannan, did Mommy hurt you? I¡¯m sorry, it wasn¡¯t intentional, don¡¯t me Mommy, okay?¡±


    Ming admired the woman in front of her with tearful eyes, seemingly possessed by a ghost, she reached out her little hand to wipe away the teardrops on the woman¡¯s face: ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Han Suwen looked at her in shock, her gaze seemed a bit clearer, and she suddenly thought of something, she stretched out her hand to grab the girl¡¯s dress on her back, the dress was tight, she was anxious, and with a ¡°tear¡± sound, she tore the dress, and the girl pushed her away in fright.


    ¡°Nannan, be good, let Mommy have a look.¡± The woman¡¯s tone was very urgent, as if she wanted to desperately prove something.


    At this moment, a slender hand grabbed her wrist, not giving her time to react, the other person¡¯s hand was very strong, easily twisting her wrist, Han Suwen winced at the pain, while the other hand took Ming from her and backed away.


    The security guards on the side quickly rushed up to subdue her on the ground, as she struggled desperately, staring intently at the girl on the other side.


    The girly in the young girl¡¯s arms, crying and hugging her neck, sobbing for Erjie.


    The girl¡¯s torn clothes slid down her back, revealing half of her white spine before Ming Jing quickly covered it up with clothes and gently patted the girl¡¯s back.


    Han Suwen suddenly burst intoughter, her tears flowing, she looked like a madwoman. Four burly security guards couldn¡¯t hold her down, and she was about to charge towards Ming Jing, who frowned and quickly retreated while holding Ming.


    Qin Xu blocked Han Suwen and said painfully, ¡°Suwen, wake up, she¡¯s not our


    Nannan.¡±


    ¡°She is my Nannan.¡± Han Suwen shook off his hand, ¡°my daughter, I know it.¡±


    At this point, security guards once again subdued her on the ground, and she shouted, ¡°She is my daughter Nannan, she has a butterfly-shaped birthmark on her back, I won¡¯t forget it.¡±


    Qin Xu sighed, ¡°Suwen, wake up. I know the loss of Nannan has caused you great pain, and I am also very pained, but five years have passed, and we have to move on.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze became sharp, frowning at Han Suwen, whoy on the ground like a madwoman, and subconsciously hugged Ming tightly.


    The little girl¡¯s arms sped tightly around Ming Jing¡¯s neck, she whispered,


    ¡°Erjie, can we not me her? She lost her child and is very pitiful.¡±


    Ming Jing softly asked, ¡°Xiao Wu is so kind, Erjie promises you not to hold her responsible.¡±


    Ming breathed a quiet sigh of relief.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen ran over and bickered with Ming about their worries, and Ming¡¯s pale little face showed a smile: ¡°Ah, Sanjie, Sijie, don¡¯t cry, I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiao Ying said guiltily, ¡®Yiyi, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t take good care of you.¡±


    Mingforted, ¡°Sister Xiao Ying, it¡¯s not your fault, don¡¯t me yourself.¡±


    Shen Ke walked over and coughed, trying to ask, ¡°Miss Zhu?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at him and nodded slightly, ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir, for helping just now, otherwise my sister would have been in danger.¡± The young girl¡¯s voice was gentle and cold, without a trace of artificiality, perfectly aligned with the voice on the phone.


    Shen Zhou came over andughed, ¡°Miss Zhu, no need to thank me, it was just a helping hand, not worth mentioning..¡±

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    Chapter 133 - 133: 075 Human Nature (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, looking at the refined and dignified middle-aged man in front of her: ¡°For today¡¯s incident, I owe you all a favor. Why don¡¯t I treat you two gentlemen to dinner as a token of my gratitude?¡± Upon hearing this, Jiao Mei¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.


    What a bold statement from the girl. Who did she think she was, inviting Mr.


    Shen to dinner? Perhaps even her own father didn¡¯t have that level of prestige.


    To her surprise, Mr. Shen agreed cheerfully, ¡°It would be an honor.¡±


    Jiao Mei stared in shock, her eyes wide.


    Ming Jing said, ¡°Today is inconvenient, as my sister has been startled. I need to take her home tofort her. I¡¯ll prepare for the banquet another day, and you¡¯ll be warmly weed.¡±


    She wanted Mr. Shen to wait for her? Jiao Mei didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s exchange WeChat contacts. Just let me know when you¡¯re ready, and I¡¯ll do the same.¡± Shen Zhou took out his phone, opened WeChat, and prepared to scan a QR code.


    Jiao Mei was astonished. Although Shen Zhou was approachable, she never expected someone of his status to engage in such lengthy conversation with a young girl, let alone adding her on WeChat.


    She stared at Ming Jing¡¯s face for three seconds, wondering if¡­


    Ming Jing had Xiao Ying hold Ming Yi and then opened her WeChat QR code. After Shen Zhou scanned it, Shen Ke took the opportunity to do so as well.


    Shen Zhou nced at Shen Ke, who casually shook his phone and exined, ¡°For business purposes.¡±


    So, both Shen Ke and Shen Zhou sessfully added Ming Jing on WeChat.


    Jiao Mei stepped forward to mediate, looking at the security-guard-captured Han Suwen and asking, ¡°As the victim¡¯s family member, how would Ms. Zhu like to handle this matter? Settle privately or pursue criminal charges? My colleagues and I will cooperate in any way we can.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Han Suwen, who was still desperately shouting that Ming Yi was her daughter Nannan, but no one believed her. Everyone thought she was insane.


    Moving in front of her, Ming Jing asked the security guard to let her go.


    The guards looked at each other, wary of the woman going crazy again. They released her but remained on high alert.


    Suddenly, Han Suwen knelt before Ming Jing, pleading, ¡°Please return my daughter to me. She¡¯s my Nannan.¡±


    Qin Xu sighed in frustration, ¡°Wake up! She¡¯s not our Nannan. When will you stop your madness?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not insane! If it weren¡¯t for your family¡¯s preference for boys over girls, you wouldn¡¯t have thrown my daughter away while I was weak and recovering. You give me back my daughter!¡±


    The onlookers, now aware of the backstory, felt pity for her. The security guards didn¡¯t know whether to intervene.


    Normally, the couple might have fought like this, and the man would have grown ustomed to it. However, the man¡¯s pride was wounded from being watched by so many people. He pushed the woman away harshly and yelled, ¡°Enough! I¡¯ve had enough of you!¡±


    Ming Jing shot him a cold nce, causing his heart to tighten involuntarily.


    Soon, the police arrived. Since Ming Jing chose to settle privately, they took several people to the station to give statements before releasing them.


    From start to finish, Han Suwen was eerily silent and calm, a stark contrast to her earlier hysteria.


    Upon leaving the police station, Qin Xu rubbed his hands, apologizing to Ming Jing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Zhu, for causing you so much trouble. I don¡¯t know how to thank you for not holding us ountable.¡±


    Shen Zhou had taken the initiative to add her on WeChat, so the girl muste from a distinguished background. It was their good fortune that she chose not to pursue their responsibility.


    Ming Jing nced at the silent Han Suwen standing behind him and asked,


    ¡°How old was your daughter, Nannan, when she went missing?¡±


    Han Suwen¡¯s eyes flickered upon hearing the name Nannan. Qin Xu held her hand,forting her while answering, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. It¡¯s all my fault. I was too busy with work when Suwen was giving birth and couldn¡¯t take care of her. My mother came from our hometown to help, but one evening, while my mother was cooking, Suwen took the child for a walk in themunity garden. Suwen answered a phone call, and when she turned around, the child was gone. We reported it to the police immediately, but she was never found after searching for a long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t been so busy and could have apanied Suwen, our child wouldn¡¯t have been lost.¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Can you tell me the exact date your child went missing?¡±


    Qin Xu looked at her in surprise.


    ¡°I have connections in this area and can help you inquire about it.¡±


    Qin Xu hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Zhu. Our child went missing five years ago, on April 1st. I remember it clearly because it was April Fool¡¯s Day, and I thought Suwen was ying a prank on me..¡±

 Chapter 134 - 134: 075 Human Nature (First Update)_3

    Chapter 134 - 134: 075 Human Nature (First Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°I understand, you go back and rest with your wife.¡±


    Qin Xu thought to himself that Ms. Zhu was quite impressive for her young age, then left with Han Suwen.


    Han Suwen took a few steps and looked back at Ming Jing.


    Qin Xu pulled her impatiently and yelled, ¡°Are youing or not?¡± Han Suwen silently followed Qin Xu and left.


    Ming Jing thought for a moment and returned to the police station.


    Officer Zhao Ke saw Ming Jing return and came over to ask, ¡°Is there anything else you need, Miss?¡±


    He had been the one to take her statement earlier.


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°There should be a record of the case file of Qin Xu¡¯s and Han


    Suwen¡¯s daughter, who was stolen five years ago in your police station, right?¡± Zhao Ke thought for a moment and said,


    ¡°Could you bring out the record for me to take a look?¡±


    This request made Zhao Ke somewhat ufortable, as not just anyone could look at the police station¡¯s archives. He asked, ¡°Ms. Zhu, do you think there¡¯s something questionable about this case?¡±


    ¡°I sympathize with Ms. Han¡¯s situation, and I happen to have a friend who has experience in this area. I was wondering if I could find some clues to help Ms.


    Han.¡±


    Zhao Ke thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll ask our director for permission. I can only show you the records if our director approves.¡±


    After all, they were gathering clues to solve the case, and considering the girl¡¯s background, the director didn¡¯t want to offend anyone, so he agreed.


    Zhao Ke pulled up the electronic records, which were more convenient than physical ones. However, his workstation was a mess, with documents scattered everywhere and a leftover cup of instant noodles from the night before, emitting a nauseating smell.


    Zhao Ke nced at Ming Jing. The clean and beautiful girl looked like a fairy who had mistakenly entered the mortal world, and he scratched his head in embarrassment.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t mind, walked over and sat at his workstation, carefully browsing through the case file.


    Zhao Ke apanied her, getting familiar with the case file again.


    In the evening of April 1st, five years ago, at 5:50 pm, Han Suwen¡¯s mother-inw, Cai Ping, was cooking at home. She took her just over one-month-old granddaughter for a walk in a baby stroller in the small garden of themunity. She greeted some acquaintances along the way and exchanged parenting experiences with a few other mothers in the garden. At 6:15 pm, the other moms went home for dinner. Han Suwen received a phone call from herpany concerning work matters, so she spoke for a bit longer than usual, about three or four minutes. At the time, there was no one else in the gazebo, so she didn¡¯t think too much of it and asionally looked back at her daughter. In the middle of the conversation, she got into a heated argument and moved a bit further away from her daughter, who was sleeping. This took about half a minute. When she came back after hanging up, her daughter had disappeared from the stroller.


    Han Suwen went crazy at the time, running around looking for help. The security room received the news and immediately called the police. When the police arrived, they essed the CCTV footage, but it was very coincidental that the cameras in the garden were broken for two days, and no one entering or leaving themunity looked suspicious. In short, a baby simply vanished. The case had no leads, so after a while, the investigation eventually stalled.


    After reading through the file, Ming Jing frowned and asked, ¡°What about Cai


    Ping? Why isn¡¯t there a record of her statement in the file?¡±


    ¡°Because she sprained her ankle two days before the incident, she had trouble moving around. The Qins lived in an old residential building at the time, which made it difficult for her to go up and down the stairs. She never left the apartment before or after the incident.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the young policeman who spoke, no more than twenty-something years old, looking shy as he lowered his head under her gaze.


    Zhao Ke said, ¡°This is my colleague Xu Huan. He was an intern at the police station when the case happened and did a lot of the legwork, making him one of the most familiar with the case.¡±


    Xu Huan said, ¡°When I went to the Qin residence with Officer Tian to get information for the first time, Cai Ping, the mother-inw, was so terrifying. She scolded Han Suwen viciously right in front of us. I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and spoke up for Han Suwen, and she scolded me as well.¡± It seemed that he remembered the terrible scene that day and quickly patted his chest.


    Ming Jing knitted her brow and asked, ¡°Does Cai Ping favor boys over girls?¡±


    ¡°She certainly does. The reason she dislikes Han Suwen is because she gave birth to a girl for the Qins. Qin Xu is a civil servant and can only have one child. ording to the neighbors, she scolded Han Suwen every day, saying that she


    caused the end of the Qin family.¡±


    ¡°What was her attitude when the child went missing?

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    Chapter 135 - 135: 075 Human Nature (First Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Xu Huan nced at her: ¡°You suspect it¡¯s Cai Ping? That¡¯s impossible. Even a ferocious tiger wouldn¡¯t eat its own child, and besides, her ankle was sprained at that time; she couldn¡¯t go downstairs.¡±


    Xu Huan recalled: ¡°After the child went missing, she became even angrier, and even went as far as to hit Han Suwen, ming her for losing the Qin family¡¯s bloodline and for letting down their ancestors. At that time, Brother Tian and I thought that even though she didn¡¯t like her own granddaughter, she was still her flesh and blood. We never thought she would do something like that.¡±


    Ming Jing stood up, ¡°Thank you, guys, I¡¯lle back to you if needed.¡±


    Xu Huan scratched his head embarrassedly: ¡°I¡¯m happy to help, you don¡¯t know what kind of life Han Dasao has had these past five years. Her mother-inw, Cai Ping, pressured her every day to have a son, but she refused. Then her mother-inw encouraged Qin Xu to divorce her. Qin Xu had a conscience and didn¡¯t agree, but I heard that Qin Xu is having an affair with a colleague. In short, Han Dasao is really miserable!¡±


    The Qin family is quite famous around here, no need to ask around.


    Ming Jing paused with her steps, ¡°Would you apany me to the Qin¡¯s?¡±


    The Qins still lived in the same old neighborhood as before. At the entrance of the alley, a group of elderly people were sitting around, chatting while fanning themselves. They greeted Xu Huan enthusiastically: ¡°Xiao Xu is patrolling this area again, our safety all depends on Xiao Xu.¡±


    ¡°Is this youngdy your girlfriend, Xiao Xu? She looks quite impressive.¡±


    Xu Huan blushed and quickly exined: ¡°Grandpas and grandmas, no, she¡¯s my friend¡ªa friend. We¡¯re visiting the Qin family for some business.¡±


    He stole a nce at Ming Jing and saw that her expression remained the same, feeling both relieved and a bit disappointed at the same time.


    ¡°The Qin¡¯s? You¡¯re noting at a good time. Their ce is bustling with excitement right now. Qin Xu¡¯s lover from work has stormed in, and we were just chased out while watching the drama.¡±


    ¡°Poor Suwen, ever since the child went missing, she¡¯s been tormented by her nasty mother-inw. It¡¯s Cai Ping who pushed Qin Xu towards that mistress.¡±


    Ming Jing filtered this information and looked up. Ten meters ahead and down the alley was the entrance to the neighborhood.


    Xu Huan and Ming Jing walked in. Going in and out required a card swipe. The doorman saw Xu Huan and opened the door without a second word.


    ¡°Officer Xiao Xu, here to solve a case?¡±


    His gaze couldn¡¯t help but fall on the girl beside him. She was so beautiful, even more so than the stars on TV.


    As Xu Huan walked beside Ming Jing, he used his body to shield her from the gazes and said: ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll be out once I finish my business.¡±


    Xu Huan pointed to a small garden on the right side of the entrance. In the middle of the garden was a pavilion. ¡°That¡¯s where the child went missing.¡±


    The Qin family lived in the building just behind the garden. The staircase inside the building was old, with peeling and discolored walls.


    As Ming Jing climbed the stairs, she asked, ¡°Were there surveince cameras in the hallway back then?¡±


    ¡°For this kind of old house without even an elevator? No way.¡±


    They lived in the one on the right.


    The sound of arguing came faintly through the iron door, with the voice of a middle-aged woman being the loudest. It was as if she were using a loudspeaker.


    ¡°You¡¯re just taking up space, not willing to leave but still dragging my son down. You¡¯re so selfish! Today, you must sign this divorce agreement. Pack up your things and get the hell out. It¡¯s been five years, and you¡¯ve been weeping every day. I don¡¯t owe you, and neither does the Qin family.¡±


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing? I won¡¯t agree to a divorce.¡± This was Qin Xu¡¯s voice, firm.


    ¡°Silly boy, wake up. This woman has been mentally unstable for a long time. How much longer are you nning to stick with her? Today¡¯s drama has already embarrassed my family¡¯s name. Do you want a second time?¡±


    ¡°Look at Rongrong. She¡¯s virtuous, understanding, and young. What¡¯s not to like about her? She¡¯ll definitely give you a chunky baby boy.¡±


    ¡°Big Brother Qin, I won¡¯t force you. Whenever you divorce is fine. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± The girl¡¯s coquettish voice.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Han Suwen shouted. She looked at Qin Xu, ¡°Today, you need to make a choice between me and your mother. Choose your mother, I¡¯ll divorce immediately. Choose me, and send your mother and this woman back to the countryside. I never want to see them again.¡±


    Cai Ping cursed: ¡°You poisonous witch, why can¡¯t I stay in my own house? You¡¯re the one who should leave.¡±


    Qin Xu said in pain: ¡°Suwen, don¡¯t push me.¡±


    Han Suwenughed sarcastically: ¡°Fine, I understand your answer..¡±

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    Chapter 136 - 136: 075 Human Nature (First Update)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    As she was grabbing her pen to sign the document, Qin Xu lunged over to snatch it from her, eximing, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Cai Ping tried to pull Qin Xu away, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing son? Let her sign it.¡±


    Han Suwen red resentfully at Cai Ping, ¡®You old witch, I¡¯ve tolerated you for a long time. Did you take away and lose my daughter?¡±


    Cai Ping scoffed, ¡°Boy, look at this woman. She¡¯s clearly not in right mind and even ndering me. That¡¯s my granddaughter too, why would I do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Because you wanted a grandson and with Nannan¡¯s presence, you couldn¡¯t have one. Give my Nannan back to me.¡± Han Suwen lunged at Cai Ping with words barely out of her mouth, scratching and punching, as if releasing the pent-up fury from five long years.


    Cai Ping was no pushover and had Cai Rong as her backup. Han Suwen was quickly at a disadvantage. Qin Xu stepped in to break up the fight but ended up receiving the brunt of the chaos, looking utterly disheveled.


    Cai Ping started making a scene, shouting, ¡°I can¡¯t live like this! I want a divorce! If you don¡¯t agree to divorce today, I¡¯ll kill myself right here, right now! ¡±


    Qin Xu squatted on the ground, clutching his head in agony.


    Cai Ping didn¡¯t even give him a second to think before she lunged towards the wall. Cai Rong quickly grabbed her, pleading, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be hasty¡­ Brother Qin, you should agree with her wish¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me go! What¡¯s the use of raising such a disobedient son? I might as well do myself in. ¡±


    In his torment, Qin Xu said, ¡°Fine, I agree.¡±


    Han Suwen cast him a nce, a hint of mockery flickering in her numb eyes.


    She grabbed the pen and quickly signed her name on the agreement.


    Qin Xu, looking at Han Suwen, his lips trembling slightly murmured, ¡°Suwen, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Those five words seemed to have taken all his strength.


    He picked up the pen and scrawled his own signature on the paperwork.


    Cai Ping immediately entered Han Suwen¡¯s room with a triumphant smile. She jammed a few clothes into a suitcase, pushed it in front of Han Suwen, ¡°Take your stuff and get out of here.¡±


    A knock on the door came just then. Cai Ping fished for the door yelling, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Auntie Cai, hello. I¡¯m Officer Xu from the police station. We need to rify some details about the incident at the museum today with Mrs. Han, could you please open the door?¡±


    Upon hearing ¡®police¡¯ , Cai Ping¡¯s face immediately contorted with anxiety. She turned and red at Han Suwen, ¡°Troublemaker!¡±


    She opened the door. Outside stood a young policeman and a beautiful, sophisticated young girl. Cai Ping stiffly addressed them, ¡°Officer, my son is divorced now. Please, from now on, don¡¯te over to the house anymore. If police keeping to our door, people will think we¡¯ve done something wrong.


    It¡¯s not good for the reputation of the Qins.¡±


    Xu Huan thought, who knew this shrew was concerned about reputation?


    Both Qin Xu and Han Suwen were surprised to see Ming Jing, especially Han


    Suwen who immediately rose from the sofa.


    Cai Ping measured Ming Jing up, ¡°Is she a cop too?¡±


    Xu Huan exined, ¡°She¡¯s a rtive of the victim.¡±


    Cai Ping frowned, her tone hostile as she looked at Ming Jing, ¡°Our Qin family has nothing to do with what happened today. If you have issues, take them up with her. She¡¯s divorced from my son.¡± And she pointed at Han Suwen.


    Cai Rong admired the young girl at the door, her tall and slim figure, the beautiful and noble aura, and her high-end clothing. It was clear she was a noble-borndy.


    Inside she felt secretly pleased, Han Suwen, with the police at her door, was in trouble.


    Ming Jing stepped inside and briefly nced at the Qin residence. The decor was not luxurious. It was at best a modest, middle-ss family home.


    Although the Qins lived in a rundown neighborhood, it was soon to be demolished and redevelopment often meant windfall riches.


    Noticing Ming Jing assessing the surroundings, Cai Ping asked unpleasantly, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡±


    Ming Jing calmly asked, ¡°Five years ago on April 1st at 6:15 in the evening, what were you doing when your granddaughter Nannan went missing?


    As Ming Jing spoke, her gaze remained steady on Cai Ping.


    Despite Cai Ping¡¯s efforts to mask her panic, the sh of fear in her eyes did not escape the deep, unfathomable gaze of Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing quietly sighed inside, the depth of human wickedness truly knows no bounds..

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    Chapter 137 - 137: 076 Second Sister (Second Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Cai Ping immediately started ranting: ¡°You¡¯re such a strange girl! How could


    this old woman remember something that happened five years ago! Weren¡¯t you looking for Han Suwen? Why would you question me? You¡¯re not a cop, and


    I¡¯m not a criminal!¡±


    Once Cai Ping started talking, she couldn¡¯t stop, speaking quickly like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube, making it sound like hundreds of bees buzzing around the listener¡¯s ears.


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°That day was when your granddaughter went missing. How could you be so forgetful at your age? Are you that young and already suffering from Alzheimer¡¯s disease?¡±


    Cai Ping was stunned: ¡°What the hell is that all about?¡±


    Xu Huan sneered, Ms. Zhu was really good at implying things.


    Cai Rong said, ¡°Auntie Cai, Alzheimer¡¯s is dementia in the elderly.¡±


    Cai Ping was like a cat that has its tail stepped on and exploded, ¡°How dare you say I have dementia?!¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, what were you doing on the evening your granddaughter went missing?¡±


    The cold tone of the girl made Cai Ping¡¯s heart tight, and she subconsciously said, ¡°That¡­ That day I was cooking at home, my foot was sprained, and it was inconvenient for me to go downstairs. I hadn¡¯t gone downstairs for several days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how convenient. So, the loss of your granddaughter has nothing to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it has nothing to do with me! It¡¯s her mom who didn¡¯t take good care of her and lost her, what does it have to do with me? Why are you so weird? Weren¡¯t you looking for Han Suwen? Instead, you keep questioning me, acting like a cop and meddling in everything.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Very well.¡±


    Han Suwen walked over and said, ¡°Ms. Zhu, what do you want from me?¡±


    She looked beautiful when she was calm, but these five years had not treated her well. She looked haggard, hadrge bags under her eyes, a sicklyplexion, and was skin and bones. It seemed that a gust of wind could blow her away.


    Ming Jing looked at her with deepening eyes.


    ¡°Do you have a ce to live after leaving the Qin family?¡±


    Han Suwen bit her lip and lowered her head.


    She was not from Jiangzhou but from Yunzhou near Jingdu. She and Qin Xu were university ssmates. After they fell in love, she went against her family¡¯s wishes and followed him to Jiangzhou. After giving birth to their child, she quit her job to take care of the child and Qin Xu, never expecting this oue after giving up everything. Ming Jing said, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Han Suwen looked up, astonished.


    Qin Xu held Han Suwen¡¯s hand, ¡°Suwen, you can¡¯t go¡­¡±


    Han Suwen shook off his hand and looked at him coldly, ¡°You¡¯ve made your choice just now. I respect your decision. Just let me know when you decide on a divorce date, and I¡¯ll be there on time.¡±


    To Ming Jing, she said, ¡°Ms. Zhu, please wait for me.¡±


    She quickly walked into the bedroom and came out carrying a bag. She pulled her suitcase and left.


    Cai Pingined, ¡°What¡¯s the background of this woman?¡±


    Qin Xu frowned, ¡°Mom, she is Ms. Zhu from the Zhu Group, don¡¯t talk about her like that.¡±


    Cai Ping was not sensitive to these groups, but Cai Rong was incredulous, ¡°The Zhu Group? You mean the real estatepany?¡±


    Qin Xu nodded.


    ¡°Wow, Auntie Cai, do you know? The Tianheng Garden house that you wanted to buy is a property of the Zhu Group!¡±


    Now Cai Ping got the idea. She and her son¡¯s savings for half a lifetime could


    only afford a down payment for one house. All the buildings in Tianheng Garden belonged to Zhu Group, not to mention their other properties¡­


    Cai Ping couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Han Suwen actually offended Ms. Zhu from the


    Zhu Group? We¡¯re doomed! I hope we don¡¯t get implicated.¡±


    Cai Rong¡¯s eyes wereughing, but she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Auntie Cai. Ms. Zhu is discerning and won¡¯t bother with usmoners. But Sister Suwen went too far. How could she take Ms. Zhu¡¯s sister? That¡¯s not right! There are only two heiresses in the Zhu family, where did this youngdye from? Is she her cousin?¡±


    ¡°Son, let¡¯s not get involved in this. It¡¯s Han Suwen¡¯s mess, not ours. Ms. Zhu is reasonable. You¡¯d better divorce her quickly andpletely. Otherwise, if Ms. Zhu stops us from buying a house, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Qin Xu left them and chased after them, but Ming Jing and the others were already gone.


    The neighbor across the hall secretly retracted her head. The Qin family¡¯s drama was now a big deal.


    As they left the residential area, Xu Huan secretly pulled Ming Jing to one side, nced at Han Suwen not far away, and whispered, ¡°Ms.. Zhu, are you really suspicious that Nannan¡¯s disappearance has something to do with Cai Ping?¡±

 Chapter 138 - 138: 076 Ming Jing (2nd Watch)_2

    Chapter 138 - 138: 076 Ming Jing (2nd Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing nced at him: ¡°Officer Xu, there is something I need your help with. ¡±


    ¡°Is it rted to Nannan?


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°You go to Yangjia Vige, Siji Town at the foot of Baitou Mountain, and find a woman named Yang Cun, then¡­¡±.


    After listening to Ming Jing¡¯s words, Xu Huan looked at her in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely find out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been five years, so many people and things are hard to investigate. It will take some effort on Officer Xu¡¯s part. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°This is our duty as police officers. Thank you, Ms. Zhu, for providing the lead.


    Wait for my good news.¡±


    ¡°Is it Madam Han¡­ Does Ms. Zhu want to help her?¡±


    Ming Jing sighed and said with a sad look: ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see women suffer.¡± Xu Huan eximed: ¡°Ms. Zhu has apassionate heart, and good people receive good rewards.¡±


    Ming Jingughed. Are good people rewarded? She hoped so.


    The two exchanged contact information, and Xu Huan left.


    Ming Jing returned, Han Suwen looked at her, pursed her lips, and said: ¡°Ms. Zhu, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Come back to the Zhus¡¯ with me first. We¡¯ll find a ce for you to stay before discussing anything else.¡±


    The two took a taxi back to the Zhus¡¯, and when the cab stopped outside the Zhus¡¯ Mansion, Han Suwen looked at the three-story vi and subconsciously tightened her grip on her backpack.


    The vi¡¯s main door opened, and Uncle Wen greeted them respectfully: ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Seeing a young woman with a suitcase behind her, Uncle Wen asked, ¡°Miss, who is this?¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t exin much, ¡°Find her a guest room to stay in first.¡± Uncle Wen agreed, and took Han Suwen¡¯s luggage. Han Suwen quickly said, ¡°I


    can (10 It myselt.¡±


    Uncle Wen smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    With the housekeeper¡¯s gentle and polite demeanor, Han Suwen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her nervousness about the unfamiliar environment eased a bit.


    Madam Zhou and Xiao Ying were cleaning the living room when they saw Ming Jinge in. Madam Zhou said with a smile, ¡°Miss is back, Madam was just talking about you.¡±


    Xiao Ying was smiling, but her face changed when she saw the woman walking in behind her.


    ¡°Miss, why did you bring her back?¡±


    Han Suwen stood awkvvardly in ce.


    Madam Zhou asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Ying pointed at Han Suwen and said, ¡°Madam Zhou, this woman is the trafficker who tried to abduct Yi Yi during lunch.¡±


    Madam Zhou was furious and wanted to chase her away immediately, ¡°Call the police, call the police now, I¡¯ve hated traffickers all my life.¡±


    Ming Jing said calmly, ¡°Madam Zhou, she will be staying with us for a while. Xiao Ying, go clean a guest room.¡±


    Xiao Ying said incredulously, ¡°Miss, she¡¯s a trafficker! Yi Yi was just crying, and I finally got her to sleep. How much suffering did she put Yi Yi through?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Madam Zhou, who understood and pulled Xiao Ying aside: ¡°Do as Miss says, she must have her reasons.¡±


    Xiao Ying reluctantly agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    She red at Han Suwen, ¡°You follow me.¡±


    Han Suwen looked at Ming Jing, saw her nod, and followed Xiao Ying.


    When they went upstairs, Madam Zhou came over and whispered, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask any questions. You¡¯re the smartest, so there must be a reason for doing this.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Thank you for understanding, Madam Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being polite with me, Miss?¡±


    ¡°While she stays at the Zhus¡¯ for a few days, please take care of her a bit, and prepare some nourishing dishes. In a while, I¡¯ll write a prescription for her, and you can make the medicine ording to it.¡±


    She had previously taken Han Suwen¡¯s pulse secretly. She had suffered severe loss of health, especially after giving birth and not having a proper postpartum recovery, leaving many health problems that needed to be addressed gradually.


    Madam Zhou raised her eyebrows in surprise. It seemed this woman was important to Miss, or she wouldn¡¯t have brought her home so hastily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I¡¯ve got it.¡±


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen were puzzled when they learned that Ming Jing had brought a woman trafficker back to the Zhus¡¯ and let her stay, but they both understood that their sister must have her reasons.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to win our Miss over, but I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t think about kidnapping Yi Yi again.¡± Xiao Ying warned her.


    Han Suwen was taken aback, ¡°She¡¯s called Yi Yi?¡±


    Xiao Ying rolled her eyes, ¡°Why am I telling you so much? You¡¯re not here to freeload in the Zhus¡¯, so you¡¯d better be careful.¡± With that, she turned and left the room.


    Ming Jing returned to the room, finding Yi Yi lying in bed, deep in sleep, having been crying, her eyes swollen, still murmuring something in her sleep. Ming Jing leaned in to listen, and she was calling, ¡°Mommy.¡±


    Ming Jing hesitated and gently touched Yi Yi¡¯s forehead.


    Suddenly, Yi Yi called out for her mother, waking up in a start, and saw Ming Jing, immediately throwing herself into her embrace, clinging to her like an octopus.


    ¡°Sister, where did you go, I couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    Minz Jing gently patted her back, ¡°Sister is not going anywhere, I¡¯m right here


    with you.¡±


    ¡°Sister, I had a nightmare. There was a scary woman who kept asking me to call her mommy. If I didn¡¯t call her, she would cry. Are mommies scary?¡± The little girl¡¯s cautious tone hurt Ming Jing¡¯s heart.


    Having taken care of her for five years, from infancy, through toddlerhood, to her current age, Ming Jing had long regarded her as her own daughter.


    Ming Jing patted her back while speaking softly and slowly, ¡°A mother is the most extraordinary person in the world. She endures tremendous pain for ten months to bring you into this world. She is the one who loves you the most in the world.¡±


    ¡°Like how Lin Qing¡¯s mother is to you?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Sister, you have a mommy, but where¡¯s my mommy?¡±


    ¡°Your mommy¡­ she must be waiting for you somewhere, waiting for you toe home.¡±


    Yi Yi suddenly hugged her neck, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want a mommy, I just want Sister, Sister is my mommy..¡±

 Chapter 139 - 139: 077 Fate

    Chapter 139: 077 Fate


    Trantor: 549690339


    The next morning, when Madam Zhou entered the kitchen, she found that Han


    Suwen had already organized the kitchen neatly.


    Although she was skinny, she was very efficient.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break?¡±


    While preparing the fillings, Han Suwen responded, ¡°Miss took me in not to idly loaf about, Madam Zhou. From now on, please teach me the kitchen work. Although I¡¯m not skilled at much, I can at least cook and I can give you a hand so you won¡¯t be so tired. I don¡¯t want a wage, just some food and a ce to sleep.¡±


    Madam Zhou sized her up. The woman was thin¡ªher height was about 1.6-1.7 meters but she looked like she weighed less than ny pounds. Despite being quite young, her face appeared to be extremely fatigued, reminding people of petals drifting in the storm, evoking pity.


    She said, ¡°Yi Yi likes to eat shrimp dumplings, with a light vor, and adds a bit of honey and vinegar.¡±


    Han Suwen¡¯s dead-gray eyes sparkled a little, ¡°Thank you, Madam Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing prefers coarse grain porridge, steamed mushroom buns, and eggs for breakfast. You don¡¯t have to worry about Madam Zhu¡¯s meal, I will take care of it¡­¡±


    Han Suwen took note carefully.


    She didn¡¯t expect that Miss Zhu¡¯s breakfast would be so down-to-earth.


    The Zhus household was quiet in the morning. Uncle Wen was watering the nts in the garden. The sparrows chirped in the big tree not far away, adding a bit of liveliness to the ordinary morning.


    Madam Zhou saw that she was efficient and honest. Last night, she had asked Xiao Ying, it turned out that Han Suwen¡¯s child just disappeared at birth and she had be somewhat mentally unstable. It was then she mistook Ming Yi for her own daughter and ran off with her.


    Although she was detestable, she was nheless pitiful.


    Madam Zhou was soft-hearted and all anger had faded away.


    ¡°The miss is kind; hence, she took you in. You should be grateful and not bring her any trouble.¡± Madam Zhou reprimanded her.


    ¡°Especially towards Ming Yi, although she is not Miss¡¯s real sister, she is more intimate to Miss than any real sister. You must never harbor ulterior motives against Ming Yi again. ¡±


    Han Suwen went nk: ¡°Isn¡¯t Yi Yi Miss¡¯s real sister?¡±


    Madam Zhou saw the fire in her eyes, sighed at heart, and suddenly thought of a possibility. She looked at Han Suwen carefully, thinking that Miss must have known it in her heart, so she shouldn¡¯tplicate matters.


    Thanks to Han Suwen¡¯s help, breakfast was smoothly made. Madam Zhou had Han Suwen set the breakfast as it was almost time.


    ¡°Miss has a mathematicspetition in the morning and needs to leave at half past seven.¡±


    ¡°Is the Miss really good at studying?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The Miss alwayses first in every exam. There¡¯s no smarter girl than her.¡± Madam Zhou proudly spoke, as if Ming Jing was her own granddaughter.


    Ming Jing came downstairs, followed by a little girl. The little girl was sleepy, but she was not at all wilful. She obediently followed Ming Jing, and there was a pair of twin girls behind Ming Jing, about eight or nine years old.


    The four of them sat down at the dining table, waiting for Lin Qing and Granny Zhu to join them before starting breakfast.


    There was no conversation during breakfast, just the clinking sound of cups and tes.


    Han Suwen watched from far inside the kitchen. The little girl sitting next to Ming Jing was very pretty and obedient. Her mouth was stuffed full, bulging as she chewed; she looked like a cute, little piglet.


    The little girl nced at the teenager beside her and saw her eating slowly and deliberately, so she mimicked her. However, a small child imitating an adult¡¯s actions is moreical than urate ¨C amusing and adorable.


    Han Suwen couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Then, another girl came down from upstairs. She was quite pretty. Han Suwen asked, ¡°Is she also a youngdy of the Zhu family?¡± Madam Zhou pursed her lips, not knowing how to exin, ¡°You could say


    that. ¡±


    Han Suwen could understand Madam Zhou¡¯s attitude and knew what she meant. She really didn¡¯t know the gossip about Zhu¡¯s true and false daughters, as she was not interested in the rich families¡¯ gossip when she was her former self.


    She noticed that the atmosphere on the dining table became even more oppressive after the girl arrived.


    After breakfast, Miss Ming Jing and the girl who appearedst left, one after the other. The others returned to their own rooms. Ming Yi apanied Granny Zhu back to her room. With her sweet voice calling ¡°Granny¡± over and over again, Granny Zhu was amused and couldn¡¯t stopughing. It made Ming Yi seem exceptionally sweet and clever.


    Only then did Madam Zhou and Han Suwene out to clean up the leftovers on the table. As Madam Zhou pushed the cart back to the kitchen, she bumped into Ming Yi, who had just run out of Granny Zhu¡¯s room. The little girl, upon seeing her, instinctively retreated a step but then thinking of something, came up to Han Suwen, looked up at her and gently said, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be sad. My second sister will surely help you find your daughter..¡±

 Chapter 140 - 140: 077 Fate_2

    Chapter 140: 077 Fate_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    The little girl¡¯s eyes were so bright and clear, her voice so sweet and crisp. She stood in the morning sun like a little angel.


    Han Suwen squatted down, looked at her levelly, touched her head and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you yesterday, can you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Buddha said, let go of one thought, and everything bes easy; to forgive you is to forgive myself, so I let go, and you should too,¡± the little girl shook her head and looked very mature.


    Han Suwen broke into a smile, ¡°Yeah, I let go too. You¡¯re so young, but you understand such great truths. It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    The little girl snorted with some pride, ¡°That¡¯s because my Sister Ming Jing taught me well.¡±


    Han Suwen said, ¡°Can you wait for me to be done with my work and then y with you, Yi?¡±


    Ming Yi nodded, ¡°Sure, go ahead with your work, Auntie. I have to read now, and Sister Ming Jing assigned me a lot of homework today. If I don¡¯t finish it, it will disappoint her.¡±


    The little girl kept mentioning her sister Ming Jing, indicating how important she was in her heart.


    The half-hour before ss was for self-study, and the ss was silent, immersed in solving problems.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a little overwhelmed in this oppressive atmosphere.


    She never thought that thepetition ss would be like this ¨C no one talked to her, no one talked at all, and all they had in their eyes and minds were problems.


    The teacher¡¯s pace was fast, and if you couldn¡¯t keep up, it was your own problem. Don¡¯t expect the teacher to exin it a second time; the tuition for a gold medal teacher is calcted by the second.


    She looked at Ming Jing not far away, who was always so confident and dazzling. She didn¡¯t understand why Zhu Mingjing, who clearly had no foundation, suddenly became first-ce. Is there really such a species as a genius in this world?


    Without any effort, she crushed the results that Zhu Xiangxiang had barely maintained for more than ten years.


    Heaven is really unfair.


    Just as she was resentful, Ren Chuan walked in with a stack of test papers under his arm. He walked in with a straight face and threw the test papers on the lecture table with a ¡°bang,¡± which startled everyone.


    The only one who didn¡¯t look up was Ming Jing.


    ¡°The results of yesterday¡¯s test were very disappointing. You are all top students from your schools and have good academic levels, but I never thought the results would be this bad. How can you represent our Jiangzhou City in the provincialpetition with these results? You will lose face for me, and our city.¡±


    Ren Chuan¡¯s tone was stern, and wherever his eyes fell, everyone bowed their heads in fear.


    ¡°Some students have such a terrible level. You don¡¯t even perform well in math. Do you really think you canpete in apetitive ss? Since you can¡¯t even walk, why don¡¯t you just try to fly? One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel, and whoever I¡¯m talking about knows it well. Have some faith in your own ability.¡±


    No one expected Ren Chuan to be so sharp-tongued and cruel. Everyone lowered their heads and dared not make a sound.


    Zhu Xiangxiang noticed that Ren Chuan¡¯s gaze fell on her, and the other students also discovered this, looking at her with a mixture of expressions that made Zhu Xiangxiang very ufortable.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked pale. Is she the rotten apple that Ren Chuan is referring


    ¡°The content of this test was covered in yesterday¡¯s lesson, but most of you still managed to mess it up. What do you have ears for?¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood up tremblingly and walked to the podium.


    ¡°Twenty points? Is your brain rusted? With this level, why are you here for apetitive ss? Pack your things and don¡¯te back tomorrow.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang was almost in tears.


    ¡°You have the nerve to cry? Do you know whatpetition ss is for? I thought you¡¯d have some self-awareness without an entry threshold.¡±


    Ren Chuan thought he was being polite. Not only did this girl have a problem with her academic level, but her attitude was also problematic. He had already been very restrained.


    The others looked at Zhu Xiangxiang with a mixture of ridicule and sympathy, while Ren Chuan pointed to them, ¡°You guys have the nerve tough. Look at your own scores.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took the test paper back to her seat, stumbling all the way, not knowing how she made it there.


    ¡°Xie Zhen, fifty-five points. You even messed up quadratic equations. This is middle school knowledge.. What¡¯s wrong with your brain?

 Chapter 141 - 141: 077 Fate_3

    Chapter 141 - 141: 077 Fate_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Tang Wan, what did you get for the average?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Heng¡­¡±


    Each student could be picked on, scolded until they doubted their own lives.


    ¡°Song Yinzhang.¡±


    Tang Wan and Xie Zhen looked up with red eyes, hoping Song God would have no issues.


    ¡°You need to strengthen your logic skills. Olympiad mathematics is different from your high school math. I¡¯ll emphasize it once more; change your usual logical thinking method.¡±


    Unexpectedly, even Song God got scolded, and the other students felt a bit more bnced. It wasn¡¯t just them who had issues.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing.¡±


    That was thest name called.


    Everyone looked at Ming Jing simultaneously.


    She stood up slowly andposedly, her expression far too calmpared to the nervousness of the others receiving their test papers.


    Xie Zhen whispered, ¡°Even Song God got scolded; she won¡¯t be an exception either. I found Ren Chuan to be a bit biased against girls, scolding them even more harshly. Just wait and see how bad he scolds her.¡±


    Tang Wan curled her lips, ¡°Beating Song God once was a fluke, but can she do it every time?¡±


    Ren Chuan picked up therge, earthy water tank and took a sip of water to moisten his throat. Everyone thought he was about to blow up, even Zhu Xiangxiang was prepared to watch the show.


    Zhao Heng nervously pinched her hand for Ming Jing. The poor girl couldn¡¯t take such harsh words from Ren Chuan.


    Ren Chuan put down the tea tank, picked up thest test paper, shook it, and nced at the girl standing in front of him.


    ¡°Have you ever taken an Olympiad Mathematics ss before?¡±


    Ren Chuan¡¯s words left everyone baffled, not following the usual pattern anymore.


    Ren Chuan frowned, ¡°Never at all?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±


    Ren Chuan¡¯s gaze gradually deepened as he stared into Ming Jing¡¯s eyes while she calmly looked back.


    ¡°Very well, you got the highest score in this test. The only mistake you made was rted to higher mathematics, which is usually taught in college. It¡¯s normal not to be able to solve it. Pass this test paper around, look at the difference between yourselves and Ming Jing, her problem-solving approach is interesting. It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t do it, but that you can¡¯t even think of it. This is the kind of thinking Olympiad Mathematics should have, not being rigid or conservative.¡±


    Everyone was shocked; he was actually praising Ming Jing.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s gaze at Ming Jing changed.


    Ming Jing remained unchanged even after hearing the strict teacher¡¯s praise. Herposed and unyielding demeanor made Ren Chuan regard her with newfound respect.


    Zhu Xiangxiang gripped her test paper with her heart bleeding.


    Xie Zhen whispered, ¡°She¡¯s so amazing, even Teacher Ren praised her.¡± Tang Wan snorted, ¡°It¡¯s just a fluke.¡±


    ¡°This is not a fluke. We all know how difficult the test was. Her getting the highest score is proof of her strength. She¡¯s really perfect.¡± Xie Zhen admired Ming Jing.


    After school, Ming Jing shouldered her backpack and left the ssroom, and Song Yinzhang quickly caught up to her.


    ¡°Is your sister alright now?¡± Song Yinzhang asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine now. She¡¯s doing very well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t offer any help yesterday.¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t me yourself.¡±


    As the two of them walked out of the school gate, Ming Jing paused and said, ¡°This weekend, I¡¯m inviting Mr. Shen out for dinner. Since Mr. Jiao also helped me yesterday, please let him know about this weekend¡¯s gathering and ask him to apany Mr. Shen as a token of my gratitude.¡±


    Song Yinzhang raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely pass along your message.¡±


    ¡°If you have time, you should join us, too.¡±


    Song Yinzhang smiled, ¡°So many people want to have dinner with Mr. Shen but don¡¯t have the opportunity. Thank you for giving me this chance.¡±


    A white sedan slowly pulled up in front of them, and Ming Jing waved, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Heng ran out, but she could only see the car¡¯s tailpipe smoke.


    When Song Yinzhang returned home, he told Jiao Mei about Ming Jing¡¯s invitation to apany Shen Zhou this weekend. Jiao Mei was quite surprised.


    ¡°Yinzhang, do you think this Ms. Zhu already knew Shen beforehand? I always feel there¡¯s something unusual about their rtionship.¡±


    Song Yinzhangughed, ¡°Whether she knew him before or not, she¡¯s inviting you to apany her. Are you going to refuse?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be foolish to refuse. Our museum needs Shen¡¯s investment for the new exhibition hall. I¡¯ve been worried about how to find an opportunity to invite him to dinner. It¡¯s like a pillow when you¡¯re sleepy. At first, I thought this Ms. Zhu was a bit arrogant, but now I think she has excellent interpersonal skills. This is her way of giving me face. Quite extraordinary for someone her age.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m curious, Shen Zhou is not a person who likes social engagements. Apart from his friends, nobody can invite him. Yesterday, Ms. Zhu casually mentioned it, and he immediately agreed. I find it quite surprising..¡±

 Chapter 142 - 142: 077 Fate_4

    Chapter 142 - 142: 077 Fate_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Song Yinzhang knew what his mother was thinking, and said helplessly: ¡°Ming


    Jing is not such a person, and you also underestimate Mr. Shen.¡±


    Jiao Mei shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Are you still adapting to the math ss? Can you keep up with the lessons?¡±


    Song Yinzhang nodded: ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°What about Zhu Mingjing? Her overall score is only two points higher than yours. You¡¯ve been in the math ss since you were little, so she can¡¯tpare with you in this aspect, right?¡±


    Song Yinzhang shook his head with a smile: ¡°Mom, don¡¯t assume things anymore. In the exam yesterday, she was the only one out of the fifty students in the ss to be praised by Teacher Ren. Even I got scolded.¡±


    Jiao Mei couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°A girl this smart? I heard she grew up in the countryside and never went to school before. That¡¯s not normal, right?¡±


    ¡°Girls can¡¯t be smart? Biologically speaking, X chromosomes are naturally more perfect than Y chromosomes. ording to the evolutionary history of biology, Y chromosomes will gradually disappear. Don¡¯t underestimate women, they are the backbone of future social development.¡± Jiao Mei nced at him: ¡°I¡¯m a woman, I know better than you.¡±


    ¡°Yi Yi, would you like Auntie to y with you?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± The little girl held Han Suwen¡¯s hand without bearing any grudge. ¡°This is LEGO, it¡¯s a bit challenging to put together, but we don¡¯t need to rush, just take it slow.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t you know how to y? I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Looking at the little girl¡¯s innocent face, Han Suwen¡¯s eyes moistened slightly.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Wu.¡± Ming Ti entered the room, saw Han Suwen, and her face changed. She rushed over to pull Ming Yi behind her.


    She red at Han Suwen with caution: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare get close to Xiao Wu.¡±


    Han Suwen was at a loss: ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡±


    Ming Yi pulled Ming Ti¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Fourth Sister, she has already apologized to me, and now we are good friends.¡±


    Ming Ti red at her: ¡°Are you stupid? She almost kidnapped you yesterday, and you would never see Second Sister and me again. You¡¯d cry then.¡±


    Ming Yi was taken aback, only then realizing the seriousness of the situation.


    She looked at Han Suwen and mustered her courage to say, ¡°But Second Sister has forgiven her. She won¡¯t hurt me anymore. If Second Sister trusts her, we should trust her too.¡±


    Ming Ti was left speechless by her rebuttal and tapped Ming Yi¡¯s head: ¡°You and your logic.¡±


    She turned to re at Han Suwen: ¡°You can interact with Xiao Wu, but if you ever hurt her again, even if Second Sister forgives you, I will never forgive you.


    You¡¯ll spend the rest of your life in jail.¡±


    Ming Chen had been watching from the side, looking at Han Suwen, then at Xiao Wu, frowning in thought.


    Ming Yi and Han Suwen yed with LEGO together, while Ming Ti watched from the side. Ming Ti noticed that Ming Chen on the side was staring and daydreaming at the two of them and couldn¡¯t help but nudge her: ¡°What are you daydreaming about?¡±


    Ming Chen snapped back to reality and said with a frown, ¡°Do you still remember what Auntie Han said yesterday?¡±


    ¡°She said her daughter had a butterfly birthmark on her back.¡±


    Ming Ti hesitated, then sneered: ¡°She only said that after seeing Xiao Wu¡¯s back. She just wants to im Xiao Wu as her own. Why should she take our


    Xiao Wu just because she lost her daughter?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Wu is five years old this year; her daughter went missing five years ago.


    Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say? That Xiao Wu is her missing daughter? What a joke.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Second Sister hold her responsible and even brought her back? Knowing that she has mental issues, yet still allowing her to get close to Xiao Wu. Second Sister is not stupid, you know.¡±


    Ming Ti fell silent.


    Ming Chen sighed, ¡°Among the five of us sisters, Second Sister is the luckiest. She found her parents, and now Xiao Wu may also find her parents. Where are our parents, then?¡±


    Ming Ti¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly as she stared at Ming Chen: ¡°Since they abandoned us, we shouldn¡¯t mention them again. We don¡¯t have parents, none.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Maybe our parents had no choice but to leave us, or maybe they¡¯re still searching for us?¡±


    ¡°Forget about it. Don¡¯t hold on to unrealistic fantasies. We were abandoned, and only Big Sister, Second Sister, and Xiao Wu are our family. Keep that in mind.¡¯


    ¡°Fourth Sister¡­¡±


    Ming Ti walked over, pulled up Ming Yi, and left. Ming Yi called out, puzzled: ¡°Fourth Sister, where are you taking me?


    Han Suwen caught up and asked, ¡°Ming Ti, where are you taking Yi Yi?¡±

 Chapter 143 - 143: 077 Fate_5

    Chapter 143 - 143: 077 Fate_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Ti turned her head and stared at her: ¡°Don¡¯t follow.¡±


    When the little girl got fierce, it was terrifying. Han Suwen stood in ce, watching Ming Ti take Ming Yi away.


    Ming Chen hesitated for a moment, then walked over and said, ¡°Aunt Han, Ming Ti is just too worried about Xiao Wu getting hurt. She means no harm. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Han Suwen gave a small smile: ¡°Thank you for exining.¡±


    ¡°Did you sisters grow up together?¡±


    Ming Chen nodded: ¡°We¡¯re all abandoned children who grew up in the nunnery. Ming Jing was taken by mistake when she was born. It was only recently that the Zhus found out the truth, and Ming Jing returned to their home, bringing us with her.¡±


    Han Suwen never expected the truth to be like this. The other girl she saw in the morning must be the fake heiress who was mistakenly taken. It turned out that the Zhus¡¯ family situation was soplicated.


    ¡°Your sister is a good person.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is the best sister in the world. She practically raised Ming Yi since she was little, and actually loves her more than Ming Ti does. Ming Jing took care of our daily lives, taught us to read and write, and showed us the ways of life. In our hearts, they are like our parents.¡±


    ¡°Meeting Ms. Zhu was your good fortune.¡±


    ¡°Ming Chen, can you tell me something about Ming Yi(¡± Han Suwen pleaded. Ming Chen looked into her eyes: ¡°Alright. I can see that you are a good person who won¡¯t harm Ming Yi. What happened yesterday was an ident.¡±


    ¡°It must have been when I was about four years old. It¡¯s been so long that I don¡¯t remember it very clearly. That night, Ming Jing, Ming Ti, and I were all asleep when someone knocked on the door. Ming Jing had broken her leg while gathering herbs on the mountain earlier, so Ming Ti got up to open the door. She came back carrying a child in her arms.¡±


    Han Suwen listened carefully.


    Ming Chen recalled, ¡°Master was already asleep, and her health was not good, so Ming Jing didn¡¯t disturb her. She slept with the child, saying they would discuss the child¡¯s whereabouts the next day.¡±


    ¡°The next day, Master saw the child and liked her very much. But life in the nunnery was difficult, and Master didn¡¯t want her to stay there and suffer. She wanted to send her to a vige at the foot of the mountain to grow up healthy and happy. However, when Ming Yi heard she would be sent away, she suddenly cried. She had never cried since arriving at the nunnery. No matter how they tried tofort her, she wouldn¡¯t stop. She clutched Ming Jing¡¯s clothes tightly and refused to let go. Master, out of options, said that ording to Buddha, they were destined to be together, so they should keep Ming Yi and named her as such.¡±


    Han Suwen asked, ¡°What month did she arrive at the nunnery?¡±


    Ming Chen carefully thought it over: ¡°The weather was already a bit hot then. Ming Jing¡¯s peonies on the back mountain were in bloom, and she wanted to make flower cakes for us. It must have been around May.¡±


    Han Suwen ran back to her room and brought out a small baby¡¯s clothes for


    Ming Chen to see: ¡°Was she wearing clothes like this?¡±


    Ming Chen shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Our personal belongings were probably kept by Ming Jing, but she isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Where is your sister?¡±


    Ming Chen was frightened by the craziness in her eyes and murmured, ¡°She won¡¯t be back anytime soon.¡±


    Han Suwen clutched the clothes and knelt on the ground, weeping heartbreakingly.


    Ming Chen hesitated for a moment, then squatted down and gently patted her back, ¡®You will definitely find your daughter.¡±


    Ming Chen nced at the baby clothes in her hand and slightly narrowed her eyes.


    At dinner, Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the unfamiliar Han Suwen, frowning, ¡°Are you the new caretaker?¡±


    Han Suwen calmly replied, ¡®Yes, Ms. Xiangxiang.¡±


    In just one day, she had figured out the rules of survival in the Zhus¡¯ house.


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed, ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Now the entire Zhu family has be her people, and I have be the outsider.¡±


    Nobody paid her any attention, Granny Zhu nced at her, her eyes cold. ¡°Nobody treats you like an outsider except yourself. ¡±


    ¡°Granny, let¡¯s talk reason. It¡¯s fine that she brought her junior sisters back, but the kids are so noisy, it¡¯s seriously affecting my rest. I need to focus on my math sses.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing attended the same math sses as you. How many points did she score, and how many did you get? Without the necessary skills, don¡¯t take on delicate tasks. The Zhus¡¯ money didn¡¯t just fall from the sky to be wasted by


    you..¡±

 Chapter 144 - 144: 077 Fate_6

    Chapter 144 - 144: 077 Fate_6


    Trantor: 549690339


    Granny Zhu spoke without any mercy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked, ¡°How did you know about the exam? Did Zhu Mingjing tell on me?¡±


    Granny Zhuughed, ¡®Mingjing wouldn¡¯t talk about such boring things. It was Teacher Ren who called this afternoon, praising Mingjing for being smart and exceptional, the best student he¡¯s ever taught. As soon as I thought you were also in the same ss, I casually asked him about your performance. Do you know what he replied?¡±


    Granny Zhu nced at Zhu Xiangxiang. The ridiculing in her eyes was potent. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned pale, her hand holding the chopsticks began to tremble.


    Lin Qing didn¡¯te back for dinner so at the table, it was only Granny Zhu, Zhu Xiangxiang, Ming Ti, Ming Chen, and Ming Wong. Ming Jing was in her room.


    Granny Zhu said word by word, ¡°He said in his own words, ¡®Is Zhu Xiangxiang really Zhu Mingjing¡¯s sister? The gic difference between the Zhus is too big. Just because the sister sees her little sister exceling in her ss doesn¡¯t mean she has to attend too. She should be aware of her own skills. It¡¯s better to not waste the money and spend it on food, drink and pleasure than smashing it on this.¡±¡®


    Granny Zhu mmed the table, ¡°My family can afford it, but cannot lose face. Starting tomorrow, you don¡¯t have to go to that ss anymore. Consider the money spent as lost.¡±


    Ming Ti curled his lips, served you right; with your stupid brain, you wanted topete with Ming Jing? You are just an imitator.


    Zhu Xiangxiang noticed Ming Ti¡¯s mocking look, which was like a sharp knife stabbing her heart. She wanted to throw her chopsticks and argue with Granny Zhu, but reason told her that she absolutely couldn¡¯t do this, otherwise, things would be irreparable.


    Zhu Xiangxiang held back again and again, took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, she showed a tearful expression, no trace of her previous arrogance.


    ¡°Granny, I know I was wrong, I¡¯ll listen to you. I won¡¯t go to the math ss tomorrow. I¡¯m not as smart as Ming Jing, so I won¡¯t go and humiliate myself.¡±


    Granny Zhu snorted, ¡°As long as you know.¡±


    She sighed in her heart, this child is ruined.


    Back in her room, Zhu Xiangxiang pounded her pillow fiercely to vent her anger. She had been filial to Granny Zhu since she was a child, sixteen years, and still fell short of Zhu Mingjing, whom she had only known for three months. How ridiculous!


    Zhu Xiangxiang dialed the number. It rang for a long time before the person on the other side answered with a flirtatious tone, ¡°What¡¯s up?


    Zhu Xiangxiang realized something and blushed, coughing, ¡°Is it convenient to talk?¡±


    ¡°Your father just went to take a shower. Go ahead.¡±


    A sense of revenge rose in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart. If Lin Qing knew about this, would she be mad?


    Realizing her evil thoughts, Zhu Xiangxiang startled and quickly let go of them, saying, ¡°When are we going to take action? I can¡¯t stand it another day.¡±


    ¡°What, did Zhu Mingjing give you a hard time?¡±


    ¡°Her mere existence is a bitter pill for me. ¡±


    ¡°I understand. Even the most dazzling stars be dim when near the moon.¡±


    ¡°You¡­


    ¡°You, the once top socialite, have so little grace, it¡¯s really disappointing. I¡¯ve overestimated you.¡± Zhou Ling said quite disappointedly. However, if it wasn¡¯t for this, she wouldn¡¯t have been so easily manipted.


    So-called prestigious families¡¯ carefully cultivated socialites weren¡¯t much, after all, they couldn¡¯t escape their bloodline¡¯s constraints.


    ¡°Zhou Ling, don¡¯t be so shameless. Right now, you¡¯re the one begging me for help. ¡±


    ¡°It seems you got it wrong. You¡¯re the one begging me.¡± Zhou Ling¡¯s gentle voice made people grit their teeth.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that my father will find out what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°You can tell him right now.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked.


    ¡°On the other hand, you secretly drugged your mother. Tsk tsk, if word gets out, do you think the Zhus can still tolerate you? What kind of reputation would you get?¡±


    ¡°You forced me to do it, the poison was given by you.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡°You venomous woman.¡±


    ¡°You need to be clear. Right now, you and I are in the same boat. If I sink, you¡¯ll drown too, little sister. Think about it carefully. I hope that next time I see you, there will be less resentment in you. Also, here¡¯s a piece of advice: don¡¯t be so jealous, think less about things, and you¡¯ll be much happier.¡±


    With that, she hung up the phone.


    Zhou Ling curled her lips, what a fool.


    The bathroom door opened, and Zhu Wentao walked out wearing a bathrobe. He was nearly forty, the prime age for men. He took good care of himself and exercised asionally, looking younger than his actual age..

 Chapter 145 - 145: 077 Fate_7

    Chapter 145: 077 Fate_7


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Who were you on the phone with?¡±


    Zhou Ling said with a charming smile, ¡°A man.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes darkened, and Zhou Ling covered her mouth and giggled,


    ¡°Jealous? Just kidding, it¡¯s Manager Fu. He¡¯s hosting a dinner at Dechang


    Building this weekend, inviting you and some investors.¡±


    Zhu Wentao gently tapped her nose, ¡°You naughty thing.¡±


    Zhou Ling took hold of his hand, ¡°I know you¡¯re upset that we didn¡¯t secure The


    Oasis Program, but there¡¯s nothing we could do. We were never in Shenzhou


    Group¡¯s ns. We have to find new projects now. Manager Fu has a few lined up for you to check out.¡±


    ¡°This Shen Zhou is really incorrigible,¡± Zhu Wentao said unhappily.


    ¡°He has the right to be. Don¡¯t be mad. Let¡¯s work harder together. Once ourpany grows stronger and its market value surpasses Shenzhou Group, we won¡¯t have to please anyone anymore.¡± Zhu Wentao caressed her face, ¡°I know it¡¯s been hard on you these days.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel tired at all if I¡¯m with you.¡±


    Zhou Ling leaned into Zhu Wentao¡¯s embrace, her eyes shimmering, and gently ced a hand on her belly, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about the hardships our child will face.¡±


    Zhu Wentao was taken aback, then grabbed her shoulders, looking at her stomach with disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    Zhou Ling shyly smiled, but momentster her expression turned somber, ¡°I don¡¯t want our child to be born out of wedlock and be looked down upon for their entire life. I¡¯ll go to the hospital tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Ling said worriedly, ¡°But what about Madam¡­?¡±


    Zhu Wentao snorted, ¡°You leave everything to me. Just focus on taking care of yourself and the baby.¡±


    There were only three people in the Shen household: Shen Zhou, Elder Theodore Shelby, and a maid named Madam Zhang.


    The two-story vi was decorated cozily, but it was always cold and lifeless.


    Unable to sit still, Elder Theodore Shelby had turned the entire garden¡¯snd over, nting a variety of vegetables like potatoes, rapeseed, and tomatoes, treating the garden as a vegetable patch.


    Shen Zhou went along with it as a form of exercise. However, due to the recent incident on the subway, he asked Elder Theodore to rest more at home. But the elder could not sit still and would go to the park to meet up with his dance partners. Shen Zhou, fearing another ident, provided a car and even hired a bodyguard to apany him.


    Today, the old man hade back in high spirits to fertilize his potatoes.


    ¡°Uncle Shen, let me help you,¡± a gentle and charming voice sounded. Elder Theodore looked up andughed, ¡°Nana, you¡¯re not giving up, are you?¡± Mao Nana smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you like seeing me, Uncle Shen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just don¡¯t want you to be hurt. Shen Zhou won¡¯t be gentle with you. Don¡¯t cry and run back home toin again. People who don¡¯t know might think he bullied you.¡±


    Mao Nana stepped into the vegetable patch, frowning slightly at her custom-made high heels.


    Elder Theodore waved his hand, ¡°I appreciate your filial piety, but don¡¯te in. You don¡¯t want your beautiful shoes to get muddy.¡±


    Indeed, Mao Nana stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°Uncle Shen, don¡¯t you want a grandson?¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyes lit up, then dimmed immediately, ¡°It¡¯s not up to me. The one who should put in the effort is the father.¡±


    ¡°As long as you help me, I assure you, you¡¯ll have a grandson.¡±


    Elder Theodore nced at her, ¡°You better go back. I still want to live a few more years.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Shen, it¡¯s not easy for me toe to Jiangzhou. I¡¯m determined to marry him. Please help me. I promise to give you a healthy grandson and treat you like my real father.¡±


    Her words made Elder Theodoreugh, ¡°You probably don¡¯t even treat your biological father this well. For a man who doesn¡¯t love you, is it worth it? What are girls thinking these days?¡±


    Mao Nana bit her lip, ¡°So do you really want him to stay single forever?¡±


    Elder Theodore sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not up to me. There¡¯s a woman in his heart he can¡¯t forget.¡±


    Looking Mao Nana up and down, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m just saying, that woman made Shen Zhou remember her for so many years and vow not to marry anyone else. You can imagine what kind of fairy she must be. Even if you remold yourself, it won¡¯t work. So, my advice to you is to go back home and stop bothering him.¡±


    Mao Nana¡¯s eyes narrowed, a fierce aura emanating from her as she asked, ¡°Who is that woman?¡±Elder Theodore Shelby snorted, ¡°How would I know who it is?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it was a fairy? Howe you don¡¯t know now?¡± Mao Nana was confused by him.


    At this moment, the sound of a car came from outside the front door, the iron gate slowly opened, and a ck sedan drove in. Mao Nana¡¯s eyes lit up, and she unconsciously greeted it.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re back.¡±


    A woman in her thirties callinq someone ¡°brother¡± was reallv eerie, at least Shen Ke shivered a lot.


    Shen Zhou frowned at her, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see you, Brother Zhou. I really miss you.¡±


    Without showing any expression, Shen Zhou avoided her approach, strode into the house, ¡°Shen Ke,e to the study, we have a meeting.¡±


    Shen Ke helplessly said to Mao Nana, ¡°Ms. Mao, I¡¯m sorry, the boss has an overseas video conference to attend and it will probably be veryte. You should go back first, don¡¯t let Mr. Mao worry.¡±


    With that, he quickly caught up with Shen Zhou.


    Mao Nana stomped her foot angrily, Mr. Shen shrugged, ¡°See, I told you.¡±


    In the study, Shen Zhou opened the bottom drawer and took out a picture frame from inside.


    In the frame was a photo of a young and beautiful woman standing in front of a peach tree, looking back with a smile.


    The woman had long, flowing ck hair and fair skin like snow; her beauty was even more stunning than the peach blossoms behind her when she smiled.


    Shen Zhou¡¯s fingers gently brushed the woman¡¯s face in the photo, his eyes lost in memories, seemingly sweet yet also sad.


    Outside the door, Shen Ke knocked, ¡°Sir.¡±


    Shen Zhou put down the frame, his voice indifferent, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Shen Ke entered, noticing the frame by his side, his eyes dimmed.


    Did the boss think of her again?


    Shen Ke ced a stack of materials in front of her, ¡°These were personally collected by me, all the information about Ms. Ming Jing Zhou. This time, there won¡¯t be any mistakes.¡±


    He emphasized the three words ¡®Zhu Mingjing¡¯ particrly hard.


    Bringing it up was a humiliation in his career.


    It took Shen Zhou a while to pick up the materials and start reading. After a long time, he put down the materials.


    ¡°Zhu Wentao has a good daughter.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu called, she¡¯s hosting a dinner at the Dechang Building this weekend, inviting you and Mr. Jiao to dine together.¡±


    Shen Zhou nodded and hesitated before saying, ¡°Why did she message you?¡±


    Shen Keughed, ¡°Maybe because I¡¯m your assistant.¡±


    Shen Ke didn¡¯t dwell on this issue, he suddenly asked, ¡°Shen Ke, you¡¯re not young anymore, why don¡¯t you get married.¡±


    Shen Ke stared nkly for a moment, helplessly said, ¡°Sir, the prerequisite for marriage is to have a partner first.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have one? There are so many girls in thepany chasing you.¡±


    Shen Ke shook his head, ¡°Fate hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡±


    Shen Zhou frowned, ¡°Fate? What is fate?¡±


    Shen Ke thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s probably when I see her in the crowd for the first time, I feel she¡¯s the one I¡¯ve been waiting for all my life.¡± Shen Zhou nced at him, ¡°Not young anymore, still quite romantic.¡±


    Shen Ke rubbed his nose.


    ¡°Did the boss think of her again?¡±


    Shen Zhou looked out the window, not realizing that it had turned dark; his reflection was reflected on the floor-to-ceiling windows..

 Chapter 146 - 146: 078 Justice (First Shift)

    Chapter 146: 078 Justice (First Shift)


    Trantor: 549690339


    The ck car stopped in the Zhus¡¯ yard.


    A business Mercedes, low-key and luxurious, this was Zhu Wentao¡¯s car.


    Uncle Wen was surprised and immediately went forward to greet him: ¡°Sir, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    The word ¡®finally¡¯ carried some spirit.


    Zhu Wentao, dressed neatly, got out of the car and said to Uncle Wen, ¡°There are some nutritional supplements I bought for mom in the trunk, please take them out.¡±


    Uncle Wen hurriedly went to open the trunk.


    Zhu Wentao adjusted his cor, picked up his briefcase, and walked into the Zhus¡¯ living room.


    ¡°Tell him to take his things and get out! I don¡¯t have this son!¡± Granny Zhu¡¯s angry voice came from the bedroom.


    Madam Zhou persuaded, ¡°Sir, you¡¯d better avoid her for now. The old madam doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    Han Suwen hid in the kitchen and took a sneaky peek.


    The Zhu family¡¯s situation was even moreplicated than she thought.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen hid upstairs with Ming. Hearing themotion downstairs, Ming Chen asked, ¡°Should we call Ming Jing?¡±


    Ming Jing was at herpetition ss, and ording to the schedule, she wouldn¡¯t be home for another half an hour.


    Ming Ti took out his cell phone and called Ming Jing, but no one answered.


    ¡°She might be in ss.¡±


    Ming Ti said, ¡°Let¡¯s not leave the room.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t go to herpetition ss today. She had no face to show there. Hearing the noise downstairs, she came down. ¡°Dad?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang cried and threw herself at him.


    ¡°Are you going to abandon me and mom?


    Zhu Wentao had sincerely loved this daughter, and even though it waster proven that there was no blood rtion, his love was genuine. He gently patted Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s back: ¡°How did you do on your final exams?¡±


    As soon as he asked about her grades, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s body stiffened up.


    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s okay, I guess.¡±


    She quickly changed the subject: ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not leaving again this time, are you?¡±


    Zhu Wentao looked at his daughter¡¯s hopeful eyes, and his lips moved slightly,


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mom?¡±


    ¡°Mom hasn¡¯t been feeling welltely. She¡¯s resting upstairs. She¡¯ll be happy to know you¡¯re back,¡± Xiangxiang said excitedly as she ran upstairs.


    Soon, Zhu Xiangxiang helped Lin Qing downstairs.


    Compared to her usual morous and proud appearance, she looked like a frostbitten eggnt, wilted and exhausted, with downcast eyes. If it weren¡¯t for Zhu Xiangxiang supporting her, she could hardly walk.


    Zhu Wentao frowned. After all, they had been husband and wife for 20 years, having weathered storms together. Seeing her like this, his heart softened a bit, but when he thought of the delicate beauty and the unborn child, his heart instantly hardened again.


    ¡°You nevere back without a reason, so tell me, what do you want?¡± Lin Qing uttered this sentence as if it took a lot of effort, then bent over with a cough and sat down on the sofa.


    ¡°What happened to you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m not dead yet,¡± Lin Qing said irritably.


    Seeing her impervious demeanor, Zhu Wentao didn¡¯t bother to pretend anymore. Getting sick wasn¡¯t something people could control, and it had notnlng to ao witn mm.


    He took out two documents, ¡°Let¡¯s get a divorce.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted, and her hands tightly grasped the sofa cushions.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang cried out in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t do it! Don¡¯t divorce mom!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang rushed over and knelt at his feet, crying heartbreakingly.


    Zhu Wentao touched her hair: ¡°Xiangxiang, I¡¯m helpless too. Do you want to follow your mom or me? You choose.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked back at Lin Qing, ¡°I don¡¯t want to follow anyone, I just want my mom and dad.¡±


    Zhu Wentao saw Lin Qing¡¯s silence and said, ¡°As for the division of property and child custody, it¡¯s all written in the agreement. If you have no objection, just sign it.¡±


    Lin Qing picked up the agreement and examined it carefully, because she wanted to see how shameless this man could be.


    As expected, she had underestimated his shamelessness.


    ¡°You want the child, and you want me to leave empty-handed? Zhu Wentao, have you no shame?¡± Lin Qing threw the agreement in his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re so eager to divorce me, is it because your mistress is pregnant, and you want me to make way for you? Let me tell you, unless I die, she¡¯ll always be a mistress, and her child will always be illegitimate!¡±


    Zhu Wentao picked up the agreement and looked at her, ¡°I¡¯ve already left you the shares and some real estate. Are you still not satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re such a ridiculous man! I supported you when we started with nothing. In the hardest times, we ate steamed bread and pickles for a month. When you were running out of money, I took out my family heirloom dowry to tide you over. When you were sick and bedridden, I stayed up all night taking care of you with my swollen belly, which caused my child to be born prematurely and swapped by others..¡±</p

 Chapter 147 - 147: 078 Fairness (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 147 - 147: 078 Fairness (First Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Qing gave a bitterugh, ¡°This isn¡¯t a case of mistaken identity. I¡¯ve never dared to tell anyone, for fear of the disgrace it brings. A private detective confirmed my suspicions. You, in your ruthless rivalry, forced yourpetitor into bankruptcy. In their bitterness, they intentionally swapped my daughter, resulting in years of painful separation.¡±


    Although medical technology wasn¡¯t advanced in the small town back then, it was unlikely that the nurse could simply mix up babies. If it wasn¡¯t a mistake, what else can exin it? The nurse had no personal grudge against her. The detective found the clue, but revealing it would put the Zhus to shame. So, she had him withhold that information.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Lin Qing, horrified. Why hadn¡¯t she discovered this when she was investigating? Could it be that Lin Qing erased any trace of it before she could find it?


    ¡°Zhu Wentao, I helped you build this massive fortune. I expected neither your pity nor yourpassion, but you shouldn¡¯t have been so heartless. The 23% shares was the fruit of mybor over many years. You, however, are boundlessly greedy. When I chose to leave mypany for my family, you took the opportunity to dilute my shares. I only have 0.03% left. Should I be grateful that you have left me something for my funeral?¡±


    Each word from thedy seemed to bleed her sorrow, triggering burning indignation in everyone present. They despised Zhu Wentao, the utter scoundrel.


    Han suwen tnougnt to nersell, men In rms world so orten provea raltmess. Only by being independent and strong could a woman secure her ce in this world.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt that Zhu Wentao was too much. Looking at Lin Qing¡¯s heartbroken and haggard face, she felt a pang of guilt in her own heart. She started to wonder if she had done something terribly wrong.


    This woman suffered enough as it was.


    But, hadn¡¯t she suffered as well? From a rich heiress to a derided orphan with an obscure background. Among them all, she was the most unfortunate one.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face paled with alternating shades of green and white when realizing something unpleasant was about to happen. He snapped impatiently, ¡°After all these years, consider how I treated you. If the love is gone, then separating is the best choice for both of us. I didn¡¯t inform you about the share dilution, but I did that out of concern for thepany¡¯s development. I willpensate you elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Is thepensation you¡¯re providing me from these immovable properties? Keep them for yourself. I absolutely won¡¯t agree to the divorce. Even if I die, I will still be Mrs. Zhu. Your mistress won¡¯t even dream of stepping our threshold. ¡±


    Lin Qing took a firm stance without yielding an inch. Finishing her words, she slumped into the sofa and gasped for breath.


    Zhu Xiangxiang rushed to pat her on the back, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry. Dad must have his reasons.¡±


    Zhu Wentao looked at Zhu Xiangxiang, thinking he hadn¡¯t spoiled this particr daughter for nothing.


    Lin Qing shrugged off her hand, her expression icy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened, and she clenched her teeth in frustration.


    ¡°Whether you sign the divorce agreement today or not, you will have to sign it eventually,¡± Zhu Wentao was even more adamant.


    Lin Qingughed until she cried, ¡°Zhu Wentao, twenty years of marital bonds can¡¯tpare to three months of passion? What am I, exactly? What is my twenty-year devotion to this family? If not for me, think of the kids! You don¡¯t even care about them anymore, you¡¯re not fit to be a husband and much less of a father.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly with rage, raising his hand to p Lin


    Qing.


    At this moment, a cold voice came, ¡°I dare you to try it.¡±


    The voice was like a thunderbolt out of the blue, startling everyone.


    Zhu Wentao turned subconsciously and saw Ming Jing walking in from the doorway. She was d in a pure white dress, radiating an air of untouchable grace.


    Ming Jing stared at him with jet-ck eyes, showing mockery, disgust, and contempt, all mingling with an inscrutable sense of indifference. Zhu Wentao, feeling infuriated, shot back, ¡°You dare to talk back to me?¡±


    ¡°Or am I talking to a dog?¡± Zhu Wentao was furious, ¡°I am your father.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a brute for a father.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s voice was utterly calm, but it nearly drove Zhu Wentao to spit blood with anger. He pointed at Ming Jing, stuttering, ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±


    Ming Jing stood in front of Lin Qing. Although tall, she seemed somewhat smaller in front of Zhu Wentao, who¡¯s one head taller. However, she stood straight and held his gaze without fear.


    ¡°As for the divorce, sure. I will file a suit at the court immediately, demanding a fair division of property. All marital property should be split equally. Oh, I forgot, you cheated first. If I have evidence and sue you for infidelity before the judge, maybe you are the one who should leave with nothing.¡±


    Ming Jing spoke with a calm and rational voice. Looking at her upright figure standing in front of her, Lin Qing, who was filled with worry and distress, suddenly felt a sense of relief.


    ¡°Also, I suspect that you have deliberately transferred joint marital property during the existence of our marriage. Exin that to the judge in court. Uncle Wen, please show him out..¡±

 Chapter 148 - 148: 078 Fairness (First Watch)—3

    Chapter 148 - 148: 078 Fairness (First Watch)¡ª3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Uncle Wen staggered over, not knowing what to do.


    Zhu Wentao pointed at Ming Jing¡¯s face, ¡°You really are my good daughter.¡±


    Ming Jing remained expressionless and said, ¡°One can share adversity, but not wealth and nobility. Men in this world are all fickle, and you¡¯re just one of them. The universalw is clear, cause and effect are cyclical, it¡¯s not unrequited, it¡¯s just not the right time yet.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face changed, ¡°You¡¯re cursing me? Unfilial child.¡±


    Out of anger, he stretched out his hand to p Ming Jing¡¯s face, but she easily caught his wrist. Facing a girl much thinner than himself, Zhu Wentao was shocked to find that he could not shake her off.


    ¡°Only powerless men resort to violence against their wives and children. You are a selfish and weak man at heart, unworthy of being her husband and my father.¡±


    Ming Jing let go, Zhu Wentao retreated a few steps and was barely steadied by Uncle Wen.


    Zhu Wentao hadpletely lost face this time.


    Ming Jing looked at him indifferently, showing no sadness or joy, ¡°The word ¡®lust¡¯ cuts like a knife. Indulging in fleeting pleasures is human nature¡¯s inferior aspect. Perhaps you think you¡¯re doing the right thing now, unwilling to listen to any advice and never reflecting on your actions. Continue down this path, never look back, because there¡¯s no turning back.¡±


    ¡°Regret will gnaw at you like maggots in the marrow, haunting you throughout your life. You¡¯ll figure it out slowly.¡± Ming Jing said to Uncle Wen, ¡°Please show our guest out.¡±


    Uncle Wen looked at Zhu Wentao, hesitant.


    Zhu Wentao stared deeply at Ming Jing, ¡°You¡¯ve learned the Buddha¡¯s teachings for a few days and have all these big theories, I won¡¯t regret it, never ever will I regret it.¡±


    ¡°I respect your decision, but at the same time, please don¡¯t bother us again.


    We¡¯ll meet each other in court.¡±


    Humphing, Zhu Wentao turned and left.


    ¡°Dad.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang followed him instinctively.


    Lin Qing slumped on the sofa, shaking her head in pain, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ming Jing turned around, patted her gently on the shoulder, andforted her softly, ¡°You should be d that you left such a scumbag. Wasting pain on someone unworthy is a degradation of yourself. Whether it¡¯s degeneration or rebirth, the choice is in your hands.¡±


    Lin Qing stared at her, then hugged her, ¡°Ming Jing, I sincerely apologize to you. You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t be sad for that scumbag, he doesn¡¯t deserve it. I want him to pay the price.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked in and saw this scene.


    Her gaze sank, and she silently went inside.


    If they really go to court, following either of them wouldn¡¯t be ideal, the best oue would be¡­


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes drooped slightly, a strange curve forming at the corner of her lips.


    Havingforted Lin Qing, Ming Jing closed the door and came out. Zhu Xiangxiang, with a worried face, said, ¡°Ming Jing, do you really want Mom and Dad to divorce? You should persuade Mom to discuss with Dad and not make hasty decisions.¡±


    ¡°Like you did earlier, being so impulsive and even confronting Dad, he must be very angry. Just apologize to Dad, he won¡¯t me you.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze lingered on her face, her expression a mix of seriousness and humor.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her discontentedly, ¡°Did you hear what I just said?¡±


    ¡°Forcing them to stay together will only make them resent each other. If you really cared about our mother, you wouldn¡¯t be saying such selfish things.¡± ¡°Am I being selfish?¡± Zhu Xiangxiangughed sarcastically.


    ¡°Ever since you returned, one thing after another has happened in this family. I doubt your intentions towards the Zhus.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head andughed, ¡°Those who do evil will eventually be punished.¡±


    Unable to entertain her further, Ming Jing left for the kitchen.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stomped her foot in anger, wondering why Ming Jing was so indifferent to her.


    Jiao Mei got out of the car and looked up at the antique Dechang Building in the night. The twonterns hanging in front of the door were decorated with dragons and phoenixes, symbolizing good fortune. The golden light gleamed in the dimmp light.


    ¡°A Dechang Building branch has opened in Jiangzhou. Thanks to Ms. Zhu¡¯s generosity, we have a chance to experience it tonight.¡±


    A curvaceous woman in a cheongsam greeted them, her appearanceplemented by the splendid ancient building behind her. It was as if they had traveled through time.


    ¡°Do you have a reservation?¡±


    Song Yinzhang said, ¡°Hanguang Pavilion, Ms. Zhu.¡±


    The female attendant respectfully extended her right hand and slightly bowed,


    ¡°Please follow me.¡±


    Entering the building, they saw a screen wall, on which there was a relief ofndscapes and mountains. The carving was lifelike, and under the dim light, it looked quite elegant.


    Walking past the screen wall, they were surrounded by a number of independent pavilions with intricately carved beams and flowing drapes. In the night, the scene was full of ancient charm and exuded a sense of romantic elegance..

 Chapter 149 - 149: 078 Fairness (First Watch)_4

    Chapter 149: 078 Fairness (First Watch)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the middle was a huge lotus pond, with buds blooming and a faint scent of lotus lingering,


    On each pavilion hung a gold and blue que, inscribed in wild cursive script with their respective names.


    The servant led them up to Hanguang Pavilion, a small pavilion from which you could enjoy a 360-degree view of Jiangzhou¡¯s neon night scene, as well as the twinkling starry river of Qujiang not far away.


    In the middle was a low square table, surrounded by several meditation cushions, suggesting a time-honored kneeling position was expected.


    In a cdon flower vase on the square table were a few branches of silver willows ornamented with several tulips. a blend of ssical and elegant.


    Off to the side was a set of tea utensils.


    They arrived early, Zhu Mingjing and Shen Zhou were not here yet.


    Jiao Mei wandered around the pavilion, gazing at the far-off Qujiang, she took a deep breath and remarked, ¡°From this vantage point, the nighttime Qujiang looks like a sprawling dragon, the view is indeed remarkable.¡±


    ¡°And this Dechang Building, as it is known for its elegance. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation. I wonder who the owner behind it is.¡±


    ¡°Usually, only important figures can arrange banquets here. Without status and influence, it¡¯s impossible to get. This Ms. Zhu is truly capable.¡±


    Song Yinzhang chuckled, ¡°Mother, why do you think so much, we¡¯re just here to keeppany.¡±


    As it was still early, Jiao Mei took a seat on the meditation cushion. The servant knelt on one side skillfully washing and pouring tea.


    The female servant had a slender neck and a gentle appearance, which appeared even more amiable under themplight. Jiao Mei pouted, thinking that the proprietor of the store was indeed good at doing business.


    At the same time, at the front gate, two cars stopped simultaneously. Ming Jing got out of her car, came across Shen Zhou who had also just disembarked, both were stunned for a moment, thenughed.


    ¡°Mr. Shen.¡± Ming Jing walked up to him, she was wearing a bamboo green long dress, light and soft, just like the clear spring in summer, purifying the night.


    Shen Zhou was momentarily stunned as he regarded the girl approaching, quickly recovered, and chuckled self-deprecatingly, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I hope I didn¡¯t miscalcte the time.¡±


    At this time, Shen Ke and Zhao Heng got down from the other side. When Zhao Heng saw Ming Jing, his eyes lit up, and a smile secretly curled at the corner of his mouth.


    Indeed, insisting on apanying his uncle was the right decision.


    ¡°Everyone knows Mr. Shen is punctual, on the contrary, it¡¯s me who has been impolite. ¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, don¡¯t be too formal, let¡¯s consider this just a casual meal,¡± Shen Zhou said in a straightforward manner.


    The female servant came out to greet them. Seeing Shen Zhou, she paused, then quickly adopted an even more respectful manner to wee him.


    The four followed the servant inside. This was Ming Jing¡¯s first visit to Dechang Building, and she admired the scenery in the night.


    As their cars were just being parked by staff members, two other cars simultaneously pulled up.


    ¡°Mr. Fu, long time no see, you¡¯ve be much more spirited.¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s the presence of Ms. Zhu that truly perks people up.¡±


    Zhu Wentao had Zhou Ling on his arm, looking like a perfect couple.


    Across from them, Fu Nansheng, who was in his forties, had an arm around a woman with snowy-white arms, equally a charming beauty.


    After trading pleasantries upon meeting, they followed the servant inside.


    Past the shadow wall, in themplit distance, indistinct figures seemed to loom.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mr. Shen?¡± The beautiful woman next to Fu Nansheng pointed at the faint figures ahead.


    This woman, who is often seen in high-end clubs, always has someone at least at the level of Fu Nansheng apanying her. So when she spoke, Fu Nansheng understood instantly.


    ¡°Is it really Mr. Shen? I didn¡¯t hear that he had social engagements at Dechang Building tonight?¡±


    Upon hearing Shen Zhou¡¯s name, Zhu Wentao¡¯s heart raised.


    The beautiful woman, named Lu Mi,ughed, ¡°It seems to be a private gathering. Maybe it¡¯s some friends of Mr. Shen.¡±


    Mr. Shen¡¯s friends would certainly not be ordinary people.


    I help ligules were indistinct, but a woman was walking shoulder to shoulder with Shen Zhou. As they turned a corner, the woman¡¯s profile was directly facing their direction.


    Zhu Wentao paused. Why did the woman seem somehow familiar?


    Was he seeing things?


    Fu Nanshengughed, ¡°I heard Mr. Shen is indifferent to women. I wonder if the womanpanion by his side is going to break that rumor?¡±


    Lu Mi covered her mouth and giggled, ¡°Mr. Shen is a normal man. Having desires is normal. But it¡¯s a wonder who that lucky one is.¡±


    Fu Nansheng¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Let¡¯s take this opportunity to greet Mr. Shen.¡±


    Zhu Wentao had the same idea. This offered an excellent opportunity that should not be missed.


    Zhou Ling murmured softly, ¡°Approaching so recklessly might not be good.¡±


    Zhu Wentao had finally seized an opportunity and he couldn¡¯t possibly let it go.


    He ignored Zhou Ling..

 Chapter 150 - 150: 078 Fairness (First Watch)_5

    Chapter 150: 078 Fairness (First Watch)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    However, there were waiters guarding every entrance, so they couldn¡¯t get in without a reservation.


    They were stopped as soon as they approached.


    Zhu Wentao said, ¡°We heard that Mr. Shen is upstairs, we just want to greet him. Could you please let us pass?¡± As he said this, he took off a watch from his wrist and handed it to the waiter.


    This watch could buy a car, but to Zhu Wentao, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. If it could help him get close to Mr. Shen, it would be worth it.


    Without changing his expression, the waiter returned the watch to Zhu


    Wentao, saying, ¡°Sorry sir, I can¡¯t let you in without a reservation.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face fell, as the waiter remained unmoved by his bribe.


    Upstairs, several people sat down as Zhao Heng secretly winked at Song Yinzhang.


    Song Yinzhang shook his head andughed.


    Jiao Mei was surprised and asked, ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± He didn¡¯t know what rtionship this youth had with Mr. Shen.


    Song Yinzhang said, ¡°Zhao Heng was my middle school desk-mate.¡±


    Jiao Mei said with a smile, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    Zhao Heng had learned from Song Yinzhang that Ming Jing would be hosting Mr. Shen today, so he had begged his uncle to bring him along.


    Zhao Heng put his arm around Song Yinzhang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡®Yinzhang,


    Ming Jing, and I were all in the same mathpetition ss.¡±


    Jiao Mei nodded, ¡°That¡¯s nice. You can look out for each other.¡±


    Ming Jing said to the female attendant, ¡°Allow me.¡±


    The attendant nodded and stepped aside.


    Ming Jing picked up the sandalwood on the table, lit it, and ced it into the incense burner, letting the faint sandalwood aroma spread.


    In a small porcin container filled with water, a pair of slender, fair hands dipped into the water, wetting and drying them, before picking up a clean cloth to dry thempletely.


    As the young girl performed these tasks, she had a serious and devout expression. The dim light entuated her dignified and calm demeanor, involuntarily eliciting respect from those watching.


    Her delicate hands held the teapot, pouring water into the teacup for washing. Boiling water washed over the purple y pot, fair cup, sniffing cup, and tasting cup. Her movements were fluid and natural, while the onlookers didn¡¯t blink, captivated by her grace.


    She picked up the Jun needle and manipted the utensils, beginning to wash and brew the tea. The brewing process required precise timing; a few seconds difference would greatly affect the tea¡¯s quality. To avoid uneven concentration, she poured the tea into a fairness cup and distributed it among the individual cups.


    The young girl was patient, and her every movement was elegant. Jiao Mei had apanied many leaders in drinking tea, and she knew they appreciated the art. Even the tea masters who had practiced for over a decade couldn¡¯t achieve such perfection.


    Shen Zhouughed, ¡°Fairness cup, fairness cup. What is fairness in this world?¡±


    Jiao Mei was stunned, watching as the girl calmly and contently poured tea from the fairness cup into individual cups.


    ¡°Those who are content are full, those who are greedy are empty, fairness lies in the human heart.¡±


    Shen Zhou roared withughter, ¡°Well said, fairness lies in the human heart.¡±


    He looked intently at the kneeling young girl, his expression one of joy and openness that Shen Ke had never seen before.


    Jiao Mei¡¯s inquisitive gazended on Ming Jing, amazed at the girl¡¯s patience and her skill in winning over Shen Zhou.


    With the cups filled seven-tenths full, the girl presented the tea to Shen Zhou humbly with both hands.


    ¡°Mr. Shen, please enjoy.¡±


    Shen Zhou took a gentle sniff of the lingering aroma, ¡°Bitter with a hint of sweetness, a lingering aftertaste, good tea, and even better craftsmanship.¡±


    Ming Jing gave a slight smile, as beautiful and radiant as the moon breaking through the clouds. Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang, both young men, couldn¡¯t help but be captivated.


    Jiao Mei furrowed his brow and said with a smile, ¡®Where did Ms. Zhu learn this skill? It¡¯s impressive.¡±


    Ming Jing said with augh, ¡°My master enjoyed tea as well. We only had one set of old tea utensils in the mountains. During those difficult days, I just practiced when I had free time, I guess practice makes perfect, it¡¯s nothing worth mentioning.¡±


    Everyone present knew her background, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh at her words.


    Indeed, hardship was the best way to temper a person.


    At this point, there was amotion downstairs, and Shen Zhou frowned,


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Shen Ke immediately stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll go check..¡±

 Chapter 151 - 151: 079 Self Ferry (second watch of the night)

    Chapter 151 - 151: 079 Self Ferry (second watch of the night)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Ke walked back and whispered something in Shen Zhou¡¯s ear.


    Shen Zhou nced at Ming Jing with a smile. ¡°Your father is downstairs.¡±


    Ming Jing indifferently said: ¡°I don¡¯t have a father.¡±


    Understanding her attitude, Shen Zhou waved his hand: ¡°Send him away.¡±


    Shen Ke left again.


    ¡°Zhu Group¡¯s stock market is unstable, they have started financing again to raise funds, their future is uncertain, and thepany is on the verge of copse.¡± Shen Zhou took a sip of tea and said casually.


    Jiao Mei, Song Yinzhang, and Zhao Heng were shocked and looked at Ming Jing in unison.


    Shen Zhou, who steered a huge business empire, had a keen and urate vision. Whether it was trading stocks or investing, he had never made a mistake. If he said so, there must be a reason for it.


    Ming Jing, the party concerned, was unusually calm, not even twitching her eyshes.


    ¡°It¡¯s what he deserves.¡±


    Was this really a daughter¡¯s evaluation of her father? Did she know that without the title of Miss Zhu, she would no longer be in the spotlight?


    Jiao Mei said, ¡°Miss Zhu, he¡¯s your biological father. Even if he¡¯s wrong, you can¡¯t be so heartless.¡±


    Ming Jing gave her an indifferent nce that sent a chill down Jiao Mei¡¯s spine for no apparent reason.


    ¡°There¡¯s no inherent hierarchy between parents and children, no one party has the power to control the other, and both are individuals with independent personalities. Treat each other with mutual respect, and we know that children are debts, and there is no debt without reason. Embrace the good and resolve the bad. When the debt is paid, don¡¯t create more negative karma.¡±


    As a traditional mother, Jiao Mei couldn¡¯t agree with Ming Jing¡¯s calm words.


    The girl was too cold and rational, even seeing familial love so thoroughly. What kind of heart did she have?


    She quickly drank some tea to calm herself down.


    Shen Zhou approvingly nodded: ¡°Master¡¯s insight is profound, and we ordinary people are no match for it.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Mr. Shen, don¡¯t make fun.¡±


    Shen Zhou raised his eyebrows: ¡°I¡¯m serious. Master¡¯s realm of thought is beyond the reach of mere mortals like us. I look forward to learning from the Master in the future.¡±


    Jiao Mei red at Shen Zhou. Was Mr. Shen crazy? Was this something to learn from? He¡¯d better not end up alone and forsaking his family.


    Ming Jing looked up and studied Shen Zhou¡¯s face.


    ¡°You have a life of great fortune and sess, Mr. Shen, but you will experience some ups and downs in yourter years. With the help of a noble person, you will turn danger into safety, but you¡¯ll be unable to attain the one you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Shen Zhou was stunned, his pupils trembling slightly.


    Jiao Mei wanted tough. This girl was starting to fool around ¨C quite a smooth talker.


    ¡°Miss Zhu, can you also read faces?¡±


    ¡°Just some basic knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Can the master have a look at me?¡± Jiao Mei asked.


    Ming Jing nced at her and said, ¡°Madam, your lower jaw is round and full, a sign of wealth, but the break in your eyebrow indicates a shortened life. Your upturned eyelids show your strong determination. If you can open your heart a little more, good luck wille your way.¡±


    Jiao Mei sneered internally. So, her narrow-mindedness was affecting her lifespan? What a sharp tongue.


    Ming Jing furrowed her brow, ¡°Madam, your forehead is dark. I fear you might encounter some misfortune soon. Be cautious of water.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Shen Zhou¡¯s presence, Jiao Mei would have flipped the table on the spot.


    ¡°Children should not talk about strange tales. Miss Zhu, you¡¯re really good at telling jokes, but I¡¯m a staunch materialist and believer in science. As a modern young woman, you shouldn¡¯t indulge in such feudal superstitions.¡± Jiao Mei


    sneered.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly: ¡°Mountains are not high but are considered holy if inhabited by immortals, waters are not deep but considered sacred if inhabited by dragons. Believing is itself a kind of power, Madam. Disbelieve if you wish.¡±


    Jiao Mei didn¡¯t believe her in the slightest. She had initially thought that Ming Jing was an extraordinary girl with elegant conversation, and it was advisable for Song Yinzhang to be friends with her. But now, thinking about Ming Jing¡¯s heartless and cold-blooded nonsense, Jiao Mei resolved to warn Song Yinzhang to keep a distance from her so as not to be led astray.


    How could Ming Jing not notice the contempt in the other party¡¯s eyes? She didn¡¯t bother to exin.


    She used to be a staunch materialist too until she woke up after death and faced all the gods and Buddhas. It was then that she realized how tiny human power could be.


    There were indeed some things in this world that science could not exin, perhaps Buddha really does exist.


    Zhao Heng eagerly asked, ¡°What about me? Am I going to be rich and powerful?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°You will have a life of hardbor.¡±


    ¡°Ah? That¡¯s so miserable! You must be lying to me..¡± Zhao Heng adamantly refused to believe

 Chapter 152 - 152: 079 Self Ferry (second watch of the night)_2

    Chapter 152 - 152: 079 Self Ferry (second watch of the night)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Jiao Mei really wanted to shake Shen Zhou awake. ¡°Mr. Shen, you¡¯re worth billions. How can you be so easily duped by a young girl?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled mysteriously, ¡°The secrets of fate cannot be revealed.¡±


    In fact, she couldn¡¯t see anything more with physiognomy alone. To know more, she¡¯d need to use the Nines technique, which could reveal the past and explore the future. However, using it was extremely exhausting, so she wouldn¡¯t use it unless absolutely necessary.


    In the distance, the stars of Qujiang shimmered like an upside-down Milky Way, twinkling with countless points of light.


    Shen Zhou sighed lightly, ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    At this point, exquisite dishes were served one after another. It was rumored that the chef at Dechang Building was a descendant of a royal court chef, and the nine dishes of the famous Nine Sets Meal were derived from the traditional Manchu and Han feast, with adjustments made for modern tastes. The courses included sweetmeats, cold dishes, soup, main courses, a grand finale dish, and finally dessert.


    Each dish was so exquisite that people hesitated to eat them, especially the grand finale dish, bear paw cooked in shark fin soup, which many sought to taste at great cost.


    Jiao Mei¡¯s mind was constantly haunted by Ming Jing¡¯s words about her shortened lifespan. She found the imperial cuisine tasteless, and after the meal, she hurriedly left with Song Yinzhang, not caring if it seemed rude to Shen Zhou.


    Song Yinzhang gave Ming Jing an apologetic nce before leaving with Jiao Mei.


    Once they were away from the others, Jiao Mei let out a breath of exasperation.


    ¡°That Zhu Mingjing is really infuriating. How dare she curse me with disaster?


    What did I ever do to her?¡±


    Song Yinzhang helplessly replied, ¡°Mom, even Mr. Shen believes her. Why don¡¯t you? I think Ming Jing is honest. You should stay away from water sources for


    now. ¡±


    Jiao Mei couldn¡¯t help butugh and tapped Song Yinzhang on the head. ¡°So you¡¯re bewitched by her too? What a troublemaker at such a young age. I always feel something evil about her. You should stay away from her, or she might lead you astray.¡±


    Song Yinzhang didn¡¯t bother to argue further. When someone is stubborn, the more you try to convince them, the more they believe they¡¯re right.


    Time would prove everything, but for now, he would have to remind the housemaid to keep an eye on his mother and make sure she stayed away from water.


    He hadn¡¯t believed in these things before, but if Ming Jing said it, there must be a reason.


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t lie ¡ª her eyes were clean andpassionate.


    There were always people beyond people and skies beyond skies. One should be in awe of all things and beings.


    After they left, Shen Zhouughed, ¡°Oh, the ignorant¡­ Sooner orter, they¡¯ll pay the price for their ignorance.¡±


    Ming Jing remained silent, picking up her teacup and sipping gently.


    Shen Zhou looked at the untouched food on the table and then at Ming Jing.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? Is it not to your taste?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t eat in the evenings. I¡¯m used to it.¡± she replied.


    Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow as he looked at her slender shoulders.


    ¡°You saved my father on the subway, and I haven¡¯t officially thanked you yet. Today¡¯s the perfect opportunity, so thank you,¡± said Ming Jing, bowing slightly. Shen Zhou bowed back, ¡°You saved my sister at the museum too, so we¡¯re even.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same,¡± Shen Zhou shook his head andughed.


    ¡°My father has been talking about you a lot. You shoulde over and visit him sometime, or he¡¯ll drive me crazy,¡± Ming Jing suggested.


    She nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a good thing that he¡¯s full of energy.¡±


    They talked a lot, and Shen Zhou was surprised to find that despite her young age, she had extraordinary insights and was not at all arrogant or servile. Some of her ideas even made him feel ashamed, and her wisdom was astonishing.


    As they talked, they seemed to be close friends, regardless of their age difference.


    Shen Ke and Zhao Heng exchanged nces, unable to get a word in.


    As the saying goes, ¡°it¡¯s lonely at the top.¡± Ever since Mr. Shen took charge of Shenzhou Group, his friends gradually drifted away. The strong tread their own path, while the weak flock together. It had been ages since Mr. Shen had genuinelyughed, without any reservations, talking and joking with someone else.


    Who would have guessed that Ms. Zhu was so unexpectedly charming?


    Though it was gettingte, they were still enjoying their conversation. Ming Jing stood up, ¡°Mr. Shen, it¡¯s gettingte. We should meet again another day.¡±


    Shen Zhouughed, ¡°Please, stop calling me ¡®Mr. Shen.¡¯ It sounds strange. Just use my first name.¡±


    Zhao Heng¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Ming Jing agreed without hesitation, nodding. ¡°Intimacy in friendship is what matters, not names.¡±


    ¡°I like your straightforwardness. But there¡¯s a question I¡¯d like to ask,¡± said Shen Zhou.


    Ming Jing listened attentively as they continued speaking while walking out. ¡°In your life, have you never experienced pain?¡±


    ¡°Pain is merely a product of the mind¡¯s attachment. One thought can hold on, while another can let go. Happiness and suffering are self-realized, only self-salvation prevails.¡±


    ¡°Only self-salvation¡­¡± Shen Zhou murmured, his expression bing clear and bright.


    ¡°Talking to the Master is truly enlightening.¡±


    Zhao Heng gazed at Ming Jing¡¯s departing figure, entranced. Shen Ke pped him on the back, ¡°You little scoundrel, keep your heart in check. How dare you defile the Master?¡±


    Zhao Heng grumbled, ¡°Hasn¡¯t she already returned to secr life?¡±


    ¡°Even with her young age and profound achievements, you should never disrespect the Master, whether she¡¯s secr or not.¡±


    Zhao Heng finally epted his fate, ¡°Well, at least nobody can steal her heart in this lifetime.¡±


    As the two went downstairs, they ran into Zhu Wentao and his entourage, who had been waiting to ambush them.


    Fu Nansheng was captivated by Ming Jing¡¯s stunning face. ¡®Where on earth did


    Mr. Shen find such a beautiful and delicate woman?¡±


    Zhu Wentao and Zhou Ling simultaneously changed their expressions.


    Zhu Wentao thought his eyes were ying tricks on him. He rubbed them and looked again. There was no mistake, he couldn¡¯t possibly forget Zhu Mingjing¡¯s face from their near-fight in his living room a few days ago..

 Chapter 153 - 153: 080 Intuition (First Update)

    Chapter 153: 080 Intuition (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Mr. Shen, it really is you! I thought my eyes were ying tricks on me.¡± Fu Nansheng immediately greeted him warmly.


    Shen Zhou nced at Shen Ke, who touched his nose.


    These nosy people!


    Lu Mil s gaze fell on Ming Jing and she asked coquettishly, ¡°Mr. Shen, who is this pretty girl? I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡±


    Fu Nansheng¡¯s gaze alsonded on Ming Jing. Up close, her ethereal demeanorplemented the silver moon behind her. It seemed as if she would ride the wind and disappear any moment.


    What¡¯s more surprising was that this beautiful girl had a strong personality. She didn¡¯t even give them a single nce, treating them as if they were air. And what was even more astonishing was that she walked shoulder to shoulder with Shen Zhou.


    This was too incredible. Even he didn¡¯t dare to walk side by side with Shen Zhou. Where did this girle from, and did she really win over Shen Zhou¡¯s heart?


    Shen Zhou stood on the steps, looking down on them dismissively, ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    Apparently, he didn¡¯t want to exin too much and didn¡¯t think it was necessary to exin to them.


    Lu Mi chuckled and saw Fu Nansheng gazing at the girl, she pinched his arm secretly. Fu Nansheng came to his senses and quickly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that we have long admired Mr. Shen and meeting you today is our great honor.¡±


    Shen Zhou nodded, ¡°Make way.¡±


    The smile on Fu Nansheng¡¯s face froze, as he was blocking the stairway, hindering Shen Zhou from descending.


    Fu Nansheng awkwardly stepped back, allowing Shen Zhou and the beautiful girl to walk downstairs and past him. Shen Ke and another young man followed them.


    Fu Nansheng tried to catch up subconsciously: ¡°Mr. Shen¡­¡±.


    Shen Zhou didn¡¯t stop, and the group leisurely walked away.


    Fu Nansheng sighed, ¡®Mr. Shen is just as hard to approach as the rumors say.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal? Someone at Mr. Shen¡¯s level wouldn¡¯t casually chat with just anyone. He would be exhausted if he did,¡± Lu Mi remarked.


    The pair then noticed that Zhu Wentao and Zhou Ling had been standing still as if they were statues.


    Fu Nansheng found it strange: ¡°Mr. Zhu, weren¡¯t you eager to get close to Mr. Shen? You finally had a chance to meet him, but you stayed mute? What a wasted opportunity.¡±


    Zhou Ling nudged Zhu Wentao, bringing him back to his senses. That girl had managed to get close to Shen Zhou without anyone knowing, not even a


    whisper had been leaked.


    Lu Mi observed Zhu Wentao¡¯s reaction. She was careful and cautious by nature and sensed that something was off. Did he recognize the girl with Shen Zhou?


    Lu Mi had paid attention to the news about Zhu family¡¯s real and fake heiress, and there were some paparazzi photos online. Although they wereter deleted, she remembered carefully and thought they looked quite simr.


    Could that girl be Zhu Wentao¡¯s daughter?


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, why hide something so wonderful from us? Don¡¯t you think of us as your own?¡± Lu Mi probed tentatively.


    As expected, Zhu Wentao¡¯s expression changed, and he looked at her sharply.


    Fu Nansheng was utterly confused, ¡°What are you two ying at?! Is there something I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Lu Mi said with a graceful smile, ¡°No wonder Mr. Zhu was so calm earlier. It turns out you already had an ace in hand. It¡¯s all thanks to your wonderful daughter.¡±


    Fu Nansheng was even more puzzled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Lu Mi looped her arm through Fu Nansheng¡¯s: ¡°Did you get a good look at the girl next to Mr. Shen just now?¡±


    Fu Nansheng nodded, ¡°She¡¯s too beautiful. I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Shen to be into this type. But isn¡¯t she a bit too young?¡±


    He wanted to say ¡®an old cow eating tender grass¡¯, but considering Shen Zhou¡¯s worth, even fertilized eggs would want to marry him.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Zhu is so talented and handsome, his daughter would naturally be outstanding too.¡±


    Fu Nansheng finally understood and looked at Zhu Wentao incredulously, ¡°That girl is your daughter? Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner? Turns out you¡¯ve already climbed the high branch. No wonder you were unfazed when you saw Shen Zhou.¡±


    Zhu Wentao pursed his lips, saying solemnly, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know about this.¡±


    Fu Nansheng pretended to believe him: ¡°You must be quite delighted to see me fawning over Shen Zhou. Mr. Zhu, you¡¯re so calcting, hmph.¡±


    Lu Mi winked at him, and Fu Nansheng coughed, realizing he couldn¡¯t afford to turn against Zhu Wentao. His daughter got close to Shen Zhou, which meant Zhu Wentao might gain Shen Zhou¡¯s support.


    ¡°Ahem, it seems that Mr. Zhu doesn¡¯t know his daughter very well. You¡¯re not a very responsible father. You should spend more time with your child when you have the chance.¡± He nced over Zhou Ling¡¯s face as he finished his sentence..

 Chapter 154 - 154: 080 Intuition (1st update)_2

    Chapter 154: 080 Intuition (1st update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhou Ling¡¯s smile stiffened slightly; she knew this day woulde, but she hadn¡¯t expected it so soon. Zhu Xiangxiang was like rotten mud that couldn¡¯t be propped up against a wall.


    Zhu Wentao said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s meet another day, Mr. Fu. I suddenly remembered I have something to deal with.¡±


    Fu Nansheng hurriedly waved his hand, understandingly saying, ¡°Go on, now that we have Mr. Shen, our small investors won¡¯t even enter Mr. Zhu¡¯s sight.¡± Zhu Wentao didn¡¯t care about the strange tone, and walked away quickly.


    Lu Mi stared at the two retreating figures and said with a smile, ¡°This Miss Zhu and Mr. Shen might not be the kind of rtionship you think.¡± Fu Nansheng raised an eyebrow, ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°Intuition.¡±


    Lu Mi twirled the huge crystal ring on her finger, ¡°I heard Mr. Zhu is going to divorce Madam Zhu. How close do you think this daughter could be to him? Not giving him a big p is polite enough. Men, they are all the same.¡±


    Fu Nansheng disagreed and said, ¡°A wife is a wife, a daughter is a daughter.


    You can¡¯t generalize. Besides, she is his biological daughter.¡±


    Lu Mi hooked her lips, ¡°It seems Mr. Fu still doesn¡¯t understand women. Especially this Miss Zhu, who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Shen without changing her expression, do you think she¡¯s a simple character?¡± Fu Nansheng chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    Lu Mi said nothing but waited. More troubles for Zhu Wentao wouldeter, and she had never been wrong about people.


    ¡°If Zhu Wentao gives you trouble, feel free toe to me,¡± said Shen Zhou¡¯s gentle voice in the quiet darkness.


    ¡°I¡¯ll solve it myself.¡±


    Seeing this, Shen Zhou said no more and the two went their separate ways.


    Just one minute after Ming Jing got in the car, her phone rang.


    A strange call, she didn¡¯t even need to guess who it was from.


    Ming Jing had nothing to say to him and couldn¡¯t be bothered with even pretending, so she directly blocked his number.


    The world became quieter.


    ¡°Shen Zhou hasn¡¯t been this easygoing in my view; he¡¯s quite different with you,¡± said Zheng Qing ncing at the rearview mirror as Ming Jing once again refreshed his knowledge of her.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± she replied.


    If anyone else said this, they would haveughed, but Zheng Qing couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so.


    ¡°To make friends with Shen Zhou, you¡¯re really something,¡± he said.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t like to talk much, but just look at her friends ¨C Shen Zhou, Bai Ziyan, Jiang Jinchen, Charles Gao; each of them was not easy to deal with but all got along well with her. Even Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin, who were the hardest to please, didn¡¯t dare to cross her.


    This was also a kind of social skill.


    Zhu Wentao discovered Ming Jing had blocked him and became furious. ¡°That rebellious girl, she¡¯s going to kill me.¡±


    Zhou Lingforted, ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty; it might not be what you think. Ming


    Jing isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°Not that kind of person? You mean to say she¡¯s friends with Shen Zhou? You believe that yourself? She¡¯s been corrupted at such a young age, all thanks to her mother¡¯s upbringing.¡±


    Zhou Ling nced at his expression, ¡°Maybe you should ask Ming Jing what¡¯s going on instead of unfairly using her¡­¡±.


    With determination, Zhu Wentao returned to the Zhu¡¯s residence, assuming he had leverage over Ming Jing and that his daughter should obey him.


    ¡°Just drop me off on the side of the road, I¡¯ll take a taxi back myself,¡± said a pale Zhou Ling, as she gently ced her hand on her abdomen.


    But Zhu Wentao didn¡¯t feel at ease, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Zhou Ling was surprised, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Zhu Wentao held her hand, ¡°Sooner orter, this day woulde. Just consider it a rehearsal.¡±


    Zhou Ling worriedly said, ¡°This isn¡¯t right¡­ I heard Madam is not doing well recently, it¡¯s better not to provoke her. I don¡¯t mind waiting a few more days.¡±


    ¡°Instead of worrying about others, you should worry about yourself and our child.¡±


    Zhou Ling blushed and lowered her head.


    When Ming Jing arrived home, Ming Yi, Ming Ti, and Ming Chen were in the living room eating their favorite shrimp dumplings.


    Seeing Ming Jing, Ming Yi rushed over excitedly, eximing, ¡°Second Sister!¡±


    Ming Jing picked her up, noticed some shrimp meat on the corner of her mouth, and gently wiped it off.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen looked up and saluted Second Sister at the same time.


    Madam Zhouughed, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally back. They¡¯ve been talking about you the whole time.¡±


    Han Suwen poured each of them tea, making Ming Jing a special cup of lily rose tea to help with sleep and ease the mind.


    Ming Jing nced at her, put Ming Yi down, and said to Madam Zhou and Han


    Suwen, ¡°You two go and rest, I¡¯ll watch them..¡±

 Chapter 155 - 155: 080 Intuition (1st update)_3

    Chapter 155: 080 Intuition (1st update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Madam Zhou, being old, went to rest after hearing the talk. Han Suwen waved her hand: ¡°I¡¯m not tired, Miss. I¡¯ll keep youpany.¡± Ming Jing nodded and asked, ¡°Did Mother take her medicine tonight?¡± Han Suwen nodded: ¡°Yes, I watched her drink it.¡±


    These days, Ming Jing had instructed her on many things. She could see that although The Zhus seemed simple, there were deep waters within. Every word Miss told her had a profound meaning, and she had to think it through.


    Ming Jing touched Ming Yi¡¯s head, asking Ming Ti and Ming Chen how their daytime studies went, and the two reported back to her one by one.


    Ming Yi¡¯s mouth was full, Han Suwen quickly handed her a ss of water, ¡°Eat slowly, nobody will snatch it from you.¡±


    Ming Yi drank water and slowly swallowed the food in her mouth, looking up andughing at Han Suwen, who gently wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin.


    Ming Jing nced at them, and noticing her gaze, Han Suwen blushed and quickly withdrew her hand.


    Ming Jing just smiled and said nothing.


    At this moment, the sound of a car came from outside. Uncle Wen put on his coat and got up. It was sote, who could it be?


    It turned out to be Zhu Wentao. Uncle Wen was a little surprised. Last time, the youngdy said that she wouldn¡¯t let Zhu Wentao visit again. It hadn¡¯t been long since then.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± Zhu Wentao ordered coldly, standing outside the iron gate.


    Behind him was a young, gentle woman, which made Uncle Wen even more frightened.


    The storm wasing.


    Uncle Wen hesitated for a while, and went directly back to ask Ms. Ming Jing for instructions. The only one who could carry the heavy load in The Zhus now was Ms. Ming Jing.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hadn¡¯t slept yet. Hearing the sound of the car, she pulled open the curtains and took a peek. It was Zhu Wentao who had returned.


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly changed her clothes and went downstairs, just in time to hear Ming Jing say, ¡°Tell him to get lost.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang angrily said, ¡®Ming Jing, he¡¯s Dad, this is his home, can¡¯t hee back?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°Since you can¡¯t bear to part with him, why don¡¯t you go with him and leave The Zhus together.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang hummed and ran out to open the door for Zhu Wentao.


    With her father¡¯s backing, what was she afraid of?


    Uncle Wen couldn¡¯t hold Zhu Xiangxiang back even if he wanted to.


    ¡°Miss, how can we deal with this? He even brought that woman here, ¡± Uncle Wen said anxiously.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen put down their chopsticks, looking worriedly at Ming Jing.


    Ming Yi also obediently put down her chopsticks.


    Ming Jing told Han Suwen, ¡°Take them to their rooms.¡±


    But it was toote. Zhu Wentao had already stormed in, nked by Zhou Ling and Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, not expecting Zhu Wentao to be so impulsive. ¡°Zhu Mingjing,e here!¡± Zhu Wentao shouted in the hall, the booming voice prohably heard throughout the entire vi-


    Lin Qing heard themotion and hurried downstairs, seeing Zhu Wentao and Zhou Ling, her head buzzed, and for a moment, all the blood rushed to her forehead.


    ¡°Zhu Wentao, what the hell are you wailing about in the middle of the night? Take your dog and get out of here,¡± Lin Qing stumbled down the stairs.


    Han Suwen quickly walked over and supported her, ¡°Madam, how did youe downstairs?¡±


    Zhou Ling nced at Lin Qing, whose face was pale, and her steps unsteady, and the corner of her mouth subtly curled up.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was very curious about what Ming Jing had done to make Zhu Wentao so furious, and she prepared to watch the drama unfold.


    Ming Jing ignored the three of them, walked to Lin Qing, and one hand fell on the back of her neck. She didn¡¯t know what she had done, but Lin Qing passed out in an instant.


    Ming Jing caught her body and told Han Suwen, ¡°Take her to the room.¡±


    Han Suwen quickly drove Lin Qing upstairs, and Ming Ti and Ming Chen also came up to help. Han Suwen was too thin, and it was a little difficult for her to carry a woman who was one meter sixty-five tall by herself.


    Madam Zhou heard themotion and came out. Ming Jing calmlymanded, ¡°Take care of Granny Zhu.¡±


    Madam Zhou nodded and went to Granny Zhu¡¯s room.


    Ming Jing pulled out a napkin and wiped her fingers bit by bit, her back to everyone. She didn¡¯t say a word, but for some reason, it made people feel anxious for no reason.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, you¡¯re so young and instead of learning good things, you¡¯re hanging out with men. You¡¯re trying to piss me off.¡±


    Zhu Wentao prepared to take the moral high ground and suppress her with filial piety. It was enough to give her a headache, and at least he could regain some face fromst time.


    Zhu Xiangxiang immediately followed up: ¡°Oh my god, Ming Jing, what on earth did you do to make Dad so angry? You¡¯d better exin to Dad..¡±

 Chapter 156 - 156: 080 Intuition (First Update)_4

    Chapter 156: 080 Intuition (First Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing turned back and said, ¡°Zhu Wentao, I thought my words were clear enoughst time, but it seems you still don¡¯t understand humannguage.¡±


    Her expression was gentle and calm, but the words she spoke were so infuriating that they almost made a person cough up blood. This extreme contrast stimted Zhu Wentao¡¯s adrenaline to rise rapidly.


    ¡°Unfilial daughter, I want to teach you a lesson today, or else you wouldn¡¯t know how to write the words respect and discipline. You¡¯ve already lost face for our family.¡± He looked around for something handy and spotted a feather duster on a shelf. He pulled it out and swung it at Ming Jing.


    Ming shouted, ¡°Ming Jing¡­!¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes went cold, and she caught the feather duster. With a slight twist of her delicate, seemingly boneless hand around the duster, Zhu Wentao felt a numbness in his hand, and the feather duster slipped from his grasp andnded in Ming Jing¡¯s hand.


    Zhu Wentao had noticed her martial arts skills in theirst encounter, but he thought a frail-looking sixteen-year-old girl couldn¡¯t be that formidable, perhaps only having learned some fancy moves.


    However, the numbing sensation from his wrist took him aback, gradually spreading to half of his arm. He couldn¡¯t believe it as he raised his eyes.


    Ming Jing flicked her wrist, and the feather dusternded neatly back in the vase on the shelf behind her.


    Everyone present gasped simultaneously at the scene before them ¨C this wasn¡¯t a special effect.


    With a cold expression, Ming Jing said, ¡°To have built Zhu Group, you can¡¯t be a dumb person. But you continue to surprise me with your stupidity ¡ª it seems there really is no limit to how dumb a person can be.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face turned ashen: ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Shen Zhou?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned pale ¨C was Ming Jing involved with Shen Zhou?


    Ming Jing curled her lips, ¡°What¡¯s between Mr. Shen and me, and what does it have to do with you? So why did you burst in herete at night, using me of something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your father! Don¡¯t I have the right to be worried about you getting involved in romantic rtionships?¡±


    Ming Jing closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She nearly lost herposure because of this despicable man.


    She really wanted to p him, but she held back.


    She was d her senior sister didn¡¯t have to witness this scene.


    ¡°First, as a father, you shouldn¡¯t suspect your daughter of being promiscuous based on your own assumptions. You don¡¯t deserve to be a father.¡±


    ¡°Second, my rtionship with Mr. Shen is purely tonic. Have you ever considered the consequences of ndering me and Mr. Shen like this?¡± ¡°Third, get out of the Zhu¡¯s house immediately. I don¡¯t ever want to see you again.¡±


    Zhu Wentao pointed at her nose, ¡°This is my house.¡±


    ¡°The moment you decided to run off with your mistress, it wasn¡¯t anymore. I¡¯ll inform Mr. Shen and Qingqing exactly what you said.¡±


    A tall, thin man entered from outside.


    ¡°Kick them out of the Zhu¡¯s house, and never allow them to set foot here again.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at Uncle Wen.


    Uncle Wen¡¯s legs trembled, ¡°Yes, Miss, I understand.¡±


    As she mentioned Mr. Shen, Zhu Wentao panicked, afraid that she would nder him in front of Shen Zhou. Wasn¡¯t his purpose ining here today not to quarrel with her? Why was this girl so stubborn? If she softened even a little and called him ¡°Dad,¡± he wouldn¡¯t let things escte like this.


    ¡°Ming Jing, Dad was just worried that you¡¯d be deceived by someone. Can you forgive me?¡± Zhu Wentao softened his tone.


    ¡°You should take responsibility for your actions. Your indecisive behavior makes you even more despicable. Qingqing, what are you waiting for?¡±


    The man called Qingqing stepped forward and twisted Zhu Wentao¡¯s arms behind his back. Though he was thin, his strength was astonishing, and he easily dragged the struggling Zhu Wentao out like a little chicken, devoid of dignity and looking very miserable.


    Zhu Wentao was thrown mercilessly out of the Zhu¡¯s house. The pain in his arms caused him to break out into a cold sweat, and he couldn¡¯t even swear at them.


    Ming Jing looked at Zhou Ling, ¡°Take care of yourself during your pregnancy.


    Worry less, and it will be good for the baby.¡±


    Zhou Ling¡¯s pupils shuddered, and she looked at Ming Jing suspiciously.


    ¡°He¡¯s your father.¡±


    ¡°If I say he is, then he is. If I say he isn¡¯t, then he isn¡¯t.¡±


    The girl remained calm and rational throughout, not even frowning when Zhu Wentao insulted her.


    Zhou Ling could only imagine the shock in her heart. No wonder Ming Jing could be friends with Shen Zhou.


    This visit to Drobe the truth left Zhou Ling feeling even more uncertain.


    After a moment, Zhou Ling said, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll try to persuade him.¡±


    With that, she turned and left.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood awkwardly in ce..

 Chapter 157 - 157: 080 Intuition (First Update)_5

    Chapter 157: 080 Intuition (First Update)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing looked at her quietly. At this point, Han Suwen had already gone downstairs. Ming Jing calmly instructed, ¡°Pack Miss Xiangxiang¡¯s clothes.


    Since she wants to leave the Zhu household, let¡¯s fulfill her wish. While Zhu Wentao is still around, there¡¯s still time to catch up with him.¡±


    Having received the instruction, Han Suwen immediately went upstairs.


    Zhu Xiangxiang angrily said, ¡°How dare you! This is my home too. What right do you have to drive me away?¡±


    Ming Jing twirled the Buddhist beads on her fingertips while standing under the light, exuding the air of a holy and invible Buddha statue.


    ¡°I warned you, but you still did it.¡±


    ¡°He is your biological father, locking him out is not appropriate. Do you know what people outside will say about you?¡±


    Ming Jingughed indifferently, ¡°I have never cared about the opinions of outsiders. I only know that he is a scumbag who abandoned his wife and child and is not worthy of my respect.¡±


    ¡°As for you, since your heart is not here, don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stomped her foot in anger. Where could she go if she left the Zhus? Zhu Wentao, a cold -hearted man, didn¡¯t even care about his own daughter, let alone a foster daughter with no blood ties.


    Han Suwen quickly went downstairs with a suitcase, ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, please.¡±


    Her goal hadn¡¯t been achieved yet. How could she leave? Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡°Ming Jing, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time; I will never side with my father again.¡±


    In ancient times, Goujian slept on brushwood and tasted gall; now, she, Zhu Xiangxiang, conspired to skin the tiger.


    Revenge is a dish best served cold; even ten yearster is not toote.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up, only to see Ming Jing¡¯s eyes fixed on her, causing a chill to run up her spine and making her somewhat frightened.


    Ming Jing saw the man named Qingqing approaching. Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively took a step back. This man was Zhu Mingjing¡¯s driver who had dragged Zhu Wentao out of the house like a dog,pletely devoid of dignity.


    Qingqing walked towards her step by step; fear made Zhu Xiangxiang pale, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯te any closer!¡±


    Zheng Qing touched his nose. Was she really that scary looking?


    Zhu Xiangxiang hid behind Ming Jing and said in a trembling and miserable voice, ¡°Ming Jing, I really know my mistake. Can you give me another chance, please?¡±


    Ming Jing felt puzzled. Was this the famous socialite from back then? Where was her so-called socialite¡¯s demeanor?


    She thought that if Zhu Xiangxiang showed some backbone and at least stubbornly stuck to her ideas, she might have some respect for her. ¡°Uncle Wen is getting older, and he can¡¯t take care of the garden alone.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang realized immediately that there were conditions for her to stay.


    Biting her teeth, she said, ¡°I can learn, and I¡¯ll help Uncle Wen manage the garden from now on.¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhou is also getting old, and she can¡¯t handle the kitchen work all by herself. Wenwen needs to take care of the three children.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her fists, ¡°Fine, I can learn all that slowly.¡±


    Asking a youngdy like her to do such menial chores, you¡¯re really capable.


    But now, under someone else¡¯s roof, she had to bow her head. One day, she would get everything back with interest.


    Ming Jing nced at Zheng Qing, ¡®You should go rest.¡±


    Zheng Qing grinned at Zhu Xiangxiang, scaring her out of her wits, before finally leaving nonchntly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang heaved a sigh of relief, knowing Ming Jing had agreed to let her stay.


    Ming Jing held Ming Yi¡¯s hand and turned to go upstairs. After walking two steps, she seemed to suddenly remember something and turned her head to look at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood at a loss in the original spot, thinking she had done something wrong again.


    ¡°Mr. Shen said your acting skills are pretty good.¡±


    As she finished speaking, she went upstairs. The figures of the tall and the small disappeared around the corner of the staircase.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood pale in ce, feeling as if she were in an icehouse on a scorching summer day.


    ¡°Ming Jing, why did you keep her? She¡¯s so mean,¡± asked Ming Yi innocently. Ming Jingughed, ¡°If you want to catch a big fish, you must first cast the bait.¡± ¡°Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp, but what do shrimp eat?¡±


    ¡°Shrimp eat Xiao Wu.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re naughty!¡±


    When Shen Zhou heard about this the next morning, he was worried that Zhu Wentao would cause trouble for Ming Jing, so he had someone keep an eye on Zhu Wentao secretly, not expecting the man to be so shameless.


    Shen Ke ryed the story in the original words, not daring to look up.


    As expected, Shen Zhou mmed the table in anger, ¡°Zhu Wentao is aplete scumbag! What does he take me, Shen Zhou, for?¡±


    Shen Zhou felt that this would not work in the long run, and that rumors would only get worse in the future.


    Furrowing his brows in thought, he asked, ¡°How are the preparations for the


    Oasis Program press conference going?¡±

 Chapter 158 - 158: 081 Great Virtue (Second Revision)

    Chapter 158: 081 Great Virtue (Second Revision)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing was not afraid of the rumors that she and Shen Zhou had a rtionship.


    Because this matter would soon be solved, she was quietly waiting for that day toe.


    In thepetition ss, Song Yinzhang apologized to Ming Jing because of his mother.


    The study atmosphere in thepetition ss was very intense, and many students couldn¡¯t take it and dropped out.


    After one week, only half of the students remained.


    One day, Ren Chuan finished lecturing and handed out a test for the students.


    Ren Chuan went around the ssroom once and then left with a pot of water.


    All students were top performers, and cheating would be an insult to themselves. So, by now, no one needed to doubt their integrity.


    Song Yinzhang checked his phone, intending to see the time, but found five missed calls from his mother.


    He subconsciously nced at Ming Jing, remembering what she said that night.


    He had an ominous feeling and stepped out of the ssroom to the corridor to call back.


    Tang Wan watched his figure, frowning deeply.


    Xie Zhen whispered, ¡°If Song is discovered by Ren, he¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    Song Yinzhang rushed back in with a pale face and directly pulled Ming Jing out of the ssroom.


    Everyone was stunned, not knowing what had happened.


    Zhao Heng saw the scene, got up and followed.


    Everyone eximed at their audacity for not fearing Ren.


    Ming Jing shook off his hand and indifferently straightened the wrinkles in her sleeve.


    Song Yinzhang, rarely flustered, said, ¡°Ming Jing, you were right. My mother had an ident.¡±


    Ming Jing, without surprise, thought that her fortune-telling wouldn¡¯t be wrong. It was just a matter of time for Jiao Mei¡¯s ident to happen. Zhao Heng, who followed behind, heard this and paused.


    ¡°She fell into the water?¡±


    Song Yinzhang looked at her in surprise. He thought that since she could predict, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise for her to know.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use in looking for me. It¡¯s more practical to pray for a highly skilled doctor.¡±


    Song Yinzhang knew this, so he asked, ¡°If what you said that day was true, is there any way to resolve it?¡±


    Ming Jing looked down and said lightly, ¡°Some natural disasters and man-made cmities are caused by a cycle of cause and effect, which cannot be changed by human effort. As the saying goes, important issues are decided by the heart. The only one who can change her fate is herself.¡±


    Anxiously, Song Yinzhang asked, ¡°Is there really no way? As long as I can save my mother, I¡¯m willing to pay any amount.¡±


    Ming Jing squinted and said, ¡°Do I need money?¡±


    Song Yinzhang choked, realizing that money wasn¡¯t a concern for the Zhus¡¯ daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I lost myself. Please help me ask Ren for a leave. I¡¯m going to the hospital to see my mother. We can talk about itter.¡±


    He left in a hurry after saying that.


    Zhao Heng walked over and said, ¡°Master Zhu, you¡¯re really amazing. I admire you!¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him and walked back into the ssroom.


    After finishing the test, Ming Jing put it on the table, took her backpack, and left.


    Tang Wan immediately handed in her test and followed.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, what did Song Yinzhang say to you?¡± Tang Wan caught up and stood in front of her.


    Tang Wan stared at her with an unfriendly gaze, ¡°He loves studying so much. There¡¯s no way he would leave his test nk and leave. What happened to him?¡±


    Ming Jing said expressionlessly, ¡°You can ask Song Yinzhang.¡±


    She then walked around Tang Wan, went downstairs, and left.


    Tang Wan could only see Ming Jing getting into a white BMW car, and left her inhaling exhaust fumes.


    Tang Wan stomped her foot in anger.


    Zhao Heng couldn¡¯t control his excitement and walked out of the ssroom after handing in his test, immediately calling Shen Ke.


    ¡°Uncle, I have to tell you, Master Zhu is really amazing. Song Yinzhang¡¯s mother really had an ident and seems to have fallen into the water.¡± ¡°Master Zhu said I had a hardworking fate, do you really think it¡¯s like that?¡±


    Zhao Heng muttered and walked away. Xie Zhen left the ssroom with a strange look in his eyes and saw Tang Wan standing at the school gate, jumping up and down. He walked over and told her what he had heard from Zhao Heng.


    Tang Wan couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Now it¡¯s the 21st century, a time for young people, how can they be caught up in feudal superstitions? Are you having a fever?¡± She tried to touch Xie Zhen¡¯s forehead.


    Xie Zhen pushed her hand away and said irritably, ¡°Zhao Heng said that on the phone. After Ming Jing and Song left, only he went after them. He must have heard the two of them talking. When has Song ever been so out of control as to leave a nk test? It must be his family that had an ident.¡±


    Tang Wan¡¯s mother was a nurse at Zhongxin Hospital¡¯s emergency department. She thought about it and called her mother, ¡°Mom, did your hospital receive a female patient who fell into the water today, around forty years old¡­?¡± Tang Wan hung up the phone and frowned, ¡°Indeed, there was..¡±

 Chapter 159 - 159: 081 Great Virtue (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 159 - 159: 081 Great Virtue (Second Revision)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital and see if we can help in any way,¡± Xie Zhen suggested.


    Tang Wan had the same idea, so they both hurriedly took a taxi to the hospital.


    When they arrived at the emergency room, Tang Wan¡¯s mother was treating a patient. Upon hearing that it was the mother of her daughter¡¯s ssmate, she said, ¡°Thankfully, she was brought here in time. She¡¯s now out of danger. It¡¯s strange though, she was walking fine on the street and suddenly fell into a sewer. The construction workers are careless for not setting up warning signs. It had just rained, and the sewer was full of dirty water, such a tragic situation.¡±


    After finding out the room number, Tang Wan bought a fruit basket and went upstairs.


    The single-patient rooms area was quiet. She found the room number and was about to knock when she heard a hoarse female voice inside.


    ¡°Cough cough¡­ Yinzhang, please invite Master Zhu here.¡± This hoarse voice must have been Song Yinzhang¡¯s mother.


    Master Zhu?


    Tang Wan and Xie Zhen looked at each other in surprise.


    ¡°Mom, I thought you didn¡¯t believe in these things?¡± Song Yinzhang questioned.


    ¡°Do you know, at that moment when I fell into the sewer and the dirty water engulfed me, I regretted it. I was so foolish.¡± Now, she only felt one thing: fear.


    Everything Master Zhu had said hade true.


    Song Yinzhang sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll invite her right away. You rest.¡¯


    Jiao Mei had several broken bones and was practically mummified in bandages. The most noticeable injury was to her head. It was a close-call, narrowly missing her vital spots. She had just escaped death.


    Yinzhang left the room and called Ming Jing in a pleading tone.


    Tang Wan and Xie Zhen hid in the darkness, watching this scene and looked at each other.


    ¡°Is Zhu Mingjing some kind of chatan?¡± Xie Zhen found it hard to believe, she¡¯s always been so studious.


    How can a top student indulge in feudal superstition?


    Tang Wan frowned, ¡°To get close to Song Yinzhang, she may go to any extreme.¡±


    ¡°How can this be man-made? It¡¯s probably a coincidence. Let¡¯s wait until Zhu Mingjing arrives. ¡±


    News of Jiao Mei¡¯s hospitalization due to her injuries spread quickly. She was well-liked, so her superiors and subordinates rushed to visit her as soon as they heard the news. Even some socialites she was acquainted with came.


    Among them, Madam Li, who was the closest to her, was shocked to see her bandaged up. ¡°How did this happen?


    Jiao Mei sighed, ¡°Madam Li, it¡¯s a long story.¡±


    She exined what had happened previously. Madam Li nodded, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t doubt the words of a master. When you disrespect the gods and Buddha, they will punish you.¡±


    Jiao Mei said, ¡°So, that¡¯s why I ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°You should still ask the master to help you resolve this. At worst, go to the temple and pray. Which renowned person is this master you know? Nowadays, there are fraudsters everywhere. It¡¯s not easy to find a real master with true cultivation.¡±


    Just as Jiao Mei was about to speak, footsteps sounded outside the door. The door opened, and Song Yinzhang walked in with a young girl.


    Upon seeing the young girl, Madam Li felt a sense of familiarity.


    Jiao Mei, who was lying on the bed, immediately became excited, struggling to sit up. ¡°Master Zhu, Master Zhu, please save me.¡±


    Master Zhu? Madam Li frowned.


    She didn¡¯t know that there was such a renowned person in Jiangzhou.


    Zhu? She stared at the young girl¡¯s face for a while before her eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu?¡±


    This was the real heiress of the Zhus. She had just seen her at Madam Gao¡¯s birthday party not long ago. There was no mistaking her unique appearance and demeanor.


    How did Ms. Zhu turn into Master Zhu? Madam Li was a bit stunned.


    The young girl stood there calmly and gently, smiled, and greeted, ¡°Madam Li.¡±


    Now Madam Li was sure. She tentatively asked, ¡°The master Madam Song was talking about, is it you?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t dare to call myself a master.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too modest, Master.¡± Jiao Mei now looked at her with great reverence.


    Ming Jing walked over, looked at Jiao Mei, and took her pulse.


    Everyone was watching her do this, a master can treat illnesses too?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing serious, just some superficial injuries. A few days of rest will do.¡± Ming Jing gently put her hand back under the covers.


    ¡°Master, you said my lifespan was damaged and that a great disaster was imminent. How can I resolve this? Master, if you can save me, I promise to treat you as an honored guest, and I will fulfill any request you have.¡±


    Ming Jing, holding a hand like a blooming orchid, closed her eyes and softly said, ¡°Avoid all evil,mit all that is good, purify your own mind, this is the teaching of Buddha.¡±


    Jiao Mei gazed nkly at the young girl in front of her, who seemed to radiatepassion and dignity. Suddenly, it seemed as if there was a radiant golden light enveloping her.


    In that moment, she seemed to have an epiphany. ¡°Master, I understand your teachings,¡± she said.


    Song Yinzhang looked at Ming Jing, suddenly doubting. Was this still the same girl he knew?


    Madam Li found it hard to believe. She had heard that the true heiress of the Zhu family was raised in a temple from a young age. Could her cultivation be so advanced at such a young age?


    Although she didn¡¯t understand all of this, her husband and others in their circle believed in it. She would also go to famous temples to pray and burn incense. But usually, when her husband sought advice on Feng Shui matters, he would consult a Taoist. Taoism and Buddhism are two distinct sects.


    Taoists mainly use the I Ching for divination and Feng Shui. When people speak of fortune tellers, they usually refer to Taoists. Whilst in the Theravada Buddhist Vinaya, it is strictly forbidden for Buddhists to use divination or Feng Shui. In Mahayana Buddhism, it¡¯s considered an evil science. However, some highly cultivated Buddhist monks can foresee the future, hence many people think that Buddhists can tell fortunes which is actually fundamentally different and separate from Taoist fortune telling.


    If Zhu Mingjing were to say that she had a method to help her, Madam Li would definitely think she was a fraud. A Buddhist ying with Taoist tricks¡ª whose face would she be making a fool of?


    But seeing Ming Jing and hearing those sixteen words, she suddenly understood.


    A real Buddha ispassionate.


    She¡¯s still so young, has she already reached the level of a great virtue?


    She deeply felt a sense of shock and awe. She was no longer Ms. Zhu, but Master Zhu..

 Chapter 160 - 160: 082 Master (an updated version)

    Chapter 160 - 160: 082 Master (an updated version)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Attributes arise from the heart; to break these characteristics, you must do good and umte virtues from within, creating connections through benevolent actions.


    ¡°Master, can I follow your way of life in the future?¡± ¡°What do you want to practice?¡±


    Without hesitation, Jiaomei said, ¡°Buddhism.¡±


    ¡°What is Buddha?¡±


    Furrowing her brows, Jiaomei pondered, ¡°Buddhism can make people forget all troubles and take me to the Western Paradise World.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°That is avoidance.¡±


    Jiaomei asked, ¡°Then how can one practice and reach the state of mindfulness as you have, Master?¡±


    ¡°Continual self-discipline, unwavering focus, uphold precepts, do good, make vows, foster the aspiration to achieve enlightenment.¡±


    ¡°Practice is not about form; it¡¯s about sincerity, not about secluded temples in remote mountains. It¡¯s about your present life ¡ª from clothing, food, living to actions; during each meal, in everyday life. Every ce is a sanctuary, every person a virtuous acquaintance. Abstain from greed, hatred, and ignorance, perceive our true nature clearly, purify our minds, and realize our


    Buddha-nature.¡±


    The girl¡¯s serene voice echoed softly in the ward, as if carried by a natural echo. Long after she finished speaking, her voice seemed to still resonate in the air.


    She stood in one spot, her demeanor lofty and pure, her eyes expressingpassion and sorrow, making others dare not look directly at her.


    Ming Jing left the ward. Song Yinzhang looked at her, hardly daring to speak to her, as if it was only now that he truly understood her.


    ¡°Master Zhu.¡± Madam Li caught up with her.


    Ming Jing stopped and turned to look at her, nodding slightly.


    ¡°Madam Li, I have returned to secr life. You may call me Ming Jing.¡±


    With reverence, Madam Li said, ¡°Even though you have left the religious life, you are still worthy of the title ¡®Master¡¯ to me.¡±


    Ming Jing chose not to correct her further and instead asked, ¡®What do you wish to discuss, Madam?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any particr matter. I just wonder if I could seek your advice if I have any confusion in the future?¡±


    ¡°You tter me, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Master, you are too modest. Let¡¯s do this ¨C when I have time, I will definitely visit you.¡±


    Ming Jing could only nod reluctantly. Just as she was about to leave, she looked up at Madam Li. ¡°Madam, have you been feeling hungry and thirsty, urinating more often than usual recently?¡±


    Madam Li was stunned, then hurriedly nodded, ¡°Yes, perhaps I have been too worn out recently. I believe some rest will help.¡±


    ¡°Since you are already in a hospital, you might as well make an appointment with the Endocrinology Department. Early diagnosis can lead to early treatment.¡±


    With these words, she nodded and departed.


    Madam Li stared at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure, standing still for a long while, until her figure was entirely out of sight. Then realization struck her.


    Did The Master imply that I am sick?


    I cannot doubt the Master¡¯s abilities.


    But what exactly is my illness?


    Madam Li fell into indecision and dilemma, fearing a serious disease might be found if she went for the check-up. After struggling inwardly, she finally made the appointment for the Endocrinology Department.


    The consulting physician was a professor in his fifties. After she mentioned her diforts, he prescribed a lot of tests. An hourter, she came back with the results.


    The professor nced at each of the results, then pushed up his reading sses, saying, ¡°You are lucky that you came early. Anyter, and you would have had to take insulin.¡±


    ¡°Insulin?¡± Madam Li was astounded.


    The professor nced at her, ¡°Not knowing what illness you have, how did you think about checking the Endocrinology Department?¡±


    Madam Li seized his words, avidly inquiring, ¡°What illness do I have?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you have diabetes. It¡¯s bing increasinglymon among younger individuals, so your age is not extraordinary. You are fortunate to havee early. If anyter, given your current sugar level, you would have no choice but to take insulin. Here, this is the medication, take it ording to prescription, observe your diet and avoid sweets. Come back to test your blood sugar on an empty stomach in three days.¡±


    Clinging onto her medication, Madam Li walked out of the clinic, then turned to the sky and said gratefully, ¡°Master Zhu, you are indeed divine.¡±


    Back home, Li Qingyao was surprised when she saw her mother carrying bags of medication, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you go to the hospital to see Madam Song? Why did you bring back so many medicines?¡±


    Madam Li said in relief, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I went to see her today.


    Otherwise, I could have been the one lying in the hospital bed tomorrow.¡±


    Madam Li recounted how Jiaomei got injured from beginning to end, particrly emphasizing Zhu Mingjing¡¯s magical abilities, painting her as a divine being in her words.


    ¡°All Master Zhu did was look at me, and she knew there was something wrong with my health. She even told me to get an appointment with the Endocrinology Department. I thought she might have trapped me, but since I was already at the hospital, I thought might as well have a checkup. I didn¡¯t expect it to turn up an illness. I got diabetes. But the doctor said being diagnosed early meant I could control my blood sugar with medication; otherwise, I would have to take insulin shots every day. Who could bear the stress of injecting oneself twice a day? I must sincerely express gratitude to Master Zhu. She really is the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva..¡±

 Chapter 161 - 161: 082 Master (an updated version)_2

    Chapter 161 - 161: 082 Master (an updated version)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Master Zhu? Zhu Mingjing?


    Li Qingyao¡¯s lips twitched.


    She really couldn¡¯t connect Zhu Mingjing with the swindling master.


    As if seeing what she was thinking, Madam Li nced at her disdainfully, ¡°You must not disrespect Master Zhu. The gods and Buddha are watching from above. Just look at Jiao Mei, who didn¡¯t listen to Master Zhu and disrespect him, and now she¡¯s really in trouble. You have no idea how miserable she looked, crying and weeping in front of Master Zhu.¡±


    Li Qingyao was caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m the kind of student who can score full marks in college, and this kind of feudal superstition is just cultural dregs. Save it for yourself. But I didn¡¯t expect her to look very gentle and cultured, but turns out to be a big swindler behind the scenes. Indeed, you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±


    Madam Li pped her on the back and scolded, ¡°Phooey! Forget what you just said and don¡¯t disrespect Master Zhu.¡±


    After saying this, she put her hands together and bowed toward the sky. ¡°Master Zhu, my daughter didn¡¯t mean it. Please don¡¯t me her. She¡¯s still a child.¡±


    Li Qingyao secretly rolled her eyes.


    ¡°By the way,e with me to see Master Zhu tomorrow and see if you can get into your dream university this time.¡±


    Li Qingyao furrowed her brows. ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t that a bit too much? How many points I score is rted to my own ability, not to seeking help from others. If you want to go, you go. I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You, this child¡­¡±


    At this time, the phone in the living room rang, and the nanny answered it. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s a call from Mrs. Gao.¡±


    Madam Li walked over and picked up the phone. ¡°Mrs. Gao, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Madam Song is fine, just some superficial injuries, she¡¯ll be alright in a few days. Yes, yes, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    Madam Li hung up the phone. ¡°Mrs. Gao has asked me to have afternoon tea with her tomorrow afternoon. It looks like there¡¯s no time tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to Master Zhu some other time.¡±


    These richdies gather every once in a while. What do they do at the gatherings? Theypare each other¡¯s beauty, husbands, children, and children¡¯s achievements. There are so many things they canpare.


    So every time they have a gathering, she would do everything possible to outshine the otherdies. Tomorrow morning, she would go for a beauty treatment, get her hair done, and call the designer to send her thetest seasonal clothes.


    ¡°By the way, I forgot to ask if Madam Zhu was invited.¡±


    Rumor has it that Lin Qing is divorcing Zhu Wentao, so she probably isn¡¯t in the mood to attend such a gathering right now.


    Escaping wasn¡¯t the solution; only by appearing dazzling could she shut those people up. Moreover, she had a bad reputation among thesedies, and Ming Jing was the one who made it up for her.


    Without a husband, I still have a daughter. None of your daughters are as good as mine, and I am still the most outstanding in the whole gathering.


    ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, please take a rest.¡± In the garden, Uncle Wen looked at the hat-wearing young girl and said pityingly.


    ¡°Uncle Wen, I¡¯m fine; I don¡¯t feel tired at all. I don¡¯t mind doing more work as long as I can stay in The Zhus. I will learn seriously, Uncle Wen, please continue teaching me how to trim.¡±


    Uncle Wen sighed, ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, you should stop confronting Ms. Ming


    Jing. Listen to her, and life in The Zhus will be much better for you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked a little downhearted. ¡°I owe her so much, so I will do whatever she tells me. It¡¯s just that Dad has supported me for so many years, and I can¡¯t bear to see Daddy being bullied by her. After all, he¡¯s her father too.


    How can she be so heartless?¡±


    Uncle Wen knew in his heart that Zhu Wentao deserved it. Part of him sympathized with Zhu Xiangxiang, but rationally he knew Ming Jing was right, especially since even the old Madam was on Ming Jing¡¯s side. Uncle Wen nced at Zhu Xiangxiang. Was she really worried about Zhu Wentao?


    For the past sixteen years, the person who invested the most in her was Madam, and the rtionship between mother and daughter was at its best. If she were truly a filial daughter, she would understand how a filial daughter should view a cheating father and not aid and abet him under the guise of family affection.


    Uncle Wen sighed again, ¡°What about Madam?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened.


    Uncle Wen didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, you go have a rest, let me do it.¡±


    Madam had loved her so much for sixteen years, but she truly turned out to be an ungrateful wretch.


    Zhu Xiangxiang took off her straw hat and walked into the living room. Madam Zhou called out from the kitchen, ¡°Xiangxiang,e help me pick some vegetables..¡±

 Chapter 162 - 162: 082 Master (an updated version)_3

    Chapter 162 - 162: 082 Master (an updated version)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a surge of blood rushing to her forehead, as the old woman was really treating her like a housekeeper.


    Seeing that she was still standing there without moving, Madam Zhou curled her lips, ¡°After all, you¡¯re still a youngdy of the Zhus. I¡¯m just an old woman who can¡¯t order you around. It seems I¡¯ll have to tell Ms. Ming Jing to hire another live-in housekeeper since I can¡¯t handle it anymore.¡±


    This was a threat to use Zhu Mingjing against her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang endured it and went into the kitchen, ¡°Madam Zhou, let me help you. Ming Jing is so busy, don¡¯t bother her anymore.¡±


    Madam Zhou hooked her lips, thinking that she could still deal with this girl.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had never done any kitchen work before. In the past, she was a pampered youngdy who didn¡¯t have to lift a finger. When she entered the kitchen, she was all hands and feet.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, what kind of vegetables did you pick? You¡¯ve thrown away all the good parts! What are we supposed to eat?¡± Madam Zhou was particrly speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never learned, so it¡¯s normal for me not to be good,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said with an innocent look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you, just learn carefully. As long as you¡¯re not a fool, you should be able to learn this. It¡¯s a basic life skill.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s lips twitched, but she chose to endure.


    A dog will bully a fallen tiger, she thought. Just you wait, old woman.


    ¡°To cut vegetables, hold the knife like this, not too tight or too loose. Hold the vegetables with one hand, and be careful not to cut your hand¡­


    ¡°Here¡¯s the gas switch. Turn it to the right for high heat and to the left for low heat¡­


    ¡°Turn on the heat, wait for the water to boil, then nch the vegetables¡­


    ¡°Did you understand all that?¡± Madam Zhou asked. Zhu Xiangxiang nodded, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Come on, take the spat, and stir-fry this dish.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head subconsciously, ¡°I¡­can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How do you know you can¡¯t if you haven¡¯t tried? Hurry up, it¡¯s almost time.


    Miss and Madam are waiting for their meal. I¡¯ll guide you from the side.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was on the verge of tears. She had truly be a housekeeper for the Zhus.


    Various screams came from the kitchen, with different frequencies and decibels.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti were lying on the railing of the second floor, looking down. Ming Chen covered her mouth andughed, ¡°She¡¯s so pitiful.¡±


    Ming Ti snorted, ¡°She deserves it. She¡¯s so old and doesn¡¯t even know how to cook. She¡¯s nothing like Ming Jing, who learns everything quickly.¡±


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for the mix-up, she might have been our Senior Sister.¡± Ming Ti shuddered, ¡°Forget it, we wouldn¡¯t be worthy of such a Senior Sister.


    Thankfully, the mix-up happened.¡±


    ¡°Xiangxiang, your technique is not good. When you get married, your mother-inw will definitely find faults with you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said indignantly, ¡°Can I cook like a five-star chef on my first


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s learn slowly.¡±


    Madam Zhouughed.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t eat dinner, as she was full from anger.


    Just as she was lying in bed, someone knocked on the door, and Ming Ti¡¯s voice came from outside.


    ¡°Madam Zhou is looking for you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang rolled over under her nket.


    The knocking continued incessantly, sounding like someone was banging on a wall.


    Zhu Xiangxiang threw off her nket and stormed out, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ming Ti was much shorter than her, but she didn¡¯t show any signs of fear. She stood up straight and looked at her with a calm expression, ¡°Madam Zhou is looking for you.¡±


    Of the three misses, she hated Ming Ti the most because she resembled Ming Jing the most.


    There was probably more work for her to do, but Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t want to go. As the girl stared at her with dark eyes, she was even scarier than Zhu


    Mingjing. Zhu Xiangxiang reluctantly agreed, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Xiangxiang, help me collect these dishes Madam Zhou instructed.


    Looking at the table full of leftovers, Zhu Xiangxiang almost vomited.


    She was thedy of the Zhus, why should she do this kind of work meant for housekeepers?


    Lnu Niangng stooa tnere, nerest neavmg rapidly.


    She looked at Lin Qing sitting in the living room drinking tea and called out in grievance, ¡°Mom.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face looked a bit pale. She nced at her daughter and said, ¡°Your mother has spoiled you since you were little, not letting you even touch a bowl. Look at those hands of yours, delicate and fair, made for ying the violin, not doing dirty, tiring work.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s expression wavered as she thought of her childhood when Lin Qing had always indulged her. She recalled how Lin Qing had enrolled her in violin sses to cultivate her noble temperament. In order to maintain those hands, Lin Qing had even bought fresh milk to soak them every night.


    Tears streamed down Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face.


    Seeing her like this, Lin Qing couldn¡¯t bear it and was about to tell her to forget it. However, when she saw Ming Jinging downstairs, she turned her head away..

 Chapter 163 - 163: 082 Master (an updated version)_4

    Chapter 163 - 163: 082 Master (an updated version)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°You haven¡¯t practiced the violin in a long time, you¡¯ve already let it go to waste.¡±


    ¡°Learn well from Madam Zhou, so when I¡¯m not around, you won¡¯t be unable to take care of yourself. At least, you can support yourself.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang saw Ming Jing and quickly turned around, wiping her tears as she went to clear the tes, suppressing her disgust.


    At this moment, Uncle Wen came in and said, ¡°Madam, Designer Dai is here to deliver the clothes.¡±


    Lin Qing nodded, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was startled, what was the purpose of Lin Qing ordering clothes? Was there an important gathering recently?


    Dai Xi is a domestic up-anding designer, having established her own clothing brand Xi Yue Er after returning from studying abroad. Frequently coborating with celebrities and designing bold and innovative clothing, she quickly gained favor among female stars and made a name for herself in the country. Her studio now rarely epts outside orders, but because Lin Qing gave her a lot of support when she first started her business, she was grateful and has always been responsible for the clothing of Zhu Xiangxiang and Lin Qing.


    Last time, her assistant delivered the evening gowns for Zhu Xiangxiang and Zhu Mingjing, as she was attending a fashion show abroad at the time. When she returned, her assistant gossiped about the different treatments of the two Zhudies ¨C the true and false heiresses ¨C at the Zhus¡¯ house. Dai Xi had a close rtionship with Lin Qing, even considering her a close friend. She had always wanted to visit, but in the past few months, she was busy with foreign fashion shows and simply couldn¡¯t spare the time until now.


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than four months since Ist saw you. You are really busy, big designer.¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve been really busy during this time, otherwise, I would havee to see you sooner. This must be Ms. Zhu Mingjing, just like the rumors.¡±


    Dai Xi couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration as she looked at the young girl standing beside Lin Qing.


    ustomed to seeing many female stars in the entertainment circle, her tastes had been raised quite high, with ordinary beauties hardly catching her eye. But this young girl had managed to astonish her after such a long time.


    ¡°What rumors? Howe I don¡¯t know about them?¡±


    Dai Xi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s said in Jiangzhou that the true heiress of the Zhus is as beautiful as a fairy, kind -hearted, andpassionate. Madam Zhu, you are indeed very fortunate.¡±


    Lin Qing smiled contentedly.


    ¡°These are the clothes for you and Ms. Ming Jing, the absolute first-wear of the season. I brought them to you first.¡± Dai Xi ced two beautifully packagedrge boxes on the table.


    Dai Xi said to Ming Jing, ¡°Shall I take Ms. Ming Jing to try on the clothes first?¡±


    Lin Qing nodded, and said to Ming Jing, ¡®Go ahead.¡±


    Dai Xi picked up the box on top and was about to follow Ming Jing upstairs when her gaze met Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s.


    She saw Zhu Xiangxiang with her messy hair pulled back into a casual ponytail, an apron tied around her waist, pushing a small cart piled with greasy, messy tes.


    Was this once the proud, elegant, and dignified number onedy? This is a young maid, especially with that expression of deep resentment on her face¡­


    Dai Xi could hardly believe it.


    Upon seeing Dai Xi, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s first reaction was joy as if she had seen a rtive. But with a quick nce at Zhu Mingjing beside her, she seemed very fearful, quickly lowered her head, and walked past them pushing the cart filled with tes, heading into the kitchen.


    The smoothness of the series of expressions changes that urred within a few moments was truly breathtaking.


    Dai Xi raised her eyebrows, sensing the taste of gossip. Nevertheless, the gossip within these wealthy families wasn¡¯t meant for casual consumption.


    Before heading upstairs, Dai Xi nced back at Lin Qing sitting on the living room sofa and then looked towards the kitchen.


    The waters in this mansion are too deep.


    Then, looking at the slender, tall, straight-backed girl walking ahead, who hadn¡¯t said a word since she entered the room, Dai Xi couldn¡¯t help but feel an extremely unfathomable sense of the girl.


    The fitting went smoothly, without any need for alterations.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu has a very standard nine-head-length-body ratio, right-angled shoulders, and wrists below the crotch. With this type of figure, any outfit looks good. Moreover, Ms. Zhu is only sixteen years old, and her height can still grow. If you weren¡¯t a youngdy of the Zhus, I would have already invited you to be a model at my studio.¡±


    Wondering how this figure came about, Dai Xi even noticed the vest line.


    Young, beautiful, in a great shape, from a good background, and intelligent ¡ª upon seeing her, Dai Xi understood what it meant to be the chosen one.


    Heaven¡¯s favor was truly unreasonable.


    Ming Jing changed back into her pajamas, ¡°Is Aunt Dai a good friend of my mother?¡±


    This was the first sentence Dai Xi heard her say, and it was a pleasant voice.


    Smiling, she replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been friends with your mother for over a decade. When I first started my business, she helped me a lot, and she is even a shareholder in my studio..¡±

 Chapter 164 - 164: 082 Master (an updated version)_5

    Chapter 164 - 164: 082 Master (an updated version)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So that¡¯s why. Auntie Dai must have coborated with a lot of celebrities when she set up her studio.¡±


    Dai Xi smiled and said, ¡°You could say that. When it gets busy, I don¡¯t even have time to drink water. I just came back from abroad, took on a big order, and have to fly to Jingdu tomorrow to coordinate the costumes for the famous singer Qu Feitai¡¯s concert.¡±


    Ming Jing slightly furrowed her brow; she seemed to have been hearing this name quite often recently.


    ¡°Do you know Qu Feitai? A lot of girls like him, and his poprity is skyrocketing. His concert will be held in Jiangzhou next month. Do you want tickets? I can get VIP seats for you through my connections, and you can invite your friends too.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Thank you, Auntie Dai. But my friends and I have already bought tickets. ¡±


    ¡°Ah? You really like Qu Feitai, huh?¡± Dai Xi was a bit surprised. Ming Jing seemed like a sober and restrained girl, and it was hard to imagine her chasing stars.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I¡¯m just apanying a friend who is a fan.¡±


    ¡°I see, Qu Feitai and I have worked together twice already. He is very handsome and talented, a perfect idol. It¡¯s worth investing in him.¡±


    As a ¡®mom fan¡¯ of Qu Feitai, Dai Xi never missed an opportunity to promote him.


    For example, in the costume coordinationpetition for Qu Feitai¡¯s concert, several studios were vying for the job. Among the proposals, only Dai Xi¡¯s met Qu Feitai¡¯s satisfaction because she knew him best and had designed the n that perfectly catered to his preferences.


    ¡°Every idol who fascinates their fans must have their shining points.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But he¡¯s different from other idols. You¡¯ll understand as you get to know him more.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, can I add you on WeChat? I¡¯ll send you thetest designs from my studio first.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s perfect figure was the best advertisement.


    Ming Jing dly agreed, and the two exchanged WeChat information.


    When they went downstairs, Lin Qing had already tried on her clothes. Dai Xi had known Lin Qing¡¯s measurements like the back of her hand for many years and rarely made mistakes.


    Lin Qing felt unwell, so Ming Jing apanied Dai Xi out.


    The next morning, Lin Qing and Ming Jing went downstairs in their new clothes, and Zhu Xiangxiang looked up at the dazzling pair, feeling a bitter and sour pain in her heart.


    ¡°Mom, are you going to a party?¡±


    Lin Qing touched her hair and nodded: ¡°Mrs. Gao is hosting a gathering. It¡¯s been a long time since west met.¡±


    As she looked at Ming Jing standing next to Lin Qing, the sourness in her heart seemed to well up.


    It used to be her apanying Lin Qing to these events, but now it was Ming Jing, while she had to stay home and do chores.


    Lin Qing and Ming Jing left, and Zhu Xiangxiang stared at their receding figures with a gloomy expression.


    In the kitchen, Madam Zhou called out, ¡°Xiangxiang, what are you dazed about? Come and remove the shrimp veins.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stayed in ce without moving.


    Madam Zhou nced at her and said with a smile, ¡°The madam and the youngdy have gone far away, staring won¡¯t help, it will only make you more unhappy.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang ripped off her apron and threw it on the ground, stomping upstairs.


    Madam Zhou shouted, ¡°Xiangxiang, what are you doing?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood on the second floor and shouted down, ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of the Zhu family! What right do you have to order me around? You¡¯re nothing but an old maid, don¡¯t act like you¡¯re in charge with your meager authority.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face suddenly turned pale, and the rest of her words got stuck in her throat.


    In the bedroom doorway, Granny Zhu sat in her wheelchair, looking at her coldly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned and ran into her room, burying her face in the bed and sobbing.


    Madam Zhou wrung her hands as she came out, cautiously asking, ¡°Isn¡¯t this going too far with the youngdy of the Zhu family?¡±


    Granny Zhu snorted coldly, ¡°A kindness shown will be repaid with ingratitude, and some people will take you for a fool unless you let them taste some bitterness.¡±


    Madam Zhou nodded, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing is much more thoughtful.¡±


    Mentioning Ming Jing, Granny Zhu¡¯s expression softened: ¡°Has she left with Lin Qing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the madam took the youngdy to Mrs. Gao¡¯s gathering.¡±


    A long-lost smile appeared on Granny Zhu¡¯s face..

 Chapter 165 - 165: 083 Faith (Second Revision)

    Chapter 165: 083 Faith (Second Revision)


    Trantor: 549690339


    The two of them sat in the white BMW that Lin Qing had given Ming Jing. The driver was very skilled, and the car drove smoothly.


    Lin Qing was very satisfied.


    The first stop was the beauty salon.


    Lin Qing was the supreme member here, and she had made an appointment in advance. As soon as she appeared, eight staff members and the manager came out personally to greet her. It was quite a scene.


    ¡°Madam Zhu, it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve visited! Ah, and this must be Ms.


    Zhu. She¡¯s definitely your daughter. Her nose and eyes are so simr to yours. Such an unparalleled beauty at such a young age. She¡¯ll definitely charm all of Jiangzhou when she¡¯s older.¡±


    The manager really knew how to sweet-talk, and Lin Qing loved it.


    Although Ming Jing didn¡¯t look like Lin Qing¡¯s daughter at all, it didn¡¯t stop the manager from ttering her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had always apanied Lin Qing before, but this time it was someone else, no need to guess, it was the rumored real Zhu¡¯s daughter.


    Lin Qing went to do skin care, and Ming Jing waited in the rest area.


    There were a few fashion magazines on the table in the rest area, Ming Jing picked one up casually.


    As luck would have it, the cover featured a familiar face.


    Ming Jing recognized him, but he didn¡¯t know Ming Jing.


    Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Did you manage to get tickets for Qu Feitai¡¯s concert in Jiangzhou? It¡¯s thest chance to get tickets this afternoon. If you miss it, there won¡¯t be another one.¡± ¡°But I have to work on the day of the concert. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Get someone to cover for you. Jiajia isn¡¯t into celebrities anyway. Buy some snacks to bribe her and ask her to switch shifts with you.¡±


    Ming Jing listened to the whispers of the two young girls at the front desk, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.


    ¡°What is faith? It¡¯s knowing you¡¯re a moth flying towards the me but still doing it without hesitation.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the handsome young man on the cover, and he seemed to be looking back at her. His beautiful ck eyes were like two ck pearls.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, here¡¯s some tea for you.¡± A staff member brought a tray of flower tea along with some fruits and pastries.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The staff member sneaked a nce at her, blushed, and hurried back to the front desk.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu is so beautiful, and her skin is so white and wless. Wow.¡±


    ¡°The real Zhu¡¯s daughter, so much more beautiful than the fake one. No wonder Mrs. Zhu doesn¡¯t bring the fake one around anymore.¡±


    ¡°Have any of you noticed that she looks like a celebrity? Her face looks very familiar.¡±


    ¡°Who? Which celebrity is more beautiful than Ms. Zhu?¡±


    The girl was puzzled as she wracked her brain, but she couldn¡¯t recall who it was.


    After waiting for two hours, Lin Qing finally finished her treatment and came out.


    ¡°Mrs. Zhu, Ms. Zhu, please take your time and we hope to see you again soon.¡± The manager and the staff respectfully sent them off.


    It wasn¡¯t until their car had driven off that everyone sighed in relief.


    One staff member took out her phone, preparing to post on Weibo when the manager shot her a nce: ¡°What¡¯s rule number one for our staff?¡±


    ¡°Not to reveal clients¡¯ privacy.¡±


    This high-end beauty salon had even stricter rules.


    ¡°Delete all the photos in your phone. If I find out any of you posted on Weibo or Moments, you¡¯ll lose three months¡¯ sry, and your year-end bonus will be canceled.¡±


    Everyone wore a bitter expression.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu is so beautiful, isn¡¯t it okay to promote her a little?¡±


    ¡°Do you think she needs your promotion? Take a look at yourself before saying that!¡± The manager¡¯s poisonous tongue was something everyone had been prepared for.


    ¡°I finally remembered who Ms. Zhu looks like!¡± Xing Beibei, who had been pondering for a while, jumped up excitedly.


    The manager gave her a cold look: ¡°Which celebrity has the same looks and temperament as Ms. Zhu? You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Su Yinci! Don¡¯t you think Ms. Zhu looks like Su Yinci, especially her eyes and nose?¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces: ¡°Who is Su Yinci?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Su Yinci? Well, I guess it makes sense. She retired from the entertainment industry more than a decade ago. She was once the top beauty in all of Asia. My parents used to be her die-hard fans. There¡¯s still a poster of her at my parents¡¯ house. Now all the young people know about Qu Feitai and Liang Yanran, who would still remember Su Yinci.¡±


    The manager, who was in her thirties, vaguely remembered the star from more than a decade ago and said, ¡°Now I remember. When I was a kid, Su Yinci was incredibly popr, way more than Liang Yanran is now. She was on the verge of breaking into the international market when she suddenly retired and disappeared without a trace. Some people said that she married a wealthy person, while others said she had a terminal illness and died. There were many rumors at the time. Later, new celebrities started popping up like mushrooms after a rain, and she waspletely forgotten in the river of time..¡±

 Chapter 166 - 166: 083 Faith (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 166: 083 Faith (Second Revision)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    The clerks were all young girls, none of whom had heard of Su Yinci. Someone searched the name online: ¡°Is there really such a person? Why can¡¯t we find her online?¡±


    If she were a big star, there should be traces of her online, why can¡¯t they find her?


    It was as if this person had never existed in this world.


    Xing Beibei persistently searched online. No entries showed up for this person. ¡°Impossible, how can it be?¡±


    The shop manager waved her hand: ¡°Alright, why worry about this? There are many people in the world who look alike. Disperse now, everyone should get back to work.¡±


    Xing Beibei walked into the shop with a mind full of confusion. Was her memory faulty?


    Or did Su Yinci not exist in this world at all?


    When she finished styling her hair, it was already noon.


    Lin Qing took Ming Jing to a Western restaurant where she frequently dined.


    Lin Qing flipped through the menu, nced at her and asked: ¡°Do you eat steak?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°Vegetable sd.¡±


    Lin Qing looked at her with a tinge of pain in her heart: ¡°If you¡¯re a vegan for a long time, how can you get enough nutrition? You¡¯re secr now, it¡¯s fine to eat some meat.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°At my height now, I can¡¯t grow any taller.¡±


    Lin Qing choked up a bit, that¡¯s true. Ming Jing, at the age of 16, was approaching 5¡¯7¡å, and she was still growing.


    Ming Jing had a set mind, so Lin Qing didn¡¯t force her.


    The two sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, outside which was a bustling square. At this moment, a man with a briefcase under his arm hurriedly walked past while on the phone.


    After a couple of steps, he suddenly backed up and looked inside through the window.


    His eyes bulged open instantly.


    ¡°Hey, why are you silent? Look at the fine actors you rmended for me. They offended the investors, and the investors withdrew their funds. How are you going to fill this hole?¡±


    ¡°Producer Zhang, we¡¯ll talk about the investors¡¯ issueter, I have something else on hand, need to hang up now.¡± He decisively hung up the phone.


    Li Ming hid behind a flower bed, sneakily observing and secretly taking photos with his phone.


    Ming Jing and Lin Qing walked out of the restaurant, all of a sudden a middle-aged man approached, ¡°Hello, miss. I¡¯m an agent with Star Age. You have great potential. Are you interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry? Don¡¯t let your beauty go to waste.¡±


    Both her figure and temperament were exceptional, Li Ming felt excited about his keen eye.


    Lin Qing stood protectively in front of Ming Jing, studying him: ¡°My daughter will not enter the entertainment industry, so let it go.¡±


    ¡°Mrs., you should ask your daughter for her opinion. Maybe she¡¯s interested in the entertainment industry? This is my business card, my name is Li Ming.¡±


    Lin Qing looked over at Ming Jing, convinced that Ming Jing would definitely not agree. Her temperament was ipatible with the shy and impulsive entertainment industry.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows flickered, she took the business card handed over by Li Ming with two fingers.


    Lin Qing was taken aback: ¡°Ming Jing¡­?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the card and put it in her bag, looking at Li Ming: ¡°I don¡¯t like being a star.¡±


    The youngdy had extraordinarily beautiful and delicate facial features, and her dark, deep, and mysterious eyes were like two fathomless ponds. Simply by looking at you lightly, Li Ming¡¯s brain crashed.


    Her calm tone was carefree, making you wish you could devote yourself to her.


    ¡°Did you hear that? My daughter is not interested. Your scout really has no sense of judgment. My daughter, the proud Miss Zhu, why would she be a star?¡± Lin Qing left with Ming Jing as soon as she finished speaking. Li Ming wanted to follow them, but a man suddenly appeared blocking his way.


    The man nced at him contemptuously: ¡°A toad wants to eat swan meat, go back and take a look at your character.¡±


    Li Ming stood bewildered on the spot, watching as the trio got into a BMW parked by the side of the road.


    ¡°Miss Zhu?¡± He thought of the mother and daughter just now, their clothing and demeanor were extraordinary. A wealthydy and a youngdy, they seemed toe from a wealthy family. Most rich people look down on the entertainment industry.


    ¡°A Zhu family in Jiangzhou? Could it be Mrs. Zhu and Miss Zhu from the Zhu Group?¡±


    The Zhu Group was quite famous in Jiangzhou. If they were from the Zhu family, then it would be true that they looked down on the entertainment circle, Li Ming thought.


    Li Ming deeply regretted missing out on a future superstar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that man rambling nonsense. The entertainment circle is dirty and messy, not suitable for girls.¡±


    Ming Jing silently looked out the window.


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t say anything further.


    The car drove into an underground parking lot, and Lin Qing took a phone call after getting out of the car.


    Zheng Qing twisted her face and said: ¡°That Li Ming, just a third-rate agent. The most popr actor he manages can only y a maid for me. Now he¡¯s digging up talent right under my nose. He must think he¡¯s brave.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought he was quite good.¡± Ming Jing picked up his business card and looked at it.


    Zheng Qing asked in surprise: ¡°What did you notice?¡±


    She knew Ming Jing had insightful eyes.


    Ming Jing passed the card to her: ¡°He probablycks investors at the moment.¡±


    Zheng Qing took it suspiciously: ¡°With his character?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge a person by appearances.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, my goddess, I trust you, I will call him backter.¡±


    The gathering was in a teahouse on the ninth floor of an entertainment club, next to a card game room. When they got tired of chatting, they could go next door to y cards.


    Lin Qing arrived five minuteste on purpose, to make a grand entrance.


    As she appeared, sure enough, the other seven wealthydies had arrived. They were drinking tea and chatting, with Lin Qing as the topic.


    Lin Qing listened for a while, sneered, and pushed the door open.


    The whole room fell silent for a moment, all eyes turned to her instantly. Some were panicked, some wereposed, some took pleasure in her misfortune.


    Now Lin Qing had be the joke of the high society.


    In the past, she acted haughty in front of them, showing off stealthily. Now, with both her husband and daughter gone, she was left with nothing. She held her head high as they watched the young girl trailing behind Lin Qing, then their faces turned green..

 Chapter 167 - 167: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)

    Chapter 167 - 167: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Sorry, sisters, I¡¯mte. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    The woman who walked in was wearing thetest fashion of the season, high heels, her long hair pulled back into a bun, carrying a limited edition handbag in the crook of her arm, her makeup exquisite and dazzling, exuding an aura that seemed to stretch for a meter and a half.


    On the contrary, the young girl behind her had a memorable face, her delicate features as if formed by the Creator¡¯s careful touch, her cascading long hair and in long skirt, a gentle and watery smile on her face, like a breeze in April, gently brushing past.


    There are many kinds of beauty: stunning and fiery, charming and flowery, sweet as honey, and pure as water, but nonepare to the pity at the corners of this young girl¡¯s eyebrows.


    There¡¯s a kind of beauty that transcends the river of time and space, washing away all sins,vishing mercy on all living beings; her smile, apanied by the plucking of a flower, is eternal in an instant.<div>


    She walked slowly with a sacred light, her eyes slightly closed and her mouthcurled up in a gentle smile, as if she could embrace all the sins of this world, and all the filth in those pair of clear and wise eyes had nowhere to hide.


    In that moment, people couldn¡¯t help but want to crawl on the ground, receive the glory of the pilgrimage, and redeem a lifetime of sins.


    Madam Li murmured, ¡°Master Zhu.¡¯


    She was the first to stand up, with a respectful look.


    The others were still in a daze. Although it was not their first time seeing this genuine daughter of fortune, each encounter could cause a strong impact on their psyche.


    Among thesedies, there were those who sought blessings and worshiped Buddha all year round. Wealthy people, in order to maintain their fortunes or seek psychologicalfort, were the most superstitious. At this moment, facing the young girl, they seemed to feel the baptism of divine light, instantly relieved, as if all their worries had vanished.


    ¡°Master Zhu?¡± Mrs. Gao looked at Madam Li.


    ¡°Yes, Master Zhu is very powerful. Don¡¯t be fooled by her young age; her cultivation is very profound. You¡¯ve heard about Madam Song¡¯s incident the other day¡­¡±. Madam Li quickly recounted the causes and consequences of Jiao Mei¡¯s troubles and emphasized her own illness a few days ago.


    ¡°Master Zhu really is the reincarnation of a bodhisattva.¡± Madam Li sighed.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze at Ming Jing changed.


    Lin Qing, whose limelight had been stolen, wasn¡¯t the least bit upset. This was her first time hearing about these things. She turned to look at Ming Jing, was her daughter really this amazing? At first, she even disliked her for being a nun. Lin Qing awkwardly scratched her nose.


    Mrs. Gao still took it with a grain of salt because Zhu Mingjing looked way too young. The renowned monks were all over fifty years old, but this girl was only sixteen.


    Thesedies sometimes brought their daughters to gatherings so they could build connections within the social circle. Gao Jia, Ye Lan, and Li Qingyao were among them. Hearing Madam Li¡¯s words, the three chuckled.


    Young people didn¡¯t believe in these things, especially when the opponent was a girl younger than them. Who did she think she was trying to fool by acting like some high monk?


    ¡°A little nun putting on this act, she really thinks she¡¯s a great monk.¡± Gao Jia scoffed softly.


    ¡°Maybe Ms. Zhu has her own merits,¡± Ye Lan suggested.


    ¡°Her merit is fooling people. Madam Li ispletely convinced, Qingyao, you should go back and talk some sense into your mother, don¡¯t let her be deceived by a little girl.¡±


    Li Qingyao replied, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ms. Gao, but whether my mother believes it or not is her own business. If Ms. Zhu can make her happy, I should be grateful to her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s ying the cult of personality game, and she¡¯s quite calctive for her age. In no time, she¡¯s got the hearts of all these wealthydies, firmly establishing herself in Jiangzhou.¡±


    Gao Jia¡¯s eyes turned, ¡°She¡¯s supposed to be able to predict the future, right? I¡¯ll have her pick up a rock and smash her own foot.¡± Ye Lan whispered, ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even worse for her to deceive people.¡±


    The two took their seats, and for a moment, all sorts of uneasy nces fell upon Ming Jing. Ming Jing was unruffled, looking very much like a true master.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, Madam Li speaks so highly of you, I¡¯m really curious. Can you calcte my marriage fate? I heard that your Buddhism can predict these things very urately. If you can¡¯t, you won¡¯t live up to everyone¡¯s adoration of you.¡± Gao Jia ced extra emphasis on the word ¡®adoration¡¯.


    Madam Li frowned and nced at Gao Jia, how could she talk like that to Master Zhu?


    Lin Qing could see that Ms. Gao was deliberately making things difficult for Ming Jing, and was about to speak up for her when she saw Ming Jing shook her head gently..

 Chapter 168 - 168: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_2

    Chapter 168 - 168: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing shook her head, showcasing a profound wisdom that was beyond certainprehension. As she sat there bathed in a holy light, Gao Jia stood in stark contrast, appearing foolish and arrogant.


    The spectators cast a mixture of nces filled with discontent towards Gao Jia.


    How dare he question the Master? He knows nothing of respect and humility.


    Gao Jia seethed with rage. Have they all gone mad? How could they trust her so readily? A bunch of fools, he thought.


    Mrs. Gao, the organizer of the gathering and the one who sat at the head of the gathering, addressed Gao Jia, ¡°Gao Jia, it is disrespectful to challenge the Master. Madam Li¡¯s faith in her shows that the Master possesses extraordinary talents. Isn¡¯t that right, Master?¡±<div>


    With just a single sentence, she had put Ming Jing on a pedestal. In truth, she herself was half doubtful and intended to put Ming Jing to the test.


    Madam Li voiced her displeasure, ¡°A Master is a Master because of their high-level spiritual practice. That sets them apart from the average street fortune tellers. How could she just casually predict someone¡¯s marital fate?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve heard that high-ranking monks hardly ever speak carelessly.


    Revealing the secrets of heaven could shave off their lifespan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think it should be an issue. I see many people seeking fortune-telling in temples¡­¡¯


    ¡°Modern temples aremercialized. Their monks work during the day and go back to their wives and children in the evening. They¡¯re all frauds.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­? Surely not Master Zhu?¡±


    She¡¯s very young indeed, it¡¯s hard to say, ¡± another chimed in.


    Ming Jing calmly listened to the various doubts and did not rush to exin.


    Instead, she gently took a sip from the white jade porcin cup in front of her, her every action slow and deliberate with a sense of assurance and tranquillity.


    All eyes were on her, time seemed to slow to a crawl. The faint ticking of the wall clock echoed clearly in the silent tea room.


    ¡®Marital fate, as the name suggests, is the destined affinity for marriage,¡± said Ming Jing. It was the first thing she said since her arrival. Her calm and resolute voice immediately captivated everyone.


    Without realizing it, Madam Li sat upright in a reverent posture, like a good student preparing to listen to a lecture from her teacher.


    Quoting from the Yuanjue Sutra, she said, ¡°Sentient beings from all worlds, whether born from egg, womb, moisture, or transformation, rely on the cravings of lust to bring life into existence. On developing a desire for thirst, they will degenerate into the three realms and won¡¯t be redeemed. For beings who abstain from the desire to marry, to copte, and to eat or drink, they can be spiritually nourished and by practicing purification, they thereby may transform into saints. They remain unaffected by the burdens of marriage, eternally pure, theyprehend enlightenment, while the cravings of worldly beings remain unfulfilled, hence, marriage is necessary. This is the Way.¡±


    Her gentle voice brushed over them like a spring breeze. They all listened attentively as if they were listening to a high-ranking monk enlightening wisdom. Previously looking down at her, they now started to take her more seriously.


    Lin Qing, too, reflected earnestly. The existence of human desires led to the creation of marriages. Though marriage was supposed to be beautiful, it had brought her immense pain.


    ¡°Because humans have needs and desires, marriage was introduced. In this vast world, karmic rtions and behavioral influences have brought men and women together. Families are formed, children are born, amassed good deeds result in a blissful marital fate, while umted wrong deeds result in a painful one. The actions from a person¡¯s past and present life nt the seeds of joy and pain in their marriages. Therefore, anything that happens to you at this moment is the consequence of your own actions. Your fate, since a long time ago, was arranged by your own hands. Do not me it on heaven, other people, or your own self, ¡°.


    Everyone fell into deep contemtion. Among those present, who hadn¡¯t endured the torment of marriage? And who could bear to share such privations with others? To hear the young girl unravel the truth was like having a huge wound ripped open in their hearts.


    A woman with teary eyes abruptly asked, ¡°So Master, how can I free myself?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at her withpassionate and understanding eyes, as if she bore her pains. The woman felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude welling up inside her.


    Ming Jing said, ¡°The Buddhist principle of dependent origination states that everything in this world is ever-changing, hence, there is no such thing as eternal love or marriage. When there is a cause, there will be an effect and when the causes cease, so do the effects. The nature of the world is ever-changing, but human desires often pursue an eternal state of perfection.


    Thus, this is the root of all suffering.¡±


    A sigh emanated from the room, followed by a profound silence.


    ¡°Marital fate arises from our thoughts and deeds. Our desires for the current life shape our fate in the next life. All phenomena and their forms in this world are illusions produced by our own attachment. Let go of everything and stay true to your heart.¡±


    The sound of the young girl¡¯s voice served as a catalyst to awaken emotions even in Madam Gao. They all understood this wisdom, but once they were caught up in their own delusions, no other voices could prate their clouded minds. However, the girl¡¯s voice sounded like the pure tones of a bell, clean and ethereal. It washed away their restlessness and pain, leading them out of confusion, allowing them to glimpse into their true selves..

 Chapter 169 - 169: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_3

    Chapter 169 - 169: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    This is the true demeanor of great virtue, transforming others with one¡¯s own mental power.


    Gao Jia saw that everyone was deeply moved and quickly said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all? I asked her to calcte my marital fate, not to bewitch you. Wake


    Even Ye Lan and Li Qingyao were pondering with furrowed brows, only she, like a monkey, was jumping around.


    Ming Jing looked at Gao Jia and smiled faintly, like a magnanimous teacher tolerating a naughty child¡¯s prank.


    ¡°Miss Gao¡¯s thoughts are pure and simple, unspoiled by the hardships of worldly affairs. This is your fortune.¡±<div>


    ¡°I want you to calcte my marital fate, not all this messy stuff. Who are you trying to fool?¡±


    ¡°Jiajia, don¡¯t be disrespectful to the Master,¡± Madam Gao scolded.


    ¡°Mom, how could you be fooled by her too?¡± Gao Jia felt wronged.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry, the child doesn¡¯t know any better,¡± Madam Gao said apologetically.


    ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no need to worry. Miss Gao is pure by nature, and her marriage is destined by fate.¡±


    After saying this, she took a serious look at Gao Jia. In that instant, Gao Jia felt as if she was being pierced by something.


    Ming Jing¡¯s mysterious eyes made her dare not look directly at them again.


    Ming Jing leisurely sipped her tea without speaking, and Madam Gao nced at her with a slightly furrowed brow.


    ¡°I tell you, if you believe in Master Zhu, you won¡¯t be wrong,¡± Madam Li resumed her path of ttery, but this time no one refuted her.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve been having nightmares every nighttely. I suspect I might have been contaminated by something unclean. I was thinking about whether I should go to the temple to pray, and then I met Master. Can you help me see if I¡¯ve been affected by some evil spirits?¡±


    The speaker was Madam Ye, who was almost forty years old, with a plump and fair face, a very lucky appearance, known as the wife-enriching face. However, her eyes were tired and lifeless, with dark circles that couldn¡¯t be covered by makeup.


    Ming Jing took a look and asked, ¡°How long has Madam been like this?¡±


    ¡°About half a month.¡±


    ¡°Where did Madam go half a month ago?¡±


    Madam Ye pondered with a frown, and Ye Lan said from the side, ¡°It was the anniversary of my uncle¡¯s death, and my mother and I went to sweep his grave.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Can Madam extend her right hand?¡±


    Madam Ye quickly raised her right hand and ced it on the table.


    Ming Jing¡¯s slender fingers gently touched Madam Ye¡¯s pulse.


    Everyone watched this scene and whispered, ¡°The Master can even treat illnesses?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Madam Li said just now? Just by looking at Madam Li she knew what illness she had. She must be skilled in medicine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the Master help me take a lookter.¡±


    Lin Qing snorted, ¡°My daughter is very tired, don¡¯t bother her anymore.¡±


    One of thediesughed, ¡°Madam Zhu, you are so fortunate to have such a powerful daughter. We couldn¡¯t even beg for one like her.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, having a daughter like Master Zhu is like having a Buddha at home, soforting.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how envious we are, Madam Zhu¡­¡±


    Listening to these people¡¯s fawningpliments, Lin Qing felt quite satisfied.


    Ming Jing let go of her hand, and Ye Lan anxiously asked, ¡°Is my mom¡¯s health okay?¡±


    Ming Jing said gently, ¡°Madam is preupied and overthinking, causing physical weakness. I will write a prescription for you to take before bed to calm your spirit and help you sleep.¡±


    She looked at Ye Lan, ¡°I¡¯ll send it to Miss Ye¡¯s WeChatter, remember, you must go to a proper traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy to get the medicine.¡±


    The two had already added each other on WeChat at thest birthday banquet of Old Lady Gao.


    Ye Lan nodded, ¡°I understand, thank you.¡±


    Ming Jing paused and asked, ¡°Do you have pen, ink, paper, and inkstone here?¡±


    Madam Gao immediately called the waiter and asked them to prepare pen, ink, paper and inkstone.


    In such an elegant ce like a tea house, there are often artists whoe, and when they feel inspired, they spontaneously write a piece of calligraphy. So, these things are always avable in the tea house.


    Soon, the four treasures of the study were prepared on arge calligraphy table opposite the tea house.


    Everyone watched Ming Jing, wondering what she was going to do.


    Ming Jing stood up, walked to the writing table, first ground the ink, then picked up the brush and dipped it in ink, and began writing on the rice paper.


    One of the essential skills for a famousdy is calligraphy. Some may not like it or persist in learning, just like Gao Jia, who never learned, but Li Qingyao has been learning calligraphy since she was a child. So, when she saw Ming Jing¡¯s posture with the brush and her writing movements, she knew Ming Jing must be an insider.


    As the young girl held the brush pen, her demeanor calm andposed, she wrote slowly, while murmuring something. The crowd could not hear her clearly, but it seemed like she was reciting sutras..

 Chapter 170 - 170: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_4

    Chapter 170 - 170: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    Li Qingyao walked over and nced at it, raising her eyes in surprise, ¡°Strong and vigorous, the brush strokes are like dragons and snakes, with the elegance of iron paintings and silver hook, Ms. Zhu writes excellent calligraphy.¡±


    She had studied it herself and knew how difficult it was to develop such good handwriting. It was at this moment that she truly changed her view of Zhu Mingjing.


    This young girl was like a riddle.


    Li Qingyao¡¯s calligraphy had won awards before, and Madam Li hadn¡¯t hesitated to boast about it. If it could make her praise it openly, it must be very well-written, and everyone was extremely curious.


    After the ink on Ming Jing¡¯s writing had dried, she picked it up and handed it to Madam Ye.<div>


    ¡°For the scripture above, Madam should chant it three times before bed every day, fold it and ce it under your pillow. Maintain a normal attitude, no need to worry too much.¡±


    Madam Ye treasured it like a valuable gift, ¡°Thank you, Master, I will definitely follow your instructions.¡±


    Ye Lan took a nce, the handwriting was very strong and vigorous.


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°If Madam has any doubts in the future, she cane to the


    Zhus to find me.¡±


    At this point, Madam Ye still didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this sentence, but she was very happy to hear Ming Jings words.


    ¡°Master, can you help me see if my daughter can be admitted to Jiangzhou University?¡± Madam Li asked, which was her most pressing concern recently.


    Li Qingyao said impatiently, ¡°Mom, what are you doing?


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, I¡¯m asking the Master.¡± Madam Li waved her hand.


    Ming Jing smiled and nced at Li Qingyao.


    Li Qingyao turned her head away somewhat awkwardly.


    ¡°Madam Li, rest assured, Miss Li has deep blessings and will achieve her heart¡¯s desires.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Madam Li was relieved and delighted.


    Li Qingyao was stunned, and the tense nerves in her heart rxed at the moment when she heard this sentence.


    It was strange that, while she didn¡¯t want to believe it, yet she somehow chose to listen to Ming Jing.


    Could it be that she really had the ability to bewitch people¡¯s hearts?


    Other people also had various problems and went to seek Ming Jing¡¯s advice. Lin Qing stood in front of Ming Jing, ¡°That¡¯s enough, everyone! My daughter is not here to help you alleviate disasters for free. She is kind-hearted and amodating, but I can¡¯t stand to see her being tired. It¡¯s about time for us to go; we have other things to do tonight.¡±


    As soon as Lin Qing finished speaking, she didn¡¯t care what others thought, and left with Ming Jing.


    Mrs. Gao left the others and chased after them.


    ¡°Master Zhu, please wait.¡±


    Ming Jing turned around and looked at the pursuing Mrs. Gao.


    ¡°Master, my daughter¡¯s marriage¡­¡± She had already noticed that Ming Jing didn¡¯t mention it on the spot, which meant there was a problem. Mrs. Gao thought Ming Jing didn¡¯t mention it out of respect for the Gao family¡¯s face and Gao Jia¡¯s self-esteem.


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡°It¡¯s against the rules to reveal the secrets of heaven.


    Mrs. Gao, please stay.¡±


    She calmly turned around and left, leaving Mrs. Gao dumbfounded.


    With her eyebrows knitted together tightly, Mrs. Gao was anxious and overwhelmed. The more Ming Jing didn¡¯t speak, the more restless she became.


    Gao Jia was almost twenty years old, and Gao Yang wanted her to marry for the sake of thepany¡¯s development, but she didn¡¯t want to. How could she hastily decide on a lifelong marriage? She hadn¡¯t slept well for days because of this.


    Could it be that Jia Jia¡¯s marriage is really destined to be bumpy?


    She firmly believed that Ming Jing didn¡¯t say anything because Jia Jia¡¯s marriage was not good. Today, she observed that Master Zhu was not just a chatan and was actually skilled. She would wait and see if Li Qingyao and Madam Ye¡¯s situations were resolved perfectly, then she would visit the Zhus.


    In the elevator, Lin Qing hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Is there a problem with Gao Jia¡¯s marriage?¡±


    ¡°The cycle of cause and effect is inescapable for anyone.¡±


    Lin Qing stared at her daughter¡¯s back, suddenly feeling a bit strange and fearful.


    Nevermind, she is still her daughter after all.


    As soon as Ming Jing left, the teahouse was in an uproar. ¡°Oops, I forgot to add Master Zhu on WeChat.¡±


    ¡°Me too, I¡¯ll find another opportunity next time.¡±


    ¡°Master Zhu really has some skills. I was fascinated by her simple yet enlightening theories about marriage. They really helped me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, if we could listen to her lectures on Zen in the future, that would be great.


    My enlightenment could be elevated to a higher level.¡±


    ¡°A master is a master indeed. She has achieved such a high level of cultivation at such a young age, and she will certainly aplish great things in the future.¡±


    ¡°Madam Ye, can you let us all admire the calligraphy treasure Master Zhu gave you?¡±


    Madam Ye shook her head, ¡°No, the Master specifically instructed that only I can touch it.¡¯


    ¡°Humph, you all are educated and knowledgeable, but you still believe in this feudal superstition.¡± Gao Jia said disdainfully.


    Mrs. Gao walked in at this point, and scolded with a cold face, ¡°Jia Jia, what are you talking nonsense about?¡±


    ¡°Mom, did I say something wrong? You guys are being yed by a young girl, you keep calling her a master. I feel embarrassed for you..¡±

 Chapter 171 - 171: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_5

    Chapter 171 - 171: 084 Marriage Fate (First Update)_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Enough.¡± Mrs. Gao gave her a cold nce and said to thedies, ¡°Sorry, children don¡¯t know any better.¡±


    ¡°Being disrespectful to the master, do you know the consequences of Jiao Mei¡¯s actions? Youngdy, don¡¯t be too absolute with your words. How old are you? The salt you¡¯ve eaten is not as much as the bridges we¡¯ve crossed.¡±


    ¡°Right, just now Miss Gao asked about her marriage, and the master just smiled without saying anything. It must be that your marriage is not good, and the master is kindly hiding it to protect your dignity. But you don¡¯t appreciate it at all, and with such a temper, you¡¯re unlikely to marry into a good family.¡± Gao Jia¡¯s face turned green at once.


    This was also Mrs. Gao¡¯s biggest concern, but she didn¡¯t expect it toe true.


    After the gathering, Ye Lan helped Madam Ye leave, ¡°Mom, let the driver take you back first, I¡¯ll go get the medicine.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing had just sent the prescription to her WeChat.


    Madam Ye got into the car and reminded her, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    That night, after taking the medicine, Madam Ye sat on the bed and began to recite from a piece of paper. Ye Zheng came out of the bathroom, seeing her like this, he wanted tough.


    ¡°What are you up to again?


    Madam Ye ignored him, concentrating on reciting the scriptures on the paper.


    Feeling bored, Ye Zhengy on the side, picked up a finance magazine, and read by the tablemp.


    Madam Ye muttered to herself, and soon Ye Zheng fell asleep listening to her.


    After reciting it three times, Madam Ye folded the paper and ced it under her pillow. Finally, she turned off the lights andy down to sleep.


    Strangely enough, she usually found it difficult to fall asleep, but tonight she fell asleep as soon as shey down.


    The night was as cool as water, and she had no dreams.


    The next day, Madam Ye woke up in a daze, stretchedzily, feeling refreshed and energetic. She hadn¡¯t felt this way in a long time.


    Even before she went to sweep the graves, she had never slept this well.


    When she went downstairs, Ye Lan, Ye Zheng, and Ye Lan¡¯s older brother Ye Sheng were having breakfast in the dining room.


    Seeing her downstairs, Ye Lan asked, ¡°Mom, did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    Madam Ye smiled and said, ¡°I slept so well that I didn¡¯t have any nightmares and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I slept until morning. Master


    Zhu is really amazing, she cured my insomnia.¡±


    In modern society, even if you¡¯re worth billions, it¡¯s no use if you can¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Ye Lan eximed in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s amazing, I must have underestimated her. ¡±


    Ye Zheng asked, ¡°Master Zhu? I¡¯ve never heard of her.¡±


    Madam Ye immediately spilled the beans about Zhu Mingjing¡¯s background, emphasizing the effects of Jiao Mei and Madam Li¡¯s experiences. Ye Zheng, being a businessman, was deeply convinced by this set of beliefs. Hearing this, he asked, ¡°Zhu Wentao¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°The true daughter of the Zhu family who has just returned. She became a nun at Baitou Mountain when she was young. If she hadn¡¯t been found by the Zhu family, she probably could have be highly virtuous.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Wentao actually has such an amazing daughter? Why haven¡¯t I heard about her before?¡±


    ¡°You guys propagate feudal superstitions, and you¡¯re highly educated.¡± Ye Sheng scoffed.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You can¡¯t be disrespectful to the gods and Buddha.¡± Madam Ye scorned him.


    ¡°If not because Master Zhu is so powerful, tell me, how could my insomnia of many years be cured?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a psychological effect. We can analyze it from a psychological perspective. ording to my hypothesis, this Master Zhu is definitely not highly skilled in cultivation. I think she¡¯s just figured out the idle and tender psychology of you richdies and served you all a nice meal. In this case, Ms. Zhu should be well versed in psychology.¡± Ye Sheng stroked his chin and analyzed.


    ¡°Brother, if you had met Ms. Zhu, you probably wouldn¡¯t say that. Based on my few interactions with her, she shouldn¡¯t be a scammer.¡±


    ¡°She managed to deceive my brilliant sister as well. It seems that this scammer is really skilled.¡± Ye Sheng winked.


    ¡°I need to meet this Ms. Zhu sometime.¡± Just getting more and more curious..

 Chapter 172 - 172: 085 Xi Yu (Second Watch)

    Chapter 172 - 172: 085 Xi Yu (Second Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ming Jing, how is Shaodan now?¡± On the way back, Lin Qing couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    After all, it was her own son, and enduring this long was already her limit. Ming Jing went silent for a moment, ¡°He¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Lin Qing almost choked, wanting to ask Ming Jing to bring Shaodan back, but upon seeing Ming Jing¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud.


    Now, she feels more fear than pity for her daughter.


    ¡°As long as I am in this world, I will protect him for one day. There is no need to worry.¡±<div>


    The calm voice of the young girl seemed to have a mysterious bewitching power. Since she said so, she must be able to do it.


    Lin Qing sighed, ¡°I hope he can be safe and sound. If he can¡¯t hold on, let him hnol,- ¡±


    Zhu Shaodan had gained much experience these days following Laiba. Though they ate at roadside stalls, slept in guesthouses, and wore cheap clothes, all these were worth it for striving for their dreams.


    That night, he followed Laiba to Bojii Casino. The ce was full of people, and it was easy to find opportunities. Moreover, since thest casino incident, Ran Tengxiao often appeared at Bojii. Even Miss Zhao had beening more frequently, but no one had seen that arrogant young man again. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air.


    As long as he could see Master Xiao, there was a chance. Moreover, seeing his idol every day made Zhu Shaodan feel extremely happy.


    ¡°Cousin, is he dead?¡± Zhao Qin yawned out of boredom, as her dark circles noticeably deepened. That damn brat, Zhao Qin mentally noted it down again.


    Ran Tengxiao was drinking tea and reading a book. Sitting under the lights, he looked like a gentle and modest gentleman.


    Zhao Qin pouted.


    ¡°Master Xiao, there¡¯s trouble at Zhuque Hall.¡± Ye Jian came in and whispered. Zhao Qin immediately sat up straight, ¡°What happened to Zhuque Hall?¡±


    Ye Jian looked at her and said, ¡°Miss Zhao, Wan Xiang and Zhao Gan are fighting over a woman and it has escted.¡±


    Wan Xiang was Ran Qing¡¯s confidant and temporarily managing Zhuque Hall for her. Zhao Gan was the Heavenly Master of Zhuque Hall, but he had always been at odds with Wan Xiang due to his rtionship with Zhao Qin, who was his cousin. They had been waiting for Ran Qing to step downpletely and take over Zhuque Hall for a long time.


    Tonight¡¯s incident had started over a woman, but in reality, the woman was just an excuse.


    Ran Tengxiao turned a page in his book and said, without lifting his head, ¡°No need to pay attention. Let them be.¡± Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t sit still any longer and stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll go and see.¡±


    With that, she rushed out like the wind.


    Ye Jian whispered, ¡°Will the Miss going ruin the n?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao smiled faintly, ¡°What can she do? She¡¯s just a silly girl.¡±


    Ye Jian remained silent.


    Ran Tengxiao frowned, ¡°Still no news from him?¡±


    Ye Jian immediately understood and shook his head, ¡°This person seems to have vanished into thin air, there are no clues at all.¡±


    Under the light, the handsome young man hooked his lips, ¡°That¡¯s good.


    Tonight¡¯s bait will lure out quite a few fish.¡±


    When Zhao Qin arrived, she was dumbfounded.


    Wan Xiang, Zhao Gan, and their brothers had been strung up with ropes, sitting in a row on the ground, bruised and swollen. Their faces a miserable sight, they howled and groaned in pain.


    Many onlookers had gathered outside, whispering andmenting on the situation. A few young girls were excitedly taking photos and saying, ¡°He¡¯s so handsome, so handsome, it¡¯s killing me!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so damn cool when he¡¯s fighting, so swift and decisive. I¡¯m dying, so d I got it on video.¡±


    Zhao Qin frowned and walked forward, her eyes suddenly fixed on something.


    The bar was dimly lit, the dazzling lights casting shadows. In a booth inside, a young man sat with his back to everyone.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s heart involuntarily skipped a beat.


    ¡°Sister¡­ save me.¡± Zhao Gan struggled to call out.


    Zhao Qin did not even nce at him as she walked further inside.


    The teenager was dressed in ck as usual, wearing a baseball cap and a face mask. The brim of the cap was pressed down low, his legs crossed and resting on the coffee table. His legs were straight and long, wrapped in ck pants. One hand rested on the armrest while the other yed with a dagger. The sharp dagger spun rapidly between his fingers, terrifying to watch.


    ¡°Xi Yu?¡± She tentatively called out.


    The young man nced at her sideways, his eyes cold and unfeeling from under the darkness of the hat¡¯s brim.


    Her mind went nk for a moment, as she forgot what she wanted to say..

 Chapter 173 - 173: 085 Xi Yu (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 173 - 173: 085 Xi Yu (Second Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    The young man turned back, and the dagger spun gracefully through the air before he snatches it back in his hand.


    ¡°Tell your cousin that I helped him out,¡± he said, before leaping from the second floor window.


    Surrounding people cried out in shock.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Zhao Qin instinctively chased after him, but his figure was already gone into the darkness.


    Staring into the night, Zhao Qin felt momentarily lost, not knowing her disappointment.<div>


    Turning back, she walked up to the girl who spoke earlier, towering above her.


    ¡°Send me the video you took just now.¡±


    The girl fumed, ¡°Who are you? Why should I listen to you?¡±


    Her friend pulled her arm and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s the youngdy of the Zhaos, her cousin is Master Xiao. Can you afford to mess with her?¡±


    The girl stubbornly hesitated, but was intimidated out of fear and gave her the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll send it to you via Bluetooth.¡±


    Zhao Qin turned on the Bluetooth.


    While the transfer was in progress, the girl cautiously asked, ¡°Do you know the young man?¡±


    Zhao Qin raised her chin, ¡°Of course.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    Zhao Qin looked her up and down, her gaze of contempt was filled with disdain, ¡°Are you worthy of knowing his name?¡±


    The girl was deted and thought to herself that she couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Zhao Qin, so she would just have to bear it.


    Once the video finished transferring, Zhao Qin turned to leave. She walked up to Zhao Gan and kicked him, scolding, ¡°You useless.¡±


    Zhao Gan cried, ¡°Sister, you must avenge me. I was framed this time.¡±


    Zhao Qin kicked him again, coolly saying, ¡°Serves you right. You got off lightly.¡±


    She caught sight of the beauty sitting beside Zhao Gan, ¡± You did all this for such a person? You¡¯ve really disgraced our Zhao family.¡±


    She yed the video, showing the young man single-handedly defeating a group of people in a swift and elegant manner. It was as though she was watching a martial arts movie, with the young man as agile as a dragon and utterly in control.


    Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes.


    She nced coldly at the woman beside her, who was confused and startled.


    Zhao Qin stepped closer, grabbing the woman¡¯s right hand and asked in a cold voice, ¡°Did he touch you?¡±


    The woman shook her head instinctively.¡±No¡­no.


    A murderous aura shed in the young girl¡¯s eyes, and the woman shivered involuntarily.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me.¡±


    ¡°Wherever he touched you, I¡¯ll chop that part off.¡±


    The woman screamed in terror, ¡°Young miss, spare my life! I didn¡¯t mean to, he¡­he only saved me.¡±


    ¡°Why did he save you?¡±


    The woman choked on her words.


    Zhao Qin picked up the fruit knife on the ground and advanced towards the woman step by step.


    The woman turned pale in fright. Zhao Gan yelled, ¡°Zhao Qin, are you mad?¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s face showed a weird smile, she might really be going insane.


    Ye Jian walked in with a dispirited expression.


    Ran Tengxiaoughed, ¡°Lost track of him again?


    Ye Jian remained silent, ¡°I am incapable.¡±


    ¡°If he could be easily followed, he wouldn¡¯t be who he is.¡± ¡®Master Xiao, the youngdy¡­,¡± Ye Jian whispered in his ear.


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Xi Yu touched that woman¡¯s hand,¡± Ye Jian shivered, thinking the youngdy had gone too far. That scene was incredibly horrifying. ¡°This girl is getting more and more crazy.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sighed, ¡°She¡¯s not a child anymore. Clean it up.¡±


    At midnight, Zhu Shaodan emerged from the Bojii Casino, and bought a pack of cigarettes by the roadside. After taking a puff, he coughed violently.


    It seemed he still had to learn.


    Zhu Shaodan squatted down as a pair of ck boots walked past him, followed by long, slender legs.


    Zhu Shaodan dumbfoundedly raised his head and saw the other party standing in front of the grocery kiosk, taking a bottle of water.


    ¡°Two yuan,¡± said the sleepy old man inside the kiosk.


    The young man took two coins from his pocket and tossed them into the paper box.


    The crisp sound of coins shing rang clearly in the silent night, instantly waking Zhu Shaodan up.


    From his position, he could see the young man wearing a mask beneath the brim of his hat, with long eyshes that seemed odd for a man.


    When the young man turned, Zhu Shaodan suddenly pointed at him,


    ¡°You¡­you¡­you¡¯re Xi Yu?¡±


    Word had spread that a young man named Xi Yu had single-handedly challenged Master Xiao in a huge gamble at the Bojii Casino.


    He had beenpletely out of sight recently, but everyone knew about his mysterious adventures.


    The young man nced at him, handed him the water, and Zhu Shaodan took it nkly.


    ¡°The water¡¯s for me? What will you drink?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was amazed. This young man would even give him a drink, despite not caring about even Master Xiao.


    Could he be dreaming?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go home?¡± the young man asked.


    Zhu Shaodan pouted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back. My mom keeps nagging me all day. It¡¯s really annoying.¡±


    The young man nced at the cigarette burning in his fingertips and for some reason, Zhu Shaodan suddenly felt cold.


    ¡°Smoking at your age? Why aren¡¯t you studying properly?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s hand trembled, and the cigarette fell to the ground.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Zhu Shaodan cursed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you smoking again.¡± The young man¡¯s cold and rebellious voice echoed in the air, but there was no trace of him remaining. The night breeze blew gently, and Zhu Shaodan suddenly shivered.


    ¡°Oh my god, I saw a ghost.¡±


    ¡°Laiba, guess who I just met? Xi Yu! He gave me this bottle of water and even scolded me for smoking,¡± Zhu Shaodan excitedly exined, unting the bottle in his hand.


    Laiba nced at him, ¡°Are you running a fever? Would Xi Yu even bother with you? He¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t even care about Master Xiao, you know. He just beat up everyone in Zhuque Hall by himself.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was anxious, ¡°It was Xi Yu! I¡¯m sure of it. This water was really given to me by him. Why don¡¯t you guys believe me?¡±


    Everyone burst intoughter, ¡°This kid must be sleepwalking.¡± Zhu Shaodan was furious that no one believed him.. How annoying!

 Chapter 174 - 174 : 086

    Chapter 174 - 174 : 086


    Trantor: 549690339


    After three days of sound sleep, Madam Ye felt revitalized. She was so energetic that she walked with a spring in her step.


    This night, after reciting her scriptures as was her routine, shey down for sleep.


    Ye Zheng was already fast asleep beside her.


    ¡°Sis, sis¡­.¡±


    It seemed like someone was calling her. A foggy scene unfolded before her eyes as Madam Ye kept walking through it but couldn¡¯t seem to reach the end of the fog.<div>


    Who was it?


    ¡°Sis, it¡¯s me, A Kang.¡±


    ¡°A Kang? Is that you?¡± Madam Ye saw a middle-aged man standing amidst the fog, smiling at her.


    Tears stream down Madam Ye¡¯s face. She rushed to embrace him but her hands passed right through him.


    She turned around in disbelief: ¡°A Kang, are you dead?¡±


    Yes, her younger brother A Kang had passed away in a car ident three years ago.


    When she heard the news, it struck her like a bolt out of the blue.


    Their parents had passed away early. The siblings relied on each other. A Kang was highly capable. After graduating, he started a business. With the help of his brother-inw and his distinctive abilities, he quickly became a rising star in Jiangzhou.


    Many wealthy young women wanted to marry him back then, but he didn¡¯t budge and married his college sweetheart, Zou Beibei. She strongly opposed it.


    Zou Beibei was from a humble background, and Madam Ye didn¡¯t look down on her for it. But this woman just used A Kang as a stepping stone, easily recing him once she found a better man. Perhaps it was karma that she was discarded afterward. When A Kang had already achieved sess, shamelessly, Zou Beibei sought to reconcile with him. Her foolish brother was easily swayed by a few sweet words, and despite her objections, he agreed to get back together. To avoid further straining their rtionship, she reluctantly agreed.


    In the first year of their marriage, Zou Beibei gave birth to their daughter An Ran. The couple seemed to live happily, and she decided to leave them to it.


    They threatened divorce a few times in between, but always ended up reconciling, mainly for their daughter. She Imew her brother would never mistreat Zou Beibei. It must have been Zou Beibei who triggered A Kang¡¯s anger by misbehaving. Despite their tumultuous rtionship, they kept going until unexpectedly, three years ago, A Kang died in a car ident before he ever reached the hospital.


    The at-fault driver fled the scene, and even after three years, the police had not located them, and the case was shelved.


    Zou Beibei lived a luxurious life with the fortune Left by A Kang, and rumors were she was going to remarry soon.


    Zou Beibei and her had a problematic rtionship, and after A Kang¡¯s death, she cut off all contact, even not allowing their daughter An Ran to see her. A Kang¡¯s death had devastated her. Even after three years, she couldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Sis, I died a wrongful death.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Madam Ye eximed in disbelief.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re awake.¡± Ye Lan looked up in surprise.


    Madam Ye¡¯s face was dark and terrifying.


    ¡®Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Are you suffering from insomnia again?¡±


    Ye Sheng furrowed his eyebrows:¡±Did the Master¡¯s medicine lose effectiveness?¡±


    Madam Ye sat down silently for breakfast. Halfway through, she asked, ¡°Who from the police was in charge of A Kang¡¯s case back then?¡±


    The three of them were curious about why Madam Ye suddenly brought up A Kang, who had passed away three years ago.


    Ye Zheng put down his newspaper and said, ¡°It was Li Feng. He¡¯s now the Chief of Police. Why do you ask?¡±


    After A Kang¡¯s ident, Madam Ye was hospitalized for a month due to deep sorrow. So, A Kang¡¯s funeral and the police investigation were handled by him.


    ¡°Get me his contact information.¡±


    Ye Zheng frowned and looked at her deeply. ¡°Did you find any clues to A Kang¡¯s case?¡±


    Ye Lan and Ye Sheng eagerly asked, ¡°Mom, what happened to Uncle¡¯s case?¡±


    Madam Ye clenched her chopsticks tightly, her eyes filled with intense hatred that startled the other three. ¡°A Kang visited me in my dreamst night. He was murdered.¡±


    The room fell into shocked silence.


    Ye Lan sat up straight: ¡°How could this be?¡±


    A dream? How could they trust such a mysterious thing? The police had been investigating for three years with no lead, or else the case would have been closed.


    Ye Sheng wanted to say it was just superstition, but considering it involved his uncle, he didn¡¯t dare to make light of it.


    ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡± Ye Zheng became calm after his initial shock.


    ¡°The driver responsible for the ident was bribed. The police couldn¡¯t find him because he has changed his identity and isying low in Jiangzhou City..¡±

 Chapter 175 - 175: 086 2

    Chapter 175 - 175: 086 2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ye Sheng asked, ¡°Who was it?¡±


    Madam Ye carefully recalled and suddenly covered her head in pain, saying, ¡°Let me think, I can definitely remember.¡±


    Ye Lan quickly got up and walked to her side, worriedly saying, ¡°Mom, let me help you upstairs to rest, take your time.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t wait for a day, as long as I think of A Kang being killed by someone, I can¡¯t wait to chop the murderer into pieces.¡±


    Madam Ye held her head with both hands, carefully recalling: ¡°The ce was very noisy, there was the sound of dice rolling, the person was very tall, with a green dragon tattoo on half his arm, and a one-inch-long scar on his left cheek¡­¡±<div>


    Ye Zheng thought for a moment: ¡°I¡¯ll call Director Li now, you rest at home, I¡¯ll be responsible.¡±


    Madam Ye suddenly looked up at him, tears shimmering in her eyes: ¡°Old Ye, you must catch the murderer and avenge A Kang.¡±


    Ye Zheng patted her shoulder: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, A Lan, take good care of your mother.¡±


    He left without looking back.


    Ye Sheng wiped his mouth and hurriedly chased after him: ¡°Dad, wait for me.¡±


    With clues on hand, the investigation of this case was extremely fast. An Kang was a well-known figure in Jiangzhou three years ago, and suddenly died in a car ident, which shocked everyone. With the pressure from the Ye family, the police attached great importance to the new clues and set up a special investigation team.


    When Laiba was taken away by the police, his little brother was bewildered.


    It was the first time Bojii Casino had encountered the police in such a situation.


    ¡°Laiba, what did you do?¡± Zhu Shaodan was the most confused.


    Laibaughed andforted him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be out soon, and I¡¯ll still be waiting to hear your bragging.¡±


    Xie Zi immediately reported the incident to Ran Tengxiao. Hearing the news, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s brows slightly furrowed.


    ¡°What are you saying? An Kang¡¯s car ident was rted to him?¡±


    Xie Zi lowered his head: ¡°That¡¯s what the police investigation results say so far. Laiba changed his name and blended in with the Qinglong Association, probably to cover up this incident.¡±


    If the police had arrested someone, there must be solid evidence, and this was almost a foregone conclusion. ¡°Who recruited him?¡±


    Xie Zi trembled.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t officially joined the association yet.¡±


    ¡°But to outsiders, he¡¯s one of our Qinglong Association.¡±


    Xie Zi closed his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, please punish me, Master Xiao.¡±


    ¡°Go and punish yourself.¡±


    Thinking of something, Ran Tengxiao asked frowningly: ¡°An Kang has been dead for three years. The police have had no clues for the past three years. Why did they suddenly dig up this case again?¡±


    Was it aimed at the Qinglong Association?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now. Let¡¯s see how things unfold.¡±


    Three dayster, a sensational car ident case from three years ago in Jiangzhou was solved. The police issued an announcement, detailing the cause and effect of the case. However, this time, it caused a sensation not only in Jiangzhou but across the country.


    This was not an ordinary hit-and-run case, but a carefully nned murder.


    The mastermind was An Kang¡¯s wife, Zou Beibei. The cause and effect of this case were shocking when sorted out.


    It turned out that after An Kang and Zou Beibei¡¯s marriage, their rtionship graduallv deteriorated. When An Kang was awav on business. Zou Beibei could not bear the loneliness and hooked up with her ex-boyfriend. Her lover owed a lot of gambling debts and tricked Zou Beibei into paying for him. Zou Beibei was bewitched and, in order to be with this man, nned to take An Kang¡¯s money and flee abroad. The night before they were supposed to leave, An Kang discovered their n, and the lover suggested they simply kill him.


    At first, Zou Beibei couldn¡¯t bear to do it, but her lover¡¯s sweet talk was just too powerful. Zou Beibei bribed a truck driver to do the deed and, after the job was done, gave him some money to adopt a new identity and never appear in public again.


    The truck driver knew that the most dangerous ce was the safest ce, so he changed his appearance and infiltrated the Qinglong Association, which was why the police had no clues in the past three years.


    Having inherited arge sum of money, Zou Beibei pretended to be deeply in love at first, but it didn¡¯tst long before her true colors were revealed, and she ran off with her lover. The two were supposed to get married by the end of this month. They were overconfident that the case had been handled seamlessly and the police would never trace it back to them, so they continued to live in Jiangzhou.


    The day the case was solved, it caused a huge sensation in Jiangzhou. Especially because An Kang was a famous young talent in Jiangzhou, and his sister and brother-inw were also from a prestigious family in Jiangzhou. No one expected that this would be the shocking twist, which has caused muchmentation..

 Chapter 176 - 176: 086_3

    Chapter 176 - 176: 086_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s already been three years since the case happened, and the police have had no clues all along. How did they suddenly solve it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? It¡¯s because An Kang was wrongly killed, and he appeared in his sister¡¯s dream, telling her who had harmed him. If it wasn¡¯t for that, this case would never have been solved. ¡±


    ¡°Really? Are there gods and ghosts in this world?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about gods and ghosts, but I do know that those who do evil will eventually get theireuppance. So, it¡¯s better to be honest and not think of harming others. The gods in heaven are watching, after all. It¡¯s not that they won¡¯t pay, it¡¯s just that the time hasn¡¯te yet.¡±


    People discuss various opinions, but what they don¡¯t realize is that the evil of human heart goes far beyond this.<div>


    ¡°That woman deceived A Kangpletely, not only plotting for money and causing his death but even lying to him about their child. Oh, my poor A Kang, how much grievance have you suffered?¡± Madam Ye angrily threw a paternity test report on the floor, nearly despairing in her roar.


    Ye Lan silently went over to pick it up, sighing.


    She never thought that the truth would be so cruel.


    Her cousin was actually the child of that woman and another man.


    Her uncle¡¯s entire life was ruined by that woman.


    ¡°Mom, then An Ran¡­¡±


    ¡°Let that illegitimate child get out of here. I don¡¯t want to see her in my life again.¡± Madam Ye couldn¡¯t face the child, even venting her anger on her, impulsively not knowing what she might do.


    An eight- or nine-year-old girl stood in the corner, looking dejected, her eyes filled with tears.


    ¡°Zou Beibei and her lover are both in prison. I¡¯ve heard that she has no one left at her grandmother¡¯s house. Where can this child go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care where she goes. Haven¡¯t they harmed my A Kang enough? Do I still have to raise their child for them? What if she inherits her mother¡¯s viciousness? Won¡¯t that be inviting the wolf into the house?¡± Madam Ye was determined.


    ¡°Let¡¯s send her to the welfare institute.¡±


    Ye Lan nced at the little girl in the corner, sighed, and went over to pat her head.


    ¡°An Ran, this has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t me yourself. Live a good life in the future, and I¡¯lle to visit you when I have time.¡±


    The little girl bit her lip, her delicate face pale and fragile, arousing pity.


    She said softly, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ll be very good. Please don¡¯t send me to the welfare institute, okay?¡±


    Seeing the little girl¡¯s tearful, careful expression was truly pitiful.


    Ye Lan looked at Madam Ye, who was still angry, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer until your aunt calms down.¡±


    After sending An Ran away, Ye Lan looked at Madam Ye, dressed primly and properly, and asked in surprise, ¡°Mom, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To visit Master Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to Master Zhu that your uncle¡¯s name has been cleared this time. I want to go and thank her personally and ask her to perform rites for your uncle¡¯s soul.¡±


    After experiencing this series of events, Ye Lan¡¯s attitude had changed as well.


    There were indeed some phenomena in the world that could not be exined by science, which might be called mysticism.


    Her uncle¡¯s dream to her mother was not a coincidence.


    She suddenly thought of that day at the tea house, when Ming Jing handed the scriptures to her mother, it seemed that she had already anticipated these events.


    Ye Lan suddenly felt a little frightened, wondering what kind of mysterious power that girl possessed.


    What could those wise eyes see through? ¡°Mom, let me go with you.¡±


    Madam Ye looked at her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    This was Madam Ye¡¯s first visit to the Zhu¡¯s. Coincidentally, she saw Madam Li and Li Qingyao getting out of a car outside The Zhus¡¯ Gate.


    Both of them were carrying a lot of things, especially Li Qingyao, who looked very pleased with herself.


    Madam Ye understood in an instant, it seemed that Master Zhu had predicted this as well.


    ¡°Madam Ye?¡± Madam Li was also surprised to see her.


    ¡°I heard about your brother¡¯s case. It¡¯s fortunate that the case has been solved, and your brother¡¯s name has been cleared. It¡¯s a blessing in disguise.¡± Madam Li sympathized deeply. After reading the news at home, she had cursed the dog couple out.


    Madam Ye sighed, ¡°Thank you, Madam. A Kang can rest in peace now.¡±


    ¡°Did youe to the Zhu¡¯s to thank Master Zhu today? I heard that it was your brother who entrusted the dream¡­?¡±


    Madam Ye nodded, ¡°Master Zhu has done a great deed, and I came to thank her today. Also, I want to ask her to perform rites for my brother¡¯s soul. Are you here because¡­ Li Qingyao has been admitted to Jiangzhou University?¡±


    Madam Liughed, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to Master Zhu as well..¡±

 Chapter 177 - 177: 086_4

    Chapter 177 - 177: 086_4


    Trantor: 549690339


    The two looked at each other andughed simultaneously.


    Today, the Zhu family was in high spirits, and Granny Zhu showed up after hearing the news, receiving ttery from the two of them for a while.


    Granny Zhu was quite astounded upon learning the ins and outs of the situation.


    The recent An Kang case that had been stirring up Jiangzhou, Ming Jing had contributed to it too.


    She had underestimated her granddaughter.<div>


    Madam Ye took a moment to consider and asked Ming Jing to help ensure the salvation of her brother¡¯s soul, saying she was willing to pay whatever cost. Even though Ming Jing was not short of money, she simply trusted her.


    ¡°It¡¯s all about making a good beginning and a good ending, thank you for your trust, Madam.¡±


    Madam Ye replied cheerily, ¡°Thank you, Master. I will remember this favor. In the future, if there is anything you need, I will do my best to assist.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°A Taoist ritual needs some preparations, I will notify you once I am ready.¡±


    Madam Ye immediatelyplied, ¡°Just tell me what needs to be prepared, Master.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    In the kitchen, Madam Zhou told Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°You go rest, I will serve the


    tea. ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered in her mind, as if she didn¡¯t know what Madam Zhou was nning. She simply wanted to let the outsiders witness how the Zhu family mistreated her, and cast aspersions on them.


    ¡°Madam Zhou, your legs and feet are not nimble, you should take a break, I will handle it.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for Madam Zhou¡¯s response and picked up the tea tray and went out directly.


    ¡°Ladies, please have some tea.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang carefully ced the tea tray on the table, picking up tea bowls one by one and serving them to the guests. Ye Lan and Li Qingyao exchanged nces and saw surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Was this Zhu Xiangxiang?


    Madam Ye and Madam Li kept their focus inward and pretended not to see.


    Granny Zhu cast a cold nce at her. ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang pressed her lips together, her expression pitiful, ¡°All right.¡±


    Her eyes were filled with resentment and grievance.


    Everyone was silent, and the atmosphere was tense for a moment.


    Zhu Xiangxiang thought, it wouldn¡¯t be long before people would know how the Zhu family treated her harshly, and Zhu Mingjing and Lin Qing would be condemned.


    However, she was overthinking.


    Upon leaving, Madam Li asked, ¡®Was the girl who poured tea just now Zhu


    Xiangxiang? How did she turn out like this in the Zhu family?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the matter fromst time when the Master had her weing feast? Although they rified that it had nothing to do with Zhu Xiangxiang, but in this matter, only she would have such a motive. Current rification does notpletely erase her suspicion, everyone was just giving some respect to the Master. Presumably, the Zhu family also knows about this and can¡¯t stand her anymore. If they send her away, it would cause a scandal; if they keep her, it is ufortable. If she were smart, she would know that this is the best way for her to gain foothold.¡± Madam Ye analyzed.


    ¡°Master Zhu ispassionate, she has already cleared Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s name once, who knows behind the scenes what other things she has done to anologize to Master Zhu. she is not innocent at all.¡±


    ¡°If she wasn¡¯t swapped at birth¡­¡±


    The two stopped talking at the same time. If Zhu Xiangxiang hadn¡¯t been swapped at birth, Ming Jing would never have be a Master, and her brother wouldn¡¯t have been absolved of his false usation.


    ¡°Buddha often speaks of karma. Maybe this is the best arrangement now.¡±


    Madam Gao couldn¡¯t sit still after learning that Madam Li and Madam Ye had visited the Zhu family.


    This Zhu Mingjing truly was capable, even being able to summon the soul of a person who died three years ago, perfectly solving the case.


    Mrs. Gao prepared a gift and intended to visit, but unfortunately, Ming Jing had gone to thepetition ss and wasn¡¯t at home.


    From that day on, richdies who wanted to visit the Zhu family were as many as the fish crossing the river, and Jiangzhou City also praised the true daughter of the Zhu family as the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva. Not only did she possess exceptional beauty, but also remarkable wit and apassionate heart.


    Moreover, rumors spread that her spiritual cultivation was profound. She could judge one¡¯s fortune with a nce and had unparalleled medical skills, being able to judge life and death with a single word.


    The notorious An Kang case in Manjiangzhou, the reason it could be solved was thanks to Zhu Mingjing who had earlier given Madam Ye a dream-inducing charm, allowing An Kang to appear in her dreams to clear his name.


    After extensive publicity, Ming Jing had be a well-known figure in Jiangzhou City.


    However, since that day, the Zhu family refused all visitors, and nobody could see Master Zhu anymore.


    The more they couldn¡¯t see her, the more the richdies were anxious, willing to give a fortune just for a word of advice from Master Zhu.


    ¡°Master Zhu? That¡¯s interesting.¡± Ran Tengxiao hearing the gossip his subordinate gathered couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°The legitimate daughter of this Zhu family returned only three months ago, and she has already won over the hearts of the citizens of Manjiangzhou. She is indeed a formidable hand..¡±

 Chapter 178 - 178: 086_5

    Chapter 178 - 178: 086_5


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Yes, the young master had broken his leg at the racetrack before and almost caused a big disaster. It was this Miss Zhu who brought things back from the brink.¡± Ye Jian said from the side.


    ¡°She seems to be everywhere, but is it genuinepassion or a hidden agenda?¡± Ran Tengxiao yed with a deck of cards, his eyebrows shaded with doubt.


    Ye Jianughed, ¡°This Miss Zhu grew up on Baitou Mountain and became a nun, truly without desire and aspirations. It¡¯s rumored that she¡¯s incredibly beautiful and extremely intelligent. She has never studied, but she got first in her ss on her first exam. I¡¯d really like to meet her.¡±


    Ye Jian had a look of longing.


    ¡°When someone appears perfect without any ws, it indicates that there¡¯s something wrong with that person.¡±<div>


    Ye Jian hesitated, ¡°Why can¡¯t there be perfect people in existence?¡±


    ¡°Because a thousand years ago, the great litterateur Su Dongpo told us a philosophy that humans have sorrows and joys, partings and reunions, and the moon waxes and wanes. It¡¯s natural in life to pursue but not get what we want, just like when water overflows when it¡¯s full.¡±


    ¡°If this Miss Zhu and Master Zhu aren¡¯t truly saints, then they are the most terrifying demons.¡±


    Without hesitation, Ye Jian replied, ¡°Then she must be a saint.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao curled his lips, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    About half a month had passed since the beginning of thepetition ss, and time flew by.


    Next week, Ren Chuan¡¯s team will participate in the national joint exam. During this period, the number of people in the ss had decreased to eighteen.


    Under such an intense teaching rhythm, many students couldn¡¯t bear the mental and physical strain. Some students thought about it and decided to opt-out, as their thinking and logic didn¡¯t fit well with high school mathematics.


    Those who remained were the best of the best.


    Ren Chuan gave the students a few days off to rest, then they would reconvene at Yi High School next Monday for the joint exam.


    After school, the students packed their bags and left one by one.


    Tang Wan silently followed behind Song Yinzhang, watching Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang walking side by side, her fists clenched in silence.


    ¡°Have you heard the recent rumors about Zhu Mingjing in Jiangzhou?¡± Xie Zhen asked.


    Tang Wan pursed her lips, ¡°My grandma talks about it every day. How could I not know?¡±


    The elderly really believed in such things, thinking of her as a Bodhisattva reincarnation.


    She had the nerve to ask the Bodhisattva, didn¡¯t she?


    ¡°It turns out that what happened to Song¡¯s mother that day wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Now I¡¯m scared to even look into her eyes. She seems so terrifying.¡± Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a publicity stunt for fame. Anyone who believes it is a fool.¡±


    ¡°Really? My cousin¡¯s aunt works as a nanny at the Ye¡¯s house. She said that


    Madam Ye¡¯s brother dreamt of the truth about his case because of Zhu Mingjing. At the time, Zhu Mingjing gave her a charm she wrote herself, told her to recite it three times before bed, then put it under her pillow. Madam Ye¡¯s brother dreamt about it afterward, and without it, the case would never have had any clues. Now, the Ye family treats her like a deity.¡±


    Tang Wan thought of something and sneered, ¡°She¡¯s managed to earn quite a reputation, but does she know how many people her Zhu Group has ruined?


    Can she sleep at night with that knowledge?¡± Xie Zhen hesitated, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with Zhu Group?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Miss, Mrs. Gao is outside the door asking to see you.¡± Uncle Wen came in and said.


    Ming Jing was flipping through a book and said without looking up, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But Mrs. Gao doesn¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    ¡°Then let her wait.¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, look at these y figurines I made. This one is Third Sister, this one is Fourth Sister, and this one is Second Sister¡­


    Ming Jing pointed to the ugliest one, ¡°Is this Eldest Sister?¡±


    Ming Yi giggled, ¡°Eldest Sister always scolds me, and she doesn¡¯t look pretty when she¡¯s angry.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile and poked Ming Yi¡¯s nose, ¡°Be careful with vour backside if Eldest Sister finds out.¡¯


    Ming Yi snuggled into Ming Jing¡¯s arms, ¡°Second Sister won¡¯t tell, and Eldest Sister won¡¯t know.¡±¡±But Ming Jing, I really miss my eldest sister. When will shee to see us?¡±


    At that moment, an entertainment news segment was ying on the TV. ¡°Famous actress Liang Yanran was found dead in her home. Police¡¯s initial investigations suggest suicide. ording to industry insiders, Liang Yanran suffered from severe depression¡­ Liang Yanran¡¯s boyfriend and current movie star, Xue An, made a low-key appearance. Our reporter managed to score an exclusive interview with Xue An, delving deep into unraveling the mystery behind the popr actress¡¯s suicide.¡±


    Ming Jing was momentarily stunned, then suddenly looked up.


    On the TV appeared a man who was surrounded by camera shes and reporters. Despite wearing a baseball cap and a mask, his remarkable good looks were hard to conceal. His weary and sorrowful eyes gazing at the camera were enough to touch anyone¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Justst night, we were chatting. She told me that once I returned, we¡¯d go have a Jiujiang feast at Dechang Building and go bungee jumping together. We had so many things nned. Yanran, how could you be so heartless and leave me behind just like that?¡±


    ¡°You always say I don¡¯t care about you, that we¡¯re always apart and each reunion is brief. I feel helpless too. I even decided to take a six-month break from work, so I could be by your side. I nned a proposal and ordered a ring, just waiting for our anniversary to give you a surprise, but what did you let me wait for instead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can youe back? I promise never to leave you again.¡±


    The man sobbed with heartbreaking anguish,pletely desperate and in pain.


    His bloodshot eyes were filled with a mix of indescribable love and pain.


    Ming Jing watched silently, her dark eyes swirling like ck smoke.


    A storm seemed to be brewing, leaving a chilling atmosphere in the room.


    Ming Yi suddenly felt cold; she couldn¡¯t help but rub her arms and gave Ming Jing a push as she stared at the TV, seemingly petrified.


    ¡°Ming Jing?


    The young girl didn¡¯t move, her body rigid.


    Ming Yi touched her hand and was startled by the icy coldness, as if touching a corpse.


    ¡°Ming Jing, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ming Yi¡¯s voice carried a crying tone.


    Despite the sweltering summer heat, Ming Yi felt as if she were in the chilly depths of winter, trapped in a freezing chamber.


    ¡°Holy shit, Liang Yanran is actually dead? That¡¯s unbelievable,¡± Zheng Qing burst in, staring at the TV in disbelief.


    ¡°Depression? Doesn¡¯t seem like it. She was full of sarcastic remarks; if anything, she should have killed others with her speech.¡± The news was too sudden for Zheng Qing.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­ Don¡¯t scare me,¡± Ming Yi¡¯s crying voice echoed.


    Only then did Zheng Qing notice something was off with Ming Jing; she seemed petrified, utterly silent and terrifying.


    Zheng Qing waved a hand in front of Ming Jing¡¯s eyes: ¡°Ming Jing?


    Ming Jing¡¯s dark pupils expanded, appearing numb and stiff, a condition usually only seen in the dying.


    Zheng Qing felt a sinking feeling in her heart and tightly shook Ming Jing¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ming Jing, wake up! Are you going mad?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes slowly moved, the fog within dissipating, revealing a mysterious and dangerous aura, akin to a mountain cliff.


    She smiled. Zheng Qing, however, involuntarily gasped and let go of her hand.


    Ming Jing¡¯s smile was apanied by a terrifying and eerie gaze, its coldness and cruelty utterly chilling.


    As if gazing into the depths of Avici, a ghostly fire flickered.


    Pointing at the desperate and pained man on TV, she asked in a calm yet eerie voice, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    Zheng Qing took a long time to calm down, still frightened by Ming Jing¡¯s appearance. ncing at the TV, she replied, ¡°Xue An. He used to be very popr, but he¡¯s a bit past his prime now. He¡¯s been relying on his girlfriend¡¯s presence in the entertainment industry. Why? Do you know him?¡±


    Ming Jing extended her tongue, seductively licking her lips. The simple motion bore an extreme allure, causing even Zheng Qing, a woman, to lose herposure.


    ¡°Debts of the past life, shall be repaid in this one.¡±


    At that moment, a cellphone ringtone broke the silence in the room. Zheng


    Qing reminded her, ¡°Your phone is ringing.¡±


    Ming Jing took out her phone and nced at it, her gaze suddenly sharpening as she answered the call.


    Zheng Qing couldn¡¯t tell what the person on the other end was saying, but she noticed Ming Jing¡¯s expression changed drastically, even though she never seemed to lose herposure under any circumstances..

 Chapter 179 - 179: 087 Reincarnation (First Update)

    Chapter 179 - 179: 087 Reincarnation (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    In a high-end private sanatorium in Jiangzhou City.


    In the afternoon, the scorching sun burned through the window panes, wilting the once lush and verdant leaves.


    Outside the window was the scorching sun, while inside the sickroom, the air conditioning maintained an appropriate temperature. On the bed, the young girl slowly opened her eyes.


    Where is this?


    The soreness all over her body made the girl frown subconsciously, and as soon as she raised her hand, a sharp pain spread from the back of her hand.<div>


    She frowned and saw a needle on the back of her hand with a medical glucose bottle hanging on the end of the thin tube.


    Was she sick? Was this a hospital?


    The girl slowly sat up and felt sore and weak all over her body. Even this simple movement made her break out in a sweat.


    Who was she?


    Suddenly, she paused. Yeah, who was she?


    No matter how hard she tried to remember, there seemed to be a fog before her eyes.


    Unable to see the way she came, nor the way home.


    Suddenly, she held her head and copsed back onto the bed, her head aching terribly¡­


    The nurse opened the door and entered pushing a small cart. Seeing the girl on the bed, she was startled.


    She quickly rushed out to call for help.


    Thirty minutester, afterpleting various physical examinations, the doctors and nurses filed out orderly.


    The nurse poured a ss of warm water and handed it to her carefully, saying, ¡°The doctor has already contacted your family, and they are on their way here.


    You will be able to see them soon.¡±


    The girl frowned in confusion, ¡°Family?¡±


    The nurse looked at her strangely, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She silently clutched the corner of her nket and asked, ¡°What was I sick with before?¡±


    The nurse shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m just in charge of taking care of your daily life. You can ask your family when they arrive.¡±


    The staff here had signed a confidentiality agreement and were not allowed to disclose patients¡¯ private information.


    The girl pursed her lips and hung her head.


    Suddenly, it seemed as if some fragments shed through her mind, but they disappeared before she could grasp them.


    The door of the sickroom was pushed open from outside, and the nurse, startled by the visitor¡¯s beauty, left the sickroom conscientiously.


    The girl looked up and saw a beautiful girl dressed in a white skirt step in, looking like a heavenly fairy, cold and detached from the world.


    She stopped three steps away from the bed but didn¡¯t say anything, just silently staring at her.


    Her dark eyes were mysterious and seemed to see through every pore of her body, making her feel an overwhelming sense of vulnerability.


    A long silence filled the room, making every breath audible.


    Ultimately, she could not hold it in any longer and asked, ¡°Are you¡­ my family?¡±


    Her voice was hoarse and ufortable from a long period of disuse.


    The girl still did not speak, the depths of her pupils narrowing slightly as if untouched by any ripple.


    ¡°Senior,¡± the girl finally spoke in a voice that matched her appearance, tinged with a hint of probing.


    The girl on the bed rxed her brows, ¡°Are you my sister?¡±


    Ming Jing spoke softly, ¡°Senior, are you still feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°The doctor examined me just now, and there¡¯s nothing serious. I only feel weak due to lying down for too long, and I should recover with exercise.¡±


    She held her head, puzzled, ¡°I seem to have forgotten a lot of things, and I can¡¯t remember anything. I don¡¯t even know my own name. You¡¯re my sister; can you tell me?¡±


    The girl on the bed had a delicate face, and her pallidplexion made her appear all the more vulnerable. Herrge and bright eyes seemed innocent and helpless, making it hard for anyone to reprimand her.


    ¡°Your name is Ming Xin. You were an orphan, adopted by Master and raised in Jiyue Temple on Baitou Mountain. Last winter, the Master passed away, and you fell gravely ill because of the shock. In order to recover well, I sent you here.¡±


    Ming Jing calmly recounted.


    Jiyue Temple? A nun?


    She thought she must have been terminally ill to have shaved her head. So she was actually a nun?


    For some reason, learning of such a background did not bring her any happiness.


    ¡°And you¡­?¡± she asked the stunning girl before her suspiciously.


    ¡®Master adopted five disciples in total. I¡¯m the second, named Ming Jing. Below me are three junior sisters..¡±

 Chapter 180 - 180: 087 Reincarnation (one more update) 2

    Chapter 180 - 180: 087 Reincarnation (one more update) 2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± She nced at the hospital room environment.


    ¡°It must be very expensive here per day.¡± Are nuns this wealthy now?


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the expenses. Since you¡¯re awake, focus on your recovery, and Junior and I will wait for you toe back.¡±


    ¡°Senior, I¡­ my mind ispletely nk, and I can¡¯t remember anything. Can you tell me more, please?¡±


    ¡°No rush, we still have plenty of time. Take it slow.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    At this moment, Ming Xin¡¯s stomach growled, and she looked at Ming Jing somewhat awkwardly.


    Ming Jing asked someone to bring food.


    The hospital bed was high-tech. The caretaker pressed a button on the bed, and a table automatically rose in front of Ming Xin.


    The caretaker ced the meal tray on the table. All three meals were carefully prepared by a top nutritionist here. Since Ming Xin had just woken up, her stomach couldn¡¯t tolerate anything too stimting, so she could only eat some liquid food for now.


    There was a tender, aromatic crucian carp and vegetable porridge, a te of refreshing appetizers, and a mousse cake.


    Ming Xin unconsciously picked up the spoon with her left hand, stirred the porridge in the bowl skillfully, and then brought it to her mouth bit by bit.


    Ming Jing watched this scene, squinting her eyes slightly.


    After eating, Ming Xin wanted to go out for a stroll, but seeing the scorching sun outside, she decided against it.


    She turned on the TV, channel-surfing.


    ¡°In thetest news update from our station, famous actress Liang Yanran was found dead in her home at midnight this morning. Her family discovered a suicide note while sorting through her belongings, and after professional appraisal, it was confirmed that it was written by Liang Yanran herself. The police have currently ruled out homicide. Liang Yanran made her debut 12 years ago and has starred in many film and television projects. Now let us look back on¡­.¡±


    As the anchor calmly reported, a 60-inch TV screen disyed a picture of a woman. The woman in the picture had phoenix eyes and a pointed chin. Her innate beauty and air of superiority made her look like a queen overlooking the world.


    Ming Xin stared nkly until a man¡¯s figure appeared on the screen.


    ¡°Two years ago, at the height of Liang Yanran¡¯s career, it was revealed that she was in a rtionship with the widely acimed acting legend Xue An. The couple admitted their rtionship and gave mutual understanding and support in their professional lives. Upon hearing of Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide, Xue An, who was filming in Hong Kong City, immediately dropped everything and rushed back, but the once-envied golden couple are now separated by heaven and earth. In the face of reporters¡¯ interviews, Xue An couldn¡¯t help but shed tears at the scene¡­¡±


    In the picture, Xue An told the camera how deep his love for Liang Yanran was and how guilty he felt for her suicide.


    No wonder he was a universally acimed acting legend in the entertainment circle; such wless acting was breathtaking.


    The remorseful cries were heart-wrenching and tear-jerking to those who heard them.


    An affectionate man always gains the sympathy and pity of the public.


    Ming Xin¡¯s hand, gripping the remote control, gradually tightened, with her slender wrist¡¯s tendons bulging, shocking to the eye.


    ¡°Senior.¡± The gentle voice of a young girl came from beside her ear.


    Ming Xin suddenly came back to her senses, and the hint of darkness in her eyes instantly dissipated, leaving them as innocent and clear as water.


    She smiled: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the TV: ¡°You seem to be very interested in this news?¡±


    ¡°I just feel it¡¯s a pity, a young and beautiful life just left like that.¡± Ming Xin sighed, looking somewhat disheartened.


    ¡°Senior is kind-hearted. In our Buddha¡¯s teachings, it is said that birth, aging, sickness, and death are the naturalws. There are no eternal, unchanging lives. If one does not achieve liberation, they can only be reincarnated forever in the cycle of samsara.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s pitch-ck eyes stared calmly, seemingly looking through everything.


    Ming Xin¡¯s scalp tingled, and cold sweat broke out on her back.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but is there really reincarnation in this world?¡±


    ¡°The so-called ¡®different people do evil, different people suffer retribution.¡¯ One reaps what one sows, and all sentient beings are like this. The causes created in past lives bear fruits in this life. As cause and effect follow one another, so life and death are endless.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s ethereal voice echoed quietly in the hospital room, and her pitch-ck eyes seemed like two bottomless dark pools. They revealed no emotions but saw through the world¡¯s worries and joys.


    At this moment, her soul felt as if it was stripped naked before these eyes, with nowhere to hide.


    Just as she was almost unable to breathe, the young girl lowered her gaze, and that suffocating feeling disappeared.


    ¡°Senior, you should take a good rest. I¡¯lle to see you again tomorrow.¡± With those words, she left..

 Chapter 181 - 181: 087 Reincarnation (one more update)_3

    Chapter 181 - 181: 087 Reincarnation (one more update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Xin sat on the hospital bed, and it took a long time after the other person left for her to touch her forehead.


    Her forehead was covered in sweat.


    She immediately lifted the quilt and jumped out of bed, almost falling to her knees.


    Rubbing her knees, she stumbled into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, closely examining the person in it.


    Her features were delicate, her skin pale and sickly, with a subtleyer of worry on her eyebrows.<div>


    She raised her eyebrows slightly, and the lifeless eyes instantly became vivid, a pair of bright, clear almond-shaped eyes, and the whole person suddenly became lively and spirited.


    The young girl in the mirror tilted her chin up slightly, her gaze carrying a kind of contempt for all beings, as if she was a queen returning from a patrol.


    The girl smiled confidently.


    ¡°Is this Ming Xin?¡±


    In a quiet moment, two ck-suited bodyguards appeared at the entrance of the hospital room, one on the left and one on the right, like door gods.


    Ming Jing inquired about Ming Xin¡¯s physical condition from the doctor and made a recovery n for the future before leaving the sanatorium.


    Zheng Qing looked at her expression and carefully asked, ¡°What happened to your senior sister?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s senior sister stayed in the sanatorium, and Zheng Qing didn¡¯t know the specifics. Ming Jing kept many things from her, and the more she learned, the more she became like a bewildered fan.


    Ming Jing took out her phone, and the pushed news was all about Liang


    Yanran.


    -Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide was not an ident, but a long-awaited one!


    This headline was very attention-grabbing, so Ming Jing clicked on it.


    It was an analysis video by a popr Uploader, who first expressed regret over Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide and imed to be a fan of Liang Yanran. Then they cut to a clip of Liang Yanran participating in a popr reality TV variety showst year.


    The variety show, called ¡°Three Meals a Day,¡± was an evergreen show in the history of variety television. Each year brought a new season, where five regr guests went to live in the countryside, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. They gave up all their possessions, dropped all pretensions, and lived off thend and their own efforts.


    The show invited well-known celebrities as guests for each episode, to work together, chat, and experience the bitterness of life.


    Liang Yanran was a guest on one episode of the showst year, and the edited clip showed the group returning home after working in the fields, cooking together, and eating together.


    Liang Yanran sat around arge round table with five other guests, eating and chatting. He Shan, one of the guests, was a has-been idol who had now turned into aedian, was having a hard time adjusting his mental state. Facing the camera, he couldn¡¯t help but break down in tears and revealed that he had depression.


    At the time, the other guests were busyforting him, while Liang Yanran remained silent for a long time before saying, ¡°Please hold on a little longer. Think of your fans and your family; they are all supporting you.¡±


    When this episode aired, Liang Yanran¡¯s words were praised for their heartfelt warmth and moved many people.


    Now upon viewing it through a magnifying ss of analysis, the tone and expression in which she spoke were wrong. She seemed to beforting He Shan, but it was more like she was speaking to herself.


    She must have already had depression by then, but she was still struggling for the sake of her fans and her family.


    Some say that every person with depression is an angel sent by heaven because they are too kind-hearted to me others, and they can only torment themselves. In this process of self-torment, they copse and despair¡­


    The bullet screen andments were filled with the fans¡¯ self-me and regret, but it was all toote.


    Ming Jing suddenly asked, ¡°Are you familiar with Liang Yanran?¡±


    Zheng Qing was startled, wondering why Ming Jing suddenly cared about the people in the entertainment industry. It might be that the person had just passed away recently.


    Zheng Qing replied, ¡°We acted in a movie together. But she was the lead actress, and I only had a guest appearance. We met a few times backstage at a fashion event and spoke a few words. We weren¡¯t close.¡±


    In fact, they had had a feud over seating, each keeping their distance from the other.


    Now, one had disappeared from the entertainment industry due to a scandal, while the other had bowed out tragically through suicide.


    The entertainment industry was both the most realistic and the most cruel ce. The higher one climbed, the harder they fell.


    ¡°I never thought she would suddenlymit suicide. It was really shocking. She didn¡¯t seem like the type of person who wouldmit suicide. Killing someone else, maybe.¡± Zheng Qing sneered, thinking that since the person had already passed away, she might as well umte some merit.


    Ming Jing lowered her eyes, and in the video, a breathtakingly beautiful woman sat at a wooden table in the countryside. The rustic atmosphere didn¡¯t detract from her fashionable demeanor at all. She had an elegant and well-poised demeanor while eating.


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze fell on the woman¡¯s left hand holding the chopsticks, her eyes bing deeper and deeper.


    ¡°Her boyfriend loved her very much, and they were about to get married.¡±


    For some reason, Zheng Qing suddenly felt cold. She lowered the heating a little and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about true feelings in the entertainment industry. Look at Xue An, appearing so affectionate in his performances, but it¡¯s all a persona. He¡¯s washed up, with no resources. He only got some resources by relying on Liang Yanran. This kind of soft rice eater ¨C even if they paid me, I wouldn¡¯t want them. Yet, Liang Yanran treated him like a treasure. If Xue An didn¡¯t appear to be so affectionate, how would the public buy it, and how would he have any traffic and resources? Wait and see. This time, he¡¯ll solidify his deep-feelings persona with the wave of Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide.¡±


    Ming Jing opened the search box and entered Xue An¡¯s name.


    She stared quietly at the two characters in the input box for an unknown length of time before deleting them one by one.


    How fickle and heartless are you, fair youth, who once vowed to be together forever?


    At midnight.


    There were no lights on in the room, and a dim candle flickered with an eerily dark light.


    The faint candlelight illuminated the young girl¡¯s serene and beautiful face, her eyes slightly closed, her expression peaceful andpassionate.


    With one hand holding an orchid, the young girl¡¯s red lips gently opened, and chants spilled out of her mouth.


    ¡°In the Pure Land of the Buddha, the Nine Fires, wards off disasters, the cycle of past lives, rewards for good and evil deeds, and the boundless sea of


    Buddhas.¡±


    The candle¡¯s me flickered without wind, and the wick gradually turned a ghostly blue in the darkness.


    Her eyes saw nothing but deste emptiness, and the chilly wind blew in gusts, chilling to the bone. At the bridge¡¯s head stood an old woman, hunchbacked, stirring a big pot of soup.


    The steaming soup looked delicious, but upon closer inspection, there were bones hidden among the liquid.


    As the old woman mechanically stirred the soup in the pot, a person approached her. Shedled a bowl of soup and handed it over while reciting a verse, ¡°The love and hatred of the human world are foolish; after death, all things are empty. Drink Meng PO¡¯s soup and be free in your next life.¡±


    ¡°Granny.¡±


    Meng PO looked up, and thedle suddenly fell into the pot, sshing the soup. She didn¡¯t care but stared at the girl in front of her who was shrouded in golden light..

 Chapter 182 - 182: 088 River of Oblivion (Second Update)

    Chapter 182 - 182: 088 River of Oblivion (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone. Has she passed through here?¡±


    The young girl pulled out a portrait and showed it to Meng PO.


    After a fearful nce at her, Meng PO looked at the girl in the painting and said, ¡°Leave me a tear of yours, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, all humans cry; tears ofpassion from a Buddhist Woman are rare in this world. If you add it to my soup, no fish will slip through the.¡±<div>


    ¡°But I have never shed tears.¡± She said.


    Meng PO looked at her andughed, ¡°It¡¯s the ephemeral blooming of the night lily, all for Weituo. Wait until the day the one who can make you willingly shed tearses, thene back to me with a tear.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Grandma, where is she?¡±


    ¡°Three months ago, she was wandering by the side of the Wangchuan River. Her lifespan is not yet over, so she couldn¡¯t cross the Naihe Bridge. I don¡¯t know why she ended up here, and one day she just disappeared. She might have fallen into the Wangchuan River and be a wandering ghost.¡±


    Under the Naihe Bridge, in the Wangchuan River, the water was blood-red and terrifying. Worms, serpents, and lonely ghosts were struggling in endless pain within it.


    Ming Jing nced at it, unafraid of the horror, saying lightly, ¡°You are lying to me.¡±


    All of a sudden, she fixed her gaze on Meng PO. Her pitch-ck eyes were more terrifying than the Wangchuan River.


    Meng PO was startled, thinking that this was undoubtedly a Buddhist Woman.


    ¡°The underworld is vast, with billions of evil ghosts. Trying to find a person is as difficult as climbing to the heavens. This old woman sends souls on their way every day and my memory isn¡¯t so good. Maybe I remembered it wrong.¡±


    Ming Jing turned to cross the bridge. Meng PO¡¯s voice came from behind her, ¡°Ordinary people cannot cross this Naihe Bridge, they will lose their memories from when they were alive.¡±


    Just as Ming Jing took a step onto the bridge, a gust of wind blew. She could feel her power fading away.


    Before consciousness disappeared, she heard Meng PO shout, ¡®You remember, you owe me a tear. Don¡¯t forget, otherwise I¡¯ll follow you in every life.¡± The candlelight flickered, the blue color deepened.


    Ming Jing suddenly opened her eyes, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    Under the swaying blue me, the young girl¡¯s face was terribly pale, a sh of red in her pupils vanished in an instant.


    Holding her chest with one hand, Ming Jing took a while to settle the surging blood in her chest.


    As expected¡­ Her cultivation level was too low; she can¡¯t use the Nines technique for long. She was almost lost on the Naihe Bridge.


    ¡°Senior sister, where on earth are you?¡±


    After Master passed away, senior sister fell ill. Ming Jing thought it was just an ordinary cold, but after a week, senior sister still hadn¡¯t woken up.


    She realized something was wrong, and using the Nines technique to investigate, she found out that senior sister¡¯s soul had left her body and she didn¡¯t know where it had gone.


    She read in ancient books that if the soul leaves the body, finding the Buddhist artifact, Vajra Pestle, and Soul Recruiter g and activating the Daoist site, the soul can be called back, but these two Buddhist artifacts had been lost for a thousand years.


    Before she could find the Dharma tools to summon back the senior sister¡¯s soul, the senior sister¡¯s body had been taken over.


    This was the great cmity in senior sister¡¯s life that Master had mentioned.


    The only solution now is to find senior sister¡¯s soul as quickly as possible, help her return to her body, otherwise when that person¡¯s three souls return and unite with senior sister¡¯s body, it will be toote even if senior sisteres back.


    As long as senior sister is still alive and not in reincarnation, it¡¯s enough.


    ¡°Ming Jing, are you sick? Why do you look so pale?¡±


    At breakfast, Ming Chen looked worriedly at Ming Jing.


    ¡°No, I think I might have a cold, I¡¯ve taken medicine.¡±


    ¡°Senior sister, you must take care of your health, don¡¯t you still have exams in a few days?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded her head, ¡°I know.¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s heart skipped a beat, looking at Ming Jing¡¯s pale face, she felt a bit worried.


    In this scorching summer, how can you catch a cold?


    Was it because of air conditioning? A lot of young people are prone to air-conditioned sickness.


    The mobile phone in Han Suwen¡¯s apron pocket was vibrating. She looked apologetically at Madam Zhou, took her phone and headed to the garden through the kitchen back door.


    ¡°Suwen, how have you beentely?¡± A worrisome man¡¯s voice sounded from the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You are calling, does that mean the date for our divorce is decided?


    I¡¯m ready at any time.¡±


    Han Suwen replied coldly. ¡°Suwen¡­ you¡­ where are you staying now?¡±


    ¡°None of your business.¡±


    ¡°Suwen, I miss you so much. Can youe back? I promise, from now on, mom won¡¯t interfere in our matters.¡±


    ¡°Qin Xu, touch your heart and tell me, how many times have you said this? Let me tell you, it¡¯s not possible anymore, give up, if it¡¯s not about divorce, don¡¯t call me again.¡± She hung up the phone as soon as she finished speaking..

 Chapter 183 - 183: 088 River of Oblivion (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 183 - 183: 088 River of Oblivion (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qin Xu stared at the hung-up phone screen, his face ugly.


    ¡°This slut, she doesn¡¯t appreciate kindness. Since she¡¯s noting back, then she better nevere back.¡± Cai Ping cursed angrily.


    Cai Rong¡¯s eyes rolled, and she asked, ¡°Now that my sister-inw is living with Ms. Zhu, I guess her life is much better, and she probably doesn¡¯t want toe back.¡±


    ¡°Is Ms. Zhu blind? What did she see in her?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Cai, don¡¯t say that. Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors going around towntely? Ms. Zhu is very powerful. I heard that if you disrespect her, it will backfire on you.¡±<div>


    Cai Ping recalled the girl she had seen that day, and what left a deep impression on her were those eyes, which seemed to see through everything. Even now, she still felt lingering fear.


    Cai Ping was inexplicably afraid, but stubbornly snorted, ¡°She¡¯s just a little girl, what I am scared of? I ate more salt than all the bridges she has walked. Does she think she¡¯s a Buddha that everyone should worship her? Pah, she doesn¡¯t even have a big face.¡±


    With a ¡°tter,¡± the portrait on the west wall suddenly tilted.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Cai Rong suddenly screamed and jumped into Qin Xu¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Brother Qin, I¡¯m so scared.¡±


    Qin Xu wanted to push her away, but she held on tightly.


    Cai Rong had originally just said it casually, and she actually thought the outside rumors were too exaggerated. However, at this moment, she realized they were not exaggerated at all, and Ms. Zhu was truly terrifying.


    Cai Ping¡¯s face also turned pale, and she sat on the sofa like a fool.


    After a while, she carefully walked to the portrait and sped her hands together, ¡°Old Qin, I¡¯m sorry, please protect our family from the heaven, and don¡¯t let the little ghosts enter our house.¡±


    ¡°Amitofo, Ms. Zhu, please be forgiving and forgive my wife¡¯s mouth. Spit, spit, spit¡­¡±


    Qin Xu pushed Cai Rong away, and said with an ugly expression, ¡°Enough! Are you guys done? You are all acting like neurotic.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cai Ping red at him, ¡°You have to show respect to the gods and Buddhas. Apologize to Ms. Zhu quickly.¡±


    Qin Xu¡¯s head ached from their noise, and he left them and went out.


    Unknowingly, he walked to the Ming Mountain, and the famous vi area ahead was where more than half of Jiangzhou¡¯s rich and famous lived.


    That included the Zhu family.


    Before Qin Xu approached, he was already driven away by the security.


    The security here was strict and no outsiders were allowed in. Vehicles without pre-registered tes could not enter either.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m here to find someone at the Zhu¡¯s house, please make it easier for me, brother. ¡±


    The security guardughed mockingly, ¡°Do you know how many celebrities have tried to see Ms. Zhu these days? None of them could meet her face to face. Look at your poor appearance. It¡¯s faster to dream about it. Hurry up and leave, don¡¯t block the road.¡±


    ¡°I really have something important to see Ms. Zhu for¡­¡±


    The security guard didn¡¯t even listen to his exnation and spoke to his walkie-talkie, ¡°There¡¯s someone causing trouble at the entrance, send someone over to deal with it.¡±


    Qin Xu had no choice but to leave.


    He didn¡¯t expect seeing Ms. Zhu would be so difficult.


    Ming Xin waited for three days, but Ming Jing never showed up.


    Without a mobile phone orputer, she couldn¡¯t ess anything besides the television.


    Three meals a day were sent in by a caregiver, and there was a rehabilitation area in the hospital room. However, as soon as she stepped out of the room, she was blocked by two bodyguards in ck.


    In other words, she was under soft detention.


    Thinking about the girl named Ming Jing, she felt a little jealous.


    It was now a test of patience.


    There was no hurry. She had already died once and had plenty of time.


    The news about Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide was still dominating the television, which she was already tired of watching. She switched channels, and only the music station was a breath of fresh air.


    ¡°Wow, Qu Feitai.¡± Ming Xin stared at the dancing young man on TV with her eyes shining brightly.


    Ming Jing looked at the two fried eggs and a sausage on the breakfast te, then raised her head to look at Han Suwen.


    Han Suwen smiled, ¡°This morning, Young Miss has an exam, so I wish her 100 points in advance.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, finally regaining some color on her face, no longer the bloodless and frighteningly pale appearance she had a few days ago.


    ¡°Sister Suwen, the Math Olympiad full score is 120 points.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Han Suwen¡¯s face crumbled, and she reached to take away the breakfast te.


    ¡°Then Miss won¡¯t eat it.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Ming Jing picked up her chopsticks and grabbed the sausage.


    After breakfast, Ming Jing picked up her school bag and went out.


    Today was the provincial Math Olympiad exam, which was divided into a morning and an afternoon session. The morning session included algebra, geometry andbinatorics, while the afternoon session consisted of number theory and algebra, totaling 120 points.


    The top five in the Jiangzhou Region qualify for the provincial team, and they will face even more brutalpetition by then.


    Ming Jing entered the examination room, and in an instant, the full attention of the examination room was on her.


    The candidates in the examination room came from high schools of all sizes in Jiangzhou and from the prefecture-level cities. Except for Tang Wan, who was in the same examination room, almost no one recognized her.


    When these people saw Ming Jing, their eyes were involuntarily filled with admiration.


    Ming Jing sat down on the only empty seat in the room, coincidentally, the seat behind her was upied by Tang Wan.


    Tang Wan stared at the back of Ming Jing¡¯s head and suddenly remembered an important matter.


    If Zhu Mingjing was a nun, she must be bald.


    Now looking at Ming Jing¡¯s hair, it looked fake no matter how she saw it.


    She had been wearing a wig all the time.


    Maintaining the appearance of a goddess, but in fact, she was a bald nun. Song Yinzhang must have been deceived by her appearance too.


    If Song Yinzhang saw her bald head, he would probably be disgusted. And those who were amazed by her, they would probably wish to gouge their eyes out.


    ¡°Knock knock.¡± The desk was knocked by someone.


    Tang Wan came back to her senses abruptly, and the invigtor looked coldly at her, saying in an authoritative tone, ¡°Student, please focus on answering the questions. No looking around. Otherwise, your paper will be confiscated, your score will be canceled, and you will be banned from the exam for one year.¡±


    The sound of writing was heard clearly in the room.


    Tang Wan¡¯s face turned red, and she hurriedly bowed her head pretending to answer the questions..

 Chapter 184 - 184: 089 Ten Thousand Calamities (First Watch)

    Chapter 184 - 184: 089 Ten Thousand Cmities (First Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    After finishing the exam and handing in her paper, Tang Wan looked extremely upset.


    Ming Jing walked away with grace.


    ¡°Who is she? She¡¯s so gorgeous; she should be a movie star.¡±


    Beautiful people often have the advantage of beauty; they don¡¯t take their studies too seriously. Just about everyone who participates inpetitions wears thick sses. It¡¯s extremely rare for someone to be both stunning and exceptionally talented.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Zhu Mingjing? The real heiress of the Zhu family? It¡¯s been the talk of the towntely. I heard some of the high-societydies have a hard time even getting a glimpse of her.¡±<div>


    ¡°After transferring to Shengde High School, Song Yinzhang was bumped from the top spot. I heard she¡¯s the only one the Demon Head ever praised in thepetition ss. Her brain must be different from ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s her. It¡¯s so mysterious that you guys really believe it. We are all sessors of socialism, so we can¡¯t get into feudal superstitions.¡±


    Listening to the discussions around her, Tang Wan walked out of the ssroom with her head down.


    ¡°Tang Wan, how did you do?¡± Xie Zhen hugged her neck and looked at her wilted face, immediately asking with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you sick?¡± Tang Wan shook off her hand and looked listless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I heard there¡¯s a famous ce for fried rice cakes near Yi High School.


    I¡¯ll treat you to lunch today.¡±


    The snack shop was small and almost full, with most of the seats upied by students taking the exam.


    There was a single table with an empty seat. Xie Zhen pulled Tang Wan over.


    As soon as they sat down, Xie Zhen noticed Tang Wan¡¯s expression change as she looked behind her. Xie Zhen turned her head to see.


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhu Mingjing? She¡¯s with Song Shen and Zhao Heng.¡±


    Zhu Mingjing had her back to the two of them, and sitting opposite her were Song Yinzhang and Zhao Heng.


    Zhu Mingjing wore a pristine white dress, sitting in this cramped, narrow snack shop like a fairy who¡¯d lost her way to the mortal world.


    No matter her situation, Zhu Mingjing¡¯s back always remained perfectly straight, as if no difficulty could bend her spine.


    Xie Zhen sighed, ¡°As expected, handsome guys only hang out with beautiful girls. Zhao Heng is usually so aloof in school, even the school flower chasing him gets no response. Look at his puppy-dog face in front of Zhu Mingjing¡­ If this were posted on the school forum, would all the female students go crazy?


    Xie Zhenughed, remembering that the school flower had a grudge against her and Tang Wan. She¡¯d been pursuing Zhao Heng for a long time, constantly giving him food and drink, but Zhao Heng never bothered to nce at her again. Now looking at Zhao Heng¡¯s bright, cautious, pleasing expression in front of Zhu Mingjing, the school flower would surely be furious enough to vomit blood.


    There really is a difference between school flowers.


    Tang Wan remained silent. Xie Zhen asked, ¡°Did you not do well on the test?¡± Tang Wan¡¯s face darkened even more.


    As if realizing something, Xie Zhen said with understanding, ¡°I should have guessed. You love her so much, hearing about her ident must have upset you. No matter how sad you are, don¡¯t let it affect your exams. Thispetition is crucial for us to make it to the provincial team. Our goal is to make it into the Winter Camp.¡±


    Tang Wan¡¯s idol was Liang Yanran. The biggest news in the past few days was Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide. The streets were buzzing with talk, and it was the hot topic for everyone. An idol could inspire people to improve, and Liang Yanran had yed that role for Tang Wan.


    Xie Zhen worried that Tang Wan might be devastated by the news of Liang


    Yanran¡¯s death.


    Tang Wan didn¡¯t take her words to heart. ¡®What did you say? With a helpless look, Xie Zhen said, ¡°Never mind.¡±


    There¡¯s no use arguing with someone whose idol just died.


    ¡°I booked a hotel nearby. Let¡¯s have lunch and take a break at the hotel. The exam starts at three in the afternoon, so there¡¯s still plenty of time. Ming Jing, I have a few questions I¡¯d like to ask you, math problems. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhao Heng was delighted, gesturing at Song Yinzhang, ¡°Youe along too. I¡¯ve got a set of real test questions that cost me a fortune to get a hold of. I wouldn¡¯t share them with anyone but my brothers.¡±


    Song Yinzhang just shook his head and smiled.


    ¡°Wow, my spicy fried rice cakes are here!¡± Zhao Heng rubbed his hands in excitement.


    When the food arrived, he pushed it in front of Ming Jing: ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    Not wanting to be polite, Ming Jing unwrapped a pair of disposable chopsticks and started eating slowly.


    ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it good?¡± Zhao Heng asked expectantly.


    Ming Jing ate gracefully, waiting until she swallowed her bite before replying: ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Zhao Hengughed, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for this famous fried rice cake ce, I¡¯d have taken you to eat Western food instead. That¡¯s more appropriate for someone like Master Zhu..¡±

 Chapter 185 - 185: 089 Endless Calamities (First Update)_2

    Chapter 185 - 185: 089 Endless Cmities (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing spoke without raising her head, ¡°What¡¯s my worth?¡±


    Zhao Heng choked, ¡°Of course, your worth is equivalent to abalone and bird¡¯s nest.¡±


    Song Yinzhang red at him and pushed the stir-fried rice cake just served to him, ¡°Then your worth is only enough for stir-fried rice cake.¡±


    The trio joked andughed, they were all good-looking men and women, attracting many eyes.


    After finishing their meal, Zhao Heng went to pay the bill, Song Yinzhang said,<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you next time.¡±


    ¡°Then I have to think about how to ughter you.¡±


    The aisle of the snack bar was very narrow, only one person could walk through, Ming Jing was walking at the back.


    When Ming Jing was passing by Tang Wan¡¯s table, Tang Wan suddenly got up, bumDed into Ming Ting and due to inertia. she grabbed Ming ling intending to fall on the ground. Everyone who was watching this was stunned.


    The beautiful woman was about to be a cushion.


    A sharp, malicious light suddenly shot out of Tang Wan¡¯s eyes, and a hand iled about, pretending to be in panic.


    Zhu Mingjing, would you dare to let Song Yinzhang see your true face!


    It seemed like Tang Wan¡¯s hand was about to grab Ming Jing¡¯s hair. If it was a wig, it would surelye off as soon as she tugged at it.


    Song Yinzhang and Zhao Heng turned their heads when they heard the noise, and saw this scene. It was toote for them to rush over and save her.


    Suddenly, a pair of fair hands grabbed the w that Tang Wan had reached towards the hair, and another hand was propped against the table. With a high-difficulty movement, her upper body was frozen at a ny-degree angle to the ground.


    Her waist was so flexible, that was the only thought in everyone¡¯s mind when they saw this scene.


    Tang Wan fell onto Ming Jing, and for a moment, she was staring into a pair of dark eyes.


    The hand that was holding her wrist felt like an iron hoop, causing her to take a sharp intake of breath.


    ¡°Student, if you don¡¯t walk properly, you¡¯ll fall.¡±


    Tang Wan was shocked by the gentleughing voice in her ear. Looking into those eyes, she felt as if all her disgraceful and unspeakable thoughts had been seen through. Her heart was beating wildly.


    Xie Zhen was looking at Ming Jing who was just a few inches away, wondering how her skin could be so wless, and her waist so flexible. Just by looking at her, Xie Zhen¡¯s waist started to ache.


    Ming Jing slowly got up, Tang Wan immediately took a step back and lowered her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ming Jing calmly adjusted her hair and smiled, ¡°Be careful next time when you walk. If I hadn¡¯t reacted quickly, such a solid fall, would have broken your waist making you disabled. Do you n to take care of me for the rest of your life?¡±


    Tang Wan was sweating profusely, she hadn¡¯t thought about the consequences at all.


    If something really happened, the Zhus would never let her go.


    ¡°Ming Jing, are you alright?¡± Zhao Heng squeezed past Tang Wan to Ming Jing¡¯s side.


    Tang Wan almost bumped into the corner of the table, she raised her head and saw Song Yinzhang looking at her coldly.


    Tang Wan¡¯s body stiffened.


    ¡°You should ask this fellow student if she¡¯s okay,¡± Ming Jing looked at Tang Wan and smiled.


    ¡°At a time like this, you¡¯re still concerned about others. She was the one who bumped into you, I haven¡¯t even settled the score with her yet.¡±


    Zhao Heng suddenly turned his head and stared at Tang Wan, ¡°Fellow student, do I need to make an appointment for you at the ophthalmology department?¡± His mocking skills were perfect.


    Tang Wan pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was my fault. I apologize to Ms. Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Apologize? Can you afford it? You could¡¯ve chosen any time to get up, but you chose the moment when Ming Jing was passing by. Wasn¡¯t it deliberate? Even if you fell, you had Ming Jing as a cushion, you arepletely fine. If Ming Jing hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and something happened to her, what would you pay with? Even if you sold your entire family, you wouldn¡¯t be able to afford to. It¡¯s shameless of you to stare.¡±


    Xie Zhen hurriedly came out, ¡°I can testify that it was not deliberate on Tang


    Wan¡¯s part. Ming Jing is okay, isn¡¯t she? Please let it go and forget about it.¡±


    ¡°Let it go? If something really happens, it¡¯s toote. Wait, who are you? It¡¯s not your ce to speak here.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s face stiffened, she had been in the same ss as Tang Wan and Zhao Heng for a year, he didn¡¯t remember them?


    This was too embarrassing.


    ¡°We apologized to Ms. Zhu, but you¡¯re not satisfied. What do you want us to do?¡± Xie Zhen said helplessly.


    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯m alright, we all have exams in the afternoon. Don¡¯t let this little thing affect your mood.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s voice, gentle like water, slowly sounded, like music to their ears.


    Everyone else around thought the same thing ¨C she¡¯s truly beautiful inside and out.


    ¡°You¡¯ve let her off the hook, but she thinks you¡¯re easy to bully. Since you¡¯ve said so, let¡¯s just let it go. Be careful in the future, not everyone is as gentle as


    Ming Jing..¡±

 Chapter 186 - 186: 089 Endless Calamities (First Update)_3

    Chapter 186 - 186: 089 Endless Cmities (First Update)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    After the three left, the small diner became noisy.


    ¡°Is she really Zhu Mingjing? The straight-A student who suddenly rose to prominence at Shengde High School, and also Miss Zhu of the Zhu family?


    She¡¯s both beautiful and kind¡­¡±


    ¡°That scene just now was really thrilling. If Zhu Mingjing hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and had a flexible waist, she would have fallen hard, and it would have definitely affected her exam in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°From where she was sitting, how could she possibly not see someone walking across? I don¡¯t know if it was intentional, but it¡¯s certain that Zhu Mingjing is envied by others.¡±<div>


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she from Mingde High School? I remember that she was a delinquent girl when she was in junior high school. A dog can¡¯t change eating shit¡­¡±


    Tang Wan¡¯s face turned pale as she listened to the various stares and discussions around her.


    Xie Zhen coughed and pulled her away.


    From behind, the owner chased after them: ¡°ssmate, you haven¡¯t paid the bill yet. ¡±


    In an instant, the gossip behind them got even louder.


    They even want to dine and dash. Shameless!


    Tang Wan felt a faint pain in her wrist. She rubbed it, and Xie Zhen looked at her carefully, asking cautiously: ¡°Awan, did you really not do it on purpose?¡±


    Tang Wan frowned at her: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, never mind. I didn¡¯t ask anything. What¡¯s wrong with your hand?¡±


    Tang Wan pursed her lips, ¡°Zhu Mingjing deliberately took revenge on me. She almost broke my wrist.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? Look at your wrist. First, it¡¯s not red. Second, it¡¯s not swollen. Besides, Zhu Mingjing is so fragile-looking, and her wrist is even thinner than yours. How could she break your wrist? I know you don¡¯t like Zhu Mingjing, but if you nder her like this, I won¡¯t be happy. She¡¯s a nice person.


    She just spoke up for you, and the way Zhao Heng got angry was really scary.¡± Xie Zhen patted her chest with lingering fear.


    Tang Wan looked at her in disbelief: ¡°You trust Zhu Mingjing, not me?¡±


    Xie Zhen touched her nose: ¡°She has nothing to do with us. Why do you always target her?¡±


    Tang Wan turned around and left, full of resentment.


    In the afternoon exam, Mingjing smiled at her before sitting down: ¡°ssmate,


    I hope what happened at noon won¡¯t affect your exam.¡±


    Tang Wan hates her sanctimonious look the most and said coldly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely do well in the exam.¡±


    She may not be able to beat Zhu Mingjing in other subjects, but she¡¯s been in the math ss since childhood. This time, she¡¯ll definitely surpass Zhu Mingjing and join the provincial team.


    Mingjing raised her eyebrows and smiled, turning her head.


    Tang Wan caught a hint of something profound in her seemingly smiling eyes, and she suddenly had a bad premonition.


    When the test paper was handed out, she took a deep breath. She had not done well in the morning exam, and she couldn¡¯t go wrong in this one.


    As soon as she picked up her pen and wrote a character, her face suddenly turned pale.


    Her right hand, holding the pen, trembled at a frequency invisible to the naked eye. She immediately grabbed her right wrist with her left hand, trying to control the shaking, but it was useless. Soon, cold sweat oozed from her forehead.


    It was painful.


    She suddenly thought of Zhu Mingjing¡¯s look just now, and her body went cold.


    Staring at Zhu Mingjing¡¯s back, her eyes were about to spew fire.


    The proctor walked up to her and nced down at her: ¡°ssmate, please don¡¯t disturb others¡¯ exams. If you¡¯re not feeling well, don¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    Tang Wan lowered her head, clenched her teeth, and holding the pen with her right hand, she endured the pain and carefully wrote down her name.


    When the exam time was up, Tang Wan had exhausted all her strength, and her whole body seemed as if it had just been fished out of the water, her right handpletely numb.


    The proctor collected her test paper, took a nce, and frowned subconsciously, shaking his head at Tang Wan.


    When all the other students had left, Zhu Mingjing leisurely packed up her stationery, Tang Wan coldly watching her back.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, you must be very smug now.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not smug at all, I just find it pathetic.¡±


    The young girl sighed softly.


    Tang Wan was choked with anger, how could there be such a hateful woman in the world, but others praised her as a Bodhisattva, are people in this world blind?


    ¡°You grabbed this spot on the provincial team from me using disgraceful means. Next time, I won¡¯t lose to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that youck self-awareness, how pathetic.¡±


    The young girl looked at her with pity and shook her head, then left with her backpack.


    Tang Wan was furious, kicked the table hard, and the next moment, her face turned pale and she squatted down.


    Zhu Mingjing, you just wait for me!


    On the way back, Mingjing received a call from the sanatorium. After hanging up, Mingjing said to Zheng Qing: ¡°Go to the sanatorium.¡±


    ¡°Again with the vegetable porridge, I¡¯m going to be sick of it. I want to eat steak, seafood, and braised pork. My sister pays you so much money, not for you to treat me like this.¡± The young girl, hands on her hips, fuming with


    anger.


    A touch of red flushed her cheeks, dispelling her paleness, making her whole person look much more lively.


    The caregiver said helplessly, ¡°Your stomach is not yet ready to handle those types of food, and it needs to be adjusted slowly¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m about to lose my taste, so you might as well starve me to death.¡± The young girly down on the bed with a stretch of her hand. The door opened quietly, a figure walked in, and the caregiver immediately slipped out.


    No one answered for a long time, Ming Xin secretly opened her eyes and saw a figure standing quietly in the sickroom, and that person was now quietly looking at her. Ming Xin shuddered and crawled out of bed.


    ¡°Sister, you finally came to see me. Hurry up and tell the person in charge here to change my menu. I can¡¯t eat it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mingjing readily agreed.


    Ming Xin was stunned, not expecting her to be so agreeable.


    Mingjing went out and instructed the caregiver. Soon, the steak, seafood, and braised pork that Ming Xin wanted were ced in front of her. Ming Xin swallowed and nced secretly at Mingjing sitting opposite her on the sofa.


    ¡°Can I¡­ really eat it?¡±


    Mingjing nodded.


    Ming Xin rubbed her hands together, about to feast.


    ¡°If anything goes wrong with my senior sister¡¯s body, Liang Yanran, I will make you pay dearly.¡±


    The gentle voice, yet full of murderous intent.


    ¡°tter¡± The chopsticks fell on the table, and ¡°Ming Xin¡± looked up incredulously, her dted pupils filled with fear..

 Chapter 187 - 187: 090 No More (Second Revision)

    Chapter 187 - 187: 090 No More (Second Revision)


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the sofa sat a girl in a white dress, her skin as white as snow, her face radiant like jade.


    Her beautiful, big eyes were quietly watching her at this moment, the ck pupils like two ck holes, seemingly able to swallow everything in the world, making herself feel like a small, insignificant star in the vast universe.


    It was a fear that made even her soul tremble.


    Transcending the limits, crossing life and death.


    She could hear her own heart pounding wildly, no, this was not her body.<div>


    Her name was Liang Yanran, and she had died five days ago.


    Although it was only a short five days, to her it felt like an eternity, as if it had happened in a past life.


    All vivid, excruciating, unbearable memories suddenly flooded into her mind, and she copsed on the bed clutching her head.


    It was a long time before silence enveloped the hospital room.


    She sat up quietly, while Ming Jing still sat on the sofa, her expression neither sad nor happy, just quietly watching her.


    ¡°My name is Liang Yanran. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not unfamiliar with my name. It¡¯s easy for you to find information about my life. The inte says Imitted suicide¡­ haha.¡±


    Sheughed at herself, ¡°I do have depression, and I did have thoughts of suicide, but I don¡¯t want to die now.¡±


    ¡°Could you give me some time to find out the cause of my death, so that I can leave with peace of mind?¡± Liang Yanran pleaded as she looked at Ming Jing.


    ¡°I promise to behave and eat well and not hurt your Senior¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°How do you n to investigate?¡±


    Liang Yanran was startled by the question. Yes, how would she investigate? She was now just a powerless, friendless orphan with no money and no connections. How would she investigate?


    Liang Yanran looked up in surprise, thinking Ming Jing would oppose her, as she was now upying her senior¡¯s body after all.


    ¡°To fulfill your wish soon, and then reincarnate.¡±


    Liang Yanran felt a sense of destion listening to Ming Jing¡¯s almost emotionless words.


    She never realized how good it was to be alive before, always thinking of death, but now that she had been reborn after dying, she felt that every breath of air was so refreshing.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What you should be grateful for is my Senior.¡±


    Liang Yanran let go of the heavy burden in her heart and smiled at her, ¡°Your senior must be a great person to have you protect her like this. I¡¯m really envious of her.¡±


    ¡°You just focus on recovering your body here. Once your health improves, I¡¯ll take you out.¡±


    Liang Yanran nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be willful anymore. This is your Senior¡¯s body, I can¡¯t waste it randomly.¡±


    ¡°Liang Yanran¡¯s case has been closed by the police as a suicide, and your family is already handling your funeral matters. Your farewell ceremony will be held in three days.¡±


    Liang Yanran gave a bitter smile, ¡°They¡¯re probably the happiest with me dead.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her and spoke indifferently, ¡°Before you died, did you have any doubts? Or were there any suspects in your mind?¡±


    Liang Yanran lowered her head in silence. Ming Jing did not urge her. After a long time, she said woodenly, ¡°Xue An.¡±


    ¡°Senior, Senior?¡±


    Ming Jing suddenly came back to her senses, and Ming Yi pouted unhappily, ¡°Senior, you were distracted. I¡¯ve been talking to you for a long time, and you didn¡¯t pay any attention to me.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Senior was thinking about where to take Ming Yi to have fun.¡±


    Ming Yi¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I want to go to the amusement park. Last time, Sister Xiang Xiang promised to take me there but lied to me. Those who lie to children are not good people.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Senior will take you to the amusement park. Go call your third and fourth sisters.¡±


    Ming Yi happily trotted up the stairs with her little short legs, her loud voice audible from a distance.


    Ming Jing rubbed her temples, and as Zheng Qing walked in and saw this scene, she asked worryingly, ¡°Are you too tiredtely? You have to take exams, deal with Liang Yanran, and worry about the Zhus¡¯ big mess, you don¡¯t have enough arms and legs for everything. We have plenty of time; don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, not much time left?¡± Zheng Qing asked curiously.


    Ming Jing hesitated for a moment, ¡°Qingqing, can you help me with one more thing? Look into Xue An.¡±


    ¡°Xue An? Why are you looking into him?¡±


    Zheng Qing knew Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t exin and nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll investigate. No matter what you do, I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you ask me to invest in Li Ming¡¯s project before? I¡¯ve invested in an entertainmentpany, but I haven¡¯t thought of a name yet; can you help me think of one?¡±


    ¡°Unspeakable.¡±


    ¡°Unspeakable Entertainment Company? Brilliant!¡± Zheng Qing praised, pping her hands..

 Chapter 188 - 188: 090 No Longer (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 188 - 188: 090 No Longer (Second Revision)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    At that time, ten directions and countless aeons; unspeakable urrences were happening in the world.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, controlling things behind the scenes feels pretty good. I n to sign some new talents, promote them to top-tier status, and wreak havoc in the entertainment industry. I¡¯ll also sign some good-looking boys to y around with ¨C sleep with one today, another one tomorrow, and rece them if


    they don¡¯t obey.¡±


    Zheng Qing stroked her chin, her smile full of triumph.<div>


    Her eyes shifted to Ming Jing¡¯s face, ¡°Thepany wouldn¡¯t be where it is without your contribution. Why don¡¯t you, the big boss,e out and show some support? If you enter the entertainment industry, I guarantee that you¡¯ll be famous within a year, and we¡¯ll be rolling in money. Your great-great-grandchildren won¡¯t have to worry about their funeral expenses.¡±


    Such a blessed appearance and demeanor, it seemed like she was born for apuse and admiration.


    Ming Jing casually said, ¡°Once thepany is on the right track, I¡¯ll rmend someone who will meet all your requirements.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d take anyone but you.¡±


    ¡°Then you might as well give up on that.¡±


    ¡°Good Ming Jing, obedient Ming Jing, please do what Aunt Qing asks.¡± Ming Jing brushed her hand away, ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡±


    Zheng Qing red at her resentfully, ¡°When I sign a bunch of pretty boys, I won¡¯t share any of them with you. Hmph.¡±


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. When Ming Yi, Ming Ti, and Ming Chen finally came downstairs, Ming Jing led them out.


    The three of them visited the amusement park for the first time, as if they had opened the door to a whole new world. Even the most terrifying roller coaster could be ridden twice by the girls.


    After a day of ying, they all went to sleep early.


    The next morning, as Ming Jing went downstairs, Uncle Wen received a phone call. His face turned ugly, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s trouble with thepany.¡±


    Ming Jing sat down at the dining table and picked up thetest newspaper. The Zhus had always subscribed to a financial newspaper; it had been Zhu Wentao¡¯s habit to read it every morning. Now, he hadn¡¯t been home for quite some time, and Ming Jing had taken over the task of reading the newspapers daily. ¡°Uncle Wen, don¡¯t worry. Take your time and tell me.¡±


    Ming Jing spoke calmly; herposure seemed to help Uncle Wen steady his breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but thepany¡¯s financing failed, and the stock price plummeted overnight. Zhu Group lost several billion in market value within a night.¡±


    As Uncle Wen spoke, he was heartbroken. His blood pressure skyrocketed, nearly causing him to copse.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Those shareholders have gathered outside Zhu Group¡¯s headquarters demanding an exnation. The new real estate projects have also been affected, investors are withdrawing, and several constructions turned into unfinished buildings. Some property owners exposed thepany to the media.¡±


    All these incidents had been brewing in the background, eventually exploding suddenly.


    Ming Jing nodded, listening as if it was someone else¡¯s story, without even furrowing her brow.


    If Zhu Group went bankrupt, even the vi she lived in would have to be mortgaged. Would she still be soposed then?


    Uncle Wen looked at Ming Jing anxiously, ¡°Miss, what can we do? Can the boss handle this?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Her indifferent response silenced Uncle Wen.


    ¡°One reaps what he sows. Zhu Wentao chose this path and must walk it to the end, even if it¡¯s on his knees.¡±


    Uncle Wen said no more.


    Zhu Xiangxiang rushed downstairs, ¡°Thepany¡¯s in trouble, and you still have the leisure to eat?¡±


    ¡°What else? Do you think you have the ability to fix everything?¡± Ming Jing responded nonchntly.


    Zhu was left speechless.


    At that moment, Lin Qing came downstairs. Zhu Xiangxiang worriedly said,


    ¡°Mom, there¡¯s trouble with thepany. What should we do?¡±


    Lin Qing nced at her, ¡°What can we do? Just eat our meals and sleep when it¡¯s time.¡±


    She sat down at the dining table and silently ate.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stomped her foot in frustration, feeling like even the emperor wasn¡¯t as worried as his eunuchs.


    If Zhu Group went bankrupt, she would lose everything, and the distinction between true heiress and pretender would cease to exist.


    Outside Zhu Group¡¯s headquarters, crowds had gathered ¨C journalists from TV stations, opportunisticpetitors, and, most of all, shareholders and property owners demanding an exnation.


    Their years of hard work had been destroyed overnight, and the prime culprit was Zhu Group¡¯s President, Zhu Wentao.


    It was his hasty decisions and misjudgments that resulted in the failed bond issuance, causing the stock price to plummet. Compounded by his corrupt personal conduct, Zhu Group now appeared on the verge of copse.


    Every employee entering and leaving the premises was pelted with rotten eggs and cabbage leaves. At this point, they all wished they could leave thepany immediately.


    Meanwhile, Zhu Wentao, having made a round of phone calls, found that no one answered them.


    ¡°Damn, a bunch of fair-weather tterers!¡± Zhu Wentao cursed angrily.


    Zhou Ling spoke softly, ¡°Wentao, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not the end of the line yet. We were tricked by President Fu this time. The most important thing now is to contact him.¡±


    Zhu Wentao red at Zhou Ling and then narrowed his eyes, ¡°You were the one who introduced Fu Nansheng to me. Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡±


    Zhou Ling turned pale, her frail figure like a petal in the wind. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing, ¡°What do you mean? Are you implying that I conspired with President Fu against you?¡±


    ¡°Then find Fu Nansheng for me!¡± Zhu Wentao shouted.


    Zhou Ling shook her head, ¡°I advised you not to seek financing back then, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Now the problem is here, and you me me. Zhu Wentao, I


    finally see who you really are.¡± She turned away as she spoke.


    Zhu Wentao felt a panic in his heart and rushed to embrace her from behind, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you.¡±


    After cating Zhou Ling, Zhu Wentao suddenly thought of someone.


    He took out his phone and called Ming Jing. His daughter was now quite extraordinary, and all the wealthydies were eager to meet her. Her connections made him envious.


    The situation was dire, and he had no choice but to swallow his pride and turn to the daughter he had once cast aside.


    A white BMW was parked quietly on an open space across from Zhu Group¡¯s building.


    Ming Jing silently watched the chaos across the street, the crowds of people on both sides going crazy.


    Her phone rang, breaking the silence in the car.


    Ming Jing nced at the screen and smiled faintly.


    Mr. Zhu, the prosecutors have arrived.¡±


    Secretary Wang hurried in, and Zhu Wentao¡¯s face turned pale at the news..

 Chapter 189 - 189: 091 Honor and Disgrace (First Watch)

    Chapter 189 - 189: 091 Honor and Disgrace (First Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    In front of everyone, Zhu Wentao was taken away by the staff of the Procuratorate.


    Zhu Group¡¯s stock price plummeted to the limit.


    Following the entertainment news of Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide, TV stations, newspapers, and financial magazines began to report extensively on Zhu Group¡¯s news, and at the same time, the scandal of Zhu Wentao¡¯s extramarital affairs was also exposed.


    As the head of a listedpany, in order to maintain thepany¡¯s image and development, it is essential to ensure the stability of the family structure and to stay above reproach, allowing the public to perceive you as a stable and reliable person. Only then can people trust you to manage and develop thepany well, lead everyone to make money together, and not be perceived as someone who is fickle and unfaithful. With such an unreliable image, how can people feel confident investing their hard -earned money in you, only to end up losing everything in the end?


    This time, the inte was filled with criticism of Zhu Wentao. Meanwhile, the Securities Regtory Commission disclosed many internal issues of Zhu<div>


    Group, including market maniption, illegal operations, and financial fraud. Every group has its own issues; it just depends on whether anyone investigates them. Zhu Group couldn¡¯t survive this crisis.


    Because it involved too many people, some of them were migrant workers who had used their life savings for down payments but couldn¡¯t afford to finish paying for their homes or get property certificates, bing the most innocent victims in this power and money struggle.


    These migrant workers held banners in their hands, with the bloodcurdling words ¡°Zhu Group, Pay Back Our Money¡± written on them, shocking the public.


    There were also many discussions about it on the school forum.


    ¡ªDid you guys hear about Zhu Group? My dad said the issue is serious this time, Zhu Wentao was taken away for investigation by the Procuratorate this morning.


    ¡ªNone of the businessmen these days are clean. It¡¯s just a matter of being exposed or not. No, it should be the difference between giving gifts and not giving gifts. I think Zhu Group must have offended someone.


    ¡ªMy mom works in a bank, and she said Zhu Wentao got trapped this time, with a failed financing and many loans. Even if he sells thepany, it won¡¯t be enough to cover the loss. He¡¯ll definitely go to jail.


    ¡ªWith the fall of Zhu Group, Zhu Mingjing is no longer the young mistress of the Zhus. Poor girl, she only returned a few months ago and barely got to enjoy the wealth before bing poor.


    ¡ªThe one above must be Zhang Jingwen¡¯s alternate ount, enjoying other people¡¯s misfortune like this.


    ¡ªTo the person above, how much did the Zhus pay you to whitewash their image? Do you know how many people Zhu Group hurt this time? How many families lost their life savings, and how many ordinary people had their hard-earned money squandered? The crimes of Zhu Group are too numerous to list. As the young mistress of the Zhus, Zhu Mingjing enjoyed the wealth and glory of the Zhus. How can she be detached from the Zhus¡¯ troubles? There¡¯s no such logic. She shares the Zhus¡¯ glory and downfall.


    ¡ªDon¡¯t mix up the Zhus with Zhu Mingjing ¨C they¡¯re different.


    ¡ªHeree the whitewashing water armies again, must be Zhu Mingjing¡¯s supporters. Even when they¡¯re about to go bankrupt, they still have money to buy water armies. It would be much better topensate those migrant workers, reducing their debt and umting some virtue.


    The forum was about to erupt into a fight when someone noticed they had been banned from speaking.


    High Mountains and Flowing Rivers ¨C issued a new announcement: From today onwards, posting unrted content to studying is forbidden in the forum. Offenders will be banned and kicked out. Everyone, please be aware.


    Upon this announcement, the forum fell silent.


    No one knew who this ¡°High Mountains and Flowing Rivers¡± was, but he had administrator privileges and deep influence in the forum ¨C like a king.


    As soon as he appeared, those who were causing trouble quieted down.


    Charles Gao left the forum and nced at thetest financial news. Everyone was paying attention to thetest developments of Zhu Group.


    Even Weibo had exposed the matter, showing how widespread the coverage was.


    The more Charles Gao read, the deeper his frown became. He took out his phone and called Ming Jing.


    After ringing twice, the other party picked up. Charles asked anxiously: ¡°Ming Jing, are you okay? I heard about what happened to Zhu Group. Don¡¯t go out for the time being. I¡¯m worried those people will vent their anger on you and cause you harm.¡±


    A soft and gentle voice of the girl came through the phone, seemingly unbothered by the crisis Zhu Group was facing, as if she was watching the fire from the other side of the river.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Do you need the Gaos¡¯ help?¡± Charles thought, as long as she needed it, he would offer it unconditionally.


    ¡°Zhu Group is now a hot potato. If you genuinely care about me, choose to protect yourself wisely. ¡±


    Charles was stunned for a moment, a warm current flowing through his heart..

 Chapter 190 - 190: 091 Honor and Disgrace (Midnight Update)_2

    Chapter 190 - 190: 091 Honor and Disgrace (Midnight Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    She was still so kind, willing to bear all the hardships herself and not wanting to trouble others.


    As long as she asked, no matter how difficult, he would risk his life to help her.


    ¡°Alright, just take good care of yourself, and bring more bodyguards with you when you go out. Those people can be terrifying when they go mad,¡± Charles Gao carefully reminded her.


    ¡°Okay, I know. I have something to take care of now, so I¡¯ll hang up. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner when we have time.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Charles sighed.<div>


    The nanny outside the door said, ¡°Young Master, Madam is looking for you.¡±


    Charles frowned, ¡°Aunt?¡±


    As Charles went downstairs, his aunt, Yang Yan, was chatting with his mother, Guo Han.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Senior Gao that my brother wants Jia Jia to marry the Young Master of the Yang family. My cousin is good friends with Mrs. Yang, and I had her make some inquiries. This Young Master Yang has been studying abroad and only recently returned. He¡¯s handsome and talented, so if Jia Jia marries him, it would be a good match. Sister-inw, you can rest assured.¡±


    Yang Yan¡¯s smile was strained. She was very clear about the happiness or unhappiness of her own marriage, which was a result of a business alliance, so she didn¡¯t want her daughter to go down the same path.


    Upon seeing Charles, Yang Yan immediately put on a cheerful face: ¡°Charles, I came here today to ask you for a favor.¡±


    Charles was a bit curious as to what this haughty aunt of his could need from him.


    Guo Han smiled, ¡°He¡¯s just a kid, what can he help you with? If you really have


    any problems, you should wait for Grandpa Gao toe back, and we¡¯ll solve them together.¡±


    Yang Yan shook her head, ¡°Actually, only Charles can help me with this.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me, Aunt. I will not hesitate to help if I can.¡±


    Yang Yan coughed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say, but I heard you have a good rtionship with Ms. Ming Jing from the Zhu family?¡±


    Charles was taken aback, never expecting her to inquire about Ming Jing. Was the favor she needed rted to Ming Jing? Charles¡¯ attitude turned serious and attentive.


    ¡°Ming Jing and I are ssmates. Why do you ask about her, Aunt?¡±


    Yang Yan sighed, ¡®You¡¯ve probably heard about the situations with Madam Li and Madam Ye. Ms. Zhu seems to be rather skilled, so I asked her to help me with Jia Jia¡¯s marriage fortunest time. However, it seems there were some issues. Those Masters always have their quirks. I¡¯ve been to the Zhu household several times, but I couldn¡¯t get a chance to see her. Jia Jia¡¯s issue can¡¯t be dyed any longer, so I thought, since you have a good rtionship with Ms. Zhu, could you perhaps mediate¡­?¡±


    Charles never expected his aunt woulde to him seeking help to find Ming Jing to calcte Jia Jia¡¯s marriage fortune¡­what a bizarre development.


    ¡°I heard about Ms. Zhu¡¯s incident as well. I thought it was just a rumor, but it turned out to be true. Is she really that amazing?¡± Guo Han asked with half-skepticism.


    Yang Yan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the incidents with Madam Li and Madam Ye with my own eyes. It¡¯s better to believe that there¡¯s something to it rather than dismiss it outright, especially since it concerns Jia Jia¡¯s happiness.¡±


    ¡°I feel that she¡¯s still too young, though. Could it be a coincidence? Has everyone just mythologized her? I heard that there¡¯s a Hanshan Temple south of the Cold Mountain, and Master Jue Ming in the temple is a highly aplished monk. Many people go to him for marriage fortunes. Why not try your luck with Master Jue Ming?¡±


    Yang Yan shook her head, ¡°I choose to believe in Ms. Zhu.¡±


    ¡°But the Zhus are facing awsuit now and are on the brink of bankruptcy. Ms. Zhu must be at her wit¡¯s end. She probably doesn¡¯t have time for anything else.¡±


    Actually, she wanted to say, if Ms. Zhu is really that amazing, could she have predicted the impending disaster for the Zhu family?


    After all, gods are made by humans.


    Seeking a 16-year-old girl to calcte marriage fortunes; His wife must be in a crazed frenzy for a miracle cure.


    Charles pondered, ¡°Auntie, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but Ming Jing and I are not close to that extent. I called her earlier when I heard about the situation with the Zhus, but her phone has been switched off ever since. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m unable to help you.¡±


    After leaving Charles¡¯ house, Yang Yan hesitated for a long time before instructing her driver, ¡®Go to Hanshan Temple.¡±


    ¡°Do you think your sister-inw is funny? She actually believes a little girl¡¯s words. The girl should have been able to predict her family¡¯s impending bankruptcy, right?¡± Guo Han mocked, shaking her head.


    Charles frowned, ¡°Mom, Auntie wouldn¡¯t say this without a good reason.¡±


    Guo Han looked at him suspiciously before suddenly turning solemn. ¡°You¡¯re not in love with Ms. Zhu, are you?¡±


    Charles¡¯ face flushed red.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to hit it right on the spot. Let me tell you, the Zhu family is going through a major crisis, and they¡¯re struggling to save themselves. Don¡¯t get involved in this muddy water, or else you¡¯ll get yourself dirty. Do you understand?¡± Guo Han emphasized..

 Chapter 191 - 191: 091 Honor and Loss (First Update)—3

    Chapter 191 - 191: 091 Honor and Loss (First Update)¡ª3


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Mom, Ming Jing is Ming Jing, The Zhus are The Zhus.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. This Zhu Mingjing even fooled your sister-inw. She must not be an ordinary person. Can you y better than her? Don¡¯t let her just wave her finger, and you¡¯ll be led into a trap. My stupid son, be more cautious.¡± Charles Gao was toozy to listen and turned to go upstairs.


    Behind him, Guo Han continued to nag, ¡°No, I must tell Old Gao to avoid The Zhus¡¯ affairs¡­.¡±


    ¡°Wanwan, go open the door.¡±


    The sound of cooking and talking came from the kitchen together.<div>


    Tang Wan came out of the bedroom listlessly and opened the door.


    A middle-aged couple was standing outside, wearing worn-out clothes that had been washed almost white. Their faces, weathered from exposure to the elements, were filled with hardship and fatigue. They were carrying a bag of fruit. The woman said with surprise, ¡°It¡¯s Wanwan, right? You¡¯ve grown so much? You¡¯ve be more and more beautiful. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± Tang Wan frowned, looking at the couple radiating poverty: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Tang¡¯s mother peeked out from the kitchen holding adle: ¡°Big Brother,


    Sister-in-Law, you¡¯re here. Come in, Wanwan, you silly girl. This is your Uncle


    Aman and Aunt Aiqin.¡±


    Tang Wan finally remembered ¨C they were her mother¡¯s cousins.


    Tang Wan stepped aside, and the couple walked in, looking somewhat at a loss at the clean floor.


    Tang Wan scoffed and took out two pairs of slippers from the shoe cab:


    ¡°Change your shoes.¡±


    As the two took off their shoes, Tang Wan immediately frowned in disgust.


    The woman smiled apologetically: ¡°It¡¯s hot in the summer, our feet get ufortable. Did we offend you, Wanwan?¡±


    Tang Wan turned around: ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until dinnertime that Tang Wan found out about the poor rtives who came to ask for help.


    ¡°That was mine and your brother¡¯s lifetime savings. We wanted to get a house in the city for our son to find a wife. But before he got married, the house was gone. We had put down the down payment with the money we had saved through years of frugality and hard work. Now the developer has run away, the house is gone, and the down payment can¡¯t be recovered. Those damn capitalists who exploit us ordinary people, aren¡¯t they afraid of retribution?¡±


    The woman started crying as she spoke, and the man wiped away his tears with a broken heart.


    Tang¡¯s motherforted them softly.


    Tang Wan suddenly asked, ¡°Where did you buy the house?¡±


    ¡°Tianheng Garden. ¡±


    Tang Wan hooked her lip: ¡°A house from Zhu Group?¡±


    Zhou Aiqin nodded: ¡°Yes, we went to the sales office this morning, but it was closed. There were many people gathered in front of the door, all of whom had bought houses. There were so many victims, and all of them were people who had saved up for a lifetime. We were all cheated and didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Tang Wan smiled, ¡°The president of Zhu Group was arrested this morning.¡± The two people turned even paler, and there was even less hope now.


    ¡°Do you know there¡¯s a Ms. Zhu in the Zhu family? She¡¯s very smart and capable, and more than half of the wealthy wives in Jiangzhou are her guests. If you want to solve this problem, find Ms. Zhu. With her skills, she can definitely help you. I am ssmates with Ms. Zhu, and since the Zhu Group is in trouble, she, as the youngdy of the Zhu family, cannot stand idly by. The two of you are weak and helpless, and the Zhu family won¡¯t take you seriously. But if you join forces with all the victims, chances are Ms. Zhu won¡¯t remain indifferent. IVve heard she¡¯s very kind, and has a reputation like the reincarnation of a bodhisattva. If she sees so many people being deceived by her father, she¡¯d be happy to help.¡±


    The couple looked at each other: ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie to you? The fact is that Ms. Zhu and I are ssmates. As the daughter of the Zhu family, how can she not take responsibility for the troubles that have befallen them? You¡¯re sympathizing with her, but why not pity yourselves? Your life savings to a wealthy youngdy like her might be just a meal or a handbag.¡±


    Zhou Aiqin was persuaded, ¡°What you said is true. This is what is owed by her family, and she needs to pay it.¡±


    Tang Wan smiled with satisfaction: ¡°I have a ssmate whose rtive works in the TV station. I¡¯ll give you his number and you can contact him.¡±


    ¡°Wanwan, thank you so much. If not for you, we wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just because I can¡¯t stand to see the Zhu family bullying people. They¡¯re already so rich yet they still exploit us ordinary people who struggle on the poverty line.¡±


    Having seen off the couple, Tang¡¯s mother looked at Tang Wan: ¡°Wanwan, do you have a problem with Ms. Zhu?¡±


    Tang Wan frowned: ¡°She is the wealthy daughter of the Zhu family, how could I have any problem with her?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re doing¡­ isn¡¯t it a bit unfair to Ms. Zhu? You¡¯re putting her on the spot. She¡¯s a high school student facing such a situation¡­.¡±


    ¡°Mom, look at Uncle Aman and the others. They worked hard all their lives and ended up being cheated of everything by the Zhu family. As the youngdy of the Zhu family, should Ms. Zhu not take responsibility for this? Her luxurious house and car, the mountains of exotic food she consumes ¨C don¡¯t they all have the blood of the poor on them? This is retribution.¡±


    Tang¡¯s mother sighed.


    Public opinion grew more and more intense, and more victims gathered outside Zhu Group Headquarters. Some even went to the gates of The Zhus¡¯ residence, but with so many luxury carsing and going, they couldn¡¯t be sure which one belonged to The Zhus.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, if you need help, Mr. Shen is more than willing to offer assistance.¡±


    Shen Ke nced at Shen Zhou behind the desk in the office, and as expected, he refused.


    ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t need it for now.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, forgive my bluntness, but public opinion about the Zhu Group is not favorable at the moment, and there seems to be a hidden agenda pushed by hired hands. How do you n to deal with this issue?¡±


    After a moment, a calm andposed young girl¡¯s voice came from the other side of the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see and strike when they¡¯re exhausted..¡±

 Chapter 192 - 192: 092 Fire Pit (Second Update)

    Chapter 192 - 192: 092 Fire Pit (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    The outside world is buzzing with rumors, spurring confusion amongst the masses.


    But The Zhus seem to be in a peaceful state,pletely unfazed by the turbulence around.


    Appearing seemingly unaffected by the ongoing issues at Zhu Group, they


    carry on with their daily lives as per usual, utterly nonchnt.


    Zhu Xiangxiang bes the most frantic among them, now too afraid to even step outside. She has always been in the limelight and many people in Jiangzhou know her. She fears being recognised.<div>


    She tried to call Zhou Ling, but it¡¯s always switched off.


    She never expected Zhu Wentao to get into trouble. From the analysis she saw online, the situation seemed quite severe. Zhu Wentao might even face prosecution, and the team ofwyers nurtured by thepany are working on a way out in haste.


    If Zhu Wentao gets into trouble¡­ her face suddenly turns pale.


    What would be of her then?


    ¡°Xiangxiang, Madam Zhou is looking for you.¡± Han Suwen¡¯s voice echoed from outside the door.


    Zhu Xiangxiang has been enduring humiliation in the Zhu family during these days, thinking she was close to seeing the dawn light when in fact, she¡¯s only heading towards a pit of fire.


    A pit of fire she dug up herself.


    Now, Zhu Xiangxiang could only tread carefully and pray for Zhu Wentao¡¯s well-being.


    When she went downstairs, she saw Zhu Mingjing and Ming Jing chatting andughing with Granny Zhu while watching the TV, enjoying their familial bliss.


    Why is no one in the Zhu family worried?


    Zhu Xiangxiang was utterly puzzled.


    ¡°Mom, mom, you must save Zhou Ping!¡± Zhu Wenjie stormed in frantically, throwing himself onto Granny Zhu, his eyes welled up with tears.


    Granny Zhu frowned, ¡°What happened to Zhou Ping?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Ping was taken away by the prosecutor¡¯s office. He¡¯s such an honest man, what could he possibly have done? Mom, you have many influential contacts, can¡¯t you pull some strings to get Zhou Ping out?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s innocent, he should cooperate with the investigation and thew will clear his name. But if he¡¯s guilty, he brought it upon himself. Do I, an old woman, have to run around cleaning up the mess for all of you? How filial of you.¡±


    ¡°This is all because of my big brother! Zhou Ping did what he was told to by my big brother. If anything happens to Zhou Ping, it¡¯ll not bode well for my big brother too.¡±


    Granny Zhu squinted her eyes, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie shrank back, ¡°No, Mom, I¡¯m just stating facts.¡±


    ¡°Even if Zhu Wentao is my son, I won¡¯t condone his errors. Thew will punish him. Go back.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie¡¯s face changed abruptly. With a huff, he stood up, ¡°To be frank, you just don¡¯t want to save Zhou Ping. He¡¯s your son-inw and hasn¡¯t he been filial to you during festivals? Now that he¡¯s in trouble, you¡¯re being indifferent.


    I never imagined having such a heartless mother.¡±


    Granny Zhu¡¯s chest heaved rapidly, pointing to the door, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Ming Jing lightly patted Granny Zhu¡¯s back to soothe her while shooting Zhu Wenjie a nce. His heart skipped a beat all of a sudden. After several days, his niece looked even more beautiful.


    ¡°To conform to the ways of this world, and to stand for righteousness, one need not seek poprity but simply avoid being swayed by the masses. All we are doing now is settling the chaos. Aunt, you need not get so agitated. Wait patiently for the result.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie wanted to retort: What does this girl know? But as soon as he looked into her eyes, all the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. He heard rumours about his niece being good at fortune-telling to an uncanny degree.


    ¡°Can you predict whether your dad and your uncle-inw are safe? Or if Zhu Group will go bankrupt?¡±


    Grannv Zhu and Zhu Xianzxianz turned their gaze towards Minz Jing at the same time.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared at Ming Jing¡¯s face. She seemed calm. Could it be she had already predicted that the Zhu family would safely ovee this crisis? Ming Jing curved her lips slightly, ¡°It depends on their own actions and their fate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s saying nothing at all. Xiangxiang, get me a ss of water. I¡¯m almost dying of thirst.¡± Zhu Wenjie sat down heavily on the sofa. Zhu Xiangxiang rolled her eyes secretly. Did she look like a maid?


    Now, even Zhu Wenjie dared to boss her around.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my sister-inw?¡± Zhu Wenjie asked after taking a sip of water.


    ¡°Your sister-inw hasn¡¯t been well recently. You¡¯d better not provoke her anymore. Start umting some good karma.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, the reason ourpany is in trouble is because of that mistress. She introduced the vice president of some securitiespany to my big brother, who fell for their scheme. I suspect that Zhou Ling and that vice president are working together. Damn, what a shameless slut. If I see her again, I¡¯ll tear her apart.¡± Zhu Wenjie was getting agitated as he spoke.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened.


    ¡°One should never forsake his old wife for a new one. Sadly, your big brother never gets this. He was intoxicated by the morous world, losing both his eyesight and conscience. Hopefully, this incident can serve as a valuable lesson..¡±

 Chapter 193 - 193: 092 Fire Pit (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 193 - 193: 092 Fire Pit (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Mom, let me tell you, there¡¯s no man in this world who doesn¡¯t cheat. If he likes cheating, just let him cheat. The more you control him, the more he wants it. If you don¡¯t control him, he might find it boring. Anyway, I hold the financial power, as long as it doesn¡¯t disgust me in front of my eyes, let him do whatever he wants. My sister-inw is just too stubborn, she¡¯s been treating my brother like a prisoner since they got married, and I knew something would happen someday. Marriage is like sand in your hand, the tighter you hold, the faster it slips away. Controlling a man is like holding a kite, you hold the string, it doesn¡¯t matter where it flies, it will eventually return to your hand.¡±


    Granny Zhu gave her a nce, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about in front of the children?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie curled her lips, ¡°I¡¯m giving my nieces an early warning, especially Ming Jing, who¡¯s so pretty, she¡¯s bound to be easily deceived by men when she grows up. Let me tell you, don¡¯t believe what men say, they¡¯re all big pigs.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡°Thank you for your advice, auntie.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is such a good girl.¡± Then she cast a disapproving look at Zhu Xiangxiang.<div>


    ¡°Oh, where did this lovely little girle from?¡± Zhu Wenjie pinched Ming Yi¡¯s chubby little face.


    Ming Yi crisply called out, ¡°Hello, Auntie! I¡¯m Ming Yi, Junior sister of Ming


    Jing.¡±


    Zhu Wenjieughed, ¡°This little girl is really sweet.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, don¡¯t go out now. When I came here today, I saw quite a few people squatting at the entrance of themunity holding banners. These people are desperate, and they mighte to you for trouble.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Thank you for the reminder, auntie. I¡¯ll bear it in mind.¡±


    ¡°Damn the Zhus. our hard-earned money from half a lifetime was all


    squandered! What a waste!¡± Cai Ping shouted the loudest, suppressing the others, attracting a lot of attention.


    ¡°Mom, keep your voice down,¡± Qin Xu pulled at her, looking around with some embarrassment on his face.


    ¡°We are the victims, what are we afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Auntie, are you also a victim of Tianheng Garden?¡± Zhou Aiqin squeezed over to ask.


    ¡°Yeah, we finally saved up enough for a down payment, only to be swindled by the Zhus. Those scoundrels, if they don¡¯t pay us back, I¡¯ll curse their entire family and see what kind of good deeds their descendants have done!¡±


    ¡°Cursing like this won¡¯t help. I heard that Miss Zhu will be at Yi High School tomorrow morning. We should go and ask her for an exnation, it¡¯s better than shouting randomly here,¡± Zhou Aiqin suggested.


    She thought this olddy must be a local from Jiangzhou with a loud voice, so it would be good for her to take the lead when the timees.


    Cai Ping¡¯s eyes widened, she pped her forehead, ¡°Oh, how could I forget about Ms. Zhu? A daughter should pay her father¡¯s debts, right. That Ms. Zhu deserves to pay this debt. We¡¯ll all go there, and she won¡¯t leave until we get an exnation.¡±


    Cai Ping looked excited, having been tricked by Ms. Zhu before, she didn¡¯t expect to get even so soon.


    This time, she would make Ms. Zhu regret.


    Then, Cai Ping started to rally all the victims with her eloquent speech and even personally ordered new banners.


    ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t it bad for us to do this? Suwen is still with Ms. Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Call Suwen and ask her about the Zhus¡¯ situation.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t answer my calls.¡±


    ¡°She thinks she has climbed up the socialdder by sticking to Ms. Zhu and doesn¡¯t need us anymore? Well, she¡¯ll regret it eventually.¡±


    While they were busily preparing, Zhu Shaodan also found out about the Zhus¡¯ situation.


    He was conflicted.


    ¡°The Zhus are in big trouble this time, I heard that those people are nning to block Ms. Zhu tomorrow. Ms. Zhu, the delicate and beautifuldy, who wants to be a hero to save the beauty? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡± ¡°That Ms. Zhu is prettier than any actress, but her figure is a bit scrawny¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, when did you see Ms. Zhu? Why didn¡¯t any of us know? You can¡¯t hog her to yourself, haha.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Zhu a nun? Can you guys handle a bald head? Your taste is quite heavy¡­ ¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a punch came swinging at his face. A figure shed over, straddled on top of him and began to throw wild punches.


    Everyone was stunned for a moment before rushing over to try to pull Zhu


    Shaodan off. ¡°Xiaolin, have you gone crazy? Why are you hitting him?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan couldn¡¯t listen to anything, his eyes red with rage, shouting and cursing while hitting, ¡°You piece of shit, from now on watch your mouth! Who do you think you are to just insult Ms. Zhu?¡±


    Only I am allowed to insult her, who the fuck do you think you are!


    Everyone exchanged nces, realizing that Xiaolin was actually Ms. Zhu¡¯s little fanboy. If they had known, they wouldn¡¯t have made jokes.


    Still, they respected Lin Shaodan to some extent as he didn¡¯t hesitate to fight, was generous, and had a strong sense of loyalty. After Laiba was caught, the people who were following him started following Shaodan, forming their own little group and gaining some reputation in the area.


    ¡°Alright, Xiaolin, you¡¯re going to kill him if you keep going.¡±


    Only then did Zhu Shaodan let go, spat on the other guy¡¯s face, then red at everyone else with vicious eyes.


    ¡°From now on, if anyone wants to insult Ms. Zhu, they¡¯d better ask my fists first.


    Everyone looked at each other.


    Not far away, Ran Tengxiao nced over and raised his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°That guy Xiaolin seems to have potential, check him out.¡±


    Ye Jian respectfully replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao stroked his chin, ¡°I wonder how Ms. Zhu will deal with this mess.¡±


    Ye Jian replied, ¡°Ms. Zhu is just a high school student, she probably can¡¯t handle this, right?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re underestimating her. I¡¯m quite curious about what she¡¯ll do. Let¡¯s go watch the show tomorrow..¡±

 Chapter 194 - 194: 093 Youth (First Watch)

    Chapter 194 - 194: 093 Youth (First Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the 21st of July, the weather was warm and pleasant.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s concert in Nanzhou was in full swing, and early in the morning, fans from all over the country gathered at the entrance of Nanzhou Stadium, braving the heat while waiting for ticket inspection.


    The square was packed with people of all ages, from seniors in their sixties and seventies to young children as young as three or five years old. This demonstrated the wide range of Qu Feitails fans, as he appealed to both young and old.


    These fans were all dressed in matching T-shirts featuring Qu Feitai¡¯s cartoon likeness, wearing glowing headbands, and waving gs, either featuring Qu Feitai¡¯s cartoon or support slogans. They formed groups and chatted with each other excitedly.


    ¡°Did you guys listen to Feitai¡¯s new song at the Yunzhou concert? It¡¯s amazing, as expected of my Feitai brother, it¡¯s fantastic!¡±<div>


    ¡°He could easily rely on his good looks to seed, but he insists on relying on his talent. Brother, how do you expect other men to live?¡±


    ¡°I heard that brother hurt his leg ligament while dancing at the Binzhou concert, and it¡¯s only been a week. He¡¯s so dedicated¡­ If he doesn¡¯t dance tonight, we can¡¯t me him. It¡¯s most important for brother to heal his injury.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the guest star tonight superstar? Thepany is so despicable, always letting this girl group suck brother¡¯s blood.¡±


    ¡°They were the guest stars at the Jiangzhou concert, but it seems there are no guest stars tonight. It¡¯s just brother performing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. We bought tickets to see brother perform, not those messy, clingy, blood-sucking vampires.¡±


    Qu Feitai had arrived in Nanzhou two days earlier and was staying at the Nanzhou Grand Hotel. Although thepany tried to keep his whereabouts secret, Qu Feitai was so popr that many fans were still waiting outside the hotel for him to appear.


    ording to the fans, Qu Feitai hadn¡¯t returned to the hotel until 2 amst night after rehearsal, and it was only 8 am in the morning now. He should still be asleep.


    In the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel, a young many on arge bed.


    Sunlight filtered through the curtains and cast yful rays onto the carpet, with one strand mischievouslynding on the young man¡¯s face.


    The youth had thick and long eyshes, which cast faint, teal shadows under his eyes in the sunlight. He had a straight nose, thin lips, and a clear-cut face as if sculpted by the hand of God. With his eyes closed, he looked innocent and pure, like the cleanest ss in the world, translucent and crystal-clear. ¡°Beep beep beep¡± ¨C The phone on the bedside table rang, breaking the silence in the room.


    With a furrow of his brow, the young man¡¯s sleep was disturbed, causing one¡¯s heart to clench, almost wanting to smooth the wrinkle away for him.


    He turned over, groped for his phone, and answered the call.


    Noticing he had just woken up, the person on the other side softened their tone. ¡°Xiao Fei, there¡¯s a problem with the synthesis track on Cool Edit. The bass apaniment in the third stanza can¡¯t be synthesized. This part is the soul of the song, especially during the live performance. We don¡¯t have enough time to fix it,¡± their voice was anxious.


    Yawning, the young man sleepily replied, ¡°Send me the demo.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°What else can I do? I¡¯ll y it live,¡± he said nonchntly.


    The other person was surprised. ¡°But the live sound effects might not be good.


    And if I remember correctly, you¡¯ve only been learning bass for half a month. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°As a man, I can¡¯t say I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    The man on the other end choked, ¡°I¡¯ll send it to you right now.¡±


    The young man threw his phone aside and opened his eyes. Instantly, all the stars in the universe seemed to gather in his eyes, deep, vast, and dazzling.


    With the addition of his eyes, his entire face came to life. His eyebrows nted,plimented by his sharp facial features and youthful exuberance.


    He wore a half-open bathrobe, revealing arge part of his chest muscles. With his long legs, he stood up on the ground. He was quite tall, standing at 1.85 meters, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and faintly visible abdominal muscles. With such an incredible figure and appearance, he was like a beautiful young man walking straight out of aic book, full of hormones.


    Qu Feitai had be an overnight sensation at the age of 14 when he posted a self-singing, self-ying video online. He didn¡¯t show his face in the video but became popr because of his figure and voice, as a young man with chest and abdominal muscles at the age of fourteen would undoubtedly tug at any woman¡¯s heartstrings.


    Later, China¡¯s top recordpany, Fanyu Entertainment, signed Qu Feitai and created his first Chinese album. All the songs in the album wereposed by him. After the album was released, it broke all records in the Chinese music world within one year, and he won numerous awards. All of this was achieved simply through his talent..

 Chapter 195 - 195: 093 Youth (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 195 - 195: 093 Youth (Second Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    When he first appeared at the Golden Melody Awards ceremony, all the fans and passersby went crazy, even the host and award-presenting guests were dumbfounded that night, now thinking about that scene still brings a smile to my face.


    The award presenter, Rong Sheng, was the number one handsome man in the entertainment circle, a walking hormone, breaking through the harsh entertainment circle with his face only. Those days, he had a movie released and was invited as a presenter as part of the promotional efforts. When Qu Feitai appeared for the first time in front of the camera, standing on stage and in front of Rong Sheng, the entertainment circle¡¯s number one handsome man who became famous because of his outstanding appearance, was eclipsed.<div>


    That night was the liveliest night in the history of the entertainment industry.


    A genius teenager who had set multiple records in the music world had an incredible figure and looks, which seemed like they were destined for greatness.


    From then on, Qu Feitai became thest shining pearl in the Chinese music industry, the most dazzling one people would always remember. That night, the young man stood under the spotlight, smiling triumphantly under the gaze of thousands of onlookers.


    Qu Feitai himself truly adhered to the principle of doing things mboyantly but living modestly. Each album he released would break the sales records he had set that year. He won awards time and time again, yet he remained very low-key. Paparazzi had camped out for three years, unable to dig up any useful information. He spent his days recording in the studio orposing at home, even looking for inspiration in the mountains when going out.


    He perfectly avoided scandals with the opposite sex, and wild partying in bars, which were often pitfalls for popr singers. Because of his clean lifestyle, fans became even more infatuated with him, making him a true and perfect idol.


    Another praiseworthy aspect was that as a top-tier figure in the entertainment industry, he received countless offers to appear in films and television dramas, with even sky-high remuneration to tempt him. However, Qu Feitai was unmoved and refused all offers. In an interview, he said, ¡°Music is my soul. I must be 100% focused to create satisfying works. If I go to shoot a movie halfway through, it would be irresponsible to the audience, my fans, and myself.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the media and fans praised him for his clear-headedness, for not being blinded by the superficiality of the entertainment industry. It is rare for someone of his young age to have such mature thinking.


    Now 18 years old, he held four concerts during hising-of-age summer vacation, with each show being sold out, and tickets in high demand. This is the best way for him to be responsible for himself.


    Feitai opened the shower, removed his bathrobe and stood under the flowing water.


    Ten minutester, his assistant, Tian Long, entered carrying clothes in one hand and breakfast in the other.


    Qu Feitai, with a towel wrapped around his waist, came out of the bathroom drying his wet hair with another towel.<div>


    Tian Long stared nkly, feeling heat in his nostrils as something flowed out.


    He quickly put down the items and rushed into the bathroom. Qu Feitai nced at him, and Tian Long felt a chill down his spine.


    ¡°Breakfast is in the box, eat it while it¡¯s hot. Director Zhuang will fly to Nanzhou at noon. He asked me to remind you that your foot injury hasn¡¯t fully healed. If you don¡¯t want to be left with a permanent disability, rest well in the hotel. ¡±


    Qu Feitai ate breakfast while he opened hisputer to check emails and listen to demo samples, tapping rhythmically with his fingers on the table.


    Bathed in the morning light, the young man¡¯s focused listening posture was especially enchanting. Frowning one moment and rxed the next, Tian Long couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious following his mood.


    One must never disturb Qu Feitai when he¡¯s working¡ªan experienced advice.


    After finishing breakfast, the young man started sketching on a piece of paper, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the rustling of the pen on paper.


    Ten minutester, Qu Feitai changed into his clothes and put on his wristwatch.


    Tian Long asked cautiously, ¡°Are you going out?¡±


    ¡°For rehearsal.¡¯


    ¡°But your foot injury¡­ ¡®


    ¡°Won¡¯t cripple me.¡± He said, putting on a cap and leaving the room.


    Tian Long sighed and quickly followed.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s figure appeared at the hotel entrance, and the fans rushed over excitedly. Hotel security immediately stepped forward to form a human wall to protect him from the enthusiastic crowd, but the fans were so passionate that the eight bodyguards were almost squeezed away.


    Qu Feitai, the tallest among the group, easily stood out among the young girls. He waved his hand, and in a sh, the crowd quieted down..

 Chapter 196 - 196: 093 Youth (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 196 - 196: 093 Youth (First Watch)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Everyone, could you please quiet down? Don¡¯t disturb others¡¯ rest. If you really like me, then buy a ticket to my concert. If you didn¡¯t get a ticket, don¡¯t be sad. Today at noon, check ourpany¡¯s Weibo for a ticket-grabbing event. It¡¯s yourst chance.¡±


    The young man¡¯s voice was maic with a hint of sexy raspiness. Every word he uttered was extremely gentle and passionate. It was a side the fans had never seen before, leaving them all stunned.<div>


    He didn¡¯t wear a mask this time, revealing his chiseled face under the sun. Everyone gazed at him, marveling at how could there be a handsome, talented, and gentle boy in this world?


    In the blink of an eye, the young man slipped into amercial van at the hotel entrance. His assistant quickly closed the door and sat in the copilot seat. The van disappeared before the fans could react.


    ¡°Ah ah ah¡­¡± Along with the car exhaust came the fans¡¯ excited and frantic screams.


    With a ¡°ding¡±, a WeChat message alert came through.


    Qu Feitai took out his phone and nced at the message, a smile forming at the corner of his lips.


    Little Fei, I heard you hurt your foot. Are you okay?


    Qu Feitai¡¯s slender fingers swiftly slid across the screen, typing ¡ª I¡¯ll survive.


    He paused, seemingly remembering something, and typed quickly ¡ª I heard you got kicked off your pedestal? With a schadenfreude emoji added.


    ¡ª It must have been Bai Ziyan who told you; how could he be so gossipy.


    ¡ª I heard it was a girl? That won¡¯t do Xiao Song; you¡¯re a legend of ourmunity. Even now, my mom still uses you as an example. You can¡¯t let a little girl beat you down.


    The other party sent a face-palming emoji, both crying andughing.<div>


    ¡ª Focus on preparing for your concert. When youe to Jiangzhou next week, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner. The big star must give me this much face.


    Song Yinzhang walked to Yi High School¡¯s entrance, looked around, and frowned covertly.


    There were quite a few people standing or squatting at the entrance of Yi High School, their eyes sneaky.


    Song Yinzhang lowered his head to reply with a message ¡ª I have something else to do, let¡¯s talkter, then locked his phone.


    At that moment, a white BMW stopped at the school gate. Song Yinzhang recognized it as Ming Jing¡¯s car.


    Seemingly realizing something, his face changed, and he frantically waved his hand at the car: ¡°Go! Quick!¡±


    However, it was toote. Someone shouted: ¡°That¡¯s Ms. Zhu¡¯s car.¡±


    With a rustling sound, the group of people rushed over and surrounded the car, hitting the windows and shouting, ¡°Zhu Group, repay your debts, Ms. Zhu should repay her father¡¯s debts, pay up, pay up!¡±


    Yi High School is located in a bustling area, right across from Renmin Park, a densely popted area. Themotion at the school gate attracted many on100Kers, witn youngsters noldlng tnelr pnones to take pnotos and recorcl videos.


    Song Yinzhang squeezed his way into the crowd, leaning on the window and shouting, ¡°Ming Jing, you should leave quickly! I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    A plump middle-aged woman pointed at Song Yinzhang and scolded, ¡°Kid, don¡¯t make trouble here. Just leave. We¡¯re not looking for trouble with you. We just want Ms. Zhu to give us an exnation. It¡¯s only right for the Zhus to repay the money they owe.¡±


    Song Yinzhang shook his head, ¡®Zhu Group¡¯s matter has nothing to do with her. Don¡¯t bully a young girl.¡±


    Cai Ping put her hands on her hips and cursed, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of the Zhu family, and it has nothing to do with her? What¡¯s your rtionship with her? Saying such shameless words while going against your conscience. Fine, if you want to y the hero and save the beauty, then you should repay the money for her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should repay the money for her.¡± The crowd began to echo.


    Song Yinzhang¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, but even when facing such hostility, he showed no fear or retreat.


    ¡°Everyone, please don¡¯t be impulsive. We can negotiate slowly¡­¡±


    ¡°Negotiate? Another excuse. Since the incident, has anyone negotiated with us? They¡¯re all a den of thieves, heartless and viinous businessmen. All we want now is for Ms. Zhu to give us an exnation.¡± Cai Ping¡¯s mouth spewed a torrent of abuse.


    At this moment, a group of tattooed youths squeezed through the crowd, surrounding the car and dispersing the crowd, ¡°Move away.¡±


    The group was carrying sticks and clubs, looking menacing and intimidating. Themon people around them instinctively felt fear and could not help but take a few steps back.


    A handsome young man walked over, standing in front of the car door like a guardian deity, and scanned the crowd, ¡°Who wants an exnation? Come on, step forward.¡±


    Song Yinzhang looked at him in shock, ¡°Shaodan?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan winked at him, and Song Yinzhang immediately understood.


    Suddenly, Cai Ping screamed at the top of her voice, ¡°The Zhu family is using violence! Ouch, my old bones are going to give out here. Damn the Zhu family! They robbed us of our savings and now want to silence us by force. Is there any justice left in this world?¡±


    ¡°You old hag.¡± Zhu Shaodan was so angry that he raised his fist, intending to punch the old woman in the face. With one blow, her bones would probably shatter.


    Cai Ping flung herself on the ground, pretending to be a shrew. She was a professional at it. Apanied by her wailing, it was as if the other party hadmitted an unforgivable crime.


    ¡°Wait.¡± A cold voice suddenly sounded as if a gust of cold wind blew over their heads under the scorching sun.


    The car door opened, and a young girl bowed and walked out of it.


    Zhu Shaodan nced at her and blinked twice, as if seeing her for the first time. Then he snorted and turned his head away haughtily. Song Yinzhang said worriedly, ¡°Ming Jing, you should go back first¡­¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, took a step forward, and looked around.


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, surprised to see the young and beautiful Ms. Zhu. She was like a fairy descending to earth, so enchanting that everyone almost dared not look straight at her, fearing that even a nce would be sphemous.


    ¡°I am Zhu Mingjing, the youngdy of the Zhu family. What kind of exnation do you all want?¡±


    The girl stood tall and straight, her gaze gentle yet pitying. As they faced her gaze, everyone could not help but lower their heads.


    Cai Ping crossed her arms, ¡°We bought houses from Zhu Group. But now yourpany is in trouble, and the investors have run away. We can¡¯t get our property certlncates. we trusted znu Group, wn IS wny weose your houses.. But what have you given us in return? Aren¡¯t the Zhus responsible?¡±

 Chapter 197 - 197: 094 Responsibility (Second Revision)

    Chapter 197 - 197: 094 Responsibility (Second Revision)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°My father made mistakes in employing people and making decisions, causing huge losses to the Zhu Group, and bringing troubles to all the shareholders and property owners. Here, on behalf of my father and the Zhu Group, I apologize to all of you.¡±


    The gentle and cold voice of the young girl was resounding and clearly fell into everyone¡¯s ears.<div>


    Not far away, Ran Tengxiao leaned against a camphor tree, looking towards them from a distance, andughed, ¡°Civility before force, huh.¡±


    Since Ms. Zhu was so polite and easy to talk to, everyone felt like they were being too aggressive, after all, she was just a delicate young girl.


    Cai Ping pointed at Ming Jing¡¯s nose, but was frightened and retracted her hand subconsciously when the young man red at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to talk nicely, but what about paying back the money? We all have families to support, and our life savings amount to just a bag or a piece of clothing for Ms. Zhu. Don¡¯t just stand there and talk without a care, Ms. Zhu. People say that you arepassionate, like the reincarnation of Buddha, but I think you¡¯re just a liar.¡±


    As soon as Cai Ping finished speaking, she fiercely pulled open the banner in her hand, and on it was written in bold bloody characters: Owing debts and not repaying, you¡¯ll be struck by lightning!


    ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t even dare to buy a piece of clothing, she scrimps and saves every day, and even starved herself into getting a gastric problem. After so much difficulty, we finally saved enough to pay the down payment, but your unscrupulous Zhu Group swallowed our hard-earned money without fearing divine retribution!¡±


    After saying this, he took out an egg from his pocket and threw it at Ming Jing with the speed of a thunderbolt.


    ¡°Watch out¡­!¡± Zhu Shaodan stepped in front of Ming Jing, and the egg smashed on her chest, egg whites and yolk flowing all over her.


    Zhu Shaodan red at Cai Ping fiercely, ¡°You stinky old hag, you¡¯re asking for death. ¡±


    Ming Jing turned around, took a towel from the car, walked up to Zhu Shaodan, and carefully wiped the egg whites off her chest.


    Zhu Shaodan lowered her head and looked at the girl standing in front of her, revealing a graceful and fair neck. Her brows were down and her eyes were gentle, an epitome of tenderness.<div>


    Zhu Shaodan coughed, looking somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about such a big problem at home?¡± She looked quite resentful.


    ¡°Did you think I was joking with you when I said what I didst time?¡± Ming Jing said indifferently.


    Zhu Shaodan hesitated, ¡®Even if you are my own sister, I will never forgive you. Today I will help you for thest time, you get in the car and leave immediately. I will handle these people.¡±


    He felt that he was a man now and could protect his family.


    Ming Jing stuffed the towel into his arms, turned around, and looked at everyone.


    There were quite a few people who came today, probably more than twenty.


    Plus, the students who came to pick up their scores, and the passers-by from the nearby park who came to watch the excitement, it was crowded and bustling. If you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think a famous celebrity was out on the street.


    ¡°I understand everyone¡¯s feelings. As the youngdy of the Zhus and the person responsible for the consequences caused by the Zhu Group, it is my duty to take responsibility.¡±


    The girl¡¯s firm voice sounded slowly, and everyone looked at each other.


    She didn¡¯t shirk her responsibility but readily admitted it instead.


    Cai Ping sneered, ¡°How are you going to take responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Madam,¡± Ming Jing smiled and looked at her. Cai Ping was quite wary of that gaze and unnaturally turned her head away.


    ¡°Could you please be patient and listen to me first?¡±


    Cai Ping¡¯s shrewish behavior contrasted sharply with Ming Jing¡¯s gentle manners, and everyone was impressed. Truly worthy of being the youngdy of the Zhus, so well-cultured.


    For a moment, many people looked at Cai Ping with dissatisfaction.


    Ming Jing took a few steps forward and looked around at everyone, ¡°Zhu Group has been developing for nearly twelve years. From the initial small mutton soup restaurant in the town to the present listed group, we have ovee numerous challenges and hardships along the way, and I believe this time will be no exception. I hope that you all can give me some confidence and also give confidence to the tens of thousands of employees of the Zhu Group. We will definitely get through this together.¡±


    The girl¡¯s gentle voice was unhurried, and it was a pleasure to hear it.


    ¡°The Zhu Group¡¯s development philosophy is to be honest and innovative. This crisis, for the Zhu Group, is a chance for rebirth from the ashes. Whether the Zhu Group will bepletely destroyed or rise to new heights after this depends on everyone¡¯s trust. Now you are one with the Zhu Group, sharing prosperity and adversity. So, are you willing to get through this crisis with


    Her expression was sincere, and her eyes seemed full of pity andpassion for the world. It made people subconsciously want to believe her, as if anything she said must be reasonable..

 Chapter 198 - 198: 094 Responsibility (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 198 - 198: 094 Responsibility (Second Revision)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    She won¡¯t lie to us.


    Everyone excitedly said, ¡°Ms. Zhu, rest assured, we will listen to you. You are a good person and you definitely won¡¯t deceive us.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, actually getting a guarantee from Ms. Zhu is enough for me to feel relieved. The Zhus live in Jiangzhou and cannot run away. Besides, we all know Ms. Zhu¡¯s character; what¡¯s there not to trust?¡±


    Cai Ping was stunned. How did a few words convince everyone? Are you all idiots? You just believe her so easily.


    ¡°Everyone, please be patient for a while longer. Everything will settle down eventually. If in the end Zhu Group cannot solve the problem, I, Zhu Mingjing, will sell all my assets, all my dowry, just to ensure that none of you will suffer any loss.¡±


    It is said that daughters of wealthy families will have a generous dowry prepared by their parents long ago. For a family like the Zhus, their daughter¡¯s dowry must be considerable. This statement truly reassured everyone, and the kind and responsible image of Zhu Mingjing took root in their hearts.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu is really a good person, good people will be rewarded, and Zhu Group will surely ovee this crisis.¡±


    Everyone started discussing spiritedly.


    Zhou Aiqin pulled Cai Ping aside, ¡°Sister, now we have Ms. Zhu¡¯s guarantee, we can feel relieved. Let¡¯s not make things difficult for Ms. Zhu anymore, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Cai Ping didn¡¯t want to let Zhu Mingjing off so easily, ¡°Ms. Zhu sure has a way with words. Just a few sentences and we all believe you. Things can¡¯t be this simple. ¡±


    Facing the other party¡¯s aggressive attitude, Mingjing calmly said, ¡°So,


    Grandma, what do you want to do?¡±


    For some reason, Cai Ping felt that her addressed as ¡®Grandma¡¯ was a bit sarcastic.<div>


    At this moment, a little girl jumped out of the car, hugged Mingjing¡¯s leg and looked as cute as a glutinous rice ball. Everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to the adorable child.


    The little girl red at Cai Ping and humphed, ¡°You¡¯re a bad person for scolding my Big Sister.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s milky voice was indescribably cute.


    Cai Ping was stunned, having been scolded by a child who hadn¡¯t even fully grown her hair yet. She was furious and pointed at the little girl, ¡°Where did this little brate from?¡±


    Mingjing gave her a faint nce, and Cai Ping saw a hidden, deep murderous intent in those eyes.


    She was taken aback.


    Zhou Aiqin¡¯s disapproving voice echoed in her ears, ¡°You are too old for this, why bother arguing with a child?¡±


    Cai Ping choked.


    Qin Xu recognized the little girl immediately as the child Han Suwen had taken away from the museum. He quickly looked around, was Suwen nearby too?


    With Ms. Zhu¡¯s guarantee, the crowd gradually dispersed. After all, clinging on would not bring any benefits, so they might as well bet on Ms. Zhu¡¯s character.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, could you let me see Suwen?¡± Qin Xu stepped forward and pleaded.


    Zhu Shaodan subconsciously stood in front of Mingjing, sizing up Qin Xu,


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, please return my daughter-inw to us, or else I¡¯ll use you of kidnapping.¡± Cai Ping said smugly.


    Mingjing hooked her lips, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all bad people.¡± Ming Jing said angrily.


    At this moment, Xu Huan and a police officer in uniform pushed through the crowd and approached, their eyesnding on Cai Ping¡¯s face.


    With the appearance of the police, everyone panicked, thinking that Zhu Mingjing had called them.


    Xu Huan¡¯s disdainful gaze flicked over the crowd as he coldly asked, ¡°Who is


    Cai Ping?¡±


    Cai Ping was confused, but Zhou Aiqin quickly pointed to her, ¡°Officer, this is Cai Ping.¡±


    Without a word, Xu Huan cuffed Cai Ping¡¯s wrist and emotionlessly said, ¡°I suspect you are involved in a kidnapping case from five years ago. We have preliminary evidence. Come with me to the police station for questioning.¡±


    Cai Ping screamed when she realized what was happening, ¡°Officer, you must have made a mistake, right? I¡¯m just an ordinary person, how could I be involved in a kidnapping case?¡±


    ¡°Whether you are involved or not depends on the evidence. Let¡¯s go.¡± Xu Huan didn¡¯t give her a chance to respond and immediately escorted her away with another colleague.


    Everyone was dumbfounded. Suddenly, there was a reversal. A kidnapping case? Did this old woman actuallymit such a crime?


    Kidnappers were the most hated people among the crowd, even more despicable than robbers and murderers. Being separated in life is sometimes more unbearable than death.


    ¡°Officer, you must be mistaken. How could my mom be involved in a kidnapping case?¡± Qin Xu snapped back to his senses and hurriedly chased after them.


    Xu Huan gave Mingjing an imperceptible nce and nodded slightly before quickly stuffing the struggling Cai Ping into a police car parked nearby, which then sped away.


    Qin Xu was at a loss.


    Suddenly, his gaze fell on Mingjing, who was crouching on the ground, gently wiping the sweat off the little girl¡¯s forehead with a handkerchief.


    The little girl¡¯s half-smiling face seemed innocent and charming, sweet and lovely.


    Qin Xu felt that something was wrong as he recalled Han Suwen¡¯s strange reaction in the museumst time.


    Although she was usually grieving, she had never done anything so crazy before. This was the only time in the past five years. He thought her mental state must have been very serious. Could it be¡­


    ¡°Ms. Zhu¡­,¡± Qin Xu stumbled over and before he got close, Zhu Shaodan grabbed his cor and pulled him away.


    ¡°Get lost.¡¯


    Qin Xu got up, his eyes falling on Mingjing¡¯s face, staring deeply at her.


    Mingjing hid behind Mingjing¡¯s body, peeping out from behind her with a cautious expression.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, what¡¯s really going on here?¡±


    Holding Mingjing¡¯s hand, Mingjing said lightly, ¡°You can ask your mother what¡¯s really going on.¡±


    As she finished, Mingjing nodded to Song Yinzhang, holding the little girl and getting into the car.


    Zhu Shaodan also wanted to get in, but Mingjing gave him a faint nce. Zhu Shaodan pursed his lips and obediently stepped back.


    ¡°Are mom and grandma¡­ all right?¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡± The car door mmed shut, leaving Zhu Shaodan with a face full of dust.


    After the car left, the little followers gathered around and chattered, ¡°Lynn, what¡¯s your rtionship with Ms. Zhu?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan gave them a quick look and said irritably, ¡°Stop poking your nose into other people¡¯s business, scram!¡±

 Chapter 199 - 199: 095 Truth (First Update)

    Chapter 199 - 199: 095 Truth (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Master Xiao, what does Ms. Zhu mean by doing this? The current Zhu Group is like a hot potato; why would she want to take the responsibility upon herself?¡± Ran Tengxiao asked, ¡°In your impression, what kind of person is this Ms. Zhu?¡±


    Ye Jian quickly answered, ¡°Smart and kind.¡±<div>


    ¡°Posing as a person of virtue.¡± Ran Tengxiao had a smile on his lips.


    Ye Jian was a little unhappy; why was he talking about Ms. Zhu like this? She was clearly so kind.


    Ran Tengxiao stroked his chin, ¡°Winning people¡¯s hearts; it seems that she has already found a solution to the crisis of the Zhu Group.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I enjoyed the show today; this is the style of Jiangzhou¡¯s famousdies.¡±


    After taking a few steps, he nced at Zhu Shaodan, who was teaching someone a lesson, squinting his eyes slightly.


    ¡°Look up this Xiao Lin; what is his rtionship with the Zhu family?¡±


    At the school gate, when most people had left, Tang Wan walked out from the corner with a somber face.


    Zhou Aiqin came up to her and said, ¡°You were right, Wanwan; it was useful to find Ms. Zhu.¡±


    Tang Wan gave her a nce: ¡°Zhu Mingjing just gave you a nk check, and you really believe it?¡±


    ¡°Why not believe it? She¡¯s the youngdy of the Zhu family! This Ms. Zhu is really nice, gentle and kind, and willing to take responsibility.¡±


    Tang Wan was furious, ¡°Are you guys foolish? She is just buying time. When the Zhu family goes bankrupt and she leaves, will she still care about you?¡±<div>


    ¡°No way; I believe that Ms. Zhu is not that kind of person.¡± Zhou Aiqin said confidently.


    Tang Wan was speechless. What kind of magic potion had Zhu Mingjing given these people to trust her so easily?


    ¡°These past days, I¡¯ve heard a lot of rumors about this Ms. Zhu.¡± Zhou Aiqin mysteriously approached Tang Wan.


    Gossip was a rural woman¡¯s special characteristic, and this time she fully demonstrated it.


    ¡°They say that those who offend Ms. Zhu will not end well. You saw what happened to Cai Ping just now, right? She pointed at Ms. Zhu¡¯s nose and cursed, but Ms. Zhu didn¡¯t get upset. As a result, she was taken away by the police for the crime of child trafficking. If there wasn¡¯t any solid evidence, the police wouldn¡¯t arrest someone in public. I think this Ms. Zhu is really mysterious.¡±


    Zhou Aiqin looked at her, ¡°Wanwan, are you not on good terms with Ms. Zhu? You¡¯d better be careful not to offend her; otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t know when you¡¯ll find trouble.¡±


    Elderly people are superstitious. Zhou Aiqin had originally heard people in Jiangzhou saying that a 16 -year-old girl couldn¡¯t have so much power; it was just exaggerated rumors. But after seeing Ms. Zhu and Cai Ping being taken away by the police, she realized that there might be some truth to it.


    Tang Wan sneered, ¡°Utterly absurd.¡± She turned around and walked into the school.


    Zhou Aiqin muttered as she watched her back, ¡°It¡¯s better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn¡¯t. Today¡¯s kids¡­¡±


    Tang Wan went directly to Ren Chuan¡¯s office to check her scores. When she entered, Song Yinzhang was talking to Ren Chuan.


    Ren Chuan must have been asking Song Yinzhang about what happened at the school gate, and he was exining it.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Zhu Group. It¡¯s fine if Zhu can¡¯te. I¡¯ll call herter. Zhu scored the highest points in thispetition, so it¡¯s a sure thing for her to join the provincial team. The provincial coach just called me, fearing that Zhu might run away. You did well, too, and you should be able to join the provincial team.¡±


    Ren Chuan was very pleased.


    Leading thepetition with the highest score brought glory to Ren Chuan.


    Tang Wan¡¯s face darkened: Zhu Mingjing scored the highest points in thepetition?


    Ren Chuan saw her and his face fell.


    ¡°Tang Wan, you¡¯ve been in mypetition ss since you were seven. I¡¯ve held high hopes for you over the years. But look at your performance in this exam; you came inst in the entire district. Is this your real level?¡± Tang Wan lowered her head, clenching her teeth.


    Master Song must be very disappointed in her, right?


    ¡°Forget it, focus on preparing for the college entrance exam. Thepetition ss is not suitable for you anymore. I¡¯ll talk to your parents on the pher. ¡±


    Tang Wan¡¯s family¡¯s financial situation was average; her father had hopes for his daughter since childhood, enrolling her in variouspetition sses.


    Tang Wan showed exceptional talent in math, but thepetition sses were expensive each year, and it was difficult for an average family to afford it. Tang Wan¡¯s father scrimped and saved for years to pay for herpetition sses, hoping she would win a gold medal and get a good score in the college entrance exam, which would add an extrayer of security for her future..

 Chapter 200 - 200: 095 Truth (First Update)_2

    Chapter 200 - 200: 095 Truth (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Who would have thought that she would be defeated in just the provincial league?


    Normally, Tang Wan¡¯s test scores were good, but she didn¡¯t expect such a big problem during the exam.<div>


    Tang Wan¡¯s face went pale, she opened her mouth, but eventually swallowed her plea for mercy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher Ren.¡±


    ¡°You should be sorry to your parents. Look at your exam paper, it¡¯s full of basic questions. I constantly stress the importance of being careful, careful, and more careful. It seems that you havepletely ignored my words.¡±


    Ren Chuan waved his hand: ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your exnation. Go back.¡±


    Tang Wan bit her lip, nced at Song Yinzhang, and then turned and left the office.


    It was all Zhu Mingjing¡¯s fault.


    Tang Wan rubbed her wrist, a touch of resentment shing in her eyes.


    As Tang Wan looked up, she caught Song Yinzhang¡¯s cold gaze. She felt a tightness in her chest and involuntarily opened her mouth.


    ¡°Song¡­god¡­¡±


    Song Yinzhang turned and left without looking back.


    Under the scorching sun, Tang Wan felt as if she were in an ice cer.<div>


    She suddenly remembered Zhou Aiqin¡¯s words, that those who offend Zhu Mingjing will not have a good ending.


    She gave a sudden shiver.


    ¡°Officer, you¡¯ve arrested the wrong person! Let me go, or I¡¯ll report you!¡± As soon as Cai Ping entered the police station, she began to shout loudly, attracting many curious nces.


    Xu Huan took Cai Ping into an interrogation room and closed the door before leaving.


    The interrogation room was very empty, with nothing but a chair. Staying in such a cramped space for a long time could easily induce hallucinations.


    Cai Ping banged on the door: ¡°Officer, I haven¡¯tmitted a crime, you can¡¯t arrest me!¡±


    An hourter, Cai Ping grew tired and sat down in the chair. After dozing for a moment, she suddenly woke up with a scream.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­l didn¡¯t do it¡­it wasn¡¯t me¡­!¡±


    ¡°Cai Ping.¡± A man¡¯s stern and cold voice suddenly sounded from the loudspeaker above, causing Cai Ping to shudder.


    ¡°Five years ago, you secretly took your granddaughter Qin Nan while your daughter-inw Han Suwen was on the phone and sold her to a middle-aged woman named Zhang Chunzhi. You exchanged your own flesh and blood for 50,000 yuan, and watched as your daughter-inw med herself and suffered for the loss of the child. However, you ced all the me on her, catching the thief yourself, your heart is condemnable. Do you know how many years you can be sentenced in Hua Country for stealing a child?¡±


    Cai Ping¡¯s eyes widened in terror.<div>


    ¡°No..it wasn¡¯t me, Nannan was lost by her mother, how can you me me?¡±


    ¡°Do you think the police don¡¯t have evidence?¡±


    The interrogation room door was suddenly opened, and Xu Huan, dressed in a crisp police uniform, walked in with a purposeful stride.


    ¡°Snap¡± the lights in the interrogation room suddenly turned on, and Cai Ping was forced to close her eyes due to the brightness.


    ¡°Confess and be lenient, resist and suffer. Cai Ping, if you confess honestly now, the judge may still consider a lighter sentence. If you continue to be stubborn, I¡¯m sorry, but due to the heinous nature of your crime, you will spend the rest of your life in prison.¡±


    When Cai Ping heard Zhang Chunzhi¡¯s name mentioned, she knew things were bad.


    ¡°Officer, I¡¯ll tell you, I did this for the sake of my son and daughter-inw. My son is a civil servant, and due to policy reasons, he can only have one child. But the Qins can¡¯t have no sons. People would criticize us. So I had no choice but to sell the child to Zhang Chunzhi. She promised me that she would find a wealthy family for the child. Being the daughter of a rich family is much better than suffering in our family, right? I did it for the child¡¯s sake¡­!¡±


    Xu Huan took a deep breath, amazed that someone who had done such a vicious thing could still justify themselves.


    Could some people really be this shameless?


    ¡°Confess every detail of your crime. If there¡¯s the slightest concealment, the judge will show no mercy.¡±


    At the same time, Han Suwen was summoned to the police station, just as Cai Ping was being led out of the interrogation room by Xu Huan.


    ¡°You old witch, I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± Han Suwen rushed over like a madwoman and began fighting with Cai Ping.


    ¡°She¡¯s your own granddaughter! How could you be so heartless? Give me back my Nannan!¡±


    Cai Ping¡¯s hands were cuffed, so she couldn¡¯t fight back. Xu Huan, as an officer, turned a blind eye. In no time, Cai Ping¡¯s face was scratched and she looked extremely disheveled.


    ¡°You little bitch, I¡¯m your mother-inw, how dare you hit me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Han Suwen grabbed Cai Ping¡¯s neck with both hands, her eyes bloodshot..

 Chapter 201 - 201: 095 Truth (First Update)_3

    Chapter 201 - 201: 095 Truth (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    As Cai Ping¡¯s eyes rolled back, Xu Huan seemed to just react and stepped forward to pull Han Suwen away.


    ¡°This is a police station, not a ce for you to fight freely. Behave yourselves.¡±<div>


    Cai Ping gasped for breath desperately, her brain deprived of oxygen for a short time, unable to curse.


    ¡°Officer, can you tell me where my daughter is?¡±


    Xu Huan had his colleague take Cai Ping away, preparing to hand her over to the procuratorate along with the evidence.


    He led Han Suwen to the sofa and poured her a ss of warm water.


    ¡°Cai Ping sold your child to human trafficker Zhang Chunzhi for 50,000 yuan. Zhang then sold the child to a middle-aged couple in Yi City who were unable


    to conceive for 200,000 yuan. The couple has a decent family, but in the second month, the wife was found to be pregnant. After discussing, they decided to give the child away. No one would want a child with unknown origins. They heard that the Master Wu Xin from Silent Moon Temple on Baitou Mountain adopted homeless orphans, so they left the child in front of the temple gate during a stormy night.¡±


    Xu Huan had been investigating this case in Siji Town for these past few days. Siji Town was under the jurisdiction of Yi City, and there were distant rtives of the couple living in a house in town. That year, when they were visiting with the child, they lived with those distant rtives. It was through this clue that he found the couple and traced Zhang Chunzhi.


    Up to this point, the case was crystal clear, and Han Suwen must know where her child is now.


    Upon hearing Baitou Mountain, Han Suwen couldn¡¯t control herself and cried out in pain while covering her mouth.


    Regret, self-me, and relief.


    Xu Huan sighed and patted her shoulder, ¡°You should thank Ms. Zhu. If not for her tips, this case would have be an unsolved one. Moreover, ording to my investigation, your child has not suffered much during these years. Her master and seniors adore her. She¡¯s lucky.¡±<div>


    ¡°As for Cai Ping, the mastermind, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll appeal to the procuratorate. Her crimes are extremely malicious. If not severely punished, it will cause severe social unrest.¡±


    The once-grandiose Zhu Group building has now be a venting ground for frustrated stockholders.


    Employees entering and leaving the building have to be discreet, lest they get hit with rotten eggs.


    Although it ismon for listedpanies to have such problems, the Zhu Group is now under such a negative public opinion environment, withpetitors fanning the mes behind the scenes.


    ¡°Someone stopped Ms. Zhu at the entrance of Yi High School, and she was willing to take responsibility. Why hadn¡¯t we thought of approaching her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still a minor. Does hermitment have any legal effect? I think she and her father nned good cop and bad cop roles; they¡¯re taking us for fools. When the Zhu Group goes bankrupt, as the youngdy of the Zhu family, she must have some private property. By then, she¡¯ll just leave for a foreign country and we¡¯ll end up empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°But I think Ms. Zhu isn¡¯t that kind of person. Look at the video taken online, what she said doesn¡¯t seem fake.¡±


    ¡°What do you guys know? This Ms. Zhu was found by the Zhu family three months ago. If anyone should take responsibility, it should be the fake heiress. This Ms. Zhu only enjoyed three months of wealth and glory, while the fake heiress is the one who should take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that prove even more that Ms. Zhu is a responsible person? We waited here every day to no avail, so we might as well listen to Ms. Zhu and be patient for a while longer.¡±


    These people discussed in various ways, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t make up their minds. As noon approached, the sun grew hotter. Everyone was hungry and hot. After waiting for three days to no avail, people lost patience, and soon they all dispersed.


    A white car stopped unhurriedly in front of the Zhu Group building, and the security guards inside the hall peeked out.<div>


    Who woulde at a time like this?


    The driver got out of the car and opened the rear door. The driver¡¯s demeanor was extraordinary, making them wonder about the identity of the person inside the car.


    The two security guards looked at each other.


    A young woman in white bent over and got out of the car, tall and slender, like a lily swaying in the wind. Just the distant silhouette exudes an inexplicable fragrance.


    It seemed that even the hot weather cooled down a bit.


    The young woman stretched out her hand towards the car, and soon a little girl about five years old held the woman¡¯s hand and jumped out of the car.


    The little girl looked up at the building in front of her and eximed, ¡°Wow, what a tall building.¡±


    The young woman¡¯s face remained calm, and she flicked her skirt, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As they got closer, one of the security guards stopped them, ¡®Who are you? Do you have an appointment?¡±


    The front desk receptionist watched from afar and whispered to her colleague, ¡°Ms. Zhu.¡±


    She then hurriedly walked over, ¡°Ms. Zhu, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu?¡± The security guards exchanged nces, suddenly realizing something and quickly said respectfully, ¡®Wee, Ms. Zhu. Pleasee in.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at them indifferently and said to the receptionist, ¡°Take me to Mr. Zhu¡¯s office.¡±


    There is only one Mr. Zhu in thepany, and that¡¯s President Zhu Wentao. Unfortunately, Zhu Wentao was taken away yesterday by the procuratorate, and thepany was in turmoil and dispirited.


    The receptionist nodded immediately, ¡°Follow me, Miss.¡±


    She turned around and secretly let out a sigh of relief. This Ms. Zhu looked gentle and approachable, but her gaze was too oppressive for an ordinary person to bear.


    Taking the president¡¯s exclusive elevator, they went straight to the top floor, where another front desk employee and the president¡¯s secretary were already informed and waiting at the elevator exit, along with two executive assistants and secretarial assistants.


    ¡°Miss.¡± Secretary Wang greeted respectfully.


    Ming Jing nodded and scanned the two little assistants behind Secretary Wang, raising her eyebrows, ¡°I remember there was another secretary beside Mr. Zhu.¡±


    Secretary Wang broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Zhou has been feeling unwell these past two days, so he took sick leave.¡±


    ¡°Call him toe to thepany for a meeting.¡±


    As she left, Secretary Wang gave a look to the assistant, who understood and went to make a phone call, while Secretary Wang immediately caught up with Ming Jing¡¯s pace.


    There was a huge floor-to-ceiling window in the president¡¯s office that overlooked the entire city skyline.


    Ming Jing nced at it, and Secretary Wang poured her a ss of water. ¡°I don¡¯t know what instructions Miss has foring to thepany at this time?¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t ept the ss of water and stared quietly at Secretary Wang, whose forehead was beaded with more and more cold sweat..

 Chapter 202 - 202: 096 Ant Nest (Second Update)

    Chapter 202 - 202: 096 Ant Nest (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°How many years has Secretary Wang been with Mr. Zhu?¡±


    The girl¡¯s voice was gentle, her tone as casual as if she were making small talk.<div>


    Secretary Wang, however, broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Se¡­ Seven years.¡±


    ¡°These years following Mr. Zhu must have been hard, right?¡±


    This Ms. Zhu must not have a good rtionship with Mr. Zhu, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t address him by his full title so impersonally.


    Secretary Wang measured his words carefully, ¡°We get paid to do our jobs, and besides, Mr. Zhu is a good boss, he¡¯s considerate towards his subordinates.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, her eyes falling on Secretary Wang¡¯s wristwatch, ¡°That¡¯s a nice watch, Secretary Wang.¡±


    Secretary Wang¡¯s face stiffened, subtly hiding his wristwatch from view. ¡°It¡¯s a birthday gift from my girlfriend, I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding.¡±


    Since Ms. Zhu had only returned to the Zhus less than three months ago after having been hidden away in the mountains, she shouldn¡¯t be able to recognize the value of the watch.


    It must be a coincidence.


    ¡°It seems Secretary Wang¡¯s girlfriend must really love you. This watch isn¡¯t cheap. ¡±


    Over a million¡­ how much sry does a CEO¡¯s secretary get each month?<div>


    The wolf cannot hide its tail.


    ¡°Give me the financial statements from Tianheng Garden and the other ongoing property projects. ¡±


    Ming Jing abruptly shifted the topic, leaving Secretary Wang somewhat at a loss, ¡°Ms. Zhu, may I ask what you need these for?¡±


    ¡°With thepany facing such a big crisis, as the Zhu Group heir, entrusted by the shareholders, I must do something.¡±


    Secretary Wang¡¯s mouth curled up into a smirk, ¡°Ms. Zhu, you¡¯re just a high school student; you won¡¯t understand financial statements.¡±


    ¡°Really? My driver here is a graduate of Harvard Business School. He should be able to understand.¡±


    The distinguished-looking driver smiled at Secretary Wang, ¡°Thank you for your faith in me.¡±


    Secretary Wang, taken aback by the unexpected background of this seemingly insignificant driver, had no choice but to make a call.


    Soon, an assistant secretary walked in with a pile of documents.


    ¡°These are all the financial statements from thepany¡¯s current property projects, please take a look, Ms. Zhu.¡± He secretly took a look at the rumored Miss Zhu.


    Ming Jing leisurely sipped her tea, while her driver began to quickly skim the documents.<div>


    The assistant secretary whispered, ¡°Secretary Wang, Secretary Zhou¡¯s phone is unavable.¡±


    Secretary Wang waved his hand, ¡°Okay, I understand. Go back.¡±


    As time slipped by, Secretary Wang transitioned from anxiety to confidence.


    ¡°Starting fromst October, the volume of property transactions began to decreasepared to the same periodst year. As ofst month, the drop exceeded 8% from the same periodst year. Thepany¡¯s cash flow has been problematic since then. Bank loans have been overdue for three months, and the involved interest is dauntingly high. Not to mention the impact of government housing market regtion and other policies, the prepayment alone has enormously increased thepany¡¯s liabilities. Now that investors are pulling out, where has the prepayment money gone, Secretary Wang, what do you say?¡±


    Secretary Wangughed, ¡°It seems this young man is still ayman. What you have learned are just theories. The real operation needs practical experience. This sum of money can only be confirmed after the project ispleted and sold. Before that, it¡¯s supervised by the bank. When investors pull out, this sum of money is frozen by the bank.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thend plot for the Guotai Garden project was concessioned in an auction three months ago under the guise of government support, 50% lower than the market price. Why does thend purchase contract show a price that¡¯s 50% higher than the market price? Where has the extra money gone?¡±


    Secretary Wang squinted his eyes, ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Zhu¡¯s decision. I¡¯m just a secretary, how could I be qualified to question it? Furthermore, this kind of thing is prettymon in the industry. Mr. Zhu had no other choice.¡±


    Ming Jing chuckled, ¡°A thousand-mile dam, destroyed by an ant¡¯s hole. A glimpse into a leopard through a tube. The Zhu Group is nothing more than a castle in the sky.¡±


    Secretary Wang sighed, ¡®Ms. Zhu, I¡¯m sorry for involving you in this. You should go back and rest. The board of directors is still supporting thepany. When Mr. Zhues out, he will surely find a solution.¡±


    ¡°How can a pile of bad debts be resolved?¡±


    Secretary Wang choked, ¡°If it delists now, it can still recoup some of the losses. If the stock continues to decline, thepany might notst long. By the time the Securities Regtory Commission steps in, it will be toote. However, such action would cause significant losses to shareholders and they would not agree to this.¡±Ming Jing gave a slight nod, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    A glint of joy not well concealed showed in Secretary Wang¡¯s eyes. He had finally managed to send away this persona non grata, who is just a high school student who shouldn¡¯t concern himself with corporate affairs.


    Upon stepping out of the CEO¡¯s office, Ming Jing opted to take the stairs down instead of the elevator.


    Secretary Wang was taken aback, ¡°Miss, the elevator is over here.¡±


    The driver red at him. By the time Secretary Wang realized it, Ming Jing had already reached the next level.


    This floor housed the board meeting room and the secretarial office where all majorpany meetings were usually conducted.


    Upon seeing Ming Jing, the secretary¡¯s assistant rose promptly, ¡°Young Miss¡­ ¡± Ming Jing nced at the meeting room, ¡°Is a board meeting in progress?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Miss. It is chaired by Vice Chairman Li.¡±


    As the meeting seemed to conclude, the door of the meeting room swung open. Several elders walked out, their eyes lighting up at the sight of Ming Jing.


    ¡°Is this the new secretary of thepany? She is even more beautiful than


    Secretary Zhou.¡±


    Seeing her hold a child¡¯s hand, they quickly realized something was amiss. The secretary¡¯s assistant hurriedly exined, ¡°She is Mr. Zhu¡¯s beloved daughter.¡±


    The group of elderly men abruptly changed their expression and coughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Miss Zhu staying at home? Why did shee to thepany?¡±


    As Ming Jing entered the meeting room, those who hadn¡¯t left looked at each other in bewilderment.


    ¡°Uncles, good day to you all, I am Zhu Mingjing.¡±


    The gentle smile on the young girl¡¯s face was as refreshing as a spring breeze. Everyone was stunned, then said in unison, ¡°Miss Zhu?¡±


    Ming Jing took a seat at the head of the conference table. Vice Chairman Li¡¯s face changed, ¡°Miss Zhu, a high school student like you has no ce here.¡± His tone was stern, like a strict teacher reproaching a naughty student.


    The young woman sat calmly in the main seat, responding to his bitter words with an unruffled smile.


    ¡°Uncle Li, thank you for your reminder. Although I¡¯m a high school student, I¡¯m also the heiress of Zhu Group. Today, I sit here to help resolve the crisis the


    Zhu Group is facing.¡±


    Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst intoughter.


    ¡°This kid is full of big talk. Quickly go home and do your summer homework.


    We executives have been deliberating for days and haven¡¯t found a solution.


    How would a high school student like you have any solution? Outrageous!¡±


    Vice Chairman Li directly ridiculed, ¡°Miss Zhu, this is a board meeting, not a ce for you to show off. I¡¯ll let you off the hook this once for your father¡¯s sake. Go home and care for your mother and grandmother. They are old and cannot stand shock. This is the only thing you as a junior can do well.¡±


    The little girl standing next to Ming Jing with her hands on her hips, stared back at Vice Chairman Zhang, her cute pouting lips, ¡®You¡¯re not allowed to talk about my elder sister. My elder sister is very capable, you all look down on her.¡± Theughter in the room grew louder, the kid was quite adorable and not at all annoying.


    Vice Chairman Li clearly looked annoyed, coldly stating, ¡°Miss Zhu, please conduct yourself with dignity. This is not a kindergarten.¡±


    Several of the board members who had left re-joined upon hearing themotion. There were those who made sarcastic remarks, those who enjoyed the drama from a safe distance, those who kept themselves out of the mess, and others who observed secretly.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Li, don¡¯t rush to deny. Miss Zhu is talented and naturally gifted.


    Maybe she really has a solution?¡±


    The elderly man who spoke sat at the first position below the main seat. His hair was white, but he was still spirited. His eyes showed a sharp intellect, concealed by ayer of gentleughter.


    Ming Jingughed and looked at the old man, ¡°Grandpa Zhang, you had been kind to my father in his early years. It is supposed to be a time for you to enjoy your retirement, yet you still have to work hard. I feel really bad about it.¡±


    Old man Zhang¡¯s eyes brightened, heughed, ¡°This young girl is really clever, even more so than her father. I¡¯ve never been wrong about people, haha.¡±


    Everyone in the room chuckled to themselves. This youngdy seemed gentle and elegant but was quite skillful in subtly ttering. They could see how it amused Mr. Zhang.


    ¡®Miss Zhu, you didn¡¯te to thepany today to observe us old men, did you?¡± Mr. Zhang queried with augh.


    Vice Chairman Li snorted, ¡°Old man Zhang, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve gone crazy? Why are you wasting words on her?¡±


    Ming Jing flicked her eyes toward Secretary Wang who had just followed in. Secretary Wang quickly exchanged nces with Vice Chairman Li and went up to persuade, ¡°Miss Zhu, please go back. The board meeting is not a ce for you..¡±

 Chapter 203 - 203: 097 Challenge (one more update)

    Chapter 203 - 203: 097 Challenge (one more update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ming Jing beckoned and a man standing behind her handed over a file. Ming Jing smiled as she looked at Mr. Zhang, ¡°Uncle Zhang, please take a look.¡± Mr. Zhang hesitated before grabbing the file to look through it.<div>


    Closing the file, the old manughed, ¡°A tiger does not father a dog. I should have known, Ms. Zhu, please go ahead.¡±


    Zhu Wentao may be down now, but he was formidable when thepany was first established.


    As soon as Mr. Zhang finished speaking, Mr. Li red at him, ¡°Manager Zhang, have you gone senile?¡±


    Mr. Zhang smiled, ¡°All members of the Board are shareholders of thepany, and the one with the most shares serves as the chairman with veto power over all decisions. The former chairman, Zhu Wentao, is absent for some reason, leaving us without a leader and we have so far failed toe up with an appropriate solution. Therefore, I propose that the secondrgest shareholder temporarily act as the chairman to lead us out of our predicament. What do you all think?¡±


    Mr. Li held his head high in triumph, while the others instinctively turned towards him.


    The secondrgest shareholder was Mr. Li. He was one of the original founders of thepany alongside Zhu Wentao and stood by thepany in its hardest times. ording to seniority and shares, it had to be him.


    ¡°I agree with Mr. Zhang.¡±


    ¡°I concur.¡±


    ¡°I second the motion.¡±


    Mr. Li was smug, thinking that Mr. Zhang finally saw some sense, he probably didn¡¯t like seeing this immature young woman show off.


    Ming Jing calmly sat in the main seat, her unwavering gaze taking in everyone¡¯s expressions.<div>


    Mr. Zhang looked at Mr. Li, his smile resembling a Buddha, but his eyes held a sharpness that made one ufortable. Suddenly, Mr. Li had a bad feeling.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s congratte Ms. Zhu on seeding her father and temporarily taking over as the chairman of the Zhu Group. Let¡¯s all give a round of apuse to wee Chairwoman Zhu.¡±


    Faint pping echoed around the silent meeting room, initiated by Mr. Zhang.


    Everyone exchanged looks, wondering if they had heard wrong.


    Mr. Li¡¯s smile froze instantly, ring angrily at Mr. Zhang, his gaze almost murderous.


    ¡°Mr. Zhang, are you joking? This is a board meeting, not a yground.¡±


    Mr. Zhang looked innocent as he responded, ¡°I made myself clear earlier, the secondrgest shareholder is to temporarily act as chairman, and no one had any objections.¡±


    Mr. Li pointed at himself, ¡°Are you blind? I¡¯m the secondrgest shareholder.¡±


    Mr. Zhang held the file, ¡°But this subscription agreement clearly states that


    Ms. Zhu Mingjing is the secondrgest shareholder.¡±


    Mr. Li snatched the agreement, scanning it hastily. With each page, his face grew paler, he mmed the contract down onto the table before Ming Jing,<div>


    ¡°You¡¯ve been nning this all along, secretly acquiring shares two months ago. You even took advantage of the recent market turbulence to buy more. Do you know how much risk you¡¯re exposing thepany to?¡±


    The room instantly erupted intomotion, and the way everyone looked at Ming Jing changed.


    Papers flew everywhere, each one carefully collected by Ming and Zheng Qing.


    Facing Mr. Li¡¯s angry condemnation, the young girl at the head of the table remained calm.


    Mr. Li, having been in power for a long time, was naturally imposing. Many newer employees would break into tears even from a mere conversation with him. This just showed how hot-tempered he was.


    However, this sixteen-year-old girl didn¡¯t even flinch in the face of Mr. Li¡¯s intimidation. She smiled faintly, looking at him like one would watch a monkey¡¯s tantrum.


    Everyone wiped their cold sweat, starting to realize that Ms. Zhu was not to be underestimated.


    Nothing inside thepany stays a secret for long. Everyone knew that Zhu Wentao had embezzled Lin Qing¡¯s shares and was now divorcing her. This man was both ruthless and despicable, often gossiped about behind his back.


    Ms. Zhu had only been back in action for over three months. Leaving aside her mysterious reputation, the fact that she started secretly acquiring shares two months ago indicated that she was far from being as naive as her age suggested.


    Judging someone¡¯s abilities by their age is the silliest thing one could do.


    There were even theories going around that Zhu Wentao¡¯s troubles might be


    linked to her somehow..

 Chapter 204 - 204: 097 Challenge (one more update)_2

    Chapter 204 - 204: 097 Challenge (one more update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At this thought, everyone shivered in unison.


    If it were true, it would be too terrifying.<div>


    ¡°Mr. Li has been devoted to thepany for many years, working tirelessly. I¡¯ve heard that he doesn¡¯t even have time to visit his sick wife. For Mr. Li, thepany is his home. Now, I¡¯m taking over thepany, and he can finally have a good rest,¡± Ms. Ming Jing said lightly.


    Mr. Li¡¯s face contorted with anger as he cursed, ¡°You¡¯re just a little girl who Imows nothing, how dare you speak like that? Can you manage apany?¡¯


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I can manage thepany or not. But some people use their power for personal gain, embezzle public funds, and cause huge losses to thepany. Mr. Li, do you need me to make it any clearer?¡±


    Ming Jing calmly sat in the main seat, her eyes twinkling withughter, and looked tenderly at Mr. Li.


    Mr. Li¡¯s face changed drastically. He frowned, deeply gazing at the beautiful fairy-like girl before him.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled. Secretary Wang wanted to sneak away, but Ms. Zhu¡¯s driver blocked his way, revealing a mouthful of big white teeth: ¡°Secretary Wang, where are you going?¡±


    Secretary Wang said, ¡°I suddenly remembered an important matter that needs to be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Really? Will thepany not work without you, Secretary Wang? Just ask your assistant to handle it, no need for you to run around personally.¡±


    Secretary Wang¡¯s smile stiffened.


    At this time, the door to the conference room was knocked on, and Secretary Wang¡¯s heart skipped a beat unconsciously.<div>


    Mr. Li suddenly looked towards the door.


    Zheng Qing went to open it, and two stern men in uniforms walked in.


    As soon as he saw these two, Secretary Wang¡¯s face darkened like the bottom of a pot.


    ¡°Who is Wang Jianchang?¡±


    Zheng Qing pointed to Secretary Wang, ¡°Prosecutor, this is him.¡±


    ¡°We received a report that you are suspected of financial fraud. Pleasee with us for an investigation.¡±


    The whole conference room was in an uproar.


    He was Mr. Zhu¡¯s confidant. Financial fraud? Was Mr. Zhu betrayed by his confidant?


    This was too miserable.


    Everyone watched with wide eyes as Secretary Wang was led away, everyone except for Ming Jing, who didn¡¯t turn her head.


    Mr. Li¡¯s face turned pale as he sat down on his chair, looking at Ming Jing with anxiety.<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, and just this simple movement made Mr. Li¡¯s heart leap.


    ¡°Secretary Wang was my father¡¯s confidant. I never expected him to do such a thing. He betrayed my father¡¯s trust,¡± Ming Jing sighed softly, her voice full of pity and sorrow.


    Mr. Zhang coughed, ¡°Whether he¡¯s innocent or not, I believe thew will give a fair judgment. What¡¯s most important now is the appointment of the chairman. Everyone agrees with my proposal, right? Mr. Li, what do you say?¡±


    Mr. Li seemed to be in a daze. Mr. Zhang called out to him again, ¡°Mr. Li?¡± Someone next to Mr. Li nudged him, and he finally snapped back, ¡®What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said let Ms. Ming Jing act as the chairman for now. Do you have any omectlons(¡±


    Yes, of course, there were objections!


    Mr. Li nced at Ming Jing, suppressing the frustration in his chest and gritting his teeth. He said, almost one word at a time, ¡°No objections.¡±


    ¡°Well, if Ms. Zhu has this ambition, she also needs to have the ability. With the


    Zhu Group in crisis, I wonder how Ms. Zhu ns to lead the group out of it?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at Zheng Qing, and Zheng Qing opened her backpack, taking out a stack of papers and distributing them one by one.


    ¡°This is a n made by a professional team for the current situation of thepany. We need everyone¡¯s cooperation. You all have been with the Zhu Group through thick and thin for over a decade, and I believe this is just another challenge for the group,¡± Ming Jing said confidently.


    The n listed a clear analysis of the group¡¯s current situation and effective countermeasures for the current difficulties. It also included future development ns for the group. Every department and manager had their specific responsibilities and roles, clear and logically arranged.


    ¡°Audit?¡± Mr. Li frowned intensely upon seeing the first item.


    ¡°Proactively apply for an audit from the Audit Bureau? Are you out of your mind?¡± Mr. Li was furious, wanting to throw the document in her face.


    ¡°Now that the Zhu Group is in financial crisis, there are many hostile eyes watching from the outside. By requesting an audit, first, we prove our innocence; second, we remove some parasites in the process; and third, we show ourmitment to clearing our name to all of society. Mr. Li, why are you against it? If the audit reveals any issues, it won¡¯t be worse than it is now. As the saying goes, ¡®when faced with death, one hopes for life; when faced with ruin, one hopes for survival.¡¯ This is the Zhu Group¡¯s chance for rebirth..¡±

 Chapter 205 - 205: 097 Challenge (one more update)_3

    Chapter 205 - 205: 097 Challenge (one more update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing¡¯s calm and gentle voice without any emotional fluctuations echoed in the meeting room, and the room fell silent for a while.


    Mr. Zhangughed, ¡°Interesting. Being brought back from the brink of death, I agree with the investigation. Only those with ulterior motives would be afraid of being investigated.¡± He nced meaningfully at Mr. Li.<div>


    Mr. Li felt like his lungs were about to explode; if he continued to oppose, it would indeed suggest that he had something to hide.


    ¡°What¡¯s this financing n about, Ms. Zhu¡­?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, you can call me Ming Jing. Several of our reconstruction projects havee to a standstill due to the withdrawal of investors. Every day of dy causes immeasurable losses to thepany. However, good investmentpanies will no longer consider Zhu Group under our current circumstances. To address this situation, the analysis team has suggested equity financing. As the chairman, I took the lead, offering up 50% of my personal shares for financing. I did this as a precaution, never expecting this day woulde.¡±


    Mr. Zhang took a deep look at her, a precaution? It could only be said that she had long foreseen trouble for the Zhu Group. What kind of insight, courage, and resources did she have to purchase scattered shares? This Ms. Zhu is truly unexpected.


    ¡°Since Ms. Zhu has taken the lead, I, Old Zhang, can¡¯t be left behind. I¡¯ll also use 50% of my shares for financing. If thepany copses, my shares will be nothing but a pile of waste paper.¡±


    At these words, those who were still perplexed immediately sobered up and raised their hands in agreement.


    In the end, everyone looked at Mr. Li who hadn¡¯tmitted yet. Mr. Li irritably said, ¡°30%, is that enough? Ms. Zhu, if the financinz fails, have vou thouzht


    about the consequences?¡± Mr. Li asked with a dark tone.


    The girl¡¯s eyes were as calm as autumn water as she swept through the room,


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a worse situation than the one we¡¯re in now.¡±


    ¡°I hope everyone will fulfill their duties and focus on their responsibilities. The future of Zhu Group is in the hands of each of us.¡±<div>


    ¡°Ms. Zhu¡­,¡± someone hesitated, then corrected themselves, ¡°Little Zhu, is Secretary Wang¡¯s arrest rted to Mr. Zhu¡¯s? Should we send someone to follow up on the prosecution, to see if there¡¯s anything that needs to be supplemented?¡±


    ¡°Everyone, just focus on your jobs. I will send someone to follow up on Secretary Wang.¡±


    After Ming Jing left the meeting room, everyone suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°My God, Ms. Zhu is really putting pressure on us. It¡¯s hard to believe she¡¯s only sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Like father, like daughter. Mr. Zhu did an excellent job raising her.¡±


    ¡°What does it have to do with Mr. Zhu? Ms. Zhu has only been in the Zhu family for three months.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I wonder if Zhu Group can survive this crisis.¡±


    With a dark expression, Mr. Li walked out of the meeting room. His assistant approached him and whispered, ¡°Mr. Li, what should we do now? ¡°How can she say anything? I really underestimated her. I¡¯m curious to see what kind of waves she can make.¡±


    News spreads fast these days. Ming Jing hadn¡¯t even left the Zhu Group building before the news of her bing the chairman had spread to everyone.


    Although Zhu Group was teetering on the edge, Ming Jing being only sixteen years old and a girl made people feel incredulous at this news. Even the old foxes on the board can¡¯t do anything against her; others were even more unbelievable.


    Those homeowners who just received Ming Jing¡¯s assurance in the morning felt relieved after hearing this news.<div>


    Ms. Zhu would definitely not deceive them.


    For a time, heated discussions sparked throughout Jiangzhou, centering around Ming Jing and Zhu Group.


    At Jiangzhou Airport, a woman wearing sunsses quickly walked towards the security checkpoint. As she was about to reach the checkpoint, two neatly uniformed men suddenly appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Ms. Zhou, pleasee with us.¡±


    Zhou Ling¡¯s face changed instantly. Many passers-by had turned their attention to them. After all, the uniforms these two men wore made them the center of attention wherever they went.


    ¡°Prosecutorrades, haven¡¯t you made a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhou Ling? We¡¯ve got the right person. This is the arrest warrant.¡± One of the men took out the arrest warrant with a stamped seal and showed it off, decisively capturing Zhou Ling.


    With a pale face, Zhou Ling had lost all her elegance and dignity from before, bing like a rat crossing the street under the finger-pointing and whispers from a crowd of onlookers.


    ¡°How can she¡­?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang was in disbelief at the various news on the inte.


    How can Ming Jing be the chairman? She¡¯s only sixteen!


    And at Zhu Group¡¯s most critical moment, she made this decision for her own self-interest.


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t tell if she was angry or jealous. All she knew was that she was going insane.


    The sound of a car pulling up could be heard outside, and Zhu Xiangxiang looked out the window.


    It was Ming Jing¡¯s car.


    She gritted her teeth, rushed out of the room, and saw Lin Qing emerging from the bedroom, draped in a printed cashmere pashmina. Lin Qing nced at Zhu Xiangxiang coldly and went downstairs.


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed, ¡®Mom, have you seen the news? Ming Jing is the new chairman of thepany. How could she do such a thing during thepany¡¯s crisis?


    ¡°The members of thepany¡¯s board of directors are not fools. If they have agreed, it means that Ming Jing has her merits. If you discredit her just because she¡¯s a girl or because of her age, I can understand it as jealousy.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked, ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. I just think it¡¯s not good for thepany¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you understand the cause and effect? Instead ofining to me, why not learn more about what Ming Jing did today?¡±


    With that, she ignored Zhu Xiangxiang and went downstairs.


    ¡°Sister-inw.¡± In the living room downstairs, Zhu Wenjie and Yingying were watching TV with Granny Zhu. Seeing Lin Qinging down, they greeted her.


    Lin Qing nodded coldly and headed to the kitchen for some water.


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed her downstairs. Zhu Wenjie smiled, ¡°Xiangxiang, your aunt is thirsty, could you pour her some water?¡±


    Granny Zhu gave her a look, ¡°Don¡¯t you have hands? Yingying, go get your mother some water instead.¡±


    Yingying unhappily pursed her lips, ¡°Let Xiangxiang go, she¡¯s not busy anyway.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked out of the kitchen with a ss of warm water in her hand. Zhu Wenjie suddenly jumped to his feet, looking at his phone, ¡°Great! That woman, Zhou Ling, is arrested!¡±


    With a ¡°crash,¡± the ss in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand shattered on the ground..

 Chapter 206 - 206: 098 Doubts (Second Revision)

    Chapter 206 - 206: 098 Doubts (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    She suddenly looked up and saw Lin Qing looking at her with cold eyes.


    At this moment, Ming Jing led Ming Yi into the room, and Ming Yi grinned and shouted, ¡°Auntie, Yingying Sister, Granny.¡±<div>


    Like a milky white rabbit, she pounced on them, and Zhou Bao pinched her cheeks, ¡°You¡¯re so cute, I wish you were my sister.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Yingying sister, I am your sister.¡±


    ¡°Such a sweet mouth.¡± Zhou Bao couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Sister-inw, you should watch the news. Zhou Ling has been arrested at the airport. This woman finally got her retribution.¡±


    Lin Qing nced at Ming Jing subconsciously.


    ¡°My brother should be out soon. He¡¯s had a pretty bad fall this time, and I guess he¡¯ll be obedient after this.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already divorced.¡± Lin Qing spoke, and everyone was stunned, including Ming Jing.


    ¡°A week ago, we had already processed the divorce, and now I¡¯m single.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood pale in ce, wondering why things were all going in an unpredictable direction.


    Zhu Wentao and Zhou Ling were arrested, and Lin Qing and Zhu Wentao got divorced-


    What about her?<div>


    Right, no one found out what she did, and from now on, as long as she didn¡¯t say anything, no one would know.


    Zhu Xiangxiangposed herself and gentlyforted, ¡°Mom, you will definitely find your own happiness in the future.¡±


    She even regretted a bit, why was she so foolish to listen to Zhou Ling¡¯s words in the first ce.


    Lin Qing made a sound of acknowledgment.


    ¡°Sister-inw, what about my brother now that you¡¯re divorced? He was deceived by Zhou Ling.¡±


    ¡°I am someone who can¡¯t stand even a speck of dust in my eyes. This man is already tainted; do I still need to pick him up and use him? Since you care so much about your brother, let him be with that woman for the rest of his life. Neither of them can leave the other.¡±


    ¡°But sister-inw¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, is there an end to this?¡± Granny Zhu scolded.


    Zhu Wentao quickly closed his mouth.


    The living room phone suddenly rang, and Madam Zhou went over to answer it. She listened for a moment and turned to Lin Qing, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s Teacher Ren from thepetition ss.¡±


    That¡¯s when everyone remembered that today seemed to be the day when Ming Jing¡¯spetition results were announced.<div>


    Lin Qing put down her water cup, went over, and picked up the handset, her voice gentle and polite, ¡°Hello Teacher Ren, I am Ming Jing¡¯s mother.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie recalled something and looked at Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°I remember


    Xiangxiang also attended thepetition ss, how did she do?¡±


    Zhou Bao¡¯s grades were a mess, so thepetition ss was something Zhu Wenjie could only long for but never reach.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened, and she chose to remain silent instead of speaking.


    Could she say she was kicked out of thepetition ss?


    Lin Qing hung up the phone, and Zhou Bao immediately asked anxiously,


    ¡°Auntie, how did my cousin do in the exam?¡±


    For a moment, almost everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on Lin Qing.


    Ming Jing, the person involved, casually dropped a line, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to change my clothes.¡±


    With that, she left without looking back.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared at her retreating figure, thinking that since she left so impatiently, she must not have done well in the exam.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mouth curled up in triumph. She was a queen at Shengde High School, oblivious to the fact that there was always someone better out there.


    However, Lin Qing¡¯s next words shattered all her illusions.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡¯s teacher said she got the highest score in thispetition and the provincial team leader personally called Teacher Ren, saying that such a good seedling like Ming Jing must join their team and not be wasted. Teacher Ren also said that Ming Jing needs to start training with the provincial team on August 10th, and asked us parents to take care of their children¡¯s diet and daily life.¡± Lin Qing¡¯s voice was excited and proud.


    Granny Zhu smiled with relief.


    Zhu Wenjie smacked his lips in disbelief, looking at Lin Qing, ¡°Sister-inw, neither you nor my brother have the gene of a top student, how is Ming Jing your biological daughter? She is too smart.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face changed slightly, and she coldly nced at him.Granny Zhu suddenly raised her hand and pped her on the back, ¡°Shut up if you can¡¯t talk properly.¡±


    Zhou Bao eximed, ¡°Oh my gosh, my cousin is amazing! Our school¡¯s top student fromst year participated in thepetition but couldn¡¯t even make it into the top 100. My cousin actually got the highest score! If my ssmates found out, they¡¯d be so jealous of me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang went from shocked to deep in thought.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong, look at Ming Jing, she¡¯s so beautiful, our Zhu family doesn¡¯t have such beautiful genes. Plus, she¡¯s so good at studying, our family is full of poor students. The only exnation is a gene mutation.¡±


    ¡°No matter how outstanding Ming Jing is, she¡¯s my Zhu family¡¯s daughter, and that¡¯s an undeniable fact.¡± Granny Zhu made the final call.


    Back in her room, Zhu Xiangxiang felt something was off. She found the investigation file on Ming Jing that she had gotten from Lin Qing, which Lin Qing had either forgotten or never taken back.


    She looked through it over and over again, and finally found a clue.


    She called the private investigator, ¡°In the investigation file, you mentioned hesitating between Ming Jing and her Senior for a long time. Does that mean Ming Jing¡¯s Senior also fit the bill?¡±


    The person on the other side was cautious, ¡°Ms. Zhu, this case is already closed.¡±


    An additional investigation would cost extra money.


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡°Name your price.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang winced at the pain, but thankfully she still had some educational funds.


    The private investigator was extremely shrewd and would never speak without seeing the money first.


    ¡°Last time your fake information almost got me into big trouble, that was Shen


    Zhou, you¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°That was an ident, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    After some consideration and seeing the transfer notification, the person finally said, ¡°Ms. Zhu, you think 100,000 can buy information? Do you know the risks I have to take to tell you these answers?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang narrowed her eyes, instantly catching the loophole in the conversation, ¡°So does Ming Jing¡¯s identity really have doubts?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, don¡¯t try to dig more words out of me.¡±


    ¡°Fine, if your detective agency won¡¯t help, I¡¯ll find another one. There must be a detective agency that will take the case.¡±


    As Zhu Xiangxiang was about to hang up, the other party said, ¡°200,000.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t have that much cash right now, I¡¯ll transfer you 50,000 as a deposit, and the rest tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Having worked with Ms. Zhu numerous times, I trust your character.¡±


    ¡°At the time of the investigation, her Senior was indeed the most suitable candidate, but due to being sick and staying indoors, I never saw her face. Ming Jing also met the criteria, so I tried my best to obtain hair samples from both of them and conducted DNA identification. This was the simplest way, and the result showed that Ming Jing had a 99-9% blood rtionship with Madam Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain you didn¡¯t mix up the hair samples of the two?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang felt more and more uneasy, ¡°Have you seen Ming Xin? What does she look like?¡±


    ¡°When I saw her, she was in aa, and it was night, dark and hard to see anything. As for mixing up the samples, Ms. Zhu, are you questioning my ability?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll transfer another 200,000 to you, help me investigate Ming Xin¡¯s background.¡±


    As long as Ming Xin¡¯s identity was revealed, Ming Jing¡¯s origin would be self-exnatory.


    Ming Jing brought her three Junior sisters back to the Zhu¡¯s house, but her Senior sister was hiding somewhere, her whereabouts unknown. There must be a problem.


    At lunchtime, the entire Zhu family gathered together.


    Lin Qing was overjoyed and drank some wine for the rare asion.


    First, to celebrate her newfound single status, and second, to congratte Ming Jing for achieving the highest score in thepetition. The entire meal was filled with joy andughter, even Zhu Wenjie spoke a few nice words to tter Lin Qing.


    Madam Zhu supported Lin Qing¡¯s divorce, it appeared that she had decided to live with her daughter-inw and granddaughter. Zhu Wenjie guessed that his mother must hold substantial inheritance and didn¡¯t want Lin Qing and her daughter to benefit from it.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti said in unison: ¡°Second sister, congrattions on your excellent performance! You are our role model in studying, you are our¡­¡± Ming Chen tried to remember.


    Ming Ti gave her a nce, ¡°Dumb, it¡¯s Super idol!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Ming Chen suddenly realized, ¡°Second sister, you are our Super idol.¡±


    At that moment, Zhu Xiangxiangughed, ¡°Ming Jing, we¡¯ve only met your three Junior sisters, where¡¯s your Senior sister? Such a joyous asion should be shared with her too, right? I heard from Ming Yi that your Senior sister takes great care of you all. When can we meet her?¡±


    As soon as Zhu Xiangxiang finished speaking, the table fell silent, and everyone looked at her strangely.


    ¡°Xiangxiang sister, why does your voice sound so weird and sarcastic?¡±

 Chapter 207 - 207: 099 Hidden Cards (First Update)

    Chapter 207: 099 Hidden Cards (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhou Bao gave Zhu Xiangxiang a disdainful look, just a mere fake, but really acting like she was the youngdy of the Zhus. Her tone towards her cousin was so impolite, it sounded like pure green tea bitterness.


    Moreover, bringing it up when everyone was happy, it always felt like it was intentional.


    Could she be plotting another bad move?


    Ming Jing nced indifferently at Zhu Xiangxiang. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No one could escape Ming Jing¡¯s gaze unscathed; Zhu Xiangxiang practically fled in panic.


    ¡°There will be opportunities in the future. ¡± Ming Jing said. Lin Qing looked at Zhu Xiangxiang unhappily, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang obediently lowered her head and ate quietly.


    By the time Zhu Wenjie saw the news of Ming Jing bing the chairman, it was already in the afternoon and everyone was resting after lunch.


    Zhu Wenjie took her cellphone and rushed to Granny Zhu¡¯s room: ¡°Mom, big news! Look at the news! Ming Jing is now the chairman of the Zhu Group? This was even announced on the official public ount of the group. Am I seeing things?¡±


    Granny Zhu was disturbed from her sleep and became irritable: ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie cried out: ¡°Of course there¡¯s a problem! A huge one! That little girl, how could she manage thepany? Doesn¡¯t she know her own abilities? It¡¯s killing me!¡±


    Her husband, Zhou Ping, had only been able to hold a deputy manager position in thepany for years and couldn¡¯t even enter the boardroom. Ming Jing, a girl who had just returned to the Zhus three months ago, why did she deserve


    The more Zhu Wenjie thought about it, the more unwilling she was. Could it be Lin Qing¡¯s doing? Using her daughter as a shield?


    Well, this woman wanted to take advantage of her big brother¡¯s absence to swallow thepany.


    Granny Zhu nced at her: ¡°Use your pig brain to think about it, what¡¯s the first requirement to enter the boardroom?¡±


    ¡°Shares?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie became more confused: ¡°But weren¡¯t sister-inw¡¯s shares taken by big brother? Mom, did you give her your shares? I am your own daughter, how can you be so partial?¡± As Zhu Wenjie spoke, she became more anxious.


    Granny Zhu picked up the tape recorder beside her and threw it at her: ¡°Do you even have a brain? My shares are nothing more than a drop in the bucket.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the deal?¡± Zhu Wenjie dodged the thrown object while continuing to ask.


    ¡°Do you think you can understand if I tell you with your pig brain? Stop asking, hurry back home. You give me a headache whenever I see you.¡±


    ¡°But Ming Jing¡­¡±


    ¡°But what? Are you more capable than the seasoned veterans of thepany?


    They don¡¯t have a problem with it, so what are you bbering about?¡± ¡°Ming Jing is a girl¡­¡±


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s a girl? Are girls supposed to be questioned? You¡¯re also a woman, so why are you so ignorant? I don¡¯t want to talk to you, get out of here now.¡± Granny Zhu lost her patience. ¡°Madam Zhou,e and kick her out for me. Ah, my head hurts.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie snorted: ¡°It must be sister-inw¡¯s doing. She wants to swallow thepany, such deep scheming. I¡¯m going to confront her right now.¡± Granny Zhu shouted: ¡°You stay right there!¡±


    ¡°You mean to tell me you didn¡¯t listen to a single word I said? If you go find your sister-inw, starting today, Zhou Ping will be kicked out of the Zhu Group, and you won¡¯t be able to set foot in the Zhu family home again. I don¡¯t have a daughter like you.¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡± Zhu Wenjie stomped her foot angrily: ¡°I¡¯m your real daughter. How can you be so partial?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a daughter as stupid as you. How muddled is your head? You have no real skills, all you do is yell and meddle. Does the Zhu family have anything to do with you? Just mind your daughter, your husband, and yourself, no one needs your pointless worrying. You jump up and down like a monkey every day.¡±


    Zhu Wenjie sobbed: ¡°For so many years, Zhou Ping has been diligent in the Zhu Group. Even if there¡¯s no merit, there has to be some hard work, right? Yet he¡¯s just a deputy manager now. As for Ming Jing, she¡¯s only been back for three months. Does she even have the face to be the chairman?¡±


    ¡°If Zhou Ping can¡¯t advance, it¡¯s due to his own ipetence. Who can he me? Ming Jing can be the chairman because of her own abilities. Since the board members all agree, are you more capable than those old CEOs on the board of directors?¡±


    Zhu Wenjie was speechless.


    ¡°You¡¯re just narrow-minded and can¡¯t stand it when others do better than you. But if you¡¯re counting on your big brother, I advise you to give up on that. I, as his own mother, can¡¯t count on him, let alone you. On the contrary, Ming Jing is a smart and kind girl. She repays malice with kindness. What about gratitude? You should reflect on that..¡±

 Chapter 208 - 208: 099 Bottom Card (an additional update)_2

    Chapter 208: 099 Bottom Card (an additional update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Granny Zhu waved her hand to drive her out, some people wouldn¡¯t shed tears until they see the coffin.


    Zhu Wenjie thought about her mother¡¯s words. Could it be that she was looking up to Ming Jing?


    She was just a little girl¡­ At this thought, Zhu Wenjie suddenly froze.


    There was one thing her mother was right about: it wouldn¡¯t be easy to fool those old foxes in the board of directors. Could Ming Jing have any real abilities?


    ¡°Just now, the ss chat group was discussing who got first ce in this year¡¯spetition, saying that their score broke all previous records and even caught the attention of the provincial team leader. When I proudly said it¡¯s my cousin, everyone was so envious. Mom, can I stay in the Zhu¡¯s house? I really want to be with Cousin Ming Jing. If she could tutor me in my studies, that would be even better. Some of my ssmates want her autograph. You don¡¯t know how popr she is among us students now,¡± she told her excitedly.


    Zhu Wenjie looked at her daughter, who was talking non-stop excitedly, and suddenly understood.


    ¡°Alright, you can stay at the Zhu¡¯s house. Your grandma may not like me, but she doesn¡¯t dislike you. It¡¯s good for you to be close to your cousin and aunt.


    You understand?¡±


    Zhou Bao¡¯s eyes rolled: ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I know.¡±


    Jiangzhou is a ce that¡¯s not big or small. Due to the presence of Shenzhou Group¡¯s headquarters, it¡¯s an economic powerhouse in the southern part of the country and also at the forefront of entertainment. The quality of life of the people has improved greatly, and the per capita GDP ranks among the top in the whole country. After people¡¯s basic needs are met, they start to engage in gossip.


    The news released by the Zhu Group¡¯s public ount immediately caused a huge stir in Jiangzhou City.


    The public ount announced thetest personnel changes in Zhu Group, among which the most eye-catching was the chairman position.


    Originally, it was Zhu Wentao, but now it¡¯s Zhu Mingjing.


    Although it¡¯s a temporary arrangement, the news undoubtedly caused a sensation.


    In today¡¯s male-dominated society, it¡¯s not easy for a woman to rise to power, let alone a sixteen-year-old girl.


    For a time, public opinion was flying all over the sky.


    Many people believed that Zhu Mingjing was just a pawn pulled out by the Zhu Group, and a sixteen-year-old girl couldn¡¯t have any real ability to manage thepany. But at the same time, someone leaked Zhu Mingjing¡¯s speech at the gate of Yi High School. Many people who were unfamiliar with Zhu Mingjing found out that this young miss Zhu was deviating from their one-sided guess.


    Even the secretly recorded low-resolution video couldn¡¯t hide the beautiful appearance and unique, gentle temperament of the young girl. She epted the responsibility of the Zhu Group directly, without evasion or cowardice. Her gentle yet determined words gave many lost people confidence.


    Her subsequent appointment as the chairman of Zhu Group seemed to validate that her words were not deceptive. She had the ability and would shoulder the responsibility on her shoulders.


    Now, people were waiting to see how she could save the situation. Some were looking forward to it, but most were ready tough at her.


    At the same time, the Audit Bureau entered the Zhu Group for a three-day ount investigation, and the ount information was disclosed on the Inte for public review, promoting openness and transparency.


    On the other hand, apany-wide investigation also began. It turned out that the Zhu Group had been nurturing many parasites over the years. These parasites were slowly devouring the group.


    Simultaneously, the Zhu Group formed a new investment project team, with almost all the board members in the team. After the public announcement, it caused quite a stir in Jiangzhou¡¯s business circle.


    Nowadays, the shares of Zhu Group were plummeting, and only fools would buy in. However, Zhu Mingjing¡¯s series of actions after taking over gave people a glimmer of hope. Compared to the fat, greasy old foxes in senior management, Zhu Mingjing, a young person brimming with vitality, seemed a better option. At the same time, another piece of news came out, stating that in thetest mathpetition in Jiangzhou, Zhu Mingjing scored the highest point. This was even more impressive considering she hadn¡¯t attended school before and had only systematically studied for three months.


    It seemed that her status as the chairman of the Zhu Group wasn¡¯t solely due to her being a part of the Zhu family or being used as a pawn. She was a genius with the ability to excel at whatever she put her mind to. Who was to say she couldn¡¯t also be a business prodigy?


    Just as everyone was watching, Shenzhou Group was the first to extend the olive branch and decided to cooperate with Zhu Group.


    What was the status of Shenzhou Group in the business circle?


    With this news, the whole of Jiangzhou, no, the whole of Hua Country was shocked.


    Besides acquisitions, Shenzhou Group was known for its exclusivity. It wouldn¡¯t cooperate with other groups unless it was a multi-billion-dor project. This was in line with Shen Zhou¡¯s character..

 Chapter 209 - 209: 099 Bottom Card (First Update)_3

    Chapter 209 - 209: 099 Bottom Card (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At a time when Zhu Group was in trouble, otherpanies either took advantage of the situation or just stood by and watched. Only Shenzhou Group extended a helping hand, baffling everyone. People wondered whether Shen Zhou was being held hostage and asked him if he needed to blink twice if that was the case.


    It turned out that Shen Zhou wasn¡¯t being held hostage ¨C he was quite clear-headed.<div>


    It¡¯s needless to say that Shen Zhou had a keen eye for investment. As a result, people started to suspect that Zhu Group¡¯s project might truly be an under-appreciated gem. Following Shen Zhou¡¯s investment, more investors started to emerge like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, and even many of those who had run away came back.


    However, Zhu Group had a firm principle: they would never coborate with those who had betrayed them.


    Everyone in the board, except for Mr. Li, was ted, feeling that the dark clouds hanging over their heads were about to disperse.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Zhu Group always indifferent to these smallpanies?


    Although Zhu Group was not a smallpany in Jiangzhou, it was indeed insignificant in the eyes of Shenzhou Group.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It must be the great social connections of Ms. Zhu. I¡¯ve heard before that she has a strongwork, but I didn¡¯t expect even Mr. Shen to give her face.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t just people boasting. Everyone saw that during Shenzhou Group¡¯s


    Oasis Program, Shen Zhou hadn¡¯t held Zhu Wentao in any regard. Now that Shenzhou Group was actively coborating with Zhu Group, everyone knew that Zhu Group¡¯s projects weren¡¯t outstanding enough for others to initiate cooperation with them.


    It seemed that Ms. Zhu¡¯s confidence came from having a trump card up her sleeve.


    ¡°Mr. Zhang, your response this time was quite fast. Did you get the news beforehand? You didn¡¯t even give the rest of us a heads up, that¡¯s not very righteous of you. When Ms. Zhu rises to power, you¡¯ll be a revered veteran who


    yed a pivotal role. We all depend on you.¡±<div>


    Mr. Zhang, withpliments ringing in his ears, just smiled without responding.


    ¡°The Audit Office has been checking Zhu Group¡¯s ounts in the Finance Department these few days and has found many problems. Two financial directors have been taken away, and one of them is Mr. Li¡¯s¡­¡± The man speaking stopped when someone nudged him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can survive thispany purge and make it out of the building alive.¡±


    Mr. Zhang nced at them: ¡°The innocent have nothing to fear. You guys are just paranoid; every investigation will be urate. Instead of worrying like this, you might as well get back to work and achieve something. Then you won¡¯t have to be afraid of any purges.¡±


    Everyone reached enlightenment and went back to their tasks.


    At this moment, Mr. Li was not so calm. When he heard the news that


    Shenzhou Group wanted to work with Zhu Group, his face turned ashen.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. We¡¯repletely finished¡­¡±


    His secretary cautiously reminded him, ¡°Mr. Li, the Finance Director, Mr. Qian, who has had a disagreement with you before, has just been taken away. He didn¡¯t answer my callst night, and I¡¯m worried¡­¡±


    Mr. Li, with a throbbing headache, rubbed his brow, ¡°This Zhu Mingjing, always causing trouble for me.¡±


    He thought she was just a young, naiVe girl, but she had one trapid out after another, well-prepared for him.<div>


    ¡°Help me arrange a meeting with Ms. Zhu.¡± He still had onest ace up his sleeve.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s concert in Nanzhou City concluded sessfully.


    At 11 0¡¯clock, the stadium was empty; the mess left behind in the stands looked deste after all the hustle and bustle, making people feel mncholic.


    Backstage at the stadium, Qu Feitai, having taken off his stage makeup, changed into a fresh white T-shirt and light blue jeans. He wore white sneakers and a baseball cap. His tall, slim figure made him look like a college student.


    ¡°My baby, you¡¯ve been working non-stop for a month. Look at the dark circles under your eyes now.¡± A man who was dressed very ¡°exquisitely¡±mented.


    ¡°I told you to rest, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. You¡¯re already so skilled in your craft that skipping one rehearsal wouldn¡¯t make a difference. Besides, even if you just stood on stage and did nothing, your fans would still adore you. Why wear yourself out like this?¡±


    Qu Feitai ignored the man¡¯s chatter, walking straight out of the backstage area and getting into a ck business van parked nearby.


    Tian Long took out the preparedte-night meal, letting Qu Feitai eat it on the way to the airport.


    As an artist, it was important to maintain a good figure. Qu Feitai was very disciplined even though he didn¡¯t act, eating a nd meal of boiled broli and chicken breast.


    Wearing his headphones, Qu Feitai focused on eating.


    His agent¡¯s chatter continued to buzz in his ear.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s agent, Huang Chao, was a well-known figure in the entertainment business, having discovered Qu Feitai¡¯s talent early on. Huang Chao was truly capable, sessfully turning Qu Feitai into a top-tier celebrity in the entertainment industry ¡ª a young king of the pop world. All the advertising endorsements he epted came easily, and in terms of endorsements, Huang Chao proved his foresight by focusing on quality rather than quantity.


    However, there was one problem with him ¨C his sexuality. For years, fans worried he would engage in inappropriate rtions with Qu Feitai and mored for thepany to rece him as his agent.


    Calling him ¡°baby¡± each time they spoke only incensed the fans, but Tian Long and Qu Feitai had grown used to it¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for you to shoot with Feiyue Magazine on the 25th, but I don¡¯t want you to fly back to Jingdu and then to Jiangzhou. I¡¯ve contacted the editor of the magazine directly to have their photographer fly to Jiangzhou on the 25th instead. I heard the night view of Qujiang is nice, so they¡¯ll use it as the background for the shoot, and the oue should be pretty good.¡±


    Huang Chao searched for hotels in Jiangzhou on his phone as he spoke.


    As per the original itinerary, Qu Feitai was supposed to rest for three days and then attend the magazine shoot on the 25th before flying to Jiangzhou on the 26th. However, it was his own request to skip the rest and go straight to Jiangzhou for rehearsals. Huang Chao, worried about Qu Feitai¡¯s physical limits, negotiated with the magazine for the photographer to fly to Jiangzhou for the photo shoot instead.


    Since the change in the itinerary, they had to book a new hotel.


    ¡°Ugh, having such a dedicated artist is giving me even fewer hairs on my head,¡± Huang Chaomented while running his fingers through his wig.


    ¡°You could choose to retire,¡± Qu Feitai teased him.


    ¡°Hmph, I knew all you lot wanted was to see me gone. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t oblige you. Let those little sluts think I don¡¯t know what they say about me behind my back. I love the fact that they dislike me but can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Huang Chao confidently flipped his hair, looking flirtatious and annoyed.


    Seeing a grown man acting like this was¡­


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Qu Feitai almost threw up..

 Chapter 210 - 210: 100 Chasing Stars (Second Update)

    Chapter 210 - 210: 100 Chasing Stars (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Since it was ast-minute trip, there were no fans at the airport to greet them. Walking out of the arrival hall was unusually quiet.


    ¡°This is the air of Jiangzhou, indeed much fresher than Jingdu.¡± Huang Chao took a deep breath.<div>


    Qu Feitai lowered his hat and hurried out of the airport.


    However, he was too popr in Hua Country, and his stature was too striking. At two o¡¯clock in the morning at Jiangzhou Airport, he was recognized by passersby before walking a hundred meters.


    Qu Feitai walked quickly out of the airport, with a string of screaming passers-by running behind him, in a spectacr sight.


    Fortunately, Huang Chao had contacted the organizer of the Jiangzhou concert in advance, and they had sent a car to pick them up, allowing them to escape from the crowd.


    ¡°Master, take us to the Jiangzhou Hotel, please.¡± Huang Chao said politely to the driver.


    The driver nced cautiously at the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Is this your first time in Jiangzhou?¡±


    Huang Chao was good at his job, but he was a chatterbox and started chatting with the driver right away.


    ¡°Not really, I came herest year, but that trip was very rushed, only four hours fromnding to departure. Can you rmend any fun ces in Jiangzhou? I want to take my artist to have a good time.¡±


    The driver immediately spoke enthusiastically, ¡°There are many fun ces in


    Jiangzhou. The night view of Qujiang is amazing. The view of Qujiang from Dechang Building is like a sleeping dragon, with beautiful scenery. There¡¯s also Baimen Beach and Hanshan Temple¡­¡±.


    Upon arriving at the hotel, the driver hesitated and said, ¡°Mr. Qu¡­ my daughter is a big fan of yours. Could you please sign an autograph for her?¡± The driver<div>


    nanaea over a piece or paper ana a pen witn tremD11ng nancls.


    Just as Huang Chao wanted to say no, Qu Feitai took it and signed it with a cool, artistic signature before getting out of the car.


    Huang Chao was stunned for a second before hurrying after him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you never signing autographs privately?¡±


    Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow, ¡°Perhaps the gentle night breeze in Jiangzhou has made me feel a bit intoxicated.¡±


    Huang Chaoughed, ¡°I heard that Jiangzhou is known for its beautiful women. Maybe you¡¯ll have a romantic encounter this time.¡±


    Qu Feitai sneered at the cunning look in his eyes.


    Huang Chao was very confident that Qu Feitai was a weirdo. There were so many young, pretty, and unique girls in thepany, but when he went there, it was as if he was entering a spider¡¯s web,pletely unmoved, not even giving them a nce.


    For two years, no girl had sessfully struck up a conversation with him.


    He suspected this guy was a reincarnated monk.


    This was good in a way, as he didn¡¯t have to worry about his artist¡¯s love life affecting his career. One only needed to see how many male stars in the entertainment industry had been cklisted for dating or scandalous affairs.<div>


    In the elevator, Qu Feitai leaned against the wall, squinting his eyes slightly.


    His slender body had a restrained sensuality in the dim light, like anguid cat, gently scratching its paw at its chest.


    Huang Chao stared, ¡°You take a good rest tomorrow, look at your dark circles, they¡¯re almost national treasures. Your fans will scold me for overworking you, even Dou E wasn¡¯t wronged like this.¡±


    ¡°I have an appointment tomorrow.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s five indifferent words made Huang Chao¡¯s hair stand on end, and he asked cautiously, ¡°Do you have acquaintances in Jiangzhou? Male or female?¡±


    Qu Feitai snorted, ¡°An old friend.¡±


    Huang Chao sighed with relief, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. But be careful when you go out, don¡¯t get caught by fans. This ce is not like Jingdu¡­¡±. ¡°But I never heard you mention that you have an old friend in Jiangzhou.¡±


    The elevator door opened with a ¡°ding,¡± and Qu Feitai walked out directly, leaving Huang Chao with a cold back.


    Huang Chao turned his head and asked Tian Long, ¡°Little Tian, where did his old friende from?¡±


    Tian Long shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s background was very mysterious. He never talked about his family and friends, and even the most cunning paparazzi couldn¡¯t dig up any information on him. It was as if he had appeared out of thin air. Huang Chao even suspected that his own artist was an orphan.


    How could an old friend suddenly appear from nowhere, and in Jiangzhou, thousands of miles away from Jingdu?


    Huang Chao stroked his chin, ¡°You keep an eye on it, see if it¡¯s a man or a woman.¡± He had an uneasy feeling.


    Tian Long rolled his eyes speechlessly.


    The entertainment headline the next morning: Qu Feitai makes a low-key appearance at Jiangzhou Airport in the early morning!Qu Feitai rarely came to Jiangzhou, and once the news broke, the entire Jiangzhou fan circle was abuzz.


    Although Qu Feitai was young, his poprity could not be doubted, and no one in the entertainment industry could match his fan base.


    Tao Xingxing was eating breakfast when she saw the news, she almost choked and excitedly jumped up.


    ¡°Ahhh, my idol is now standing on the same piece ofnd as me, breathing the same air, I want to take a few more breaths¡­¡±


    Wu Jiaqi shook her head andughed, ¡°Can¡¯t you just eat peacefully?¡± Tao Qian smiled, looking at his dauzhter, ¡°Let her be excited if she wants.¡± The man basked in the sunlight, living up to his name, a modest gentleman, gentle and jade-like.


    He looked at his daughter with a gentle and loving gaze, ¡°Our little star is all grown up now¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to share this great news with Ming Jing right away.¡± Tao Xingxing opened WeChat, best friends should share everything together.


    Wu Jiaqi was taken aback, ¡°Miss Zhu?¡±


    This Miss Zhu had be very famous in Jiangzhou recently, and there were all sorts of rumors about her every day.


    But without exception, Miss Zhu had outstanding maturity and excellence beyond her years.


    Tao Qian said, ¡°I heard at the hospital that Miss Zhu is now the chairman of


    Zhu Group, and it¡¯s incredible that Xingxing can be friends with her.¡±


    It¡¯s not that he was belittling his own daughter, but Zhu Mingjing was from a different ss, and to them, Zhu Mingjing was a socialite living in gossip. Now with the added title of chairman, she was even more intimidating.


    Wu Jiaqi smiled, ¡°It seems Miss Zhu is very capable.¡±


    She understood Tao Xingxing¡¯s character clearly. Although she was lively and adorable, she had a deep sense of guard due to some experiences in her childhood and did not make friends easily. The fact that Zhu Mingjing could be friends with her was enough to prove that she was not an ordinary 16 -year-old high school student.


    Ming Jing received Tao Xingxing¡¯s voice message on her way to thepany.


    The young girl sounded as excited as someone who had won the jackpot, ¡°Ming


    Jing, Ming Jing, Qu Feitai is in Jiangzhou! He¡¯s in Jiangzhou!!!¡± Three exmation marks were not enough to express her excitement.


    ¡°I saw in the Jiangzhou fan club forum that some people say he¡¯s staying at Jiangzhou Hotel. I really want to see him, even if it¡¯s from a distance, but it¡¯s a private trip. If I go, I¡¯ll be a sasaeng fan and be despised. He just finished his concert and flew to Jiangzhou, he must be so tired, I really feel bad for him.¡±


    Tao Xingxing kept chattering on, her excited and crisp voice echoing through the quiet car.


    Ming Jing¡¯s face showed no impatience, and she listened with a smile.


    Zheng Qing was out running errands, and the driver today was a recent college graduate hired by Zheng Qing, in his early twenties.


    This graduate from a prestigious university, with good looks, agreed to be Ming Jing¡¯s driver/assistant.


    Firstly, out of curiosity, and secondly, because the sry was high.


    Zheng Qing¡¯s goal was to cultivate a confidant for Ming Jing with outstanding abilities, and he chose Du Ze from a pile of resumes.


    At first, Du Ze hesitated when he heard he was going to be Ming Jing¡¯s driver, but he soon agreed.


    He had heard a lot of rumors about Miss Zhu recently, andpared to those who had enteredrgepanies or continued studying, his actions were looked down upon by others. Everyone thought he was attracted to Miss Zhu¡¯s beauty and wanted to get closer to her, but in reality, he just wanted to take a gamble.


    Today was his first time meeting Miss Zhu, and just like the rumors, she was an extraordinary beauty who seemed like she had stepped out of an immortal world.


    Still water runs deep, the more serene things appear on the surface, the more dangerous the undercurrents are.


    He didn¡¯t expect Miss Zhu to have such a lively and star-chasing ssmate, and suddenly, Miss Zhu seemed a bit more down-to-earth.


    In the blink of an eye, they arrived at Zhu Group¡¯s building.


    Du Ze got out of the car and walked around to open the door, he was both the driver and the assistant.


    Ming Jing closed her phone, cutting off the young girl¡¯s chatter, while thepany executives and the media lined up outside the building, waiting in greeting.


    Because today was the signing ceremony between Zhu Group and Shenzhou Group.


    The news was published online at the same time, Wu Jiaqi nced at her phone and said to Tao Xingxing, ¡°Stop talking, look at what your ssmate is doing in the news. ¡±


    Tao Xingxing didn¡¯t need to open the news app, they were already sending push notifications.


    ¡°While I¡¯m chasing stars, my ssmate is signing projects worth billions.. Is this the difference between a top student and a poor student?¡±

 Chapter 211 - 211: 101 Era (Part One)

    Chapter 211 - 211: 101 Era (Part One)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    On July 22nd, Shenzhou Group and Zhu Group, together with Tianheng Garden project, held a signing ceremony!


    On this day, a girl named Zhu Mingjing entered the public eye for the first time in many people¡¯s memory.<div>


    At eight o¡¯clock sharp, Mingjing appeared at Zhu Group, apanied by a barrage of media and Zhu Group¡¯s executives, entered the group building.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve worked hard. It¡¯s thanks to you that we were able to sign with Shenzhou Group.¡±


    The bald middle-aged man walking beside Mingjing is Ding Wei, the director of the group¡¯s project department, who is hosting the signing ceremony this time.


    The other executives behind them heard this and rolled their eyes. They didn¡¯t know who had said behind the scenes that Miss was just an inexperienced girl and that the heavens wanted to destroy Zhu Group. Now they¡¯re all ttering her without a care for their dignity.


    As long as they could cooperate with Shenzhou Group, they didn¡¯t need dignity ¨C they wouldn¡¯t even need their asses.


    Mingjing asked indifferently, ¡°Are all the arrangements for the signing ceremony in ce?¡± ¡°Everything is arranged, Miss. Do you have any other instructions?¡±


    ¡°Where is Uncle Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Manager Zhang is getting old; he generally doesn¡¯te to thepany if it¡¯s not for the board of directors¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss.¡± Mr. Zhang came over with the help of his grandson, leaning on his cane and smiling, ¡°Today is a good day, how could I not be here? Although I¡¯m just an old man, I can still hold my ground.¡±


    Mingjing smiled slightly: ¡°Uncle Zhang, thank you.¡¯


    The old man¡¯s name is Zhang Shuda. His own family had been engaged in seafaring and trade in Jiangzhou for generations. When Zhu Wentao started his business, Zhang Shuda was very optimistic about this young man and invested in him. Over the years, Zhang Shuda never interfered with thepany¡¯s management and only focused on being a shareholder. However, his position in thepany was not ordinary. If it were not for his declining energy, Mr. Li would not dare to even fart in front of him. Even Zhu Wentao was obedient in front of him.<div>


    Zhang Shuda pointed to the young man by his side and said with a smile, ¡°Miss, this is my good-for-nothing grandson, Zhang Zhihe. I brought him here to gain some experience. I hope Miss won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Zhang Zhihe was in his early twenties, with fair skin and a refined appearance.


    Upon seeing Mingjing, he immediately looked away shyly.


    Mingjing nced at him lightly: ¡°A man with a woman¡¯s appearance is destined for wealth and sess. Mr. Zhang has good luck.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I heard that Miss has the ability to read people¡¯s faces. Now that you¡¯ve said this, I, as an old man, can rest assured.¡±


    Zhang Zhihe sneaked a peek at Mingjing. Others always talked about his mother, but this was the first time someone said his looks brought good fortune. It felt quite bizarre.


    Suddenly, he saw a familiar face in the crowd. When everyone was walking in, he quietly moved to that person¡¯s side.


    ¡°How did you end up here?¡±


    Du Ze said with a straight face: ¡°I am now Miss Zhu¡¯s driver and assistant.¡±


    Zhang Zhihe widened his eyes: ¡°Is everything they say true? With your education and abilities, why would you do such a thing?¡±


    A driver and an assistant? How could these roles ever match the demeanor of a top student from Jiangzhou University¡¯s Business School?<div>


    Shouldn¡¯t he have either sessfully applied for a research position or joined a bigpany for experience? How could he be serving as a driver for a sixteen-year-old girl?


    What a waste of talent, it¡¯s a crime to nature. God knows how people in the school group ridiculed Du Ze when they heard about it. He thought everyone was spreading rumors. How could the proud Du Ze take on such a job?


    Du Ze¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. This was the first thing he learned from Miss Zhu: don¡¯t let anyone see through your emotions.


    ¡°Everyone has their own pursuits. Miss Zhu is a great boss. From her, I can learn a lot of things. Besides, I advise you not to look down on Miss Zhu because of her young age. Your grandfather does a great job of that.¡±


    After finishing speaking, he ignored Zhang Zhihe and quickly caught up with Mingjing.


    Zhang Zhihe scratched his head in confusion: ¡°He really went crazy¡­¡±


    At the signing site, due to the presence of a media Q&A session, the media wouldmunicate with thepany¡¯s PR department in advance about what questions they would ask. The PR department would then prepare answers based on the boss¡¯s preferences, and the boss would memorize them. But now, the new boss Sun Yuan, the director of the PR department, still could not figure out Miss Zhu¡¯s temperament, so he secretly pulled Ding Wei aside.


    ¡°Does Miss have a good temper?¡± Sun Yuan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s good if you say it¡¯s good, and it¡¯s not good if you say it¡¯s not good,¡± Ding Wei said hesitantly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same as not saying anything? I have these media questions for the boss to review.. Miss won¡¯t me us for bothering her with such trivial matters, right?¡±

 Chapter 212 - 212: 101 Era (First Revision) _2

    Chapter 212 - 212: 101 Era (First Revision) _2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I feel like serving Miss Zhu is even harder than serving Mr. Zhu. With him, you can at least tell whether he¡¯s happy or not, but with her, you can¡¯t tell at all.


    The gentler her smile, the more I get creeped out, don¡¯t know why.¡± Sun Yuan¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°It does sound terrifying the way you put it, but I¡¯ll just have to face it.¡±<div>


    Ding Wei patted her shoulder: ¡°Good luck.¡±


    With a determined mindset, Sun Yuan walked over to Ming Jing, who was chatting with old Zhang. Ming Jing appeared to be a gentle and dignifieddy


    of a respectable family.


    ¡°Miss Zhu¡­,¡± Sun Yuan began.


    Ming Jing looked up at her.


    At that moment, Sun Yuan was almost blinded by Ming Jing¡¯s incredible beauty.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± The young girl¡¯s gentle smile was like a warm breeze in April, and her eyes shone brightly.


    Sun Yuan quickly came to her senses, her excellent professionalism helping her regain her work-mode. She quickly said: ¡°Miss Zhu, after the signing ceremony, there will be a media interview session. The media will ask you questions, and in order to prevent unforeseen situations, they will go through the questions with our publicity department beforehand. We will prepare the answers, which you only need to memorize on the spot.¡± Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Give me the draft.¡±


    Sun Yuan immediately handed it over with both hands.


    Ming Jing skimmed through it, taking no more than a minute, before closing the folder and handing it back to Sun Yuan.


    ¡°No need to do this pointless work in the future.¡±<div>


    Sun Yuan was puzzled, what did she mean by pointless work? Had preparing drafts for Mr. Zhu in the past also been pointless?


    Ming Jing¡¯s expression remained unreadable, still gentle and warm. Sun Yuan immediately understood what Ding Wei meant.


    Compared to Mr. Zhu¡¯s cold expressions, Miss Zhu¡¯s calm and gentle demeanor was the deadliest poison.


    Sun Yuan was unsure of what to do ¡ª should she prepare the drafts or not? Otherwise, when the media asked questions, there would be chaos. While she was struggling with this, the representatives from Shenzhou Group had already arrived.


    Ming Jing gracefully stood up, smoothed her skirt, and apanied by a group of senior executives, walked towards the group entrance to greet them.


    Everyone assumed that the personing to sign the contract would be at most the project manager of Shenzhou Group, not even the director. Therefore, when they saw Shen Zhou getting out of the car, they thought they were seeing things.


    My god, was it really Mr. Shen Zhou? What kind of luck was Zhu Group having?


    As everyone stood there stunned, Ming Jing calmly walked over, her expression unchanging amid the group of big shots, neither humble nor arrogant.


    ¡°Mr. Shen, I apologize for not weing you sooner.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s gentle, watery voice instantly brought everyone back to reality, as camera shes relentlessly captured this historic moment.


    Shen Zhou had been very low-key, and this was the first time in nearly a year that he had appeared in an official setting. This was truly a golden opportunity for the media to see him in person.<div>


    ¡°Miss Zhu, no need for formalities.¡±


    The two exchanged polite handshakes, then let go.


    One was a refined gentleman, the other an elegantdy. Although there was a 20 year age difference between them, standing together now, they made a striking pair of talent and beauty.


    ¡°Mr. Shen, please.¡±


    They walked side by side toward the first-floor hall. Shen Zhou was followed by his assistant Shen Ke, while beside Ming Jing was a young and handsome man with an air of elegance, presumably her assistant as well. The four of them entered the building, followed by the higher-ups who had finally snapped out of their shock.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the sun rising from the west? Mr. Shen actually came in person.¡± Ding Wei wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    This was quite a treat.


    ¡°Look who Mr. Shen is here for ¨C our Miss Zhu. She¡¯s not showing her true colors. ¡±


    ¡°If even Mr. Shen gives her face, it seems like Zhu Group¡¯s tide is about to turn.¡±


    In the past few days, Miss Zhu had removed whomever she wanted and inserted the people she wanted. Would there be a ce for Zhu Wentao when he returned to thepany?


    Zhang Zhihe watched Du Ze¡¯s receding figure from afar. He was the only one standing close to Shen Zhou, besides Miss Zhu.


    He suddenly understood Du Ze¡¯s point.


    ¡°Is the assistant standing next to Miss Shen your university ssmate?¡± Zhang Shuda asked.


    Zhang Zhihe nodded, ¡°Yes, he applied for the position of assistant and driver to Miss Zhu, and many people in our ssughed at him.¡±


    Zhang Shudaughed, ¡°Your ssmate is the smart one. You should learn from him..¡±

 Chapter 213 - 213: 101 Era (Part 1)_3

    Chapter 213 - 213: 101 Era (Part 1)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhang Zhihe lowered his head in despair.


    Once on the scene, the two sides took their seats in the main area. Under Ding Wei¡¯s guidance, a brief exnation of the project¡¯s main purpose and construction was given. His passionate words asionally spraying spittle relieved the somber atmosphere.<div>


    Next came the highlight of the day, the signing ceremony. Assistants presented two contracts, and both representatives signed and exchanged their copies. They stood up, shook hands, and posed for photos with their signed papers for the media.


    Since Ming Jing was under 18 years old, her signature had no legal effect, so Zhang Shuda signed for her. Renowned and prestigious within Zhu Group, Zhang Shuda¡¯s presence didn¡¯t detract from Shen Zhou¡¯s status.


    With that done, it was time for the media interviews. One male reporter gently asked, ¡°Mr. Shen, the Shenzhou Group has a longstanding tradition of not coborating with outsiders. Why have you chosen to cooperate with Zhu Group as it continues to decline? The public has never doubted your investment insight, but this time¡­¡±


    The reporter¡¯s question, although indirect, was tantamount to pping Zhu Group¡¯s face. Ding Wei¡¯s face darkened and he stared at the reporter, vowing to remember him.


    Zhang Shuda coughed and nced at the rumored Mr. Shen beside him.


    Shen Zhouughed with a refined air, not resembling a businessman but rather a schr, ¡°What is investment? It¡¯s like gambling. You bet on something and trust it will benefit you, and then you invest your money and time to wait for the expected returns. Over the years, I¡¯ve never made a mistake in my investments because I trust my judgment.¡±


    His exnation was easy to understand, and everyone got the message: Mr.


    Shen believed in the potential of Zhu Group.


    This undoubtedly boosted Zhu Group¡¯s morale.


    Ding Wei appeared satisfied, acknowledging Shen Zhou¡¯s insight.


    ¡°However, rather than saying I have faith in Zhu Group, I have more faith in Ms. Zhu. As the helmsman of Zhu Group, I believe she will lead thepany out of its current predicament and take it to new heights.¡±<div>


    With these words, the room fell silent for a moment.


    Everyone unconsciously looked at the girl seated next to Zhang Shuda. She had a face like blooming flowers and a tranquil gaze. She seemed like a dreamy illusion under the gentle spring breeze of April.


    Shen Zhou¡¯s words confirmed that this cooperation was all because of Zhu Mingjing.


    Though no one knew how she had won over Shen Zhou, his words sealed the deal that even if Zhu Wentao returned, the hearts of Zhu Group would no longer follow him.


    shlights relentlessly snapped pictures of Ming Jing¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, I¡¯m sure everyone is very curious about the reason behind this coboration with Shenzhou Group. Can you tell us why?¡±


    Nobody dared to think along those lines since even entertaining such thoughts seemed to taint the beautiful and gentle girl before them.


    Ming Jing picked up the microphone, ¡°I¡¯m humbled and grateful for Mr. Shen¡¯s faith in me. I will certainly repay his appreciation by taking actions.¡±


    Everybody praised her words about appreciation.


    It was as if an extraordinary horse had found its match in a discerning judge, elevating Shen Zhou¡¯s status while avoiding any scandals.


    In the following Q&A session, reporters asked severalmon business questions, which Ming Jing answered with ease. Herposed and poised demeanor earned unanimous approval.<div>


    Everyone thought her responses were pre -written, but several journalists who frequently dealt with Zhu Group wondered how their Public Rtions department¡¯s writing skills had improved so significantly, crafting more thoughtful and substantial responses.


    Sun Yuan stood at the edge of the crowd, watching Ming Jing answer questions and wiping the cold sweat off her forehead.


    ¡°Sister Yuan, did you write her script? It¡¯s very different from your usual style,¡± her colleague asked.


    Sun Yuan shook her head, ¡°No, the youngdy improvised.¡±


    Her colleague gaped at the articte Ming Jing and eximed, ¡°She truly is a top student! She¡¯s so impressive!¡±


    The signing ceremony sessfully concluded, with the reporters reluctantly watching the big shots leave the stage and hurrying to draft their news articles.


    Shen Zhou didn¡¯t linger since he had to attend a meeting in Jingduter that afternoon. After a brief backstage conversation with Ming Jing, he left. Many senior executives of Zhu Group wanted to exchange a few words with him but didn¡¯t have the chance. They could only watch Shen Zhou¡¯s retreating figure.


    ¡°Miss Zhu, it¡¯s gettingte. Shall we go for lunch? I¡¯ve reserved seats at Dechang Building,¡± Ding Wei said obsequiously.


    Ming Jing checked the time and replied, ¡°No, you guys go ahead. I have other things to attend to this afternoon.¡±


    With that, she left under the escort of her assistant.


    Zhang Shuda smiled and said, ¡°This old man can¡¯t keep up with you young folks. You all go enjoy yourselves. I need to go home.¡±


    Zhang Zhihe helped Zhang Shuda to leave, ¡°Grandfather, is Miss Zhu an old acquaintance of Shen Zhou?¡±


    ¡°Your father hasn¡¯t lived up to expectations, and this old man is not getting any younger. I originally nned for you to enter the family business, but now I¡¯ve changed my mind. Find a suitable time and join Zhu Group from the bottom.¡± Zhang Zhihe asked in surprise, ¡°Grandfather, why?¡±


    ¡°The family business is declining generation by generation and being reced by emerging industries. This old man has to admit defeat. Instead of clinging to a sinking ship, it¡¯s better to take a risk.¡±


    Zhang Zhihe still didn¡¯t understand. As they left the group building, the intense midday sun felt scorching on their skin.


    Zhang Shuda smiled and advised, ¡°Learn more from your ssmate.¡±


    Zhang Zhihe replied discontentedly, ¡°He¡¯s just a small assistant. What could I possibly learn from him?¡±


    Zhang Shuda¡¯s tone became stern, ¡°Heroese from all walks of life.


    Remember, your great-grandfather was once just a sailor before he forged his


    own path. You are too rigid in your thinking.¡±


    ¡°Opportunities abound in this era. It all depends on whether you can seize them.¡¯


    Zhang Zhihe nodded, seemingly getting the point, ¡°I understand, Grandfather. I will work hard.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang Shuda walked into the sunlight with his grandson¡¯s support..

 Chapter 214 - 214: 102 Dog Hole (Second Update)

    Chapter 214 - 214: 102 Dog Hole (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At the same time, various freshly baked news headlines appeared on major news outlets.


    Financial headlines ¨C Shenzhou Group and Zhu Group held a historic signing ceremony this morning!<div>


    ¡ª Mr. Shen Zhou personally attended the signing and had a friendly exchange with Ms. Zhu.


    Although Zhu Mingjing is a financial celebrity now, the gossip-loving public is more interested in her other identity: thedy of the Zhu family, a socialite from Jiangzhou. The entertainment headlines are therefore unavoidable.


    Today¡¯s entertainment headlines are like this ¨C Discussions on self-cultivation of famousdies.


    ¡ªLearn about dressing and matching from Ms. Zhu.


    ¡ªThe future fashion trend? Ms. Zhu¡¯s gentle style is sweeping the fashion circle.


    There is another news in between ¨C Countdown to Qu Feitai¡¯s concert in Jiangzhou, what surprises will the young superstar bring!


    One is a top-ss singer, and the other is a business socialite.


    They seem to be worlds apart, yet they appear on the same page.


    Equally young and aplished, they both shine brightly in their respective fields.


    On Chengdong Rd., at a beautifully decorated Chinese restaurant, the wind chimes hanging on the eaves tinkled together.


    The door opens, and a clean-looking mysterious teenager walks in, wearing a ck T-shirt, dark blue jeans, a mask, and a duckbill cap.<div>


    The waiter¡¯s eyes brightened, and he greeted warmly, ¡°Sir, do you have a reservation


    The teenager coughed lightly and lowered his voice, ¡°Mr. Song, Bamboo VIP Room.¡±


    ¡°Please follow me, sir.¡±


    The waiter led him inside. It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was quite busy. The moment the teenager entered, he attracted several gazes.


    As the young man walked away, a group of youngsters started discussing, ¡°Though he is wearing a mask, he still looks so handsome and has an incredible aura.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think his silhouette looks familiar?¡± One word provoked a startled response.


    ¡°Qu Feitai!¡±


    Unanimously and decisively!


    The door to the private room closed, Song Yinzhang stood up with a smile, ¡°Big star, it¡¯s really not easy to see you.¡±


    Qu Feitai took off his mask and cap, revealing his handsome face, and walked up to Song Yinzhang, making a fist to hit Song¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Oh,e on, so many people want to see me but can¡¯t. You¡¯re just pretending to be pitiful when you¡¯ve already got a good deal!¡±


    Song Yinzhang coughed and rubbed his shoulder, ¡°Do you lift weights every day?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai showed off his biceps with a smug look.


    Song Yinzhang helplessly said, ¡°Your body is already great, working out like this every day, how can we live inparison?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your own fault for being so useless, just salivate over big brother¡¯s body.


    Hahaha.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to imagine that this cold and aloof young star in the eyes of his fans is actually showing off and sharp- tongued in private.


    But this is the real Qu Feitai he knew.


    As they both sat down, Qu Feitai asked, ¡°What about Jiang Jinchen? I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time. I heard he was rmended to Jiangzhou University and haven¡¯t congratted him yet.¡±


    ¡°He went on a study tour abroad and will be back by the end of August.¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°I remember you have your college entrance exam next year, right? Your schedule is so busy, do you have time to study? Are you nning to attend a domestic university or one abroad? For your career development, a domestic university would be better.¡±


    Qu Feitai had taken a year off from school due to some experiences during his childhood. Thus, at 18, he was still in the second year of high school.


    ¡°I will apply to a domestic music academy. I¡¯ll lock myself away for three months before the college entrance examination. I¡¯ll need your help when the timees, Mr. Top Student.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, yourpany will hire a one-on-one Gold Medal teacher for you. There¡¯s no need for me.¡±


    Before Qu Feitai arrived, Song Yinzhang had already ordered dishes he liked, fearing that it might expose Qu Feitai¡¯s identity.


    ¡°The dishes are already cold, eat them before they get colder.¡±


    Qu Feitai began devouring the food.


    ¡°What was Bai Ziyan doing in Jiangzhou recently? This kid should focus on studying instead of running around.¡±


    Song Yinzhangughed, ¡°Oh him, he was too tightly controlled by his elder brother, so he sneaked away to Jiangzhou, causing quite amotion. He almost crippled the young master of the Zhu family.¡±


    ¡°The Zhu family?¡± Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow.


    Speaking of the Zhu family, Song Yinzhang¡¯s expression suddenly softened,


    ¡°Yes, and he even got to know Ms. Zhu. They became good friends.¡±


    Qu Feitai clicked open his phone, with headlines all about this Ms. Zhu; ¡°Zhu


    Mingjing?¡±


    Song Yinzhang¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°You know her too?¡±Qu Feitai scoffed, ¡°Just look at you, it¡¯s written all over your face. The girl who dethroned you from first ce, the famous Ms. Zhu.¡±


    ¡°She signed with Shenzhou Group this morning. She¡¯s an amazing person, you¡¯ll definitely want to meet her.¡± Qu Feitai shook his head, ¡°Not interested.¡±


    He continued eating quietly.


    Suddenly, Song Yinzhang recalled that when they were young, there was a girl in the courtyard who had a crush on Qu Feitai. What did Qu Feitai do? It was simply brilliant.


    He put a caterpir in the young girl¡¯s backpack, then tied firecrackers to her braids. The girl was so scared of the caterpir that she cried and ran away. Then Qu Feitai ignited the firecrackers¡­ With a bang, the scene was too hot for words¡­


    The girl was so frightened that she would be sick whenever she saw Qu Feitai¡­


    As a result, Father Qu violently beat Qu Feitai, causing him to run away from home¡­ and then something bad happened.


    Anyway, Qu Feitai was the nightmare of all little girls in the courtyard. Don¡¯t be fooled by his seemingly decent appearance, he¡¯s a little demon on the inside. He even doubted if there was any sense of tenderness in Qu Feitai¡¯s DNA.


    The two ate and chatted, catching up on all those years they haven¡¯t seen each other, there were too many things to talk about.


    After the meal, they agreed to y basketball together. As Qu Feitai stepped out of the VIP room, a group of girls screamed and rushed towards him.


    ¡°Ah Ah Ah! It¡¯s really Qu Feitai, oh my god! Ahhhhhhh..


    Song Yinzhang said helplessly, ¡°I underestimated your poprity. If I had known, I would have chosen a more secluded restaurant.¡±


    Qu Feitai waved his hand, ¡°I appreciate everyone¡¯s enthusiasm, but today is a private gathering between me and my friend. I hope you can understand, okay?¡±


    The young man¡¯s maic and deep voice was sexy and gentle. Everyone seemed to be bewitched, nodding their heads in a daze.


    ¡°Understand, understand. Let¡¯s make way for Brother to leave. We can¡¯t interfere with his private life.¡±


    Someone took the initiative to maintain order and clear a path. Qu Feitai curved his eyes, ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡±


    With that, he and Song Yinzhang quickly left. ¡°He¡¯s so gentle. He smiled, he smiled at me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dreaming. He clearly smiled at me¡­¡±


    More and more bystanders came to the restaurant upon hearing the news of Qu Feitai dining there. The entrance was jam-packed.


    Left with no choice, Song Yinzhang had to hide with him in the kitchen. ¡°What do we do now? We¡¯re trapped here.¡±


    Qu Feitai tried to call Huang Chao, but couldn¡¯t get through, probably asleep.


    Tian Long had the day off today and had gone to see his aunt, who was married and living in Jiangzhou.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± , Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t help but curse. Huang Chao was such an unreliable manager.


    Song Yinzhang thought for a moment, ¡°Now, we can only seek help from one person.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at him.


    Song Yinzhang dialed a number, and after a couple of rings, it was picked up,


    ¡°Hello, Song, you need something from me?¡± Hearing the gentle voice of the young girl, Song Yinzhang finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Ahem, well, my friend and I are stuck in Zhuxiang Building. Can you send a car to pick us up? It¡¯s really troublesome, but if you¡¯re busy, I¡¯ll find someone else.¡±


    Ming Jing squinted her eyes, opened Weibo, searched for Zhuxiang Building, and instantly understood the situation.


    So, Qu Feitai was Song Yinzhang¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Okay, stay put and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll send someone over to pick you up immediately.¡±


    After hanging up, Song Yinzhang sighed with relief. Qu Feitai gave him a side nce, ¡°A girl?¡±


    Song Yinzhang grinned, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    Qu Feitai snorted.


    More and more people surged towards Zhuxiang Building, making the entrance impassable.


    Ming Jing called the police immediately, and officers were dispatched to maintain order at the scene.


    As luck would have it, Ming Jing was near Zhuxiang Building. After hearing the situation, Du Ze said, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a small door behind Zhuxiang Building that leads directly to the back alley. Only the staff knows about it, so you can ask


    them to leave through that door. We¡¯ll wait for them at the alley entrance; this way it¡¯ll be safe and easy.¡±


    Du Ze had worked as a summer job at Zhuxiang Building while he was in college.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ that ¡®small door¡¯ might be a bit humiliating for a big star.¡± Du Ze said, barely suppressing hisughter.


    Standing in front of the so-called ¡°small door,¡± Qu Feitai and Song Yinzhang looked at each other.


    A flock of crows flew overhead.


    Is this a small door? It¡¯s clearly a dog hole.


    Gritting his teeth, Qu Feitai said, ¡°Is your friend ying us?¡±

 Chapter 215 - 215: 103 Willingly (First Update)

    Chapter 215 - 215: 103 Willingly (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Song Yinzhang said, ¡°No way, you go out first, I¡¯ll cover for you.¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t dawdle, do you really want to be stuck here?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai bent over, his tall frame barely peeking out before getting stuck. Song


    Yinzhang stifled hisughter, wishing he could capture this moment to show Feitai¡¯s fans how pathetic their idol looked trying to squeeze through a dog hole.


    Song Yinzhang pushed at his waist, and with a snap, Qu Feitai howled in pain as he sessfully wriggled his way out of the dog hole.


    ¡°Song Yinzhang, screw you¡­.¡± An angry young voice was heard cursing from behind the wall.


    Song Yinzhang, shorter and much thinner than Qu Feitai, swiftly crawled out.


    Brushing the dust off his shoulder, Song Yinzhang patted Qu Feitai¡¯s shoulder with a grin, ¡°Consider it a life experience, how does it feel?¡±


    ¡°Horrible, having lunch with you today was a huge mistake.¡± Qu Feitai turned and walked away.


    Song Yinzhang quickly caught up. The alley was quiet, seldom frequented by others. A white sedan was parked near the entrance of the alley.


    Song Yinzhang pointed to the car, ¡°Our ride¡¯s here, let¡¯s get in.¡±


    Qu Feitai was about to get in when a sh of white light caught his eye, leaving him momentarily stunned.


    ¡°What are you dawdling for? Get in the car!¡± Song Yinzhang urged from behind.<div>


    Qu Feitai narrowed his eyes, pursed his lips, and got into the car.


    Song Yinzhang walked around to the passenger side and hopped in.


    The engine roared to life, and they quietly pulled out of the alley and onto the main road.


    Just to the right of the intersection was the entrance to Zhuxiang Building, which was currently mobbed with people. Even three police cars on scene couldn¡¯t keep the crowd under control.


    There were many people gathered at the intersection as well. Du Ze honked the horn and some people instinctively stepped aside, allowing their otherwise inconspicuous vehicle to merge into the stream of traffic.


    No one knew that the very celebrity they were crazily chasing after was sitting right inside this sedan, disappearing right under their noses.


    Song Yinzhang turned to Ming Jing, chuckling, ¡°Thanks a lot, Ming Jing. We would¡¯ve been at a total loss without you.¡±


    Ming Jing?


    Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow.


    In his line of sight was the trailing end of a graceful white dress, like a blooming lily, emanating a faint fragrance.


    But he had never smelled this scent before, unlike any ordinary floral perfume. It was more reminiscent of a mountain spring, a snow lotus, and clearke water. A clean, invigorating scent that refreshes the senses.<div>


    ¡°No problem, it was my pleasure.¡± A girl¡¯s gentle, cold voice fell softly into his ears, feeling like a fragrant spring breeze, bringing with it the warmth and bloom of spring.


    As a singer, Qu Feitai was especially sensitive to voices. He had heard countless high-pitched, dolphin-like female voices before. They were gifts granted by God. This voice, however, could be called the provision supplied by God.


    Spiritual and ethereal, gentle as water, leaving one feeling as if they had fallen into a dream where everything around them seemed unreal.


    This was the voice worthy of being called heavenly.


    Qu Feitai tapped his finger rhythmically on his knee.


    ¡°I saw the news today. You signed a major project with Shenzhou Group. Awesome!¡± Song Yinzhang genuinely praised.


    Ming Jing was now on par with Shen Zhou, and the news had almost driven their school forum crazy. Yet, Song Yinzhang wasn¡¯t surprised.


    He had known for a long time that this girl was extraordinary.


    A dragon in hiding would one day ascend to the heavens.


    ¡°Where can I drop you off?¡± Ming Jing changed the subject, clearly not wanting to discuss the previous topic further.


    Song Yinzhang looked at Qu Feitai.


    ¡°The Jiangzhou Hotel, thank you.¡±


    Du Ze steered onto the next intersection to join the elevated highway.


    It was neither rush hour in the morning nor evening, and the Jiangzhou Hotel was not far away. It only took about fifteen minutes to get there.


    The car stopped at the entrance of the Jiangzhou Hotel.


    Before getting out of the car, Qu Feitai nced at the girl sitting next to him.


    Pursing his lips, he quietly said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then got out of the car.


    With the car door closing, the sedan drove off into the distance without a trace of hesitation.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, hurry back and get some rest.¡±


    Noticing Feitai continued to stare off into the direction the car disappeared, which was now a tiny speck, Song Yinzhang couldn¡¯t help but pat his shoulder.


    ¡°Ming Jing is really nice, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    Qu Feitai coughed lightly, ¡°What does that have to do with me.¡± He then turned and walked into the hotel.


    Song Yinzhang shook his head with a smile, thinking to himself how this kid was always so proud.


    As soon as Qu Feitai got out of the elevator, Huang Chao rushed out of the room in a panic. Seeing Feitai, he shrieked and rushed over, looking him up and down, ¡°I just woke up and saw the news. Are you okay? My goodness..¡±

 Chapter 216 - 216: 103 Willingness (First Watch) _2

    Chapter 216 - 216: 103 Willingness (First Watch) _2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qu Feitai gave a cold nod, ¡°This is my childhood friend. He had a friend bring me back.¡±


    Huang Chao rushed over, grabbed Song Yinzhang¡¯s hand, and gratefully said, ¡°Little brother, I owe you big time. The consequences could have been unthinkable otherwise. Can I treat you to dinner?¡±<div>


    Song Yinzhang finally got a taste of this ¡®entric¡¯ manager that always trailed Qu Feitai in rumors, ¡°As long as Xiao Fei is safely with you, I¡¯m reassured. I have something to do this afternoon, so I¡¯ll be leaving first. Xiao Fei, I¡¯ll be in touch. ¡±


    Song Yinzhang waved his hand, turned around and left.


    Huang Chao took a few steps forward, staring longingly as Song Yinzhang disappeared into the elevator.


    ¡°Your childhood friend¡­ not bad looking. Would he be interested in joining the entertainment world? We don¡¯t have this type of schr-idol yet.¡± Huang Chao pondered, stroking his chin.


    Qu Feitai, not bothering to move, walked straight into the room, mming the door shut behind him. Huang Chao was left standing there, nearly rubbing his nose in the dust.


    The first thing Qu Feitai did when he came back from outside was to have a bath. He was about to take off his T-shirt when he paused.


    A faint, cold fragrance hanged on his clothes, like a woman was by his side, emanating a dark, floating sweetness.


    An image shed in his mind. Qu Feitai shook his head and turned on the shower, the cold water hitting his head trying to wash away the images in his head.


    However, no matter how cold the water was, those images and sounds seemed to have taken root, stubbornly refusing to leave. Strangely enough, it was like there was a kitten in the depths of his heart. Its tiny paws asionally scratching, and each time he scolded, the kitten would timidly withdraw, only to cheekily wander out again soon after.


    Qu Feitai, feeling irritated, shook his head, turned off the shower, wrapped himself in a bathrobe and stepped out.


    His phone rang with a message notification. Qu Feitai walked over, picked up the phone, and took a nce.<div>


    The stage director for the Jiangzhou concert had sent him a special effects visualization. Qu Feitai was about to open it, but suddenly an ad popped up.


    Current news apps send notifications in real time, and the push advertising was mostly local Jiangzhou stuff.


    ¡ª Unveiling the Lady of the Zhu Household¡¯s Rise to Prominence: From Nun to Business Celebrity!


    Qu Feitai¡¯s pupils constricted suddenly. He was never bothered by these messy ads, but this time, as if possessed, he opened the article, even ignoring the stage design that he cared about most.


    Qu Feitai realized this but couldn¡¯t control his hand. His mind and actions seemed to have split.


    This entertainment ount, known as Jiangzhou Gossip, provided an insightful analysis of the recent personality, Zhu Mingjing. It started with her upbringing, no longer a secret in Jiangzhou as her fame grew, and her past was dug up more and more.


    This reporter must have been following Zhu Mingjing for a long time, knowing her well. The reporter started from her return to Jiangzhou three months ago. The tone was like a storytelling session, mixing all kinds of elements such as the true and false heiress, party set-ups, genius top student, esoteric master, business maverick, etc., more dramatic and cliche than primetime soap opera, addictive reading. From a humble nun to Jiangzhou¡¯s personality, it was truly a blood boiling counterattack, and all of this happened in just over three months.


    Born amidst wealth but ended up living in the countryside for years. Living a life of pure simplicity in the Buddhist Nunnery, and upon her return, she not only excelled schstically but also in Buddhist teachings. When the Zhu Group was in trouble, despite being the heiress and not having enjoyed much wealth, she took all responsibility upon herself.


    At a crucial moment, she managed to turn the tide. Walking alongside the famous Shen Zhou, she was neither humble nor arrogant, showing the demeanor of a great leader at a young age.


    She had a celestial beauty, a heart filled withpassion. Such a person, only sixteen years old, was not subjected to the world¡¯s sympathy, but its admiration.


    The article of more than three thousand words subtly stoked the reader¡¯s emotions. Qu Feitai finished reading it, spending a full half hour to fully understand it.<div>


    It was difficult to believe that all these halos belonged to a sixteen-year-old girl.


    What had she been through?


    From the moment he opened the car door for her until he finally left the car, she had not looked at him once. To her, this heartthrob adored by millions of fans was less than air.


    For the first time in his life, Qu Feitai felt the taste of being ignored.


    He had always been proud. Wherever he went, he was the center of attention. Handsome, with a good family background, talented, and any song written casually would be popr¡­.

 Chapter 217 - 217: 103 Willingly (First Update) _3

    Chapter 217 - 217: 103 Willingly (First Update) _3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    For the first time in eighteen years, someone wasn¡¯t attracted by his aura.


    Qu Feitai wasn¡¯t narcissistic, he was just curious. Could this be an aftereffect of bing a monk since childhood?<div>


    Or in other words, when a person¡¯s inner strength reaches a certain level, they can be unaffected by anything external, not even being influenced by a top-tier star like him¡­


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t know whether the bitterness in his heart was simply disagreeableness or¡­


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, are you free now? Pleasee to the police station.¡±


    The car stopped in front of the police station. As soon as Ming Jing got out of the car, Xu Huan walked up to her and said, ¡°Ms. Zhu, something has happened. Han Suwen has disappeared.¡±


    Xu Huan saw no expression on Ms. Zhu¡¯s face. She replied indifferently, ¡°When did she leave yesterday?¡±


    Xu Huan narrated the whole story, ¡°After Cai Ping was brought back to the station, I called Han Suwen toe and make a statement. She had a fight with Cai Ping after learning the truth, and our police had to intervene. She sat in the station all afternoon. I was busy handing Cai Ping over to the procuratorate and didn¡¯t have time to look after her. When it was getting dark, I returned to the station and found her missing. I asked a few colleagues, but they were all busy with cases and didn¡¯t notice her leaving. I also called the Zhus, but she didn¡¯t go back there. I checked the surveince footage; she left the station around six in the evening and went south. I searched the surrounding area, but couldn¡¯t find her. I already dispatched some colleagues to look for her, but there¡¯s still no news. That¡¯s why I called you.¡± Ming Jing nodded and asked, ¡°Have you seen Qin Xu?¡±


    Xu Huan was startled, as if her words had enlightened him.


    ¡°Yesterday, when I handed over Cai Ping, I seemed to see him hiding behind a tree at the entrance of the police station.¡±


    ¡°First, try to contact Qin Xu. There¡¯s a great probability Han Suwen is with him.


    Let¡¯s go to the Qins¡¯ ce and look.¡±


    Xu Huan thought about it and left to gather people to go to the Qins¡¯ ce. It had been more than twelve hours; they couldn¡¯t afford any idents.<div>


    Du Ze followed the police car in his own vehicle. On the way, Ming Jing called Han Suwen, but her phone was switched off.


    When they arrived at the Qins¡¯ apartment, Xu Huan went upstairs with two of his colleagues. ¡°Ms. Zhu, you wait downstairs for news. My colleagues and I will go up and check.¡±


    Due to the arrival of the police, many people gathered around to watch. Seeing Ming Jing, they began to specte in amazement.


    ¡°Did something happen to the Qins? I heard that their granddaughter was actually sold by her own grandmother, that old witch Cai Ping. I never expected her to be so ruthless. For the past five years, she med everything on her daughter-inw, but it turns out she was the real culprit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless old woman. Even the death penalty is too lenient for her. But it¡¯s really unfortunate for the granddaughter Han Suwen¡­¡± ¡°Have they found the child?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, but since they¡¯ve caught the person, they should have found where the child is, right? Let¡¯s wait for the police¡¯s announcement.¡±


    Ming Jing could hear the whispers of the people not far away, her gaze slightly narrowed, and she went upstairs.


    ¡°Miss,¡± Du Ze called from behind.


    ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t worry about me,¡± she said without looking back and went upstairs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, stay still¡­¡± Two policemen escorted Qin Xu out of the room.


    Qin Xu¡¯s head hung low, his face grim.<div>


    His gaze fell upon a familiar white dress in the corner of his sight. Qin Xu suddenly raised his head; an unexpected light burst from his dead, dull eyes. His desated lips quivered violently, ¡°Ms¡­Ms. Zhu.¡±


    He shook off the two policemen, and fearing he might harm Ms. Zhu, they let him go. The next moment, Qin Xu kneeled in front of Ming Jing, knocking his head hard on the ground three times.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, you¡¯re a good person. It¡¯s my mother and I who have wronged you, but please, please don¡¯t let Nannan know about her real identity. That would be too cruel for her. I beg you, let her be your sister for the rest of her life.¡±


    The two policemen looked at each other dumbfounded. Xu Huan, who hade out following them, sighed.


    Ming Jing looked at him indifferently, her expression neither sad nor happy, ¡°She has the right to know where she came from. That¡¯s not an excuse for you to hide the truth.¡±


    With that, she stepped into the apartment, ¡°Where is Han Suwen?


    Xu Huan pointed to the bedroom, ¡°She was knocked out by Qin Xu. It seems he was nning tomit suicide with her by burning charcoal.¡±


    A charcoal basiny on the bedroom floor.


    Han Suwen had already regained consciousness. Seeing Ming Jing, she rushed forward emotionally, kneeling and knocking heads just like Qin Xu did. ¡°Miss, from now on, my life is yours.¡±


    ¡°Your life is your own. Now get up,¡± Ming Jing walked to the window and looked down.


    Qin Xu was escorted into a police car by two officers while the crowd pointed and whispered.


    From now on, the Qins¡¯ notoriety would spread far and wide.


    ¡°Miss, can I ask you for a favor?¡±, Han Suwen asked cautiously.


    Ming Jing¡¯s fair fingers twirled the Buddhist beads, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t let Ming Yi know about her past. I will serve you faithfully in return, and I Imow you treat Ming Yi as your own beloved sister. That is her good fortune. Sometimes, it¡¯s better not to know some things.¡±


    With negligent parents like them, and a wicked grandmother like Cai Ping, the rumors that apanied her along the way would cause her immense pain. In fact, she wanted to die together with Qjn Xu. These past five years had been stolen trom her. Now that the truth had been revealed, and the ottenders punished, Nannan would have a loving sister in Ms. Zhu. She believed in Ms. Zhu¡¯s ability to protect Nannan for a lifetime without worries, which would be much better than staying with her failed parents like them.


    She could finally leave with a clear conscience.


    ¡°Before this, you were a great mother. But just now, when you decided to take your own life, you lost the right to be loved by Xiao Wu.¡±


    ¡°Everyone ns her future for her so-called wellbeing, but have you ever considered what Xiao Wu truly wants? Only selfish people would make excuses for their own cowardice.¡±


    With that, she left the room.


    Han Suwen remained in the bedroom, crying her heart out.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, what about Nannan? You see¡­¡± Xu Huan hesitated to ask.


    Nobody had expected that the granddaughter the Qins had lost for five years would turn out to be Ms. Zhu¡¯s junior disciple.


    Was this misfortune or good fortune?


    Compared to the aura of Ms. Zhu, if she could also receive Ms. Zhu¡¯s sincere care, what Nannan could have would be far more than what she had at the Qins¡¯ house.


    That must be the reason why Qin Xu and Han Suwen were unwilling to acknowledge their past.


    But was that what a child needed?

 Chapter 218 - 218: 104 Spark (second revision)

    Chapter 218 - 218: 104 Spark (second revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Mingyi is my sister, and she always will be.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s gentle yet firm voice gradually sounded.<div>


    Xu Huan was startled before nodding: ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Zhu, there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to tell you.¡±


    Ming Jing stopped and turned to look at him.


    Xu Huan scratched his head: ¡°Well, when I went to Siji Town to investigate Mingyi¡¯s background, I identally discovered that there were some people secretly investigating as well. They were focusing on the people of Jiyue Temple. As a police officer, I¡¯m always extra vignt about such things, so I paid attention and found out that they were also looking for someone. Could it be that your senior sisters¡¯ family members came to find them?¡±


    Ming Jing and her four sisters were all orphans. After several twists and turns, the Zhus found Ming Jing, who had been swapped at birth. Mingyi had been abducted, but what about the other sisters? Could they have been separated from their families for various reasons, and their families were now looking for them?


    Xu Huan didn¡¯t notice the change in Ming Jing¡¯s expression, and even if he did, he couldn¡¯t tell anything from it. He scratched his head and said: ¡°However, it¡¯s a bit strange because they were asking vigers about what happened twelve years ago, but the ages don¡¯t match up. I guess I might be overthinking it.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered subtly, leaving no traces.


    ¡°Thank you, Officer Xu, for going through all this trouble.¡±


    Xu Huan quickly waved his hand, somewhat embarrassed: ¡°This is just my duty as a police officer. I only regret that I couldn¡¯t find out sooner and bring the human traffickers to justice.¡±


    The two of them said goodbye, and Ming Jing went downstairs.


    Xu Huan looked at Ming Jing¡¯s elegant and tall figure, sighing: Miss Zhu is truly intelligent and kind-hearted. If it weren¡¯t for her ability to spot subtle clues and provide leads, this case would have remained unsolved.<div>


    Ming Jing walked slowly, her fingers brushing over the ancient Buddhist beads, her eyes slightly narrowed, her expression indescribable.


    That rainy night twelve years ago¡­


    What couldn¡¯t be avoided, eventually came!


    After disappearing for a day and a night, Han Suwen returned to the Zhu¡¯s home.


    Madam Zhou pulled her aside, worriedly asking: ¡°Where were you the whole day? I was so worried. If you didn¡¯te back, I was going to call the police.¡± Han Suwen looked at her with gratitude: ¡°Madam Zhou, thank you.¡±


    Madam Zhou wiped away her tears, speaking softly: ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Forget about the past, and just do your job well. Miss likes diligent people.¡±


    Han Suwen nodded solemnly: ¡°I understand, Madam Zhou.¡±


    At the kitchen doorway, a small head poked out, curiously looking at Han Suwen: ¡°Aunt Wen, why are you crying? Did someone bully you? You can tell me, and I¡¯ll stand up for you!¡±


    The little girl, with wide, innocent eyes, spoke innocently.


    Han Suwen couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer, rushed over to wrap her arms around Mingyi, and sobbed loudly.


    Madam Zhou watched the scene, somewhat at a loss.<div>


    Ming Jing stood quietly not far away, watching them with no hint of what she was thinking.


    ¡°Miss¡­ It wasn¡¯t Suwen¡¯s fault. Please don¡¯t me her,¡± Madam Zhou hesitated to say.


    Ming Jing let out a faint sigh, seemingly a mix of sorrow and helplessness, and turned away.


    The heartbreaking pain of separation, the remarkable happiness of reunion.


    ¡°Aunt Wen, don¡¯t cry,¡± Mingyi consoled her in a childish voice, gently patting her back.


    ¡°Ming Jing said that tears can consume your fortune. If something makes you very sad, just tell Yi Yi, and we can share the burden together. Okay?¡±


    The little girl¡¯s innocent and pure words made even Madam Zhou, who was standing on the side, smile.


    Han Suwen squatted on the ground, looked up at Mingyi with tears still streaming down her face, yet smiling tenderly.


    ¡°Good, Yi Yi is so good.¡±


    For the past few days, Zhu Xiangxiang had been staying in her room to avoid Ming Jing.


    She was afraid that she would explode if she saw Ming Jing.Finally, she went downstairs for a drink of water, only to see a big and small figure hugging and crying together in the kitchen.


    ¡°Why are you crying? Did the Zhus do something wrong?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang frowned and asked.


    Bad luck.


    Madam Zhou nced at her and pulled her aside, ¡°Suwen is brought back by the youngdy, be polite to her.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her lip, ¡°Madam Zhou, I don¡¯t mean anything else. Sister Suwen is crying like this, people who don¡¯t know might think Ming Jing bullied her.¡¯


    Madam Zhou sneered, who else in the Zhu family would think that way except you?


    Zhu Xiangxiang poured a ss of water and squinted at Han Suwen and Mingyi. Suddenly she asked, ¡°Can Ming Jing¡¯s juniors find their families? If they can return to their families, it would also be a good deed for Ming Jing.¡±


    Do you need to remind me? Madam Zhou said sarcastically, ¡°The youngdy should have her own n.¡±


    There¡¯s already a Zhu Xiangxiang in the Zhu family, and raising three more wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was calcting in her heart. If Ming Xin was the youngdy of the Zhu family, then who was Ming Jing? Her background might be even worse than Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s. Once she found evidence, she would brutally expose Ming Jing¡¯s hypocritical mask.


    ¡°Ahhhh! ¡± Zhou Bao dashed down from the second floor like a madwoman. The first person she saw was Madam Zhou, she rushed over, grabbed Madam Zhou¡¯s hand, and shook it, ¡°Qu Feitai came to Jiangzhou, he¡¯s here in Jiangzhou, he had lunch at Zhuxiang Building, so many people blocked him, wu wu why did I see the news only now.¡±


    Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t understand Zhou Bao¡¯s star chasing, ¡°Miss Yingying, lower your voice, Madam Zhou¡¯s ears will be deafened by your shouting.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang was stunned, Qu Feitai? That big star Qu Feitai?


    She used to like his songs too, the key was that he was handsome, probably every girl¡¯s dream lover.


    Hearing that he wasing to Jiangzhou, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart was uncontrobly agitated.


    She had been entangled in mundane affairs in recent months and had no time to pay attention to her favorite stars, so when she suddenly heard Qu Feitai¡¯s name, she was a little surprised.


    ¡°Xiangxiang sister, Qu Feitai¡¯s concert in Jiangzhou is on the 29th, have you bought tickets?¡± Zhou Bao asked anxiously, she remembered Zhu Xiangxiang used to like Qu Feitai, and she bought every new album.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, ¡°I forgot about it, is it toote to buy tickets now?¡±


    ¡°The tickets sold out long ago, now you can only go through the internalplimentary ticket channel, you can ask someone if any of the concert sponsors have worked with Zhu Group, and can give us some convenience.¡±


    It was easy to get internalplimentary tickets if you had connections, but with someone like Qu Feitai, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered, ¡°I am now a fallen phoenix that is inferior to a chicken, you might as well ask your cousin, she is now the group chairman, it¡¯s just a matter of opening her mouth.¡±


    Zhou Bao pped her forehead, ¡°Right, yeah, why should I tell you?¡±


    Ignoring Zhu Xiangxiang, she turned and ran away, muttering as she went, ¡°Who is the phoenix and who is the chicken? What a self-praising girl.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡­this damn girl, so cheap.


    Qu Feitai only took a day off, and on the 23rd, he began to devote himself to intensive rehearsals.


    The venue for the Jiangzhou concert was held in the Jiangzhou Stadium, basically rehearsing with the band in the morning andmunicating with the stage?¨¹l?? team on special effects on site in the afternoon. In general, these details were taken care of by professional personnel, but Qu Feitai was hands-on and didn¡¯t miss any details, striving for perfection, which was why every one of his concerts brought an almost artistic enjoyment for the audience.


    It was almost eight o¡¯clock in the evening when everything was over. Qu Feitai had been working non-stop all day without a second of rest. At noon, he ate while talking on the phone with a foreign music producer, and was so absorbed that he almost fed the food into his nostrils. Tian Long secretly recorded this funny and poignant scene, intending to edit it into the behind-the-scenes documentary, which would sell another wave of dedicated personality.


    No, it shouldn¡¯t be called selling personality. Qu Feitai was originally like that.


    He liked to keep a low profile, and his agent loved marketing. Huang Chao¡¯s mantra was: good wine is not afraid of deep alleys.


    Fortunately, Qu Feitai¡¯s professionalism was excellent, and Huang Chao¡¯s marketing couldn¡¯t overturn it.


    Climbing into the trailer, Qu Feitai leaned back in his chair and squinted his eyes. After a while, he said, ¡°Xiao Tian, when you pass the coffee shop, buy me a cup of coffee.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to sleep tonight?¡± Tian Long disagreed.


    Qu Feitai leanedzily against the back of the chair, tapping his knee gently with one hand, as if beautiful melodies were being born beneath his fingers.


    ¡°Inspiration came, writing a new song.¡±


    Tian Long had no choice, just passing by a Starbucks, he told the driver to stop and went to buy coffee.


    Qu Feitai idly nced out the window, then suddenly, his gaze froze on the other side of the street and stopped.


    Deep in his radiant, vast eyes, sparks of starlight shed..

 Chapter 219 - 219: 105 Capture (First Watch)

    Chapter 219 - 219: 105 Capture (First Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The ancient and heavy gate of the Chinese-style teahouse stood, its two hanging rednterns lightly swaying in the night breeze. The diffuse light entwined with the breeze, casting a hazy glow that shimmered like a shallow hum in the darkness.


    A figure draped in a faint red light emerged, and it seemed as if everything around fell silent.<div>


    The figure got into a white sedan by the roadside and quickly disappeared into the night.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tian Long¡¯s voice brought Qu Feitai back to his senses. He lowered his gaze and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Tian Long handed him a coffee. Qu Feitai took it, murmuring thanks.


    Tian Long sensed something was off with Qu Feitai, but he figured it was from the recent strain and didn¡¯t dwell on it. He told the driver to hurry back to the hotel.


    As the car pulled away, another man angrily stomped out of the teahouse, cursing under his breath.


    ¡°Damn girl, don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her. If she pushes me too far, I¡¯ll kill her¡­


    The secretary quickly advised, ¡°Mr. Li, please be careful what you say.¡± This individual was none other than Mr. Li.


    He held ast trump card; as long as he handed it over, Zhu Wentao wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. He didn¡¯t n on using it now, but since things were so dire, he thought he¡¯d strike a deal with Zhu Mingjing. Who knew the girl would be so stubborn, not even taking her father¡¯s safety into ount?


    Could there be such a cold-hearted daughter in this world?


    Mr. Li simmered with anger, and a sense of triumph. Zhu Wentao, you¡¯d kept me down for all these years, only to fall at the hands of your own daughter.<div>


    He wondered if the revtion would make Zhu Wentao cough blood in anger.


    At the same time, Mr. Li trembled with fear. Wooing the girl meant having his skin scraped off first.


    She was so young, yet so cunning. It boggled the mind to think what she might


    De given tne time.


    ¡°Everyone else¡¯s roll is done, I guess I¡¯m up next. Am I supposed to just lie down and take it? I refuse to believe there¡¯s nothing I can use against her. Look into it, and quickly.¡±


    He refused to believe he couldn¡¯t make a girl submit.


    By the time Ming Jing returned to the Zhus, it was already nine in the evening.


    Lin Qing, draped in cashmere, awaited her in the living room, rising when Ming Jing walked in.


    ¡°Ming Jing, did you see Mr. Li?¡±


    Although Lin Qing hadn¡¯t been involved in thepany for years, she was one of the founding members. Most of Ming Jing¡¯s share came from her. Lin Qing was not as weak as she seemed.


    ¡°Yes.¡±<div>


    ¡°He¡¯s one of the founding elders, along with your father. He¡¯s cautious and ambitious, probably has a lot of dirt on your father. He hasn¡¯t been clean in years. People¡¯s greed grows like that. Did he threaten you?¡± Lin Qing worriedly said.


    ¡°Anyone who¡¯s done wrong should be punished by thew. There¡¯s no reason or excuse to let them off the hook.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s icy voice was resolute.


    Lin Qing recognized the meaning behind her words, feeling both relief and chill.


    She found her own conflicted thoughts ludicrous.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. These are the punishments he deserves.¡± Lin Qing murmured.


    Ming Jing did not miss the fleeting loss in Lin Qing¡¯s eyes. Without offering an exnation, she left Lin Qing to her ownplicated thoughts.


    Some things weren¡¯t useful even when exined.


    Good and evil hinged on a single thought, and that thought depended on one¡¯s true nature.


    ¡°Have you taken your medicine today?¡± Ming Jing asked indifferently. Lin Qing snapped to attention. ¡°Yes, I took it. Just like you told me to, I take it every day.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Take care of yourself.¡±


    Then she went upstairs.


    Lin Qing stared at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure. Had she been showing concern just now?


    Her indifference to her father¡¯s plight was because of his own excesses, right?


    Even if that was her biological father.


    The next morning, Qu Feitai woke up with a flushed face.


    Staring at the ceiling, the youth let out a long sigh.


    There was a knock at the door. ¡°Xiao Fei, are you awake yet?¡±


    A highly disciplined person, it was unusual for Qu Feitai to still be in bed at nearly nine, especially on a day when filming was scheduled. Qu Feitai kicked his long legs under the covers, irritated..

 Chapter 220 - 220: 105 Desire to Capture (an update)_2

    Chapter 220 - 220: 105 Desire to Capture (an update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Tian Long initially thought that Qu Feitai had stayed up toote writing songs the night before, causing him to not wake up in the morning. But after


    Knocking on tne door tor a long time Witn no response, ne began to teel tnat something was off.<div>


    ¡°Stop knocking, I¡¯m awake.¡±


    Upon hearing Qu Feitai¡¯s voice, Tian Long heaved a sigh of relief: ¡°We have a photoshoot by the river with Feiyue¡¯s photographer at ten in the morning, and it¡¯s nearly nine now.¡±


    Bro, do you want news of your diva-like behavior to be spread around?


    Although there¡¯s a high probability that Huang Chao would do damage control, it was contrary to Qu Feitai¡¯s principles to behave this way.


    Qu Feitai came out after taking a shower, face flushed from the vapors. As he passed his writing desk, he nced at a notebook filled with peculiar symbols.


    It was Qu Feitai¡¯s manuscript, hard to obtain even with a lot of money.


    Qu Feitai picked up the guitar at the corner of the table and strummed twice. The tune was clear and crisp.


    Tian Long pressed his ear to the door, listening to the guitar sound from inside, which was apanied by the young man¡¯s sound without lyrics. The tune was refreshing and bright, making people feel good as soon as they heard it.


    Is this the new song Qu Feitai wrotest night? It sounds good and is his preferred style.


    The snippet ended quickly, suggesting the song had more parts. Tian Long couldn¡¯t wait to hear the full piece.


    Qu Feitai, now changed and dressed, came out ten minutester.<div>


    Tian Long looked at the ck T-shirt he was wearing, somewhat puzzled.


    Qu Feitai was a clean freak, especially in the summer. He would never wear the same outfit for two days. This time when he came to Jiangzhou, he brought three suitcases full of his personal clothes.


    This ck T-shirt, Tian Long remembered, hadn¡¯t Qu Feitai worn it the day before yesterday?


    Or did Qu Feitai buy several identical ck T-shirts?


    Tian Long felt that he understood Qu Feitai well, thetter possibility seemed more usible.


    It must be so. How else could a neat freak like Qu Feitai wear the same short-sleeved shirt for three days in a row?


    On their way to Qujiang, Qu Feitai was eating breakfast while on an audio call with his music producer.


    Huang Chao had left early in the morning to discuss with concert sponsors and was finally having a quiet moment.


    After the call ended and his breakfast was finished, Qu Feitai put on his Bluetooth headset and began ying audio files on his phone.


    His fingers tapped rhythmically on his thigh.


    At such times, Tian Long knew better than to disturb him, not even in the event of a major incident would he dare.<div>


    Qu Feitai watched the scenery zip by, then he gently closed his eyes.


    As notes intertwined with visions, his thoughts were a chaotic mess. He quickly grabbed the quickest departing thread and pulled it back.


    Often inspiration is fleeting. If not captured promptly, it could be lost forever.


    So, cultivating concentration is crucial. Strong focus allows him to quickly seize what he wants amid the chaotic thoughts. Otherwise, he could only watch it slip away, and the sense of wanting but being unable to catch up is the most powerless.


    Qu Feitai opened his eyes in satisfaction, his lips pulling up in a small smirk.


    He pondered for a while, then opened his WeChat conversation with Song Yinzhang.


    ¡ª¡ª1 have a few more tickets. Bring some friends with you to my concert on the 29th.


    The other party was probably busy; they took five minutes to reply ¡ªOkay.


    hesitated, his thumb moving around the input box ¡ª-As a thank


    you, could you give one of the tickets to Ms. Zhu who helped us out?


    ¡ªYou mean Ming Jing? She has already gotten a ticket, so she probably doesn¡¯t need it.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, his typing hands trembling ¡ª Did he overthink it? Was the other person ying hard to get?


    Thinking about this, a smirk couldn¡¯t help but raise at the corners of Qu Feitai¡¯s mouth.


    ¡ªA good friend of Ming Jing is a fan of yours. She had begged Ming Jing to help get a ticket. You know how difficult it is to get a ticket for your concert. The more people trying, the better. Ming Jing was lucky and got a ticket. Her friend¡¯s grades improved significantly with Ming Jing¡¯s help, and her parents rewarded her with a concert ticket. She asked Ming Jing to go with her to your concert. Basically, that¡¯s the whole story. Thus, you should keep your ticket. After listening to the voice message from Song Yinzhang, Qu Feitai¡¯s smile froze on his face.


    His concert ticket was actually being refused. If word got out, who would believe it?


    They arrived at Qujiang. Qu Feitai put these thoughts aside as they got off the car and saw the photography team waiting there. He went to do his makeup and get changed and Tian Long went to negotiate the shooting process with the photographer.


    ¡°Cousin, I really love Qu Feitai, could you please get me one of his concert tickets? I beg you.¡± Zhou Bao brought his hands together in a plea, sincerely imploring..

 Chapter 221 - 221: 105 Desire to Capture (an update)_3

    Chapter 221 - 221: 105 Desire to Capture (an update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Why do you think I can get tickets?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the chairman now. All you have to do is ask the concert sponsors if they have any cooperation with our group, and getting a ticket will be simple,¡± Yingying said.<div>


    Ming Jing nced at her, and the look in her eyes sent a shiver down Yingying¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Why should I do that?¡±


    Yingying paused, ¡°Because I¡¯m your cousin, cousin, we¡¯re so close, what¡¯s wrong with helping me out a little? For you, it¡¯s just a phone call.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, but her eyes were cold.


    ¡°Privileged ss, once there¡¯s one, there¡¯s a second. How to manage like this? How to make people obey?¡± She didn¡¯t even look at her, and turned away.


    Yingying red at her retreating back, ¡°It¡¯s just a ticket, why make it so serious? Fine if you don¡¯t want to help.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it seems that even our dear cousin is useless. People don¡¯t want to help you, Yingying, your cousin¡¯s face is not worth mentioning.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s sarcasticment finally arrived.


    Yingying rolled her eyes at her, ¡®What¡¯s it to you, fake?¡±


    She left with a huff.


    Ming Jing went back to her room, thought for a moment, and picked up her phone to send a message to Song Yinzhang.


    Do you have any extra concert tickets?<div>


    Now the only concert tickets mentioned are Qu Feitai¡¯s.


    Song Yinzhang had just sent off  when Ming Jing asked about it. Had


    the two of them arranged it? Yes! How many do you need?


    Two.


    Song Yinzhang found it strange and asked an extra question- -Didn¡¯t you already grab tickets?


    Thank you. I¡¯ll treat you to dinnerter.


    The other party didn¡¯t reply again. Song Yinzhang stared nkly at thest few words of the other party¡¯s reply in the message box.


    Song Yinzhang immediately sent a message to Qu Feitai¨CSave me two tickets.


    It hurt to p his face.


    Qu Feitai must be busy, as he didn¡¯t reply.


    Song Yinzhang forgot about it and went on with his own business.<div>


    Today there was a breeze, the sun was not strong, and the surface of the Qujiang River was shimmering. The beautiful young man walked by the river, and every frame was a beautiful picture.


    Qu Feitai had a good body proportion, a three-dimensional face, and expressive eyes. When he debuted, he stood out in the fashion circle with just the cover photo of a magazine. Every cover photo could be the best of the year due to his unparalleled body and eye-catching performance.


    A top model¡¯s body, a top torrent¡¯s face, a genius voice, and unrivaled talent.


    Such a person was simply the darling of heaven.


    It is rumored that a director in the industry saw Qu Feitai on a magazine cover and thought that his eyes were very expressive, in line with the image of a new movie character, and contacted Qu Feitai¡¯s agent to invite him to audition.


    This director was top-notch in the industry. Many first-line stars fought for his roles, and even a minor role with three lines of dialogue was a hotmodity in the entertainment industry. Many people thought that Qu Feitai, with his looks and body, would want to enter the film circle. The audience was also looking forward to it, butter, the news came that Qu Feitai refused without hesitation.


    It was said that the director regretted it.


    For the film world, it may have lost a good seed, but for the declining music world, it retained a genius.


    This is enough to show that there was too much to explore in Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes, giving him outstanding advantages when taking photos at the t surface.


    Today¡¯s shooting went unexpectedly smoothly, finishing half an hour ahead of schedule.


    The entire photography team had a deeper understanding of Qu Feitai and became his fans, asking for autographs and photos.


    This was the charm of Qu Feitai; anyone who came into contact with him was captivated by his charm.


    The so-called charm is nothing more than beauty, body, personality, speech, talent, etc., all of these were unworthy of mention on Qu Feitai.


    Although Qu Feitai was cold in personality, he was very gentle with his fans who genuinely liked him and always tried to satisfy their requests.


    After finishing the autograph session, Qu Feitai ducked into the car, and Tian Long handed him a water bottle.


    Qu Feitai took a sip of water. Although there was not much sunlight today, the air was somewhat stuffy and hot.


    Tian Long fanned Qu Feitai with his hat and said with a worried expression, ¡°I saw the weather forecast saying that there will be heavy rain or even rainstorms in Jiangzhou in the next few days. I hope it won¡¯t affect the concert.¡±


    If the weather is severe, the concert may be temporarily stopped by the government.


    Qu Feitai has been preparing silently for this concert for so long, and his hard work cannot be destroyed at once.


    Qu Feitai looked at the sky, ¡°July and August are the rainy seasons in Jiangzhou.


    I hope everything goes wen.¡¯


    He picked up his phone and saw the message sent by Song Yinzhang.


    What¡¯s wrong with this kid? He just refused at the door, and now he wants me to save two tickets.


    The child¡¯s face changes faster than you.


    Qu Feitai sent a question mark.


    After a long time, the other party didn¡¯t reply.


    Having no choice, Qu Feitai called Huang Chao and asked him to save two tickets, which he wanted to give away.


    It was not until evening that Song Yinzhang replied- -It¡¯s for a friend. Please mail it directly to this address at that time.


    Address: 27 Mingshan Garden, Jinshui Road, contact, Zhu Mingjing.


    Qu Feitai saw the contact, his eyes shed slightly.


    After a while, he smiled gently.


    Tian Long looked at Qu Feitai strangely. He rarely saw him smile so tenderly.


    Seems like? It¡¯s like being in a frenzy.


    Tian Long was frightened by his own thoughts, shivered, and hurriedly turned his head.


    ¡°Miss, your express delivery.¡± At the lunch table, Uncle Wen walked in with a package.


    Everyone looked at Ming Jing in surprise.


    It¡¯s no surprise that everyone stared, Ming Jing never bought anything online. Compared to Zhu Xiangxiang and Yingying¡¯s endless deliveries, this was probably the first time Uncle Wen received a delivery for Ming Jing.


    Everyone took a look and lost interest immediately; it was obviously some documents, maybe rted topany business.


    Ming Jing put down her chopsticks and took it, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wen.¡± Uncle Wen smiled kindly and withdrew.


    Yingying was bored, poking at the rice in her bowl. She hadn¡¯t talked to Ming Jing in a day because of the tickets.


    Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s unconcerned expression, Yingying felt she was making a big fuss again.


    Cousin is just like this. What¡¯s the point of getting angry with her?


    Her pride prevented her from apologizing.


    Ming Jing handed the express delivery directly to Yingying.


    Yingying was startled, ¡°For me?¡±

 Chapter 222 - 222: 106 Entry Tickets (Second Update)

    Chapter 222 - 222: 106 Entry Tickets (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhou Bao skeptically tore open the express package, finding several tickets inside.


    Zhou Bao picked them up and nced at them. Suddenly, she looked at Ming Jing incredulously, then back at the tickets in her hand. She screamed so loudly it could puncture someone¡¯s eardrums.<div>


    Granny Zhu frowned and nced at her disapprovingly.


    Zhou Ying lunged towards Ming Jing, wanting to hug her, but suddenly restrained herself. Excitedly, she said, ¡°Cousin, you actually remembered! So why did you say that yesterday? I misunderstood you.¡± Zhou Bao felt both excited and embarrassed.


    There were four tickets in her hand, four VIP seats! Those were hard toe by and extremely valuable. Oh my god, her cousin was just too amazing.


    She vowed that she would worship her cousin for the rest of her life.


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°Favors can be repaid, but privileges are slow-acting poison.¡±


    Zhou Bao, being so young, did not understand the meaning of this statement. Completely immersed in her excitement, she simply nodded along with whatever Ming Jing said.


    Lin Qing and Granny Zhu looked at Ming Jing at the same time, their eyes filled with pride and relief.


    Ming Jing, at such a young age, was so wise ¨C The Zhus¡¯ ancestors must be smiling down on them.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked enviously at the tickets in Zhou Bao¡¯s hands. She wanted one so badly.


    She had exhausted all her connections but still couldn¡¯t get even a single one. Zhu Mingjing, on the other hand, had somehow managed to source them.


    Zhou Bao waved the tickets in front of Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°See this? VIP seats! My cousin is so amazing.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips and looked away, trying to ignore Zhou Bao¡¯s teasing.


    Zhou Bao sighed, ¡°There are four tickets. How should I distribute them?


    Cousin, do you want to go with me? I promise you Qu Feitai sings so well¡­¡± Zhou Bao never missed any opportunity to promote her idol. Ming Jing said, ¡°I¡¯ve already made ns with my ssmates.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± said Zhou Bao, somewhat disappointed.


    Ming Jing nced at the two silent sisters and said, ¡°Take Ming Chen and Ming Ti with you.¡±


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti both looked up in surprise.


    Zhou Bao was taken aback but quickly responded, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll take good care of my little sisters.¡±


    She absolutely couldn¡¯t afford to neglect her cousin¡¯s beloved junior apprentices.


    Ming Jing looked at them and said, ¡°Stick with your sister Ying Ying during the concert and don¡¯t run around.¡±


    She didn¡¯t object to the young girls being starstruck, but was worried that growing up in a sheltered environment and not interacting with their peers could lead to early psychological maturity, which wouldn¡¯t be good for their growth and development.


    Ming Jing hoped they could be like normal nine-year-old girls,ughing happily, chasing their dreams boldly, and living life to the fullest.<div>


    Quickly, Ming Chen nodded, ¡°I understand, sister Ming Jing.¡±


    Zhou Bao considered for a moment before asking, ¡°Cousin, can I do whatever I want with the remaining ticket?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.


    After lunch, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a while before heading to Zhou Bao¡¯s room.


    ¡°Ying Ying, can I discuss something with you?¡±


    Zhou Bao had been waiting for her and casually replied, ¡°What is it, sister


    Xiangxiang?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you two thousand yuan. Can you sell me the remaining ticket?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth and asked.


    Zhou Bao scoffed, ¡°Sister Xiangxiang, this is a VIP ticket. It¡¯s worth at least 2,888 yuan on the official website, let alone being a ticket to Qu Feitai¡¯s concert. If you ask around outside, it¡¯ll cost you at least 30,000 to 50,000 yuan to get one. Even if you have the money, you still need to watch out for scalpers. This ticket is legit ¨C see the red stamp on it? It says ¡®For Internal Gifting Only¡¯.¡±


    Zhou Bao once again unted the ticket in front of Zhu Xiangxiang, the red stamp clearly visible.


    Where did Zhu Mingjing get these internal gift tickets?


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡°Five thousand, will you do it for five thousand?¡±


    At this point, she couldn¡¯t get tickets through any other channels, and buying one from a scalper was as good as being scammed.


    Zhou Bao rolled her eyes, ¡°You think you¡¯re giving alms to a beggar?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was also getting angry now, ¡°What are you showing off for?


    The ticket wasn¡¯t even yours to begin with, Ming Jing gave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, since my cousin gave them to me, they¡¯re mine now. If you¡¯re so great, why don¡¯t you ask my cousin for a ticket?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked on her words, ¡°Ten thousand yuan, will you sell it or not?¡±


    Zhou Bao snorted, ¡°Do I look like I need your money? Besides, your moneyes from my aunt, and her money is my cousin¡¯s. Who do you think you


    Now, she would make Zhu Xiangxiang pay back every bit of her past bragging.She¡¯s afraid of a fake? Anyway, she had realized that Zhu Xiangxiang is now like a toad at the bottom of the Zhus¡¯ hierarchy, disgusting and annoying everyone.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was going mad. Before, Zhou Bao had always been cautious and timid in front of her, but now she dared to point her nose and scold her. Good, very good.


    A bully who only picked on the weak.


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned and walked away.


    ¡°I can give you this ticket, but you have to promise me one thing.¡± Zhou Bao¡¯s hateful voice came from behind her.


    Without a backbone, Zhu Xiangxiang turned around: ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Wash my socks for a month.¡± Zhou Bao said gleefully.


    An enormous humiliation!


    Zhu Xiangxiang wished she could give Zhou Bao two big ps on each side of her face. Seeing her so smug and triumphant, it was absolutely hateful.


    ¡°A man can be killed but not humiliated. Give up on that idea.¡± With her chest held high, she left.


    Zhou Bao immediately took out her phone and made a call, deliberately raising her voice: ¡°Ah Mei, I¡¯m inviting you to Qu Feitai¡¯s concert¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang immediately rushed over, snatched her phone and gritted her teeth: ¡°1 agree.¡±


    They¡¯re just a month of smelly socks, right? For her idol, she¡¯d endure it.


    After the concert, see who¡¯s teaching whom a lesson.


    Zhou Bao said with a smile: ¡°Xiangxiang, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but there are too many ungrateful people nowadays, so I have to be on my guard. I remember when you turned twelve, your aunt gave you a ne worn by the Princess of Moro. You cherish it so much. Why not give it to me to hold? I¡¯ll return it to you when the month is over, okay?¡±


    That ne was Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s lifeblood, and she wouldn¡¯t even bear to wear it.


    Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively refused. She¡¯d rather not see the concert than hand over the ne to Zhou Bao.


    ¡°No, that ne is absolutely impossible. I can give you my watch as coteral. ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took off her wristwatch: ¡°My mother gave me this watch for my birthdayst year. It¡¯s a custom OMEGA, and in the corner of the dial, you can see my initials. It¡¯s not only pricey but also very meaningful to me.¡±


    Zhou Bao shook her head: ¡°I only want that ne, the rest is not negotiable.


    Besides, it¡¯s just a coteral in my hands, and I won¡¯t touch it for no reason.


    What are you afraid of?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang wanted to beat her up for being so troublesome.


    Forget the negotiation. Handing over the ne as coteral? Not even in her dreams.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stormed away while Zhou Bao hummed a song.


    Little girl, still can¡¯t teach you a lesson? Annoying cousin every day, it¡¯s retribution, hmph.


    Zhou Bao was sure that in the end, Zhu Xiangxiang would agree. She probably knew Zhu Xiangxiang better than her own aunt, having dealt with her since childhood.


    ¡°What is a concert?¡± Ming Chen asked curiously.


    Ming Ti gave her a look: ¡°You¡¯re stupid. Can¡¯t you search online?¡±


    After the two of them came to the Zhus, Ming Jing bought them each a smartphone, but they rarely used them. Ming Chen still thought phones were just used to make calls.


    ¡°Where¡¯s this ¡¯ thing? People clean our room every day, and there isn¡¯t even any spiderwebs.¡± Ming Chen said innocently.


    Ming Ti took a deep breath, truly defeated by her sister¡¯s naivete.


    Ming Ti took out her phone and taught Ming Chen how to go online. To Ming Chen, it was like discovering a new world. ¡°Wow, little Fourth, you¡¯re so amazing! How did you learn all this?¡±


    Ming Ti couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer her.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti had no idea what a concert was, but they had seen Zhou Bao and Zhu Xiangxiang discussing it for the past two days, and it seemed like they really wanted to go, so it must be a fun ce simr to an amusement park.


    Little did they know, searching online opened a whole new world for them.


    ¡®Qu Feitai¡­¡± Ming Chen muttered the name. She had heard Zhou Bao mention it so many times in the past few days that she was already familiar with it. She typed his name in the search bar, and the encyclopedia entries popped up.


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so handsome.¡± Ming Chen eximed.


    Ming Ti nced at the screen and smirked, ¡°Average.¡±


    Ming Chen murmured, ¡°Bodhi has no tree, the bright mirror is also not a stand,


    Ming Jing Feitai, he and Junior¡¯s names have quite a connection.¡±


    Ming Ti paused for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence, I guess.¡±


    Ming Chen gave a knowing smile: ¡°In Buddhism, there is no coincidence, only cause and coincidence.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Junior¡¯s fated one.¡±


    Looking at the delicate and handsome features of the young man in the photo, Ming Chen spoke as if certain..

 Chapter 223 - 223: 107 That Year (First Watch)

    Chapter 223 - 223: 107 That Year (First Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Siji Town at the foot of Baitou Mountain has a simple and honest folk customs.


    There are several dozen big and small viges surrounding Siji Town, where the people live and work in peace and contentment.<div>


    A restaurant called the Fat Chef is the best and most luxurious one in the town. In the evening, there are few patrons inside; the proprietress sits behind the counter, ying a mobile phone game.


    Two men walk in. The proprietress looks up and sees their suits. They don¡¯t seem like locals, so she figures they¡¯re from the big city, and she hurriedly greets them with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Pleasee in! What would you like to eat? Our house specialty is red bean stewed fish¡­ ¡®


    As the proprietress introduces the dishes and pours tea for the two men. they


    disy serious expressions and don¡¯t smile. Rather, they appear unapproachable; she tries her best to be extra cautious as she serves them.


    The two order four dishes and a bottle of wine, and one of the men with a scar on his left cheek says, ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much, second brother.¡±


    The man called ¡°second brother¡± relents on the wine and says, ¡°Just like this, then. Serve the dishes quickly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± The proprietress heads to the kitchen to ry the order.


    ¡°Big brother, we¡¯ve been here in Siji Town for a week without finding any clues.


    Is it possible that Li Chan gave us the wrong information?¡±


    The man ponders for a moment: ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit more. Finding someone is never an easy task.¡±<div>


    The proprietress walks over with a pot of tea refills and overhears the conversation. She wonders to herself why so many people havee to town recently looking for someone. One group leaves, and another arrives soon after.


    The man catches a glimpse of the proprietress and asks, ¡°Ma¡¯am, could I inquire about something with you?¡±


    The proprietress smiles and says, ¡°My family has lived in Siji Town for generations, so I Imow everything within ten miles.¡±


    The man says, ¡°Twelve years ago, did any of the locals or people in nearby viges encounter an abandoned baby girl who was then adopted?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, the proprietress shakes her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Master Wu Xin from Jiyue Temple has indeed adopted quite a few baby girls, but their ages don¡¯t match what you¡¯re talking about. If you want to find an abandoned child, you should report it to the nearby police station, as they have adoption records.¡±


    The two men exchange nces and fall silent.


    If only they could report it to the police, but the problem is, they can¡¯t raise a fuss about this matter.


    Their expressions gradually be solemn.


    After finishing their meal, the two men pay the bill and leave. In the corner, a man who has been quietly sipping wine raises his head, his eyes sharp and glistening with a strange gleam.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯d like to pay.¡±


    The proprietress does a quick calction: ¡°That will be one hundred and twenty-one Chinese Yuan, please.¡±<div>


    The man ps two one-hundred-yuan notes on the counter. ¡°No need for change.¡±


    The proprietress grins, ¡°Are you also asking about someone?¡±


    She feels the man looks familiar, as she¡¯d seen him a few months ago.


    Because the man has a beauty mark on his chin, he¡¯s easy to remember. The man smiles, ¡°Smart proprietress.¡±


    She jokes, ¡°Alright, enough ttery. What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Have there been many people recently asking about the young monks at Jiyue Temple?¡±


    ¡°One person left two days ago, another came yesterday to ask, and you¡¯re the third wave.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about Master Ming Jing from Jiyue Temple?¡±


    The proprietress rolls her eyes at him, ¡°When you said you wanted to find someone, I didn¡¯t think it would be Master Ming Jing. Everyone in town knows her; she¡¯s now the youngdy of the Zhus from Jiangzhou. Did you juste out of the mountains or something?¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted to ask about Master Ming Jing¡¯s older female disciple, Master Ming Xin.¡±


    The proprietress scoffs, ¡°Master Wu Xin and Master Ming Jing are trulypassionate people. How could we casually reveal their news? How do I know if you have good intentions?¡±


    The man pulls out a stack of Chinese Yuan from his wallet and ces it on the counter. ¡°I understand how the proprietress feels. However, I¡¯m inquiring about Master Ming Xin on behalf of someone else. She might be the long-lost birth daughter of my employer. Sister monks finding their families is a good thing too, right?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the proprietress decides it makes sense, and she happily epts the money. After giving it some thought, she says, ¡°Master Ming Xin oftenes down the mountain to purchase supplies, and the townspeople are quite familiar with her. She has a lively and cheerful personality and loves to smile. She greets everyone with warmth, calling them ¡®big brother¡¯ or ¡®big sister.¡¯ Moreover, she has a strong sense of justice. One time, she saw an elderly woman being bullied by her daughter-in w in town and stepped in to argue with the daughter-inw. In the end, of course, Master Ming Xin won the argument. People always say that Master Ming Xin doesn¡¯t seem like a Buddhist disciple at all, but rather resembles a knight-errant with her penchant for fighting for justice..¡±

 Chapter 224 - 224: 107 That Year (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 224 - 224: 107 That Year (First Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Thedy bossughed as she spoke.


    The man asked, ¡°Do you remember how Master Ming Xin was adopted by<div>


    Master Wu Xin back then? It¡¯s crucial for her family to find her.¡±


    Thedy boss tried to recall, ¡°That was sixteen years ago, right? I had just gotten married and don¡¯t remember the specifics quite well. My mother-inw should remember, as Master Wu Xin saved her life, and she often went up the mountain to send vegetables to Master Wu Xin.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll call my mother-inw out.¡±


    Thedy boss¡¯s mother-inw was in her seventies but looked lively and seemed to be in her sixties. When she heard that Master Ming Xin¡¯s family might havee to find her, the olddy looked at the stranger warily and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re inquiring about Master Ming Xin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was hired by my employer toe to Siji Town to find his long-lost daughter.¡±


    ¡°Long-lost? Or abandoned for a long time?¡± The olddy scoffed.


    The man¡¯s eyes flickered, and he sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact circumstances. Regardless of the reason for their separation, it¡¯s best if the family can reunite now. You wouldn¡¯t want to see Master Ming Xin all alone for the rest of her life, would you?¡±


    Thedy boss also persuaded her, ¡°Mom, he has a point. Family reunion is more important than anything.¡±


    After some thought, the olddy finally said, ¡°Sixteen years ago, one day, I went up the mountain to bring some freshly picked vegetables from home to Master Wu Xin. At that time, the mountain road was not well-paved and difficult to walk on. Halfway through, a young woman came down the mountain, crying as she walked. There was a pile of stones in the middle of the path, and the woman tripped, not watching her step. When I went to help her, she became scared, as if something was chasing her from behind, and she limped down the mountain. I found it strange, but I didn¡¯t think much about it. When I reached the Buddhist Nunnery, I discovered Master Wu Xin was holding a baby. When I asked where the child came from, she said she had just found the baby at the door of the nunnery, and I immediately realized it was the woman who had left the baby there. Master Wu Xin, being kind-hearted, took pity on the baby and decided to adopt her.¡±


    The man pressed on, ¡°Auntie, do you remember which month that was?¡±


    ¡°It was March. It was still cold then, and the baby was wrapped in a thin nket. I even said that the mother was heartless, wanting the child to die. It was so cold on the mountain, and if Master Wu Xin had found the baby just a momentter, she would have lost her life.¡¯


    The olddy took a sip and scolded, ¡°They were heartless enough to abandon her then, so what do they want now? Are they trying to take advantage of a perfectly raised child without having taken care of her for a single day? Things don¡¯t work that easily.¡±<div>


    The man took out a photo, ¡°Take a look, does this person resemble Master


    Ming Xin?¡±


    It was merely a guess, but unexpectedly, when the olddy saw the photo, she pped her thigh, ¡°They look so much alike! They are definitely father and daughter, especially when ites to those eyes.¡±


    Thedy boss also leaned in to take a look, ¡°Is this Master Ming Xin¡¯s father?¡± He looked like a sessful man dressed in a suit and leather shoes.


    The olddy suddenly remembered something and pped her thigh, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Old Lady Zhao¡¯s son? They made a fortune and moved the entire family to Jiangzhou. Master Ming Jing is the daughter who was taken by the wrong family.¡±


    The more thedy boss listened, the more confused she was, ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡±


    The olddy was from the neighboring town, and Old Lady Zhao married to the house next to her mother¡¯s ce. They often chatted together. Later, when she married to Siji Town, she lost contact with Old Lady Zhao. Sheter heard that her son had made a fortune in business, and the family moved to Jiangzhou. They lost contact ever since.


    A few years ago, when Old Lady Zhao returned to offer sacrifices to their ancestors, she happened to meet the olddy at her mother¡¯s home. They only had a brief conversation, and this man apanied Old Lady Zhao at that time. He was said to be a big boss, and his demeanor was extraordinary.


    Later, when the story of Master Ming Jing being taken by the wrong family spread throughout the town, she could not believe that Master Ming Jing was actually Old Lady Zhao¡¯s granddaughter. She sighed at the incredible fate.


    After listening to her mother-inw¡¯s exnation, thedy boss eximed, ¡°Mom, you actually have such a connection with the olddy from the Zhu family? Why didn¡¯t you mention it earlier?¡±


    The olddy nced at her, ¡°What¡¯s the use of telling you? Could you have gone to ask for favors from them?¡±<div>


    Thedy boss awkwardlyughed, ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that you know such an important person. Zhu Group is a bigpany and group in Jiangzhou.¡± The man¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°So do you remember when Master Ming Jing came to the Nunnery, auntie?¡±

 Chapter 225 - 225: 107 That Year (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 225 - 225: 107 That Year (First Watch)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    As soon as Ming Jing was mentioned, the olddy¡¯s expression immediately became alert, ¡°Why are you asking about Master Ming Jing? Hasn¡¯t she returned to the Zhu family now? It shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with Master


    Ming Xin¡¯s background, right?¡±<div>


    Afterward, he couldn¡¯t pry any more words out of the old woman¡¯s mouth.


    The man walked out of the restaurant, the corner of his mouth curling up.


    Although he didn¡¯t know where this Ming Jing came from, he could be sure that Ming Xin was the real daughter of the Zhus.


    If that were the case, the two strands of hair used for the DNA test back then had been swapped by the other party unknowingly.


    At that time in the temple, Ming Xin was seriously ill and never left her room.


    He sneaked into her room at night when everyone was asleep and pulled out an eyebrow because there was no hair. In theory, any hair with follicles could be used for DNA testing.


    As for Ming Jing¡¯s hair, the young girl was somewhat clever. Fearing to rm her, he used sleeping smoke in her room at night and sessfully obtained her hair.


    Now thinking about it, he was the one who got hooked.


    The man suddenly shivered, feeling that he couldn¡¯t continue investigating this matter, as it might get deeper and deeper.


    Being able to n all this early on, Ming Jing¡¯s scheming couldn¡¯t be said to be shallow. He had been thoroughly used from beginning to end.


    The man broke out in a cold sweat, the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and hurriedly left Siji Town.<div>


    The olddy red at the restaurant owner, ¡°How much did you tell him about


    Master Ming Jing¡¯s affairs?¡±


    The restaurant owner shook her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t say a word. Besides, isn¡¯t Master Ming Jing¡¯s background already an open secret? Anyone can find out with a little inquiry.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Master Ming Xin¡¯s family looking for her, should we notify Master Ming


    The olddy shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just remember, if someone asks you about Master Ming Jing again, just say you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Mom, just now there were two unfamiliar faces asking if there was an abandoned baby girl in our town twelve years ago. I don¡¯t remember, but you have a better memory. Whose family adopted a baby girl twelve years ago?¡±


    The olddy was startled and shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. There have been quite a few neers in town recently, so don¡¯t say anything reckless.¡±


    After scolding her, she went back to the backyard.


    When no one was around, the olddy¡¯s brow furrowed.


    On that night twelve years ago, there was a rare heavy rain¡­<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang saw the iing call disy and eagerly answered, ¡°How did the investigation go? Is Zhu Mingjing the impostor?¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhu, if you really want to continue investigating, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to pay more.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too greedy, I¡¯ve already given you a lot of money.¡±


    The other party spoke calmly, ¡°There is great danger in continuing to investigate this matter. Money is important, but so is life. Miss Zhu should know that, right?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so dangerous? If Zhu Mingjing is indeed an impostor, she would be kicked out of the Zhus and despised by everyone. How could that bring any danger to you?¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhu, have you ever thought that if Ming Jing really isn¡¯t the daughter of the Zhu family, why would she know that Ming Xin is their real daughter when the Zhus don¡¯t? And why would she swap the hairs that were to be used for DNA testing right under my nose? Since she returned to the Zhu family, she hasn¡¯t suffered a single setback, her reputation has soared, and she¡¯s respected by the upper ss. Zhu Group has been in trouble recently, and she has taken advantage of it to gain a good name among the people. Whoever shes with her is only seeking their own destruction.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart sank as she listened.


    She had never seriously thought about it, but now as she listened to the other party¡¯s analysis, she realized that Zhu Mingjing was even more cunning than she had imagined.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hooked her lip, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of a saying? The higher you climb, the harder you fall.¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhu, I¡¯ve said all I have to say. I¡¯ll keep the deposit as a fee for this trip, and I don¡¯t want the rest of the money. I won¡¯t get involved in anything else.


    Oh, by the way, one more thing, as a reminder to you for the sake of my old employer, some people were in Siji Town asking about the affairs of the young masters at Jiyue Temple recently. They may be your parents. You¡¯d better be prepared.¡±


    Without waiting for the other party to speak, he hung up the phone.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was stunned, her biological parents?


    Why would theye looking for her since they abandoned her in the first ce?


    Zhu Xiangxiang still couldn¡¯t ept the fact that she had gone from a wealthy youngdy to an abandoned orphan. Why was fate so cruel to her?


    Zhu Xiangxiang was restless and couldn¡¯t even care if Zhu Mingjing was the real daughter or not. What would she do if her real parents actually came looking for her?


    Just then, a sudden ring of her cell phone startled her.


    After answering, a familiar voice came from the phone, and Zhu Xiangxiang was so scared that she almost threw it away.


    ¡°Are you surprised to hear my voice, Miss Zhu?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Ling? Weren¡¯t you arrested?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to your good sister, but to think that this would be enough to trap me is just too naive.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand holding the phone was shaking, ¡°What¡­ what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I need your help.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang subconsciously wanted to refuse, but the other party didn¡¯t even give her the chance, ¡°It seems I can only call Mrs. Zhu, no, I should call her Ms. Lin now, and have a good chat with her about how her good daughter tried to poison her¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang shouted out of control.


    ¡°You forced me.¡±


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that. Don¡¯t nder me.¡± The woman¡¯s gentle voice fell on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s ears, making her grind her teeth.


    Taking a deep breath, ¡®What do you want me to do?¡±


    She should have known earlier that dealing with a tiger would eventually lead to being devoured by the tiger.


    The womanughed softly, ¡°This is the Zhu Xiangxiang I know¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss, Zhou Ling was released from the prosecutor¡¯s office this afternoon.¡± Ming Jing heard the news without any surprise.


    ¡°Zhu Wentao is just a stepping stone for her. Everything was nned well, except for the one surprise¡ªmeeting me.¡±


    Du Ze nced at the rearview mirror, where the young girl was holding a tablet and reading the document intently.


    Her phone rang at this moment, and Ming Jing picked it up with a smile that was even more gentle.


    ¡°Have you seen the information I sent you? Zhou Ling turns out to be a member of CS. Her cover was quite deep. It took a lot of effort to find her true identity.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes curved with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your hard work. When youe back, I¡¯ll treat you to pig¡¯s trotters.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, how did you know I like pig¡¯s trotters? I haven¡¯t told you before, right? Did your mom really tell you everything?¡±


    Du Ze looked somewhat captivated, the girl¡¯s eyes were full of tenderness, more charming than the misty rain in Jiangnan¡¯s April.


    ¡°I guessed..¡±

 Chapter 226 - 226: 108 Favorable Encounters (Second Watch)

    Chapter 226 - 226: 108 Favorable Encounters (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    CS, the acronym for an international financial fraud organization.


    This organization mainly operated in Europe, using financing schemes to defraud funds. They were skilled and left no trace. Five years ago, the bankruptcy of a top 500 global corporation led to a worldwide financial crisis, which was their doing.<div>


    Later, they were wanted by police from several countries, and their members scattered and hid deeply. With powerful forces behind them, they had been quiet for years, but surprisingly appeared domestically.


    Zhou Ling was one of their members.


    Investigation data showed that Zhou Ling joined the organization three years ago. Interestingly, the members of this organization were all graduates of top-tier universities and top talents in their industries, but they took the wrong path, and it was unknown what magic potion the organization had given them. Zhou Ling was no exception. When she returned to China a year ago, anypany she entered would go bankrupt within three months.


    And Zhu Wentao was her biggest prey in her merit book.


    Although she cut ties with the organization neatly, the amount of money she was involved in domestically was enough for her to sit in jail for a lifetime.


    The only trouble, for now, was the force behind her¡­


    Ming Jing frowned and thought, not realizing that she had arrived at thepany.


    As Ming Jing entered the lobby, two receptionists immediately stood up respectfully, ¡°Hello, Little Mr. Zhu.¡±


    When the elevator door slowly closed and Ming Jing was no longer visible, the two became excited and spoke incoherently.


    They took out their phones and spoke wildly in the group chat.


    ¡ªThe youngdy is here!!!<div>


    ¡ªThe youngdy is so beautiful, with such a good temperament, she smiled at me, I have never seen such a gentle and beautiful girl, awsl. After the two spoke, the group erupted in excitement.


    ¡ªThe youngdy is yyds.


    ¡ªWhat are you abbreviating upstairs? Are you picking on old people who don¡¯t understand inte ng?


    ¡ªWith the youngdy here, the air in thepany has be fresh. As a corporate ve, my biggest expectation is going to work every day. I love 996, I love the youngdy.


    ¡ªCan being a corporate ve be addictive? They¡¯re all just obsessed with looks, what shallow people¡­


    ¡ªOriginally thought thepany was going to go bankrupt, but when the youngdy came, it rejuvenated, and after cooperating with Shenzhou Group, the stock price has been steadily rising, temporarily out of crisis. The youngdy is really the lucky star of the group.


    ¡ªCan I just say it weakly? Mr. Zhu has a chaotic private life and can only tarnish the group¡¯s image. I heard that he was deceived by Secretary Zhou, who is actually amercial cheater. The youngdy brought in the cooperation of Shenzhou Group, and her external image is also very good. Many high-ssdies want to see her but can¡¯t. And she¡¯s a genius and a top student. Such a youngdy is the perfect boss for our Zhu Group.


    ¡ªI second that.


    ¡ªI second that.


    ¡ªI second that.


    Shh, let¡¯s protect such a good youngdy, everyone understands what I mean, right?<div>


    Of course they understand, Zhu Wentao¡¯s reputation is already rotten, it¡¯s just that no one mes him out of respect for the youngdy. Without the youngdy, see if the people¡¯s saliva wouldn¡¯t drown him.


    Recently, there have been frequent personnel changes within thepany, and those annoying parasites have been cleared out batch by batch. The recements have all had a good reputation, and people have been cheering and jumping for joy. Deep down, everyone has only admiration for the youngdy.


    ¡ªHas anyone noticed the youngdy¡¯s assistant? He¡¯s quite handsome, so everyone better grabs him fast, definitely a high-quality potential stock. Whoever can win him over, I¡¯ll call her granny.


    ¡ªForget it, he¡¯s obviously a cool and aloof top student type. He¡¯s with the youngdy every day, his eyes have been picky and he won¡¯t pay any attention to us ordinary fans.


    ¡ª How do we know if we don¡¯t try? Everything is possible.


    ¡ªI found out, this handsome guy is a 22nd-year graduate of Jiangzhou University, named Du Ze, a top student in the finance department, who received a national first-ss schrship every year. I heard that he was rmended to Jiangzhou University and has a terrifying IQ. Thanks to @Wang Shan Bao Bao for the information.


    ¡ª Haha, my junior, I heard he¡¯s very capable.


    A young girl at an inconspicuous workstation in the project department stared at her phone and fell into thought.


    ¡°Xianxian, aren¡¯t you also a graduate of Jiangzhou University? You should also know Du Ze, right? You are of the same ss.¡± Colleague Yang Lin asked.


    Tao Xianxian hesitated and pressed her lips tightly.


    Seeing her ufortable expression, Yang Lin hastily asked, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Tao Xianxian hurriedly shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She stared nkly at theputer screen.


    The project manager walked over and patted Tao Xianxian¡¯s shoulder, whispering, ¡°Xianxian, what are you daydreaming about? Have you finished the proposal for the Spring Academy project? The director is rushing to send it to the youngdy for review. You¡¯re an intern, this is your perfect opportunity to show off. If you want to stay full-time, you¡¯d better seize it.¡±


    The man¡¯s breath sprayed on Tao Xianxian¡¯s ear, and she suppressed her disgust, furrowed her eyebrows, and moved away without a word.¡±l¡¯ll be done soon, Manager, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The manager smiled and nced at her, ¡°Show me your best,¡± then left with his hands behind his back.


    Yang Lin spat and leaned over to whisper to Tao Xianxian, ¡°This fat bastard loves to prey on interns like you, especially since you are so pretty. Don¡¯t let him deceive you.¡±


    Tao Xianxian nodded with a pale face, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Ten minutester, Tao Xianxian handed the project book to the manager, who took the opportunity to touch her hand, almost making her sick.


    At this moment, the manager received a phone call and waved at Tao Xianxian, ¡°You take it to the director.¡±


    Tao Xianxian felt as if she had just been pardoned and quickly escaped.


    Reaching the director¡¯s office, the assistant said that the director was in a meeting and asked her to take the file upstairs.


    Tao Xianxian hurried to the 22nd-floor conference room via the elevator.


    In the elevator, she stared nkly at the reflection in the mirror.


    What was the meaning of working so hard and living in constant fear?


    Just arriving on the 22nd floor, the meeting seemed to have just ended, and the senior executives filed out one by one. Tao Xianxian quickly moved to one side.


    As people were almost gone, Director Ding Wei came out with a young girl.


    On the day of the signing ceremony, Tao Xianxian had asked for leave due to an emergency.


    This was her first time seeing the rumored youngdy, and Tao Xianxian was transfixed, feeling vulgar as the so-called ¡°school flower.¡±


    There was a tall figure following the youngdy, and when Tao Xianxian saw who it was, she froze.


    ¡°What the youngdy said is right, our department will follow her idea immediately.¡± Ding Wei turned his head and saw Tao Xianxian and seemed to remember her.


    He waved her toe over.


    With a stiff smile, Tao Xianxian approached, ¡°Director Ding, this is the project n for Spring Academy you requested.¡±


    Ding Wei took it, nodded, and nced at it. ¡°Well done, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    He remembered this intern¡¯s outstanding performance, and felt that letting her show her face in front of the youngdy was an opportunity for her. The youngdy loved talented people.


    However, the usually smart girl seemed lost in thought at that moment.


    Tao Xianxian lowered her head, her voice mosquito-like, ¡°My name is Tao


    Xianxian.¡±


    Ding Wei shook his head in disappointment. This girl didn¡¯t seem well-fed and looked so petty, embarrassing herself in front of the youngdy.


    Ming Jing took the project n and nced at it. ¡°This is the n you made?¡± Her voice was very gentle, like someone intoxicated by alcohol.


    Tao Xianxian raised her head and quickly nced at the other person. She felt a sense of shame and self-abasement. No matter what kind of woman stood in front of the youngdy, they will feel inferior.


    How would he look at her now?


    Probably with a look of shame, she didn¡¯t expect to meet in such an awkward environment after so long since their breakup.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the one I made.¡±


    ¡°This project used to cooperate with Shengda, but after Shengda had an issue, the building project was shelved. Because of thend issue, the situation may be moreplicated, so runching this project isn¡¯t that simple.¡± Ding Wei exined on the side.


    With the project book in hand, Ming Jing said to the two of them, ¡°You bothe to my office.¡±


    After saying this, she left with the assistant.


    Ding Wei frowned and scolded Tao Xianxian in a low voice, ¡°What the hell are you doing? Looking like you lost your soul in front of the youngdy? Do you want to keep your job?¡±


    Tao Xianxian bit her lip, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Director Ding, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±


    Deeply inhaling, Tao Xianxian realized she had let her emotions affect her work.


    They had already broken up. Whatever happened, happened. She wanted to be a strong woman like the youngdy.


    ¡°Although the youngdy is young, her abilities cannot be underestimated. If she takes a liking to you in this project, you must seize the opportunity. She loves talent, just don¡¯t forget me then. I remind you of this because I see your potential. Remember that, okay?¡±


    Tao Xianxian nodded, ¡°I understand, Director Ding. I¡¯m grateful for your help.¡±


    Ding Wei finally smiled, ¡°At least you¡¯re not too stupid..¡±

 Chapter 227 - 227: 109 Night Wind (First Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 227 - 227: 109 Night Wind (First Watch of the Night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The magnificent project was taken over by the Ye Group due to bankruptcy liquidation. The Ye Group has never done business with us before, even had disputes over bidding in the past. In my opinion, it would be safer to abandon this project,¡± analyzed Ding Wei.


    Ming Jing was carefully going through some books, then asked, ¡®What do you think?¡±<div>


    Ding Wei turned to Tao Xianxian. Realizing that Ming Jing was asking her, Tao Xianxian hesitated before saying: ¡°Ourpany had invested a lot in this project in the earlier stage, it would be a loss to give up now. Also, it would affect our trust among the stakeholders. As ourdy has just taken office, it is time to win the hearts of the people. This project is an excellent beginning. As the saying goes, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. As long as there are profits, there¡¯s no reason for the Ye Group to refuse.¡±


    What Ding Wei, the man who doesn¡¯t follow gossip, didn¡¯t know was that Madam Ye¡¯s brother¡¯s case was reversed, actually thanks to the contribution of our newdy. Madam Ye owed her a favor. Based on this point alone, the Ye Group would never refuse to cooperate with the Zhu Group.


    Of course, everyone kept this hidden thought to themselves. The business world doesn¡¯t talk about favors, only interests. If the interests coincide with the favors, there is no reason not to benefit from it.


    Ming Jing took a look at Tao Xianxian. Tao Xianxian felt a chill in her heart, feeling that her small maniptions were crystal clear under that gaze.


    Tao Xianxian stood upright. Therge office was very quiet. After a while, the girl¡¯s calm voice broke the silence.


    ¡°Can you take responsibility for this project?¡±


    The gentle and polite voice sounded as if she was talking about the beautiful weather today.


    However, no one would ignore the power of that sentence.


    Tao Xianxian raised her head in shock. The girl was smiling at her, her eyes clear, gentle and determined.


    Ding Wei eximed: ¡°Miss, she¡¯s just an intern.¡±


    Where would an intern be in charge directly of a project, especially a big one like the Spring Academy?<div>


    ¡°When I employ people, I only look at their abilities, not their identities.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s words effectively silenced Ding Wei. Despite his reluctance, he had to shut up and red at Tao Xianxian.


    You lucky brat.


    Tao Xianxian immediately dered firmly: ¡°Miss, I am capable.¡±


    The young face was full of energy, her eyes bright, her spirit unyielding.


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°Starting from now, you will be in charge of the Spring


    Academy project. You can choose your partner. If you need anything, ask Ding


    Wei or my assistant directly.¡±


    Tao Xianxian tried to ignore that figure, ¡°Yes, miss, I will not let you down.¡±


    Watching Tao Xianxian¡¯s departure, Ding Wei eagerly said: ¡°Miss, it doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to let an intern be in charge of the Spring Academy project.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think is suitable?¡± Ming Jing asked back.<div>


    Ding Wei was speechless.


    He suddenly understood that the newdy wanted to cultivate her own people. Those who have worked in thepany for many years and ascended to their positions had their own schemes. For people like Tao Xianxian who is capable but have no foundation, when thedy gives them an opportunity, they will grab it and climb upwards. If they can achieve results, they will convince the others, and be loyal to thedy.


    She¡¯s young but her mind is deeper than the sea.


    ¡°Has Mr. Li been to thepanytely?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    Ding Wei became instantly alert and quickly replied: ¡°I heard his old illness has recurred and he has been resting at hometely.¡±


    Ever since thedy arrived, Mr. Li¡¯s staunch followers have been removed one by one, leaving him almost friendless.


    As if remembering something, Ding Wei said: ¡°Today we received a subpoena from the court. Mr. Zhu is facing awsuit from Zhou Ling. Does thepany need to hire awyer¡­?¡±


    This Zhou Ling actually had the audacity to sue Mr. Zhu. She¡¯s already brought enough harm to him.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t thepany employ a legal team? Use them when necessary. Just manage it, Director Ding.¡±


    Ding Wei was dumbfounded. Thepany¡¯s legal team could manage business cases, but criminal cases were a bit tricky.


    He thought thedy would at least consider hiring a goodwyer for Mr. Zhu out of filial piety, but she didn¡¯t seem to care at all.


    She¡¯s ruthless, truly ruthless.


    Afraid, Ding Wei hastily left. Ming Jing looked around the office. This chairman¡¯s office, once Zhu Wentao¡¯s, was around two hundred square meters, solemn and somber, with ck and white decoration.


    Ming Jing walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the giant window, the hustle and bustle of the entire city was revealed before her eyes..

 Chapter 228 - 228: 109 Night Wind (First Watch of the Night)_2

    Chapter 228 - 228: 109 Night Wind (First Watch of the Night)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What could Zhu Wentao be thinking as he stands here every day?¡±


    From this angle, it seemed as if the entire city was being trampled underfoot, and perhaps it was in this way that Zhu Wentao¡¯s ambitions and desires grew bit by bit.<div>


    Du Ze quietly stood to one side, catching a glimpse of a white skirt from the corner of his eye.


    The light and pure white color was also the deepest and most unfathomable abyss.


    Ding-a-ling, the sound of a cell phone ringing broke the silence in the office.


    Du Ze walked over to pick up the cell phone on the desk and handed it to Ming Jing.


    A momentter, he saw a strange curve in the corner of the young girl¡¯s mouth: ¡°The fish are hooked.¡±


    News that the youngdy had assigned the Spring Academy project to Tao Xianxian alone spread instantly throughout the project department, sparking rumors.


    Everyone found it unbelievable. Only those above the manager level could take charge of a project alone, and there were at least seven or eight managers in the project department, so how could it be the intern Tao Xianxian¡¯s turn?


    Why did the youngdy trust her so much?


    However, everyone was merely shocked and did not hold out much hope.


    The Spring Academy project had been halted long ago, and thepany had suffered heavy losses on it. Now, Ye Group had taken over the grandiose project, but it was said that the debt issues were still being negotiated. In any case, this was a thankless task that nobody wanted to take on.


    Was the youngdy trying to bully Tao Xianxian, the intern, into submission?<div>


    Yang Lin worriedly said, ¡°Xianxian, why did you ept it? This project is nothing but a hot potato. Ye Group won¡¯t care about us at all.¡±


    Tao Xianxian smiled, ¡°Sister Yang, the youngdy trusts me, so I must do my


    best.¡±


    Yang Lin¡¯s lips quivered, wanting to say that the youngdy might be using her to establish her authority but thought better of it and closed her mouth. It would be troublesome if that got back to the youngdy.


    Even the manager with wandering hands came over to taunt her a few times.


    Since nobody had any faith in her, Tao Xianxian¡¯s fighting spirit burned even fiercer.


    She went to Ye Group and tried to meet the project manager, but was rejected directly by the receptionist because she had no appointment. Tao Xianxian waited in the lobby for a long time, holding her prepared proposal, until she caught sight of the manager and rushed over.


    The person listened to her intentions and categorically refused, leaving in a hurry.


    After three days without any results, even Yang Lin couldn¡¯t be bothered to tease her anymore.


    On this day, Tao Xianxian waited for another day and was once again rejected by the manager. Seeing her so persistent, the manager couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you. This project has been evaluated by a professional team, and the risks are too high. This is not in line with ourpany¡¯s policies. So, please go back and don¡¯t waste your efforts.¡± ¡°What is ourpany¡¯s policy?¡± A calm question suddenly came from behind. The manager¡¯s face turned white, ¡°President Ye.¡±


    Tao Xianxian turned her head and saw a well-dressed man in his forties with a dignified face standing not far away. His gaze wasmanding yet not angry. Two people followed behind him, one of whom appeared to be a secretary, while the other was a young man who resembled him but seemed even more spirited. At this moment, the young man was appraising her face with curiosity.<div>


    In a sh, Tao Xianxian recognized the middle-aged man in his forties as Ye Zheng, the president of Ye Group, and the young man should be his son, Ye Sheng.


    ¡°What is ourpany¡¯s policy?¡± Ye Zheng asked again.


    The manager replied trembling, ¡°People-oriented, honest management, abiding by thew, and being honest and upright.¡±


    ¡°So you do know.¡±


    The manager¡¯s face turned even paler.


    Tao Xianxian seized the opportunity and said, ¡°President Ye, hello. I am the person in charge of the Spring Academy project of Zhu Group. I am here today to discuss the restart n of the Spring Academy project with you. This is the project proposal, please take a look.¡±


    Tao Xianxian finished her speech in one breath and immediately handed over the proposal with both hands.


    Ye Zheng nced at her, ¡°The Zhus?¡±


    Ye Sheng smirked, ¡°That young girl from the Zhu family really knows how to use people. She hasn¡¯t even graduated from university, has she?¡±


    Tao Xianxian quickly introduced herself, ¡°1 graduated from Jiangzhou University¡¯s School of Finance and Management with excellent grades. I am currently the person in charge of the Spring Academy project of Zhu Group.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re a senior. No wonder you looked so familiar,¡± Ye Sheng smiled as he stroked his chin.


    Ye Zheng took the proposal and flipped through it briefly before saying to Tao


    Xianxian, ¡°I have a meetingter. Come to thepany tomorrow.¡±


    Tao Xianxian was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, President Ye.¡±


    Ye Zheng shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy just yet. It¡¯s still not certain whether this project can be restarted..¡±

 Chapter 229 - 229: 109 Night Wind (First Watch of the Night)_3

    Chapter 229 - 229: 109 Night Wind (First Watch of the Night)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re giving me this opportunity, I¡¯ll definitely make you satisfied, ¡±


    Ye Zheng and Ye Sheng left together. Before leaving, Ye Sheng winked at Tao Xianxian and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Your little<div>


    Mr. Zhu is very smart, the beauty scheme has seeded.¡±


    Tao Xianxian smiled and politely sent the two away. She had heard about Ye Dashao¡¯s reputation when she was at school, and today she found out that it was true, as he was always flirtatious.


    ¡°Dad, wasn¡¯t this project rejected at the initial board meeting? Why did you change your mind today? Are you trying to repay Zhu Mingjing¡¯s favor?¡± Ye Sheng asked with confusion.


    Ye Zheng flipped through the proposal: ¡°It¡¯s just business. Zhu Wentao is ruthless, but his daughter is different from him.¡±


    Ye Shengughed like a fox: ¡°Why do I feel she¡¯s even darker than her dad? This is a beauty trap.¡±


    Ye Zheng threw the proposal book into his arms: ¡°Well, let this project be a practice for you. As for whether it¡¯s a beauty scheme or an empty city strategy, you weigh it yourself.¡±


    Ye Sheng clicked his tongue: ¡°Selling out your own son like this, you¡¯re such a good father.¡±


    Ye Zheng red at him: ¡°I¡¯m paving the way for you, just do a good job and don¡¯t embarrass me.¡±


    With a ¡°crackle¡± sound, Qu Feitai tore off a piece of paper filled with writings and doodles and crumpled it into a ball, throwing it into the trash can, which was already piled up like a small mountain.


    It seemed that no matter how he wrote, he couldn¡¯t capture the feeling he wanted.


    Qu Feitai scratched his head irritably.<div>


    The next moment, he got up, put on a mask and a duckbill cap, and went out, Imocking on the door of the room across the hallway.


    Huang Chao was video chatting with his boyfriend, and after opening the door and seeing it was Qu Feitai, he eximed, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡±


    ¡°Baby, please don¡¯t stay upte. Your face is a national treasure. If you can¡¯t write the lyrics, just don¡¯t. Anyway, you¡¯ve written enough songs; just the copyright fees are enough for you to live on for a lifetime,¡± Huang Chao earnestly advised.


    Qu Feitai was speechless. It was really not easy to maintain such a high-quality output with such a hindering agent.


    Qu Feitai reached out his hand: ¡°Car keys.¡±


    Huang Chao frowned: ¡°Are you going to race cars again thiste at night?¡±


    Qu Feitai had a habit of racing cars when he couldn¡¯t write. His brain would be stimted intensely and then burst out with inspiration. Huang Chao always thought this habit was dangerous, and if he wasn¡¯t careful, he could easily go astray. Fortunately, Qu Feitai had behaved himself these past few years, not indulging in gambling, drugs, or anything else. But Huang Chao never took this for granted, never pushing him but instead urging him to rest more often. Unfortunately, his artistic spirit was too strong to be swayed by Huang Chao¡¯s words.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s status and money-making abilities in the entertainment industry had helped him save quite a bit of money over the years. But instead of spending it on property, he had spent it on cars. Before he was of age, he had only dared to buy them secretly. After that, he didn¡¯t care anymore. His underground garage was filled with limited edition sports cars and custom-made supercars, enough to hold arge-scale car show.


    Qu Feitai frowned impatiently: ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Huang Chao had no choice but to take the car keys and give them to him. Qu Feitai turned and left, while Huang Chao could only call out from behind, ¡°Be sure to be safe.¡±


    Once, out of concern, Huang Chao had apanied Qu Feitai to race cars and nearly died.<div>


    When he raced, Qu Feitai was like a madman. And Huang Chao wanted to live a few more years.


    After arriving in Jiangzhou, Huang Chao had rented a car to make it easy to discuss business with advertisers.


    The rented car was nothing like his own custom-made cars, and after driving it for a hundred meters, Qu Feitai wanted to throw it away.


    What a lousy engine, it couldn¡¯t even make it up a slope easily.


    Qu Feitai was unfamiliar with the city of Jiangzhou, so the GPS navigation system was automatically activated, with a sweet female voice announcing the destination.


    For some reason, Qu Feitai said, ¡°Mingshan Garden.¡±


    The moment the words left his mouth, he was shocked.


    ¡°Understood, I have re-nned the route for you. Mingshan Garden is 6.7 kilometers from here and the estimated travel time is twenty-one minutes. Please make a U-turn at the next intersection,¡± a sweet female voice announcement rang out.


    At the next intersection, Qu Feitai made a U-turn.


    In the whole city of Jiangzhou, this was the only ce he knew, and nothing more.


    While waiting for the traffic light, Qu Feitai rolled down the car window, resting his elbow on the window frame. There were police at the crossroads ahead checking for drunk driving.


    The traffic police walked up to his car. Seeing the young man wearing a hat and a mask, looking mysterious, the traffic police sternly said, ¡°Please show your ID and driver¡¯s license.¡±


    Qu Feitai took out his ID and driver¡¯s license and handed them to the traffic police.


    The traffic police looked at the ID and driver¡¯s license, then at Qu Feitai: ¡°Please cooperate with our inspection and remove your hat and mask.¡±


    Qu Feitai pulled down his mask, revealing his handsome face in an instant. The traffic police, a grown man, couldn¡¯t help but stare.


    Qu Feitai? The name sounded familiar.


    Wasn¡¯t this the big star his daughter always talked about? His concert was scheduled for the 29th in Jiangzhou, and the traffic police department had just issued a traffic restriction notice for that day; all traffic police had to work overnight.


    The police officer thought that Qu Feitai was indeed a big star, handsome, and seemingly easygoing, as he had shown no impatience so far.


    The traffic police handed both licenses back to him, speaking quietly, ¡°Be careful when driving at night and go home early.¡±


    Qu Feitai smiled and said to the police, ¡°Thank you, officer, for your concern.¡±


    The cars in front started to move, and Qu Feitai stepped on the gas pedal, leaving the staring traffic police in the dust.


    Since the police recognized his car, Qu Feitai didn¡¯t race anymore. Instead, he drove slowly and leisurely, enjoying the gentle night breeze of Jiangzhou.


    Did the people who grew up in this city carry the taste of the city with them?


    Or was it because she was in this city that even the night breeze was imbued with her scent?


    Before he knew it, the GPS informed him that he had arrived at his destination.


    Mingshan Garden¡¯s gate was close at hand. As a well-known wealthy residential area in Jiangzhou, the gate of Mingshan Garden was an epitome of luxury, with an air of wealth and elegance.


    Ou Feitai stared nklv at the twinkling lights of the distant houses, as the night¡¯s ink-colored sky slowly flowed around him.


    He suddenlyughed at himself. What was he doing here?


    Just as he was about to start the car and leave, the garden¡¯s gate opened, and a white sedan drove out.


    Qu Feitai had a good memory, and recognized it as Zhu Mingjing¡¯s car at a nce.


    It was sote; where was she going?


    For some reason, Qu Feitai started the car and followed her..

 Chapter 230 - 230: 110 Heartbeat (Second Update)

    Chapter 230 - 230: 110 Heartbeat (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qu Feitai started to feel that something was off as they went from high-rise buildings to low, squat factories.


    It was past ten o¡¯clock, and Zhu Mingjing was heading to the suburbs in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. Why?<div>


    They finally stopped in front of an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts.


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t follow them in and parked by the side of the road.


    As the car door opened, he saw Zhu Mingjing get out, her white dress very conspicuous in the pitch-ck night.


    The driver wanted to follow her in, but she said something to him, and he stayed put.


    Then she walked in alone.


    Qu Feitai furrowed his brow, sensing that something was amiss.


    He stealthily got out of the car and circled around to the back of the warehouse through the fields.


    There were piles of firewood and a few skylights with broken ss, leaving only the old windowttices.


    Qu Feitai decided to climb the firewood piles. The warehouse was generally over three meters high, with the firewood piles just over half a meter high, and there was still some distance from the top of the piles to the highest point.


    Qu Feitai leaped upward and sessfully grabbed the windowttice. He had always been fond of exercising, and his arm strength and jumping ability were astonishing, so he easily climbed up.


    Qu Feitai peeked through thettice into the warehouse, which wasrge and dimly lit on the east side, while his position in the west was blocked by some shelves, so he couldn¡¯t see the east side, and the people there couldn¡¯t see him either.<div>


    Qu Feitai crawled through the window, rolled on the ground, andnded. At this moment, he heard a woman¡¯s sharp voice: ¡°Ming Jing¡­ Ming Jing, save me!¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s frown deepened.


    Kidnapping?


    The kidnapped person was none other than Zhu Xiangxiang.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang was tied up and hanging in mid-air, shouting for help as soon as she saw Ming Jing enter.


    Zhu Xiangxiang regretted her actions deeply, cursing Zhou Ling for deceiving her.


    At that moment, Zhou Ling emerged from the darkness, pping her hands mockingly, ¡°Zhu Mingjing, I didn¡¯t expect you to actuallye. Should I say you¡¯re too naive or too confident?¡±


    Behind her, two foreign-looking, burly men with bulginz muscles and cold


    eyes followed, clearly well-trained fighters.


    Ming Jing showed no fear, calmly staring at Zhou Ling.


    Zhou Ling furrowed her brows, wondering why Ming Jing still managed to keep herposure even at this moment.<div>


    ¡°Zhou Ling, or should I call you Rose, that¡¯s your code name in CS, right?¡±


    Zhou Ling¡¯s expression changed as the girl spoke, ¡°You actually found out? It seems I¡¯ve underestimated you all along.¡±


    ¡°People always have to pay the price for their foolishness,¡± the girl sighed softly, her voice tinged with sadness.


    Zhou Ling scoffed, ¡°No matter what you¡¯re nning, it¡¯s useless as long as you¡¯re here today. Aren¡¯t you fond of your good reputation? Today, I will turn you into a murderer that the whole Jiangzhou despises.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang, who was still hanging, finally understood what was happening. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing and yelled at Zhou Ling, ¡°You bitch, I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡±


    As she spoke, her legs iled in the air, her whole body swinging back and forth.


    Zhou Ling and Ming Jing didn¡¯t even nce at her.


    ¡°Ni Cai said, ¡®He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not be a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.¡±¡®


    The girl stood in the light and shadow, her pure white dress dazzlingly bright, with the pitch-ck night behind her, like the gaping maw of a demon.


    Her ethereal, clear voice echoed through the empty warehouse as if it were a judgment from fate, sending chills down one¡¯s spine.


    In the darkness, Qu Feitai froze in ce, slowly making his way towards them.


    That voice would echo in his ears for a long time, and even yearster, he would clearly remember this night, the distant voice of the girl, and his own heartbeats close at hand.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, do you think showing off your eloquence will make me spare you? I¡¯m not like those richdies you easily manipte with a few words. Save your breath and save it for arguing with the judge in court.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve ruined everything for me, and I¡¯ll make sure you taste what it¡¯s like to be disgraced and despised. I¡¯ll ensure that people will despise you as a murderer.¡± Zhou Ling waved her hand, one of her men walked over and cut the ropes, dropping Zhu Xiangxiang to the ground in pain.


    Zhou Ling reached out, and one of her men handed her a dagger. She yed with the dagger while wearing a pair of leather gloves, walked over, her high heels stepping on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face, and smiled at Ming Jing.


    ¡°The real heiress of the Zhu family, jealous of the fake heiress, mutted her face, and in a fit of rage, identally killed the fake heiress. How about that, isn¡¯t that headline eye-catching?¡±


    Ming Jing stared at her silently, her expression neither sad nor happy, her eyes filled with pity and nothing else.


    Zhou Ling hated Ming Jing¡¯s expression the most, she shoved the dagger into Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand and ordered, ¡°sh her face to pieces. I want to see if she can still remain calm then. ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head desperately, throwing away the dagger.


    She was wrong; she shouldn¡¯t have conspired with a dangerous foe. If she had made a move against Ming Jing, she would be the next to die.


    Zhou Ling grabbed her hair, forcing her to lift her head, and sneered, ¡®Who are you trying to fool? You think you¡¯re so kind when you couldn¡¯t even spare your own foster mother from poison?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s pupils shrank, and she shook her head frantically, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, I beg you, don¡¯t speak anymore.¡±


    Zhou Ling looked at Ming Jing with a creepy smirk, ¡°Maybe soon, you¡¯ll be holding a funeral for your dear mother. It was your ¡®loving¡¯ sister here who poisoned her. If you don¡¯t believe me, just ask her.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang wept bitterly, her voice hoarse as she screamed, ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention! You forced me to do it! Ming Jinx, don¡¯t believe her!¡±


    Ming Jing continued to watch silently, her brow not even furrowing.


    ¡°Had enough?¡±


    Zhou Ling was taken aback, carefully sizing up Ming Jing before incredulously asking, ¡®You already knew?¡±


    ¡°Poisoning someone in front of me? It¡¯s like trying to show off your mediocre skills,¡± the girl¡¯s light tone carried a hint of disdain.


    Zhou Ling muttered under her breath, ¡°How¡­ What about Lin Qing¡­¡±


    ¡°The poison in her body has already been neutralized by me. Only someone with a foolish mind like you could havee up with such a lowly tactic,¡± Ming Jing said coldly.


    Zhou Ling¡¯s breath caught in her throat.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was equally shocked. She looked at Ming Jing in disbelief, her tearful gaze filled with regret and hatred.


    So all this time, she had been nothing but a clown.


    What was she fighting Ming Jing for, and what was she trying to take from her? She had been losing from the very beginning.


    Zhou Ling gritted her teeth, shoved the dagger back into Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand, and warned, ¡°You hear that? Our n has been exposed. Do you think you can go back to the Zhus? Will Lin Qing still ept you? If you kill her, no one will ever know the truth, and you¡¯ll remain as the only heir to the Zhu family.¡±


    Zhou Ling had a change of heart; she didn¡¯t want Zhu Mingjing to be discredited ¨C she wanted her dead.


    This girl was too dangerous; Zhou Ling couldn¡¯t afford to give her even the slightest chance to make aeback.


    Only a dead person, after all, was the most obedient.


    Zhou Ling¡¯s voice carried a bewitching tone, but this time, Zhu Xiangxiang refused to listen. She took the knife and stabbed Zhou Ling viciously, ¡°Go to hell, you bitch!¡±


    Zhou Ling easily caught her wrist, and scoffed, ¡°Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.¡±


    With a swift twist, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned white as she let out a miserable scream, the dagger falling to the ground.


    Zhou Ling pped her across the face, sending her flying, ¡°Useless wretch!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang rolled over and hit her head on a shelf, knocking herself unconscious.


    Ming Jing finally furrowed her brow.


    Zhou Ling seemed to have found something interesting and said in surprise,


    ¡°You actually care about her life?¡±


    Ming Jing spoke in a mncholic tone, ¡°Every life is equally valuable.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, Master Zhu, I must say I¡¯m very impressed with you. One might see you as heartless, but at the same time, you possess apassionate heart. Yet your demeanor sickens me. If you really do havepassion for all living beings, why won¡¯t you let me go?¡±


    ¡°Life may be equal in value, but not in virtue and vice.¡±


    Zhou Ling gripped the dagger and took a step towards her, sneering, ¡°Good or evil? Let me show you what evil truly is.¡±


    The girl stood in the shadows, her face calm as she held a flower in one hand.


    ¡°Lay down one¡¯s butcher knife and be Buddha on the spot.¡±


    In the darkness, her slender figure emitted a faint golden glow.


    That beautiful face seemed like the purest flower grown in the Evildragon Valley, fearless of all the evil in the world.


    ¡°To hell with your Buddha!¡± Zhou Ling yelled before lifting her butcher knife high.


    The girl¡¯s face was calm and fearless as she quietly gazed at her opponent.


    In those clear, transparent eyes, Zhou Ling saw her own reflection.


    Ugly, filthy, and ferocious¡­


    Zhou Ling suddenly recalled the words Ming Jing had said earlier. When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you..

 Chapter 231 - 231: 111 Assassin (Part One)

    Chapter 231 - 231: 111 Assassin (Part One)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Beep- woo¨C Beep- woo¨C


    The sudden sound of police sirens broke the silence of the night, like the thunderous st of a storm.<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. Before Zhou Ling¡¯s face could change,


    Ming Jing instinctively snatched the dagger from her hand, striking Zhou Ling¡¯s shoulder with lightning speed. Zhou Ling winced in pain, her gaze fixed on Ming Jing in disbelief.


    She actually knew kung fu¡­ One could tell an expert just by their moves, and this was not only an expert but a master of internal strength.


    Impossible¡­


    Zhou Ling stepped back hastily, feeling as if the spot where she had been struck by Ming Jing¡¯s palm was burning hot, rendering her arms heavy and powerless.


    Her two subordinates rushed to support her, as Zhou Ling gritted her teeth and red at the emotionless young girl in a white dress on the other side.


    ¡°You actually dared to call the police?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote to surrender now.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Zhou Lingughed loudly as though she had heard something ridiculous.


    ¡°From the day I joined CS, there has been no going back. Today, either you die, or I perish.¡±


    She calmly ordered her subordinates, ¡°Kill her.¡±<div>


    Zhou Ling stepped back, watching her two subordinates head towards Ming


    Jing. She sneered and drew a gun from her waist, expertly readying it to fire.


    She had just been ying with them earlier, but now it was time to get serious.


    Ming Jing faced two men several times stronger than herself, yet she showed no fear. Her white dress was cold and serene like the moon.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you think about your child?¡±


    Zhou Ling hesitated for a moment, her face showing a brief hint of confusion.


    However, she quickly regained herposure. ¡± Everything I do is for him.¡± Ming Jing narrowed her eyes, ¡°The child is not Zhu Wentao¡¯s?¡±


    Zhou Ling¡¯s smile revealed a hint of wickedness. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ll soon be dead, I won¡¯t hide the truth from you. Zhu Wentao is even more hypocritical and fickle than I imagined. How could I possibly give birth to his child? Every time I¡¯m with him, I feel disgusted.¡±


    Ming Jing sighed softly, ¡°The east wind is evil, and desires are shallow.¡±


    Hearing the sirens approaching closer, Zhou Ling impatiently said, ¡°Quickly kill her.¡±


    The two men closed in on Ming Jing. The frail Ming Jing appeared like a helpless chick before a deadly tiger, posing no threat at all. In the ruthless eyes of the two, a trace of disdain could be seen.<div>


    Ming Jing slowly rolled up her sleeves, her face calm and still, her eyes slightly concealed. Her gentle appearance was even more exquisite than the bright moon in the sky behind her.


    A faint murderous aura filled the air, silently permeating like a spring rain. The two men exchanged nces. A killer¡¯s intuition told them that this was the scent of their kind.


    No, it was someone much stronger than them¡ªa true top assassin who could use the very air as their weapon for murder.


    The young girl raised her head slightly. Her smile was innocent and beautiful.


    ¡°You two,e at me together.¡±


    >With the gentlest tone, she uttered the most hateful words, a great insult to the two men. They no longer cared about anything else. How could a girl like this be a top assassin? It must be an illusion.


    The two men shook their heads, approaching Ming Jing from both sides, stretching out their devilish ws.


    As the weak and frail girl seemed about to be prey to the demons, a mysterious smile appeared on the corner of her lips.


    Dark clouds obscured the moon, plunging the earth into darkness.


    Along with the bright moon, the rolling murderous intent in the girl¡¯s eyes was also obscured.


    Winds suddenly changed, darkening the skies.


    In this tense atmosphere, filled with killing intent.


    From the depths of darkness came the clear, maic voice of a young man, like a breeze that split the ck clouds. The bright moon reappeared in the world.


    ¡°All of you, stop.¡±


    Two men turned their heads unconsciously.


    Ming Jing narrowed her eyes, gently lifting her gaze. In an instant, those ck pupils regained their rity and tenderness, as if everything before had been an illusion.


    This voice¡­ was Qu Feitai¡¯s.


    How could he be here?


    Then the person who had been following them in the car must be him. She initially thought it was Zhou Ling¡¯s men and did not pay attention to him.


    Had Qu Feitai been tracking her all along?


    In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts raced through Ming Jing¡¯s mind.


    From the depths of the darkness, a young man dressed in ck stepped forward, holding Zhou Ling tightly in his arms. The gun that had been in Zhou Ling¡¯s hand was now in the young man¡¯s grasp, the muzzle aimed at Zhou Ling¡¯s temple.


    The young man was tall. Petite Zhou Ling in his arms seemed like a truly helpless chick. He showed no mercy, making it difficult for her to breathe, her face ashen.


    She didn¡¯t want to die, but she hadn¡¯t expected Ming Jing to be so cunning, even arranging for someone to help her and take advantage of her unguarded moment tounch a surprise attack..

 Chapter 232 - 232: 111 Assassin (Part Two)

    Chapter 232 - 232: 111 Assassin (Part Two)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Under the brim of his hat, the young man¡¯s eyes were beautiful yet cold. He brought the pistol even closer, and the icy barrel made Zhou Ling gasp in fear.


    ¡°Everyone stop, or I¡¯ll blow her head off.¡± The young man¡¯s voice was chillingly cold, exuding an aura of ruthlessness that made people shudder subconsciously.<div>


    The two thugs exchanged nces, looking at Zhou Ling. Zhou Ling gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Listen to him.¡± The young man gestured to Ming Jing with his chin, ¡°You,e here, behind me.¡±


    The young man¡¯s eyes were fixed on her, filled with unquestionable determination and dominance.


    Ming Jing pursed her lips, slowly walking towards him. Even in this dangerous situation, she didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of panic or fear, strolling as if she was in a garden.


    As Ming Jing approached, the young man reached out and pulled her behind him. ¡°Hide.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up at the tall figure blocking all light and shadows, like a mountain.


    She narrowed her eyes, a faint smile suddenly curling at the corners of her lips.


    What kind of situation was this?


    ¡°With a hostage in hand, they won¡¯t dare to act rashly. We¡¯ll wait for the police toe in.¡±


    The young man lowered his voice and said, ¡°Why are you so reckless? Don¡¯t you Zhus have at least four bodyguards when you go out? If it weren¡¯t for me today, you would be dead prematurely.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Thank you for your heroic help.¡±


    Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t see her face, but the softughter was like a cat¡¯s paw wing at his heart.<div>


    ¡°So, how will you thank me?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Qu Feitai blurted out without thinking, ¡°In the stories, the hero saves the beauty, and she repays him with her body.¡±


    As the words left his mouth, the air fell silent.


    The night wind blew through the hall, stirring ripples in their hearts.


    Were those words too abrupt?


    Qu Feitai felt some remorse.


    Zhou Ling couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, ¡°The lovebirds are even flirting here.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s ears turned red, and he said coldly, ¡°Behave.¡±


    Zhou Ling quickly said, ¡°Zhu Mingjing, let me go today, and I will remember your kindness. Aren¡¯t youpassionate? I¡¯vemitted many sins, but my child is innocent. Please spare my life for the sake of my child.¡±


    By the end, her tone was pleading.<div>


    ¡°Whether your child is innocent or not, thew will give a fair judgment.¡±


    ¡°Then let me exchange a secret for my life. I think you¡¯ll be very interested. Why has CS appeared in the country? Why did they choose the Zhus? Aren¡¯t you curious?


    ¡°Save those words for the judge.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s indifference frustrated Zhou Ling, ¡°You¡¯ll regret this.¡±


    Zhou Ling instructed her subordinates, ¡°You go first. Don¡¯t worry about me. Tell Fox to avenge me.¡±


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°None of you will be able to escape.¡±


    At that moment, a loudspeaker outside sounded, ¡°Those inside, listen up. We have surrounded you. Put down your weapons and surrender.¡±


    The voice echoed deafeningly in the night.


    Zhou Ling¡¯s face turned pale, suddenly raising a leg, revealing a hidden de in her shoe¡¯s sole. The de, gleaming with a cold light, aimed for Qu Feitai¡¯s throat.


    Her movement was too fast. As the de was about to cut through Qu Feitai¡¯s carotid artery, his eyes hardened, and he immediately let go of Zhou Ling and leaned back. The de grazed his chest.


    Everything happened in a split second. Qu Feitai¡¯s dance training made his waist and limbs more flexible and supple than most people. He straightened up and immediately pulled Ming Jing back, protecting her behind him from beginning to end.


    Atter breaking tree, Zhou Ling gritted her teeth and ordered her two subordinates, ¡°Die.¡±


    Then, Ming Jing let out a lifelike sound of a bird calling ¡°cuckoo.¡± The next moment, fully armed SWAT officers stormed in, shooting one man who fell to the ground. The other one reacted and charged towards Ming Jing.


    With a ¡°bang,¡± the man stopped one step away from Qu Feitai, shot in the heart. His pupils dted, and he fell to the ground.Behind the cold muzzle were the trembling hands of the young man and pupils that shrank suddenly out of fear.


    Zhou Ling was pinned down by the SWAT officers who caught up with her, her gaze fixed on Ming Jing.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, I will not let you go.¡±


    No matter how unwilling she was, she could only be escorted away in extreme humiliation by the SWAT officers, awaiting her trial byw.


    Qu Feitai threw the gun away with a ¡°pa¡± sound, as if it was burning his hand.


    Bloody images shed in his mind, ovepping with the current scene.


    A delicate white hand gently rested on his shoulder, a gentle, watery voice of a young girl came through his ears, along with the faint, cold fragrance floating around his nostrils.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, everything is over.¡±


    Qu Feitai suddenly hugged her tightly.


    Ming Jing froze for a moment, a faint smile appearing on her lips. She gently patted his back as if soothing a child who had just cried, her patience evident as she patted his back over and over again.


    Qu Feitai clung tightly to the soft delicate body in his arms, like a drowning person holding onto a final straw.


    ¡°I killed someone¡­¡± he murmured.


    The long-sealed box was opened, awakening distant memories of someone patiently patting his back as well,forting him with the gentlest voice in the world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, everything will get better.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s still breathing, he won¡¯t die.¡± The sound of the SWAT officer¡¯s teasing came through his ears.


    The sound of the ambnce followed, with two doctors and nurses carrying a stretchering into the room, lifting the unconscious man onto the stretcher and carrying him out.


    The SWAT officer discovered the unconscious Zhu Xiangxiang ¨C thankfully, her injuries were rtively minor. The officer directly carried her onto the ambnce.


    Qu Feitai felt a little awkward when he heard the SWAT officer¡¯s words.


    Wasn¡¯t that saying he had lost face? But admitting it outright would be even more humiliating.


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t want to let go, but that would be taking advantage of her.


    He was a gentleman and couldn¡¯t exploit someone¡¯s vulnerability.


    Qu Feitai released his grip, coughed lightly, and looked Ming Jing up and down: ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head lightly, her gaze fell on his arm, and then it suddenly froze.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡±


    There was aceration on his arm, possibly caused by Zhou Ling¡¯s knife just now, blood beads were oozing out from it.


    Qu Feitai said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±


    Xu Huan burst in at that moment. Seeing Ming Jing unharmed, he sighed in relief: ¡°d you¡¯re all right.¡±


    His eyes then fell on Qu Feitai. He became instantly alert, this young man with a hat and mask seemed mysterious, obviously having a hidden agenda. Ming Jing calmly exined, ¡®He¡¯s my friend, he followed me here secretly


    because he was worried about my safety. He wasn¡¯t part of the n.¡¯ Xu Huan nodded but continued to size up Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Why did you guys take action early tonight?¡± Ming Jing asked coldly.


    Xu Huan scratched his head, ¡°Sorry Miss Zhu, there was a mix-up in the scheduling, and that¡¯s my fault. I hope it didn¡¯t cause you too much trouble.¡±


    After looking at Qu Feitai, Ming Jing found that, despite his meddling, the n was still aplished sessfully.


    ¡°Miss Zhu, please follow me to the police station with your friend here. We¡¯ll need you to make a statement ording to the regtions.¡± Ming Jing nodded and looked at Qu Feitai: ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    After taking two steps, he suddenly hissed softly and covertly nced at Ming Jing.


    As expected, she furrowed her delicate brows and said to Xu Huan, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first, his arm is injured.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes and eyebrows perked up, and the corners of his mouth curled


    up..

 Chapter 233 - 233: 112 Delight (Second Watch)

    Chapter 233 - 233: 112 Delight (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The police car ahead cleared the way, and the one behind escorted. In the dark night, the police siren of ¡°1)i-Wu¨CDi-Wu¨C¡± was invigorating and awakening.


    A white sedan was sandwiched between the two police cars, swaggering and speeding past.<div>


    The emergency department was unusually quiette at night, with the on-duty nurse dozing off behind the counter.


    A hurried footsteps approached, and the on-duty nurse looked up alertly.


    Police?


    The sleepiness immediately vanished.


    As the police approached, she noticed a man and a woman behind him.


    The man was 185 cm tall, dressed in ck, wearing a duckbill cap and a mask, blending in with the dark night, and incredibly cool.


    The young on-duty nurse¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.


    This young man exuded charm from every strand of hair, and although his face was obscured, he was definitely a handsome guy.


    The girl beside him was dressed in a white skirt, cold yet gentle, like the beautiful breeze in April.


    One ck and one white, one cold and one gentle, the contrast was extreme yet harmonious.


    The on -duty nurse thought in her heart that they were perfect for each other in their demeanor, appearance, and height. A match made in heaven indeed.<div>


    ¡°His arm is injured, can it be treated temporarily?¡± Xu Huan asked.


    The nurse gazed at his back with infatuation, and Xu Huan frowned and tapped his fingers on the counter.


    Only then did the nurse notice the young man¡¯s bloody wound on his arm and immediately said, ¡°All right, pleasee with me.¡±


    The nurse led them to the emergency treatment room, took out a medical tray with tweezers, cotton balls, disinfectant iodine, and gauze tape.


    ¡°Sit here, and I¡¯ll treat your wound.¡± The nurse was a bit afraid to look at the young man. He was very tall, standing in front of her like a mountain, making her nervous vet feeling secure.


    The young man sat down as instructed, his height almost the same as the standing nurse. She stuck out her tongue, her heart beating rapidly.


    As she reached for the tweezers, the gentle voice of the young girl sounded in her ears.


    ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    The nurse paused, and a slender, fair hand passed in front of her, picking up the tweezers.


    She thought, what the poetry said about the fingers like finely sliced scallions and the jade-like wrists covered in frost and snow, seemed just like this.


    The young man looked up, and she saw his beautiful eyes, like the brightest star in the pitch-ck sky, staring at the young girl.<div>


    The stars always revolve around the moon, and that girl was like the silver moon, bright and pure.


    Ming Jing held the tweezers and picked up a cotton ball, soaked it with iodine, and looked up at Qu Feitai.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes crinkled into slits as he smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t fear pain.¡±


    The iodine wiped over the wound, a cool sensation followed by a bitter sting. For Qu Feitai, this pain was like a mosquito bite.


    Throughout, he didn¡¯t even furrow his brow.


    It was eptable to be pitiful earlier, but if he continued now, it would seem contrived.


    Under the light, the girl¡¯s face was like the silver moon; her long eyshes covering her eyelids, her expression serious yet tender.


    They were so close that the faint fragrance from the girl¡¯s body drifted into the tip of Qu Feitai¡¯s nose, making his heartbeat suddenly speed up and feel somewhat uncontroble. His brain went nk for an instant due to a briefck of oxygen.


    Suddenly, he covered his chest with his hand, furrowing his eyebrows.


    Ming Jing put down the tweezers and asked with furrowed brows, ¡°Is there anywhere else you¡¯re ufortable?¡±


    As she finished speaking, she took his other hand, her fingers ced on his pulse.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even more.


    Why was his pulse so fast?


    Her fingertips were cool as jade, and his skin was as hot as fire. The moment their fingers touched, a jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through their limbs. Qu Feitai abruptly withdrew his hand, quickly stood up, and walked out.


    Leaving behind a single sentence: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The person was already gone.


    This person¡¯s reaction was a bit strange, Ming Jing shook her head helplessly.


    The nurse, who witnessed the whole process, wanted to remind something but saw the girl¡¯s face show no trace of shyness. She knew it was no use to speak and might even affect something, so she wisely remained silent.


    Ming Jing walked out of the treatment room, and Xu Huan approached with a weird expression, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    In the dark, Qu Feitai covered his chest with one hand and after a long time, his heartbeat gradually calmed.


    Leaning against the wall, he turned to look out the window.


    A crescent moon hung at the edge of the sky like a hook, and the moonlight was as pure as water cascading down.


    The stars scattered like chess pieces across the sky, reflecting in the young man¡¯s eyes.


    When young, one doesn¡¯t know the taste of sorrow, for they love the storied building, and they love the storied building.


    Topose new words, they have to speak of sorrow.


    In the past, he disdained the foolish men and resentful women of the world, priding himself on his clear-headedness and self-righteousness. Little did he know that one day, he would be one of the characters in the y¡­.

 Chapter 234 - 234: 112 Joy (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 234 - 234: 112 Joy (Second Revision)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Only sigh how clothes be ever looser, pining for you.¡±


    ¡°Only resent that seeking beauty is like seeking the moon and wind, boundless.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai suddenlyughed, a lowughter that prated the chest cavity and echoed in the night.


    Qu Feitai walked out of the emergency department and got into the car on the road.


    Ming Jing did not ask a single word about his sudden departure.


    On the way to the police station, the atmosphere in the car fell eerily silent.


    ¡°Did you receive the concert tickets?¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s deep voice broke the silence in the car.


    Ming Jing was stunned: ¡°Did you send the tickets?¡±


    ¡°Yin Zhang told me, so I sent them directly to you. I¡¯m delighted that you enjoy my concert. ¡±


    Ming Jing didnt rify his misconception; she only said a simple ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°Treat me to dinner,¡± suggested Qu Feitai.


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Two meals.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing agreed by nodding her head.


    Ming Jing¡¯s stoic nature would generally bore others, but Qu Feitai found it increasingly interesting.


    If one day, there was a spark in her calm face because of him, he would feel no regrets even in death. ¡°I¡¯ll set the time and location.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him.


    Qu Feitai exined: ¡°I¡¯ll save my number in it. How else would I contact you?¡±


    Ming Jing temporarily failed to see any logical rtionship between him contacting her and her phone.


    This man has helped her tonight. Although Ming Jing didn¡¯t need his help, she was always willing to amodate well-intentioned people¡¯s harmless requests.


    Ming Jing handed him her phone.


    The phone wasn¡¯t password protected; Qu Feitai unlocked it with a swipe. The home page was devoid of any extra entertainment apps, reflecting its owner¡¯s generally boring life.<div>


    Qu Feitai dialed his own number, and the soft and clear voice of a young man singing unexpectedly rang out from the phone. The melody was magical, and the singing beautiful.


    The song was the main track of Qu Feitai¡¯s first album and had always been his ringtone.


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t hang up; the song continued to resonate within the car. Qu Feitai¡¯s lips tugged into a grin, giving Ming Jing a nce. Ming Jing listened attentively, ¡°Is this song written by you?¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile, ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°I like it.¡±


    Qu Feitai, like a student praised by his teacher, beamed with even greater pride.


    He stored his number in her contact list, sneakily gave himself a nickname, and looked guilty, as if he had done something wrong.


    Ming Jing¡¯s ringtone was system default; in a few quick movements, Qu Feitai changed it to match his.


    As he exited the contact list, he noticed something peculiar.


    In her contacts, there were only five entries, all numbers without names.


    So, he was the sixth.


    And his nickname was striking amid the number clusters.


    Qu Feitai was pleased with his smirk.


    He manipted Ming Jing¡¯s phone this way and that. She didn¡¯t take a nce or asked anything. Her eyes gently closed as if she has fallen asleep.


    Qu Feitai turned to look at her. The girl¡¯s pure white face glowed dimly and brightly in the shadow-filled car, mirroring his heart, sinking one moment, floating the next.


    Qu Feitai clutched the phone, her warmth seemingly seeping into him, bit by bit invading his heart.


    The fleeting city lights from the window glittered, neon lights zing. Bits and pieces of the alternating light and shadow fell into his view through the window.


    Zhu Ming Jing.


    He softly pronounced her name.


    Why did even uttering her name give such a secret sense of happiness?


    They arrived at the police station. Ming Jing opened her eyes.


    Qu Feitai handed the phone back to her. Without asking anything else, she epted it, pocketed it, got out of the car, and left.


    Qu Feitai exhaled slowly, suddenly feeling a profound sense of a long and difficult journey ahead.


    When the statement was finished, it was already midnight.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s car was driven over by Xu Huan¡¯s colleague, who handed the keys to him.


    ¡°Thank you for tonight, you should get some rest.¡±


    Without another nce at him, she got in the car and drove off.


    Qu Feitai let out a sigh, at this moment Xu Huan came running: ¡°Did Ms. Zhu leave? I forgot to return Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s phone to her, I¡¯ll give it to her tomorrow.¡±


    Qu Feitai said, ¡°Give me the phone, I¡¯ll deliver it to her.¡±


    Only when Xu Huan was taking the statement did he realize that he was the famous star Qu Feitai, who recently came to Jiangzhou for a concert. His department has been stressing security and traffic issues almost every day, anticipating a massive turnout on the 29th.


    This big star was actually a friend of Ms. Zhu, and it seemed that their rtionship was not ordinary at all.


    Xu Huan felt a sense of surrealism.


    Thinking that since he is a friend of Ms. Zhu, it¡¯s okay to give it to him, he handed the phone, which was in a dust-proof bag, to Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Can I trouble you with this, Mr. Qu.¡±


    As Qu Feitai was about to leave, Xu Huan hesitated and said, ¡°Mr. Qu, can I be so bold as to ask you¡­ for an autograph? My sister adores you. If she has your signature, she will surely be over the moon.¡±


    ¡°Sure, thank you Officer Xu for your hard work tonight. However, I hope you can keep my identity a secret.¡±


    Xu Huan immediately assured, ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Qu Feitai stepped out of the elevator, Huang Chao immediately opened the door and weed him: ¡°Oh thank goodness, Lord Buddha and God bless, you¡¯re finally back safe and sound.¡± Saying that, he pressed his palms together and began to worship in all directions.


    Qu Feitai chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re praying to the wrong deity, God is Christian.¡±


    Huang Chao rolled his eyes at him: ¡°Whether it¡¯s God or Buddha, as long as they can protect you, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll offer incense to him every day.¡±


    Qu Feitai took out the room key to open the door. Huang Chao wanted to follow him in: ¡°Let me tell you, the concert ising soon. Behave yourself these days, don¡¯t race in the middle of the night¡­¡±


    ¡°Bang.¡± He was met with a face full of dust.


    Huang Chao touched his nose, ¡°This damn kid, his temper¡¯s getting worse.¡±


    Qu Feitai came out after taking a shower, and took advantage of a burst of inspiration to write effortlessly.


    He looked at his work with satisfaction.


    He picked up his phone and clicked on the most recent missed call. He saved it to his contacts, renamed it and marked it as special care.


    He then searched for the WeChat ID using this mobile number.


    The profile picture was a handwritten Chinese character


    The handwriting was fluid and rxed. The nickname was her name ¨C Ming Jing.


    Simple and clear, which was her style.


    The personal bio only contained eight characters ¨C Describing a snow-capped mountain and referring to something far-reaching.


    Qu Feitai immediately searched for the origin of these eight Chinese characters, which was from the record of climbing Tai Mountain by Yao Nai of the Qing Dynasty.


    A grand and hearty atmosphere emerged spontaneously, which was quite different from her calm and low-key image.


    This clearly shows that she¡¯s a woman of depth.


    Qu Feitai sent a friend request and anxiously waited.


    However, he waited all night and didn¡¯t get approved.


    Did he write his verification message too conspicuously? Or did Ming Jing dislike him¡­


    Qu Feitai had never been so restless, staring at the dark ceiling, experiencing the passage of time, feeling sour, excited, and gloomy¡­


    Having his emotions led by others felt terrible, but he didn¡¯t want to change it, he even enjoyed it.


    It was torture and enjoyment at the same time.


    Just as he was dozing off and his mind was drifting, the WeChat notification suddenly ¡°dinged¡±.


    Qu Feitai immediately woke up, grabbing his phone in a fluster.


    She epted it. Ming Jing epted his friend request.


    The phone screen illuminated the young man¡¯s eyes, brimming with excitement.


    However, as soon as he saw the time, he was bbergasted.


    It was 5:05 in the morning.


    Daylight was beginning to break outside the window, and the sun was starting to rise.


    The young man threw his phone and rolled back into the nket, rolling around like a child.


    What is a young man?


    He has the most secret joy.


    And the most fervent love..

 Chapter 235 - 235: 113 Repentance (First Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 235 - 235: 113 Repentance (First Watch of the Night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At the break of dawn, when the sky turned from dark to light, Ming Jing opened her eyes.


    Her bedside rm clock shows exactly 5:00 AM.<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s biological clock is very punctual. When she was in the nunnery, she would wake up at 4:30 AM to do her morning sses, and had never missed a single day in more than ten years.


    After returning to the Zhus, she adjusted it to 5:00 AM to adapt to the secr life.


    All of her fellow female disciples have returned to secr life as well, and were still sleeping at the moment.


    However, she once vowed in front of her Master to not be attached to worldly affairs and continue to practice asceticism in this life.


    After finishing her morning routine, Ming Jing briefly checked her phone.


    There was a WeChat friend request.


    I am Qu Feitai.


    Five simple and straightforward words.


    The profile picture was a very cute cartoon character, looking cool and adorable, just like a mini version of Qu Feitai.


    Ming Jing casually epted the request and ced her phone aside. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she began her morning ss.


    Regarding morning and evening sses, Buddha once mentioned in his scriptures, ¡®You monks should diligently practice the Dharma during the day and not let time pass in vain. In the early andte night, there should be no waste as well.¡±<div>


    ¡°Recite sutras in the middle of the night to calm yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Do not let sleep be the reason for an empty life, without gaining anything!¡±


    ¡°Fear the suffering of the three paths, the eight difficulties, and the four kindnesses; be grateful for the three worlds.¡±


    Follow the text, visualize, and recite the teachings in your mind.


    As time silently passed, Ming Jing opened her eyes, feeling her six senses clearing and her three karmas in harmony.


    Finishing her morning sses, Ming Jing did a set of math exercises. The morning is the best time for memory, and Ming Jing usually takes advantage of this time to recite or practice.


    At exactly 7:00 AM, Ming Jing went downstairs for breakfast.


    Lin Qing was still asleep, as she rarely got up early in the morning. Being a wealthy woman, this had be her habit.


    Granny Zhu had already eaten her breakfast early and went out for a walk.


    Ming Chen, Ming Ti, and the young Ming all had strong biological clocks and didn¡¯t have the habit of oversleeping, thus they basically apanied Ming Jing for breakfast every morning.


    Laziness is a big taboo for a practitioner, and their Master wouldn¡¯t tolerate it just because they were young. Instead, she kept them on a tighter leash and believed that good habits would benefit them for a lifetime.<div>


    Fortunately, the three children were innately pure and good, so they didn¡¯tin. Even the most pampered Ming Chen managed to persist silently.


    Now, even if you let them sleep in, they wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    Madam Zhou came over to Ming Jing, ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t have a chance to tell you when you got backtest night. Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯te homest night, and nobody answered her phone. Did something happen to her?¡±


    Although Zhu Xiancxiang crew more and more annoving as she crew uD. she was still the child Madam Zhou watched over and raised. If something really happened to her, Madam Zhou would feel uneasy. Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Madam Zhou was startled.


    ¡°Is Xiangxiang sick?¡±


    Although worried, Madam Zhou looked at Ming Jing¡¯s calm face and knew there was no big problem, so she sighed in relief.


    ¡°I made some soup to bring to her. I¡¯ll go to the hospital to look after her, Miss, is that alright?¡±


    Madam Zhou was afraid that Ming Jing would be displeased, but she worried too much.


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Okay, after breakfast, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Madam Zhou thought to herself that the young miss is full ofpassion, the kindest person ever. She shouldn¡¯t have doubted the young miss.


    On the other hand, Zhu Xiangxiang was the one with a small mind, always jealous of the young miss. The young miss had never held a grudge against her and always repaid her hostility with kindness.


    This time, while taking care of Zhu Xiangxiang at the hospital, she would definitely take the opportunity to teach her a lesson.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the Zhu family any longer.


    Madam Zhou returned to the kitchen to prepare the soup.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti exchanged nces.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was in the hospital? How curious.


    Ming Ti wanted to say ¡°serves her right,¡± but Ming Jing probably wouldn¡¯t like her talking like that, so she held her words back.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was awakened by pain at three in the morning.


    Is this the underworld?


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help but cry, thinking about her life being a joke and feeling great sorrow.


    The duty nurse was attracted by her crying and thought her wound was hurting again. She then gave her a painkilling injection. The painkiller had a sedative and hypnotic effect, and soon Zhu Xiangxiang fell asleep again.


    When she woke up again, it was already 8:00 AM.


    She stared nkly at the ceiling, and scenes fromst night shed through her mind.


    Is Zhu Ming Jing dead?


    She didn¡¯t know why, but she should have been happy if Zhu Ming Jing was dead. It would have been a long-awaited moment for her.


    But now, she couldn¡¯t feel happy at all.


    She admitted that she was jealous of Zhu Ming Jing, jealous that she was the true daughter of the Zhu family and could unconditionally receive her mother and grandmother¡¯s love.


    She was jealous of her stunning appearance and temperament, and the achievements she could earn with almost no effort..

 Chapter 236 - 236: 113 Repentance (First Watch of the Night)_2

    Chapter 236 - 236: 113 Repentance (First Watch of the Night)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    She was envious of Ming Jing¡¯s unppable demeanor, never perturbed nor anxious, as if in the whole world, there was not a person or thing worthy of her attention.


    bne naa no love, nor nace.<div>


    Forever aloof and above, not looking down on the dust below.


    Admit it, Zhu Xiangxiang, you¡¯ve been like a hopping clown all this time, just wanting to get her attention.


    Just when her heart was filled with mixed emotions, the door to the sickroom opened, and a plump old woman walked in carrying a bucket of food. As soon as she saw Zhu Xiangxiang, she rushed over: ¡°Xiangxiang, what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhou¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her in a murmur, unable to hold back her tears.


    The two of them held each other and cried.


    ¡°Xiangxiang, don¡¯t cry. Madam Zhou made your favorite pork rib soup. We¡¯ll drink it, and after that, your wounds won¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± said Madam Zhou as she opened the thermos and scooped the soup into a small bowl.


    Only then did Zhu Xiangxiang notice Ming Jing standing in the sickroom. She unconsciously stared nkly at her.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not dead?¡±


    Madam Zhou gave her a look: ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? What¡¯s with all this talk of life and death? The young miss will live a long life.¡±


    Had this child hit her head?


    Ignoring her own injuries, Zhu Xiangxiang jumped out of bed. She ran barefoot to Ming Jing, wanting to touch her, but hesitating. She burst into tears andughter, saying, ¡°I thought you were dead ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. Hit me, scold me.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang grabbed her hand and pped her own face with it, ¡°Ming Jing,


    I¡¯m really sorry. If hitting me would make you feel better, feel free to hit.¡±


    Ming Jing brushed her hand away, her gaze gentle and serene, ¡°The person you should apologize to is not me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stiffened, and her face visibly paled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­l¡¯m sorry¡­l¡­l don¡¯t know what happened to me, like I was possessed by a ghost. It was her who bewitched me, Ming Jing, you must believe me¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said in a desperate and regretful tone.


    ¡°No one can bewitch you. You¡¯re just making excuses for your mistakes. If you could admit it honestly, I might have respected you a little more,¡± Ming Jing said.


    Her dark eyes were like an ancient, unfathomable pool. Zhu Xiangxiang shifted her gaze away in fear, daring not to look at her.


    Her words struck the deepest, most hidden part of Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart.


    None of her thoughts could escape Zhu Mingjing¡¯s eyes.


    She honestly hung her head, like a child who had done something wrong.


    ¡°I was wrong. Can you give me another chance?¡±<div>


    ¡°The people you should apologize to include both your foster mother and yourself. You should ask yourself that question.¡± ¡°Recover well. You have a lifetime to atone for your sins.¡±


    She left the sickroom.


    Zhu Xiangxiang really wanted to ask her how Zhou Ling was doing, but she didn¡¯t dare to speak up. Afterst night¡¯s events, she had resigned herself to fate.


    Jealousy is like slow poison, destroying your sanity and controlling your thoughts when you least expect it, being guided by obsession, step by step falling into the abyss.


    Fortunately, she hadn¡¯t woken up toote, and hadn¡¯t be further obsessed.


    Madam Zhou, seeing everything, roughly understood what had happened.


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked back despondently, and madam Zhouforted her softly, ¡®Xiangxiang, a person cannot live their entire life in resentment and jealousy, it¡¯s not right. You should look at the world with a grateful heart. You are already very lucky. If you hadn¡¯t been taken by mistake, how could you have enjoyed the glory and wealth of the Zhus for sixteen years? How could you have experienced the love and care of Madam and the old Madam for sixteen years? None of that is fake, and you truly felt it every single day for those sixteen years. Those memories will not be forgotten, even after decades, and they are your treasures.¡±


    ¡°You should be grateful for Madam¡¯s nurturing and contributions, grateful for the Zhus¡¯ cultivation and glory, and even more grateful for the sixteen years of suffering that the young miss had to endure on your behalf. Silly girl, nobody owes you anything. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve been stuck in your own problems and don¡¯t want toe out.¡±


    ¡°The young miss has clear and transparent eyes and incredible abilities. Do you think your little schemes could escape her eyes? Letting alone how much the old Madam loves her, even the Madam went from disliking her at first to being full of guilt and wanting to make up for it. If the young miss had caused you trouble in front of either of them, you would have been long gone from the Zhus. But she never said anything. Why do you think that is?¡±


    Why? Perhaps Zhu Mingjing never considered her as an opponent, or possibly, she simply didn¡¯t think Zhu Xiangxiang was worth considering as one..

 Chapter 237 - 237: 113 Repentance (First Watch of the Night)_3

    Chapter 237 - 237: 113 Repentance (First Watch of the Night)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Xiangxiang, you were raised under Madam Zhou¡¯s care, she loves you like her own granddaughter. You¡¯ve made mistakes in the past, but who doesn¡¯t in their lifetime. Madam Zhou isn¡¯t very talented, but she heard a phrase from Ming Chen the other day, ¡®To recognize one¡¯s faults and to change, there¡¯s no greater deed.¡¯ I give you these eight characters, ponder them well.¡±


    Madam Zhou handed the rib soup to Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡±<div>


    Tears brimmed in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes, ¡°Madam Zhou, I will remember.¡±


    A tear drop ¡°plinked¡± into the bowl.


    Zhu Xiangxiang wept, then suddenly broke into a smile.


    Zhu Wentao had been spending his days in the detention center, and it was far from good.


    He¡¯d lost a significant amount of weight in just a few days.


    Every day, agents from the prosecutor¡¯s office would take him away for repeated interrogations.


    After a while, even someone with the best mental stamina wouldn¡¯t be able to endure.


    Zhu Wentao was on the verge of copse. Thewyer assigned to his case was from the group¡¯s legal department, but not one of the core members. Thesewyers were familiar with various businessws, and were advantageous in business negotiations or contract uses. However, they were ipetent when it came to criminal cases involving personal injuries.


    Lawyer Wang came again today. As soon as Zhu Wentao saw him, he eagerly asked, ¡°How is it? Have you seen Secretary Zhou? What did she say?¡±


    Lawyer Wang, in his thirties, an elite gentleman with his briefcase and slicklybed hair, replied.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, someone else came to see you with me today.¡±<div>


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Is it Secretary Zhou?¡±


    Lawyer Wang looked towards the door. Zhu Wentao eagerly watched, but as soon as he saw the person who walked in, his face changed dramatically.


    ¡°Ming Jing? Why is it you?¡±


    Lawyer Wang pulled out a chair, and Ming Jing smoothly sat down after adjusting her skirt.


    Picking up the receiver and looking through the ss at the man opposite her.


    His appearance had aged a decade from not having seen him in just a few days.


    Bearded and haggard, he just looked like an ordinary middle-aged man.


    ¡°Are you very disappointed to see me?¡± Ming Jing¡¯s soft voice came through the receiver and Zhu Wentao¡¯s hand holding the receiver went numb.


    ¡°You¡­ are you here to get me out of here?¡± Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes were full of hope.


    He was really fed up with this life behind bars. If he could get out, even if it meant sucking up to this daughter he most disliked, he thought, he would do it.


    ¡°Everyone has to pay for their mistakes, you are no exception. During your time in the detention center, have you realized your mistakes?¡±<div>


    Zhu Wentao gritted his teeth, ¡°I¡­ I was fooled. You have to believe me, Ming Jing. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to build the Zhu Group from scratch. How could I destroy it with my own hands?¡±


    ¡°The Zhu Group isn¡¯t just yours. Even without you, it would still run normally.¡± As Ming Jing finished her sentence, Zhu Wentao bulged his eyes out.


    Lawyer Wang nced at Ming Jing, then timely opened his mouth, ¡°Mr. Zhu, you are isted from the outside world in the detention center, so you may not know. With the approval of all shareholders of the board of directors, the youngdy has taken up the position of chairman of the Group. Upon taking office, she signed a cooperation agreement with Shenzhou Group, and the stock price has been steadily rising. Other projects are also progressing steadily. The youngdy has breathed new life into the Group, she is the saviour of all the employees of the Zhu Group.¡±


    The more Lawyer Wang spoke, the paler Zhu Wentao¡¯s face got. He stared incredulously at the gentle smiling girl in front of him, and suddenly felt a chill all over.


    ¡°Where¡­ where did you get the shares from?¡±


    Thinking about a possibility, Zhu Wentao went even paler as he tottered back and forth.


    ¡°Did you n this from the start? You are really wild-hearted, I¡¯m your father, and you cooked this scheme against me?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, or rather, Mr. Zhu, the youngdy has been diligent and meticulous for thepany¡¯s sake. You shouldn¡¯t discredit her.¡±


    Lawyer Wang said in all seriousness as if Zhu Wentao¡¯s smearing of Zhu Ming Jing was such a heinous act.


    Ming Jing, dressed in white, smiled with soft innocence.


    Zhu Wentao was almost choked to vomit blood. He pointed to Ming Jing, speechless for a long time.


    Ming Jing gestured, and Lawyer Wang retreated.


    ¡°We¡¯ve settled the public matters, now let¡¯s talk about the family affairs.¡±


    Zhu Wentao intuitively sensed that something was wrong and stared at Ming Jing nervously.


    ¡°Are you still waiting for your Secretary Zhou?¡±


    ¡°What did you do to her? If you dare to hurt her, I won¡¯t let you go,¡± Zhu Wentao said, his eyes bulging with rage.


    Ming Jing shook her head gently, ¡°You really cared for her, but she didn¡¯t reciprocate. Mr. Zhu, it¡¯s truly touching how your genuine feelings went unreciprocated.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Ming Jing took out a document and waved it in front of Zhu Wentao, ¡°Zhou Ling has used you of multiple charges in her name. This is the receipt mailed to thepany by the court. Can you recognize her signature?¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s hands mmed on the ss as he closely examined every line on the paper. He muttered, ¡°Impossible¡­ This definitely isn¡¯t true¡­¡±


    Ming Jing took out a recording pen and flipped the switch. The familiar female voice came out.


    It was Zhou Lings voice, but also not quite.


    The once gentle voice was gone, reced only by bone-chilling coldness and


    disdain.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re about to die, I won¡¯t keep it from you anymore. Zhu Wentao is even more hypocritical and heartless than I imagined. How could I possibly have a child with him? Each time I was with him, I felt extremely disgusting.¡±


    Zhu Wentao saw the look of pity and mercy in the eyes of the girl on the other side of the ss.


    At this moment, he might be the most pitiful person in the world. He had lost his wife and his family, been abandoned by everyone.


    As the saying goes, there¡¯s always a reason for someone to be pitied.


    Zhu Wentao recalled a snow-bound day long ago. He was trudging his way home from the city, and passed through a crossroad. Suddenly, a figure rolled down from the hill and tumbled to his feet.


    The girl was all wrapped up in a thick, green down jacket, with a hat, gloves, and scarf, resembling a caterpir crawling in the snow. The pair of eyes peeking out were as clear as a sky washed by rain, utterly captivating him.


    ¡°Hey, what are you staring at, help me up.¡± The girl¡¯s voice broke out crisply, her eyebrows and eyes raised into an expression of lively vibrance.


    That year, he was eighteen.


    From his youthful days, through all sorts of hardships and deserts, in the toughest days, he would hold her and swear in the chill of the night that he would never let his beloved woman suffer even the slightest grievance or harm in this life.


    Finally, after the bitterness came the sweetness, but he forgot his oath, indulged in the carnal pleasures and worldly desires and lost himself amidst temporary pleasures and vanity.


    So this is retribution, is it?


    On the day of the divorce, Lin Qing asked him, ¡°Will you regret it?¡±


    He was resolute in his answer, ¡°I will never regret it.¡± As it turned out, the face pping came so quickly..

 Chapter 238 - 238: 114 New Songs (Second Watch)

    Chapter 238 - 238: 114 New Songs (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Walking out of the detention center gate, Ming Jing looked up at the sky.


    Dark clouds were densely-packed, like an upside-down pot, which weighed heavily on one¡¯s heart.<div>


    Lawyer Wang nced at Ming Jing and came over to respectfully ask, ¡°Miss, do you want to apply for bail pending trial for Mr. Zhu?¡±


    As long as thepany is willing to pay a huge bail bond for him, there is no specific evidence for his case, and he could apply for bail.


    ¡°No, he is willing to repent in prison and atone for his sins.¡±


    Lawyer Wang didn¡¯t say more, this young girl was more ruthless than he imagined.


    It¡¯s not exactly ruthless either, he couldn¡¯t figure out an appropriate adjective. The youngdy was theoretically not at fault, a bad person getting their deserved punishment conforms to the social order.


    But she is a daughter.


    On the way back, Xu Huan called. Zhou Ling¡¯s case was tricky, with forces interfering and hindering the normal course of procedure. Of course, Xu Huan couldn¡¯t bluntly say this, but everyone knew it in their hearts.


    ¡°Ming Jing, it¡¯s hard for us to infiltrate these tangled forces overnight. The only solution is to let Zhou Ling die quietly. Otherwise, she¡¯ll keep biting you like a mad dog.¡± Zheng Qing sighed; there were still many things in this world that were beyond one¡¯s control.


    Ming Jing gazed at the scenery whizzing past as her eyes gradually deepened.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually another way, but I guess with your character, you probably won¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Ming Jing curled her lips: ¡°Your provoking tactic is clumsy.¡±<div>


    ¡°Ah, you saw through it. I suspect you installed radar in my brain, otherwise, how would you know what I¡¯m thinking? It¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Because you want me to know.¡±


    ¡°Are you a philosopher? Every sentence sounds so profound.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an iing call. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± Ming Jing hung up Zheng Qing¡¯s call.


    ¡°Miss Zhu, hello. I¡¯m Madam Jiang¡¯s assistant Zhou Xue, do you remember


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered, and the smile on her lips deepened.


    ¡°Secretary Zhou, hello.¡±


    ¡°Madam has recently acquired an antique flower vase and would like to invite Miss Zhu to appraise it at her residence tomorrow afternoon. Are you avable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored by Madam¡¯s invitation.¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhu, you are too courteous. We¡¯ll consider it settled then. Tomorrow afternoon at two, Madam will be waiting for you at her home.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing will definitely keep the appointment.¡±<div>


    After hanging up the phone, Ming Jing furrowed her brows in deep thought.


    Madam Jiang¡¯s call came at the perfect time, the feeling of being watched by someone is very ufortable.


    The 29th was a special day for Jiangzhou.


    And it was also a lively day for the entertainment industry.


    Media and fans from all over the country flocked to Jiangzhou. Some long-distance fans arrived two days earlier, filling the citys major hotels, while every Inte cafe around the stadium was packed each night.


    Qu Feitai was engrossed in the final rehearsal. When he proposed to premiere his new song, the stage director firmly declined¡ª the idea was too crazy. At thest moment, this was a huge challenge for everyone.


    ¡°I only need five minutes¡ª no band, no dancers. Just me, a guitar, and a standing microphone. This song is very important to me.¡±


    The young man¡¯s deep voice was resolute, soon drowned out by the backstage noise.


    The stage director looked into the boy¡¯s determined eyes, the intense, passionate heat reminding him of his youth, and eventually nodded.


    ¡°Only five minutes. The venue¡¯s schedule is tight, no extra second is allowed. I hope this song is worth everyone¡¯s efforts.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s confident smile eximed, ¡°Five minutes is enough.¡±


    During the rehearsal, Qu Feitai picked up a guitar and sat in the middle of the stage close to the audience. A standing mic was in front of him.


    His fingers plucked the guitar strings, and the crisp sound of strings resonated instantly. The staff gathered to take a peek from backstage.


    Most were young people, either fans of Qu Feitai¡¯s songs or admirers of his good looks.At first, they were prejudiced against him, but after working together for so long, his dedication and humility had already earned everyone¡¯s admiration.


    Now that they could hear Qu Feitai¡¯s new song, everyone was over the moon.


    If not for the non-disclosure agreement they had signed, forbidding them to post on Weibo or share the news with their friends, this news would have already been all over the Inte.


    A few girls, either sweet or stunning, walked into the backstage area and stopped in their tracks as they heard the melody.


    ¡°Chuchu, Wei Ning, you¡¯re here,¡± the stage director greeted them, finding them a feast for the eyes, each with their own charm.


    These girls were Qu Feitai¡¯s juniors from the samepany, the girl group¡ª Superstar.


    They were also the special guests for Qu Feitai¡¯s concert tonight.


    Who said Qu Feitai¡¯s concerts needed guests? Of course, they didn¡¯t. It was the girl group¡¯s manager who begged them to let them be part of the concert, almost getting them cursed to death by Qu Feitai¡¯s fans for clinging onto him like leeches.


    Bai Weining put her index finger to her lips and whispered, ¡°Shh, let¡¯s listen to


    Brother Qu¡¯s new song.¡±


    As the apaniment started, a deep chorus of young voices soared. Even without hearing the lyrics, the upbeat melody was refreshing, giving everyone a sense of spring, with grass growing and birds chirping, cherry blossoms floating about.


    As the saying goes, when spring arrives, everythinges back to life, and it¡¯s mating season for animals¡­


    It¡¯s a season that causes hormones to surge in all animals. Humans, as higher animals, are no exception, making it a great time for romance.


    ¡°Wow, this melody is so lovely; it makes me want to fall in love¡­¡±


    ¡°Wuu, my Qu Feitai is truly amazing. Can a mortal really write such a melody? They¡¯ve been saying for years that he¡¯s running out of talent, but he keeps getting better and better. Qu Feitai, forever amazing.¡±


    Excited, the girls backstage huddled together and chatted, their eyes fixed on the figure on the stage.


    One could only imagine how crazy the atmosphere would be when this song was performed live tonight.


    ¡°But, don¡¯t you think this is quite different from Qu Feitai¡¯s previous style?¡± one of the girls asked calmly.


    ¡°Changing styles is actually a good thing. It proves that our Qu Feitai is versatile, holding his own in any style.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he can handle jazz, rock, and folk music. Now this sweet, romantic style is very down-to-earth. I really love this style.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think Qu Feitai suddenly changed his style? And to this sweet, romantic style at that?¡±


    Everybody exchanged nces, finally concluding it was a stroke of genius from Qu Feitai, after all, no one could imagine the world of a genius.


    ¡°This new song is very surprising, and indeed different from Qu Feitai¡¯s previous style,¡± Huang Chuchumented.


    Bai Weining smiled, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be able to listen to it tonight. I can¡¯t wait. Who do you think Brother Qu wrote the song for?¡±


    Annie patted Bai Weining¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Could it be for us? Hahaha.¡± She burst intoughter.


    Entertainment Guide is a big Weibo blogger with tens of millions of fans, well-versed in the entertainment industry¡¯s secrets, and always able to get the first-hand scoop, winning the hearts of countless fans.


    At twelve thirty, Entertainment Guide posted a photo with the caption: Your brother¡¯s new song ising, see you tonight!


    The photo was treated with an antique ck and white filter, showing the back of a young man sitting on the stage. The color,position, and lighting created a deep sense of loneliness.


    ¡ªDamn, isn¡¯t that my Qu Feitai? Those broad shoulders and narrow waist, oh those thin clothes can¡¯t hide anything, awsl his waistline is amazing!


    ¡ªWhat? Am I the only one who noticed the two words, ¡°new song¡±? Is it going to be premiered at tonight¡¯s concert? Wuu, the fans there are so lucky. I can only squat and watch the live stream since I didn¡¯t get tickets.


    ¡ªCountdown to the concert: six hours and fifty-two minutes. This feels like an eternity. I can¡¯t wait to hear the new song, brother.


    ¡ªording to the crew at the rehearsal, this new song has a new style, beyond everyone¡¯s imagination. In a word, Qu Feitai is amazing.


    Thisment quickly rose to the top of thement section, with tens of thousands of replies asking about the new song¡¯s style.


    When Qu Feitai¡¯s new song for the concert trended third in just ten minutes, its poprity was astounding.


    The concert was garnering attention even before it began, breaking historical records for the online tform¡¯s pre-registration. The previous record was also created by Qu Feitai¡ªonly he could break his own record.


    Major entertainment forums also began their warm-ups, with celebrity airport fashion shows and selfie marketing all being overshadowed. Marketing at this time would be the most foolish move.


    Those who had bought trending hashtags suddenly saw Qu Feitai¡¯s trending topic and realized that tonight was his concert. Regretting their mistake, they urgently contacted their managers to withdraw their trends, unwilling to waste money on failed marketing campaigns.


    Going head-to-head with Qu Feitai would only lead to a dead end..

 Chapter 239 - 239: 115 Ancestors (First watch)

    Chapter 239 - 239: 115 Ancestors (First watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qu Feitai walked backstage with a guitar on his back.


    He was tall and long-legged, and the scorching lights shone on his head, making him look like a god descending when walking against the light.<div>


    Everyone held their breath and stared at him intently.


    The young man had a cold expression and did not nce sideways as he walked past a group of lovestruck girls, disappearing quickly.


    Huang Chuchu sighed, ¡°Qu Feitai is indeed Qu Feitai, always so cool.¡±


    The four members of their group were the Asian girl group crafted heavily by Fanyu Entertainmentst year. All four members had been selected throughyers ofpetition, each with her own unique skills, making them absolutely qualified as teenage idols.


    With the title of Qu Feitai¡¯s Junior, their careers had been smooth since their debut. However, as time went on, they couldn¡¯t shake off maliciousbels like ¡°vampire¡±, ¡°clingy¡±, and ¡°scheming bitch¡± regardless of their talent.


    The title of being Qu Feitai¡¯s Junior was a double-edged sword for them.


    Others seemed to enjoy the fame and envious gazes that came with the title; girls of eighteen or neen naturally had a vain side, especially in the shy entertainment industry.


    But Huang Chuchu became increasingly unhappy. She had been learning to dance since she was four, mastering Latin and street dance, studying various musical instruments since childhood, and at the age of twelve, she was sent to H Country as a trainee. After six years of training, oveingnguage and cultural differences, she became one of the strongest trainees.


    Later, she returned to her home country to participate in a talent show, debuted as the center, and became the captain of Superstar.


    Whenever she attended shows and events, the host¡¯s introduction always began with ¨C Qu Feitai¡¯s Junior.


    She hated being called by someone else¡¯s name, even though that person was her most admired idol.<div>


    She hated that all her hard work and sweat were met with people¡¯s ignorance and misunderstanding.


    ¡°Exactly, even though we¡¯re his fellow juniors, he never even talked to us. No matter how beautiful, adorable, and charming we are, Qu Feitai is simply blind! Ha ha ha.¡± Annie casuallybed her hair andughed self-deprecatingly.


    She had a carefree personality and was the happy pill of the team.


    Outsiders might think that being Qu Feitai¡¯s juniors meant they were close to him and interacted with him daily, but that was a big mistake. Even team captain Huang Chuchu had never spoken a word with Qu Feitai; he treated them as if they were air.


    Oh well, it was a shame.


    Was Qu Feitai too cold, or was their girl group¡¯s charm too weak?


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart, everyone. One day, Brother Qu will definitely notice us.¡± Bai Weining encouraged everyone.


    Yu Beibei frowned, ¡°Forget it, Anning, do you want to be scolded by Qu Feitai¡¯s fans?¡±


    Previously, Bai Weining had called Brother Qu during a variety show when the host mentioned Qu Feitai. Consequently, she was scolded for a whole month. Thepany had to employ a massive number of online trolls to suppress the impact of the incident.


    It had been nearly a year since the event, but Bai Weining still had the most haters among the members. Yet it seemed like she didn¡¯t learn her lesson and kept calling Brother Qu in private. The other members had long grown ustomed to it.


    Yu Beibei closed her mouth when she thought about Bai Weining¡¯s wealthy background, which meant that she didn¡¯t care about being hated, and that thepany would always provide her with plenty of resources to counteract any negative influence.<div>


    Bai Weiningughed, ¡°Why should I care about those haters? They¡¯re just jealous of me. Humph, I won¡¯t do what they want.¡±


    At first, Yu Beibei was really annoyed by Bai Weining¡¯s princess attitude. But after getting to know her better, she found out that Bai Weining was truly like a well-protected princess, innocent and without any scheming. She would always share good food and fun experiences and would even let the others use her expensive skincare products.


    Over time, they all got used to her style.


    ¡°No, our girl group should have at least a ten-minute performance. They¡¯ve been preparing for a month, so how can you change the schedule at thest minute? Your team is so irresponsible!¡±


    That was the voice of Su Lin, the group¡¯s manager. They looked at each other, followed the sound and found Su Lin standing with her hands on her hips, ring at the man opposite her.


    ¡°Sorry, when our teammunicated with Mr. Qu¡¯s team, only five minutes were left for the girl group¡¯s performance. If you have any objections to this, please contact the person in charge of Mr. Qu¡¯s team.¡± The stage director, Dai


    Wen, spoke coldly..

 Chapter 240 - 240: 115 Ancestors (First round) _2

    Chapter 240 - 240: 115 Ancestors (First round) _2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Tonight¡¯s stage style is industrial technology, while the girl idol group¡¯s dance is that soft and innocent girl style; the two styles are entirely different and highly discordant, be it in concept or stage design.


    Dai Wen started preparing for Qu Feitai¡¯s concert six months ago. Four concerts had four different styles. As the final show, Jiangzhou¡¯s concert was of great importance to Qu Feitai. The design draft was revised six times, and all the equipment used was top of the line internationally, aiming to give fans the ultimate audio-visual experience.<div>


    He had strongly disagreed when it was initially proposed to include a girl idol group, but somehow thepany had forced Qu Feitai to agree. Whenmunicating with Qu Feitai¡¯s team leader, they were given a reserved time of five minutes; he had been preparing this n all along. And now, what was the other party¡¯s agent saying?


    Ten minutes? What a joke! Do you think you are some king or superstar? You want ten minutes of performance time at Qu Feitai¡¯s concert¡ªwhat thick faces you have.


    ¡°I was specifically looking for you. My assistant has beenmunicating with you all this time about having ten minutes. And now you¡¯re changing your story at thest minute. Are you trying to bully us because you think our status is low?¡± Su Lin insisted.


    Dai Wen was about to go crazy. This woman was like a ster on his chest: ¡°Call your assistant over, and we¡¯ll confront each other on the spot to see whose fault this is.¡¯


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s confront each other. Yangyang,e here,¡± Su Lin summoned her assistant.


    As Yangyang walked over with his head down, Dai Wen called over his assistant, who had been inmunication with Qu Feitai¡¯s team.


    You two can exin how youmunicated.


    Yangyang said, ¡°Imunicated with Director Dai Wen¡¯s assistant, Wang


    Qiang.¡±


    Wang Qiang said, ¡°That¡¯s right, it was me, I remember you. A month ago, Qu Feitai¡¯s assistant gave me your contact information. When I called you to discuss the girl group¡¯s performance time and dance style, you were very impatient. You imed your group is a top girl band, very popr in China, and said that being able to perform at Qu Feitai¡¯s concert would surely bring more attention to him. You insisted that the performance time should not be less than ten minutes.¡±


    Wang Qiang spoke very quickly, and after hearing her words, everyone¡¯s gaze at Yangyang and the girl group changed instantly.<div>


    You guys sure have thick skins; how could you be so unhinged about how famous you are?


    The four members of the girl group looked more embarrassed than the others.


    Without giving the other party any time to react, Wang Qiang continued, ¡°I said that ten minutes was impossible and that we could only give you five minutes at most. You bickered with me for half a day, saying that our group was doing you a favor bying, that Qu Feitai¡¯s fans were all women, and that your girl group would bring a lot of male fans¡­ No matter what you said, I disagreed. I called you back three dayster, and you immediately agreed without any further discussion. Before I couldmunicate the details with you, you hung up.¡±


    Yangyang unconsciously refuted, ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­.¡±


    Su Lin angrily pointed at Wang Qiang¡¯s nose: ¡°You¡¯re basing all these usations on your words alone¡ªdo you have any evidence?¡±


    Wang Qiang said, ¡°Of course, I have evidence. I recorded every phone call I made.¡±


    Yangyang¡¯s face instantly turned pale. ¡°You¡­you were secretly recording?¡±


    ¡°I often bicker with you ¡®big shots¡¯ and your staff, and to avoid any misunderstandings afterwards, I usually have a habit of recording. See, ites in handy now, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Wang Qiang deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of ¡®big shots,¡¯ giving a perfect disy of mockery.


    ¡°Do you want to listen to the recording right now?¡± Wang Qiang took out her phone.


    Yangyang¡¯s face flushed with anger; he lunged forward to grab Wang Qiang¡¯s phone, but she pushed him away. ¡°What, you want to destroy the evidence?¡±


    Dai Wen looked at the sullen-faced Su Lin and sneered, ¡°Agent Su, now that the truth is clear, how do you n to resolve this issue?¡±<div>


    Su Lin red fiercely at Yangyang: ¡°I¡¯ll settle ounts with youter.¡±


    When she turned back to Dai Wen, Su Lin¡¯s demeanor immediately returned to that of the decisive, no-nonsense Agent Su.


    ¡°It may be Yangyang¡¯s mistake, but your team can¡¯t shirk responsibility either. My girls have been practicing non-stop day and night to make the performance wless. Cutting down performance time just like that¡ªno such easy deal. I don¡¯t believe it could cause any problems if you guys give us just


    five more minutes.¡± Su Lin crossed her arms and looked defiant. Huang Chuchu frowned and walked over, whispering, ¡°Sister Su, let it go..¡±

 Chapter 241 - 241: 115 Ancestors (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 241: 115 Ancestors (First Watch)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What kind of a joke is this? No one is going to get off easy from this. Do they really think I, Su Lin, am easy to bully? Even a little assistant can trample on me.¡± Su Lin had been pped by an assistant, and she couldn¡¯t stand the humiliation.


    Dai Wen coldly said, ¡°So what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes. Our superstar¡¯s performance must be more than ten minutes. If not, let¡¯s go to Xiao Qu, and see how his junior sisters are bullied.¡±


    Dai Wen almostughed. Who do you think you are? To get those five minutes, Qu Feitai had to make a lot of sacrifices, even squeezing time out for his own new song.


    Qu Feitai was eating lunch in his separate rest area when he opened WeChat and stared at Ming Jing¡¯s profile picture, lost in thought.


    He typed something then deleted it, typed then deleted again. After repeating this several times, he became annoyed and threw his phone onto the table.


    When did he be so timid?


    ¡°Xiao Fei.¡± Tian Long opened the door and walked in.


    Qu Feitai raised his eyebrows at Tian Long¡¯s empty hands.


    Tian Long had gone to buy coffee, but came back empty-handed.


    ¡°There¡¯s trouble outside. Su Lin and Dai Wen are arguing.¡±


    Qu Feitai continued eating lunch


    Tian Long described the whole incident concisely.


    ¡°Now Su Lin is insisting on having ten minutes of performance time, or else she wants you to help her out. Su Lin is so powerful¡­¡± Tian Long shivered at the thought.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Huang Chao?¡± Qu Feitai asked.


    ¡°I just called him. He just finished lunch with the advertisers and is on his way here.¡±


    ¡°The trouble caused by him should be resolved by him,¡± Qu Feitai said coldly. The noise outside got louder and louder, disturbing Qu Feitai¡¯s rest. He directly went out.


    Tian Long kept calling Huang Chao, who was driving, so no one answered the phone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. We agreed on ten minutes, not a second less. It¡¯s not like our superstar is desperate to perform at your concert. They were invited by countless groups, and it¡¯s only because of the face of Chu Chu and Weining¡¯s senior brother that we agreed. Do you really think we care that much? For this concert, they¡¯ve rejected a lot of appearances¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, do as you please. Dai Wen, remove their names from the concert¡¯s guest list.¡±


    The young man¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded, and everyone looked toward him.


    Qu Feitai walked over with his hands in his pockets, looking cool and suave.


    Su Lin was shocked, ¡°Xiao Qu, what do you mean?¡±


    Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow, his face was smiling but his eyes were cold, making people shudder.


    ¡°It means exactly what I said. My stage is too small to amodate yourrger- than-life personas. ¡±


    Bai Weining walked up to him with guilt written all over her face, ¡°Brother Qu, Su Lin didn¡¯t mean it like that. You misunderstood.¡±


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t even look at her.


    ¡°Xiao Qu, they¡¯re your fellow junior sisters; how can you treat them like this?¡± Su Lin asked.


    ¡°Junior sisters? Is that what you consider yourselves?¡± Qu Feitai smiled as he surveyed the room. Huang Chuchu and the others hung their heads in shame.


    This was probably the first time Qu Feitai had looked straight at them, yet they didn¡¯t have the courage to meet his gaze.


    Huang Chuchu almost shouted, ¡°Sister Su, don¡¯t say any more. Isn¡¯t this humiliating enough for us?¡±


    Su Lin seldom interacted with Qu Feitai. Mainly because when Qu Feitai came to thepany, he would lock himself in the recording studio to record songs, and even the boss had to schedule an appointment in advance to see him. He certainly had the air of a big celebrity.


    If Huang Chao were to say that he was too indulgent with his artists, then the artist certainly sat on his head.


    A good manager should restrain his artists and make them do as they¡¯re told.


    ¡°Xiao Qu, when our girl group was invited to your concert, thepany¡¯s leadership unanimously agreed. Are you questioning thepany¡¯s decision? Su Lin wasn¡¯t afraid of Qu Feitai. No matter how powerful he was, he was just an artist, and his contract was still held by thepany.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Qu Feitai said to Tian Long, ¡°Give me Zhang Fushan¡¯s number.¡±


    Su Lin¡¯s eyes widened. This artist was audacious, daring to call the CEO by his name. Clearly, Huang Chao had been too indulgent with him.


    Tian Long handed Qu Feitai the number.


    Qu Feitai dialed the number directly. It rang twice before being answered, and an impatient voice said, ¡°Hello? What do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    The person on the other end hesitated. Then, with a startled exmation, the tone changed to extremely careful and respectful, ¡°T¡­Third Young Master, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Right, aren¡¯t you holding a concert in Jiangzhou? I wish you great sess at the concert¡­¡±


    Qu Feitai interrupted him, ¡°I don¡¯t know what deal you made with Huang Chao, but let me tell you, my concert doesn¡¯t need guest performers. And stop letting certain groups use my name to falsely market themselves. It¡¯s been done once, it¡¯s been done twice, but there won¡¯t be a third time. My patience is limited.¡± He hung up and handed the phone back to Tian Long.


    Su Lin sneered. The young man had quite the attitude, daring to speak to Zhang like that. He must be tired of living. Artists were justmodities in thepany¡¯s hands, nothing more.


    At the same time, Su Lin¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the caller ID and saw it was Manager Zhang. She instinctively looked at Qu Feitai, who had already turned and left, leaving the onlookers with a cold and dashing silhouette.


    Bai Weining wanted to chase after him but was stopped by Tian Long, ¡°Ms. Bai, please stay here and listen to your manager.¡±


    Bai Weining sighed as she watched Qu Feitai¡¯s retreating back. ¡°Please tell Brother Qu that even though I can¡¯t perform at his concert, I¡¯ll be a good audience member, supporting and anticipating his spectacr performance tonight.¡± She made a cheering gesture, her sweet face hard to resist.¡±


    Tian Long smiled and cated her, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell him.¡±


    Su Lin answered the phone, intending to use Qu Feitai first. However, before she could speak, the man on the other end angrily shouted, ¡°Su Lin, what the hell did you do to piss him off? You haven¡¯t caused enough trouble for me? Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Manager Zhang, it¡¯s Qu Feitai. He¡¯s gotten too arrogant. He suddenly changed his mind about the time we agreed upon¡­¡±


    The man on the other end didn¡¯t let her exin, ¡°I don¡¯t care about all that crap. In short, Xiao Qu is upset, and I¡¯m calling you to straighten things out.


    Why did you have to provoke him of all people? Are you trying to get me killed?¡±


    Su Lin was speechless, ¡°He¡¯s thepany¡¯s artist. He signed a contract and should follow thepany¡¯s arrangements. Manager Zhang, you can¡¯t have double standards for your artists¡­¡±


    ¡°Double standards my ass! Stop your whining and bring your girl group back here now..¡±

 Chapter 242 - 242: 116 Treasure Appraisal (Second Revision)

    Chapter 242: 116 Treasure Appraisal (Second Revision)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Su Lin couldn¡¯t take it anymore: ¡°Manager Zhang, that¡¯s not what you said before. Ning Chuchu and others have been working hard for this concert for so long. You can¡¯t just cancel it. If you don¡¯t give me an exnation, I won¡¯t ept it. ¡±


    ¡°You know why things havee to this, and you were cursing before the bowl even reached your mouth. Now that Xiao Qu is angry, I can¡¯t do anything about it. You can either bring them back or let them fend for themselves. Make your choice.¡±


    With that, he hung up the call.


    Su Lin listened to the busy tone from her phone, her face looking uglier and uglier.


    Why was even Manager Zhang siding with Qu Feitai? He¡¯s just an artist, why is Zhang so afraid of him?


    At this point, Huang Chao, who had rushed back, had already heard the whole story from Tian Long. He berated Su Lin, ¡°You ungrateful woman! I owed Manager Zhang a favor, so I agreed to give your girl group a chance. Who knew you¡¯d be so insatiable? Ten minutes? Why don¡¯t you try robbing? Do you realize that our Xiao Fei doesn¡¯t even have enough time to sing his new song, just to squeeze in five minutes for you? You¡¯re still not satisfied, usually acting like a con artist using our Xiao Fei¡¯s junior name. We let that go because Xiao Fei can¡¯t be bothered, but for you to say that it¡¯s only because of our Xiao Fei¡¯s junior¡¯s face that you¡¯vee here, aren¡¯t you ashamed to say that? Since you don¡¯t care, take your girl group and get out of here.¡±


    Huang Chao spoke quickly, like a machine gun, and Su Lin had a headache trying to keep up.


    ¡°Xiao Fei doesn¡¯t want to bother with you guys, but you¡¯ve really gone too far, get out, all of you!¡± Huang Chao cursed, pointing at Su Lin¡¯s nose. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Su Lin pointed at Huang Chao, too angry to speak.


    When it came to quarreling, Huang Chao never lost.


    ¡°What are you stuttering about? Do you not know where your girl group¡¯s poprityes from? If I see you marketing Xiao Fei¡¯s junior online again, I will curse you every time.¡±


    Huang Chao finished cursing and left, not giving the other party a chance to


    argue.


    Su Lin held her chest, swaying, and Huang Chuchu and Yu Beibei quickly went to support her.


    ¡°Sister Su Lin, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°They¡­ they were just too unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Fei, I¡¯m sorry for this incident, I promise it won¡¯t happen again,¡± Huang Chao nced at Qu Feitai¡¯s expression.


    ¡°To show your remorse, give me a month off after this concert.¡±


    ¡°What? A month?¡± Huang Chao frowned.


    He suddenly looked at Qu Feitai, ¡°Before, when I asked you to rest, you wouldn¡¯t. Why the sudden change of heart? I heard that your new song is of a romantic style, and not only that, you had asked me for four concert tickets.¡±


    Huang Chao narrowed his eyes, not missing a single change in Qu Feitai¡¯s expression: ¡°You¡¯re not hiding anything from me, are you?¡±


    Although they did not explicitly say so, both knew what the other was thinking.


    Disappointingly for Huang Chao, Qu Feitai¡¯s expression did not change, and he smiled like a wily fox.


    Huang Chao snorted, ¡°One month is too long, at most half a month.¡± ¡°Two months.¡± Qu Feitai remained expressionless.


    Huang Chao widened his eyes, eventually giving in, ¡°Alright, fine. We¡¯ll take advantage of the concert¡¯s hype andy low for a month. I¡¯ll cancel all the advertisements thate to our door, and you can take a break.¡±


    ¡°But let me be clear, you are not allowed to secretly date during this time.¡± Huang Chao warned.


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t bother to respond.


    Huang Chao suddenly leaned in close to Qu Feitai, ¡°I¡¯m curious if there¡¯s some private rtionship between you and Manager Zhang that I don¡¯t know about? As far as I know, Manager Zhang and Su Lin are not on simple terms; Su Lin uses this rtionship to wield power in thepany. It¡¯s surprising that Manager Zhang would stand up to Su Lin for you.¡±


    Although Qu Feitai was thepany¡¯s biggest moneymaker, he was still just a tool to make money in the eyes of capitalists. They¡¯d give him some face if they liked him, but if they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d pinch him where it hurts, and he wouldn¡¯t dare do anything about it.


    Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow, his handsome face alluring and hard to resist. Huang Chao almost couldn¡¯t hold back.


    Damn it, who can handle being bombarded with beauty every day?


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Huang Chao squinted his eyes, ¡°Did you sell yourself out?¡±


    Qu Feitai kicked him in the chest, his young, sword-like brows furrowed in anger, and his cold face was like an icy de.


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Ming Jing got out of the car, and Zhou Xue immediately greeted her, politely saying, ¡°Ms. Zhu, Madam has been waiting for you for a long time, pleasee with me.¡±


    This was the second time Ming Jing walked this path.


    The uphill climb would be difficult for the average person, especially for a fragile girl like Ming Jing.


    Zhou Xue had noticed the first time that this young girl¡¯s physical constitution was different from ordinary people, even after walking for so long, she did not look flushed or out of breath, her face calm as if walking on level ground.


    Zhou Xue silently withdrew her gaze.Upon arriving at the Jiang¡¯s small courtyard, a graceful figure could be seen standing in front of the flower bushes through the fence gate. Her slightly bent posture exuded an air of elegance and charm.


    Just the sight of her back incited endless imagination.


    Two wealthydies, one plump and one skinny, were standing beside her, chatting with Jiang Chun.


    ¡°Madam, Ms. Zhu has arrived.¡±


    Jiang Chun put down the scissors in her hand, turned around, and even the king of flowers, the peony, paled inparison to her grace and elegance. ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re quite a celebrity now, it¡¯s not easy to see you.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re joking. I¡¯m ashamed.¡± Ming Jing lowered her eyes andughed gently, with the utmost tenderness.


    Jiang Chun walked up and took her hand: ¡°Between us, let¡¯s not speak such polite words. Come, I¡¯ve got a new treasure to show you.¡±


    The slightly plump Madam covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Seeing how Madam Jiang treasures it, one might think it is your own daughter if they didn¡¯t know any better.¡±


    Jiang Chunughed and patted her head, ¡°Look at me being so confused, I even forgot to introduce.¡±


    Jiang Chun pointed to the slightly plump Madam and said, ¡°This is Madam


    Shen, the Mayor¡¯s wife.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes twinkled slightly, the smile on her lips gentle, as she smoothly said, ¡°Madam Shen, hello, I am Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu¡¯s fame is well-deserved, and today¡¯s meeting proves it¡¯s not in vain.¡± Madam Shen smiled, revealing two dimples on her cheeks, her eyebrows and eyes curved. She resembled Maitreya Buddha, with a very auspicious face.


    Madam Jiang pointed to another skinny woman with prominent cheekbones and a slightly bitter face, ¡°This is Mrs. Gu.¡±


    In Jiangzhou, there weren¡¯t many people with thest name Gu, and Ming Jing understood immediately.


    ¡°Mrs. Gu, hello.¡±


    As for Mrs. Gu, she had a cold disposition and didn¡¯t speak as much as Madam Shen, she nced at Ming Jing and nodded her head.


    Jiang Chun affectionately led Ming Jing into the living room, and Zhou Xue brought out a zitan wooden box. Even just this wooden box was very extraordinary.


    Madam Shen yfully said from the side, ¡°Madam Jiang got a treasure and invited us to appraise it, but insisted on waiting for you to start. It seems we are all less important than Ms. Zhu in Madam Jiang¡¯s heart.¡±


    Madam Shenughed behind her hand, sounding as if she was trying to tter Mingjing.


    ¡°You¡¯re always so good with words.¡± Jiang Chun red at her and patted


    Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°She just likes putting people on edge, don¡¯t take it to heart.


    Why don¡¯t you open the box yourself?¡±


    Madam Shen and Mrs. Gu exchanged nces.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t hesitate and opened the wooden box.


    In the box,id on ayer of soft brocade, there was a sky blue flower vase.


    ¡°A Songru Ware Narcissus Basin.¡±


    You can tell whether someone is an expert with just one move.


    Madam Shen nced at Ming Jing, ¡°Does Ms. Zhu also know how to appraise antiques?


    Ming Jing gave a faint smile, ¡°I know just a little.¡±


    Jiang Chun looked at Ming Jing unexpectedly, her ¡°just a little¡± was not literal, it was a modest term.


    Ming Jing said to Jiang Chun, ¡°May I take a closer look, Madam?¡±


    Jiang Chun nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Zhou Xue, ¡°Could you give me a pair of cotton gloves?¡±


    Zhou Xue handed Ming Jing a pair of white cotton gloves. Jiang Chun had two great loves: raising flowers and collecting antiques, so these items were always readily avable at home.


    Ming Jing slowly put on the gloves, and Madam Shen watched her every move, thinking that this Ms. Zhu was even more elegant and beautiful than the rumors. To be favored by Madam Jiang, she must have some skills, but it was unknown how well she could appraise antiques.


    Ming Jing gently picked up the vase and examined it carefully under the light.


    For some reason, everyone remained silent and didn¡¯t dare to interrupt, while Ming Jing¡¯s face was calm and focused.


    Time flowed quietly, and before they knew it, five minutes had passed.


    Mrs. Gu became a little impatient, ¡°I wonder if Ms. Zhu has discovered any issues? This is something Madam Jiang spent a fortune on at an overseas auction.¡±


    Her implication was that, even if you could find a defect, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    This young girl really liked to show off.


    Ming Jing spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Madam, do you want to hear the truth?¡±

 Chapter 243 - 243: 117 Prey (Part 1)

    Chapter 243 - 243: 117 Prey (Part 1)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    In Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes was full trust in her: ¡°Is there any problem with this piece of porcin?


    Narcissus Basin, as the name suggests, is oval in shape with four symmetrical cloud-shaped feet at the bottom. It is a flower pot from the Song Dynasty. Due to its exquisite quality and the lost firing form, the Song Ru Kiln Ceramics known today is of immense value.<div>


    Mrs. Gu looked at Ming Jing with a hint of disdain in her eyes: ¡°Ms. Zhu, you may not know that nobody at the Jiade Auction House would dare bring in a counterfeit unless they want to die. You¡¯re young and just know a little, so don¡¯t show off in front of Madam Jiang.¡±


    Madam Jiang likes to collect antiques and is considered a connoisseur. Her discerning eye has been nurtured over many years, and it¡¯s not something that a 15- or 16-year-old girl can easily match.


    You can see what Madam Jiang couldn¡¯t see?


    Apparently, Madam Jiang¡¯s eyesight isn¡¯t that good either, as she values an imprudent embroidered pillow!


    Despite being questioned, Ming Jings expression did not show any embarrassment; she remained calm and collected.


    On the contrary, Mrs. Gu seemed petty.


    Mrs. Gu snorted coldly, wondering how Ming Jing would get out of this.


    Madam Jiang didn¡¯t speak; she stared at Ming Jing, waiting for her answer.


    Madam Shen looked at Mrs. Gu andughed: ¡®What¡¯s the rush? Miss Zhu hasn¡¯t spoken yet. It¡¯s not like foreign auction houses are all good either. Maybe they think we¡¯re fools with money and don¡¯t know any better, so they intentionally sell us counterfeits to make money.¡±


    The two went back and forth, Mrs. Gu couldn¡¯t argue with Madam Shen, so she turned her head away with a pout.


    Ming Jing observed the Narcissus Basin in her hand and said softly: ¡°After the rain has cleared and the clouds have broken, this kind of color is about toe out. During the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor, Song Huizong saw this sky-blue color in his dream, and from then on, Song Ru Kiln became famous around the world!¡±<div>


    Upon hearing Ming Jing¡¯s words, the four people present were all stunned.


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes were filled with joy, and she looked at Ming Jing with admiration.


    Madam Shen chuckled: ¡°I told you so, Miss Zhu certainly knows her stuff. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions too soon.¡±


    ¡°The Song Ru Kiln ceramics are known worldwide for their sky-blue color. This piece of Narcissus Basin is covered with sky-blue ze, evenly distributed. Thin body wall and slightly thicker bottom, the ze at the bottom edge turns to a pale green due to high-temperature firing, and the ze on the thinner part of the edge appears pale pink. There are six small nail marks on the bottom, which is a typical feature of the firing of Song Ru Kiln porcin.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s calm voice sounded in the living room. Everyone followed her description and found that it was indeed just as she described.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the problem then?¡± Mrs. Gu asked defiantly.


    Ming Jing lifted the Narcissus Basin, and the sun that had just been obscured by dark clouds suddenly dispersed. A beam of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a bright light.


    ¡°The reason why the sky-blue color is so precious lies in its rarity and the high requirements for temperature, light, humidity, and firing. It is said that ancient craftsmen would fire sky-blue zes during the plum rain season. After the rain had cleared, they would open the kiln to take out the porcin. If it rained too much, the humidity would result in a less translucent color; if it rained too little, there would not be enough humidity, and the color would be too in and dull. However, the rain is often uncontroble by nature; craftsmen could only fire day after day, patiently waiting for a rain that may fall at any time, only to meet the sky-blue color in the sky after the rain has cleared upon opening the kiln.¡±


    It was the first time Madam Shen had heard this, she nodded: ¡°Sounds quite romantic. There¡¯s a song about it, isn¡¯t there? Sky-blue color waiting for the misty rain, while I¡¯m waiting for you. That¡¯s how it goes.¡±


    ¡°Ru Royal Kiln¡¯s sky-blue ze color changes at different light exposures and angles. When viewed in areas with sufficient light, the color appears yellowish-green, just like the golden sunlight that emerges on the clear sky after the rain clears and the clouds disperse. In dim light, the color is bluish-green, akin to the crystal-clearke water.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s gentle, otherworldly voice easily soothed everyone¡¯s impatience. As a patient exiner, everyone listened attentively.<div>


    This knowledge is easily essible online. However, today when Madam Jiang invited her over, she only mentioned that it was for appraisal, not specifically about Song Ru Kiln ceramics. So, it couldn¡¯t have been that she looked up information beforehand. It could only prove that she was very familiar with this knowledge, which is why she could easily share it.


    ¡°Southern Song Dynasty writer, Zhou Hui, recorded in his ¡®Qing Bo Misceneous¡¯ that ¡®Ru Kiln was forbidden to be fired in the pce, and it had agate powder as ze.¡¯ Later generations found one of the forme of Ru Kiln ze was indeed made with agate powder, which is why the ze surface has diagonal slices and unevenly sized bubbles revealing different colors under different reflections of light. However, the specific formtion of the ze has been lost, and modern researchers have adjusted the ze ratio but could never reproduce the sky-blue color of the Song Dynasty..¡±

 Chapter 244 - 244: 117 Prey (First Update)_2

    Chapter 244 - 244: 117 Prey (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This Narcissus Basin has a top-notch ze and color, even the proportion of agate powder added is optimal. God knows how many were made before this one finally seeded.¡±


    ¡°Howe I can¡¯t see any of this? The color under the sunlight is exactly the same as what you described. Look, under the sunlight, it¡¯s green with a hint of yellow, like it¡¯s shining with gold, incredibly beautiful, a color that¡¯s hard to describe with words, simply marvelous.¡± Madam Shen eximed.<div>


    ¡°This is precisely where the other party excels. The craftsmanship is good enough to deceive people, but no matter how well-crafted, it can neverpare to nature¡¯s original creations.¡± The girl¡¯s calm voice gently fell on everyone¡¯s ears, making everyone¡¯s heart tremble.


    Her confidentposure left no room for doubt.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking for so long, but it¡¯s all in vain. Why don¡¯t you prove it¡¯s fake? Have you even seen a real one?¡± Mrs. Gu disdainfully asked.


    Ming Jing had indeed seen a real one, in Ran Bowen¡¯s treasure collection.


    All this Imowledge was directly passed down by Ran Bowen himself.


    People only knew about Ran Bowen¡¯s ruthless and ambitious nature, but they cuan?c Know ne was also a great collector.


    His glorious achievement was the destruction of a family over a Tang Dynasty secret-color porcin.


    In his secret chamber, he would repeatedly polish his treasures, telling her about their history and the ups and downs they experienced through the turbulent centuries. Each antique was like a person, each with its own story.


    ¡°I got this sky-blue Narcissus Basin from a descendant of a rural gentry from the Republic of China era. He lost all his fortune gambling, and as gamblers always think they can turn the tables, he wagered this heirloom. In the end, he still lost, and to get it, I spent a month setting up a trap. People¡¯s greed is endless, and the final bet a gambler can ce on the table is his own life.¡±


    The man caressed the Narcissus Basin with a tenderness in his eyes as if he was looking at a beloved woman.


    ¡°Ah Yu, remember, when you want something, don¡¯t be hasty. Patience is the key to victory.¡±<div>


    So, at the moment the tip of the de pierced his chest, his smile was full of irony.


    He prided himself on being a hunter but did not realize he was the biggest prey.


    Ming Jing lowered her eyes, concealing a faint sigh at the bottom of her eyes.


    The slender white fingers gently brushed the sky-blue ze, making it appear even more translucent and the sky-blue color even clearer.


    Azure peaks and verdant colors, like jade, but not jade.


    ¡°In the production of Song Dynasty official kiln porcin, apart from the proportion of coloring forms in the ze, another masterpiece is the control of kiln changes. The cooling control rate directly affects the ze color. If the cooling speed is higher than 11000c, tiny air bubbles will form at the bottom of the ze under the influence of agate powder. Conversely, one should speed up the cooling to prevent the reduced metal ions from re-oxidizing to their original states, thus maintaining the final sky-blue color. The skills of kiln masters, monopolized by the court, reached an unprecedented level of excellence, and such an urrence would be impossible. However, current craftsmen, driven by utilitarianism, are eager for quick sess andck both the patience and the core technology. Although they can deceive, they can¡¯t replicate the sky-blue color from a thousand years ago.¡±


    As the girl¡¯s cold voice fell, it was like jade beads dropping onto a te, and everyone looked at Ming Jing.


    If the sky blue color of the Ru porcin was pure and elegant, and of great value, her crescent eyebrows and autumn water eyes were gentle and simple, like a lotus with twelve petals, inch by inch revealing the subtleties of their charm.


    Jiang Chun stood there for a moment, and, before Madam Shen and Mrs. Gu could recover, ordered Zhou Xue: ¡°Bring the magnifying ss.¡±


    Zhou Xue quickly fetched a magnifying ss and handed it to Jiang Chun with both hands.


    Jiang Chun held the magnifying ss and swept it over the bottom of the Narcissus Basin inch by inch. Finally, she looked up at Ming Jing in shock and said, ¡°There really isn¡¯t any.¡±<div>


    Mrs. Gu hesitated, ¡°But this doesn¡¯t prove anything¡­¡±


    Madam Shen shook her head, ¡°Miss Zhu has made it very clear; the technologies monopolized by ancient courts, with one-in-a-million craftsmen, are not the same as modern methods. The colors might be replicated, but the control of kiln changes cannot. Although I don¡¯t know anything about this field, I understand Miss Zhu¡¯s exnation. There is no need for further doubts. Miss Zhu is so young, yet so knowledgeable and talented, it has been truly eye-opening for me today.¡± Madam Shen sincerely praised, her eyes filled with admiration.


    Ming Jing remained humble, saying gently, ¡°Madam, you overpraise me. I just heard it from my ancestors, it¡¯s not worth mentioning..¡±

 Chapter 245 - 245: 117 Prey (First Update)_3

    Chapter 245 - 245: 117 Prey (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°No, you¡¯re being too modest.¡± Jiang Chun looked up at her, frowning, her face showing a hint of anger.


    She had been deceived! If it weren¡¯t for Ming Jing¡¯s sharp eyes today, she would have spent her money in vain.<div>


    ording to Ming Jing, there were many shady businesses in the auction industry, forming a specialized industry chain. Situations like these weremon, and the counterfeiters¡¯ skills were superb. It was just a pity that they encountered Ming Jing.


    However, she wouldn¡¯t remind Jiang Chun of this¡ªJiang Chun would be able to find this out herself.


    ¡°Who is this ancestor that Ms. Zhu mentioned? Why don¡¯t you tell us so we can all get acquainted and learn something new?¡± Madam Shen pressed.


    She had heard that just three months ago, Ming Jing had been a young nun on Baitou Mountain. Where did her insightse from? There was something eerie about her¡ªshe was too odd.


    What was real and what was fake about the mysterious tales circting around her among the wealthy women?


    Ming Jing gave a faint smile: ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll disappoint you, Madam. That person has already passed away.¡±


    Madam Shen doubted whether such a person even existed; perhaps everything had been fabricated by Ming Jing, who relied solely on her own words, unable to be verified.


    That girl could beguile people with her mouth alone.


    Even someone as clever as Madam Jiang fell for it.


    Jiang Chun instructed Zhou Xue: ¡°Contact the auction house. They dared to deceive me with a fake item, it¡¯s outrageous.¡±


    Zhou Xue replied: ¡°Madam, there happens to be an auction in Jiangzhou tonight, organized by Jiade Group.¡±<div>


    Taking possession of an antique from an auction wasn¡¯t as simple as receiving it on the spot, especially overseas, where the procedures wereplicated. Jiang Chun had bid on a piece a month ago, and it had just been delivered to her a few days ago¡ªit would have been much easier if it had been a domestic auction.


    Jiang Chun immediately decided, ¡°It seems that we will have to cause a scene tonight.¡±


    She then looked at Ming Jing: ¡°Join me.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s brows furrowed imperceptibly. Jiang Chun asked, ¡°Do you have other ns tonight?¡±


    Jiang Chun nced at Zhou Xue, who seemed to unintentionally remind her: ¡°Tonight¡¯s auction is an official charity event organized by the government. Mayor Shen, Secretary Gu, and other political and business celebrities will attend.¡±


    Madam Shen nodded: ¡°My husband mentioned it to me¡ªit seems it was organized to help with education for impoverished children in mountainous areas¡­ I was nning on attending anyway, and now I havepany.¡±


    Ming Jing spoke softly: ¡°In such a formal setting, my background¡­.¡±


    Jiang Chun held her hand: ¡°You are my guest; who dares to say no?¡±


    Madam Shen smiled: ¡°Exactly, with Madam Jiang covering you, what is there to fear?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Her gaze passed imperceptibly over Zhou Xue and Jiang Chun¡¯s faces, the corners of her mouth faintly curling up.<div>


    Everyone yed thur parts well Lills y.


    Before getting into the car, Ming Jing apologetically looked at Jiang Chun, took her phone, and walked to the side to answer the call.


    Jiang Chun smiled kindly, watching Ming Jing walk under a fragrant camphor tree. Her white clothes billowed gently, light and graceful, elegant and captivating.


    ¡°Madam, as you suspected, Ms. Zhu is even smarter than you imagined,¡± said Zhou Xue.


    ¡°If she weren¡¯t smart, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen her.¡± Jiang Chun¡¯s lips curved up, her eyes deep as the sea.


    Zhou Xue hesitated, then lowered her head quietly.


    Madam¡¯s thoughts were unfathomable.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯ming to see you right now! Wait for me at home, okay?¡± Tao Xingxing¡¯s excited voice came through the phone.


    Ming Jing looked up at the gathering clouds in the sky, speaking softly: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xingxing, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t apany you to the concert.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Tao Xingxing let out a disappointed cry but didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    ¡°I understand, you¡¯re very busy now, and you weren¡¯t even interested in celebrities to begin with¡ªI just insisted on dragging you along. However, since you promised me before, consider this a broken promise, and you need to make it up to me.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Alright, how do you want me topensate you?¡±


    Tao Xingxing hmm-ed for a while. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet¡ªI¡¯ll let you know when I do. You go focus on your work. I¡¯ll go with my cousin, hmph!¡± Tao Xingxing hung up the phone and dialed another number.


    ¡°Hey, Sis, are you busy tonight? I got tickets to Qu Feitai¡¯s concert. The person who promised to go with me bailed. Can youe with me, please?¡±


    Tao Xianxian had just left Ye Group¡¯s building, feeling refreshed after closing a business deal. She had been thinking of treating herself and her wish came true.


    ¡°Sure, I didn¡¯t manage to get tickets. Little sister, you¡¯re my lucky star!¡±


    A blue sports car stopped in front of Tao Xianxian, and Ye Sheng removed his sunsses, giving her a teasing smile: ¡°Would you like to join me for dinner, beautifuldy?¡±


    Tao Xianxian raised her eyebrows: ¡°Sorry, I already have ns for tonight.¡± Ye Sheng was momentarily startled: ¡°Male or female?¡±


    Tao Xianxian¡¯s eyes glinted with mischief: ¡°A man¡ªyoung and incredibly handsome. Sorry, Ye Sheng, I must break our date.¡±


    Before Ye Sheng¡¯s face could change, she quickly jumped into a taxi and sped away.


    Any fool would know how to choose between a popr star like Qu Feitai and a greasy rich kid like Ye Sheng.


    Ye Sheng pped the steering wheel hard: ¡°Who on earth dares to steal my girl?¡±


    The car moved smoothly through the evening traffic. However, the streets of Jiangzhou seemed unusually congested tonight.


    There were also several times more traffic policemen at the intersections than usual.


    Madam Shen looked out the window and said: ¡°It seems like there¡¯s a popr celebrity holding a concert in Jiangzhou tonight. The traffic in the city will be paralyzed because of him. We left a bitte.¡±


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes sparkled: ¡°A big star?¡±


    Madam Shen tried to recall: ¡°I think his name is something like Qu¡­ a singer, look at my memory.¡±


    ¡°Qu Feitai.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! So Jiang Madam knows about him too. It seems he is really popr. ¡±


    Jiang Chun smiled faintly: ¡°A young idol, really sessful.¡±


    The Qu family¡¯s mischievous youngest son had now be a superstar, surrounded by adoring fans.


    Herst memory of him was from twelve years ago¡ªwhen he was just a boy with a piercing gaze on that night.


    ¡°I killed someone¡­


    Time, indeed, could change many things.


    Ming Jing looked out the car window as a group of excited teenage girls crossed the street.


    The excitement of meeting their idol was written on their young faces. They held gs featuring the youthfulic character Qand that striking name.


    Ming Jing thought of his profile picture¡ªit looked exactly the same..

 Chapter 246 - 246: 118 Chasing Light (Second Update)

    Chapter 246 - 246: 118 Chasing Light (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Half an hourter, the car had moved only one kilometer. At this rate, they wouldn¡¯t reach their destination even by the next morning.


    Jiang Chun furrowed her brows; even the best of tempers couldn¡¯t stand this snail -like pace.<div>


    ¡°What is the Ministry of Transport doing?¡±


    Zhou Xue immediately replied, ¡°Madam, the Ministry of Transport has actually been taking control of this for the past few days. They have implemented traffic restrictions on Jiangzhou vehicles and added numerous traffic officers to work overtime, but the traffic jams near the sports stadium where the auction house is located are unavoidable.¡±


    Madam Shen looked enviously at the young girls on the side of the road and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s so nice to be young, to be able to chase stars boldly. If I were twenty years younger, I would be even crazier than them.¡±


    ¡°Celebrities are nothing but tools for capital to make money. They are all products of marketing. What¡¯s so good about them?¡±


    Mrs. Gu¡¯s cold words made the smile on Madam Shen¡¯s face disappear.


    ¡°Mrs. Gu, what you said is a bit biased. Let¡¯s not talk about other celebrities, but I do know a few things about Qu Feitai, the one we¡¯re discussing now. My daughter really likes him. He writes all his songs himself and is very talented. He¡¯s not like other marketing-created celebrities.¡±


    Jiang Chun nodded, ¡°Madam Shen is right. This Xiao Qu does have some talent.¡±


    Madam Shen nced at Mrs. Gu triumphantly. Since even Madam Jiang agreed, she should acknowledge her narrow-mindedness.


    Mrs. Guts face lost some color in embarrassment, but since the person speaking was Jiang Chun, she couldn¡¯t vent her anger. Her eyes fell on Ming Jing, who was watching the scene outside the car window without any expression, and she pursed her lips.


    ¡°As a capitalist, Ms. Zhu should have the most say. However, girls of your age tend to be vain and like to pursue young and handsome looks, which doesn¡¯t seem wrong either.¡±


    Mrs. Gu suddenly portrayed Ming Jing as a shallow, face-loving, celebrity-chasing girl.<div>


    Ming Jing gave a faint smile, turned her gaze back to Mrs. Gu, and lightly swept her eyes across the woman. Her clear, ice-water-like gaze made Mrs.


    She instinctively furrowed her brows and averted her eyes from Ming Jing¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Being a celebrity is just a profession, no different fromwyers, doctors, or civil servants. It¡¯s just that the nature of their work differs slightly. There is no distinction between high or low, noble or inferior upations. As long as they respect their profession and contribute to the growth and development of their industry, they deserve everyone¡¯s respect. As a talented creator, Qu Feitai has won numerous awards and advanced the development of the Chinese music industry. He deserves the honor he¡¯s received.¡±


    It was hard for Ming Jing not to remember everything, given that Tao Xingxing always chattered about it in her ear.


    If Qu Feitai could hear Ming Jing¡¯s words, he would probably jump for joy.


    Madam Shen smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Zhu is so right. This is the point! We¡¯re in the 21st century now; there shouldn¡¯t be any career discrimination. Isn¡¯t that right, Mrs. Gu?¡±


    Mrs. Gu snorted coldly, ¡°Quibbling,¡± and turned to gaze out the window.


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes lingered on Ming Jing¡¯s face while she smiled, ¡°Indeed, we haven¡¯t lived as openly as Ming Jing. We¡¯ve wasted our lives for decades.¡±


    If Mrs. Gu knew Qu Feitai¡¯s true identity, she probably wouldn¡¯t have said such words.


    It¡¯s the division of people into hierarchies that assigned social status to different professions.


    Despite their slow progress, they finally arrived at the destination at around 7:30.<div>


    Ming Jing silently followed Jiang Chun into the venue.


    Upon entering the hall, crystal chandeliers overhead refracted brilliant, dazzling rays of light. The political and business elites who could only be seen on TV were merrily mingling here. Everyone was exchanging pleasantries with each other.


    The attendees didn¡¯t evene close to the level of those seen at ordinary high society banquets. This was a gathering of top-notch celebrities.


    Zhu Wentao neither had the qualifications nor the ability to join such circles.


    If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Chun¡¯s presence, Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t have had the qualifications to set foot in here with her current identity, either.


    ss has always been an insurmountable gap, whether in ancient or modern times, domestic or foreign.


    Upon seeing Jiang Chun and herpanions, someone immediately approached them warmly.


    Ming Jing silently followed Jiang Chun.


    ¡°Madam Jiang, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Why didn¡¯t you give us a heads-up? We should have saved you a good seat.¡±


    Jiang Chun smiled, ¡°It was ast-minute decision. I brought the younger generation to broaden their horizons.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes fell suspiciously on Ming Jing; her gentle and beautiful appearance would always catch the eye of the opposite sex. This was the most primitive desire of humans.


    ¡°This is ..21¡ä


    ¡°Mr. Shen, this is the famous Ms. Zhu from Jiangzhou, the real heiress of the Zhu family.¡± Madam Shenughed as she covered her mouth..

 Chapter 247 - 247: 118 Chasing Light (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 247 - 247: 118 Chasing Light (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Shaojian suddenly realized, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s her. Zhu Group¡¯s recent scandal is quite big, I remember your father was taken away for investigation by the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, right?¡±


    Ming Jing calmly replied, ¡°My father made a mistake and should be punished by thew. I deeply apologize for the negative impact it has brought to the citizens and society. I will do my best to make amends.¡±<div>


    ¡°I know, you¡¯ve already done a great job.¡± He paused, nced at Jiang Chun, and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for someone as young as you to do so much, don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shen. Actually, my father was deceived by others too. Let¡¯s just trust thew. Whether he¡¯s innocent or guilty, thew won¡¯t wrong him.¡±


    Shen Shaojian nodded in agreement, ¡°No matter when, we must believe in thew. You have a good understanding of this.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you can never change your preaching tone. Ms. Zhu, don¡¯t mind him, let¡¯s go inside.¡± Madam Shen held Ming Jing¡¯s arm, feigning a nce at Shen Shaojian.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Madam, just call me Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll call you Ming Jing from now on. By the way, I heard from those wealthydies that you¡¯re good at physiognomy. I¡¯ve wanted to ask you from the beginning, can you see if my face is blessed with fortune?¡± Madam Shen asked with augh.


    Ming Jing looked at her,posed and smiling, ¡°Yes, Madam, you have a face of great wealth and longevity.¡±


    Madam Shen¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Oh my, you have such a sweet mouth! If you were my daughter, your mother would be the luckiest woman to have such an intimate and outstanding daughter.¡±


    Mrs. Gu rolled her eyes beside them, and was caught by Madam Shen, who nudged Ming Jing and whispered loudly enough for Mrs. Gu to hear, ¡°Ming Jing, what about Mrs. Gu¡¯s face? Everyone says she has a hard life. Sigh¡­ I only trust what you say.¡±


    Mrs. Gu¡¯s face stiffened, looking displeased, but she secretly pricked up her ears.


    Ming Jing replied with a faint smile, shaking her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam<div>


    Shen, I need the consent of the person before I can evaluate their appearance.¡±


    Madam Shen turned to Mrs. Gu, ¡°Mrs. Gil, Ms. Zhu is very good at physiognomy. Let her help you take a look, maybe she can change your fortune. It¡¯s not easy to find a real master these days.¡±


    Mrs. Gu sneered, ¡°ying mysterious, low and vulgar.¡± She left them, walking a few steps faster.


    Madam Shen pouted, ¡°Pretentiously high-minded.¡±


    The auction hall¡¯s doors opened, revealing people in suits and gorgeous dresses, all with polite smiles on their faces, as if wearing perfect masks.


    Madam Jiang walked past, receiving respectful gazes all the way.


    As for those who looked at Ming Jing, their eyes were filled with inquiry and doubt. Some recognized her and discussed with the people next to them in a low voice.


    Ming Jing calmly followed Jiang Chun, arm in arm with Madam Shen, chatting andughing.


    People¡¯s gazes now were tinged with fear.


    ¡°Ming Jing?


    Ming Jing looked up and suddenly smiled.<div>


    Shen Zhou.


    At the stadium two streets away from the auction house, it was packed with people, boiling with excitement.


    The moment of greatest glory had arrived.


    At half past seven, when the auction started, the concert also grandly opened its curtain.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti met so many people for the first time, and the two of them were stunned, tightly holding each other¡¯s hands for fear of being squeezed away by the crowd.


    Zhou Baoughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, sisters. They¡¯re just too enthusiastic. When the concert starts, make sure to cover your ears. Tonight will definitely be an unforgettable experience for you. Investing in Qu Feitai must be worth it.¡±


    The noise was so loud that Zhou Bao had to yell.


    Seeing the two young girls¡¯ eyes shining in the light, like frightened deer, Zhou Bao couldn¡¯t help but feel affection for them.


    They were just too cute and well-behaved!


    Looking at Zhu Xiangxiang on the other side, with a bandage still wrapped around her head, she seriously embodied the spirit of determination despite her physical disability. Zhou Bao couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes.


    Tao Xingxing filmed the massive, cheering crowd at the venue and sent it to Ming Jing.


    She wanted Ming Jing to know exactly what kind of excitement she had missed, hmm!


    Tao Xianxian waved her g, ¡°Xingxing, what kind of important matter does your friend have that they would even give up Qu Feitai¡¯s concert? If I were about to give birth, I would do it in the audience. Your friend really has no taste.¡±


    Tao Xingxing was taken aback, with her phone screen on Ming Jing¡¯s message. A calligraphy-written ¡®calm¡¯ word strongly contrasted with the excitement at the scene.


    ¡°Sister, I remember¡­ you work at Zhu Group, right?¡±


    Tao Xianxian nodded, ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    Uh¡­ seems like you¡¯re talking about your boss having no taste.


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s starting, it¡¯s starting! He¡¯sing out!¡±


    The fans¡¯ excited screams instantly brought Tao Xingxing back to reality, as she waved her glowstick and joined the screaming army.


    Under the stage, on a rising tform inplete darkness, a teenager with stage makeup adjusted his headset.


    He took a deep breath, cing his hand on his chest.


    Looking up at the void above him, the distant screams of fans for him seemed toe from another dimension.


    His world was quiet; his eyes shining like stars in the dark, filled with a hint of trepidation and excitement¡­


    He had held many concerts before, yet this was his most nervous one.


    Because he had the most anticipated audience.


    The teenager¡¯s lips curled upwards in the darkness, his exquisite stage makeup making him look like a bewitching elf. It was a song written for you.


    I just want to sing it to you.


    Will youe and listen?


    The rising tform slowly ascended, as cheering grew closer and a spotlight fell on him.


    The era of Qu Feitai began to unfold slowly..

 Chapter 248 - 248: 119 Divine Melody (First Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 248 - 248: 119 Divine Melody (First Watch of the Night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Madam Gu found her husband and sat down with a cold expression.


    Gu Qingshan retracted his gaze from Madam Jiang and her entourage, nced at his wife, and asked quietly, ¡°Who is the girl next to Madam Jiang?<div>


    Madam Guts face visibly darkened, she looked Gu Qingshan up and down, her gaze filled with disdain and disgust.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already gone wild outside, and now you¡¯re after such a young girl? Are you even human?¡±


    How could a man be so shameless?


    Gu Qingshan hurriedly looked around and lowered his voice to shout, ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t have that in mind at all. Be careful with your words outside!¡±


    Madam Gu snorted coldly, ¡°Whether or not that¡¯s your intention, you know it in your heart. If you want no one to know, you should not do it yourself.¡± Gu Qingshan wanted to ask further, but Madam Gu had already turned her head away and ignored him.


    Gu Qingshan felt like a cat being scratched inside, sitting in the first row of the audience, with everyone in the back row watching his every move. He had just taken the opportunity to greet Madam Jiang and turn his head, but now it would be inappropriate to do so again.


    At seven thirty, everyone arrived, and Shen Shaojian took the stage to speak, making people feel drowsy.


    The specific process of tonight¡¯s charity event is as follows: celebrities from various circles donate an item, which is then auctioned on the spot, and the proceeds will be donated to charity.


    Some people gained fame, some people benefitted, and the guise of charity was cleverly applied, killing three birds with one stone.


    Such charity events are verymon in celebrity circles. After all, fame is a good thing, and it brings great benefits.


    ¡°In an asion like tonight, no one would dare to fool others with fake items, unless they don¡¯t want to stay in the circle anymore. If you like something, just raise your sign. Aunt Lan will bid for you, as a thank you gift for your help today.¡±<div>


    Jiang Chun patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand affectionately.


    There was a sign on the table in front of them, marked with the number 18, for bidding during the auction.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°Madam, I have my own money.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that doesn¡¯t count. I¡¯m your elder, and as an old saying goes, ¡® Gifts from elders cannot be refused.¡¯ You¡¯ve helped me a lot, so it¡¯s just a token of appreciation.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t decline any further.


    At a table nearby, there was an elegant middle-aged man sitting alone, while the other men had femalepanions. He stood out.


    However, no one questioned, because Shen Zhou, a man worth billions, was known for his disinterest in women.


    Nearing forty, unmarried and childless, numerous socialites and actress wanted to marry him, but all have failed.


    Later, a rumor began to spread that he had homosexual tendencies.


    His assistant, Shen Ke, the second-inmand of the Shenzhou Group, was also a bachelor.


    The two golden bachelors were inseparable and uninterested in women, so how could people not think that way?<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing, how did you get to know Mr. Shen?¡± Jiang Chun blew floating tea leaves in her cup; the rising tea mist enveloped her emotions.


    High-quality Dongting Biluochun tea, not bad, Jiade Group really spared no expense this time.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Once on my way to school, I saved


    Elder Theodore Shelby who had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage in the subway. In the end, I didn¡¯t help much, but I stepped forward when everyone else was afraid of being taken advantage of, called 120 and sent him to the hospital. Mr. Shen is kind and humble, and he was very grateful for my small help, even


    actively assisting the Zhu Group during their crisis.¡±


    Jiang Chun smiled, ¡°That¡¯s not a small favor, it¡¯s a life-saving grace. For the elderly, a sudden cerebral hemorrhage is extremely dangerous, and Shen Zhou is a well-known, filial son. Kindness begets good karma, and all this is what you deserve.¡±


    ¡°Madam.¡± Zhou Xue came over and whispered to Jiang Chun, ¡°Mr. Zou from Jiade Group wants to apologize personally. He¡¯s the head of Jiade Group in Hua


    Country.¡±


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes turned cold, ¡°Money-grubber, would he be able to spend his ill-gotten wealth if he¡¯s dead?¡±


    ¡°Just apologize and that¡¯s it? You tell him, this matter is not over between him and their corporation.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Xue withdrew.


    Jiang Chun raised her hand to massage her brow, ¡°These shameless things, courting death in front of me.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be angry. Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, there¡¯s reason in everything.¡±


    ¡°Listening to you, I do feel much better.¡± Jiang Chun let out a breath..

 Chapter 249 - 249: 119 Divine Melody (First Watch of the Night)_2

    Chapter 249: 119 Divine Melody (First Watch of the Night)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    After Shen Shaojian finished speaking, the auction officially began.


    Two tall and slender etiquettedies unfolded a long scroll, which contained a poem.


    The writing was not bad, but upon a closer look, the style seemed slightly hurried and not the work of a master.


    ¡°A piece by Master Li Yang, donated by Mr. Li Ming, starting bid at one hundred thousand, bidding starts now.¡±


    Everyone subconsciously looked at Mrs. Gu, who puffed out her chest and held her head high, a smug smile on her face.


    Gu Qingshan frowned and muttered discontentedly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mrs. Gu curled her lips, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Li Yang embarrass you?¡±


    Gu Qingshan red at her, ¡°What do you know? It isn¡¯t that simple; tell your cousin to tone it down, and look at what kind of asion this is.¡±


    Mrs. Gu rolled her eyes, ¡°So you can set fires, but others can¡¯t even light amp? How unreasonable of you!¡±


    Gu Qingshan chose to ignore her, ¡°Foolish woman.¡±


    If they weren¡¯t in a crowded venue, Mrs. Gu would have already scratched him.


    Jiang Chun clicked her tongue, herughter ambiguous.


    ¡°This so-called master¡¯s work, I think it¡¯s not even as good as your calligraphy, Ming Jing. Nowadays, people¡¯s skills at ttering have be more and more advanced, truly amazing.¡±


    After three rounds of bidding, it was bought by a wealthydy for three hundred thousand.


    Charity auctions are different from regrmercial auctions. The transaction amount won¡¯t be toorge, and there won¡¯t usually be sky-high bidding wars.


    The whole process was solemn and extremely boring. Somedies couldn¡¯t help but doze off, only to be startled awake by the sound of the hammer. Startled, they would look around to make sure no one had noticed them before secretlv letting out a sigh of relief.


    One suchdy was Madam Shen.


    She yawned and whispered to Ming Jing, ¡°So boring, if it wasn¡¯t for apanying our old man Shen, I wouldn¡¯t want toe.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any interest in antiques, Madam?¡±


    Madam Shen sneaked a nce at Jiang Chun, gestured for Ming Jing toe closer, and whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at, but I have no interest in art whatsoever. I have no idea what¡¯s so great about a pile of broken copper and iron, selling for such high prices; it¡¯s like daylight robbery.¡± Ming Jingughed at her candidness, ¡°Madam makes a good point.¡±


    Madam Shen¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°You think so too?¡±


    ¡°The value of art and collectibles lies in the added value people give them, which includes specific cultural history and human background. For those who understand, they are worth a lot; for those who have no interest, they might not even be worth a bowl of beef noodles.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I love the way you speak. It speaks to my heart. What art? They¡¯re just hyping up. That Li Yang, a bullshit master, hyped up his own fame.¡± Madam Shen scoffed.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Madam has insight.¡±


    ¡°In front of you, I dare not im that. Let me tell you, this Li Yang is Mrs. Guts cousin. You can imagine how watered-down those ¡®master¡¯ words are. I¡¯m embarrassed for her; her husband will sooner orter fall into her trap.¡± Ming Jing justughed without saying anything.


    ¡°Blue and white vase with filigree enamel artist, donated by Mr. Shen Zhou, starting bid at two hundred thousand.¡±


    Everyone subconsciously looked at Shen Zhou, who calmly took a sip of his tea.


    This time there were more people participating in the auction.


    Ming Jing was momentarily stunned, and it seemed as if she heard Qu Feitai¡¯s voice.


    Ming Jing turned her head, and outside the floor-to-ceiling window on the third floor, it looked as if there were beams of red light shooting up into the sky, illuminating half the sky.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jiang Chun asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ming Jing withdrew her gaze, saying indifferently.


    The young man on stage was dressed in a ck T-shirt with his own cartoon character printed on it, blue distressed jeans, graffiti white sneakers, and full dreadlocks on his head, appearing with a street hip-hop style.


    He began with a powerful song and dance number, fully arousing the audience¡¯s emotions. Jiangzhou¡¯s night was destined to be sleepless.


    Held captivated by his maic voice and handsome dance moves, countless screams were heard.


    With the burning music, the youth sped one hand on the ground, and his entire body fluttered upwards, doing a difficult freeze pose from the street dance Breaking.


    At the side of the stage, a huge live broadcast screen followed the cameraman¡¯s lens, firmly locking onto the young man¡¯s figure.


    In the next moment, the whole venue erupted in deafening screams, piercing the sky. The roars could be heard even ten kilometers away.


    The young man¡¯s T-shirt slipped off his chest, revealing his tight eight-pack abs without reservation. Paired with the cold metallic belt buckle, he was the ultimate heartthrob¡ªsexy enough to make one¡¯s blood race..

 Chapter 250 - 250: 119 Divine Melody (First Watch of the Night)_3

    Chapter 250: 119 Divine Melody (First Watch of the Night)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    And the perfectly sculpted abs of the boy appeared on the massive live broadcast screen, both the audience on site and those watching on television were profoundly stunned by the sight.


    Following that was a wave of shrill screams that crashed in like a monstrous tidal wave.


    The fans¡¯ passion was hotter and more fervent than the sun in the highest of skies.


    The boy ended his dance, stood straight on the stage, and his face appeared on the live broadcast screen.


    His stage makeup was entuated by eyeliner, and glitter on the corners of his eyes made him seem seductive like a peach blossom demon, with eyes that could end lives in just a single nce.


    At that moment, the boy on the stage truly resembled a bewitching fairy, enchanting all beings.


    ¡°Thank you all foring to my concert, I am Qu Feitai,¡± the boy¡¯s clear and maic voice reverberated through every corner of the venue.


    His gentle tone gave the impression that he was whispering in your ear.


    Who could withstand this torment? The screams never ceased.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti felt their ears might go deaf. Despite sitting in the front-row VIP seats, the screams were too deafening, and both nearly copsed on the spot.


    Qu Feitai was right in front of them. From their viewpoint, the slender boy stood under a dazzling light, like a deity descending from heaven. The two held hands tightly. Zhou Bao was screaming nonsensically beside them.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Brother, you¡¯re so handsome it¡¯s killing me. I¡¯m all yours¡­ Ming Chen and Ming Ti exchanged a nce, both seeing deep terror in the other¡¯s eyes.


    It was so frightening. Where was Ming Jing? Whimper¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang still had a wound on her head, so she daren¡¯t scream too loud. She only dared to wave her glow stick gently.


    Suddenly, she grabbed Zhou Bao¡¯s arm and said in a tremulous voice, ¡°Did Qu Feitai just look in my direction?¡±


    Zhou Bao gave her a sidelong nce: ¡®What are you dreaming about? He was looking at me, okay?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was sitting next to a media person who had been invited. It was Lu Yao, the editor-in-chief of Southern Entertainment. To her left, there were only other specially invited media people or representatives of advertisers. The advantage of the VIP area was that it wasn¡¯t as noisy as the back and everyone was rtively rational and restrained.


    Lu Yao heard this and nced at the girl beside her with a bandage on her head. Her pupils flickered slightly. As an editor of a magazine, and especially one in the entertainment field, she needed to have a keen sense of gossip.


    Qu Feitai indeed nced at their position several times just now.


    This was all a courtesy zone, and these girls must either be rtives of advertisers, or they must have some connections¡­ Before Qu Feitai nced over, she thought they were just a few simple rich and beautifuldies. But after Qu Feitai nced over, she sniffed a hint of something unusual.


    Because he was Qu Feitai.


    A boy who never associated with any scandals with girls. Even his beautiful junior colleagues in the samepany seemed to exist on the other side of a wide chasm. The higher his achievements, the more curious the public was about his romantic life.


    Qu Feitai was distant and solitary. Even the most dedicated paparazzo following him for three years couldn¡¯t find any clues.


    However, at this moment, she smelled a hint of a lead, even a small one, that was enough.


    The boy said a few words, and the stage dimmed. It was time for a change of scene, and the audience started getting restless.


    Lu Yao took this opportunity to tentatively ask the girl next to her, ¡°Are you a fan of Qu Feitai? Seeing that you still have a wound on your head, your love is moving. ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took a sip of water to moisten her throat. Hearing this, she nced at the woman beside her and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just a small injury. Even if I was paralyzed, I would crawl here to see my Qu Feitai.¡±


    Lu Yao¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Are you from Jiangzhou?¡± ¡°Yes, born and raised in Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°You look quite young. In high school, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be in sophomore year after school starts.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, tickets for this area aren¡¯t easy to get. Your family must have a lot of connections.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang casually said, ¡®My sister got them. She is very capable¡­¡±


    ¡°Your sister?¡± Lu Yao hooked her lips with interest, ¡°Is it the littledy next to


    Zhu Xiangxiang rolled her eyes, ¡°How could¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly became alert and red at Lu Yao, ¡°Why are you asking so much?¡±


    This person was too strange.


    Lu Yao smiled kindly, ¡°No reason, you just remind me of my daughter. She¡¯s studying abroad and I haven¡¯t seen her in a long time.¡±


    Her gaze was somewhat sad as she spoke. Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize, it was my presumption.¡±


    Lu Yao sighed, ¡®Your sister must be as pretty and cute as you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang lowered her eyes, thinking that this person was really reminded of her daughter.


    ¡°No, my sister is a lot prettier and more outstanding than I am. She¡¯s the most perfect girl in the world¡±. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s soft voice was quickly drowned out by the boisterous screams, but it clearly entered Lu Yao¡¯s ears.


    Lu Yao expressed her admiration, ¡°Is there really such a perfect girl in the world? It¡¯s hard to imagine. Is your sister also a fan of Qu Feitai? Is she here at the site too?¡±


    This time, Zhu Xiangxiang did not let herself be fooled so easily. She felt she had revealed too much to a stranger. She looked at her and turned her head away cautiously.


    At this moment, the stage lights came back on, and Qu Feitai reappeared on the stage in a new attire, bringing a new round of ultimate enjoyment.


    This was a slow song, the title track from Qu Feitai¡¯s album two years ago.


    The mellow style of the song quickly calmed down the excited fans, and there were no more screams. Everyone listened to the song in peace.


    In Qu Feitai¡¯s songs, not a single one was about love. Everyone was used to this, and some even joked that Qu Feitai must have never been in love, so he couldn¡¯t write love songs. The day he writes a love song, it would mean that he is secretly in a rtionship.


    Qu Feitai slowly walked to the edge of the stage. As he sang, his eyes slowly swept across the audience, and finally nonchntly brushed past the front row.


    Zhu Xiangxiang excitedly grabbed Zhou Bao again, ¡°Did you see that? He really was looking at me.¡±


    Zhou Bao really wanted to p her, ¡°He was clearly looking at me. What are you dreaming about?¡±


    Lu Yao nced at the close-up view of Qu Feitai, then at the excited Zhu Xiangxiang, andughed ambiguously..

 Chapter 251 - 251: 120 Unmoved (Second Revision)

    Chapter 251 - 251: 120 Unmoved (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The enamel donated by Shen Zhou finally sold for 1.5 million.


    Madam Shen sneered, ¡°A broken vase is worth 1.5 million? What a robbery.¡± She shook her head, unable to understand.<div>


    ¡°A Tang Dynasty gold-iid Buddha statue donated by Mr. Gutian, starting at 500,000.¡±


    Many people participated in this round of auction, mostly women.


    Mr. Gutian is a very famous collector and phnthropist in China. His ancestors were a top-notch noble family, full of talented people. They had produced three generations of top schrs, who passed down heirlooms of poetry and literature. By the time of Mr. Gutian¡¯s grandfather, the family began to decline. His grandfather donated all the family¡¯s collections during a particr historical period, causing a sensation. Since then, the Gu family has be highly respected and legendary in the antique industry.


    What he donated must be a treasure. As soon as the auction began, everyone rushed to raise their bidding cards.


    After a few rounds, the price went up to 2 million.


    In fact, it was less than a third of the statue¡¯s value.


    Madam Shen became more interested, ¡°It¡¯s getting exciting. Let¡¯s see who gets this statue.¡±


    Shen Zhou raised his card. ¡°Three million.¡±


    The whole audience was shocked, as Shen Zhou made his move!


    As for wealth, barely anyone in the room couldpare to him. To bid with him was an act of overestimating one¡¯s abilities.


    Jiang Chun smiled and raised her card, ¡°Five million.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing nced at Jiang Chun. Jiang Chun smiled and said, ¡°After watching for so long, this is the only thing suitable for giving to you.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Madam wants to see Mr. Shen bleed, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    Jiang Chun raised her eyebrows, ¡°A wise man should not talk about what he sees through.¡±


    Ming Jing covered her mouth andughed.


    ¡°It seems Mr. Shen has bad luck today.¡±


    Shen Zhou¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he raised his card again,


    ¡°Seven million.¡±


    Jiang Chun: ¡°Eight million.¡±


    The ce was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.


    Shen Zhou raised his card again, nonchntly, as if he was deciding what to eat tonight.


    ¡°Ten million.¡±<div>


    The whole room was instantly uproarious. True to Shen Zhou¡¯s style, nobody could outmatch him when it came to being wealthy and generous.


    Jiang Chun knew when to stop, put down her card, and said with a smile,


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop adding to the fun and not snatch others¡¯ love.¡±


    Just by having fun, Jiang Chun got Shen Zhou to spend an extra seven million.


    Only Jiang Chun had the confidence to say such words.


    Time slipped away quietly. Ming Jing nced at the clock on the wall, and the


    hour hand silently pointed to nine o¡¯clock.


    The auction wasing to an end. Shen Shaojian took the stage again and did the final summary, raising a total of 173 million in charity funds, with special thanks to Mr. Gutian and Mr. Shen Zhou.


    At this time, a young woman walked up to Jiang Chun, bent her waist respectfully, ¡°Madam Jiang, I am Mr. Zou¡¯s secretary. Mr. Zou has asked for a meeting with you in the tea room, to rify the matter concerning the Ru Porcin Narcissus Basin.¡±


    She used the word ¡°rify¡± rather than ¡°apologize.¡±


    Jiang Chun curled her lips, ¡°Mr. Zou has quite the attitude, asking me to meet with him personally.¡±<div>


    The secretary was very professional. Upon hearing this, she said, ¡°Please wait a moment, Madam.¡±


    Two minutester, Zou Dawei showed up in person, invited Jiang Chun away respectfully in front of everyone¡¯s puzzled gazes.


    However, what left a deep impression on everyone was the beautiful young girl beside her. When Jiang Chun left, she followed suit.


    After the auction, everyone had nothing to worry about and began to chat, all curious about why Zou Dawei wanted to meet with Jiang Chun and the identity of the beautiful young girl beside her.


    Madam Shen quickly spilled the beans on what had happened in Jiang Chun¡¯s house in the afternoon, ¡°Who would have thought that such arge auction house would sell fakes? It¡¯s ridiculous. If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Zhu¡¯s sharp eyes, Madam Jiang would have been duped.¡±


    People found it incredible after listening. The first was that the Jiade Group would do such a thing, which was a bit unexpected.


    The second was the girl named Ms. Zhu. She was so young and yet knew about antiques. Knowing that it was from Jiade Auction House, Madam Jiang must have also asked a professional appraiser to check it. Yet no problems came up. What did this imply?


    Either Ms. Zhu was bluffing or she was even more skilled than a professional appraiser.


    But how old was she? Was she even an adult yet?


    Everyone felt it was a bit fake. Someone asked Mr. Gutian, who was about to leave, ¡°Mr. Gutian, as an authority in the antique industry, why don¡¯t you take a look and help Madam Jiang out? Where would a sixteen-year-old girl know about such things? Madam Jiang might have been deceived by her, too.¡±


    Mr. Gutian was caught betweenughter and tears. Since everyone had said so much, he had to offer his help. Otherwise, if it reached Madam Jiang¡¯s earster, she might think he deliberately refused to help, and that wouldn¡¯t be good.He was also quite curious whether this young girl really had some skills or if she was just here to deceive and swindle people.


    Gutian said, ¡°Mr. Zou invited Madam Jiang, isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate for me to barge in like this¡­?¡±


    Madam Shen rolled her eyes. Everyone just wanted to see the show and didn¡¯t think much of Ms. Zhu. But soon, they would be pped in the face.


    She had blind confidence in Ming Jing now.


    If there was a reason behind it, it might be her innate intuition.


    Over the years, her intuition had never failed her.


    Mrs. Gu smiled, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? We¡¯ll all go with you. Mr. Gutian is an authoritative figure in this industry. I¡¯m sure Jiade Group would be more than pleased to have you take part.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s apany Mr. Gutian.¡±


    Shen Zhou nced at Shen Ke, who smiled and shook his head, ¡°I had no idea Ms. Zhu knew how to appraise antiques. She really has a lot of mysteries around her. But don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s level-headed and won¡¯t do anything without being certain. ¡±


    ¡°Go and remind Gutian not to talk recklessly.¡±


    ¡°What about the Jiade Group?¡± Shen Ke found it a bit tricky.


    A touch of disdain shed in Shen Zhou¡¯s eves, ¡°Grudginzlv acquire it, I


    suppose.¡±


    Shen Ke was stunned. Okay, so you¡¯re rich and powerful.


    Shen Zhou¡¯s lips curled up, ¡°Do you think Ming Jing would like this gift?¡±


    Shen Ke felt that things were getting more and more weird. He scratched his head, ¡°Maybe, possibly, perhaps she would like it?¡±


    After all, it was worth ten million.


    They walked out of the hall, away from the soundproof walls, and the distant screams seemed toe from the edge of the sky, wave after wave.


    Jiang Chun looked towards the direction of the concert and sighed, ¡°Youth is really wonderful. ¡±


    Ming Jing walked calmly beside Jiang Chun, and the voice-activated lights above their heads lit up in rows as they passed by.


    From somewhere, a gust of wind blew, lifting the young girl¡¯s white dress. Along with the scorching screams and heat, it blew towards their faces.


    The light from above descended, and Ming Jing¡¯s eyes softened as the dense and long eyshes cast a green shadow below her eyelids.


    Far away, screams and apuse were apanied by flowers, and the young man took center stage with all eyes on him.


    She walked calmly in the dark, and the light could not illuminate the path under her feet.


    Her path, from beginning to end, was in her heart.


    When the heart does not move, neither do people.


    The concert was nearing its end, but there was still no sign of Qu Feitai¡¯s new song.


    Moreover, everyone noticed that the scheduled performance of ST Girl Group had also disappeared.


    While the live audience was immersed in Qu Feitai¡¯s singing and abs, those watching the online live stream were much more sensitive.


    ¡ªWas ST Girl Group kicked out of the concert?


    ¡ªRumor has it, ording to the onsite staff, ST Girl Group got greedy and demanded ten minutes of stage time, angering Qu Feitai. He removed their name from the concert lineup on the spot. Qu Feitai looked so cool when he said it.


    ¡ªWow, it feels so good! That old witch Su Lin is always sucking up to Qu Feitai like a leech. Now she¡¯s finally angered him. I can almost imagine her face, stomping her feet in anger when she heard him say that. Haha.


    ¡ªThere¡¯s more outrageous stuff, but nevermind. Let¡¯s enjoy Qu Feitai¡¯s concert and settle the score with themter. Qu Feitai¡¯s new song should be the finale.


    ¡°It¡¯sing! Qu Feitai¡¯s new song ising!¡± Tao Xingxing drank a can of Red Bull and licked her dry lips.


    Although her throat was soar, it couldn¡¯t extinguish the passion in her heart.


    As expected of Qu Feitai, both his singing and dancing were amazing. The experience of being at the live show was ten thousand times better than watching the live stream online.


    A beam of white light shone down, and the young man walked out with his guitar.


    ¡°Ahhhh-¡± The screams were endless. This was the finale of the night.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s guitar and singing were king. Do you remember the young man who sang and yed guitar four years ago? That was the beginning of Qu Feitai¡¯s legend.


    The young man was wearing a ck jumpsuit that entuated his slender waist, which could put women to shame. His broad shoulders provided a sense of security, and his long legs were eye-catching. He walked closer amid the screams.


    On therge screen next to him, the young man¡¯s short, neat hair and clean face were visible.


    There was no young man in this world with brighter eyes than him.


    Clean and pure, deep and captivating.


    He spoke in a maic and gentle voice, ¡°This song is for you..¡±

 Chapter 252 - 252: 121 White Clothes (First Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 252 - 252: 121 White Clothes (First Watch of the Night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Who are you?


    It¡¯s each and every fan who came from thousands of miles away to be at the scene.<div>


    It¡¯s the tens of thousands of people waiting eagerly on the live stream.


    In the instant Qu Feitai¡¯s voice hit the ground, all the passion soared like a firework, igniting in an instant.


    Cheers and screams surge like tidal waves, sweeping over everything.


    In the midst of countless expectant gazes, the boy sat on a high stool with a standing mic before him, adjusting his guitar.


    The stadium was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, as if even breathing would disturb that boy.


    The crisp sound of the strings traveled through the microphone to every corner of the scene, the nerve in one¡¯s brain tightened further, focused intently on the dark figure on stage.


    Therge screen next to the stage revealed the boy¡¯s face, his handsome and deep features striking every pair of eyes on the HD screen.


    ¡°I dedicate this White Clothes to you.¡±


    The boy plucked away on the guitar, the uplifting melody like winter sunlight and summer night breeze, lifting everyone¡¯s mood.


    Music has this kind of magic, simple notes able to move one¡¯s heart and soul as if forgetting all one¡¯s woes and immersing oneself in the creator¡¯s woven world.


    ¡°The cicadas by the roadside keep calling, the bustling summer streets crowded for miles¡­<div>


    The boy¡¯s clear and gentle voice like a fine wine, eloquently narrated. ¡°zing sun and passionate winds, gentle waves and subdued fragrance.¡± The scenery of summer unfolds like a painting before one¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Bamboo green, lotus fragrant, fleeting years, twilight approached.¡± ¡°The fragrance of summer trees gone, a startled egret¡¯s reflection appears.¡±


    ¡°Mount Emei¡¯s cloudlike hair seems mirrored, abundant green mountains guide the return.¡±


    The lively melody reached its climax and suddenly turned into tender restraint, as if full of thoughts with nowhere to share.


    ¡°Spring flowers and autumn moons are all unworldly beauties, summer days and winter snow share the white-haired years.¡±


    ¡°There are trees in the mountains with branches all around, who in this world is worthy of white clothes?¡±


    That line about trees in the mountains with branches all around, sung with a sigh that knots one¡¯s guts, silently joyful and mncholic.


    As for the part ¡°who in this world is worthy of white clothes,¡± it suddenly turned fierce and disdainful, shaking people¡¯s hearts and minds.


    In the audience¡¯s mind¡¯s eye, a girl in white appeared, cool and refreshing amidst the summer sun.


    Her beauty transcended that of spring flowers and autumn moons, worth a thousand years at a nce, only toment the brevity of time.


    Trees in the mountains have branches all around, my heart delights in you without you knowing-<div>


    Aside from you, no one in this world deserves those white clothes.


    The tender final note hung in the air above the stadium, tens of thousands of eyes on site and millions more watching the live stream were quiet and still, immersing themselves in the song, unable to snap back to reality.


    Qu Feitai, synonymous with the cutting edge trend, his music style varied ¨C it could be positive and energetic, or boldly avant-garde. He could master both metal rock and ethnic wind instruments, freely switching between multiple styles. He was a musical genius, a king of songs.


    But fans and audiences heard him sing with such a tender voice for the first time, as if it were a dream he was afraid to disturb. Hence, when the singing ceased, no one dared to apud for a long time.


    This was an amazing song, but the atmosphere weighed heavy on everyone, whether influenced by the bitter atmosphere in the song or their natural, physical intuition.


    As the saying goes, all women are inherently sensitive, especially in this regard ¨C everyone is a Sherlock Holmes.


    ¡°This song is really good, it reminded me of the boy I had a crush on in high school¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I just wanted to cry as I listened to it.¡±


    Awaking from a dream, while the fans on site remained enthralled by the mood, the fans online were in an uproar.


    Throughout the song, Qu Feitai had not looked at the audience, his long eyshes covering his eyelines, obscuring the depths of his eyes. No one could see the intoxicating tenderness hidden beneath.


    The concert ended at that very moment.


    The stage plunged into darkness, and the boy who sang and yed was lost from sight.<div>


    Qu Feitai had always been a man of few words, even at his own concert, speaking only a few words, giving his best energy to share wonderful singing and dancing, was the best reward for his fans.


    It was only then that the fans on site began to react slowly, as if suddenly opening Pandora¡¯s Box, stirring up a disturbance.


    ¡°This White Clothes song is so good, the brother¡¯s voice is so gentle, and the lyrics are well-written, it¡¯s amazing! I¡¯m going to y it on loop a thousand times when I get home..¡±

 Chapter 253 - 253: 121 White Clothes (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 253 - 253: 121 White Clothes (First Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I admit the song is catchy, and it¡¯s probably going to be popr nationwide and top the charts, but don¡¯t you find it a bit strange¡­ the lyrics of the song¡­


    they¡¯re weird¡­ is big brother thinking about dating?<div>


    As soon as the girl finished speaking, she immediately faced disapproving nces from all around.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, big brother is very dedicated to his work, how can he date? People outside say that big brother can¡¯t write love songs, maybe this is his way of proving them wrong! Look at my big brother, even if he¡¯s never dated, he can write love songs easily, thises from the confidence of a genius.¡± Everyone unanimously approved this viewpoint.


    ¡°I feel like you guys are misunderstanding something. Does big brother dating mean he¡¯s not dedicated? You guys seem to be missing the point.


    The girl who squeezed over to speak was petite and delicate, her eyes brighter than the stars in the sky. Although she looked cute, her words were not cute at all and could even be described as hurtful.


    ¡°What do you know? We¡¯re doing it for big brother¡¯s own good. If he were to date, it would be a big obstacle to his career progression¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Does Qu Feitai recognize you? Does he know you guys are so self-righteous in thinking you¡¯re doing it for his good? He¡¯s a young man in histe teens and can¡¯t even date? Do you live in the Pacific Ocean? Where does your authoritye from?¡±


    The girl¡¯s words were like rapid-fire shots, firing at the crowd. The hostile and disgusted gazes immediately turned towards her, and it looked like she would be attacked. Tao Xianxian quickly pulled her away.


    ¡°My goodness, can you say less? If you anger them, will you still be able to make it out of the stadium alive?¡±


    Tao Xingxing snorted, ¡°I just can¡¯t stand them! What kind of people are they? Are they really fans of Qu Feitai? They¡¯re all so selfish and won¡¯t allow others to date. I spit on them! If someone wants my idol to be a monk, I¡¯ll curse them to never get married.¡±


    Tao Xianxian touched her chin, ¡°But thatst song, ¡®White Robe,¡¯ was indeed a mystery. Based on my intuition, it might be worse than dating ¨C it¡¯s unrequited love.¡±


    Tao Xingxing screamed and roared, ¡°Are you kidding? Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t fancy my Qu Feitai? Is she a fairy?¡±<div>


    The concert ended, and many people still sat in their seats, unwilling to leave. They chanted slogans over and over again, and the girls¡¯ endless passion lingered in the summer night breeze, lingering for a long time.


    Zhou Bao took Ming Ti and Ming Chen out of the venue, not caring whether Zhu Xiangxiang was dead or alive. She only needed to ensure the safety of her two little sisters.


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed Zhou Bao out of the venue, and Lu Yao caught up, ¡°Little girl, do you have time? I¡¯d like to invite you for a cup of coffee.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, ¡°No need, it¡¯s toote, I have to go home.¡± Lu Yao looked at the white skirt the other party was wearing and his smile deepened.


    While leaving with the crowd, everyone discussed the new song. As they got into the car, Zhou Bao nced at the white skirt Zhu Xiangxiang was wearing, feeling it was particrly eye-catching. She couldn¡¯t help but sarcastically say, ¡°Do you deserve to wear white? You¡¯re always learning from my cousin; why don¡¯t you shave your head too?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked up, ¡°I can wear whatever I want; is it any of your business?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s annoying to look at. Can¡¯t I say anything? You¡¯ll never imitate my cousin¡¯s temperament, so give up on that idea. Impersonator!¡± Zhou Bao rolled her eyes and got in the car, deliberately closing the door on Zhu Xiangxiang and instructing the driver to drive away.


    Zhu Xiangxiang swallowed a mouthful of exhaust fumes and took a deep breath, deciding not to stoop to the level of petty people.


    At that moment, a taxi stopped in front of Zhu Xiangxiang. Lu Yao stuck his head out from inside the car andughed, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to get a taxi thiste;e on, I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked around; too many people and not enough taxis. It was toote for public transportation, and this taxi seemed to be the only way home.


    Zhu Xiangxiang took a picture of the taxi¡¯s license te and said as soon as she got in, ¡°I¡¯ve sent this to my family.¡±<div>


    Lu Yaoughed and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s good to be alert, youngdy. Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°Driver, please take me to Mingshan Garden.¡±


    Lu Yao squinted his eyes; Mingshan Garden was a well-known wealthy area in Jiangzhou. She was truly an authentic white, rich beauty.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t that girl let you get in the car just now? Did you guys argue?¡±

 Chapter 254 - 254: 121 White Clothes (First Watch of the Night)—3

    Chapter 254 - 254: 121 White Clothes (First Watch of the Night)¡ª3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt irritated whenever Zhou Bao was mentioned and turned her head to look out of the window, not wanting to talk to her.


    Lu Yao spoke softly, ¡°I am Lu Yao, the editor-in-chief of Southern<div>


    Entertainment. Here¡¯s my business card.¡±


    Lu Yao handed her a business card. Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment before taking it.


    It was indeed the editor-in-chief, Southern Entertainment, a famous entertainment magazine that she had heard of, which also had a print media subsidiary.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for a girl to be cautious, but it would be a pity if you missed an opportunity because of it.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang muttered, ¡°Opportunity?


    Lu Yaoughed, ¡°I think you are well-suited for the entertainment industry. A friend of mine is currently looking to sign new talent, and I¡¯d like to rmend you. You can consider it, no need to reply right now.¡±


    Entering the entertainment industry? Zhu Xiangxiang had never considered this path and was slightly stunned.


    Lu Yao patiently persuaded her, ¡°You like Qu Feitai, right? If you join the entertainment industry, you can get close to your idol. Isn¡¯t that great?¡±


    This reason did make Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart waver for a moment, but she was well-aware of her own worth. How could she be worthy of Qu Feitai? A fan¡¯s love for their idol was never about standing by their side¡ªit was like a star admiring the moon, feeling satisfied as long as they could see him shine brightly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang held the business card, her emotions in disarray, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    When Qu Feitai returned backstage, Bai Weining walked up to him, ¡°Brother Qu, your new song is very good.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai ignored her, walking past her without even a nce as if she were insignificant.


    Bai Weining didn¡¯t get upset and instead smiled at his retreating figure.


    ¡°Weining, how do you have the confidence to warm someone¡¯s cold butt with your hot face?¡± Annie teased.


    Bai Weining touched the end of her hair in front of her chest and raised a confident smile on her beautiful face.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s my Brother Qu, and one day he¡¯ll remember me.¡±


    Yu Beibei coughed, ¡°Everyone, stay off the inte for a while. But I guess you¡¯re used to it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be scared of getting cklisted? It¡¯s worse if there¡¯s no attention,¡± Annie was nonchnt.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back to the hotel. We have to fly to Jingdu early tomorrow. We¡¯ll be busy preparing for the new albuming up,¡± Huang Chuchu stepped out and said.


    ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯m going to visit my grandma tomorrow,¡± Bai Weining said.


    After leaving the stadium, Bai Weining looked at the night sky and sighed.


    ¡°Brother Qu, it seems like you have fallen in love with someone. What should I<div>


    After handing over everything to Dai Wen, the time was almost 11 pm. Only then did Qu Feitai have a chance to take a sip of water and catch his breath.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, I¡¯ve sent the pictures you wanted to your WeChat,¡± Tian Long was puzzled as to why Qu Feitai had asked him to take pictures of the VIP area, but as a small assistant, he wasn¡¯t entitled to question it.


    Qu Feitai opened WeChat and clicked on the photos, scanning through them one by one.


    Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and his face darkened.


    Tian Long couldn¡¯t gauge his mood and timidly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡±


    Song Yinzhang called in at that moment, and Qu Feitai answered, ¡°Xiao Fei, congrattions on the sessfulpletion of your concert. I was there, and the fans were very enthusiastic and the new song was great.¡±


    Qu Feitai pursed his lips, ¡°Are you gone now?


    ¡°Already home. Your fans are terrifying. I think my ears are going to be ufortable for a few days.¡±


    After a pause, Song Yinzhang said, ¡°Xiao Fei¡­ I thought you would never show any feelings, but after hearing that new song, I¡¯m very happy.¡±


    Qu Feitai walked to the window and saw some fans still waiting outside the stadium. The red glowsticks waving in their hands were like twinkling stars in the night sky.


    Unknowingly, a heavy rain began to pour down.<div>


    Tian Long sighed with relief, ¡°Thank heavens for waiting until the concert was over before raining.¡±


    Amid the thunderous rain, Qu Feitai¡¯s voice was somewhat muffled, ¡°She didn¡¯te.¡±


    Song Yinzhang heard him clearly and paused before saying, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll call you back soon.¡±


    Tao Xingxing had just gotten home when she received Song Yinzhang¡¯s call. She felt a bit strange¡ªwhy would Song Yinzhang call her in the middle of the night? It seemed odd.


    ¡°Xingxing, didn¡¯t Ming Jing go to the concert with you tonight?¡±


    ¡°She had somethinge upst minute and bailed, so I had my sistere with me. What does it have to do with Ming Jing?¡± Tao Xingxing knew that all the boys around Ming Jing had ulterior motives.


    Song Yinzhang, although not bad, still couldn¡¯tpare to Ming Jing.


    ¡°Alright. You should get some rest. I¡¯ll hang up.¡±


    Tao Xingxing pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯m destined to be just a tool.¡±


    ¡°The inte situation tonight isn¡¯t looking great, Xiao Fei. Your new song is a huge hit, but the inte is filled with spection about your love life. Tell me the truth¡­¡± Huang Chao had just walked in when he saw Qu Feitai snatch the car keys from his waist and rush out.


    ¡°Ah, my ancestors, what are you doing? It¡¯s raining heavily outside¡­¡± Huang Chao chased after him with worry, but Qu Feitai¡¯s figure was already gone.


    Huang Chao pped his thigh, looking at the pouring rain outside with a gloomy face.


    ¡°Ancestors, can¡¯t you let me have some peace?¡±


    Zou Dawei sized up the young girl standing beside Jiang Chun.


    That scruffy girl was nothing but trouble.


    A hint of hatred shed in Zou Dawei¡¯s eyes, but his face remained respectful. ¡°Madam, the issue with the Narcissus Basin must be a misunderstanding. I don¡¯t know how you determined it was a fake, but I assure you on behalf of ourpany, Jiade Group will never let this happen. You may have been deceived by someone.¡±


    Jiang Chun smiled, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m easily fooled?¡±


    Zou Dawei bowed respectfully, ¡°That¡¯s absolutely not my intention, Madam. Your discernment is clear.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s settle this matter today. If Jiade Group is at fault, your president will personally apologize to me in a newspaper ad andpensate me tenfold to demonstrate your sincerity. Otherwise, I will apologize in a newspaper. How does that sound?¡±


    Zou Dawei was taken aback; the stakes were too high for him as a mere manager to bear.


    Jiang Chun snorted, ¡°Bold enough to do it, not bold enough to admit it.¡±


    Zou Dawei¡¯s temper red as well, ¡°Madam, you only believed this girl¡¯s words and determined the Narcissus Basin was a fake. Forgive me for being blunt, but how old is she? Does she have a professional appraiser certificate? Madam, you can¡¯t just listen to her side of the story.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡±


    Zou Dawei¡¯s eyes rolled, and as he was about to speak, there was a knock on the door and the secretary entered, ¡°President Zou, Mr. Gutian is here to offer his services¡­¡±


    Zou Dawei¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Quickly, bring the Master in.¡±


    He took a nting nce at the silent girl standing beside Jiang Chun. He thought to himself, ¡°Wait for youreuppance..¡±

 Chapter 255 - 255: 122 Answer (Revision 2)

    Chapter 255 - 255: 122 Answer (Revision 2)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Apanying Mr. Gutian were the Gu Qingshan couple, Shen Shaojian couple, Shen Zhou, Shen Ke, and otherdies who were here to watch the excitement. In the blink of an eye, the small tea room was crowded with people.


    ¡°We are here to bear witness for Madam Jiang. Mr. Gutian is an appraisal master, a leading figure in the industry. If everyone doesn¡¯t trust Ms. Zhu, they should at least trust Mr. Gutian,¡± said Madam Gu as she stepped forward.<div>


    Feeling awkvvard, Mr. Gutianughed, ¡°Madam, you tter me. I am ashamed.¡±


    No need for modesty, Mr. Gutian. I trust you, and so does Jiade Group.¡±


    At this moment, the secretary walked over and whispered something in Zou Dawei¡¯s ear. Looking at Jiang Chun, he asks, ¡°Madam Jiang, does what I just said count?¡±


    She raised her eyebrow, ¡°Of course it counts.¡±


    Great. Everyone present here is a witness. Regardless of the oue, Jiade Group will not back down,¡± said Zou Dawei with a serious face.


    Zhou Xue brought a rosewood box over and ced it on the table in front of them.


    ¡°Mr. Gutian, please.¡± Zou Dawei gestured.


    ¡°Mr. Gutian?¡± Zou Dawei called out again.


    Only then did Mr. Gutiane back to his senses, retracting his gaze from Mingjing. Clearing his throat, he walked up to the box with a solemn expression.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, you wanted to show off in front of Madam Jiang¡­ Youthful and impulsive,cking a steady mindset,¡± Madam Gu sighed.


    With just one sentence, Mingjing is used of showing off her skills recklessly.<div>


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t realize how serious the consequences of your actions could be. Not only has it led to a falling out between Madam Jiang and Jiade Group, but it has also ruined the reputation that Jiade Group has built over the years.


    Can you bear these consequences, Ms. Zhu?¡±


    ¡°If you admit your mistake now, Mr. Zou may still let you off the hook out of respect for Madam Jiang. But if we wait for Mr. Gutian¡¯s appraisal result, it may be toote for Madam Jiang to protect you.¡±


    Not only will she not be able to protect you, but she will probably dislike you even more.


    Jiang Chun nced at her but said nothing. Madam Gu felt a pang of joy in her heart.


    It seems that Jiang Chun also agrees with her.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Madam Gu. But you¡¯re overthinking it,¡± said Mingjing with a calm smile and no hint of anxiety, remaining calm andposed.


    Overthinking? Ha, I hope I am,¡± Madam Gu sneered and looked away with disdain.


    She can hold her nerve. I wonder how long she can keep up this act.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush, Madam? Master Gutian hasn¡¯t finished his appraisal yet.


    Can¡¯t you wait for just a moment?¡±<div>


    Shen Zhou¡¯s sudden interjection caught everyone off guard.


    Nobody noticed that Mr. Gutian¡¯s hand, which was opening the box, suddenly trembled.


    With her pride bruised, Madam Gu scoffed, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Mr. Shen and


    Ms. Zhu have aplicated rtionship. It seems the rumors are true.¡±


    There¡¯s only one kind of rumor that could spread between a single man and a single woman.


    It¡¯s obvious if you think about it.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s gaze shifted between Shen Zhou and Mingjing. The two parties remained cool andposed, making it seem as if Madam Gu was making something out of nothing.


    ¡°Indeed, there is a rtionship between us,¡± Shen Zhou admitted generously.


    Even Jiang Chun was surprised by this.


    Mingjing gave Shen Zhou a calm look.


    Shen Zhou raised his eyebrows at her, and Mingjing narrowed her eyes.<div>


    Mr. Gutian¡¯s hands trembled even more. Now he was caught between a rock and a hard ce, with both sides not to be offended.


    Today, he didn¡¯t consult the almanac before going out. What a strategic error!


    Madam Gu sneered sarcastically, ¡°Mr. Shen is quite straightforward.¡±


    Her disdainful gaze at Mingjing also swept over Gu Qingshan.


    The flower is taken, let go of your thieving heart.


    ¡°Next week, at the Shenzhou Group Oasis Programunch, Madam Gu, the life of the party, would surely be in attendance. Ah Ke, please send an invitation to


    Madam Guts residenceter,¡± said Shen Zhou.


    Shen Ke grinned and replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Madam Gu¡¯s face turned beet red at Shen Zhou¡¯s sarcasm. This vile man, no wonder he has yet to find a wife at nearly forty. With such a foul temper, what woman could stand him?


    While they were talking, Gutian opened the box. Seeing the object inside, he eximed in amazement, ¡°Song Dynasty Ruware Narcissus Basin! ¡°Madam Shen finally found the opportunity and immediately said, ¡°Master Gu, what you said is exactly the same as what Ms. Zhu said before.¡±


    Mr. Gutian nced at Ming Jing, this overly quiet and unassuming girl, who did not seem like someone who would blurt out falsehoods. Could there be some trickery involved?


    Not daring to take it lightly, he put on white gloves he carried with him, got out his reading sses, and carefully picked up the narcissus basin to examine


    it closely.


    Zou Dawei whispered to his secretary, ¡°Pour Master Gu a cup of tea.¡± The secretary understood Zou Dawei¡¯s gaze and left to get the tea.


    ¡°Master Gutian, what have you found?¡± Mrs. Gu asked, while throwing a nce at Ming Jing.


    Jiang Chun patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand, her smile gentle and kind, ¡°Aunt Lan believes in you.¡±


    After studying it for a while, Gutian put the narcissus basin back, his movements not as cautious as before.


    He looked at Zou Dawei with a solemn expression, ¡°May I ask Mr. Zou, where did you get this item?


    This involved trade secrets, but at this point, with his reputation at stake, Zou Dawei had no choice but to answer, ¡°We bought it from an overseas Chinese collector a year ago.¡±


    At this moment, Zou Dawei¡¯s secretary handed him a cup of tea, ¡°Master Gu, please have some tea.¡±


    Gutian was originally a little annoyed, but now he couldn¡¯t resist taking the tea. He faced away from everyone, and the female secretary opened her mouth with a threatening look in her eyes.


    Gutian looked stunned, and cold sweat broke out on his palms.


    ¡°Master, please enjoy the tea.¡± The female secretary repeated with a sweet smile.


    Gutian shakily picked up the teacup and pretended to take a sip.


    Everyone was waiting for his answer, and Zou Dawei asked, ¡°Master Gu, what does your question imply? What does this have to do with whether the narcissus basin is genuine or not?¡±


    ¡°The history of an antique and who has handled it is very important. Tracing the source can help determine its origin, and for experienced appraisers, this is an important factor in judging authenticity.¡±


    Zou Dawei said, ¡°Master Gu may not be familiar with this collector, as he has always lived abroad. He obtained this item many years ago by chance from a tomb-robbing gang.¡±


    Gutian¡¯s eyes flickered, and at this moment, the answer became clear to him.


    Zou Dawei pressed on, ¡°Master Gu, you must have an answer by now. Don¡¯t worry about the youngdy¡¯s feelings; if she dared to make such a im, she should be prepared to face the consequences.¡± Zou Dawei nced at Ming Jing as he spoke.


    Gutian took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°Master Gu, you are an authority in this field. Your words must be urate, unless you no longer want to work in this field¡­.¡±


    The emphasis on thest sentence of Zou Wei¡¯s words carried an obvious threat.


    Gutian¡¯s heart trembled, and he wished he could faint from a heart attack on the spot.


    ¡°Of course, if I dare to lie, not only will Master Guts reputation be ruined, but even the entire Gus family will be despised by everyone. I wonder if Master Gu can bear this consequence.¡± Shen Zhou said lightly.


    How had this turned into an issue about the entire Gus family?


    Gutian looked towards Ming Jing, ¡°Ms. Zhu must be an expert appraiser herself. In that case, on what basis did she determine that this is a fake?¡±


    Early on, he would much rather have chosen to leave without saying goodbye even at the risk of offending Madam Jiang, now it was much worse to be caught in the middle with his family being threatened.


    The question was thrown back to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the master have an answer in his heart already?¡±


    What a cunning girl.


    Gutian snorted and nced at her seriously.


    I just remember she said that during the Song Dynasty, kiln firing technology was monopolized by the imperial court. The craftsmen were the best of the best, so it¡¯s impossible for the basin to have bubbles in it. It¡¯s only with modern technology that they can replicate the color but not the technique, which is rted to temperature and other factors. I think that¡¯s about it.¡±


    Gutian hadn¡¯t noticed this detail before, ¡°The kiln change must be controlled above 11000C; otherwise, arge amount of anorthose crystals, or small bubbles, would form.¡±


    Madam Shen¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Does Master Gu agree with Ms. Zhu¡¯s exnation?¡±


    Gutian looked deeply into Ming Jing¡¯s eyes; the girl¡¯s eyes were deep ck, like a quiet pool, unfathomable.


    With everyone¡¯s expectant gaze, Gutian sighed, ¡°Actually, I have seen a genuine Ru Porcin Narcissus Basin before.¡±


    With this sentence, he had already revealed too much information.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered as she looked up at Gutian.


    Zou Dawei¡¯s face changed, and he shouted, ¡°Master Gu, you must take responsibility for what you say.¡±


    Gutian replied coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Zou, I will take responsibility for every word I say..¡±

 Chapter 256 - 256: 123 Rainy Night (First Watch)

    Chapter 256 - 256: 123 Rainy Night (First Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The reason Songru Ware is so precious is that its production process has been lost and its exquisite craftsmanship is difficult to replicate. Nowadays, there are fewer than seventy authentic pieces left in the world. This Narcissus Basin was created during the reign of Song Huizong, Zhao Ji. The name ¡®sky-blue¡¯ originated from him, making Songru Ware famous worldwide.¡±


    Gu Tiantian passionately exined, ¡°The Song Dynasty¡¯s Songru Ware<div>


    Narcissus Basin was collected by Wen Chang, a great collector during the Qing Dynasty. He meticulously recorded the provenance of this cultural relic in his book, Wen Qing¡¯s Story. Wen Changter died in a war, and the whereabouts of his entire collection were unknown. It was not until the 1970s that Wen Chang¡¯s great-grandson pawned the Narcissus Basin due to financial difficulties. Wen Chang¡¯s son had taken a portion of the collection and hid it in a rural cer after his father¡¯s death. They changed their names and hid their identity for decades. One year, a severe drought struck the countryside, and the family had no choice but to pawn one of their treasured items. The Songru Ware Narcissus Basin was purchased by a country gentleman named Zhao Gang during the same year. Fifteen years ago, Zhao Gang¡¯s grandson lost all his fortune in gambling, and the Narcissus Basin was also lost. To my knowledge, it ended up in Ran Bowen¡¯s hands.¡±


    Upon hearing the name Ran Bowen, everyone present froze.


    Although the name had disappeared for twelve years, it remained a terrifying one no matter how much time had passed.


    ¡°Ran Bowen? Hasn¡¯t he been dead for twelve years?¡± Mrs. Gu blurted out unconsciously.


    If the Narcissus Basin in Ran Bowen¡¯s possession was confirmed to be authentic, how could it have ended up in the hands of a grave-robbing gang? Wasn¡¯t this contradictory?


    If what Gu Tiantian said was true, the Narcissus Basin in Jiade Group¡¯s possession must be a fake.


    Cold sweat broke out on Zou Dawei¡¯s forehead. Matters were getting out of control; how could it now be connected to Ran Bowen, who had been dead for twelve years?


    Madam Shen grinned and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? After Ran Bowen¡¯s death, his property must have been inherited by his descendants. Just ask them. There¡¯s no need to make things soplicated.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, asking Ran Bowen¡¯s descendants. For a wealthy family like the Rans, they wouldn¡¯t easily sell their antiques,¡± said Gu Tiantian.


    Jiang Chun nodded and ordered Zhou Xue, ¡°Contact Ran Tengxiao.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, feeling that things were bing increasinglyplicated this evening.<div>


    Zou Dawei red at Ming Jing, ming her for causing all this trouble.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t expect to drag Ran Tengxiao into this. She nced at Jiang Chun, wondering if everything was just a coincidence.


    Although it was almost ten o¡¯clock, no one suggested leaving.


    ¡°Madam, Ran Tengxiao said he knows nothing about the cultural relics left by Ran Bowen,¡± Zhou Xue whispered to Jiang Chun as she walked in.


    Ming Jing, who was close by, happened to hear it.


    Her eyes widened in surprise, suspecting that something was amiss.


    If Ran Tengxiao was not lying, the Rans hadn¡¯t found Ran Bowen¡¯s secret chamber.


    If Ran Tengxiao was lying¡­ Why would he lie?


    Why would this counterfeit circte on the market? This needed a thorough investigation. Perhaps many people could be exposed in the process, which might be the reason behind Ran Tengxiao¡¯s lie.


    All these secrets had been identally exposed by Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing curled her lips, finding the situation increasingly interesting.<div>


    Jiang Chun frowned, ¡°Did he really say that?¡±


    Zhou Xue nodded.


    Zou Dawei looked at Gu Tiantian, ¡°Master Gu, after all these twists and turns, you still can¡¯t make your story coherent. Is it possible that someone is deliberately framing our Jiade Group¡¯s reputation?¡±


    By this time, Gu Tiantian had regained herposure, ¡°Although it is impossible to determine the authenticity of the artifact from its source, it makes sense from Ms. Zhu¡¯s perspective. Everyone believes me, and I cannot disappoint their trust.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Mrs. Gu was the one who initially said that Master Gu is an industry leader and authority. Now when the Master has spoken, you don¡¯t believe it. Why do you get to have thest word?¡± Madam Shen sneered at Mrs. Gu.


    Mrs. Gu¡¯s face darkened, unable to find any way out of the situation. She never expected Gu Tiantian to side with Zhu Mingjing.


    Jiang Chun looked at Zou Dawei, ¡°Mr. Zou, tell me, what should we do about this situation?¡±


    Zou Dawei patted his chest and said, ¡°Madam Jiang, I guarantee that every auction item in our Jiade Group is authentic. I don¡¯t know why Master Gu would say this, but perhaps he was deceived by someone. After all, our Jiade Group has established many enemies in thepetitive market¡­.¡±

 Chapter 257: 123 Rainy Night (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 257: 123 Rainy Night (First Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Gutian¡¯s face turned red with anger, ¡°I, Gutian, have been in the industry for more than thirty years and enjoy a good reputation. If I have ever done something against my conscience, let me die a terrible death. On the other hand, your Jiade Group has been experiencing management chaos, and this kind of thing has happened more than once. Just that in the past, you were able to cover it up with money. This time, it was not so easy to settle because it happened to involve Ms. Zhu and Madam Jiang. I request Madam Jiang to investigate thoroughly and not give any opportunities to those trying to take advantage.¡±


    Zou Dawei pointed at Gutian¡¯s nose, ¡°Old man, shut up!¡±<div>


    ¡°Enough.¡± Jiang Chun coldly interrupted, with a nce at Zou Dawei, who subconsciously shrank his neck.


    ¡°Whether your Jiade Group is innocent or not, we will find out after the investigation. Go back and wait for the notice.¡±


    Zou Dawei¡¯s face immediately turned pale, and he wanted to say something more, but Jiang Chun had already left with her people.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing.¡± Zou Dawei shouted angrily.


    Mingjing paused, looked back at him, and asked, ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Zou?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made quite a scene tonight, youngdy. But do you know what price you¡¯ll have to pay for this?¡± Zou Dawei¡¯s eyes were gloomy and sinister, like a venomous snake.


    Mingjing smiled lightly, ¡°Is Mr. Zou threatening me?¡±


    ¡°Mingjing.¡± Shen Zhou walked over to Mingjing¡¯s side and red coldly at Zou Dawei.


    Shen Zhou? Zou Dawei¡¯s heart tightened. Who on earth was this Zhu Mingjing that both Jiang Chun and Shen Zhou valued her so much?


    ¡°Mr. Shen, the innocent will be cleared in the end. I believe the truth wille out one day. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Mingjing looked at Gutian, ¡°Master Gutian, you¡¯ve been through a lot tonight. I¡¯ll be the host one day, and I hope you¡¯ll honor me with your presence.¡±<div>


    Gutian said with a guilty conscience, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare refuse Ms. Zhu¡¯s invitation.¡±


    Madam Shen nced at Mrs. Gu, ¡°Madam Gu, did you enjoy the show?¡± Mrs. Gu red at Mingjing and left in a huff.


    Gu Qingshan looked deeply at Mingjing. Mrs. Gu turned back halfway to re at him: ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Gu Qingshan noticed Madam Shen and Shen Shaojian¡¯s suppressedughter, smiled awkwardly, and left quickly.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, it¡¯s toote tonight. I¡¯ll go back first, and we¡¯ll make an appointmentter.¡± Madam Shen hurried away with Shen Shaojian.


    Shen Shaojian nodded at Shen Zhou before leaving with Madam Shen.


    The tea room suddenly quieted down. Zou Dawei stood in ce for a while before his secretary walked over with a mobile phone, ¡°Mr. Zou, it¡¯s the president¡¯s call.¡±


    Zou Dawei¡¯s face changed, and he picked up the phone nervously, ¡°President¡­¡±


    ¡°This whole thing was stirred up by a girl named Zhu Mingjing. Both Madam Jiang and Shen Zhou seem to have an unusual attitude toward her, and even that old man Gutian was won over by her. Madam Jiang won¡¯t let it go so easily. Fortunately, Master Xiao denied it, or the consequences might have been even more serious.¡±


    Whatever was said on the other end, Zou Dawei¡¯s face gradually became grave, ¡°I understand. Please rest assured, President.¡±


    ¡°Jiade Group won¡¯t let this go easily. Those foreign enterprises are ruthless, so don¡¯t go out if it¡¯s not necessary.¡±<div>


    From the gate of the tea house to the gate, there was a distance of more than a hundred meters. The street lights cast shadows of the two that stretched far.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Shen Zhou nced at the girl beside him, raised an eyebrow as if thinking of something, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve also seen the genuine article?¡±


    Many people ignored a detail ¨C the reason why the counterfeit dared to circte was because the other party must be very confident that no one could identify it as a counterfeit, believing that nobody had ever seen the real thing. Gutian was an exception, since he was in this line of business. He was also a


    smart man, who wouldn¡¯t offend someone owning a Narcissus Basin. Tonight, he was forced to do what he did.


    But what about Mingjing? How could she know?


    There was a strong possibility that Ran Tengxiao was lying, and everyone knew why he lied.


    The real question was that Mingjing had no connection with Ran Tengxiao or Ran Bowen. When Ran Bowen died, Mingjing was just four years old and still Imocking wooden fish on Baitou Mountain.


    Mingjings silence seemed to answer something, yet it seemed to answer nothing at all.


    She was a nun and never lied or wanted to deceive him.


    However, many things were inexplicable.<div>


    Suddenly, the rain came without warning. Shen Ke shouted urgently, ¡°How did it suddenly start raining? Quick, get in the car.¡±


    The car was parked at the gate, and the two were still more than fifty meters away from the gate..

 Chapter 258: 123 Rainy Night (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 258: 123 Rainy Night (First Watch)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing strolled leisurely, showing no signs of hurry, despite the heavy rain.


    Shen Zhou nced at her and chuckled, ¡°We¡¯re already soaked. Running won¡¯t help; it will only make us look more pathetic. A walk in the rain can actually be quite picturesque.¡±<div>


    In the blink of an eye, both of them were drenched, but there was no hint of difort. They looked at each other in the rain and shared a smile.


    Watching them, Shen Ke couldn¡¯t help but think that they¡¯d gone mad.


    ¡°Only when the heart is burdened by rain do we need an umbre,¡± Ming Jing spoke lightly. Rainwater sshed onto her white, damp clothing, making her slender silhouette seem particrly isted in the dark curtain of rain¡ªa reticent saint.


    Shen Ke was taken aback, ¡°Lesson learned, Master.¡± He gave up running, having already soaked himself. Running or not made no difference now.


    His mood rxed, creating a unique atmosphere, even making the somber night seem charming.


    Du Ze came running with an umbre, and was surprised to see Ming Jing strolling casually in the rain.


    The next second, he held the umbre over Ming Jing¡¯s head.


    Ming Jing and Shen Zhou said their goodbyes, and she got into the car and left.


    Shen Zhou watched as the car quickly became a white speck in the curtain of rain, then turned to Shen Ke and said, ¡°Investigate any secret dealings between the Jiade Group and Ran Tengxiao.¡±


    Du Ze turned the heater up to the highest setting and handed a clean towel to Ming Jing.


    ¡°Miss, try to dry yourself off to avoid catching a cold,¡± he said.<div>


    Ming Jing took the towel, dabbed at the droplets of water on her wig. She was already soaked through; drying off no longer made a difference.


    As the car passed the front za of the stadium, it waspletely deserted. The rain washed the litter strewn on the ground.


    Ming Jing paused, pulled out her phone, and saw a bunch of missed calls and WeChat messages.


    Ming Ti, Ming Chen, Zhou Bao, and Lin Qing all had called her, and Tao Xingxing had sent her five videos of the concert.


    Ming Jing opened thest video from Tao Xingxing. A clean voice of a boy came from the loudspeakers, transcending the expected screams.


    ¡°Like a mirror reflecting Emei¡¯s misty top, full view of green mountains takes brightness back¡­¡¯


    The boy¡¯s gentle voicebined with the beautifulposition of the song touched something in your heart without even realizing it.


    ¡°Trees on mountains have branches, who else in the world can match in white clothes¡­


    In the winding interpretation by the boy, it was as if many hidden stories were secretly stored.


    Outside the car window, the rain blurred the night and pattered against the window. asionally, a few pedestrians without umbres scrambled along the roadside.


    The boy¡¯s gentle singing quietly resonated within the car, apanied by the pouring rain outside, adding a bit of romantic tenderness to the night.<div>


    On the phone screen, from Tao Xingxing¡¯s view from the audience, the boy on stage was a blurred silhouette over the crowd.


    Ming Jing could nearly imagine the intoxicating sentiment visible on the handsome face of the boy as he sang and yed.


    Ming Jing clicked on the first video. Piercing screams red out, startling Du Ze, who was gripping his steering wheel. He nced back at the rearview mirror instinctively.


    He had forgotten that Qu Feitai¡¯s concert in Jiangzhou was tonight.


    He never thought the usually calm and reticent miss would be interested in concerts.


    Ming Jing turned down the volume and watched each video very seriously.


    From the first to the fifth video. Ming Jing had to admit that this boy, Qu Feitai, was incredibly charismatic on stage, which is why so many people loved him without hesitation.


    The rain continued pouring relentlessly, as if a hole in the heavens was bucketing down.


    A ck Toyota sped through the heavy rain, sshing droplets everywhere.


    With his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road, the boy watched the windshield wipers move left and right. But the rain fell too fast for them to keep up. The new onught of the rainstorm made it difficult to see the road ahead.


    Qu Feitai had to stay highly alert to drive normally. Luckily, due to the heavy rain, the road was mostly clear.<div>


    She didn¡¯te¡­


    An unexpected blur caught Qu Feitai¡¯s eye. Startled, he stepped on the gas and sped up.


    With a loud bang, he rear-ended the car in front of him.


    It happened at a traffic light intersection, and there were only these two cars around.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s head was spinning, but he quicklyposed himself and dialed Huang Chao¡¯s number first.


    Hearing Qu Feitai had caused a rear-end collision, Huang Chao shrieked so loudly over the phone it was like ughtering a pig.


    ¡°My dear God, can you cause me less trouble? Rear-end collision? Why don¡¯t you chase the sun while you¡¯re at it? Look at the mess you¡¯ve made.¡±


    Huang Chao hopped up and quickly instructed, ¡°Stay put, don¡¯t leave the car, and don¡¯t let anyone see your face or recognize your identity. Otherwise, you will be on the legal headlines tomorrow. Whether it¡¯s your fault or not, those unscrupulous reporters will tear you apart, and even the most capable PR team in thepany will have a hard time quelling such a scandal¡­¡±


    At this point, the rain seemed to have lessened slightly. Qu Feitai saw a man with an umbre approaching him and tapping on the driver¡¯s side window. Qu Feitai put on his mask, pulled down his hat brim, and rolled down the window.


    ¡°Sir, you rear-ended us. It¡¯s entirely your fault,¡± the man said.


    Qu Feitai nodded, with a low voice, ¡°I know.¡±


    He handed the man a piece of paper, ¡°I have a pressing matter to attend to. This is my phone number. Contact me about anything. I will take full responsibility.¡±


    The man took the note, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Our Miss doesn¡¯t need your money, but your driving was reckless in the heavy rain, posing danger to both yourself and others. Our Miss is generous enough to let this go just this once. Don¡¯t let it happen again. You¡¯re endangering lives and ruing karma.¡±


    Qu Feitai was stunned. He suddenly looked up at the young man standing under the umbre outside the car. He felt the voice was familiar.


    Qu Feitai started the car and suddenly backed up.


    Du Ze paused, almostughing. Good job, our Miss was kind enough to let you off the hook and you didn¡¯t even thank her and tried to sneak away.


    Qu Feitai halted the car, rolled up his sleeve to wipe the windshield, and was finally able to see the model and license te of the other car.


    His heart skipped a beat.


    Du Ze saw the stranger suddenly open the door and, wearing mysterious attire of all ck with a duckbill cap and a mask, braved the rain and walked towards the rear car door as if to open it.


    Du Ze was rmed and rushed over, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 259: 124 Approval (Second Revision)

    Chapter 259: 124 Approval (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Hey¡­ Xiao Fei, speak up, where are you now? The rain is too loud, I can¡¯t hear what you¡¯re saying!¡± Huang Chao roared into his cell phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, hanging up now.¡± Qu Feitai hung up the phone directly.<div>


    Du Ze stood in front of the car door, looking at him cautiously: ¡°What on earth do you want to do? I warn you, I¡¯ve already called the police.¡±


    Qu Feitai took off his mask, revealing his handsome face.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Du Ze¡¯s first reaction was that he was so handsome!


    His second reaction was that he looked familiar.


    Qu Feitai!


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Du Ze frowned, examining him. How could the celebrity who just finished his concert appear on a rainy night in the street?


    And they had a rear-end collision with him.


    What kind of fate was this.


    The car window rolled down, and the girl¡¯s beautiful face was faintly visible in the dim car. ¡°Qu Feitai?¡±


    Qu Feitai never thought that his name being spoken from her mouth could sound so enchantingly beautiful.<div>


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ming Jing frowned and gave him a nce.


    Qu Feitai coughed: ¡°I was driving back to the hotel, maybe I was too tired, and I rear-ended you when I lost focus just now. I didn¡¯t expect it to be your car. Are you alright?¡±


    Du Ze held the umbre over Qu Feitai¡¯s head, thinking that a celebrity like him would always have assistants and bodyguards around, so there was no need for him to drive himself.


    Ming Jing said indifferently: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She paused for a moment and added: ¡°Be more careful when driving next time.¡±


    A big smile appeared on Qu Feitai¡¯s face, his eyebrows raised, and his eyes shining. He looked incredibly handsome.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t hold you responsible for today¡¯s incident. Go back to your hotel quickly and get a medical check-up when you have time.¡±


    As she finished speaking, she nced at Du Ze. Du Ze understood, handed the umbre to Qu Feitai, and prepared to leave.


    Suddenly, Qu Feitai covered his head with one hand, his face turned pale, and his other hand tightly gripped the window frame.


    Du Ze was startled: ¡°Mr. Qu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai¡¯s body swayed, and he said weakly: ¡°No¡­ nothing, I might have hit my head just now, and I feel a bit dizzy suddenly. You guys go back, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Du Ze was speechless. He knew that their youngdy was very kind-hearted, and she couldn¡¯t just leave someone in distress.


    Qu Feitai nced at Ming Jing in the car. The beautiful girl¡¯s side profile was enchantingly beautiful in the dim car light. Her thick, long eyshes seemed like a small fan, fluttering in his empty heart. Ming Jing said with a straight face: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She actually intended to leave him to his fate.


    Du Ze looked at Qu Feitai and didn¡¯t say anything. He walked around to the driver¡¯s seat, opened the car door, and got in.


    Qu Feitai was stunned, his thin lips tightly pressed together, staring at the immovable girl in the car.


    Ming Jing never looked at him again after she turned her head, not until the car disappeared in the heavy rain.


    The rain was getting heavier and heavier, pouring down like a deluge.


    Qu Feitai threw away the umbre and stood in the pouring rain, feeling as if there was a big hole in his heart that the howling wind was blowing through.


    After an unknown amount of time, a car stopped beside him.


    The window rolled down halfway,<div>


    ¡°Get in.¡±


    The rain blurred the girl¡¯s cold voice, but it seemed like a clear spring suddenly pouring into Qu Feitai¡¯s drought-stricken heart.


    He suddenly looked up, his eyes full of wild joy. The brightest star in the night sky was no match for the brilliance of his eyes at that moment.


    Qu Feitai quickly opened the car door and sat in, putting his hands obediently on his knees.


    The heating in the car was on full st, making it feel as warm as springpared to the torrential rain outside.


    ¡°Achoo¡­ Achoo.¡± Qu Feitai suddenly sneezed twice in a row. He covered his mouth and nose, looking a bit embarrassed as he nced at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing threw a towel at him: ¡°Wipe yourself off. ¡°Qu Feitai pinched the soft towel, which mirrored his current feelings,pletely soft and vulnerable.


    As he picked up the towel to dry his hair, he seemed to smell a faint, lingering fragrance on it.


    A light, cold and mysterious fragrance.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s heart wavered, and his inner joy took over.


    This was a towel she had used.


    This scent was more enchanting than any expensive, high-end perfume he had ever smelled. Unconsciously, he felt a bit lost in thought, his mind growing heavier.


    His towel-drying movements were slower than a tortoise¡¯s. While drying his hair, he asked, ¡°Did you¡­ note to my concert tonight?¡±


    Although he already knew the answer, he still wanted to hear her say it out loud.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes dimmed, feeling a bit disheartened. Yes, who was he to her? Maybe not even a friend. She had no reason to exin to him.


    ¡°Which hotel are you staying at? I¡¯ll take you back,¡± Ming Jing said indifferently.


    ¡°Jiangzhou Hotel.¡±


    Du Ze said, ¡°Miss, the road ahead has copsed and is closed to traffic. The rain is getting heavier. I think it¡¯s better for us to find a ce to take shelter first.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked out the window, hoping the rain wouldst a bit longer so he could spend more time with her.


    Ming Jing frowned and took out her mobile phone to check the map, looking for a ce nearby.


    ¡°Go to Tonghe Shengshi.¡±


    ording to the map, turning right at the next intersection would lead to Tonghe Shengshi Residence, a real estate project by Zhu Group. Lin Qing had given her a property in this residential area.


    The car entered the underground garage of theplex. The rain disappeared, and the world suddenly became quiet.


    The spare key was hidden in the electrical box by the entrance.


    When Du Ze opened the door, he finally realized how extravagant the rich could be.


    This was a top-floor duplex mansion spanning an area of 250 square meters. It had four bedrooms and two living rooms, with a huge floor-to-ceiling window in the living room overlooking the night view of the city from the 32nd floor. The house was fully furnished, with all the necessary appliances avable, and a cleaningdy woulde to clean it every week. As such, although it had never been lived in, it appeared spotlessly clean.


    After inspecting everything, Du Ze stepped out and said, ¡°There¡¯s hot water, and there are towels in each bedroom. Miss and Mr. Qu, please take a hot bath first. I¡¯ll go to the convenience store in themunity to buy some daily necessities.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded and pointed to a guest room downstairs. She said to Qu Feitai, ¡®You can stay here for tonight. The conditions are a bit tough, but please bear with it.¡±


    Qu Feitai immediately grinned and said, ¡°Thank you for letting me stay, miss.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him and turned to head upstairs.


    Du Ze asked, ¡°Mr. Qu, do you need me to buy anything for you?¡±


    Qu Feitai thought for a moment, ¡°Buy some ginger and rock sugar.¡±


    After Du Ze left, the room becamepletely quiet. The sound instion was excellent, so the sound of the rain outside couldn¡¯t be heard.


    Qu Feitai nced in the direction of the second floor, humming a song as he entered the bedroom.


    The heavy rain tonight did not dampen the enthusiasm ofizens. Online, Qu Feitai¡¯s name hadpletely exploded on the inte.


    Just on the trending list alone, nearly half of the topics were rted to him. Even being limited in exposure couldn¡¯t suppress Qu Feitai¡¯s terrifying poprity and influence.


    Tonight, whatizens discussed the most was not his stage makeup or his incredible singing and dancing, but his new song.


    This song had not been released to the public, but with just a live version, it had soared to the top of various music charts within half an hour. The number ofments and listens repeatedly broke historical records, and the song dominated the trending list. Netizens discussed more about what this song represented.


    At the same time, various music critics, in addition to their routine analysis of the song¡¯s breakthrough in creativity and contribution to the music world, also added ament: From Qu Feitai¡¯s past style, this song can be considered a substantial breakthrough. Qu Feitai is a creative genius in the realm of singers. Such singers generally have strong technical skills butck emotions. Qu Feitai managed topensate for this with his outstanding appearance, natural voice, and creative talent. Everyone can listen to his previous songs and notice the difference from this one. After listening to this song several times, I won¡¯t discuss the lyrics yet, but just focus on his voice; everyone can listen carefully to the emotions contained in Qu Feitai¡¯s voice. I¡¯m not sure what meaning it represents, and I won¡¯t make wild guesses. All I know is that Qu Feitai has now made up for his shorings, bing a true singer.


    This music critic was known for his sharpments and had never spoken kindly of Qu Feitai before. Now, he praised Qu Feitai as a ¡°true singer.¡± These five words weighed a lot, more than most singers could bear. Because of Qu Feitai¡¯s idol-like demeanor, he had never been recognized by the mainstream..


    Even though he had won numerous awards, it was not until tonight, with

 Chapter 260: 125 Ambition (First Update)

    Chapter 260: 125 Ambition (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The rain outside the window poured down, apanied by shes of lightning and thunder.


    Ming Chen shuddered a little and instinctively grabbed Ming Ti¡¯s hand.<div>


    Ming Ti didn¡¯t bother to tease her for being timid at this moment and gently patted her back.


    ¡°You just said that the song was written for Ming Jing? How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Are you silly? Look at the lyrics, ¡®Eyebrow like a cloud, a mirror in between, andscape of green hills fills the view.¡¯ The second-tost character of each line spells out Ming Jing¡¯s name. And only Ming Jing always wears white clothes. No one looks better in white clothes than her. The lyrics seemed weird to me when I first heard them. Then I dreamt of Ming Jing just now, and suddenly I thought of this song, isn¡¯t it tailor-made for her?¡±


    Ming Ti nced at her, ¡°It might just be a coincidence. How could Ming Jing know a big celebrity? Ming Jing didn¡¯t even go to the concert tonight, which was a waste, letting Zhu Xiangxiang take the advantage.¡±


    ¡°So where do you think Ming Jing got the concert tickets from? Our seats weren¡¯t for ordinary audiences.¡±


    Ming Ti fell silent.


    ¡°That big star is so handsome and talented. If he could be with Ming Jing, that would be great.¡± Ming Chen said with a face full of excitement for the couple.


    Ming Ti pped her back and said coldly with a frown, ¡°What are you crazy about? Is that man worthy of Ming Jing? Don¡¯t mention it again, or Ming Jing might beat you up if she finds out.¡±


    Ming Chen snorted, ¡°As long as Ming Jing thinks he¡¯s good enough for her.


    Anyway, we¡¯ve already returned to secr life and can freely date.¡±


    Ming Ti sighed and shook her head, ¡°With your naive and sweet appearance, what will you do if you get cheated by men in the future?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai had taken a hot shower and walked out with a towel around his waist. The bathroom had a washer and dryerbo, so his clothes were dry after the shower.


    The outfit was the ck one-piece jumpsuit he wore during the ¡°White Clothes¡± performance, entuating his broad shoulders, slender waist, and long legs ¨C even a supermodel couldn¡¯tpete with this golden ratio figure.


    Qu Feitai adjusted his hair in front of the mirror, allowing it to hang down naturally. The fierceness of his eyebrows faded, leaving his boyish charm and gentleness.


    ¡°Mr. Qu, I bought the things you asked for.¡± Du Ze¡¯s voice came from outside the door.


    Qu Feitai opened the door, and Du Ze felt the overhead light dimmed for a moment.


    No wonder so many fans like him, his youthful appearance is exceptionally outstanding.


    Despite being a big star known for his cold and reserved demeanor, Qu Feitai looked even more approachable with his soft hair hanging down and his ck eyes shining brightly, reminiscent of the gentle gaze of a Labrador Retriever, which made people want to touch his head.


    The rm bells in Du Ze¡¯s mind went off, and he quickly suppressed his terrifying thought.


    Qu Feitai thanked him, took the items, and headed to the kitchen. Du Ze followed him and asked, ¡°Mr. Qu, do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°You go take a shower. I can handle it myself.¡±


    The tall and slender young man¡¯s action of washing the ginger was especially meticulous, and the soft light from the kitchen¡¯smp cast a halo on him. Even offstage, the radiant big star knew how to live life attentively.<div>


    The kitchen only had a t-bottomed wok that probably came with the integrated stove and no cutting board or knife. Qu Feitai washed the wok several times before boiling water in it.


    Once certain there were no issues, Du Ze left to take his shower.


    After Ming Jing had taken a shower, her phone had run out of battery and turned off.


    Just as she was getting ready for bed, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°I made ginger soup for you. Drink it before you sleep, or else you might catch a cold after being in the rain.¡± The young man¡¯s clear voice was faintly audible from outside the door.


    ¡°Thank you, leave it at the door.¡± The calm voice of the girl came from inside.


    Qu Feitai put the ginger soup by the doorway and then turned to go downstairs.


    A minuteter, the door cracked open, and a slender pale arm reached out from inside, bringing the bowl in.


    Qu Feitai then went downstairs with a satisfied heart.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    The ginger soup was just the right temperature, bitter and spicy at first but unexpectedly sweet in the end.<div>


    There was a piece of rock candy at the bottom which melted as soon as it touched the tongue, quickly diluting the astringency of the ginger soup, leaving only the lingering sweetness on the lips and teeth.


    Ming Jing looked at the empty bowl and softly said, ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Many people couldn¡¯t sleep that night.


    Huang Chao was one of them.


    This was the most anxious night of his life ¨C the artist he had high hopes for went out in the heavy rain at night, then got into a car ident while on the phone with him. After that, there was no news from the artist, and the phone was off..

 Chapter 261: 125 Ambition (Update 1) 2

    Chapter 261: 125 Ambition (Update 1) 2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Huang Chao was on the brink of insanity.


    While monitoring online public opinions, he was frantically searching everywhere for him.<div>


    Despite the traffic ident and potential damage to reputation, the most important thing was to ensure his safety. Otherwise, following the incidents of Zheng Qing and Liang Yanran, the entertainment circle was about to face another major scandal.


    Out of desperation, all Huang Chao could do was call the police. Nothing else mattered now; Qu Feitai¡¯s safety was the utmost priority.


    At one in the morning, the police department responded. They had found his car at an intersection; it appeared to have rear-ended another vehicle. Strangely, the scene only had an empty car; Qu Feitai had vanished. The intersection¡¯s surveince was out due to a power outage triggered by the heavy rain, hindering the police from tracking Qu Feitai¡¯s whereabouts through the footage.


    The news chilled Huang Chao to the core.


    He had heard about the formidable powers in Jiangzhou. He couldn¡¯t possibly have been kidnapped, could he?


    Ridden with panic and not knowing anyone else in Jiangzhou, Huang Chao had no other choice but to call Manager Zhang.


    Upon hearing that Qu Feitai had disappeared after a car ident, Zhang Fushan was taken aback. He ended the call and hurriedly dialed another number.


    ¡°Hello, is this the secretary of Young Master Qu? This is Zhang Fushan, the CEO of the recordpany signed with Young Master Qu. You¡¯ve been in touch with me before, remember?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you, what¡¯s so urgent that you call in the middle of the night?¡± The person on the other end must have been woken up from their sleep, and their tone was filled with evident annoyance.


    Zhang Fushan quickly said, ¡°There is terrible news. Young Master Qu is in trouble.¡±


    The voice on the other end rose radically, ¡°What?¡±<div>


    Zhang Fushan stuttered, ¡°It happened like this. Young Master Qu held a concert in Jiangzhou tonight. After the concert ended, it was raining heavily. He drove off alone, andter on, he called his manager and said that he had rear-ended a car, then hung up. The manager tried to call back but his phone was turned off. The police were called, and they found the damaged car, but Young Master Qu himself was nowhere to be found. The surveince at the intersection was also broken due to the heavy rain. Considering Young Master Qu¡¯s safety, I felt it necessary to inform you.¡±


    The person on the other end said in a deep voice, ¡°I understand,¡± and then they hung up the phone.


    Zhang Fushan pursed his lips displeasedly. Anyway, he had passed on the message. If Qu Feitai ended up in any trouble, it wouldn¡¯t be his problem.


    With sleep now a distant thought, the secretary promptly called the first contact on his list. Considering the gravity of Young Master Qu¡¯s safety, if Eldest Young Master Qu found out that he had withheld information, he was in for serious consequences.


    Sure enough, upon hearing the news of Qu Feitai¡¯s car ident and subsequent disappearance, the contact immediately instructed him to liaise with the


    Jiangzhou Police Department. They had to locate Qu Feitai as soon as possible. Given Qu Feitai¡¯s influence, they ought to keep the information confidential and have the police proceed discreetly with the investigation. Should his identity leak, it would only add to the alreadyplicated situation.


    At the same time, a sleeping Jiang Chun received a phone call.


    After hanging up, Jiang Chun rushed out of her bed, throwing on a robe.


    The Young Master of the Qus ¡ª the very star who had held a concert in


    Jiangzhou that night ¡ª Qu Feitai, had gone missing after a car ident.


    Regardless of which aspect you looked at it from, this was no minor affair.<div>


    Jiangzhou was not under the Qus¡¯ dominion. As the saying goes, even a dragon would not overpower a local serpent. If Qu Feitai had provoked some unknown force, the Qus, despite their power, would be helpless at such a distance.


    Eldest Young Master of the Qus had approached her regarding this matter, and she felt responsible for getting involved.


    Jiang Chun quickly made a few phone calls, clearly exining the situation, and then waited quietly for the results.


    At the same time, the lights were brightly lit at the Rans¡¯ Mansion.


    Lin Feng rushed into the living room, ¡°Master Xiao, we¡¯ve looked into it. It¡¯s all that girl from the Zhu family who stirred things up.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she has a good rtionship with Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang invited her over to evaluate a piece of jewelry, and she immediately asserted it was a fake in front of everyone. Both Madam Shen and Mrs. Gu were present.¡±


    ¡°She figured it out at a nce? Does she have a golden eye?¡± Ran Tengxiao sniffed disdainfully.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Jiang Chun setting up this scheme, there must be something


    off about this Zhu Mingjing.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes, ¡°After what happened with Ahn Jihyunst time, Jiang Chun finally couldn¡¯t hold back.¡±<div>


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Lin Feng frowned, ¡°No one knew the genuine article was with Master Wen, Jiang Chun should not have known it in advance.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sneered, ¡°Then the problem lies with Zhu Mingjing. Something is always fishy about this girl. Since she returned to Jiangzhou, in these mere three months, she¡¯s done things that seem to be without pattern. At times, it appears like she is paving the way for herself. This girl is quite ambitious..¡±

 Chapter 262: 125 Ambition (Update 1) _3

    Chapter 262: 125 Ambition (Update 1) _3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    He never believed that there were real saints in this world, no matter how good she was at pretending.


    ¡°How many good things are hidden in Master Wen¡¯s secret chamber?¡± Ran Tengxiao nced at Lin Feng.<div>


    Lin Feng lowered his head: ¡°After Master Wen¡¯s death, my uncle learned of the existence of the secret chamber from Ji Chang. Unfortunately, it has a self-destruction device. If the password is entered incorrectly three times, the entire chamber and the Rans¡¯ Mansion will be destroyed. So far, no one has been able to open it.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao touched his chin: ¡°That¡¯s interesting, Master Wen is quite a character.¡±


    ¡°Greed will only lead to one¡¯s doom. If only you had understood this earlier, Master Wen, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up dying without aplete corpse.¡± ¡°And how should we respond to the Jiade Group?¡±


    ¡°My father is ignorant, my aunt is in her twilight years, so this mess naturally falls onto me.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao smiled with a hint of coldness in his eyes.


    ¡°Abandon it if it should be abandoned.¡¯


    ¡°It seems I need to find an opportunity to meet this Ms. Zhu. I have a feeling that she possesses some information that might interest me.¡±


    While the world was looking for Qu Feitai, the man himself was sleeping soundly.


    He slept until seven in the morning, with rain still falling outside, and then Qu Feitai stepped out looking refreshed.


    Du Ze brought back breakfast and set it on the table.


    ¡°Mr. Qu, please have breakfast first. I¡¯ll go upstairs and call Miss.¡± Qu Feitai strode upstairs: ¡°I¡¯ll call her.¡±<div>


    Just as Qu Feitai was about to knock, the door opened from inside.


    Ming Jing calmly walked past him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qu Feitai followed her: ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still raining today, if there¡¯s nothing urgent, it¡¯s better not to go out.¡±


    Ming Jing paused and looked at him.


    Qu Feitai touched his nose: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ming Jing turned back and walked downstairs, saying faintly: ¡°After breakfast, I¡¯ll have my assistant take you back.¡±


    Qu Feitai responded with an ¡°oh,¡± his gaze downcast in disappointment.


    He followed Ming Jing, watching her white skirt sweep the steps like a blooming lily, swaying and making his heart feel tender.


    The breakfast was soy milk, fried dough sticks, and buns. Du Ze apologized:


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the simple conditions, Mr. Qu. Please bear with it.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai sat across from Ming Jing and said: ¡°I¡¯m not picky, as long as I¡¯m full.¡±


    Ming Jing was very quiet while eating, not saying a word. She sipped the soy milk, ate the buns slowly and gracefully. Qu Feitai had never known that someone could eat buns so elegantly.


    Some people seem to have a magical power. She just sat there quietly, and her every frown, smile, and movement were enough to attract attention, making it impossible to look away.


    After breakfast, the three of them went to the underground garage by elevator. Qu Feitai still wore a hat and mask to cover his face. He was tall and long-legged, and walked quickly, while Ming Jing always walked slowly and at a steady pace. So Qu Feitai could only slow down to maintain the same level with her.


    The garage was dark, and Ming Jing¡¯s footsteps were silent. Qu Feitai cleared his throat, and the voice-activated lights flickered on.


    Du Ze went ahead to start the car. At this moment, only Ming Jing and Qu Feitai were left in the huge garage. The world seemed so quiet that only their breaths could be heard.


    ¡°Ming Jing,¡± the young man¡¯s deep voice fell into her ears like a thick fragrant wine.


    Ming Jing thought it was no wonder that he made a living with his voice.


    ¡°After the concert is recorded, I¡¯ll give you a copy. You must watch it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    A hint of joy mixed in the young man¡¯s clear voice: ¡°Will you really watch it?¡±<div>


    In the cool and dim underground garage, a gust of wind blew from nowhere, lifting Ming Jing¡¯s skirt as if it wanted to ride on the wind and return home.


    Qu Feitai panicked and subconsciously grabbed her arm.


    She appeared indifferent and aloof, as if nothing in the world could capture her attention. Qu Feitai was genuinely afraid that she would ascend to immortality in the next moment.


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze fell on the hand holding her arm.


    The young man had arge palm, elongated finger bones, and clean round nails. His skin was darker than her arm, which made Ming Jing¡¯s fairplexion even more prominent.


    Realizing he had crossed a line, Qu Feitai quickly let go of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    Her skin was too white and tender; the ce he had grabbed immediately turned red.


    That hand, which Qu Feitai hid behind his back, felt hot.


    The soft touch of flesh lingered in his mind, enmeshing and softening his heart.


    Ming Jing stared at the ce where he had grabbed her and lowered her eyes, lost in thought.


    Just then, bright headlights shed behind Ming Jing, and a sedan approached them quickly. The person seemed to have just noticed them and yelled for them to get out of the way.


    At the critical moment, Qu Feitai wrapped one arm around Ming Jing¡¯s waist and rolled with her on the ground. As theynded, he flipped his body so his back hit the ground, and Ming Jing was on top of him.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Qu Feitai grunted and tightened his grip on Ming Jing¡¯s waist.


    Facing each other closely, Qu Feitai gazed deeply into her eyes.


    This was the first time he had looked closely into her eyes. They were beautiful apricot eyes,rge and bright, with jet-ck pupils that seemed to hide countless stories, only to return to serenity in the blink of an eye, like a clearke whose surface remains calm no matter how turbulent it gets beneath.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­ I.¡± He opened his mouth, trying to say something.


    The next moment, Ming Jing stood up, brushed off her skirt, and looked at him with lowered eyes: ¡°Where are you hurt?¡±


    Her calm eyes were like a bucket of cold water pouring over him, extinguishing Qu Feitai¡¯s passion in an instant.


    Struggling to get up, Qu Feitai whispered: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at his elbow and said nothing.


    The car brushed past the two of them and disappeared, probably fearing responsibility and wanting to flee the scene while they were still recovering.


    At this moment, Du Ze¡¯s car stopped in front of them, and Ming Jing picked up a small box from the trunk and got into the back seat.


    Qu Feitai watched her open the box to reveal a first aid kit with disinfectant inside.


    Ming Jing took a cotton swab and dipped it in iodine, then looked up at him:


    ¡°Stretch your arm..¡±

 Chapter 263: 126 Big Brother (Second Update)

    Chapter 263: 126 Big Brother (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qu Feitai was stunned, she actually noticed that he was injured.


    He was ecstatic inside, so she knew everything.<div>


    Qu Feitai stretched his injured elbow in front of Ming Jing, the skin was scraped off, oozing blood.


    Ming Jing took a cotton swab and carefully cleaned the wound.


    Qu Feitai looked down at the face close at hand, her thick, long eyshes gently falling on her eyelids, there was a unique calm beauty.


    Ming Jing put on a band-aid and said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch water for three days. ¡±


    At this moment, the car suddenly braked, Ming Jing and Qu Feitai were propelled forward by the inertia, and Qu Feitai grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s arm, subconsciously wanting to pull her into his arms.


    The arm that Ming Jing was grabbed by gently twisted, Qu Feitai felt a numbness in his arm and automatically let go.


    Ming Jing never looked at him from start to finish. After sitting firmly, she reached out and gently brushed the hem of her dress.


    Just out of the residential area, two police cars rushed out and forced Ming Jing¡¯s car to stop. Du Ze stepped on the brakes urgently.


    Then several uniformed police officers quickly got out of the police cars.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, get out and ask what¡¯s going on.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s calm voice made Du Ze quickly calm down and got out of the car.


    ¡°Officers, what happened?¡±<div>


    One of the police officers had a familiar face, and when he saw Du Ze, he hesitated, ¡°Is Ms. Zhu in there?¡±


    ¡°Officer Xu, what happened?¡± Du Ze was puzzled. Such a big scene, others would think they were wanted criminals if they didn¡¯t know.


    There was a drizzle in the sky, fine and soft.


    Xu Huan coughed lightly, ¡°Did Qu Feitai rear-end your carst night?¡±


    He said he checked the surveince and found the Tonghe Shengshi Residence, locked on the white BMW car, and at the time, he felt that the car looked familiar. However, there were more than one white BMW on the roads in Jiangzhou, so he didn¡¯t think of Ms. Zhu and didn¡¯t expect it to be her.


    This was such a coincidence.


    Du Ze nodded, ¡°I remember I didn¡¯t call the police.¡±


    Xu Huan sighed, ¡°That¡¯s right, Qu Feitai¡¯s agent couldn¡¯t reach him by phone and called the police instead. We found Qu Feitai¡¯s car at the scene of the ident, but he disappeared. Afraid that something might have happened to him, his family mobilized the entire Jiangzhou police force to look for him. They locked onto your car through surveince when it was about to dawn and caught up with you as you were leaving.¡±


    The entire Jiangzhou police force was looking for him? Du Ze was shocked and thought that Qu Feitai¡¯s identity must be extraordinary.


    Du Ze said, ¡°It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Qu Feitai is fine, it rained heavilyst night, and he left with us to take shelter from the rain and stayed at Ms. Zhu¡¯s house for the night. As for why they couldn¡¯t contact him, his phone ran out of battery and turned off.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded, told his colleagues to go back, ¡°No problem, we found the person, let¡¯s report back to the director.¡±<div>


    ¡°Remind Mr. Qu, get in touch with his family immediately.¡± Xu Huan reminded before leaving.


    Two police cars came and went with sirens ring.


    Du Ze got back in the car and told Qu Feitai everything that had happened, ¡°Mr. Qu, you disappeared for an entire night, and the entire Jiangzhou police force was looking for you all night. Quickly call your family and agent.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at his already turned off phone and sighed, ¡°Take me back to the hotel. ¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t speak all the way, and Qu Feitai tried to speak several times but stopped short. Soon they arrived at the entrance of the hotel.


    Qu Feitai turned his head and looked at her, ¡°Do you remember the two meals you owe me?¡±


    Ming Jing was taken aback and nodded.


    Qu Feitai shook his phone, ¡°Wait for my message.¡±


    Without waiting for Ming Jing¡¯s reply, he jumped out of the car and went straight into the hotel lobby without looking back.


    ¡°Miss, Mr. Qu¡¯s identity must be extraordinary. ording to Officer Xu, after he disappearedst night, his family contacted the Jiangzhou Police Department and mobilized all the police forces to search for him. Ordinary people can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Ming Jing withdrew her gaze and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±<div>


    Du Ze didn¡¯t say anything more and drove back to the Zhu¡¯s.¡±My ancestor, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Huang Chao saw Qu Feitai stride in and ran over happily, tears in his eyes, and punched him hard.


    ¡°Goddammit, why didn¡¯t you tell me clearly on the phone? I was worried to death and didn¡¯t sleep all night. Look at my dark circles.¡± Huang Chao¡¯s tone was full of resentment.


    Qu Feitai first charged his phone and turned it on, sure enough, he saw countless missed calls and WeChat messages.


    There were messages from Song Yinzhang, Huang Chao, his big brother¡­


    Qu Feitai pursed his lips, and almost as soon as he put down his phone, his big brother called him.


    The phone kept ringing, but Qu Feitai didn¡¯t answer. Huang Chao leaned over to take a look: ¡°It¡¯s your big brother¡¯s call, why don¡¯t you pick it up?


    So this guy had a big brother too, not the orphan Huang Chao thought he was.


    Qu Feitai looked at the doorway and then at Huang Chao, who immediately understood: ¡°I¡¯m leaving, I¡¯m leaving, is that okay? Where can you find an artist who dislikes their agent like this? You rest first, we¡¯ll settle ounts regarding what happenedst nightter.¡± He babbled and left.


    The ringing stopped and continued again, as if Qu Feitai didn¡¯t answer, the other party would call forever.


    Qu Feitai took a deep breath and answered.


    ¡°Xiao Fei.¡± The man¡¯s calm voice was mixed with deep helplessness and relief.


    ¡°You had a car identst night? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead.¡± Qu Feitai said coldly.


    ¡°Xiao Fei,e back. Grandpa and Mengmeng miss you a lot.¡±


    Qu Feitai pursed his lips tightly, ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    The voice of the man¡¯s helplessness came from the phone: ¡°Listen to your big brother; Jiangzhou is not a ce for a long stay. I¡¯ve sent someone to pick you up,e home soon.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s fingers tightly gripped the phone, veins exposed on the back of his hand.


    His dark eyes were like rolling fog, revealing a deep, icy contempt. ¡°No need. Take care of yourself.¡± He hung up the phone and threw it onto the bed.


    Meanwhile, a military-green off-road vehicle stopped in front of the hotel entrance. A young man in casual clothes stepped out of the car. He had dark skin, a regr face, a neat stance, straight shoulders, and powerful muscles exposed from his clothes.


    Another police car stopped behind the off-road vehicle, and a middle-aged man stepped out of the car, looking sincere and terrified: ¡°Mr. Yun, I¡¯ll apany you upstairs.¡±


    If anyone saw this scene, they would be very surprised. The middle-aged man was none other than Xie Hong, the top police officer in Jiangzhou, and at this moment, he was bending his spine in front of a much younger man.


    It had just rained, the sky had cleared up, and the weather was cool, but Xie Hong was sweating profusely.


    This Mr. Yun from Jingdu was Qu Feitai¡¯s man, and not to be offended.


    ording to rumors, Qu Feitai had disappearedst night in Yangzhou and when a call came from Jingdu, the whole city¡¯s police force was deployed. Fortunately, it was a false rm, and Qu Feitai was unharmed. Otherwise, if anything happened to him in Yangzhou, Xie Hong and his family would be finished.


    Why did Qu Feitai, who was doing well,e to Jiangzhou? Xie Hong muttered in his heart, stirring up trouble and making the city restless.


    As he watched the tall figure of the man stride into the hotel lobby, his assistant asked: ¡°Who is this Mr. Yun?¡±


    ¡°Qu Da Shao¡¯s henchman.¡± Xie Hong whispered.


    His assistant scratched his head: ¡°The Qus{ What Qus{¡±


    Xie Hong snorted coldly: ¡°Which Qus? There¡¯s only one Qu family in Jingdu. Do you know about Qu Guangsheng? The Qu family¡¯s Old Master, this third young master¡¯s biological grandfather. Don¡¯t you watch the news? You really know nothing. ¡±


    The assistant suddenly realized: ¡°So it¡¯s Qu Old Master.¡±


    Xie Hong nced around and whispered: ¡°The four great families in Jingdu, the Qus, the Bais, the Bos, and the Songs, with the Qus as the leader, particrly Qu Da Shao, who is a formidable figure. I heard that Qu Feitai is a posthumous child, raised by his big brother as a son from a young age; their bond is extraordinary. Some people naturally start off ahead because they are born with everything¡­sigh¡­¡±


    Xie Hongmented with great regret.


    Huang Chao had just walked out when he saw a tall and sturdy maning over, his face regr and his eyes determined, the sharpness in his gaze enough to make anyone tremble.


    Huang Chao hesitated: ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    Yun MO didn¡¯t pay attention to him, and directly walked to the door of Qu Feitai¡¯s room and knocked: ¡°Third Young Master, it¡¯s me..¡±

 Chapter 264: 127 punishable

    Chapter 264: 127 punishable<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At breakfast, only Ming Ti, Ming Chen, and Ming Yi were present.


    Han Suwen ced a freshly fried egg in Ming Yi¡¯s te, and Ming Yi gave a bright smile. The crisp and sweet sound of her voice instantly improved one¡¯s mood.<div>


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wen.¡±


    Han Suwen¡¯s gaze was gentle, ¡°Go ahead and eat.¡±


    Ming Yi was very self-reliant, already capable of eating, dressing, and using the bathroom by herself at the age of five. She did not need much care, and she excelled in her studies, far more intelligent than her peers. Key to her charming and lovable character was her understanding and considerate nature.


    All of this was thanks to Ms. Zhu.


    Han Suwen turned her head away, afraid that her tears might be seen by others.


    Ming Ti noticed it, nced at the innocent and bewildered Ming Yi, and frowned slightly.


    ¡°Ming Jing didn¡¯te homest night,¡± Ming Chen sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she knows what she¡¯s doing,¡± Ming Ti pondered, speaking in a somewhat casual tone.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang came downstairs. Ming Tils disdain shed through her eyes, and she lowered her head to eat. Ming Yi greeted with a smile: ¡°Good morning, Sister Xiangxiang.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang managed a smile: ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Sitting across the three, Han Suwen smiled, ¡°Xiangxiang, you got up early today. What do you want for breakfast? Chinese style or Western-style?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the steamed buns, pickles, and porridge on their tes and unconsciously frowned.<div>


    As expected from someone from a small ce, she couldn¡¯t shake off the air of poverty.


    ¡°Milk and bread, please.¡±


    Han Suwen ced a ss of milk and a ham sandwich in front of Zhu Xiangxiang. Ming Ti smirked: ¡°People these days are so obsessed with foreign things. They even chase after foreign tastes for breakfast, drinking milk, and thinking they¡¯re so high-ss. How ridiculous.¡±


    Ming Chen nudged Ming Ti, signaling her to stop talking.


    Zhu Xiangxiang red at Ming Ti. This brat is implying something about her, isn¡¯t she?


    Ming Ti¡¯s expression was cold. She was young, but she already had a stunning cold beauty. Yet at this moment, to Zhu Xiangxiang, she seemed particrly irritating.


    Of Ming Jing¡¯s three junior sisters, the one Zhu Xiangxiang disliked the most was Ming Ti. She spoke with sarcasm, making strange remarks, utterly annoying.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s not as shameless as some people who rely on Ming Jing for everything. If it wasn¡¯t for her, some people would still be stuck in the mountains, knocking on wooden fish, and never getting a chance to experience the prosperity of the big city in their entire lives.¡±


    Hurting each other, who¡¯s afraid of whom?


    Ming Ti was not afraid of her. She sneered: ¡°Our Second Sister values emotions and righteousness, treating us burdens like her own sisters and taking care of us. We are truly grateful in our hearts. Not like some people who not only showed no gratitude to Ming Jing¡¯s help but also stabbed her in the back. If there were a prize for ungratefulness, this person would definitely win.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang mmed the table, stood up, and roared, ring at<div>


    Ming Ti angrily.


    Ming Yi was startled and let out a sudden hup.


    Han Suwen quickly squatted down, patting her back: ¡°Yi Yi, don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Turning her head with displeasure, Han Suwen looked at Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Xiangxiang, they are all Young Miss¡¯s sisters, children younger than you. Why do you need to quarrel with them?¡±


    No wonder Zhu Xiangxiang wasn¡¯t favored by Madam and Madam. Her petty heart hindered her from bing ady worthy of a high stage.


    Ming Ti smirked: ¡°My mouth is mine to do with as I please. That white dress of yours is too eye-catching. Do you think you¡¯re even worthy of wearing it?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was stunned, as if someone had prodded her pain. Her eyes filled with anger and humiliation. She stared at Ming Ti.


    Why did everyone have to remind her that she was not worthy of wearing white? Was it only Zhu Mingjing who deserved to wear white?


    ¡°Xiangxiang, what are you fussing about?¡± Madam Zhou came out of the kitchen, frowning at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang seemed to suddenly realize something, and her hostility disappeared as she obediently sat down.


    Madam Zhou shook her head. A person¡¯s character is hard to change so easily.<div>


    At that moment, the sound of a car engine came from outside. Ming Yi¡¯s eyes lit up, she jumped down from the dining chair, and ran out with her short legs.


    ¡°Second Sister.


    Ming Jing had just got out of the car when she was hugged by a little glutinous rice ball.


    Ming Jing smiled, bent down to pinch her facial cheek, and wiped away the rice stain at the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Second Sister, I couldn¡¯t sleepst night without you. Look, Yi Yi has dark circles under her eyes,¡± Ming Yi pouted, looking displeased.


    ¡®Yi Yi has grown up and should learn to sleep alone. Starting tonight, you will


    have your own room..¡±

 Chapter 265: 127 can be killed_2

    Chapter 265: 127 can be killed_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°No, I wanna sleep with Sister.¡± Ming One pouted, hugging Ming Jing¡¯s neck tightly.


    Han Suwen watched the scene, her eyes welling up.<div>


    Ming Jing nced at her, softly murmuring, ¡°Be good.¡±


    Ming One shrank back a little, murmuring, ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Sister is like this, it¡¯s the scariest. Not just for us and the third and fourth sisters, even the most spirited eldest sister has to yield to her.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen came running out, cheerfully greeting Ming Jing,


    ¡°Sister.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Go in.¡±


    At this point, Madam Zhou noticed a middle-aged woman trailing gingerly behind her. Miss waspassionate, always fond of helping the homeless. Madam Zhou felt the woman looked familiar, but couldn¡¯t ce her. She asked, ¡°Miss, who is¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know in a while,¡± said Ming Jing, nonchntly.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti looked at the woman curiously. She followed Ming Jing gingerly into the living room, looking greedily at the luxurious mansion of the Zhus.


    Upon seeing Ming Jing, Zhu Xiangxiang unconsciously clenched her white dress, her eyes downturned unnaturally.


    Suddenly, a woman charged at her, her eyes red with excitement, ¡°My daughter, mom has finally found you¡­ ¡®<div>


    The woman held Zhu Xiangxiang tightly. Stunned by this sudden turn of events, Zhu Xiangxiang was frozen in ce.


    Madam Zhou, Han Suwen, Ming Ti, and Ming Chen were all shocked by the scene.


    Only the innocent Ming One blinked, puzzled.


    Expressionless, Ming Jing ascended the staircase unnoticed by anyone.


    Zhu Xiangxiang let out a scream, pushing the woman away roughly. ¡± Who are you? Why are you causing a ruckus in my house? Your daughter? I¡¯ll call the police if you keep doing this.¡±


    The woman stumbled backward from the shove. Thanks to Madam Zhou¡¯s help did she maintain her footing. The woman wailed, ¡°Daughter, you know how hard I¡¯ve been looking for you all these years. How can you not recognize your own mom after finally finding you?¡±


    Recalling what the private investigator had told her a few days ago, Zhu Xiangxiang examined the woman in front of her with a terrible suspicion growing within her.


    In her early forties, slightly overweight, coarse skin, sunken eyes, weary gaze. She must have been rather attractive, but years of life have seemingly worn her down, making her look utterly ordinary. Wearing a cheap floral dress, as one might buy from a clearance sale for thirty yuan, she looked somewhat ill-fitted in it, making her stomach fat wobble.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head violently. No, she could not ept that this was the image of her biological mother. Too frightening!


    It¡¯s all false, all of it.


    Struck by a sudden realisation, Madam Zhou asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the woman I bumped into at the hospital? You looked suspicious then, I thought you were a thief. What are you doing at the Zhus¡¯?¡±<div>


    The woman clung tightly to Madam Zhou¡¯s hand, ¡°Sister, she¡¯s my biological daughter whom I¡¯ve been looking for sixteen years. I never thought she¡¯d been in Jiangzhou all while. God has pity on me and let me find my own daughter.¡±


    Madam Zhou frowned deeper, looked at Zhu Xiangxiang and then at the woman. There was indeed some resemnce.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was a switched baby and after her real identity got exposed, Lin Qing, unwilling to let go of the rtionship he had for sixteen years, did


    not try to find Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s biological parents. But now unexpectedly, they seem to have found her on their own.


    Madam Zhou asked, ¡°How did youe back home with Miss?¡±


    ¡°I found this ce but couldn¡¯t get in. I was arguing with the security when the kind-hearted Miss passed by. After enquiring about my situation, she let me in. I never imagined that she was the Miss of the Zhus. Such a coincidence!¡±


    ¡°No, how did you find the Zhus¡¯?¡± Madam Zhou still felt the need to probe, they couldn¡¯t simply let the woman im kinship rashly.


    What¡¯s more, Zhu Xiangxiang wasn¡¯t given much importance in the Zhus. If this woman was indeed her biological mother, living with her would likely be better than being neglected in the Zhus¡¯ house ¨C although materially poorer, it would have been Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fate. Now, everything just seems to be getting back on track.


    The woman nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, who avoided her gaze instinctively. She wiped away her tears and said, ¡°Sixteen years ago, being unmarried and pregnant, I secretly gave birth to my child in a hospital, afraid to tell my family. But eventually, my mother found out. She told me the child had birth defects and didn¡¯t survive. It wasn¡¯t until three months ago when she fell seriously ill that I learned the truth. She concealed the truth from me and secretly gave the baby away fearing it would ruin my life. I found out through several inquiries back home that my mother had sent the child to the Jiyue Abbey at Baitou Mountain. When I found the temple, it was deserted. It took a lot of asking around the town at the foot of the mountain to learn that my child had been mistakenly adopted by the Zhus. Thinking that she would be living a life of luxury in the Zhus¡¯ household instead of experiencing hardships with me, I decided to let it be. But then I saw her at the hospital, she looked exactly like I did when I was young. It was fine until I saw her. After that, I just couldn¡¯t


    hold back..¡±


    <div>

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    Chapter 266: 127 can be killed_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The woman hurriedly walked up a few steps, ¡°Child, please forgive your mother¡¯s selfishness. I really can¡¯t bear to part with you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stepped back in horror: ¡°Don¡¯te closer.¡±<div>


    Madam Zhou nodded, ¡°It all adds up, but do you have any other evidence?¡±


    The woman immediately said, ¡°My child has a pigeon egg-sized blue birthmark on her left buttock. When I fainted from exhaustion after giving birth, the doctor was holding the newborn baby, and I saw it.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face tensed, and she felt ashamed and angry, but at the same time, even more desperate.


    This woman really is her biological mother.


    No, why must Heaven y such a big joke on me?


    Madam Zhouughed, ¡°That settles it.¡±


    Ming Ti burst intoughter: ¡°What a touching scene of mother and daughter reunion. Xiangxiang, now that you¡¯ve found your biological mother, I hope you won¡¯t despise the poor and love the rich. After all, your mother had her own difficulties and didn¡¯t abandon you on purpose.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang wished she could strangle Ming Ti right away.


    ¡°Xiangxiang, what are you thinking now?¡± asked Madam Zhou.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head repeatedly, ¡°I don¡¯t know her. I don¡¯t know where Zhu Mingjing found this woman to impersonate my mother. I don¡¯t know her, just let her leave.¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s tone grew serious, ¡°Xiangxiang, what does this matter have to do with Miss Mingjing? Please choose your words carefully.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned pale, and she wanted to cry but could not.


    Suddenly, Madam Zhou looked up at the second floor, ¡°Madam.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned even paler.


    The woman looked up at the second floor and saw an elegantdy walking down the stairs. Her slightly curled hair hung on one side of her ears. She wore a red silk dressing gown, had fair skin, a charming face, cold eyes, and anguid but noble temperament.


    The woman stared nkly. Was this Madam Zhu? Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s adoptive mother.


    The woman subconsciously sped her skirt with both hands.


    Compared with her, she was really too shabby!


    Lin Qing walked down the stairs slowly and came face to face with the woman, looking down at her condescendingly.


    As the other¡¯s eyes were too imposing, the woman dared not look straight into them, and smiled awkwardly, ¡°Madam Zhu, hello.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lin Qing asked indifferently with her arms crossed.


    The woman¡¯s hands trembled nervously. ¡°I¡­ My name is Zhao Xiaohui.¡±<div>


    As they stood close, the faint but high-end perfume from Lin Qing wafted over. At a nce, she could see the pearls adorning the silk nightgown, each plump and round, shimmering with a soft luster.


    Wealthy madams even had genuine pearls on their nightgowns. At this moment, she genuinely felt the gap between them.


    Lin Qing nodded, ¡°I heard what you said just now. Are you married now?¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s question hit the nail on the head. Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s face stiffened slightly as she whispered, ¡°I got married fourteen years ago.¡±


    ¡°Do you have children?¡±


    ¡°I have a twelve-year-old son.¡±


    The woman¡¯s cold voice was somewhat oppressive, and Zhao Xiaohui felt a little suffocated with both hands clutching her skirt.


    ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s a construction worker, working for the Zhu Group.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned even paler, and each of the other¡¯s words pierced her heart like a knife.


    Could there be anything more ironic than this?


    The prestigious Miss Zhu of the Zhu family was actually the daughter of an ordinary construction worker in the Zhu Group.<div>


    Lin Qing frowned, thought for a moment, then turned to Zhu Xiangxiang,


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang went over and clutched her arm tightly, her pale little face covered in tear-streaks.


    ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to leave you. Please don¡¯t drive me away.¡±


    Lin Qing hesitated, as she had truly grown attached to this child after raising her for sixteen years. Even after finding out that she wasn¡¯t her biological daughter, her love for her never diminished.


    Thinking of something, the pity in Lin Qing¡¯s eyes was reced by indifference, and she brushed off Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand.


    ¡°The mix- up was a mistake in the first ce. Since your biological mother has found you, you should go with her.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her whole body swayed unsteadily.


    Zhao Xiaohui happily said, ¡°Thank you, Madam, thank you. I am sure your kindness will be rewarded. Xiangxiang, did you hear that? Madam Zhu has asked you to go with me. From now on, your mother will double the love for you.¡±


    As Zhao Xiaohui reached out to grab Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand, Zhu Xiangxiang violently shook her off, saying disgustedly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Zhao Xiaohui hesitated, looking somewhat hurt, ¡°Xiangxiang¡­.¡±

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    Chapter 267: 127 can be killed_4<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang ignored her and knelt down in front of Lin Qing with a miserable look, saying, ¡°Mom, I beg you, don¡¯t drive me away. I can¡¯t bear to leave you and Granny. I would do anything to stay in the Zhu family. I just beg you, don¡¯t make me go. This is my home.¡±


    When Zhu Xiangxiang yed weak, she was really good at it. With her natural innocent appearance, it was no wonder she was the school beauty with so many admirers. At this moment, with her tearful, pitiful face, even the most heartless person couldn¡¯t help but feel pity.<div>


    At least, Madam Zhou felt sympathy and tried to persuade, ¡®Madam, since Zhao Xiaohui remarried, wouldn¡¯t it be bad for Xiangxiang to go back with


    No love and a reassembled family could only lead to suffocation.


    Zhao Xiaohui hurriedly said, ¡°My husband knows about Xiangxiang too. It is he who supports me in bringing my child back. After giving birth to my son, my body was ruined and I can¡¯t have children anymore. He has always wanted a daughter, and when he heard about Xiangxiang, he was overjoyed. He will treat Xiangxiang well.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s gaze swept over Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s pale and fragile face. As Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her with anticipation, Lin Qing said coldly, ¡°Listen to your mom. Go back. I¡¯ll leave your room for you. You cane back anytime vou want.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang fell to the ground, disbelieving, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? Because you¡¯re a fake!¡±, shouted Zhou Ying as she rushed down from the second floor. ¡°Your real mother is here now, and you still refuse to leave the Zhus. Isn¡¯t it because you covet the wealth and glory of the Zhu family?¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Ying wanted to set off fireworks, excited that the annoying Zhu Xiangxiang was finally going to get kicked out of the Zhu family.


    Seeing Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s attire, she deduced that she wasn¡¯t wealthy. Transitioning from luxury to simplicity is difficult. Anything beyond one¡¯s destiny must eventually be repaid. First sweet, then bitter, that was Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fate.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head desperately, grasping Lin Qing¡¯s silky nightgown tightly, still struggling in herst attempts.


    ¡°Mom, you know me. I¡¯m not that kind of person. I want to stay in the Zhu family to fulfill my filial duties, to you and Granny. Please, don¡¯t drive me away.¡±


    Zhou Ying rolled her eyes, ¡°Shameless, enjoying what doesn¡¯t belong to you, even getting addicted to it. Your real mother has been looking for you for so long. Do you deserve her?¡±<div>


    Zhao Xiaohui let out a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s my fault that my child doesn¡¯t want to be with me. Madam Zhu, if that¡¯s the case, let Xiangxiang stay in the Zhu family. I¡¯ll be content just seeing her from time to time.¡±


    Zhou Yingughed, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to? Taking the Zhus for fools, expecting us to raise your child for sixteen years for free and continue to do so? Then relying on Zhu Xiangxiang to support your whole family?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s face turned pale with humiliation, ¡°You¡­ How can you nder me like that? I didn¡¯t mean that.¡¯


    ¡°If that¡¯s not what you meant, then hurry up and take your real daughter away from the Zhu family. From now on, you go your own way, and we go ours, never interacting again.¡±


    Ming Ti smiled and looked at Zhou Ying, who raised her eyebrows at her.


    The big sister stepped in, taking care of both the small and old white lotuses.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Xiaohui reached out to pull Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Xiangxiang, let¡¯s go. The rich are too condescending. We don¡¯t need their help. Even if your mother is poor, she won¡¯t let you be wronged. Come home with me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook off her hand, screaming in despair, ¡°I won¡¯t go! I beg you, please don¡¯t disturb my life, alright? If you weren¡¯t in my life for the first sixteen years, then please stay out of it from now on, alright?¡±


    With a hurt expression, Zhao Xiaohui said, ¡°Xiangxiang, it¡¯s my fault, but if you stay in the Zhu family, you won¡¯t have a good life. They all look down on you. We may be poor, but our pride can never be broken. Come, let¡¯s go home with mom, and not take their contempt.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang backed away, screaming, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    The scene was truly unbearable to watch. Madam Zhou nced at Lin Qing¡¯s cold, distant expression and felt something was off.<div>


    Although Madam had recently been dissatisfied with Xiangxiang, it shouldn¡¯t lead to such heartlessness. What was it that she didn¡¯t know?


    ¡°What are you all arguing about so early in the morning?¡± Granny Zhu wheeled herself in through the front door..

 Chapter 268: 127 can be killed_5

    Chapter 268: 127 can be killed_5<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Granny Zhu was in the habit of strolling through the garden in the morning; sne nad just returned to see tms scene unt01d1ng.


    Her icy gaze swept over Zhu Xiangxiang who was screaming hysterically, hair disheveled, causing Zhu Xiangxiang to shrink back slightly.<div>


    In the whole Zhu family, the one she feared the most was Granny Zhu.


    ¡°Granny, I need to tell you, there¡¯s been a major incident.¡± Zhou Ying ran over and quickly summarized the situation. In the end, she managed to throw some shade on Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°We can¡¯t really me Xiangxiang, after all, despising the poor and loving the rich is ingrained in some people. Who can me her for not having our Zhu family genes, unlike cousin, who never abandoned her junior sisters, even when she became sessful. It¡¯s all in the contrast, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Granny Zhu nced at Zhao Xiaohui, which made her even more nervous. This olddy seemed even tougher to deal with than Madam Zhu.


    ¡°Xiangxiang has been raised in our family for sixteen years, not lifting a finger to do any chores. Do you think she can handle a hard life with you?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui quickly responded, ¡°Though our living conditions may not be as good, my love for Xiangxiang will never change. She is my own flesh and blood that I carried for ten months, if I don¡¯t treat her well then, who would I treat well? I only fear that no matter how much I try, I might never be able to make up for the sixteen years I owe her.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Qing¡¯s gaze wavered, and she stood rooted to the spot.


    Yes, such a simple logic, why did it take her so long to understand it?


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s very existence was an injustice against Ming Jing; she was wrong from the very beginning.


    With this realization, Lin Qing¡¯s gaze hardened. Without any room for argument, she said, ¡°Xiangxiang, you know how I¡¯ve treated you these sixteen years, as you do what you¡¯ve done. My silence was to preserve our dignity. Just leave. I¡¯ll transfer a sum of money to your ount, enough for you to livefortably for the rest of your life. Consider it your early dowry. From today, our bond as mother and daughter is severed. When we meet again, let¡¯s act as strangers.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s calm voice extinguished thest bit of hope in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart.


    So, Lin Qing had known all along. Was it Zhu Mingjing who told her?<div>


    At this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart inmed with rage. She despised Lin Qing¡¯s heartlessness, Zhu Mingjing¡¯s existence, and even more, the cruel jokes fate yed on her.


    What sins had Zhu Xiangxiangmitted in her past life to deserve such constant ridicule from fate in this life?


    Zhu Xiangxiang no longer pleaded or caused a scene, she respectfully knelt down before Lin Qing and kowtowed three times.


    ¡°Mom, this will be thest time I call you mom. After I leave, take care of yourself. I admit I¡¯m not a good daughterpared to Ming Jing, but I¡¯m relieved to know that she¡¯ll be with you.¡±


    Lin Qing turned away, not looking at her anymore.


    Zhu Xiangxiang also came before Granny Zhu and solemnly kowtowed three times.


    ¡°Granny, I won¡¯t be there to take care of you anymore, please take care of yourself.¡±


    Granny Zhu wasn¡¯t a heartless person, seeing the situation, she took off the jade bangle from her wrist and put it on Zhu Xiangxiang, patting her hand gently, ¡°Settle your mind in future, don¡¯t be so headstrong and impatient. Sometimes you just need to let go, and you¡¯ll see a different world. It¡¯s not fate that¡¯s ying tricks on you, it¡¯s you clinging onto fate.¡±


    Coming from an old woman who had seen her fair share of life, these heartfelt enlightening words echoed in the room.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti exchanged looks, filled with reverence for Granny Zhu.


    Zhu Xiangxiang kept her resentment at bay, nodded and replied, ¡°I understand,<div>


    Granny.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui joyfully came over and held Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand, this time Zhu Xiancxianc didn¡¯t Dull it back.


    Madam Zhou wiped her tears, ¡°I¡¯ll pack Xiangxiang¡¯s luggage.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang wanted to keep her aloofness, but she couldn¡¯t. Going back with Zhao Xiaohui, she could already envision their pinched future. She had to ensure her own life remained unaffected.


    While packing her stuff, Zhou Ying kept following her, mumbling annoying words into her ears.


    By this time, Zhu Xiangxiang had nothing left to argue about.


    She took just a few basic necessities and some change of clothes. Madam Zhou said she would have a driver deliver the rest.


    As she picked up her suitcase and walked out of the room, the door across remained firmly shut.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s gaze darkened, her teeth gritted.


    Throughout this, Zhu Mingjing hadn¡¯t shown up once. That was just her style, avoiding any chaotic crowd.


    Even in this joyful asion of her disgracefully leaving the Zhu family, she didn¡¯te out to add insult to injury.<div>


    Zhu Mingjing ah, always so disinterested and contented, like a banished immortal.


    Zhu Xiangxiang lowered her gaze, was all this really a coincidence?


    Zhu Mingjing, are you really as indifferent as you seem on the surface?


    All of this is just an act, I too was almost deceived by you.


    Just wait, I will personally tear off your mask of deceit and watch you being kicked out of the Zhu family.


    My usurping someone else¡¯s life was due to fate while you knowingly yed a dead man¡¯s part, deceiving the Zhu family and the world.


    You deserve punishment.


    Lin Qing ordered the driver to send them home. When Zhao Xiaohui got into the luxurious car for the first time, her eyes darted around, touching here and there, her behavior made Zhu Xiangxiang frown.


    ¡°Xiangxiang, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll surely treat you well.¡± Zhao Xiaohui patted Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand and saw the exquisite jade bangle on her wrist.


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s eyes flickered, murmuring, ¡°That old Madam Zhu really is generous to give you this fine jade bangle just like that. It must be really expensive.¡± She reached out to touch it.


    Zhu Xiangxiang pulled her hand back before she could touch it, turning to stare outside the car window, giving Zhao Xiaohui a cold profile.


    Zhao Xiaohui wasn¡¯t annoyed and continued smiling, ¡°The girl who led me in must be the true daughter whose life you¡¯ve been living, no wonder she¡¯s more favored by Madam Zhu and Granny Zhu. She¡¯s not only beautiful but also socially adept. Compared to her, you stand no chance.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°I know I¡¯m no match for Zhu Ming


    Jing, can you stop reminding me about it?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui was taken aback, ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t push you. Let¡¯s go home first, your dad and your little brother are waiting for you.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡®Who is my biological father?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Why mention that heartless bastard? Just think of him as dead. If he hadn¡¯t deceived me, I wouldn¡¯t have secretly given birth to you, and your grandma wouldn¡¯t have hidden it from me and secretly sent you away, causing us to be separated for so many years.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang took in a deep breath; her birth mother was seriously a chatterbox, talking her ears off.


    Zhou Ying knocked on Ming Jing¡¯s door, ¡°Cousin, you missed out on a really good show. If you had seen Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s dejected look when she was kicked out of the Zhu family, you¡¯d have been ecstatic.¡±


    There was no response from the room. Zhou Ying pouted her lips. Well, her cousin was too nice to enjoy others¡¯ misfortune..

 Chapter 269: 128 Light (First Round)

    Chapter 269: 128 Light (First Round)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s departure did not affect Ming Jing¡¯s life at all; it should be said that this person would not affect Ming Jing at all.


    Meeting Zhao Xiaohui at the entrance of the residential area in the morning was an ident. Ming Jing knew what kind of impact bringing Zhao Xiaohui in would have on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s life, yet she still brought her in.<div>


    It was the fate Zhu Xiangxiang had to bear and the answer to what the future would be like woulde with time.


    ¡°Ding¡± The WeChat message tone rang as soon as the phone was fully charged and turned on.


    Ming Jing picked up her phone and nced at it.


    Xiao Qu¡¯er ¡ª Are you home yet?


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t change the WeChat contact notes. This Xiao Qu¡¯er was Qu Feitai.


    His profile picture was still a cartoon image of himself, very Q, very cute, which was in stark contrast to his cool, handsome, and aloof appearance in person.


    Ming Jing¡¯s fingers tapped the screen and she replied with a single ¡°Mm.¡± After that, she put down her phone and went about her business.


    ¡°Third Young Master?¡± Yun MO was shocked to find the usually aloof Third Young Master smiling at his phone¡­ like a bit of a fool.


    Qu Feitai immediately hid his smile, changing his expression so quickly that Yun MO wondered if he was hallucinating.


    ¡°You can go back. I have important matters in Jiangzhou,¡± said Qu Feitai coldly. ¡°But, Third Young Master, without you going back, I can¡¯t report to the boss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your business, and it has nothing to do with me.¡± Qu Feitai didn¡¯t give him any face.<div>


    Yun MO sighed, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to leave, I¡¯ll have to begrudgingly stay and protect you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Qu Feitai snapped back before hugging his phone and retreating to his bedroom.


    Qu Feitai stared at the single ¡°Mm¡± in the chat box for quite a while.


    For someone as frugal with words as Ming Jing, a single ¡°Mm¡± was enough to convey many things.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s fingers tapped the screen, typing many words and deleting them one by one.


    Then he opened a food app and began searching for restaurants suitable for dating in Jiangzhou.


    Ming Jing picked up her phone after finishing her work and looked at it.


    Xiao Qu¡¯er ¡ª Tomorrow night at six, Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant in Shidai Square. No-shows won¡¯t be tolerated.


    Ming Jing remembered she still owed him two meals and replied with an


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Qu Feitai rolled around his bed hugging the single ¡°Okay, ¡± finding joy in being young, as it sometimes came so simply.<div>


    ¡°Miss, something¡¯s wrong. Madam has fallen ill,¡± Madam Zhou said, rushing in hastily.


    Ming Jing closed herptop, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    This was the first time Ming Jing had entered Lin Qing¡¯s bedroom. Lin Qingy on therge bed, her red silk pajamas unable to conceal her pale face.


    Seeing Ming Jing, Lin Qing wanted to sit up, looking displeased at Madam Zhou.


    Madam Zhou touched her nose.


    Ming Jing sat down beside the bed, taking Lin Qing¡¯s wrist in her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been worrying too much, leading to inner conflict. If you can¡¯t let go of Zhu Xiangxiang, it¡¯s not toote to chase after her now,¡± Ming Jing¡¯s cold voice said.


    Lin Qing grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Ming Jing, it¡¯s not what you think. I¡¯m heartbroken. How could I raise a child for sixteen years only for her to turn out to be an ungrateful wolf? I must have been a terrible mother.¡±


    Madam Zhou quietly left the room, leaving the space to the mother and daughter.


    ¡°Then you hurt yourself for someone not worth it. Do you feel wronged?¡± The cold voice was straightforward and devoid of emotion.


    Lin Qing¡¯s heart turned cold for a moment, staring nkly at the face so close to her.<div>


    A beautiful face, but equally ruthless.


    Those eyes held the world but could not hold a single person.


    Even her own mother.


    For the first time, Lin Qing felt afraid. Her own daughter was an emotionless monster.


    Lin Qing slowly released her hand. She would rather have Ming Jing cry at her, shout at her, use her of favoritism. At least it would bring her somefort, rather than Ming Jing¡¯s undisturbed calm, as if she would never care no matter what Lin Qing did.


    She believed that Ming Jing didn¡¯t deliberately drive Zhu Xiangxiang away. Ming Jing wasn¡¯t that kind of person and didn¡¯t care for it. But it was precisely for this reason that Lin Qing felt even colder.


    Could someone who could be so ruthless to her own father have any affection for her, a mother who had been hostile to her before?


    Lin Qing suddenly realized that she couldn¡¯t enjoy the slightest bit of her daughter¡¯s affection.


    Was it punishment from above?


    Ming Jing¡¯s pitch-ck eyes seemed to see through all her thoughts, a faint mockery appearing within them.


    Lin Qing¡¯s heart tensed, quickly turning her head away and rolling over, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to rest for a while. You can leave now..¡±

 Chapter 270: 128 Light (Second Round)_2

    Chapter 270: 128 Light (Second Round)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Those eyes were too unsettling to look straight at.


    Lin Qing pinched the quilt, but after a long time, she heard nothing. She turned around and found that Ming Jing had disappeared at some unknown point.<div>


    Lin Qing was so scared that she immediately sat up on the bed, her forehead covered in cold sweat.


    Could this girl walk without making a sound?


    ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a delivery for you.¡± Han Suwen handed a package to Ming Jing.


    Zhou Bao popped up from the side, snatching it: ¡°Cousin, what good stuff did you buy?¡±


    Ming Jing gave her a nce and said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Zhou Bao eximed, ¡°Can I open it then?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Zhou Bao giggled, finding a pair of scissors to cut open the courier packaging box, and inside was anotheryer of foam, tightly wrapped.


    ¡°What is it? It¡¯s packed so securely.¡±


    It took Zhou Bao quite some effort to open it. Inside the foam was an exquisite box that looked expensive at first nce.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen came over and stood watching.<div>


    Zhou Bao looked at the box that was covered in swastika symbols, which gave it an odd and luxurious feel.


    Ming Jing sensed something and suddenly said, ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Zhou Bao handed the box to Ming Jing, and Ming Jing took it back to her room.


    Zhou Bao nced at Ming Ti: ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±


    Ming Ti shook his head.


    The Second Sister of the Zhus who had returned was not the Second Sister she¡¯d known before.


    Zhou Bao eagerly followed Ming Jing into her room, and Ming Jing didn¡¯t say anything about it. Zhou Bao¡¯s eyes lit up as she secretly surveyed Ming Jing¡¯s room¡ªthe most mysterious ce in the entire Zhu household.


    What surprised her was that Ming Jing¡¯s room didn¡¯t look like a girl¡¯s room¡ªit gave off just two impressions.


    Clean and cold.


    It was spotless everywhere, even the windowsill was glossy enough to reflect a person. The bedsheets and quilt on the bed were neatly arranged without a crease in sight.


    On the bedside tabley a yellowed scripture book and a mobile phone, while across the room on the dressing table were several bottles of cosmetics. Zhou Bao secretly took note of their brands.<div>


    By the window, a small tea table held aptop and a few books. Zhou Bao looked closely¡ªthere were advanced mathematics textbooks and books on calculus, while the rest were in English, which she couldn¡¯t understand.


    Zhou Bao was shocked¡ªher cousin was already reading college-level textbooks on advanced mathematics and calculus? No wonder she could get the highest scores in the mathpetitions. Was her cousin¡¯s brain even human? Through a small crack in the wardrobe door, she saw a sea of white¡­


    Exactly how many different white skirts had her cousin bought?


    The room was spotlessly clean but devoid of any warmth.


    She would go crazy living in a room like this.


    Only a person as detached as her cousin could bear it.


    Zhou Bao saw Ming Jing open the box and peeked at it in surprise: ¡°Why is it a


    Buddha statue?¡±


    Staring at the worn copper statue, something about its eyes made her feel extremely ufortable.


    Ming Jing looked quietly at the Buddha statue¡¯s eyes¡ªit was the gilded Buddha statue donated by Gutian that Shen Zhou had capturedst night.


    The statue, worth ten million, was given to her just like that by Shen Zhou.<div>


    Ming Jing held the Buddha statue in both hands and carefully took it out. She observed the room¡¯s position and ced the statue in the western direction.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti immediately came over and bowed three times to the Buddha statue.


    Zhou Bao looked at the three sisters¡¯ strange actions and reluctantly bowed to the Buddha statue as well.


    Ming Jing stood in front of the Buddha, murmuring softly, ¡°Save the suffering sentient beings, escape from the Sea of Suffering, and remain unfulfilled until the hells are empty.¡±


    ¡°Bodhisattva above, disciple Ming Jing.¡±


    Zhou Bao stared nkly and suddenly felt as if Ming Jing was surrounded by a faint golden light, though she was right in front of her, she seemed so untouchably distant.


    Cousin Ming Jing really was a Buddha.


    Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, one of the four great Bodhisattvas in Buddhism, made great vows in front of the Buddha that he wouldn¡¯t be a Buddha until the hells were empty.


    The Buddha statue had endured for a thousand years and its power had not diminished but rather grown stronger.


    Ordinary families who ced this Buddha statue in their homes not only failed to ward off evil spirits and ensure safety, but they might also bring disaster upon themselves due to insufficient faith. After a thousand years and passing through many hands, the statue had not been properly worshipped, and its power had be impure. If those with unstable minds possessed it, disaster would befall them in no time.


    The statue needed to be cleansed by chanting incantations. Having its unknown dirt and dust swept away, the true essence of its teachings would be revealed, and the wisdom of prajna would be unearthed.


    However, for those who truly practiced, the Buddha statue would bring significant benefits to their cultivation..

 Chapter 271: 128 Brightness (First Watch) _3

    Chapter 271: 128 Brightness (First Watch) _3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva¡¯s Original Vow Sutra, it says: In the future, if there are good men and women who hear the name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, rejoice in it, praise it, make offerings, or even paint or sculpt his image, they can ensure that they will never fall into evil paths.


    By sincerely chanting and worshiping the Bodhisattva¡¯s name, one can gain boundless blessings.<div>


    In the practice of Buddhism, the key lies in the word sincerity; the more sincere one is, the more efficacious it bes.


    When Ming Jing opened her eyes again, she could see everything clearly, like an ocean that embraces all things in the world.


    And the eyes of the Buddha statues, partly open and partly closed, seemed to be smiling withpassion, no matter which angle you look from.


    The Buddha is greatly wise,passionate, and powerful, with perfect awakening and practice.


    Bodhisattvas have sentient awareness, enlightening all beings from their ignorance, maintaining the appearances of life, and practicing the path of a Bodhisattva.


    Ming Jing looked at the eyes of the Bodhisattva and smiled gently.


    ¡°Disciple understands now.¡±


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen looked at each other in confusion.


    Master had said that Ming Jing was naturally gifted, a rare prodigy in the world of Buddhism, understanding many teachings with just one exnation from the Master, while they still remained puzzled.


    Sometimes Ming Jing¡¯s intelligence frightened them, even the most headstrong elder sister felt like a mouse in front of a cat when facing Ming Jing.


    Master was dignified,manding respect from them as elder disciples, but towards Ming Jing, it was a genuine fear that came from the heart.<div>


    She remembered when she was younger, she had once woken up during the night and passed by the Buddha hall, seeing the slender figure of Ming Jing Imeeling before the Buddha statue.


    In the silent night, the girl¡¯s ethereal voice sounded like a soul-searching cry.


    ¡°I havemitted severe sins in my past life, and in this life I have been punished by the Buddha. Is it also because of my sins that I have been deceived and harmed? Will those who have harmed me be punished by the Buddha?


    What is good? What is evil?¡±


    Master had said that only those with profound cultivation could see their past lives; at that time, Ming Jing was not even ten years old.


    As the saying goes, wisdom can be a blessing, but also a curse, and that is true for Ming Jing.


    Ming Ti looked at the slender figure before her, dressed in white like a


    Banished Immortal, aloof from the world, her gaze gradually bing deeper.


    After leaving Ming Jing¡¯s room, Ming Ti pulled Ming Chen, quickly returned to their bedroom on the third floor, and closed the door.


    Ming Chen rubbed her wrist: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Ming Ti¡¯s expression grew more and more serious: ¡°Do you still remember what Master said?¡±<div>


    ¡°Which one? Master has said so many things, which one are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Chen was stunned: ¡°Master just said it casually, you really believe it?¡±


    ¡°Master is a renunciant, they don¡¯t speak deceitfully, she wants us to follow


    Ming Jing, to watch her, to prevent her from going astray.¡±


    Ming Chenughed as if she had heard a joke, unable to straighten her waist fromughter, pointing at Ti: ¡°You must be joking, our Ming Jing, she¡¯s the most kind-hearted girl in the world, everyone in Jiangzhou knows that she is a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, embodying kindness andpassion. If she could go astray, so could you.¡±


    Ming Ti gave her a nk look: ¡°Fool.¡±


    Chen pouted unhappily: ¡°You failed the exam, and you still have the nerve to call me stupid?¡±


    Ming Ti frowned and muttered: ¡°All Dharma is mind-only, and arises solely due to love; what does Master mean by this?¡±


    ¡°What is love? The seven emotions and six desires? Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire.¡±


    ¡°Love? What is love? You¡¯re always watching those messy TV dramas, can you tell me what love is?¡±<div>


    Chen grinned: ¡°There¡¯s small love and great love, Ming Jing¡¯s love is great love, she loves everyone, but her love for us is small love, and there¡¯s romantic love. Oh, it¡¯s simply the most wonderful thing in the world, it can make people infatuated, enchanted¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Ming Ti frowned and interrupted her, ¡°Put those messy thoughts in your mind away. You¡¯re still young, stop thinking about indecent things.¡±


    ¡°Romantic love.¡± Ming Ti frowned.


    ¡°Qu Feitai, make sure he never approaches Ming Jing again.¡±


    ¡°Why? He¡¯s so handsome, so talented, and he¡¯s a big star. Isn¡¯t it great that he likes Ming Jing?


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Ming Ti knocked her on the head with a chestnut and chastised her seriously: ¡°Just do as I say, why so many questions? From now on, we will stick with Ming Jing and resolutely prevent Qu Feitai from getting close to her in any way.¡±


    Chen pouted and muttered softly: ¡°You¡¯re like Master¡¯s incarnation, so annoying.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Ming Ti narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ming Chen took out her phone and skillfully unlocked it to log in to Weibo.


    On the trending list, Qu Feitai¡¯s poprity continued to rise. After a night of fermentation, almost everyone could sing the song, White Clothes.


    Chen was busy approving and repostingments everywhere ¨C sobbing and praising Qu Feitai, how handsome and cool he was, beyondparison..

 Chapter 272: 128 Brightness (First Watch) _4

    Chapter 272: 128 Brightness (First Watch) _4<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Soon, an ID called ¡°Moths to the me¡±mented on her post ¡ª What kind of elementary school kid is this? Are you using sentences from thest century? Is your vige just getting inte? I¡¯m dying ofughter.


    Ming Chen replied ¡ª Yeah, how did you know I¡¯m an elementary school student? [Cute]<div>


    Moths to the me ¡ª [Speechless] Fine, I admit defeat to the elementary school student.


    Ming Chen ¡ª Heehee, you¡¯re so nice[Patting your head]


    The other party didn¡¯t reply to her, but ten minutester, she received a notice that someone had followed her. When Ming Chen checked, it turned out to be Moths to the me.


    Despite theirints, they still followed her. Hmph


    Brother-inw?


    While holding her phone, Ming Chen secretly nced at Ming Ti and typed quickly ¡ª Because he is my sister¡¯s husband.


    Moths to the me: You really are a unique elementary school kid.


    A dark shadow came over Ming Chen, and she quickly typed: My parents are going to take my phone, little Moth, talk to youter!


    Moths to the me: Damn, you really are an elementary school student!!l ¡°Give me your phone.¡± Ming Ti¡¯s cold voice came from above her.


    Ming Chen raised her head pitifully, her big eyes innocent and pleading: ¡°Can I y for a little bit longer, please?¡±


    Ming Ti snatched her phone without exnation: ¡°The inte is full of mixed information, and it¡¯s hard to distinguish the truth. Seeing too much can affect your mood. If you want to be an impulsive and naive person, just ignore what I said.¡±<div>


    ¡°That might be true for others, but I won¡¯t be affected.¡± ¡°The influence is subtle. By the time you notice it, it¡¯s toote.¡± Ming Chen pouted: ¡°Why do you get to control me?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your sister.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually my little sister.¡±


    Ming Ti was unmoved: ¡°If I say I am your sister, then I am.¡±


    Ming Chen wanted to cry. She was controlled by Master and Senior in the temple, and now that she¡¯s out, she¡¯s still being controlled by Ming Ti. The key was that Ming Ti understood her much better than Master and Senior, as if they were prescribing the right medicine for her. It was hard for her not topromise.


    Ming Ti locked the phone in a cab and threw a set of test papers to Ming Chen. ¡°There¡¯s a high school entrance exam in mid-August. If you don¡¯t want to embarrass your sister, study hard.¡±


    Ming Chen snatched the test papers and turned her frustration into motivation. She finished the 60-minute test in just 10 minutes. Ming Ti checked it and looked at Ming Chen with some surprise.


    Ming Chen raised her eyebrows smugly.


    ¡°Your handwriting is ugly. You¡¯ll lose points for that during the exam and still won¡¯t get a perfect score.¡±


    Ming Ti pulled out a copybook and threw it at her: ¡°Practice ten pages a day until the exam.¡±


    Ming Chenined incessantly as she flipped through the copybook. It was hand-made by Ming Ti, with one nk page followed by a page of copied scriptures and so on. The thick stack would take forever to finish.<div>


    The calligraphy on the copybook was elegant and beautiful, restrained yet revealing sharpness. It was much more charming than the works of any ordinary calligraphy master.


    Ming Chen sighed, ¡°When can I reach the level of my sister¡¯s calligraphy? Even


    Master praised it.¡±


    ¡°Wait until you can practice unremittingly for ten years. Your sister has never neglected her cultivation, meditation, calligraphy, or chess, and that¡¯s why she has achieved sess. As for you, always fluctuating between effort andziness, you can¡¯t even maintain self-discipline, let alone seed.¡±


    Ming Ti almost wanted to grab her by the ears and scold her. Even getting up every morning, she had to pull her out of bed by the ears, otherwise, she would sleep in.


    Ming Chen needed someone to supervise her daily, or else she would surely waste her potential.


    Ming Chen shivered and reluctantly began grinding ink: ¡°I don¡¯t want to live as tired as my sister, always being disciplined and guarding my heart. I¡¯ll go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Abandoning the seven emotions and six desires,ziness, anger, and greed is a must for cultivators. You¡¯re just not suitable for cultivation.¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes brightened: ¡°I¡¯ve already returned to secr life, so why are you still demanding so much of me?¡±


    Ming Ti pped the table and said with a stern face: ¡°Hurry up and stop dawdling. If your sister finds out howzy you are, she¡¯ll surely scold you.¡±


    ¡°No, my sister won¡¯t scold me. She¡¯ll just be toozy to bother with me haha.¡± Ming Chen said and startedughing.<div>


    ¡°For the sake of not embarrassing my sister, I¡¯ll give it my all.¡±


    Ming Chen rolled up her sleeves and buried herself in practicing her calligraphy.


    Ming Ti watched her quietly for a while, then picked up middle school textbooks and started previewing them.


    In fact, Ming Chen was much smarter than her. Intellectually, she was no match for Ming Chen, but Ming Chen was born pampered andzy, without any ambition. Master had scolded her many times for this, but Ming Chen let it go in one ear and out the other. So it was up to her, Ming Chen¡¯s younger sister, to supervise her daily so that she wouldn¡¯t waste her talent and, at the very least, wouldn¡¯t embarrass their sister.


    ¡°Miss, the prosecutor¡¯s office called. They¡¯ve submitted new evidence and handed the case to the court.¡± Han Suwen reported.


    She had taken a course inw during college. After submitting to the public prosecution, the case would be transferred to the court. The trial could start in as little as 20 days or as long as two months.


    Ming Jing looked up to see Lin Qing¡¯s pale face, her body swaying weakly.


    Lin Qing looked at the young girl in front of her. In just three months, it turned out that her husband wasn¡¯t her husband, and her daughter wasn¡¯t her daughter. Both had been unkind to her.


    Even her son wouldn¡¯t step foot into this house or recognize her as his mother anymore.


    Her life was such a failure.


    Even her only biological daughter was so cold and ruthless that she couldn¡¯t feel any warmth from her.


    Lin Qing suddenly felt an immense sense of powerlessness.


    ¡°Hang in there a little longer, and you¡¯ll see the light you¡¯re looking for.¡± Ming Jing left just a faint sentence before turning and going downstairs.


    Lin Qing stood there, confused by Ming Jing¡¯s words..

 Chapter 273: 129 Eighteen (Second Watch)

    Chapter 273: 129 Eighteen (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After Mr. Li and Secretary Wang were arrested, everyone in Zhu Group became silent as cicadas in winter and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, focusing on their work on hand.


    When news of Zhu Wentao being prosecuted surfaced, it caused quite amotion.<div>


    Everyone thought that Zhu Wentao was just being investigated routinely, and with Ms. Zhu¡¯s powerful connections, trivial matters could be settled, and Zhu Wentao would get out. Even though he could not lead the Zhu Group, it was pretty good to live the rest of his life as a wealthy and leisurely person.


    Unexpectedly, after Mr. Li provided additional evidence, Zhu Wentao was really being brought to court.


    Now, they could only wait for the trial¡¯s verdict.


    As for the oue, everyone had an idea in their hearts.


    God, Ms. Zhu is so ruthless, she doesn¡¯t even care about her biological father.


    Although it is ethically right to eliminate one¡¯s rtives on the grounds of justice and uphold thew, everyone still finds it difficult to ept from a moral standpoint.


    If theymitted any wrongdoings, would Ms. Zhu be even more ruthless?


    ¡°It¡¯s like escaping the wolf¡¯s den and entering the tiger¡¯s mouth,¡± Yang Lin eximed.


    ¡°So-called kind-hearteddies can¡¯t change their capitalist nature and will definitely find various ways to exploit us,¡± she continued.


    Tao Xianxian shook her head: ¡°If Ms. Zhu went around using her connections to bail out Zhu Wentao just because he¡¯s her father, would you be happy? No, you would just curse her even harder, thinking that she and Zhu Wentao are colluding to disregard thew. No matter what Ms. Zhu does, you won¡¯t be satisfied, but would she care about your thoughts? You overestimate yourselves. She¡¯s doing this because she has to.¡±


    Yang Lin nodded: ¡°You have a point, but howe you know Ms. Zhu so well?¡±<div>


    While sizing up Tao Xianxian, she said: ¡°Ms. Zhu now trusts you and of course you will speak highly of her. Once youplete the Spring Academy project, your promotion is imminent. You might even kick that pervert out, and take his position. Remember to cover for your sister at that time.¡±


    Why does everyone misunderstand Ms. Zhu so deeply? Tao Xianxian shook her head and no longer engaged, focusing on her work.


    It seems that Ms. Zhu was right.


    People are foolish and only believe what they want to believe.


    For the project follow-up, they must contact the Ye Group.


    The person in charge from the Ye Group was Ye Sheng.


    Thinking about that man gives Tao Xianxian a headache.


    She held her phone feeling perplexed.


    While she hesitated, the other party called first.


    The phone rang incessantly, with Yang Lin peeking over to take a look.


    ¡°Young Master Ye? Why aren¡¯t you answering? This is the diamond bachelor Lao Wu; if you hook him, you don¡¯t have to worry about eating and drinking for the rest of your life, so why be a wage ve?¡±<div>


    Tao Xianxian took her phone to the pantry to answer the call. As soon as she picked up, she heard the man¡¯s greasy voice.


    ¡°What are you so busy with? It took you a long time to answer.¡± He sounded a bit dissatisfied.


    ¡°As a low-level employee, I¡¯m responsible for an entire project with no one to help me. Of course, I¡¯m not as leisurely as Young Master Ye,¡± Tao Xianxian snapped back.


    On the other side, he chuckled: ¡°Your Ms. Zhu is so stingy that she won¡¯t even assign an assistant to help you. Why not jump ship to the Ye Group? You can pick anyone from the team, including me.¡±


    Thest sentencepletely disgusted her.


    Tao Xianxian rolled her eyes, ¡°Young Master Ye is too polite. Regarding the project follow-up, I think we need to have a good talk.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but not today. I¡¯ve made ns with a beauty. How about tomorrow night? I¡¯ll send the location on WeChat.¡±


    Tao Xianxian was about to hang up when he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why I have a date with a beauty?¡±


    Tao Xianxianughed in annoyance. Are all men this narcissistic?


    ¡°Everyone in Jiangzhou knows Young Master Ye is a yboy who indulges in nightlife. I won¡¯t disturb your ns. Goodbye.¡±


    She hung up and felt refreshed.<div>


    Zou Dawei is now like an ant on a hot pot, pacing restless.


    On one hand, Jiang Chun had sent people to thoroughly investigate Jiade Group. Even though she couldn¡¯t do so overseas, the domestic group being investigated was enough for him to worry about.


    On the other hand, Ran Tengxiao severed any cooperation with Jiade Group, a tradition started during Ran Bowen¡¯s time. Jiade Group lost its protection in Jiangzhou, and surviving as a foreign-funded enterprise will not be easy.


    At the same time, a third party aggressively invested in shares, indicating that the winds were changing.


    Zou Dawei¡¯s eyes shed with coldness, ¡°It¡¯s all the trouble that girl from the Zhu family brought. I might as well go all out and find someone to get rid of her; only then can I let go of my hatred..¡±

 Chapter 274: 129 Eighteen (Second Watch) 2

    Chapter 274: 129 Eighteen (Second Watch) 2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The secretary lowered her head, not daring to say a word.


    Zou Dawei nced at her: ¡°You can go now.¡±<div>


    The secretary hastily retreated as if pardoned.


    Zou Dawei contemted for a while in the room before taking out a mobile phone from the drawer. He switched it on and logged into a forum with the domain WT.


    The forum homepage had a giant skull, with blood flowing from its hollow sockets. A ck eagle perched on top of the skull, its eyes gazing at you, flickering with an eerie green glow. It was both mysterious and terrifying.


    Zou Dawei didn¡¯t dare to look at it too long, and quickly entered his ID to log into the forum.


    The forum¡¯s homepage was quite clean, with only a few threads. The thread names were also quite bizarre, such as ¡®Is the lethal dose of potassium cyanide 50 mg or 100 mg?¡¯, ¡®Meal forms: how to make someone die silently¡­¡¯


    Zou Dawei shuddered. The forum¡¯s overall color scheme was eerie, with alternating shades of ck and green, resembling hell.


    Next to it was a leaderboard. The avatar of the person ranked first was the same ck eagle on the skull from the homepage. When erged, there seemed to be a shadow of a person in the green eyes, making anyone who saw it have nightmares that night.


    Zou Dawei¡¯s finger trembled as he clicked on it, and a chat window appeared. The other party¡¯s name was a string of garbled characters.


    Zou Dawei rummaged through the drawer and found a palm-sized notebook. He opened it and carefully flipped through it.


    After a while, he sent a string of symbols over.


    Zou Dawei anxiously waited. Ten minutester, the other party replied.<div>


    Zou Daweipared the numbers sent back by the other party with the notebook and wrote a line of text on a piece of white paper.


    ¡ª Waiting for the good news.


    When he looked back at his phone, the forum on the screen suddenly disappeared, gone without a trace as if it had never been there. Only the five words on the paper reminded him that everything he had just experienced was not just a dream.


    Zou Dawei smiled. With WT taking action, there was absolutely no chance of failure.


    Although the bounty was high, the result was guaranteed.


    The money was well spent.


    He happily switched off the mobile phone, locked it back into the drawer, and casually threw the little book of student codes into the trash.


    At the same time in a deep mountain in the southwest. a voting boy sitting in a


    thatch-covered hut hidden in the jungle raised his head from theputer screen, making realistic bird calls in his mouth.


    A thin, small boy jumped down from a tree, holding a rabbit in his hand, and ran in happily.


    ¡°Thirteen, we have rabbit meat for dinner tonight.¡±<div>


    The boy in front of theputer gave a cold nce at the rabbit in his hand: ¡°Eighteen, we have a mission.¡±


    Eighteen blinked his eyes, which were beautiful, with a clear contrast of ck and white. ck as thick ink, white as pure jade, just like the sky after rain, incredibly clean.


    Such eyes were very deceptive. However, the rabbit in the young boy¡¯s hand suddenly started to struggle, and the boy¡¯s thin fingers grasped its neck and slowly tightened¡­


    His eyes remained as clean and innocent as ever, like the purest jade. Yet, the rabbit sumbed to its approaching death and stopped struggling.


    Thirteen coldly said: ¡°The target is in Jiangzhou. The journey is long. Let¡¯s set off now. ¡±


    ¡°This is your new identity.¡± Thirteen¡¯s fingers swiftly typed on the keyboard, and the boy¡¯s household registration information appeared on theputer screen.


    Eighteen turned around and walked out, squatting by the well and skillfully skinning and gutting the rabbit.


    Thirteen followed him out: ¡°Eighteen, did you not hear me? This is your first solo mission, so I¡¯ve picked an easy one for you. Don¡¯t let Master down.¡±


    ¡°Can I eat this rabbit first before I go?¡± The boy¡¯s voice was as clean as his eyes.


    Thirteen pursed his lips: ¡°Suit yourself, get your equipment from the usual ce.¡±


    With that, he went back into the room.<div>


    After a while, the outside seemed to be quiet. Thirteen went out, and the courtyard was filled with the darkness of night under the moonlight. In the courtyard, the fire flickered, and the rabbit meat roasted golden and tender.


    But Eighteen was nowhere to be found.


    Eighteen was the master¡¯s finest trained assassin. His opponent was just a girl of the same age. Even if she had some cat-footed skills, she had no chance against Eighteen.


    Moreover, one was in the open, and the other was in hiding.


    An assassin¡¯s skill is in assassination.


    Thirteen was at ease, took the rabbit meat off the fire, tore off a leg, and took a bite.


    Regardless of anything else, Eighteen¡¯s barbecue skills were unparalleled.


    ¡°This Zhu Mingjing, I don¡¯t know what kind of sweet talk she used to deceive Madam Jiang. Now, Madam Jiang values her very much, and Jiade Group is just an undeserving victim.¡±


    ¡°Zou Dawei came looking for our old, dependable Gu today. I would like to help him too, but unfortunately, he offended Madam Jiang, so we can¡¯t help him even if we wanted to¡­.¡±

 Chapter 275: 129 Eighteen (Second Watch)_3

    Chapter 275: 129 Eighteen (Second Watch)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ever since she came back, her father got jailed, and the fake heiress was chased out of the Zhu family, too. Look what she¡¯s done, she¡¯s nothing but a curse.¡±


    Gu Qingshan listened as Mrs. Gu was gossiping on the phone with a friend in her bedroom. That Ms. Zhu was the topic of conversation in almost every line, and he couldn¡¯t help but ponder over it.<div>


    ¡°Sir.¡± His secretary waited downstairs.


    Gu Qingshan came downstairs, and the secretary hurriedly approached him, saying, ¡°Sir, Zhou Ling has sent someone to ask for your help, do you want to save her?¡±


    Gu Qingshan¡¯s face turned cold: ¡°Don¡¯t let her talk nonsense.¡±


    A ruthless glint shed in his eyes. The secretary¡¯s heart shuddered, and he nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Zhou Ling had offended someone she shouldn¡¯t have and was now abandoned. Gu Qingshan would no longer protect her.


    To prevent her from causing chaos inside, there were countless ways to silently make her disappear.


    ¡°Make it clean, without a trace,¡± Gu Qingshan reminded.


    Zhu Mingjing¡­ Gu Qingshan savored the name, envisioning the graceful figure of the young girl as well as her calm and beautiful face. It was truly alluring.


    However, she belonged to Jiang Chun ¨C at least for now ¨C so there was no room for thoughtlessness yet.


    ¡°What a pity,¡± he muttered.


    As if recalling something, Gu Qingshan asked, ¡°Has Qu Feitai been found?¡± The secretary nodded, ¡°He¡¯s been found.¡±<div>


    Gu Qingshan sighed in relief, ¡°That¡¯s good. At the very least, Qu Feitai can¡¯t meet a mishap on Jiangzhou territory. When is this guest leaving?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. The Qus have sent people to protect him.¡±


    ¡°You find someone to keep an eye on him, too. It¡¯s better to not have incidents like these again.¡±


    The car stopped in front of an aging apartment building.


    Although Zhu Xiangxiang had braced herself, she was still shocked by the scene before her.


    The mottled and weathered walls, the piles of electric scooters and bicycles by the entrance, the chaotic mass of electricity andwork cables, the overflowing garbage bins, the litter of fruit peels and kitchen waste on the ground, and the nauseating stench that they emitted¡­


    Zhu Xiangxiang almost wanted to cover her face and flee on the spot.


    As they were going upstairs, they encountered a middle-aged womaning down to throw out the trash. She greeted Zhao Xiaohui warmly, ¡°Xiaohui, you¡¯re back! How has Yangyang been?¡±


    Her gaze fell on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face, and she was momentarily stunned,


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui immediately smiled, ¡°This is my daughter, my biological daughter. Do you remember the one I mentioned before? The daughter I gave away when she was still young. We have recently found her and brought her back home with me.¡±


    The woman eximed with surprise, ¡°Congrattions! Your daughter is so beautiful and clearly very smart.¡±<div>


    Seeing the young girl¡¯s elegant appearance and delicate skin, it was apparent that she did not grow up in a poor family. Would she be willing to endure hardship with Zhao Xiaohui? There must be more to this story.


    Zhao Xiaohui was even happier being praised for her daughter than herself,


    ¡°Yes, this child was fortunate to be raised in a wealthy family¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang interrupted her impatiently, annoyed by how much their neighbor was revealing. Would Zhao Xiaohui end up disclosing the history of their entire family? Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t stand her poking her raw wound over and over again. It was driving her mad.


    Zhao Xiaohui said hastily, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say anymore. You must be hungry. Let¡¯s go home and I¡¯ll cook for you. Tang Sister, we¡¯ll talk some other time.¡±


    Finishing her sentence, she dragged Zhu Xiangxiang upstairs. Zhu Xiangxiang shook off her hand and continued up the stairs with a frustrated look on her face.


    The woman watched them leave, shook her head, and returned to her apartment after throwing out the trash. She began to talk about the intriguing encounter, ¡°Wanwan, guess what? Your Xiaohui aunt¡¯s biological daughter is back! I just saw them upstairs, and Xiaohui¡¯s daughter looks so delicate and elegant, a true pampered young miss. It¡¯s not a daughter that Xiaohui brought back but an ancestor.¡¯


    Tang Wan, who was watching TV in the living room, paused, ¡°What? Xiaohui has a daughter? Didn¡¯t she only have a son that she treats like a precious pearl?¡± Tang Wan scoffed disapprovingly.


    ¡°I heard she got pregnant before marriage, and her mom secretly took the baby away and gave it to someone else. They only found her recently. Xiaohui mentioned that she was mistakenly taken in by a wealthy family and lived ady¡¯s life. These past few years, Xiaohui¡¯s family has gone through thick and thin to provide medical treatment for Yangyang, spending all their money. They can¡¯t afford that girl now, and there¡¯s bound to be trouble in the future.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, a mistake?¡± Tang Wan thought to herself, ¡®Could it be such a coincidence?¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s what Xiaohui said. You should¡¯ve seen that girl¡¯s stylish clothing and hair, and the jade bracelet on her wrist¡ªit could be worth as much as a house.¡± Tang Wan immediately stood up, her brows furrowed.<div>


    ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t it strange that Xiaohui never mentioned this daughter before but is suddenly bringing her home now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about that. She must¡¯ve been secretly searching for her all these years and only just found her.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Yangyang¡¯s leukemia in need of a bone marrow transnt?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Xiaohui told me a few days ago, no one in their family is a match, and if they don¡¯t perform the surgery soon, Yangyang won¡¯t make it. She even said that it¡¯s too bad they don¡¯t have another child.¡±


    As she spoke, the woman suddenly fell silent, her eyes widening in disbelief, ¡°This is going to bring misfortune. Her daughter will never forgive her.¡±


    Tang Wan smiled, ¡°It¡¯s all fate.¡±


    In the evening, around five o¡¯clock, Ming Jing prepared to go out.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen chased after her. Ming Chen grabbed onto Ming Jing¡¯s skirt, begging pitifully.


    ¡°Ming Jing, please take me with you.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the silent Ming Ti standing beside her.


    Ming Ti¡¯s head hung even lower. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ming Chen beamed with happiness.


    Ming Ti stared in surprise, ¡®That was simple. Did Ming Jing have another trick up her sleeve?¡¯


    Without any obstacles, they arrived at a skyscraper in the city center.


    Ming Chen shielded her eyes from the sunset, looking up at the towering building, murmuring, ¡°Is this Shidai Square? It¡¯s so tall.¡±


    Ming Jing walked into the lobby, with Ming Chen and Ming Ti following closely behind, holding hands.


    Zhao Qin, who had just gotten out of the car, stared at the trio with a start.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zhu Mingjing?¡± she asked.


    The handsome man beside her raised his eyebrows with a smile, attracting the attention of many people nearby.


    ¡°The girl from the Zhu family?¡±


    Zhao Qin shot him a nce and rolled her eyes.


    A man¡¯s lustfulness seemed to be universal, and her cousin was no exception.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of eating at The Grill House. I suddenly want to try something different..¡±

 Chapter 276: 130 Orchid Boat (first watch)

    Chapter 276: 130 Orchid Boat (first watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shidai Square¡¯s rooftop Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant is andmark in Jiangzhou, a holy ce of dating and confession, and a popr spot for inte celebrities.


    As the elevator ascended, Ming Chen nervously grabbed Ming Ti¡¯s hand and stuttered, ¡°Ming Jing, where are we going?¡±<div>


    The digital numbers on the electronic screen in the upper right corner of the elevator swiftly jumped in tens.


    With each jump, Ming Chen¡¯s heart skipped like he was on a roller coaster, diving up and down at high speed.


    Ming Ti pursed her pale lips and silently gripped Ming Chen¡¯s hand.


    Ming Jing calmly replied, ¡°The top floor.¡±


    Ming Chen gasped in shock.


    Inside the elevator were two young couples; a woman with a snake-like face and curly hair, dressed in designer brands, took out a pressed powder to touch up her makeup in the mirror and sneered, ¡°Rustic bumpkins.¡±


    The mirror tilted slightly, reflecting the face of her boyfriend, who was gazing at something intently, saliva almost dripping from his mouth.


    She nced ahead and saw a slender, statuesque figure standing there, her long hair cascading to her waist, her white dress reaching her ankles. On the skirt¡¯s hem were embroidered silver patterns, revealing an understated, indescribable elegance.


    Her back was straight as an arrow, and she carried a small white cotton tote bag on her slim arm. The bag was not leather, but cotton, embroidered with a single orchid, simple and elegant,plementing her overall ethereal, otherworldly appearance.


    Despite recognizing luxury brands from every season, the woman could not identify which designer or brand this mysterious attire belonged to. It was possibly from some niche brand.


    She looked down, a hint of disdain in her eyes, and adjusted her owntest Chanel dress.<div>


    She jabbed her elbow into her entranced boyfriend¡¯s side and red at him.


    The man snapped back to reality and looked at his heavily made-up and sensuously posed girlfriend before instantly feeling sick to his stomach. He wished he could turn his head back and cleanse his sight with that ethereal figure in white.


    Seeing the impatience in his eyes, the woman felt irritated. Men were always fickle; they couldn¡¯t turn away from attractive women.


    She gazed at the mysterious white figure in front of them with a touch of jealousy.


    As an inte celebrity with millions of followers, she had snagged a rich second-generation boyfriend who escorted her to high-end functions, showcasing a morous lifestyle online and basking in her fans¡¯ adoration. She was already convinced she was part of the upper ss.


    The Qingshu Yinyue restaurant on the top floor was a holy ce for gatherings and dates for the rich second-generation and socialites. With a minimum spending per person of three thousand, it was not for rustic bumpkins.


    And with two little bumpkins in tow, they were clearly starting their gold digging early.


    In a blink, the numbers jumped to ny and stopped.


    The elevator doors slowly opened, and the woman in front walked out. As she moved, they could clearly see that the silver patterns on her skirt were lotus flowers, shimmering with each step, perfectly showcasing her graceful figure as if she was producing enchanting lotuses with every step.


    Pan Jingjing noticed her boyfriend¡¯s eyes fixed on that white figure. In her anger, she pinched his arm hard.


    The man winced in pain and red at her, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Where were your eyes just now? Is she better looking than me?¡±<div>


    He Maojie didn¡¯t bother to reply, as he only felt that she was full of vulgarity and greasiness at the moment. Annoyed, he asked, ¡°Are you done yet?¡±


    Pan Jingjing clenched her teeth in anger. This was the first time he had spoken to her in such a tone.


    He Maojie quickly took a few steps, but the enchanting figure had already disappeared, leaving him feeling somewhat disappointed.


    As Ming Jing entered the gorgeously decorated, dream-like restaurant, a waiter immediately came to greet her respectfully.


    ¡°Hello, do you have a reservation?¡±


    ¡°Song Yinzhang. ¡±


    Since Qu Feitai¡¯s name wasn¡¯t appropriate, he had used Song Yinzhang¡¯s name for the reservation.


    The waiter smiled, ¡°Please follow me.¡±


    Ming Jing followed, with Ming Ti and Ming Chen obediently trailing behind her.


    Entering the restaurant after Ming Jing were Pan Jingjing and He Maojie.


    Soon after, from another elevator, Zhao Qin and Ran Tengxiao stepped out.<div>


    Zhao Qin eximed, ¡°Cousin, this is a couples¡¯ restaurant. Is it appropriate for us toe in?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sighed, extending his right arm, ¡°Just bear with it and take advantage of me just this once.¡±


    Zhao Qin rolled her eyes, ¡°The one being taken advantage of is obviously me.¡±


    However, she was also quite curious with whom Zhu Mingjing was dating. Zhu Mingjing always appeared aloof and indifferent, showing no interest in any men since returning to Jiangzhou..

 Chapter 277: 130 Orchid Boat (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 277: 130 Orchid Boat (First Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhao Qin decided to create a big piece of news.


    The restaurant was luxuriously and elegantly decorated. Not far from it, on an open-air tform, a man in a tailcoat sat in front of a white piano. With the flutter of his fingers, the tranquil and gentle melody of the piano flowed out, hanging in mid-air, adding a touch of romantic charm to this ordinary night together with the night color.<div>


    This restaurant was designed specifically for couples dating. Individual booths surrounded by green nts provided excellent privacy. Even the restroom had a dedicated passage to maintain privacy. Each booth was adjacent to a floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the window, from the nieth floor, the entire night view of Jiangzhou could be seen.


    Thousands of lights, flickering neon. Not far away, Qujiang, like a slumbering, coiled dragon, could be seen in the darkness.


    The view was breathtakingly beautiful.


    The waiter led Ming Jing to the booth, then left.


    Mr. Song had warned them in advance that they need no service, they could order food by scanning a QR code with their smartphones.


    Qu Feitai greeted with a smile, ¡°You finally came.¡±


    Two little heads appeared behind Ming Jing, one of them a pretty little girl with an expression of astonishment in her big eyes: ¡°Qu Feitai!¡±


    Ming Ti quickly covered her mouth, ncing warily around.


    Qu Feitai paused, and raised an eyebrow at Ming Jing.


    ¡°These are my two sisters, Ming Ti, Ming Chen.¡± Ming Jing briefly introduced.


    Qu Feitai immediately understood. These were Ming Jing¡¯s juniors.<div>


    ¡°Hi, little sisters, nice to meet you,¡± Qu Feitai didn¡¯t feel disappointed by the appearance of two additional light bulbs. Instead, he believed that Ming Jing didn¡¯t consider him as an outsider. The more he interacted with her close ones, the more he could understand Ming Jing, and use them for his own purposes.


    ¡°I¡¯m your fan. Your songs are so good.¡± The little girl¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at him, innocent and exceptionally adorable inparison to the raving fans.


    Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Which of my songs is your favorite?¡±


    ¡°White Clothes,¡± the little girl blurted out and even hummed a few lines.


    Qu Feitai was taken aback and nced instinctively at Ming Jing sitting across from him.


    Ming Jing lowered her eyebrows, picked up the kettle on the table, and poured a cup of water for the little girl next to her.


    Qu Feitai then noticed that the two little girls looked exactly the same. The girl in front of him had attractive brows and a naive look in her eyes. When she smiled, she looked pure and bright, but when she didn¡¯t speak, there was a vulnerable charm about her.


    The little girl sitting next to Ming Jing, on the other hand, had a stern face and furrowed brows, disying the demeanor of a precocious child.


    She was now ring at him with unfriendly eyes, as if he was an unforgivable viin.


    Qu Feitai was confused, wondering when he had offended her.


    ¡°Are you Ming Ti?¡± Qu Feitai smiled, thinking he was being gentle and kind.<div>


    Ming Ti grinded her teeth. She had expected everything but Ming Jing falling for this guy, Qu Feitai. He was beyond annoying.


    Ming Ti snorted and ignored him, contemting on how to foist him off without sounding rude.


    Ming Jing was a moon in the sky, whereas he was a shrimp in the drainage ditch.


    Did he even deserve Ming Jing?


    Qu Feitai touched his nose softly, smiling as he handed the menu to Ming Jing, ¡°What do you want to eat? I heard that the wagyu beef rice of this restaurant is very good. There are also truffle fries, I guess kids would love them¡­¡±


    Ming Ti sternly corrected him, ¡°I am not a kid.¡±


    Qu Feitai found the girl¡¯s serious demeanor particrly adorable. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not a kid. Order whatever you like, I¡¯ll make sure you get it.¡±


    ¡°I only have sisters, not brothers. Don¡¯t im kinship casually.¡± Qu Feitai was taken aback but then shook his head with augh.


    This was the first time that Qu Feitai felt so rejected.


    ¡°Ming Ti, why are you being so mean to my idol?¡± Ming Chenined unhappily.


    Qu Feitai smiled and said, ¡°Just call me Brother Qu.¡±<div>


    Ming Chen cheerfully agreed, ¡°Brother Qu.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s smile was as sweet as if she had tasted honey.


    Ming Ti shot a fierce look at Ming Chen. That spineless fellow, she¡¯d settle the score with him once they got home..


    Ming Jing nced at Ming Ti. Ming Ti instinctively shrank her neck, her previous aggressive demeanor vanished. Like a mouse seeing a cat, she was now being extremely well-behaved.


    Qu Feitai raised his eyebrows. The way these three sisters interacted was quite interesting.


    Ming Jing pushed the menu to Ming Ti, ¡°Order whatever you like..¡±

 Chapter 278: 130 Orchid Boat (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 278: 130 Orchid Boat (First Watch)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Ti carefully flipped through the menu, while Ming Chen leaned in and the two young girls squeezed their heads together.


    Ming Chen pointed at the menu: ¡°I want to eat this.¡±<div>


    Ming Ti coldly huffed: ¡°Fried chicken is unhealthy, you can¡¯t eat that.¡± Ming Chen pouted her lips: ¡°Then I want to drink bubble milk tea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s full of chemical additives and sugar, which will affect your development.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too strict, not letting me eat this or that, what can I eat?¡± With that, she frustratedly sat back down next to Qu Feitai. She then rested her hands on her cheeks and looked at Qu Feitai¡¯s handsome face, her eyes sparkling with happiness.


    ¡°Brother Qu, can we take a picture together?¡±


    Just having been refused, the anticipation in her eyes at this moment was hard for anyone to bear.


    Qu Feitai smiled: ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ming Chen immediately took out a phone from her small backpack, skillfully unlocked it and opened the camera, turning her head to take various funny selfies with Qu Feitai.


    The two of them, big and small, were having a great time.


    Ming Jing took a sip of tea, then nced at the night view outside the floor-to-ceiling window.


    Ming Ti flipped through the menu resentfully, ring at Ming Chen.


    This traitor who flirts with her sister!<div>


    The two people made various funny expressions while taking selfies, and in no time they had taken more than a dozen pictures. Ming Chen was quite satisfied.


    As Ming Chen lowered her head to edit the photos, she nced at Qu Feitai from the corner of her eye. The young man¡¯s gaze was fixed straight ahead, where a young girl was sitting, her slender and graceful neck looking out the floor-to-ceiling window. Her beautiful side profile emitted a cold jade-like luster under the light.


    Ming Chen covered her mouth and giggled quietly, then tugged gently on Qu Feitai¡¯s arm. Qu Feitai turned his head to look at her.


    With her hand cupping her mouth, Ming Chen whispered in his ear: ¡°The song


    ¡®In White¡¯, you wrote it for my Senior sister, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes flickered, looking at the young girl in front of him with her sparkling, yful eyes, as if she were a little fox.


    At this moment, the little fox looked at him with a proud smile, as if saying, I guessed right, didn¡¯t I?


    Qu Feitai curved his lips, his handsome eyebrows and eyes shrouded in a different kind of tenderness under the light. Ming Chen almost stared in amazement.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Qu Feitai admitted it straightforwardly, blinking his eyes, ¡°So, will you help Ming Chen furrowed her brows, giving her the appearance of worry, making anyone want to smooth away her furrowed brow.


    Looking at Ming Ti and Ming Jing across from her, then at the godly handsome young man in front of her, she hesitated over her decision.<div>


    Qu Feitai smiled and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat. After dinner, Brother will take you to a fun ce.¡±


    ¡°Did you order everything? Tell me, and I¡¯ll order on my phone.¡± Qu Feitai asked gently.


    Ming Ti nced at Ming Jing, who took out her phone: ¡°I¡¯m treating you to dinner, I should be the one to order.¡±


    Ming Jing scanned the QR code on the table and Ming Ti reported the dishes. As Ming Jing ordered, her finger lingered over the fried chicken and milk tea, giving it a little hook.


    Ming Ti red at Ming Chen again, leaving Ming Chenpletely baffled. However, Ming Chen, immersed in some kind of happiness, didn¡¯t care about it


    anymore.


    After ordering, Ming Jing looked up at Qu Feitai: ¡°What are you eating?¡±


    Qu Feitai flipped through a few pages of the menu and ordered Wagyu beef rice and beef tongue mushroom soup.


    Ming Jing looked at Ming Chen, who grinned and said, ¡°Senior sister, I¡¯ll have the same as Brother Qu.¡±


    Ming Jing checked the boxes and confirmed the order.


    ¡°You two, are you twins?¡± Qu Feitai started to make small talk.<div>


    Ming Ti rolled her eyes, wasn¡¯t this a rhetorical question? Was he an idiot?


    Ming Chen nodded: ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Qu, can you guess who is the older sister and who is the younger sister?¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s gaze shifted between the two of them, finallynding on Ming Ti: ¡°You are the younger sister.¡±


    He turned to look at Ming Chen: ¡®You are the older sister.¡±


    Ming Chen said happily: ¡°Wow, Brother Qu, you¡¯re really smart.¡±


    Across the table, Ming Ti gritted her teeth. There was a 50% chance of guessing right, what did it have to do with being smart?


    ¡°Brother Qu, let me tell you, when we were little, Master and Senior sister used to confuse us a lot, but Senior sister never did.¡±


    Qu Feitai unconsciously looked at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing said indifferently: ¡°It¡¯s simple. Oneughs with her teeth showing, one doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Ming Ti had always been serious since she was little, even as a baby when sheughed, you couldn

 Chapter 279: 130 Orchid Boat (First Watch)_4

    Chapter 279: 130 Orchid Boat (First Watch)_4<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    It wasn¡¯t until Ming Ti and Ming Chen arrived that the temple was filled with warmth andughter, and Master and Senior doted on them like the most precious treasures.


    ¡°Ah? That¡¯s it?¡± Ming Chen made a disappointed face.<div>


    Qu Feitai smiled. These three sisters were so interesting.


    They must have had very happy and warm days in the temple.


    Ming Chen suddenly clutched her stomach, ¡°Ming Jing, my stomach hurts. I need to go to the bathroom.¡±


    Ming Jing stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Ming Chen quickly changed her mind, pulling the unresponsive Ming Ti along, ¡°No need. Ming Ti can go with me.¡±


    Before the words had finished, they had already disappeared.


    Ming Jing shook her head and sat down again.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti were both very smart; they shouldn¡¯t get into any trouble.


    Qu Feitaiughed, ¡°The little sisters are really adorable. With them at your side every day, life must be very interesting.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, her eyes gentle like water.


    Qu Feitai stared dumbly at her until the ringing on the table reminded him that the waitress had started serving the dishes. He quickly put on his hat and mask and apologized to Ming Jing with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I can¡¯t even let you have a peaceful meal.¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    The waitress, carrying a trolley filled with dazzling dishes, began serving one by one.


    The waitstaff here were well-trained and didn¡¯t gawk, but their gazes couldn¡¯t help but be attracted to the young man and woman.


    The young man¡¯s face was hidden by a hat and mask, and it was hard to see his face as he kept his head down. But judging from his figure and outline, he must be a handsome guy. Why did he have to be so covered up? Was he hiding something?


    The girl sitting across from him was even more stunningly beautiful. Sitting there quietly, she looked like a fairy from a painting, unrealistically gorgeous.


    Those who dined here were either rich or powerful, and the waitress was well aware, so after serving the dishes, she respectfully said, ¡°Good evening, honored guests. Tonight is our restaurant¡¯s anniversary event. For couples who post their meal on Weibo and receive 99 likes, the meal will be free. At 7:30, there will be a lottery draw, with the first prize being a couples trip to the Maldives. You two are a talented and handsome couple. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left.


    Ming Jing furrowed her brows.


    Qu Feitai moved his eyes back and forth, then took out his phone and snapped a photo of the table full of dishes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Even though you don¡¯t care about the cost of one meal, there¡¯s no harm in participating in this interesting event, right?¡±<div>


    ¡°But you are a big star.¡±


    Was he crazy to post on Weibo?


    Qu Feitai waved his phone, his face brimming with a smug grin, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of Weibo burner ounts?¡±


    As an expert surfer, one must have a burner ount. To avoid suspicion, he used Song Yinzhang¡¯s identity information, named his ount Lonely Paddy Boat, and carefully avoided following anything rted to Qu Feitai.


    Besides music, he was also interested in photography, so his burner ount was mostly filled with hisndscape photos. From tiny insects to the vast blue sky and white clouds, his photos had a unique artistic scene.


    His ount had attracted nearly 200,000 followers in a year, most of whom were fans of his photography, who praised and licked his photos in thements.


    Qu Feitai took a picture of the dishes, barely needing to edit it, then posted it with the caption ¨C ¡°Dinner, night view, and her.¡±


    As soon as it was posted, thements started flooding in.


    Usually, thements were stable at around 200, but they soared in the blink of an eye.


    ¨C Ahhhh, Lonely Paddy Boat finally updated. These colors and


    Damn, this is Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant in Shidai Square, a famous Inte celebrity hotspot. Is Lonely Paddy Boat from Jiangzhou? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in the same city as my idol.


    Everyone look at the top right corner of the picture, there¡¯s a small white rectangle. I think there¡¯s a woman across from him. Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant? Does Lonely Paddy Boat have a partner now?


    No shit, did you not read the caption? ¡°And her¡± ¨C how much more obvious could it be?


    I¡¯ll just have this bowl of dog food then. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness.


    Qu Feitai was a bit shocked. Netizens these days were too powerful, guessing so much from just one photo. But he suddenly remembered that he wasn¡¯t Qu Feitai right now, so he rxed.


    He clicked the topment, called ¡°A Moth Flying into the me,¡± which said ¨C ¡°I can¡¯t believe Lonely Paddy Boat has a girlfriend. I¡¯m so jealous. Signed, a single dog.¡±


    Maybe thisment represented the thoughts of the majority of single people since it was liked enough to rise to the top.


    Qu Feitai replied to thement: ¡°Still working on it [dog head].¡±


    As for the likes, there were already 500 of them, and the number continued to rise.


    Qu Feitai put down his phone and smiled at Ming Jing, ¡°Do you not go online often?¡±


    Ming Jing replied, ¡°Not really. I do read the news sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Do you use Weibo?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    ¡°If you want to stay up-to-date on any national or international news, policy changes, social issues, or even just catch up on current events, you have got to get on Weibo.¡±


    Qu Feitai extended his hand: ¡°Should I help you register an ount?¡±


    His eyes sparkled like the brightest star in the night sky, radiant and dazzling.


    Ming Jing handed her phone to him.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes lit up even more..

 Chapter 280: 131 Conflict (Second Revision)

    Chapter 280: 131 Conflict (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Pan Jingjing closed the menu and handed it to the waiter.


    The waiter graciously said, ¡°Tonight is our restaurant¡¯s anniversary celebration. If both of your Weibo posts receive more than 99 likes, your meals will be on the house. At 7:30, we¡¯ll also be holding a lucky draw event, with the grand prize being a Maldives trip for two. Wish you both evesting happiness.¡±<div>


    Pan Jingjing was delighted. It couldn¡¯t be easier for her.


    Pan Jingjing took a break to scroll through her Weibo, then suddenly frowned and ced her phone face down on the table.


    Girlishly twirling her voice, Pan Jingjing said, ¡°A-Jie, Chanel just released a new bag that looks amazing. Can youe with me to the storeter and take a look, please?¡±


    Her bestie was showing off her new bags on Weibo, and Pan Jingjing couldn¡¯t be outdone.


    Whenever she spoke like that, He Maojie would usually yfully touch her nose and say, ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll buy whatever you like.¡±


    Once at the store, they would buy everything she liked, and the envious looks from the salespersons were always so satisfying.


    However, He Maojie seemed a bit preupied today and said impatiently, ¡°Didn¡¯t we just buy onest week? How can you be buying another? How many hands do you have? Can you even carry all of them?¡±


    Pouting, Pan Jingjing said, ¡°It¡¯s just one more bag. If you don¡¯t want to buy it, fine. I¡¯ll buy it myselfter.¡±


    He Maojie didn¡¯t say anything, leaving Pan Jingjing quite upset.


    Men can be so uncooperative.


    But now was not the time to argue with him, so Pan Jingjing held her tongue.<div>


    ¡°A-Jie, did you schedule the Feiyue Magazine shoot I mentioned before?¡±


    Feiyue is a top-tier domestic magazine usually reserved for popr celebrities or supermodels. An influencer like Pan Jingjing couldn¡¯t qualify without a very strong background.


    Pan Jingjing had heard through the grapevine that the next issue of Feiyue Magazine would feature Qu Feitai on the cover. Knowing that He Maojie¡¯spany was discussing advertising with Feiyue Magazine, she had a lightbulb moment and asked him to get her in through the back door.


    The issue with Qu Feitai was bound to be a hit. Even if she could only squeeze into a half-page column inside, her presence in the magazine would make her the envy of other influencers. And she could also gain some exposure and a surge in fans bytching onto Qu Feitai¡¯s poprity.


    At the time, their rtionship was quite sweet, so He Maojie had agreed without hesitation, even securing her a column and an exclusive interview.


    Pan Jingjing was over the moon. This was the treatment usually reserved for celebrities, and she had always wanted to transition into that realm. However, the divide between celebrities and influencers was vast, so this was difficult to achieve.


    This was an excellent opportunity for her. She could buy some online traffic, ride the coattails of Qu Feitai¡¯s poprity, and then have He Maojie spend some money to get her into an acting gig. A quick boost from her online army, and she¡¯d sessfully transition into the limelight.


    She didn¡¯t want to be an influencer forever, so she had to seize this chance to create more opportunities for herself, especially since He Maojie had a habit of changing his tastes.


    He Maojie said, ¡°It¡¯s almost settled. I¡¯ll forward you the contact¡¯s WeChatter. Just get in touch with them.¡±


    ted, Pan Jingjing took out her phone and said, ¡°Why not just send it to me now? The sooner, the better.¡±


    She had already forgotten their earlier argument. After all, tangible sess was the most real thing.<div>


    He Maojie sent her a WeChat contact, which Pan Jingjing added enthusiastically. She quicklybeled herself as He Maojie¡¯s girlfriend, and her request was epted right away.


    That person was quite warm and friendly. They had a pleasant chat and agreed on an interview date. Pan Jingjing¡¯s spirits were lifted, and she no longer cared about their previous disagreement.


    Soon enough, their dishes began to arrive. Pan Jingjing took a picture of the table full of delicious food and posted it on Weibo, along with three selfies taken from different angles. She heavily edited her appearance, making her chin appear sharp enough to pierce the screen.


    But there were many fans who liked this style. It created an air of high-society living that many regr people, who were struggling to make ends meet, found alluring. They instinctively sought to emte and follow thevish lifestyle of these so-called ¡°youngdies.¡± Pan Jingjing enjoyed this feeling, seeing the fans showering her withpliments in thements section while she contentedly put down her phone.


    Toy the groundwork, she had live-streamed Qu Feitai¡¯s concert a few days ago and had captured many new fans in the process. The hype around her was currently at its peak.


    ¡°You start eating. I need to go to the restroom,¡± Pan Jingjing said cheerfully, humming a tune as she left their booth.


    Suddenly, the music changed, the piano melody bing brighter with a hint of softness, offering a refreshing change.


    Pan Jingjing stopped in her tracks. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Qu Feitai¡¯s new song, ¡®Elegy in White¡¯?¡±


    The piano intro started ying, followed by Qu Feitai¡¯s singing, filling every corner of the restaurant..

 Chapter 281: 131 Conflict (Second Revision) _2

    Chapter 281: 131 Conflict (Second Revision) _2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    This song has been extremely popr recently. Almost simultaneously, there was a stir within the restaurant; some people started to hum along to its tune.


    This is the influence of Qu Feitai. Regardless of ss, age, anyone can hum a line or two of Qu Feitai¡¯s songs.<div>


    Even if this is a new song that¡¯s been released for less than three days.


    The beginning of the song is cheerful and sweet, thetter part is poignant and lingering. Apanied by Qu Feitai¡¯s gentle and mellow voice, it truly leaves a profound sentiment upon listening, evoking waves of emotion. It¡¯s a love song perfect in every sense.


    It could represent the sweetness of love, the bitterness of unrequited love, the sorrow of a breakup. Regardless of which emotional ce one is in, they could find resonance in this song.


    That is the charm of music.


    For this reason, this song has been ying on repeat in this restaurant for the past three days, yet not a single customer has objected. Even the pianist has been enthusiastically ying a solo piano arrangement which is very popr within the restaurant.


    Upon hearing the familiar tune, Qu Feitai looks up unconsciously at the young woman facing him.


    With a serious and gentle expression on her face, Ming Jing is attentively listening.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s lips curve in a subtle smile, his eyes filled with tenderness.


    As the songes to an end, Qu Feitai softly asks, ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Ming Jing nods. ¡°It¡¯s very nice.¡±


    She looked at Qu Feitai earnestly. ¡°Did you write these lyrics?¡±<div>


    In that instant Qu Feitai felt as if all his secretsid bare in front of her, and the depth in her gaze made him unable to maintain eye contact.


    However, this time Qu Feitai doesn¡¯t avoid her gaze; he looks straight back at her, his eyes resolute as he says, ¡°Every single word was written by my own hand.¡±


    Ming Jing drifts her gaze naturally towards the floor-to-ceiling window outside. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    She gazes out the window and he gazes at her.


    In this moment, Qu Feitai wishes for time to stand still. The soft hues of the night outside the window, the hazy glow from the lights, there she sits across from him, serene and elegant in profile.


    The whole world consisted only of her and him.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! I want to go back.¡± Ming Ti shook off Ming Chen¡¯s hand and turned to leave.


    Ming Chen hurriedly pulled her back, ¡°Apany me to the restroom.¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do? Are youpletely love-struck and lost your mind?¡±


    ¡°Save it. Our second sister knows what she¡¯s doing. Need we worry? You can bother me all you want, but do you think you have the right to interfere with second sister¡¯s affairs?¡± Ming Chen pulled her along without another word. Unable to shake free, Ming Ti could only follow along, her little face puffed up in annoyance.


    ¡°Let me go, I can walk by myself.¡±<div>


    ¡°Behave yourself, don¡¯t always frown so much. Over time, you¡¯ll get wrinkles, you know?¡± Ming Chen said, turning to admonish her earnestly.


    As a result, she collided with someone as they turned a corner to the restroom. Ming Chen quickly took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    In front of her were a pair of red high heels coupled with a pair of legs d in stockings, exuding a tacky sexiness.


    Feeling good, Pan Jingjing didn¡¯t want to squabble with a child, so she huffed, ¡°If you damaged my designer bag, can you afford to pay for it? Next time, watch your step; not everyone is as forgiving as me.¡±


    With her words concluded, she smoothed her skirt and prepared to take her leave. Suddenly, the young girl in front of her raised her head, which caught Pan Jingjing¡¯s attention. She then nced at the other girl behind her.


    The two of them had identical faces, as exquisite as dolls. One looked shy and tender, the other frowned with a serious look.


    With a sudden smile, Pan Jingjing said, ¡°So it¡¯s you two little bumpkins?¡±Ming Ti didn¡¯t want to cause trouble, so she pulled Ming Chen to go in.


    Pan Jingjing suddenly blocked their path: ¡°Little friend, don¡¯t leave. Look, you bumped into my bag and broke it. How will youpensate?¡± As she said this, she reached out and touched the limited edition designer bag in her arm.


    Ming Chen, with her big innocent eyes, replied in a puzzled way: ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re so gentle, generous and beautiful, why would you squabble with me, a child?¡±


    At Ming Chen¡¯s words, Pan Jingjing¡¯s eyebrows furrowed with a raised, sharp voice, ¡®What? What did you call me?¡±


    Ming Chen replied with a grin, ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡±<div>


    Pan Jingjing took a deep breath, reminding herself not to sink to arguing with a child and forced a smile onto her face.


    ¡°No matter how gentle, generous, and beautiful I am, you still have to pay for the damage you caused. Tell your parents toe here, how did they teach you? You are rampaging in public, showing no manners at all.¡± Pan Jingjing gazed at the two pretty faces in front of her, a hidden hint of resentment in her eyes.


    Just like that woman, despicable at such a young age, full of insincerity.


    Today, I will eradicate you two troublesome fox spirits.


    Ming Ti then stepped forward, shielding Ming Chen from Pan Jingjing. Despite


    ner young age, ner gaze was unwavering.


    ¡°Do you have any evidence that my sister damaged your bag?¡±


    Ming Chen quietly tugged at Ming Ti¡¯s clothes, whispering, ¡°That woman is deliberately picking on us. She insulted us in the elevator, I heard everything. She must be envious of our older sister and wants to take it out on us.¡±


    With that, she red at the woman opposite them. Her gaze was non-threatening. Instead, she looked like a cute,zy kitten, adorably harmless but not intimidating.


    Ming Ti¡¯s expression darkened subtly. For such a young age, her eyebrows already carried a frosty charm.


    ¡°Hmm, the proof is that the leather on my bag was broken by you. Do you know how expensive this bag is? Even if I sell you two, I won¡¯t be able to afford it.¡± Pan Jingjing pointed at a tiny w on her bag.


    A few days ago, she had identally scraped it against a table corner while hanging out with her friends, causing the leather to tear. After feeling upset for several days, she finally found a use for it today. Maybe she could even get a new one for free. Ming Ti gave a coldugh. She smelled a rat.


    Do they look that easy to bully?


    Ming Ti nced around. There were no cameras in the restroom. If this woman insisted onying the me on them, there would be no way to clear their names, and she did not want to cause trouble for her older sister.


    Ming Ti pondered for a moment, ¡°How do you want to settle this?¡±


    ¡°Quite simple,pensate and apologize to me.¡± Pan Jingjing lifted the corners of her mouth, as if she could already see the other woman begging pitifully.


    Ming Chen protested angrily, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense; I didn¡¯t even touch your bag, you¡¯re a bad woman.¡±


    Ming Ti red at Ming Chen. Angering her at this moment would do them no good and instead attract unnecessary attention. She definitely didn¡¯t want to be the center of a scandal.


    Pan Jingjing gave a coldugh, ¡°Little bitch, call your parents over here, I want to see how they are raising you.¡±


    As expected, Pan Jingjing¡¯s loud voice attracted quite a few curious onlookers.


    Ming Ti¡¯s little face flushed crimson. Regardless of her efforts to act mature, she was just a nine-year-old girl who felt at a loss when dealing with such a unreasonable and voluble woman.


    ¡°Wow, seems like we¡¯re getting a crowd.¡± A young girl in a red dress came out. Leaning over the sink to wash her hands, she casuallymented.


    Pan Jingjing turned to look and couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes.


    She wore a Prada haute couture summer dress, a Hermes frock bag, Gi shoes, and even the bracelet she wore was a custom Chaumet. The summer rainbow series frock bag was a global limited edition with only five made, most of them were in the collections of foreigndies of high society.


    This luxurious outfit would cost over a million. Pan Jingjing¡¯s eyes gleamed at sight of such wealth.


    The young girl finished washing her hands, gently patting them dry with a paper towel. Standing straight, a teasing smile decorated her face as she cast her eyes on the two sisters.


    Ming Ti knitted her brows.. Was it her?

 Chapter 282: 132 Socialites (Third Watch)

    Chapter 282: 132 Socialites (Third Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhao Qin walked over in her little leather shoes, her every step graceful and full of charm.


    Pan Jingjing stared at her cautiously¡­ at her face, which was adorned with exquisite makeup, her wavy curls draped over her shoulders, and her fiery red lips resembling the most dazzling rose on a branch.<div>


    Zhao Qin ignored Pan Jingjing and walked up to Ming Chen and Ming Ti, grinning, ¡°Who¡¯s your sister meeting with?¡±


    Ming Ti pursed her lips and stared at her warily.


    Ming Chen mped her mouth shut. Though young, she was far from foolish, Imowing better than to reveal Qu Feitai¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t worry, your sister will find out soon enough.¡±


    Ming Chen really wanted to send Brother Qu a message, telling him to hurry and leave before the evil woman spotted him.


    But she¡¯d left in a hurry and had forgotten her backpack.


    ¡°Do you know them?¡± Pan Jingjing asked suspiciously.


    Zhao Qin nced at the woman across from her with a half-smile, ¡°You¡¯re talking to me?¡±


    As she said this, she looked Pan Jingjing up and down, as though she was just an ordinary item on the side of the road.


    Pan Jingjing was infuriated. At such a young age, Zhao Qin was so seductive; she couldn¡¯t be anything good.


    However, hiding behind her morous outfit, Pan Jingjing didn¡¯t daresh out,<div>


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zhao Qin nodded, ¡°I guess you could say I¡¯m friends with their sister.¡±


    Friends?


    Pan Jingjing furrowed her brows. What a coincidence.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s perfect. This little girl ruined my bag ¨C since you¡¯re friends with their sister, you canpensate me on their behalf.¡±


    Ming Ti bit her lip.


    Zhao Qinughed exaggeratedly as if she had heard a hrious joke; all the passing girls turned their heads to look.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Pan Jingjing said displeasedly.


    ¡°I¡¯mughing at how bold people are these days, trying to scam me with a knockoff. Did they really think I¡¯m some big fool?¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain and contempt, her chin raised slightly, looking down on others ¨C a true ice queen.


    The eyes of the few girls who had gathered around them fell on Pan Jingjing, mixed with scorn.<div>


    This red-dressed girl exuded a rich and powerful air, adorned in designer brands from head to toe. Her words held immense credibility. In contrast, Pan Jingjing, with her stic surgery face, dressed modestly, and carrying a knockoff didn¡¯t seem out of the ordinary.


    Carrying a knockoff to such an event just made her look even more low-ss.


    Above all, trying to scam mere children was the lowest thing one could do.


    Pan Jingjing¡¯s ¡°snake-venom face¡± flushed red with anger. She pointed at Zhao Qin¡¯s nose and yelled, ¡°What gives you the right to say I¡¯m carrying a knockoff?¡±


    Zhao Qin grabbed her using finger, twisted it back, and smiled enchantingly. This was apanied by Pan Jingjing¡¯s miserable scream.


    Ming Chen sucked in a breath of cold air and grabbed Ming Ti¡¯s hand.


    This elder sister is so cool; they had misjudged her.


    Little stars twinkled in Ming Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Pan Jingjing¡¯s face was contorted with pain, making her unnatural features even more evident.


    Zhao Qin let go and grinned, ¡°If I say you¡¯re carrying a knockoff, then you¡¯re carrying a knockoff. What, you got a problem with that?¡±


    These words, paired with that stunning, beautiful face, were domineering and<div>


    Clutching her aching finger, Pan Jingjing cursed, ¡°Who do you think you are? Nothing but a sell-out. Who are you to¡­?¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Zhao Qin kicked her in the chest. Pan Jingjing didn¡¯t have time to react before she mmed into the wall behind her, falling to the ground with a thud,pletely dazed.


    Not only was she stunned, but so were all the onlookers.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen swallowed hard and involuntarily took a step back.


    This was a ruthless person.


    Zhao Qin swayed her slender waist as she walked over. She grabbed Pan Jingjing¡¯s hair, forcing her to lift her head. Pan Jingjing screamed, yelling, ¡°You dare hit me? You¡¯re as good as dead! Do you know who my boyfriend is?¡± Zhao Qin curled her lips, her eyes cold, enchanting, and mocking.


    ¡°Go on, bring your boyfriend over. Let me see what kind of person he is.¡± Zhao Qin really let go. She pulled a tissue out of her bag and wiped her fingers one by one.


    Pan Jingjing struggled to get up, taking a shabby exit. As she left, she threw a hateful warning at Zhao Qin, ¡°You just wait for me.¡±


    Zhao Qin raised her eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    After Pan Jingjing left, Zhao Qin approached Ming Chen and Ming Ti, the two kids turned to run instinctively. Zhao Qin hooked one cor with each hand, leaned in between their little heads, and grinned, ¡°I saved you guys. How is your sister going to repay me?¡±


    Remembering Zhao Qin¡¯s vicious kick, Ming Chen shuddered subconsciously before saying, ¡°Sis¡­ Sister, thank you..¡±

 Chapter 283: 132 Socialites (Third Watch)_2

    Chapter 283: 132 Socialites (Third Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Your gratitude won¡¯t help; I want your sister to thank me.¡±


    Ming Ti turned around and said in a low voice, ¡°We sneaked out, Ming Jing doesn¡¯t know.¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin squinted her eyes, ¡°Little girl, do you think I¡¯m a fool? Did your sister meet up with a man she would rather hide? I¡¯m getting more and more curious.¡±


    Ming Ti had a bad feeling in her heart, signaling Ming Chen to run away with her eyes, but Zhao Qin grabbed the back of Ming Chen¡¯s cor andughed, ¡°If any of you dare to run, I will have you stripped and hung at the entrance of the restaurant.¡±


    Both of them shivered simultaneously, acknowledging the woman could actually do such a thing.


    In order to avoid messing up their bigger n due to their impatience, they both settled down. Ming Ti gave Ming Chen a reassuring nce, nning to fathom out this woman¡¯s intentions and act ordingly.


    Zhao Qin looked at the obedient appearances of the two and smiled satisfied before walking out.


    Not long after she left, she saw Pan Jingjing pulling a man, hurriedly walking towards her.


    Zhao Qin rubbed her wrist, producing a cracking sound, which made both Ming Ti and Ming Chen shiver.


    ¡°This bitch, she not only insulted me but also hit me. Take revenge for me,¡± Pan Jingjing said, pointing at Zhao Qin.


    He Maojie was initially furious. Who was so daring that they hit his woman?


    However. upon seeing this bewitching and beautiful girl. he became lustful all


    of a sudden.<div>


    Seeing this, Pan Jingjing exasperatedly twisted his arm, ¡°Are you still my boyfriend? I¡¯ve been bullied so badly.¡±


    He Maojie coughed and frowned at Zhao Qin, ¡°Who are you? Why did you hit her? Don¡¯t you know hitting people is illegal?¡±


    ¡°She started by bullying the kids. Seeing this, I had to step in. For such trash, you should get your eyes checked.¡± Zhao Qin teasingly yed with a strand of her hair that fell on her chest, her tone full of sarcasm.


    He Maojie was taken aback and red at Pan Jingjing.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying. Those two kids ruined my bag. I politely asked them topensate me. How have I bullied them? Instead, she was the one who kicked me in the chest first. You have to avenge me.¡±


    He Maojie frowned and asked Zhao Qin, ¡°You and those two children should apologize to my girlfriend. If you do so, I won¡¯t pursue this matter.¡±


    Zhao Qin let out a coldugh, ¡°What a huge face you¡¯ve got, to demand an apology from me? Are you even worthy?¡±


    He Maojie also got angry. No matter how beautiful, a person shouldn¡¯t abuse their power and insult him.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you onest chance¡­¡±


    Zhao Qin sighed, ¡°Our society truly has degraded. Even a stinky man speaks rudely to me. Little girl, your little sister can tolerate it, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    She then picked up a potted nt nearby and flung it towards He Maojie. He Maojie dodged it just in time. However, Pan Jingjing couldn¡¯t make it and was hit on the head, causing her to scream in pain.<div>


    He Maojie pointed at Zhao Qin and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re way too arrogant.¡±


    Zhao Qin pped the dirt off her hands and said sighingly, ¡°Arrogance has always been my middle name. You can ask around out there, who am I, Zhao Qin, afraid of?¡±


    He Maojie froze for a moment. Zhao Qin? The name sounded familiar. Wasn¡¯t there a notable family in Jiangzhou with the surname Zhao¡­


    Pan Jingjing¡¯s shrill scream reached his ears, ¡°Kill her¡­¡±. Her voice was both chilling and filled with grief.


    Her newly operated nose.


    Themotion had already attracted many onlookers. The waiter had gone to call the manager when the fight first broke out. Upon seeing Zhao Qin, the manager¡¯s lips twitched.


    Thisdy was not someone they could afford to offend.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, please calm down. Avoid upsetting yourself for nothing.¡±


    He flicked nces at He Maojie from the corners of his eyes, indicating that he was messing with the wrong person. Did he not want to live anymore?


    He Maojie suddenly realized and broke into cold sweat. His knees went weak instantly.


    ¡°Ms¡­ Ms Zhao?¡±<div>


    The Zhao family was a typical privileged family in Jiangzhou, but Ms. Zhao¡¯s maternal family¡­ no one dared to offend them in Jiangzhou. He Maojie started to feel faint, and he swayed where he stood.


    He¡¯s begging for his own end.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, I apologize. I was blind not to have recognized your status. Please be magnanimous and don¡¯t stoop to my level.¡± He Maojie apologized sincerely, leaving the crowd stunned. They all looked at Zhao Qin with disbelief in their eyes.


    What kind of status did she have? He Maojie, a well-known spoiled second-gen brat, was acting like a mouse in front of a cat upon seeing her?


    Pan Jingjing gave a shrill cry, ¡°What are you doing? She bullied me like this..


    Are you even a man?¡±

 Chapter 284: 132 Socialites (Third Watch)_3

    Chapter 284: 132 Socialites (Third Watch)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Get lost.¡± He Maojie disgustingly shook off her hand. ¡°You¡¯re courting death! This is Ms. Zhao Qin, and you¡¯re lucky she hasn¡¯t beaten you to death. Hurry up and apologize to Ms. Zhao.¡±


    Pan Jingjing wanted to split the earth apart with her re. She had been beaten, why should she apologize?<div>


    Zhao Qin patted the shoulders of the two little girls andughed cunningly, ¡°Do you know who these friends of your girlfriend who made a scene are?¡± He Maojie felt a chill down his back and sensed something wrong.


    Staring at the two little girls, he suddenly recognized them. Weren¡¯t they the two girls who followed that woman in the elevator?


    He hated Pan Jingjing even more. She had not only offended Ms. Zhao Qin but also his goddess.


    ¡°They are the sisters of Ms. Zhu.¡± Zhao Qin liked to enjoy the shock and regret on the other party¡¯s face; Zhu Mingjing was much more famous than her, so using her name was more intimidating.


    He Maojie¡¯s eyes widened, and his first instinct was that she was from the Zhus. She was the most famousdy in Jiangzhoutely, no wonder she was so graceful.


    Pan Jingjing didn¡¯t recognize Ms. Zhao Qin, but Ms. Zhu had recently be a household name, especially in Jiangzhou.


    Pan Jingjing¡¯s eyes widened, what? Were these two country bumpkins really Ms. Zhu¡¯s sisters?


    That¡¯s impossible.


    Then, that woman¡­


    Zhao Qin grinned, ¡°She identally destroyed your fake bag, and you held onto her like there was no tomorrow. Do you really think Ms. Zhu can¡¯t afford a fake bag! Is it necessary to make things so difficult for her sisters? Do you want me to invite Ms. Zhu out so we can have a proper discussion?¡±


    After the shock, He Maojie red at Pan Jingjing fiercely. She had lost all their face today.<div>


    Their family was still negotiating with the Zhu Group, Zhu Mingjing was now the one in charge. She had offended Ms. Zhu¡¯s sisters, and as a boyfriend, how could he look good?


    She really messed him up.


    Pan Jingjing suddenly fell silent, she was not stupid, she figured it out. She couldn¡¯t afford to mess with Ms. Zhao Qin, nor could she afford to mess with Ms. Zhu.


    Today she could only swallow this injustice silently.


    Someone nearbymented, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the inte celebrity Pan Jingjing? She tries to emte the noble style, and yet she carries a fake bag? Isn¡¯t that embarrassing?


    ¡°Noble? Don¡¯t insult that word. A low-quality, surgically enhanced face ¡ª Ms.


    Zhu is a real socialite. It¡¯s hrious that she would try to take advantage of Ms. Zhu¡¯s sister. Ms. Zhu is a billionaire; she could crush her with money alone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it. Ms. Zhu isn¡¯t the type to seek vanity and attention. She wouldn¡¯t do something so distasteful. She¡¯s not even fit to carry Ms. Zhu¡¯s shoes. ¡±


    Hearing all these sarcasticments around her, Pan Jingjing wished she could dig a hole and crawl inside.


    So that was Zhu Mingjing.


    ¡°Auntie, although my sister bumped into you, she didn¡¯t touch your bag. My sister has delicate skin ¨C if she had really damaged your bag, her face would have been injured too. We don¡¯t need to lie; we just don¡¯t want to be wronqed.<div>


    My sister often teaches us to be honest, and now I want to give this advice to you.¡±


    She stopped talking and walked away without looking at anyone, pulling Ming Chen along with her.


    Oh my god, this little girl was too cute. She indeed was a good girl taught by Ms. Zhu. Comparing her to Pan Jingjing who tried to take advantage of such a cute child, doesn¡¯t she fear being struck by lightning?


    Besides, the little girl has delicate skin; she¡¯s not an invincible brute. How could she damage your bag? She didn¡¯t even me you for injuring her, but instead, you tried to turn the tables around. Do you think everyone else is a fool?


    Pan Jingjing fled in defeat, and He Maojie broke up with her on the spot.


    He Maojie wanted to catch up with Zhao Qin to apologize, but she had already disappeared from the spot.


    ¡°Hey, you two little dummies, why are you running?¡± Zhao Qin caught one with each hand and grinned, ¡°Zhu Mingjing taught you two well; you¡¯re pretty clever.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao saw Zhao Qin bringing back the two little girls and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    He had heard what happened outside. This girl was always causing trouble wherever she went.


    Zhao Qin smirked, ¡°Cousin, how much do you think these two little girls can sell for? They have delicate skin and are worth a lot of money. It¡¯s not easy to get a chance like this, so this time we must make Zhu Mingjing bleed.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao leisurely sipped his tea, ¡°Not bad.¡±<div>


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti shuddered together.


    Big Sister,e save us..

 Chapter 285: 133 Fog (Part One)

    Chapter 285: 133 Fog (Part One)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    These two girls were taking a long time. Ming Jing frowned.


    ¡°You eat first. I¡¯ll go look for them.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai wanted to say ¡°let me go¡±, but when he thought of his own identity, he helplessly sighed.


    This identity is such a burden.


    Ming Jing had just stood up when she saw Ming Chen and Ming Ti walking over.


    Ming Chen was desperately trying to signal her, but Ming Jing stood still, looking at the two figures behind Ming Chen and Ming Ti.


    Both were familiar faces.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, today you have to owe me a favor.¡± Before the person arrived, Zhao Qin¡¯s voice was like her, unrestrained and passionate, like a ball of fire burning towards her.


    It was not easy to make Zhu Mingjing owe someone a favor.


    Thinking of this, Zhao Qin¡¯s smile on her face grew even wider.


    It was really worthing out today.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao.¡± A young girl in a white dress stood under the dimntern light.


    Her face was as beautiful as a lotus flower, with the otherworldliness of a quiet orchid in an empty valley.<div>


    Her skirt fluttered, as if she wanted to ride the wind and return to the sky in the next second.


    Standing quietly, not contaminated by a single dust of the mundane world, even the air around her seemed to be gentler and cleaner.


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes.


    This was the recently famous Ms. Zhu of Jiangzhou. Her appearance and temperament were very deceptive. At first nce, she was an immortal who did not eat the fireworks of the world, pure,passionate and gentle.


    A beautiful face.


    As he took a step closer, the pair of pitch -ck eyes reflected the approaching figure, whether it was raging undercurrents or ancient abyss beneath the surface calm, was unknown.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡± Ming Chen and Ming Ti rushed over, holding Ming Jing one on the left and one on the right, their little heads buried in her waist, like tired birds returning to their nest.


    Ming Jing¡¯s expression was gentle as she gently patted their backs, softly asking, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Ming Chen told her everything, and then looked back at Zhao Qin, ¡°It was this sister who helped us vent our anger and drove away the bad woman.¡±


    Zhao Qin smiled, ¡°It was nothing more than a helping hand, but since I helped your sister out, does Ms. Zhu owe me a favor?¡±


    Some people even demanded favors.<div>


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Zhao, for your helping hand. Ming Jing is very grateful.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, why not invite me to a meal? I¡¯m a bit hungry after all this activity.¡±


    ¡°Some other day, I will definitely sweep the couch to wee you. It¡¯s just that today¡¯s a bit inconvenient¡­¡±


    ¡°Inconvenient? I think it¡¯s very convenient. If you have guests, just make do with a table together. It¡¯s more lively with more people. Just introduce me to your friend and get me to know her. I love making friends.¡±


    Ming Chen sneaked in and whispered to Qu Feitai, who was listening to the outside movement with his ears erect, ¡°Brother Qu, you¡¯d better run. There¡¯s a bad woman outside and she¡¯s insisting on eating with Ming Jing. She must be after you. If she finds out your identity, it¡¯ll be terrible.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at the worried little girl in front of him and shook his head with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not unsightly. The more you cover up, the more curious people be. Maybe when she sees me, she¡¯ll lose interest and leave.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qu, how can you have no self-awareness about your charm? When she sees you, she¡¯ll definitely like you. There isn¡¯t a girl in this world who doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    Except for your Ming Jing, Qu Feitai added silently.


    Qu Feitai coughed and said, ¡°Ming Jing, let them in.¡±


    Ming Jing initially refused to let them in because of Qu Feitai¡¯s identity, but now that the person involved agreed, she stopped refusing.


    Zhao Qin narrowed her eyes, a young man¡¯s voice.<div>


    Zhu Ming Jing appeared to be untainted, but she had unexpectedly started dating men behind her back.


    Zhao Qin nced at the silent Ran Tengxiao, her eyes gleeful.


    Cousin, their beloved flower has an owner now, you were too slow.


    Ran Tengxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to her and walked in. As he passed Ming Jing, he smiled faintly, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I¡¯ve long heard of your great name.¡±


    In his eyes, the girl¡¯s thick eyshes drooped down her eyelids, sweeping over her serene face, her skin whiter than snow.


    ¡°Mr. Ran is too polite.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Ms. Zhu knows me?¡±


    It seemed like he wanted to see something from her expression. Unfortunately, he was disappointed. He had never seen someone so good at controlling their emotions. Not even the elderly. who had experienced ups and downs. could do


    it, yet she was only sixteen years old.


    ¡°Mr. Ran¡¯s fame is well known in Jiangzhou.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips yfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was so famous.


    Notorious, maybe..¡±

 Chapter 286: 133 Mist (Part One Update)_2

    Chapter 286: 133 Mist (Part One Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    He walked in with a smile and saw a young man sitting inside, squinting his eyes.


    The other party stood up, very tall, more than half a head taller than him.<div>


    The man reached out his hand and smiled subtly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Qu Feitai, Ming


    Jing¡¯s friend.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes, his surname is Qu?


    Among men, a handshake is considered courtesy. He was confident that in the whole city of Jiangzhou, no one would dare to initiate a handshake with him, but he extended his hand anyway.


    Ran Tengxiao reached out, and the tworge hands sped together.


    The other party secretly exerted force, almost crushing his finger bones.


    Ran Tengxiao looked up, and the coldness in the young man¡¯s eyes was intimidating, like a man-eating beast, staring at him.


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips, exerted strength secretly, and as expected, the young man knit his eyebrows.


    The two naturally let go of their hands, the previous tension faded as if it were just an illusion.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s hand hanging by his side clenched slightly, ncing up at the man across from him.


    Such a strong aura.<div>


    Ran Tengxiao finds it funny, a young man who just entered society, trying to show off in front of Master Xiao.


    ¡°Qu Feitai?¡± Zhao Qin who walked in eagerly heard the conversation and took a serious look at Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Big star Qu Feitai?¡±


    All young people knew Qu Feitai¡¯s name, especially during his concert in Jiangzhou when Zhao Qin constantly heard his name.


    It seemed that Zhu Mingjing had a good rtionship with him.


    Zhao Qin was a bit surprised and no wonder Zhu Mingjing was always stopping her.


    Today¡¯s trip was well worth it, Zhao Qin hooked her lips confidently.


    The biggest news of the year.


    If Qu Feitai¡¯s fans ever found out about this, wouldn¡¯t they tear Zhu Mingjing apart?


    Ran Tengxiao raised his eyebrows, so this kid was also a star?


    Qu Feitai nodded indifferently: ¡°Hello.¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin nced at Ming Jing who followed in and said with a smile, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I didn¡¯t know you and Qu Feitai had this kind of rtionship. Today, I¡¯m honored to dine at the same table with a big star like him.¡±


    Ming Jing replied lightly, ¡°Sit down, I¡¯ll get a waiter to add two chairs.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and left, and Zhao Qin curiously studied Qu Feitai. He was really handsome, and when she looked back at Ran Tengxiao, she suddenly felt disappointed and shook her head.


    Cousin, you have no chance.


    This was Qu Feitai, the dream lover of millions of young girls and the walking pheromone in the entertainment circle.


    Zhao Qin had only seen Qu Feitai¡¯s poster before, this was her first time seeing him in person. Unlike the illusory paper man on the poster, the young man close to her was real, and his strong aura almost made her lose herself.


    With such broad shoulders and narrow waist, even clothes couldn¡¯t hide his abs, coupled with his cold and handsome face, he exuded elegance and sexiness. Zhao Qin thought maybe she should steal him from Zhu Mingjing after all.


    Dating such a handsome guy would bring a sense of aplishment, let alone a top star with millions of fans. To have the love of this kind of man would make her the envy of women worldwide, which was exactly what Zhao Qin had dreamed of.


    The heat in Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes made Qu Feitai frown. Ming Chen smirked, ¡°Pretty sister, why are you looking at Brother Qu like that? Girls should be more reserved.¡±


    Stinky girl, calling her unreserved, Zhao Qinughed, ¡°Qu Feitai, can I call you that? How did you meet Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    She was genuinely curious as they seemed like people frompletely different worlds, yet they seemed to be in secretly close contact.<div>


    ¡°We met by chance.¡± Qu Feitai said indifferently.


    This ¡°chance¡± was very flexible.


    Zhao Qin realized she wouldn¡¯t get any information from him, so she changed the topic, ¡°I remember you just finished your concert in Jiangzhou, are you staying here for Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s brow furrowed even more.


    At this time, the White Dress song started to y again, Zhao Qin paused and listened for a while, ¡°Isn¡¯t this your song?¡±


    It had been very poprtely and could be heard everywhere.


    Zhao Qin had listened to the new song before and thought it was quite good, but now she found a deeper meaning to it as she nced at Qu Feitai meaningfully.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, I understand now.¡±


    Qu Feitai was speechless, she understood what exactly? It was utterly absurd.


    Zhao Qin sighed, people shouldn¡¯t let desire blind them, especially since Zhu Mingjing was a bit weird, and it was better not to provoke her. It might be challenging topete with her for a man. Although Zhao Qin considered herself irresistibly charming, she still felt a bit uncertain..

 Chapter 285 - 285: 133 Fog (Part One)

    Chapter 285: 133 Fog (Part One)


    Trantor: 549690339


    These two girls were taking a long time. Ming Jing frowned.


    ¡°You eat first. I¡¯ll go look for them.¡±


    Qu Feitai wanted to say ¡°let me go¡±, but when he thought of his own identity, he helplessly sighed.


    This identity is such a burden.


    Ming Jing had just stood up when she saw Ming Chen and Ming Ti walking over.


    Ming Chen was desperately trying to signal her, but Ming Jing stood still, looking at the two figures behind Ming Chen and Ming Ti.


    Both were familiar faces.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, today you have to owe me a favor.¡± Before the person arrived, Zhao Qin¡¯s voice was like her, unrestrained and passionate, like a ball of fire burning towards her.


    It was not easy to make Zhu Mingjing owe someone a favor.


    Thinking of this, Zhao Qin¡¯s smile on her face grew even wider.


    It was really worthing out today.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao.¡± A young girl in a white dress stood under the dimntern light.


    Her face was as beautiful as a lotus flower, with the otherworldliness of a quiet orchid in an empty valley.


    Her skirt fluttered, as if she wanted to ride the wind and return to the sky in the next second.


    Standing quietly, not contaminated by a single dust of the mundane world, even the air around her seemed to be gentler and cleaner.


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes.


    This was the recently famous Ms. Zhu of Jiangzhou. Her appearance and temperament were very deceptive. At first nce, she was an immortal who did not eat the fireworks of the world, pure,passionate and gentle.


    A beautiful face.


    As he took a step closer, the pair of pitch -ck eyes reflected the approaching figure, whether it was raging undercurrents or ancient abyss beneath the surface calm, was unknown.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡± Ming Chen and Ming Ti rushed over, holding Ming Jing one on the left and one on the right, their little heads buried in her waist, like tired birds returning to their nest.


    Ming Jing¡¯s expression was gentle as she gently patted their backs, softly asking, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Ming Chen told her everything, and then looked back at Zhao Qin, ¡°It was this sister who helped us vent our anger and drove away the bad woman.¡±


    Zhao Qin smiled, ¡°It was nothing more than a helping hand, but since I helped your sister out, does Ms. Zhu owe me a favor?¡±


    Some people even demanded favors.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Zhao, for your helping hand. Ming Jing is very grateful.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, why not invite me to a meal? I¡¯m a bit hungry after all this activity.¡±


    ¡°Some other day, I will definitely sweep the couch to wee you. It¡¯s just that today¡¯s a bit inconvenient¡­¡±


    ¡°Inconvenient? I think it¡¯s very convenient. If you have guests, just make do with a table together. It¡¯s more lively with more people. Just introduce me to your friend and get me to know her. I love making friends.¡±


    Ming Chen sneaked in and whispered to Qu Feitai, who was listening to the outside movement with his ears erect, ¡°Brother Qu, you¡¯d better run. There¡¯s a bad woman outside and she¡¯s insisting on eating with Ming Jing. She must be after you. If she finds out your identity, it¡¯ll be terrible.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at the worried little girl in front of him and shook his head with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not unsightly. The more you cover up, the more curious people be. Maybe when she sees me, she¡¯ll lose interest and leave.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qu, how can you have no self-awareness about your charm? When she sees you, she¡¯ll definitely like you. There isn¡¯t a girl in this world who doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    Except for your Ming Jing, Qu Feitai added silently.


    Qu Feitai coughed and said, ¡°Ming Jing, let them in.¡±


    Ming Jing initially refused to let them in because of Qu Feitai¡¯s identity, but now that the person involved agreed, she stopped refusing.


    Zhao Qin narrowed her eyes, a young man¡¯s voice.


    Zhu Ming Jing appeared to be untainted, but she had unexpectedly started dating men behind her back.


    Zhao Qin nced at the silent Ran Tengxiao, her eyes gleeful.


    Cousin, their beloved flower has an owner now, you were too slow.


    Ran Tengxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to her and walked in. As he passed Ming Jing, he smiled faintly, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I¡¯ve long heard of your great name.¡±


    In his eyes, the girl¡¯s thick eyshes drooped down her eyelids, sweeping over her serene face, her skin whiter than snow.


    ¡°Mr. Ran is too polite.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Ms. Zhu knows me?¡±


    It seemed like he wanted to see something from her expression. Unfortunately, he was disappointed. He had never seen someone so good at controlling their emotions. Not even the elderly. who had experienced ups and downs. could do


    it, yet she was only sixteen years old.


    ¡°Mr. Ran¡¯s fame is well known in Jiangzhou.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips yfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was so famous.


    Notorious, maybe..¡±

 Chapter 286 - 286: 133 Mist (Part One Update)_2

    Chapter 286: 133 Mist (Part One Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    He walked in with a smile and saw a young man sitting inside, squinting his eyes.


    The other party stood up, very tall, more than half a head taller than him.


    The man reached out his hand and smiled subtly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Qu Feitai, Ming


    Jing¡¯s friend.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes, his surname is Qu?


    Among men, a handshake is considered courtesy. He was confident that in the whole city of Jiangzhou, no one would dare to initiate a handshake with him, but he extended his hand anyway.


    Ran Tengxiao reached out, and the tworge hands sped together.


    The other party secretly exerted force, almost crushing his finger bones.


    Ran Tengxiao looked up, and the coldness in the young man¡¯s eyes was intimidating, like a man-eating beast, staring at him.


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips, exerted strength secretly, and as expected, the young man knit his eyebrows.


    The two naturally let go of their hands, the previous tension faded as if it were just an illusion.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s hand hanging by his side clenched slightly, ncing up at the man across from him.


    Such a strong aura.


    Ran Tengxiao finds it funny, a young man who just entered society, trying to show off in front of Master Xiao.


    ¡°Qu Feitai?¡± Zhao Qin who walked in eagerly heard the conversation and took a serious look at Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Big star Qu Feitai?¡±


    All young people knew Qu Feitai¡¯s name, especially during his concert in Jiangzhou when Zhao Qin constantly heard his name.


    It seemed that Zhu Mingjing had a good rtionship with him.


    Zhao Qin was a bit surprised and no wonder Zhu Mingjing was always stopping her.


    Today¡¯s trip was well worth it, Zhao Qin hooked her lips confidently.


    The biggest news of the year.


    If Qu Feitai¡¯s fans ever found out about this, wouldn¡¯t they tear Zhu Mingjing apart?


    Ran Tengxiao raised his eyebrows, so this kid was also a star?


    Qu Feitai nodded indifferently: ¡°Hello.¡±


    Zhao Qin nced at Ming Jing who followed in and said with a smile, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I didn¡¯t know you and Qu Feitai had this kind of rtionship. Today, I¡¯m honored to dine at the same table with a big star like him.¡±


    Ming Jing replied lightly, ¡°Sit down, I¡¯ll get a waiter to add two chairs.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and left, and Zhao Qin curiously studied Qu Feitai. He was really handsome, and when she looked back at Ran Tengxiao, she suddenly felt disappointed and shook her head.


    Cousin, you have no chance.


    This was Qu Feitai, the dream lover of millions of young girls and the walking pheromone in the entertainment circle.


    Zhao Qin had only seen Qu Feitai¡¯s poster before, this was her first time seeing him in person. Unlike the illusory paper man on the poster, the young man close to her was real, and his strong aura almost made her lose herself.


    With such broad shoulders and narrow waist, even clothes couldn¡¯t hide his abs, coupled with his cold and handsome face, he exuded elegance and sexiness. Zhao Qin thought maybe she should steal him from Zhu Mingjing after all.


    Dating such a handsome guy would bring a sense of aplishment, let alone a top star with millions of fans. To have the love of this kind of man would make her the envy of women worldwide, which was exactly what Zhao Qin had dreamed of.


    The heat in Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes made Qu Feitai frown. Ming Chen smirked, ¡°Pretty sister, why are you looking at Brother Qu like that? Girls should be more reserved.¡±


    Stinky girl, calling her unreserved, Zhao Qinughed, ¡°Qu Feitai, can I call you that? How did you meet Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    She was genuinely curious as they seemed like people frompletely different worlds, yet they seemed to be in secretly close contact.


    ¡°We met by chance.¡± Qu Feitai said indifferently.


    This ¡°chance¡± was very flexible.


    Zhao Qin realized she wouldn¡¯t get any information from him, so she changed the topic, ¡°I remember you just finished your concert in Jiangzhou, are you staying here for Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s brow furrowed even more.


    At this time, the White Dress song started to y again, Zhao Qin paused and listened for a while, ¡°Isn¡¯t this your song?¡±


    It had been very poprtely and could be heard everywhere.


    Zhao Qin had listened to the new song before and thought it was quite good, but now she found a deeper meaning to it as she nced at Qu Feitai meaningfully.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, I understand now.¡±


    Qu Feitai was speechless, she understood what exactly? It was utterly absurd.


    Zhao Qin sighed, people shouldn¡¯t let desire blind them, especially since Zhu Mingjing was a bit weird, and it was better not to provoke her. It might be challenging topete with her for a man. Although Zhao Qin considered herself irresistibly charming, she still felt a bit uncertain..

 Chapter 287: 133 Fog (Part One)_3

    Chapter 287: 133 Fog (Part One)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    There¡¯s plenty of fish in the sea; if this one doesn¡¯t work out, there¡¯s always another.


    As Zhao Qin¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a sh of a figure in ck, she felt puzzled, why was she suddenly thinking of him again?<div>


    She quickly lowered her head and took a sip of water to calm her nerves.


    Such a heartless guy, disappearing for so long, did he die or something?


    Zhao Qin felt a pang of anxiety in her heart; suddenly, a faint fragrance wafted past her nose, and she froze on the spot.


    She abruptly stood up, startling everyone around her.


    Zhao Qin quickly turned her head to look outside, and in the next moment, Zhu


    Mingjing entered.


    Furrowing her eyebrows, Zhao Qin stared intently at Ming Jing¡¯s face. Why did their scents smell so simr?


    Was it a coincidence?


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze swept over Zhao Qin¡¯s face, her eyes narrowing slightly, and her eyebrows furrowing.


    With a poker face, she said, ¡°The food has gone cold, I¡¯ll have the kitchen heat it up. What would you two like to eat?¡±


    The manager walked in with the menu, sweating profusely from her nervous hands.<div>


    The people seated there were all influential figures not to be messed with.


    Master Xiao, the well-known mastermind of Jiangzhou, Ms. Zhao, his cousin, and the recently notorious Ms. Zhu; any one of them could shake up Jiangzhou just by stamping their feet.


    She secretly nced around ¨C what a feast for the eyes: all the gorgeous men and women.


    Suddenly, the manager¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Wasn¡¯t that the famous movie star Qu Fei Tai?


    My god, what kind of earth-shattering secret did she just stumble upon? Turns out Qu Fei Tai was the one dating Ms. Zhu.


    This was a well-known couple¡¯s restaurant and popr social media hotspot, so the manager wouldn¡¯t think two ordinary friends would meet here on a date.


    If this information leaked, the inte would go into meltdown.


    The manager was experiencing a storm of emotions, but she kept a respectful and attentive expression on her face.


    To keep her job and avoid awyer¡¯s letter, she had to keep her mouth shut tight.


    Zhao Qin snapped back to reality and raised her eyebrows, asking, ¡°What are your signature dishes here?¡±<div>


    The manager listed a few, and Zhao Qin nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s have one of each.¡±


    The manager respectfully retreated, nearly tripping on her way. One of her co-workers quickly caught her, ¡°Manager, what happened? Was that guy difficult to serve?¡±


    The manager shook her head, Master Xiao was much more approachable than rumors suggested, but there was something else that was throwing her off bnce.


    ncing at the young woman¡¯s innocent face, the manager tightly closed her mouth.


    Some things were better left unknown.


    ¡°That was Ms. Zhao, right? That kick she gave Pan Jingjing earlier was so vicious, I¡¯m still feeling shudders.¡±


    The manager shook her head, as long as you don¡¯t offend Ms. Zhao, she¡¯s quite easygoing.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s Ms. Zhu? I heard that the fake rich girl was driven out of the Zhus; she mustn¡¯t be an easy person to deal with.¡±


    The manager gave her a side-eye, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± She had never seen a socialite gentler and kinder than Ms. Zhu.


    ¡°Forget it, hurry up and deliver the food to the kitchen. Remind everyone to muster their spirits. We must serve these guests well tonight. Our lives and livelihoods are at stake, understand?¡±


    The young girl nodded and hastily rushed to the kitchen to deliver the message.<div>


    The manager sighed and nced at a certain spot, all the surroundings seemingly shining with light.


    The most despairing thing in the world was having a potential inte-breaking news story right under her nose, and all she could do was to keep her mouth shut tight.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti sat on two additional chairs brought in, Ming Jing sat with Qu Fei Tai while Zhao Qin and Ran Tengxiao sat across from them.


    As their eyes met, the atmosphere became awkward.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s gaze flitted between the two of them. They were a good-looking couple; handsome man and beautiful woman, a perfect match indeed.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, I heard that Zhu Xiangxiang has been driven out of the Zhus?¡± This statement was clearly stirring up trouble, and Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t wait to see Qu Fei Tails reaction.


    Reading the news about Ming Jing, Qu Fei Tai hade across the name Zhu Xiangxiang, who was apparently the fake rich girl mistaken for Ming Jing at that time.


    It was only natural for things to get back on track as she was coveting something that didn¡¯t belong to her in the first ce.


    ¡°Her real parents finally found her, and after years of separation, they are now reunited ¨C everyone¡¯s overjoyed.¡±


    ¡°Overjoyed?¡± Zhao Qin smirked, ¡°She got off too easy.¡±


    When Li Jiaojiao found out, she gleefully wanted to rush to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s new home to shove her face in the mud. Zhu Xiangxiang had grown ustomed to living the easy life of a rich girl.. Asking her to live in poverty wouldn¡¯tst long before she¡¯de running back to the Z

 Chapter 288: 133 Fog (Part One)_4

    Chapter 288: 133 Fog (Part One)_4<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qu Feitai curled his lips: ¡°Are you my fan?¡±


    Zhao Qin nced at Ming Jing, and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a diehard fan.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re my fan, you must know the main song of my first album, right?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes were as ck as an abyss, revealing a faint mockery.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to fool me.¡± Zhao Qin¡¯s charm was fully disyed in her flirtatious gaze.


    ¡°Today we meet for the first time, and I fell in love at first sight. I wonder if the great star Qu can give me a chance?¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face darkened, making his cold and handsome eyebrows stand out even more.


    Zhao Qin smiled from the corner of her mouth and nced at Ming Jing, who seemed indifferent all along.


    It seemed that the prince was eager but the nymph was uninterested.


    ¡°Miss Zhao, please have some self-respect.¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s voice was cold, freezing enough to form ice.


    ¡°Gentleman pursues fair maiden, anddy seeks gentleman. Why are you so nervous? Who are you afraid that will misunderstand?¡± Zhao Qin said with a grin.


    At this time, the manager started to serve the dishes. Hearing this sentence from Zhao Qin, the manager¡¯s hands trembled as he held the dish and secretly nced at Qu Feitai and Zhu Mingjing.


    ¡°Oh? Pretty sister, you got it wrong. It¡¯s ¡®fair maiden seeks gentleman, gentleman pursues fair maiden¡¯. If you have virtue, a gentleman will naturally see your good qualities and pursue you actively.¡± Ming Chen blinked innocently and spoke with a naive face.


    Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t help but curve his lips, admiring the clever little girl.


    In other words, only a person without virtue would keep throwing themselves at someone, losing a woman¡¯s dignity in the process.<div>


    Zhao Qin stared at Ming Chen: ¡°Little devil, are you insulting me?¡±


    Ming Chen maintained her innocent smile: ¡°Prettv sister. where did I sav a


    dirty word?¡±


    Zhao Qin pinched Ming Chen¡¯s chubby little face, scoffed and said, ¡®You¡¯re such a cunning little kid, who did you learn from?¡± Who else could it be but Zhu Mingjing?


    Both are as elusive and cunning as each other.


    Ming Chen straightened her fingers and said earnestly, ¡°This poem is from ¡®The ssic of Poetry: Guan Jul. I learned it from a textbook.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s asking you about that?¡±


    ¡°Ming Chen.¡± Ming Jing suddenly spoke.


    ¡°You should not be disrespectful to Miss Zhao.¡±


    Ming Chen pouted resentfully, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s my fault. Miss Zhao, please forgive a little child like me. Even if you recited the poem wrongly, I shouldn¡¯t have pointed it out and embarrassed you.¡±


    Poor little girl, Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t help but smile. No wonder she was able to annoy Pan Jingjing into action, this girl truly has an expert way of choking people with her words.<div>


    If she¡¯s already like this at such a young age, what would she be like when she grows up?


    Qu Feitai tried to suppress hisughter, secretly giving Ming Chen an encouraging look.


    Well done!


    When Ming Chen shrunk and knitted her little brows, she looked particrly pitiful, making Zhao Qin seem petty and small-minded for arguing with a child.


    The manager thought to himself, Miss Zhao has often been arrogant and overbearing, not even sparing a child. It¡¯s really too much.


    ¡°What a good little sister taught by Miss Zhu, I¡¯m truly impressed today.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°Children know no bounds, forgive me if my sister has offended you, Miss Zhao.¡±


    This person is like a sponge ¨C no matter what you throw at her, she just absorbs it, making others feel helpless.


    Zhao Qin snorted and red at Ming Chen, ¡°Little girl, I helped you today, and this is how you repay me?¡±


    Ming Chen blinked her big eyes, ¡°Pretty sister, I¡¯m really grateful to you in my heart. My sister inviting you to dinner is a token of gratitude. If that¡¯s not enough, I know you¡¯re in a bad mood, so you can take it out on me however you like. I won¡¯t mind.¡¯


    How considerate.<div>


    Zhao Qin was speechless, realizing that she couldn¡¯t win an argument against a child, which was humiliating for her as Miss Zhao.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Ran Tengxiao, who had been silent, finally spoke. He nced at Ming Chen, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re very cute. You cane to my house as a guest anytime.¡±


    Ming Chen sensed this man wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with, so she obediently lowered her head to eat.


    Ming Ti couldn¡¯t pretend to be cute, and she feared that her words would provoke this violent woman to flip the table. She wisely kept silent.


    Zhao Qin stared at the two little girls with identical faces, ¡°Having two such sweet sisters, Miss Zhu must be living a veryfortable life every day. It¡¯s really enviable.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡°They are sensible and obedient ¨C indeed, it¡¯s veryfortable.¡±


    Zhao Qin gave a dryugh, feeling that the three sisters seemed to be born to torment her. Why had shee here to get angry?


    Ran Tengxiao ced some vegetables on Zhao Qin¡¯s te, ¡°Eat some greens to cool down.¡±


    Zhao Qin red at him, ¡°Cousin, even you¡¯reughing at me?¡±


    Ming Jing never spoke while eating, and Ming Ti and Ming Chen were no


    different. For a moment, the table quieted down.


    Ran Tengxiao nced at the girl in front of him, who was graceful as she picked up her chopsticks. Her movements were so light and gentle that they made no sound as she touched her te. She was elegant and unhurried, like a beautiful painting that was a feast for the eyes.


    Despite having lived in the mountains for sixteen years, there wasn¡¯t a trace of crudeness or vulgarity in her. Instead, her every move was that of a graceful and elegantdy, as if cultivation and etiquette were ingrained in her bones and fused with her blood.


    The more Ran Tengxiao observed her, the more he felt she was an enigma. The Zhu family wasn¡¯t exactly a pedigreed noble n, so it didn¡¯t make sense to say it was inherited either..

 Chapter 289: 134 Memory (Second Update)

    Chapter 289: 134 Memory (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Last time at the racetrack, thank you, Ms. Zhu, for lending a helping hand and saving my younger brother¡¯s life, ¡± Ran Tengxiao suddenly said.


    Qu Feitai subconsciously nced at Ming Jing.<div>


    Racetrack?


    Ming Jing put down her chopsticks, picked up the napkin to wipe her mouth, and after putting it down, she looked at Ran Tengxiao and said, ¡°Mr. Ran, you¡¯re too polite. I didn¡¯t really help much.¡±


    ¡°You tamed the furious Violent Wind, preventing even greater casualties and thereby saving my brother¡¯s life. I¡¯ve never had the chance to express my gratitude to you in person, Ms. Zhu.¡±


    Zhao Qin nced at Ran Tengxiao. Are you this close with Ran Tenghui? Ran Tenghui probably felt he was about to cry with emotion.


    ¡°In that situation, anyone would have stepped in to help. Mr. Ran, you¡¯re too polite. My contribution is not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so tiring to hear you guys talk like this. How about this? I¡¯ll treat everyone, and we¡¯ll invite Ran Tenghui to join us for a meal some other day. Ms. Zhu, you can¡¯t refuse this time.¡± Zhao Qin thought her cousin and Zhu Mingjing were really cut from the same cloth, both speaking in such pretentious tones. Aren¡¯t they tired?


    That settled it.


    Ming Jing frowned slightly and nodded in agreement.


    Zhao Qin looked at Qu Feitai¡¯s cold face and smiled, ¡°If you¡¯re still in Jiangzhou at that time, we¡¯ll definitely invite you.¡±


    Qu Feitai indifferently said, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    The big star still has a temper, huh? Zhao Qin hooked her lips in amusement.<div>


    On the open-air stage, the manager held up a microphone and said, ¡°Wee everyone to the Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant. Today is our one-year anniversary, and to celebrate, we have a special lucky draw. The first prize is a Maldives couple¡¯s trip, where you can enjoy the salty sea breeze on Boduhithi Ind, watch sunsets and seagulls flying together, and invite the moon to drink together in the open- air bathtub of the sand house. This is a great opportunity for any couple to warm up their rtionship. If you win this prize, your love will surely be blessed and favored by the love god, and you will receive everyone¡¯s blessings. What are you waiting for?¡±


    Those who could afford to dine here didn¡¯t care about the cost of a trip to the Maldives, but the manager¡¯s words had sparked their interest. Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by love that was blessed and favored?


    For a moment, several couples were eager to try their luck.


    The manager let his colleagues go around with a box, and everyone began praying to the gods and Buddha for good fortune.


    However, so far, no table had won the first prize.


    When it was Ming Jing¡¯s turn, the manager personally carried the box over.


    ¡°You all must be enjoying your meal, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve just heard my announcement. Up until now, no one has drawn the first prize. So, who will be the lucky ones to have their love favored by the gods and blessed with the Maldives couple¡¯s trip?¡±


    The manager¡¯s gaze shifted between the four people before stopping on Zhao Qin.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, please give it a try first.¡±


    Zhao Qinughed, ¡°Cousin, if I win the Maldives couple¡¯s trip, will you go with


    Cousin?<div>


    The hand of the manager holding the box trembled.


    Isn¡¯t Ms. Zhao¡¯s cousin Master Xiao?


    The manager dared not raise his head, feeling like he¡¯d made a huge mistake by mistaking them as a couple. Would Master Xiao be so annoyed that he¡¯d snap at him?


    Ran Tengxiao chuckled, ¡°Can you afford my time?¡±


    Zhao Qin smiled at Qu Feitai across the table, ¡°Big star Qu, will you go with


    Qu Feitai frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Zhao, please don¡¯t joke with me.¡±


    ¡°Boring.¡± Zhao Qin shrugged, ¡°Nobody wants to go with me, so if I win, it¡¯d be a waste. I¡¯d better give the chance to someone who needs it more. Ms. Zhu, you give it a try.¡±


    Zhao Qin smiled at Ming Jing.


    The manager moved the box in front of Ming Jing, ¡°Ms. Zhu¡­¡±


    The manager¡¯s heart was pounding with excitement. He was witnessing some top-level gossip unfolding.


    Ming Jing said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re not¡­¡±<div>


    Ming Chen suddenly grinned, ¡°Second sister, let me do it, I can¡¯t miss out on something this fun.¡±


    Ming Chen jumped up and dove her hand into the box, stirring vigorously as she winked at Qu Feitai.


    Brother Qu, watch me.


    The manager was speechless. Ms. Zhu¡¯s younger sister was quite mischievous.


    Ming Chen pulled out a card and handed it to Qu Feitai, ¡°Brother Qu, I¡¯ll give my luck to you.¡±


    Ming Jing helplessly looked at Ming Chen, ¡°Naughty.¡± Ming Chen giggled.


    Qu Feitai casually took the card and took a look.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted. He looked up at Ming Chen, then back down at the card..

 Chapter 290: 134 Memory (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 290: 134 Memory (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    It can¡¯t be that coincidental, right?


    Ming Chen leaned in and nced at it, suddenly eximing with joy, ¡°I won the first prize, I¡¯m a lucky baby!¡±<div>


    Everyone present was stunned, including Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing frowned at the card in Qu Feitai¡¯s hand, on which ck words were written clearly against a white background.


    Congrattions on winning first prize, a Maldives couples¡¯ trip for two!


    The manager peeked at it, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    It was true.


    Looking at the overjoyed little girl, she was really lucky.


    While everyone else was stunned, only Ming Chen was the happiest. She held Qu Feitai¡¯s hand in one hand and Ming Jing¡¯s in the other, like a little matchmaker. She proudly said, ¡°Brother Qu can go to the Maldives with my elder sister, I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    This little girl was too interesting, a real gem.


    Ming Ti furrowed his delicate brow, wishing he could pull Ming Chen over and give her a good beating. She was an absolute troublemaker.


    Wasn¡¯t the situation chaotic enough already?<div>


    Qu Feitai coughed lightly, nced at Ming Jing, and caught her slightly furrowed brow. He chuckled and softly said, ¡°Ming Chen, thank you for your kindness, but the grand prize is for you and cannot be given away. You can take a good friend with you instead, and your brother will appreciate your goodwill.¡±


    Ming Chen frowned and looked up at the manager, asking, ¡°Auntie, can I take my sister with me?¡±


    The manager was already very had lost, but hurriedly replied, ¡°Of course, as long as they¡¯re customers of our store, they have the right to participate in the draw. You, little friend, are a child blessed by the Goddess of Fortune.¡±


    Ming Chen happily held Ming Jing¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Second sister, did you hear that? We can go on a trip together! Where is the Maldives? I¡¯ve never been there before.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled gently.


    The other customers who heard that Miss Zhu¡¯s sister had won the first prize let out a sigh of disappointment or sadness.


    Everyone suddenly realized: who was Ms. Zhu dating? And she brought two little sisters with her; it looked somewhat strange.


    It was rumored that Ms. Zhu was incredibly beautiful, but no one had actually seen her. Would they have a chance tonight?


    It was around 8 0¡¯clock when everyone had almost finished eating. Zhao Qin suggested going to KTV, but Ming Jing declined, saying the children were tired and needed to sleep early. At that moment, the manager came in and said, ¡°Mr. Qu, everyone outside is curious about who Ms. Zhu is dating. They¡¯re all staring at your group. If you go out, you might be recognized by sharp-eyed fans, which wouldn¡¯t be good. I think you should wait a while longer.¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned, somewhat helpless.


    Ming Jing thought for a moment and looked at Zhao Qin and Ran Tengxiao, ¡°Would you two mind if I borrowed your names for a bit?¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin shrugged, ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao alsoughed, ¡°I¡¯ve already taken advantage of Ms. Zhu¡¯s meal today, so how could I refuse to help a little?¡±


    Ming Jing said to the manager, ¡°Tell them that I¡¯m meeting up with Ms. Zhao and Mr. Ran today. We heard the fish and beef here are good, so we came here. The two little sisters really like it.¡±


    The manager¡¯s eyes lit up. This was a good idea. Once those outside heard Ran Tengxiao¡¯s name, they would surely run away. No one would dare to stick around.


    The manager turned around and left.


    Zhao Qin raised an eyebrow, ¡°I guess by tomorrow, rumors about your affair with my cousin will be circting around Jiangzhou. You¡¯re the first girl who has dared to sit at the same table and eat with my cousin.¡± Even if no one spread the rumor, she would do it herself.


    My dear cousin, this is all I can do for you.


    Zhao Qin suddenly felt a cold stare on her, and she didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was.


    Turns out, the dream lover of countless young girls is actually a lovesick fool. What a pity, your rival is my cousin. The men of our Ran family might not have many merits, but if there¡¯s one thing we excel at, it¡¯s persistence. We hold on to what we like and never give up.


    Of course, Ran Tenghui, the stud, was an exception. He was a gic mutation.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, her eyebrows exuding a warm yet cold charm. Even though she was smiling, it sent chills down one¡¯s spine.<div>


    ¡°No one would dare to gossip about Mr. Ran¡¯s affairs. If there is, then it must be only Mr. Ran¡¯s cousin.¡±¡±Heh.¡± Zhao Qin used a sneer to cover up the embarrassment in her heart when her thoughts were seen through.


    Did Zhu Mingjing have a pair of x-ray eyes?


    Sure enough, when people outside heard that Ms. Zhu had invited Zhao Qin and Ran Tengxiao, they lost their desire to watch the spectacle and hurriedly settled their bills and left.


    As for spreading gossips about Ms. Zhu and Ran Tengxiao? Were they trying to shorten their lifespans?


    In the blink of an eye, the restaurant was empty.


    Qu Feitai had been recognized by the manager. In order to protect theirst privacy, they canceled the free meal promotion. In the end, Ming Jing paid the bill, not giving anyone an opportunity and paid directly with her phone.


    The manager knew that Qu Feitai did not want to be recognized, so he personally drove everyone else out and personally escorted them out, sending them into the VIP elevator with a smile and a bow.


    ¡°Have a good trip, and we look forward to your visit next time.¡±


    As the elevator doors slowly closed, the manager¡¯s body went limp, and he almost kneeled on the ground.


    This must be the highlight of his life.


    As the elevator descended, the enclosed space felt suffocating. Ming Chen subconsciously grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand, her small face pale.


    Ming Jing gently patted her back.


    This VIP elevator did not go straight to the first floor lobby. There were too many peopleing and going, making it easy to be recognized. The VIP elevator was reserved for tinum members of the restaurant, dignitaries, and high-level staff, going directly to the entrance of the parking lot.


    As the elevator doors opened, their respective drivers were waiting for them.


    Ming Jing said goodbye to them one by one, holding Ming Ti and Ming Chen¡¯s hands as they walked towards the sedan. A gust of wind blew from the entrance of the underground parking lot, lifting the skirt of the young girl, making her look like a fairy.


    Behind the white sedan was a military green SUV. Inside, Yun MO watched as the girl in white approached step by step, then got into the white car in front of her.


    Yun MO squinted his eyes. Was she the reason why the young master insisted on staying in Jiangzhou?


    He suddenly realized that the young master had grown up, he was a man now and had a girl he liked. Would the eldest be happy or worried when he found out?


    Suddenly, Yun Mo¡¯s gaze sharpened as he focused on the man walking alongside the teenager.


    His right hand subconsciously reached for his waist.


    How did the young master get mixed up with this guy?


    Killing intent shed in Yun Mots eyes.


    As if inadvertently looking in this direction, the man¡¯s pitch-ck eyes lost their warmth and revealed the sharp keenness of a hawk.


    That was the gaze of a hunter.


    Ran Tencxiao.


    Yun MO savored this heinous name, thinking, it¡¯s time for you to pay back the debt your faternal uncle owes.


    The car sped through the night traffic, neon light reflections speeding backward, easily sweeping past the eyes. ¡°Young master, that girl¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Qu Feitai said coldly.


    Yun MO pressed his lips together.


    ¡°What kind of person is Ran Tengxiao?¡± Qu Feitai rarely came to Jiangzhou and didn¡¯t know much about the people and events here. He was also focused on his career and didn¡¯t care about external matters. At this moment, he suddenly felt annoyed that he didn¡¯t know anything and was in the dark.


    Yun MO sighed, ¡°Young master, you¡¯d better stay away from that person in the future. As for his identity¡­ I¡¯ll give you a file when we get back. You¡¯ll understand when you read it.¡±


    If the girl the young master liked had a close rtionship with Ran Tengxiao, this matter would getplicated.


    Qu Feitai seriously read the information, his brows furrowing deeper the more he read.


    In his mind, the long-sealed box was kicked open, and those unpleasant memories came surging out..

 Chapter 291: 135: Lapis Lazuli (First Update)

    Chapter 291: 135: Lapis Lazuli (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Cousin, I can only help you up to this point, and the rest is up to your own efforts.¡± Zhao Qin patted Ran Tengxiao¡¯s shoulder, speaking earnestly.


    ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Ran Tengxiao tapped his fingers on his knee, the jade ring on his thumb emitting a gentle glow in the night.<div>


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Qin hooked her lips. ¡°Let¡¯s say I¡¯m overthinking it, then.¡±


    Her eyes flickered, Zhao Qin bit her lip and asked tentatively, ¡°Cousin, have you seen Xi Yutely?¡±


    This guyes and goes like a shadow, vanishing like he evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace even if you dig three feet into the ground.


    Ran Tengxiao chuckled, ncing at Zhao Qin.


    Outside the car window, the swiftly passing neon lights clearly reflected the worry and struggle on the young girl¡¯s delicate face.


    ¡°Why mention him?¡±


    ¡°He lost a bet to you, didn¡¯t he? And is supposed to be serving by your side? This unfaithful guy, the next time I see him, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson!¡± Zhao Qin said fiercely.


    ¡°Would you actually do it?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s light and airy words made Zhao Qin¡¯s cheeks turn red. Her domineering tone was mixed with a hint of coyness she didn¡¯t even notice herself, ¡°Cousin, what are you talking about.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao had never seen the usually arrogant and domineering Zhao Qin show such a girlish side, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a chill.


    ¡°That kid isn¡¯t right for you. Give up on that notion as soon as possible.¡± Zhao Qin was stunned, her face turning pale as she muttered, ¡°Why?¡±<div>


    ¡°So, you¡¯re admitting to it?¡±


    Zhao Qin silently pursed her lips.


    ¡± Kan Tengxiao asked calmly. The dim car interior suddenly seemed suffocating.


    Zhao Qin bit her lower lip, ¡°I don¡¯t care; I just like him in my own way.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sneered, ¡°It seems your aunt has truly spoiled you. I have said all


    I need to say; weigh it out for yourself.¡±


    Thinking of something, Zhao Qin said, ¡°Cousin, I think Zhu Mingjing might know Xi Yu.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously caressing the jade ring on his thumb, ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    Zhao Qin pondered, ¡°I smelled Xi Yu¡¯s scent on Zhu Mingjing. It¡¯s very simr, but I¡¯m not quite sure. It doesn¡¯t smell like perfume; Zhu Mingjing probably doesn¡¯t use it. Instead, it smells more like body fragrance. That kind of scent¡­¡±


    Zhao Qin closed her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s like a plum blossom mixed with the coldness of ice and snow, apanied by a faint hint of sandalwood¡­¡±


    She remembered this scent vividly, having searched through all the perfume brands past and present, both for sale and in collections, but never finding this particr scent.<div>


    Ran Tengxiao wasn¡¯t surprised by this; Zhao Qin had an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell since she was young, able to detect scents that ordinary people couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Sandalwood?¡±


    Zhao Qin nodded, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not quite certain. It isn¡¯t the inferior sandalwood. I tried many types of sandalwood before confirming that it should be Jin Sandalwood. This sandalwood is very rare and grows on cliffs. Because it emits a peculiar scent and is often apanied by poisonous nts, it is also highly toxic. Many people have been poisoned to death while harvesting it. Only a tiny amount of sandalwood can be extracted from a Jin tree. It is so rare that it is not avable on the market. Jin wood is considered a precious spiritual wood in Buddhism.¡±


    Zhu Mingjing grew up in Buddhism, so it all made sense now.


    This was also a point of contention for Zhao Qin regarding Zhu Mingjing. After searching through many records and sources, she found this information. Although she had never smelled Jin wood, the ancient records described it very clearly: Jin wood has a unique fragrance that lingers long after being touched.


    In other words, ordinary people whose skines into contact with this scent will find that it takes a long time to dissipate.


    Even more amazing is that if a person is exposed to this scent for a long time, they will see things that ordinary people cannot see, hence why it is called a spiritual wood.


    The scent on Zhu Mingjing was very faint, undetectable by anyone without a highly sensitive sense of smell. It indicated that she had used this fragrance before.


    Zhao Qin had also smelled the same fragrance on Xi Yu, albeit even fainter than on Zhu Mingjing.


    Is it possible that such a rare and precious Jin Sandalwood would appear on two people at the same time?


    Simrly, with Ming Chen and Ming Ti, who often interacted with Ming Jing, she also smelled the scent on them, but it was much fainter than on Zhu Mingjing.<div>


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips, ¡°This Miss Zhu has more and more mysteries surrounding her.¡±


    Thinking of a possibility, Zhao Qin suddenly felt the hairs on her body stand on


    end..

 Chapter 292: 135 Azure Blue (First release)_2

    Chapter 292: 135 Azure Blue (First release)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Could it be that Xi Yu also likes Zhu Mingjing?


    Zhao Qin clenched her teeth and said, ¡°Cousin, in this lifetime, I acknowledge only one cousin -inw, and that is Zhu Mingjing. Little sister will support you with all her might. Keep going.¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao gave her a disdainful look: ¡°Get out.¡±


    The car drove into the Rans¡¯ Mansion.


    As it was veryte, Zhao Qin decided not to return home. She had a room in the Rans¡¯ house, which she asionally used. This also showcased her status as the young mistress of the Rans.


    ¡°Master Xiao, you are back.¡± Ye Jian came to greet him.


    Upon seeing Zhao Qin, he expressed surprise: ¡°Young Miss, you are also here.¡±


    Noises of things being thrown around came from upstairs. Zhao Qin clicked her tongue: ¡°What is going on in the middle of the night?¡±


    Ye Jian was rather embarrassed. Ever since thest incident, the temperament of the second young master had seriously changed. He was venting his anger by throwing things around every day. The items in his bedroom had mostly been smashed by now.


    Zhao Qin quickly ran up to the second floor, ready to add fuel to the fire.


    Ran Tengxiao walked into his study, ¡°Any news from Xi Yu?¡±


    ¡°None, he disappears without a trace every time. Our people can¡¯t keep up.¡±


    Ye Jian thought of something to say: ¡°A few days ago, the police were mobilized citywide. I felt that something was off, so I sent someone to investigate. Turns out, the young master of the Qu family from Jing City came to Jiangzhou. He had a car ident and went missing, causing panic among the people in Jiangzhou. Fortunately, he has been found.¡±<div>


    Hearing this, Ran Tengxiao chuckled knowingly: ¡°So it was him.¡± Ye Jian was puzzled: ¡®Master Xiao, you¡¯ve met him?¡±


    ¡°I had dinner with him tonight. Just a kid.¡± He chuckled, speaking lightly.


    Ye Jian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Master Xiao had dined with the young master of the Qu family? This could cause a great sensation if word got out.


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes and suddenly asked: ¡°The child who was mistakenly kidnapped by myte uncle, could it be him?¡±


    ¡°It seems that Master Xiao already knows.¡±


    Ye Jian turned his head to look towards the doorway, ¡°Master Lin.¡±


    Lin Feng walked in, his face grave.


    Quietly, Ye Jian retreated and closed the door. He faithfully stood guard in front of the study room¡¯s doorway.


    ¡°Among the few major families in Jing City, he is the only child who matches the age.¡± Ran Tengxiao spoke indifferently.


    ¡°After Ji Chang defected and ran away, Master Wen chased him to Jing City. He intended to seize Ji Chang¡¯s son to threaten him, but due to inurate information, he mistakenly caught the young master of the Qu family. Qu Lanting is particrly affectionate towards this younger brother, and heid a trap around Master Wen, making escape impossible. He was also betrayed by Yu Jiang, leading to his death. As for the exact events that unfolded, Master Wen is now dead, and Yu Jiang, who has vanished for many years, we cannot know. Only the young master of the Qu family, who was present at the scene, would know.¡± Lin Feng said in a deep voice.


    ¡°Yu Jiang¡¯s whereabouts might be found through this young master of the Qu family. Unfortunately, Qu Lanting is too protective of this younger brother and extremely wary of us. Previously, he had dedicated efforts to strike against the Rans, only now have we been able to catch our breath. If we were to draw his attention again due to this, I fear it would do more harm than good.¡± Lin Feng said with a heavy heart.<div>


    Ran Tengxiao stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, the reflection of his tall silhouette on the ss. The man¡¯s eyes were deep as an abyss, imprable and profound.


    ¡°Ran Bowen, Yu Jiang, Qu Feitai, Zhu Mingjing, Xi Yu¡­¡±. It was as if there was a thread subtly influencing everything, but who held this thread was yet unknown.


    ¡°Yun MO came to Jiangzhou to protect the young master of the Qu family personally. The Rans havee a long way, we must stay cautious for now. Qu Lanting is a man who doesn¡¯t hesitate when he goes crazy, and his only bottom line is his younger brother.¡± Lin Feng told Ran Tengxiao slowly while gazing at his back.


    ¡°Go check on Zhu Mingjing.¡±


    Lin Feng paused, not understanding why Ran Tengxiao would want him to investigate Ms. Zhu. She had nothing to do with the events from twelve years ago, right?


    If it was because of Master Xiao¡¯s personal feelings¡­


    ¡°You forgot about the Narcissus Basin incident. I never believe in coincidences. There is, however, a possibility¡­¡±.


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, ¡°My uncle¡¯s daughter, if she was still alive, she would be sixteen years old now, right?¡±


    Lin Feng was stunned, ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be, right?¡±


    ¡°The genes of the Zhu family, can¡¯t produce such outstanding children.¡± Ran Tengxiao said mockingly.


    On this point, Lin Feng had to agree. If there was anything good about the Rans, it was their genes; everyone was either handsome or beautiful.<div>


    But this guess was too outrageous, he couldn¡¯t process it immediately, as if his brain was about to shut down.


    ¡°Everyone knows that Ms. Zhu is the lost real daughter of the Zhu family that they had recently found.. Surely the Zhu family couldn¡¯t have messed this up, right?¡±

 Chapter 293: 135 Lapis Lazuli (First Update)_3

    Chapter 293: 135 Lapis Lazuli (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ran Tengxiao gave him a faint nce, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Zhu Mingjing, with her intelligence, can¡¯t handle such simple things.¡±


    Lin Feng was shocked, ¡°Why would she do that?¡±<div>


    He couldn¡¯t keep up with Master Xiao¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°So I¡¯m asking you to investigate everyone around her, don¡¯t let a single one go.¡±


    Lin Feng frowned, turned around, and hurriedly left.


    The night was cool and calm, with the garden outside the floor-to-ceiling window tranquil.


    Ran Tengxiao turned around.


    Behind the golden phoebe wood desk, there was arge curio shelf filled with various antiques.


    He walked up to the curio shelf, and on a level shelf that was aligned with his eyesight, there was a piece of jadeite cabbage, with a rich and clear green color and a high value.


    Ran Tengxiao held the jadeite cabbage in both hands, turned it three times to the left, and three times to the right. After a series of mechanical clicks, a magical scene happened.


    The antique shelf split in the middle and slowly moved to both sides, revealing an iron door.


    There are only three chances to input, and two have been used. If thest one is entered incorrectly, the entire Ran¡¯s Mansion will be leveled in an instant.


    Their father once tried to dig a tunnel, but the underground wall seams were filled with mercury, imitating the design of the tomb of the First Emperor, making it even more impossible.<div>


    As for the craftsmen who designed the secret room back then, they were all killed by Ran Bowen to cover up the truth.


    Ran Bowen¡¯s caution and ruthlessness could be seen from this.


    ¡°Oh, honored ancestor, what secrets are hidden in this secret room of yours?


    ¡ª Brother Qu, Ming Jing has gone to sleep. Don¡¯t worry.


    After sending the WeChat message, Ming Chen was about to switch to Weibo and prepare to cheer for Brother Qu on the super-topic when his phone was suddenly snatched away. Ming Chen got up from the bed, ¡°Ming Ti, give me back my phone.¡±


    Ming Ti said coldly, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Ming Chen pouted, ¡°You¡­ hmph, I¡¯m ignoring you. I¡¯m going to sleep with


    Ming Jing.¡±


    He was about to get out of bed with his pillow but before he reached the door, a cold voice came from behind, ¡°Little Five already sleeps in his own room, are you worse than Little Five?¡±


    Ming Chen paused for a moment, then snorted, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with Little Five.¡± He opened the door and ran away as soon as he finished.


    Ming Ti sighed, as he was getting more and more troublesome every day.<div>


    Ming Jing came out of the shower, wrapped in a soft bathrobe, and sat in front of the dressing table.


    A figure was reflected in the mirror.


    Ming Jing raised her hand and touched her scalp, which was a bit prickly.


    New hair had grown out.


    When the hair had just grown out, it really didn¡¯t look good.


    But the person in the mirror had a petite face with delicate features, a high, straight nose, fair skin, and deep, dark pupils. There was an androgynous beauty to her.


    Even when bald, her extraordinary beauty and ethereal temperament were hard to conceal.


    Ming Jing¡¯s fingers brushed over the bottles and jars on the table and picked up a bottle of toner, poured it into her hand, and patted it on her face.


    Silently, a dark shadow flipped in through the window.


    ¡°My little darling, it¡¯s been a few days since we¡¯ve seen each other, did you miss me?¡± The person walked behind Ming Jing and hooked her finger under her chin, their tone frivolous and flirtatious.


    In the mirror, the neer was dressed in ck, which wrapped around her slim, graceful body. Her curves were full and prominent.<div>


    Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing her delicate and gorgeous features. With every turn of her eyes and raise of her eyebrows, she exuded a thousand kinds of charm, seductive and enchanting.


    Ming Jing brushed away her hand and walked to the desk, picked up an English book, sat down, and started reading.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you care about me at all?¡± Zheng Qing snatched the English book from Ming Jing¡¯s hand, looked at the cover, and frowned subconsciously.


    ¡°Count of Monte Cristo? Why are you reading this? I can¡¯t even understand the Chinese version, and you¡¯re reading the English version.¡± Ming Jing looked up at her.


    The dark, silent pupils were like two bottomless pools.


    Zheng Qing shuddered and stuffed the book back into her hand, ¡°I have something to tell you. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Qu Feitai¡­ He¡¯s the young master of the Qus in Jingdu, do you know that?¡± Zheng Qing observed Ming Jing¡¯s expression.


    The girl¡¯s thick, long eyshes hung down, her eyes calm and gentle.


    With a nod, Ming Jing confirmed.


    Zheng Qing¡¯s voice became sharp, ¡°You know?¡±


    Zheng Qing realized that she had overreacted, coughed, and said incredulously, ¡°When did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    Zheng Qing was choked, muttering, ¡°Can you give me some reaction, I have no sense of aplishment at all..¡±

 Chapter 294: 135 Lapis Lazuli (First Update)

    Chapter 294: 135 Lapis Lazuli (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Over time, she had grown ustomed to it.


    ¡°Young Master Qu¡¯s real name is Qu Lanzhou, the posthumous child of Qu Liushang. His mother died in childbirth, and he was brought up by his half-brother, Qu Lanting, who treated him like a son. Qu Lanzhou ran away from home at the age of six and was kidnapped. The Qus kept this matter a closely guarded secret, but as a detective, there¡¯s no information I can¡¯t dig up.¡±<div>


    Zheng Qing raised his eyebrows in satisfaction.


    ¡°Do you know who kidnapped Qu Lanzhou?¡±


    Ming Jing calmly replied, ¡°Ran Bowen.¡±


    ¡°F*ck¡­ Your mother even told you that?¡±


    Zheng Qing frowned, ¡°I could only find out that A Yu was seriously injured when he left and took a year to recover. However, he was left with a lingering illness, which made it impossible for him to detect Night Hawk¡¯s ambush.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to capture this kid and pry open his mouth to find out exactly what happened back then, as Qu Lanzhou is the only surviving witness. The clues to the other half of the Qinglong Seal might be with him.¡± Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes shed a cold light as he spoke gloomily.


    As if thinking of something, she looked at Ming Jing and curled her lips: ¡°That guy is chasing after you now, tall, handsome, and an A-list celebrity. You¡¯re not falling for him, are you?¡±


    Ming Jing lowered her eyes and calmly replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Qu Feitai is Qu Lanzhou, the little boy who was kidnapped by Ran Bowen.


    Twelve years ago, twelve years ago¡­


    Ming Jing suddenly felt a faint pain in her chest and found it difficult to breathe. She grabbed the armrest of the chair with her fingers, and the book in her hand fell to the floor with a dull thud.<div>


    Zheng Qing was startled and saw Ming Jing¡¯s knuckles deeply sunk into the chair armrest. Her hands were thin, the veins prominent, and her appearance shocking.


    Ming Jing¡¯s usually calm face was clouded in pain, her eyebrows furrowed and herplexion pale.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zheng Qing hurried to her side and squatted down, looking at her with concern.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes fell on the English book sprawled on the floor. Under themplight, a line of English text was clearly visible.


    All human wisdoms are contained in these two words: wait and hope.


    All human wisdom is contained in these four words: waiting and hope.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me.¡± Zheng Qing fumbled with her phone, ready to dial 120.


    A pale, thin hand grabbed her dialing hand.


    Zheng Qing looked up and was immediately drawn into a pair of deep, dark eyes.


    They were as ck as ink, so pure and profound, as if hiding many untold stories.


    It must be a sad story.<div>


    ¡°No need.¡± Ming Jing uttered the two words and let go of her hand.


    Her face was still pale, but the pain had diminished somewhat.


    Ming Jing bent down to pick up the scattered pages of the book, moving slowly but with great care.


    Zheng Qing stared at her retreating back, ¡°Ming Jing, is there anything you¡¯re still hiding from me? Am I not the person you trust the most?¡±


    ¡°One day, you¡¯ll know. But not now.¡±


    Zheng Qing was frustrated and paced in circles, ¡°So what do we do now? The clues have stopped here, and we can¡¯t find the Qinglong Seal. How can we fight against Night Hawk and avenge A Yu?¡±


    ¡°No need to rush, just wait.¡±


    Zheng Qing left, and the room was quiet once more.


    Ming Jing turned off the light andy in bed, staring into the void darkness.


    She ced her palm on her chest.


    In the darkness, her slow and powerful heartbeat sent waves through her palm and into her brain along her nerve endings.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    The gun fell at her feet, and she saw a pair of frightened eyes.


    Such beautiful eyes should not be stained with dirt.


    A sigh floated through the night.


    So it was you.


    ¡°Kid, I¡¯ve seen your face. I can¡¯t let you live.¡± The man had sharp, hawk-like eyes, and approached him step by step with a gun.


    The little boy was afraid and backed up against the wall. There was nowhere left to go.


    He desperately shook his head and shouted, ¡°Big Brother, save me!¡±


    The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, thenughed sinisterly, ¡°It¡¯s useless. Even the Great Master can¡¯t save you now. If you want to me someone, me yourself for being a young master of the Qu family.¡± The man raised his gun and aimed it at his forehead.


    The stifling feeling of being so close to death was just as vivid in his dreams.


    The young boy furrowed his brow and shook his head restlessly.


    The crisp sound of a trigger being pulled was dissected in the darkness, so clear to the ear.


    At thest moment, a dark figure suddenly leaped out and kicked the gun out of the man¡¯s hand. The gun fell at his feet.


    He stared at the gun on the ground, bent down slowly, and picked it up.


    He had seen with his own eyes the man dying in her hands. The woman walked towards him, holding a bloody dagger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡±


    With a bang, the gentle smile on the woman¡¯s face froze forever. She looked down at her chest.


    A bullet hole was bleeding profusely.


    ¡®l¡¯ne gun dropped, and tne woman 100Ked up to see a pair ot scared, beautitul eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± she said.


    Dragging a trail of blood, she walked towards him, leaving a winding path behind her.


    It was a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life, etched deep into his bones and blood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, everything will be fine.¡±


    Suddenly waking up from the nightmare, the teenager was drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air and trying to catch his breath in the darkness..

 Chapter 295: 136 Reclaim (Second Update)

    Chapter 295: 136 Reim (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Xiangxiang, I know you love shrimp, so I went specially to the seafood market five kilometers away to buy the freshest shrimp, and made you this oil-stewed shrimp. Give it a try and see if you like it?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui put a big shrimp into Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s bowl and said with concern.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively frowned, looking at Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s chopsticks.


    In the Zhus, they always used serving chopsticks to share dishes, not their own, which was unhygienic.


    Zhu Xiangxiang put down her chopsticks, her eyebrows tightly knitted.


    The man sitting opposite her rolled his eyes and said to Zhao Xiaohui, ¡°The child will pick it up if she likes it, don¡¯t make things worse.¡±


    Then he turned to Zhu Xiangxiang and said, ¡°Xiangxiang, your mother really loves you so much and doesn¡¯t know what to do for you. Don¡¯t be mad at her; let¡¯s just live a good life together as a family from now on. I promise I won¡¯t let you be wronged.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up, and the man had a pointed face with sunken cheeks. It was really unappetizing when he talked and his eyes rolled constantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my dad.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said coldly.


    How could her biological father be an unattractive construction worker?


    Deng Kun¡¯s face stiffened, a sh of malice quickly crossed his eyes, and then he put on a smile again, ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m not your biological father. If you don¡¯t want to call me that, just call me uncle. I¡¯ve always dreamed of having a daughter, and now my wish has finallye true.¡±


    As Deng Kun spoke, he touched his reddened eyes, looking quite moving.


    However, Zhu Xiangxiang felt nothing but disgust deep inside.<div>


    She felt disgusted with everything about the Dengs.


    The 70-square-meter two-bedroom apartment had the couple living in one room and Deng Yang, Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s son, living in the other. Zhao Xiaohui said that Deng Yang had gone to his grandma¡¯s house in the countryside for summer vacation, so she was temporarily sleeping in his room. However, the room was less than ten square meters, which was smaller than the bathroom at the Zhus. Since she came to the Dengs, she hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    But Zhu Xiangxiang had no choice but to ept her reality, as she couldn¡¯t go back to the Zhus.


    ¡°Where will I live when Deng Yanges back?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui hesitated before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll ask your uncle to clean up the balcony, and let Yangyang stay there ¨C he¡¯s a boy, he can make do with anything. Xiangxiang, our living conditions can¡¯tpare to the Zhus, of course, but I will do my best to give you the best.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips, ¡°I understand.¡±


    She lowered her head and picked up her chopsticks to eat.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door from outside, ¡°Auntie Xiaohui, my mom cooked some fish, and I¡¯m sending some over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Wanwan.¡± Zhao Xiaohui stood up and went to open the door.


    Tang Wan handed a bowl of fried fish to Zhao Xiaohui, ¡°Auntie Xiaohui, I heard that you found your daughter, and I haven¡¯t congratted you yet.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui took the fried fish, her smile widening, ¡®Wanwan,e in and let me introduce Xiangxiang to you.¡±<div>


    ¡°Xiangxiang, this is our upstairs neighbor¡¯s daughter, Tang Wan. She¡¯s your age and studies at Yi High School.¡±


    Tang Wan saw a girl in a white dress with long hair draped over her shoulders. She had a delicate face and elegant temperament. Her clothes and essories were quite exquisite, making her look out of ce in this cramped and narrow room.


    The girl¡¯s eyebrows were shrouded in shadows, making her seem somewhat difficult to get along with.


    Tang Wan curled her lip, ¡°Ms. Zhu, it¡¯s you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned, ¡°Do you know me?¡± She felt even more upset. From a wealthy youngdy to an ordinary person, the gap was too great, and she felt the other person¡¯s gaze was full of mockery.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu was the ¡®school beauty¡¯ of Shengde High School, with a widespread reputation ¨C everyone knows you!¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui was surprised, ¡°Shengde High School? Isn¡¯t the tuition for that school very expensive?¡±


    ¡°Shengde High School is the only private high school in Jiangzhou, attended by the rich and powerful. Ms. Zhu used to be the youngdy of the Zhus, so of course she had to study at Shengde High School.¡± Tang Wan exined.


    Zhao Xiaohui frowned.


    ¡°That was before, not now.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said sarcastically. At this point, pretentiousness would only make othersugh.


    ¡°Do you really not remember me?¡± Tang Wan asked.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at her, feeling somewhat familiar, but couldn¡¯t remember who she was.


    Tang Wan shook her head with a smile, ¡°It seems that you have truly be forgetful. Olympiad ss ¨C we were ssmates, but you never came to ss after the first one.¡±


    Reminded by Tang Wan, Zhu Xiangxiang finally remembered. However, this memory wasn¡¯t particrly pleasant. The scenes of her being criticized by Ren Chuan were still vivid in her mind. Tang Wan must have seen it all, too..

 Chapter 296: 136 Reclaim (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 296: 136 Reim (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Later, I went to the Math Olympiad with Zhu Mingjing, and she sat right in front of me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned, wondering what her intention was in deliberately bringing up Zhu Mingjing in front of her. Was she trying to make fun of her?<div>


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing looked so innocent; who would have thought she¡¯d be this kind of person.¡± Tang Wan shook her head in disapproval.


    Lnu Niangng suaaemy 100Kea up at ner: ¡°wnat ao you mean(¡±


    Tang Wanughed: ¡°Now everyone is saying that Zhu Mingjing couldn¡¯t stand you, so she kicked you out of the Zhu family.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was stunned; she hadn¡¯t expected this.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t realize that you were Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s daughter. Can I call you Xiangxiang from now on? I¡¯lle to visit you often.¡± Tang Wan said enthusiastically.


    Before Zhu Xiangxiang could answer, Zhao Xiaohui quickly agreed for her: ¡°That would be great! You and Xiangxiang are the same age, so you should y together more often. It¡¯s so nice to have neighbors like you.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips.


    After Tang Wan left, Zhu Xiangxiang went back to her room.


    Deng Yang¡¯s bedroom was tiny, less than 10 square meters, even smaller than the bathroom in her old room at the Zhu¡¯s house. The old apartmentplex had poor lighting and venttion. Nearby was a vegetable market, which made the area not only noisy but also filled the air with an unbearable smell of rotten vegetables.


    There were quite a few toys on the bedside bookshelf, and at a nce, Zhu Xiangxiang could tell they weren¡¯t cheap. They were beyond what the Deng family should afford. It seemed that Zhao Xiaohui and her husband really doted on their son.


    Zhu Xiangxiangy down on the bed and instinctively frowned.


    Although Zhao Xiaohui had already changed the sheets and quilt cover to new ones, the faint smell of mold mixed with the faint odor of stinky feet from the quilt made it unbearable.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang sat up and took out a business card from her bag. After hesitating for a moment, she pulled out her phone and dialed the number on it.


    ¡°Your daughter is too delicate for us to handle. This humble home of ours can¡¯t provide for her.¡± Deng Kun said with a coldugh.


    ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± Zhao Xiaohui nervously nced at the direction of the second bedroom.


    ¡°Acting like a spoiled princess, she should look at her current situation. Her ambitions are sky-high.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui wanted him to say less, but when she looked up and saw the man staring at her, she swallowed her words and lowered her head to clean up the leftovers.


    ¡°You stay home and rest. I¡¯ll take food to Yangyang.¡± Zhao Xiaohui walked out of the kitchen with her apron on after washing the dishes.


    Deng Kuny on the sofa, shirtless, enjoying the fan.


    Zhao Xiaohui walked over and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear a shirt? Xiangxiang is at home. Be careful; she¡¯s a girl.¡±


    Deng Kun turned over, impatiently saying, ¡°This is my house. I¡¯ll wear whatever I want. The more you indulge that girl, the more she takes advantage.


    Just wait and see.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui sighed and left with the thermos in hand.<div>


    As soon as Zhao Xiaohui left, Deng Kun sat up and looked at the closed door of the second bedroom with a deep gaze.


    After a while, the door opened, and Zhu Xiangxiang was about to go out with her backpack and a baseball cap on. She looked up to see the shirtless man sitting on the sofa, staring straight at her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was startled, a trace of disgust shed in her eyes, and she hurriedly left, mming the door behind her.


    Deng Kun waited for her to go far away, then sneered, got up, and went into the second bedroom to take a look around.


    He picked up the pillow and sniffed it, detecting an enticing fragrance.


    After searching for a long time, he couldn¡¯t find anything valuable, and Deng Kun¡¯s face darkened.


    Wasn¡¯t this girl the Zhu family¡¯s princess for sixteen years? Wasn¡¯t she wearing


    any jewelry? He didn¡¯t believe it.


    What kind of family was the Zhu family? Local tycoons; just what leaked from their fingers could feed ordinary people like them for a lifetime. ording to


    Zhao Xiaohui, when old Mrs. Zhu died, she left Zhu Xiangxiang a jade bracelet. Since she arrived a few days ago, he hadn¡¯t seen her wear it ¨C it must have been a good thing. Where did she hide it?


    This girl was quite alert, trying to ward them off.<div>


    The phone rang, and Deng Kun answered it. A man¡¯s deep voice came through:


    ¡°Old Deng, we¡¯re short one man. We need you. Same ce. Hurry up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there. ¡°Having hung up the phone, Deng Kun kicked the bed and cursed as he went out.


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked into the coffee shop, and Lu Yao waved her hand: ¡°Over here.¡±


    To wait for this fish, she had stayed in Jiangzhou for a few more days, and now, this fish had finally taken the bait.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sat down across from Lu Yao, ¡°Long story short, I ept your proposal, but you have to promise me, you¡¯ll make me popr within a year.¡±


    Lu Yao shook her head and chuckled: ¡°Little girl, your ambition is not small, but I¡¯m sorry, I cannot blindly promise you. That will be up to the agent to judge based on your overall strength. I¡¯m just a mediator. But I promise you, I¡¯ll ask my friend to provide you with the best resources within his ability; the rest is up to your efforts.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips, ¡°Then what about you? What do you want to get from me?¡±


    Lu Yao sighed, ¡°You¡¯re a clever girl. What I want to know is simple: who is that very powerful and outstanding sister of yours?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart instantly raced as her mind worked furiously.


    From the beginning, all of Lu Yao¡¯s words were designed to draw her out. She didn¡¯t realize it at the time out of her confusion, but as she thought about itter, it became increasingly clear that something was off.


    Why did she want to investigate Zhu Mingjing? An editor of an entertainment magazine who revels in gossip and scandal¡­


    The Qu Feitai concert¡­


    At that moment, a familiar song yed in the coffee shop, and Zhu Xiangxiang froze.


    The White Dress by Qu Feitai.


    She listened carefully to each line of the lyrics, dissecting and piecing them together in her mind.


    An idea shed through her head.


    Connecting all these pieces, Zhu Xiangxiang finally understood.


    So that¡¯s how it was.


    Suppressing the surging waves in her heart, she calmly said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister, just a younger brother.¡±


    Lu Yao was taken aback, ¡°Why did you say that that day?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang exined, ¡°I should always be on guard around strangers. I¡¯m sorry if I misled you in any way. I apologize.¡±


    Lu Yao sized her up and thenughed, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. It¡¯s good to be cautious. So you got the concert ticket yourself?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang lowered her eyes and pinched the handle of her coffee cup, ¡°A friend gave it to me.¡±


    Lu Yao raised an eyebrow, ¡°A friend?¡±


    ¡°A very close friend. He can¡¯t reveal his identity, so don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Lu Yaoughed, ¡°This song ¡®The White Dress¡¯ is quite pleasant. It¡¯s written by Qu Feitai. Many people think it¡¯s about someone; who do you think it¡¯s about?¡±


    As she spoke, she observed the young girl¡¯s reaction carefully, not missing a single flicker of emotion.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment, then her face blushed, ¡°I want to enter the entertainment industry for someone. I want to stand closer to him so that one day, I can stand alongside him.¡±


    Her eyes shifted from confusion to determination, and her watery eyes were quite moving.


    Lu Yao couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Believe me, you will achieve your wishes.¡±


    She looked at the white dress the girl was wearing and smiled.


    Her magazine¡¯s KPI for this month, no, this year would be met.


    As she left the coffee shop and stood in the sunlight, Zhu Xiangxiang squinted at the heavy traffic on the roadside.


    Zhu Mingjing, this time, I won¡¯t be soft-hearted anymore.


    I will take back everything you snatched from me.


    I will make you taste the bitterness of being forsaken and driven out of The


    Zhus..

 Chapter 297: 137 Task (First Update)

    Chapter 297: 137 Task (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    That night, all was calm.


    The excitement for Jin Bi had just begun.


    ¡°Lynn, you¡¯d better go check it out, that turtle bastard Wang Quan is causing trouble again.¡±


    The sleeping youngster in the corner opened his eyes and suppressed the resentment in his gaze. He stood up and said, ¡°This bastard won¡¯t let up until I beat him up.¡±


    As the youngster came out, the people around him shouted, ¡°Lynn.¡±


    On the other side, a fat man with big ears sat in a chair, arrogantly crossed his legs, smoked a pipe, and had seven or eight people behind him.


    Seeing the youngstere out, he pointed at him and scolded, ¡°Lynn, you dog-like thing. Last time I was nearly killed by you. Today I brought help. Just wait for me to beg for mercy.¡±


    The youngster spat on his face, ¡°Only cowards can¡¯t win fights and call for backup. Try me one-on-one.¡±


    The youngster brandished his fists as he spoke.


    Wang Quan shivered instinctively, as if he could still see the scene of being beatenst time.


    Hiss, why does my butt hurt again?


    Wang Quan angrily scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky. You just wait. Everyone, attack him! Whoever beats this kid to the ground gets a reward.¡±


    The people behind him swarmed forward.


    The youngster waved his hand, stopping his itching-to-fight brothers from joining, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself, you all stay back.¡±


    Everyone retreated one step and formed a circle.


    Wang Quan shifted into afortable position, ready to watch the youngster take a beating in various ways.


    However, to his surprise, this skinny kid had an unexinable strength and agility like a monkey. In the circle of people, he dodged here and there, not only gaining no advantage but also suffering some losses.


    Wang Quan spat out his pipe, stood up and instructed, ¡°Go left, go left¡­ Hit him in the armpit, a bunch of c* * *s ¡±


    The youngster pped his hands, smiling at Wang Quan, ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Several people were lying horizontally and vertically beside the youngster¡¯s feet, howling in pain, and the brothers behind cheered excitedly, ¡°Lynn is invincible!¡±


    Wang Quan eximed in horror, ¡°How¡­ how did you improve so much? Did you secretly get a master?¡±


    The youngster raised an eyebrow, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Really? Wang Quan swallowed his saliva, ¡°Who¡­ who did you pledge to?¡±


    He¡¯s made such improvements; the master must be formidable. He also wanted to pledge to him and not let this kid steal all the limelight.


    The youngster shook his head, ¡°If I tell you, you¡¯ll be scared. You wouldn¡¯t dare to even with ten times the courage.¡±


    Wang Quan sneered, ¡°You¡¯re just bluffing.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you, my master is Xi Yu.¡±


    ¡°What? Xi Yu?¡± The name was familiar to everyone present, having recently be well-known. He challenged the Zhuque Hall alone, striking down many with ease.


    More importantly, he was quite mysterious, appearing and disappearing without a trace. Meeting him was mostly a matter of luck.


    Wang Quan¡¯s legs trembled as he cursed, ¡°What are you boasting about? Xi Yu epting you as his apprentice? Don¡¯t you see your own f* *king self¡­?¡±


    It can¡¯t be true, can it? Master Xiao highly regarded Xi Yu. If he had truly epted Lynn as his apprentice, wouldn¡¯t he be courting death right now?


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe it if you don¡¯t want to. You¡¯re not worthy of me proving it to you. Just get lost.¡± Lynn waved impatiently.


    Wang Quan quickly came up with an idea, ¡°Alright, isn¡¯t your master very powerful? Then he must attend this year¡¯s martial artspetition, or he¡¯s a coward, and you¡¯re his cowardly apprentice.¡±


    Lynn rolled his eyes, ¡°Foolish grandson, just wait and see.¡±


    Lynn was none other than Zhu Shaodan, who had left The Zhus for over two months. He never regretted his choice and believed that he was now living the life he wanted.


    After Wang Quan left, hisckeys also hobbled away. Huang Mao came over and asked, ¡°Lynn, did you really pledge Xi Yu as your Master?¡± Here people don¡¯t look up to age; they look up to strength.


    Xi Yu was a powerful figure; everyone respected him.


    But this youngster secretly pledged to Xi Yu? What kind of dumb luck did he have?


    Zhu Shaodan scratched his head, ¡°It¡¯s strange for me too. Maybe my Master saw me as sensible and cute. But don¡¯t mention it; my Master is really amazing. He casually taught me a few moves which benefited me greatly.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan thought of something and asked, ¡°What is the martial artspetition?¡±


    Huang Mao exined, ¡°The martial artspetition is an annual tradition of the Qinglong Association, which originated 14 years ago with Yu Jiang, the most powerful figure in the history of the Qinglong Association and Master Wen¡¯s trusted aide.¡± He lowered his voice and cautiously swept his gaze around..

 Chapter 298: 137 Task (First Update)_2

    Chapter 298: 137 Task (First Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Shaodan curiously asked, ¡°Who is Yu Jiang?¡±


    ¡°Hush, keep your voice down.¡± Huang Mao quickly covered his mouth.


    ¡°This name is now a taboo, no one dares to mention it. You just need to know that he founded this martial artspetition. Everyone in the association can sign up to participate and itsts for three days. The winner will receive the Brave Medal, which is a symbol of the strongest. The winner of thestpetition was Ye Jian.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was stunned: ¡°Is it the Ye Jian who is with Master Xiao?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is from the ancient martial arts sect, the Xuanjing Sect. He also has a junior sister named Ye Shuang, who is Master Xiao¡¯s confidante. There are also four great masters of Wind, Rain, Thunder and Lightning from the ancient martial arts sect around Master Xiao,¡±


    Zhu Shaodan, with a look of longing, said: ¡°So will they participate in this year¡¯s martial artspetition?¡±


    Huang Mao shook his head: ¡°In order to promote innovation, Master Xiao stiptes that those who have won the martial artspetition cannot participate in the next one.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°That¡¯s good. When will the martial artspetition start?¡±


    ¡®Every year during the golden autumn in October, but we have to wait for Master Lin¡¯s notice for the specific time.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was full of confidence: ¡°This year¡¯s champion must be my master.¡±


    Xie Zi came over and said, ¡°Young Master, Master Xiao is looking for you.¡±


    He stared at Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face, wondering what was so special about him that both Master Xiao and Xi Yu were so interested in him.


    Zhu Shaodan pointed at himself in surprise: ¡°Master Xiao¡­is looking for me?¡±


    Has the sun risen from the west?


    Xie Zi nodded: ¡°Don¡¯t keep Master Xiao waiting.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan hurriedly followed him. As soon as he left, Huang Mao and the others started chattering excitedly.


    ¡°Is Lynn going to make it big? Master Xiao actually wants to see him?¡±


    ¡°Did Xi Yu take him as a disciple? My God, Lynn is really a chosen one. We really didn¡¯t make a mistake in following him.¡±


    ¡°In the future, let¡¯s see if Wang Quan¡¯s group will dare to bully us. We have Xi


    Yu and Master Xiao as our backers.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan took a deep breath and entered with a do-or-die attitude.


    However, he thought too much. Master Xiao, who was regarded as evil in the eyes of outsiders, was actually a very considerate and approachable superior.


    ¡°Sit.¡± Ran Tengxiao pointed to the chair across.


    Zhu Shaodan cautiously sat down.


    ¡°Master¡­Master Xiao, hello, I am Young Master Lin.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, have you been having fun these days?¡± Ran Tengxiao leisurely poured tea, the tea mist making his words somewhat unclear.


    Zhu Shaodan almost knelt to the ground, looking incredulously at the calm man across from him.


    ¡°Master Xiao, I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you.¡±


    ¡°I understand, children have rebellious phases.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan shook his head firmly: ¡°I¡¯m not being rebellious. I¡¯ve thought it through. This is the path I want to take.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nced at him, the first time he had looked closely at the young man.


    Mr. Zhu, the recently famous little sister of the Zhu family in Jiangzhou, instead of being a wealthy young master, hid his identity and served as a small follower by his side. This kid was either too smart or too foolish.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯ve been doingtely, not bad, promising.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise and joy, looking at Ran Tengxiao. Master Xiao actually praised me!


    Ran Tengxiao found it quite amusing, this kid was interesting.


    ¡°Do you really want to stay by my side?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan suddenly stood up and said confidently: ¡°Master Xiao, you are my idol. I will go through fire and water for you in this life, never hesitating to die.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao waved his hand with a smile: ¡°The vigorous young spirit is good. If you really decide to stay with me, there is a task for you to do now. Can you handle it?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s chest surged with pride and excitement: ¡°Master Xiao, rest assured, I guarantee toplete the task.¡±


    ¡°Sit. This task is actually quite simple, but it requires someone with a meticulous mind toplete it.¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao, just give the order. I will do my best.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s whole body was full of energy. His opportunity to shine hade.


    ¡°Madam, Old Madam, Young Master is back,¡± Uncle Wen rushed in, excitedly saying.


    Lin Qing¡¯s chopsticks dropped on the table with a ¡°snap¡±, and she stood up, not believing it: ¡°Shaodan? Shaodan is back?¡±


    Granny Zhu was also overjoyed, her face full of wrinkles smiling like a chrysanthemum, ¡°My grandson is back¡­.¡±

 Chapter 299: 137 Task (First Update)_3

    Chapter 299: 137 Task (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen looked at each other, having heard that there was a devilish character in the Zhus, but never having met him sinceing here. Would they finally meet him now?


    The two instinctively looked towards Ming Jing, who sat opposite them, enjoying her meal quietly. She seemed oblivious to Lin Qing and Granny Zhu¡¯s unusual excitement, focusing solely on her lunch.<div>


    Soon, anky teenager entered the room, wearing a T-shirt with a skull printed on it and ripped jeans. He slouched with his hands in his pockets, looking very casual.


    His hair was dyed in a colorful mess and styled like a preening peacock. The long bangs covered his eyes, giving off an inexplicable non-mainstream vibe.


    Ming Ti twitched the corner of his mouth, unable toprehend where this seeminglyte-stage non-mainstream teenager came from ¨C he was quite an eyesore.


    Lin Qing, caring not for the details, hurriedly took a few steps, grabbed Zhu Shaodan¡¯s hands, and looked him up and down. She suddenly pped him on the back and scolded, ¡°You little stinker, you finally came back! Do you have any idea how worried your mother has been?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan, impatiently, retorted, ¡°I¡¯m starving, can we eat first and talk


    Lin Qing quickly ordered Madam Zhou, ¡°Add another pair of chopsticks.¡± Madam Zhou happily went to the kitchen.


    Zhu Shaodan nced briefly over Ming Ti, Ming Chen, and Ming Yi. His eyes, hidden beneath his long bangs, seemed filled with malice. The timid Ming Chen and Ming Yi instinctively shrank back, while Ming Ti averted his gaze, not wanting to cause trouble.


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s gaze finally settled on Ming Jing, who was quietly eating her meal. He sneered, ¡°Looks like we¡¯re missing someone. Where¡¯s my sister?¡±


    Lin Qing frowned, ¡°She was taken away by her birth parents.¡±


    ¡°Or is it because someone couldn¡¯t stand her?¡±


    ¡°Shaodan, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Lin Qing reprimanded.<div>


    ¡°Hmph, am I wrong? Are the Zhus so poor that they can¡¯t afford to support one more person? Then why did they take in these three burdens? Was it you who drove my sister away? You, a woman with a vicious heart, eat this!¡± Zhu Shaodan reached out and knocked over Ming Jing¡¯s bowl.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti were startled, and Ming Yi burst into tears. Taking short steps, he rushed forward to hit Zhu Shaodan, who shouted irritably, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Han Suwen quickly took Ming Yi away ¨C the young master of the Zhus was terrifying.


    Lin Qing angrily shouted, ¡°Shaodan, are you looking for trouble the moment you return?¡±


    Granny Zhu also had a stern expression, ¡°I thought after leaving for a while, you¡¯d be more mature upon returning. But you¡¯re still so impulsive.


    Apologize to your sister.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan curled his lips and disdainfully said, ¡°I only have one sister, her name is Zhu Xiangxiang, and that wild brat from who knows where isn¡¯t qualified to be my sister.¡±


    Ming Ti red at Zhu Shaodan, secretly gritting his teeth.


    Ming Jing put down her chopsticks. Since Zhu Shaodan had walked in, she had not looked at him once, even when he just flipped her bowl over, she didn¡¯t even furrow her brow.


    Seeing her put down her chopsticks now, Lin Qing and Madam Zhou both felt a chill run down their spines. Lin Qing rushed over first, pushing Zhu Shaodan¡¯s head, ¡°You little brat, have you forgotten yourst name after being out in the wild for so long? Hurry up and apologize to your sister, or do you want me to beat you for talking nonsense?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan shot Lin Qing a cold nce, ¡°Mom, you raised my sister for 16 years, but just gave up on her like that. How could you be so cold-hearted? Instead, you let these wild children from who knows where freeload off our family. I don¡¯t care. If you don¡¯t bring my sister back, then you better kick these wild kids out!¡±<div>


    Ming Chen took a deep breath; this kid was really hateful, constantly calling them ¡°wild children.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? You can try and find Zhu Xiangxiang and see if she dares toe back with you.¡± Ming Jing said calmly.


    Zhu Shaodan narrowed his eyes, staring at Ming Jing¡¯s frail shoulders, ¡°Did you threaten her?¡±


    ¡°Her being in the Zhus doesn¡¯t bother me at all. However, when her birth mother came looking for her, it would really be unreasonable for the Zhus to keep her. Uncle Wen, tell him where Zhu Xiangxiang lives now. Don¡¯t bother having your meal, go quickly.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and headed upstairs, not even ncing at Zhu Shaodan from beginning to end.


    Zhu Shaodan blocked Ming Jing¡¯s path, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t evenplete nine years ofpulsory education, I don¡¯t expect you to understand me.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyes, her clear and deep eyes captivating and intimidating Zhu Shaodan.


    Ming Chen stifled a chuckle with her hand when she saw everyone looking serious, then quickly lowered her head.


    Her second sister can really insult people without using any dirty words.


    Zhu Shaodan, having his sore spot jabbed, angrily pointed at Ming Jing, ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug, I¡¯ll skin you one day!¡±<div>


    Ming Jing hooked her lips and looked at him indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± With that, she walked past Zhu Shaodan and went upstairs.


    Zhu Shaodan stared at the slim and tall figure of the young girl, his eyes bing more and more unfathomable.


    Zhu Shaodan walked to Uncle Wen, ¡°Uncle Wen, where is my sister living now?¡± Uncle Wen looked at Lin Qing, who nodded, so he told him the address.


    Zhu Shaodan strode out of the Zhus¡¯ Gate, and Lin Qing called out from behind, ¡°Eat before you go?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan waved his hand, ¡°I won¡¯t die from hunger.¡±


    Lin Qing sighed, ¡°What sin have Imitted?¡±


    Granny Zhu spoke with a stern expression, ¡°Let him be, this child needs a hard lesson before he will change.¡±


    Looking up at Ming Chen and Ming Ti, Granny Zhu kindly said, ¡°You two must be frightened. Shaodan has been spoiled by his mother and has a bit of a foul temper. Don¡¯t take his words to heart; the Zhus will always be your home.¡±


    Ming Chen smiled, ¡°Brother Shaodan just doesn¡¯t know how good sister is. If he interacts more with sister, he will definitely like her.¡±


    Hmph, you just wait, stinky kid. How dare you bully my sister, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.


    Granny Zhu nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Upstairs, Ming Jing stood by the window, watching Zhu Shaodan¡¯s figure leave the Zhus¡¯ Gate, getting on a motorbike, speeding away like the wind. As he went further and further into the distance on the mountain road, he became a tiny ck dot.


    Ming Jing picked up her phone, ¡°Follow him.¡±


    Ming Jing curved her lips, her pitch-ck eyes icy.


    Ran Tengxiao¡­


    Chewing on this name between her lips, Ming Jing smiled and shook her head. The young boy who used to chase after her to learn martial arts had also grown up..

 Chapter 300: 137 Plan Determined (second watch)

    Chapter 300: 137 n Determined (second watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The motorcycle sputtered into the market, surrounded by hawking and shouting. The uneven ground was filled with rotten vegetable leaves and decaying fruits, and the filthy water sttered in all directions as the wheels rolled through the mud, drawing curses from the people nearby.


    Zhu Shaodan furrowed his brow and spat a mouthful of exhaust fumes at them.<div>


    After leaving the market and asking a passerby for directions, the passerby pointed to a worn and broken house on the small winding street, ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Zhu Shaodan furrowed his brow even deeper.


    ¡°Is this really a ce for people to live? My delicate sister lived as a fine youngdy; how can she be living in such a ce?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan found the entrance and looked at the peeling walls. The living conditions were terrible.


    Zhao Xiaohui was cooking, hearing someone knocking, and poked her head out from the kitchen to tell Deng Kun, who was lying on the sofa watching aedy sketch, ¡°Someone is knocking, go open the door.¡±


    Deng Kun scowled and reluctantly opened the door, only to have a teenager suddenly burst in, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang,e out now!¡±


    Deng Kun frowned and yelled, ¡°Who the hell are you, and what do you want in our house?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui hurried out upon hearing themotion and examined the young man, who looked like a juvenile delinquent. How could Xiangxiang know such a person?


    Zhu Shaodan ignored Deng Kun and kept yelling, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang came out and subconsciously furrowed her brow upon seeing


    Zhu Shaodan, ¡°You¡¯re Shaodan?¡±


    The change was too big toprehend, from a refreshing wealthy young master to a street thug. If not for his identical voice, she wouldn¡¯t recognize him on the street.<div>


    Without saying another word, Zhu Shaodan grabbed Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s wrist and tried to leave.


    Deng Kun instinctively followed and yelled, ¡°Stop! Why do you think you can take my daughter away? I¡¯ll call the police!¡±


    The two had already disappeared from sight.


    Deng Kun sneered at Zhao Xiaohui, ¡°See what good daughter you gave birth to, getting involved with shady people from society as soon as she¡¯s back. Ady of a wealthy family? I call that a joke.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui anxiously replied, ¡°They¡¯re probably just friends; Xiangxiang isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°Who cares what kind of person she is? As long as she can save my son, it¡¯s okay. When is she going to have the surgery? Yangyang can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui nervously wiped her hands on her apron, ¡°How should I tell


    Xiangxiang? She might misunderstand¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your daughter; she has to do whatever you say. Besides, it¡¯s just donating bone marrow to her brother, not her life. Why would she refuse?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you should put it. I owe that child a lot. Asking her to donate to her brother as soon as she¡¯s back, how can she not misunderstand?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui furrowed her brow tightly, heart aching. She hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in days.<div>


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that olddy Zhu gave her a bracelet? I never saw her wear it. She must be hiding it. You treat her like your biological daughter, but she¡¯s guarded against us. I asked about the bracelet in the store like you said, and it¡¯s worth this much.¡±


    Deng Kun exaggeratedly raised five fingers, ¡°It could buy a big house in the city center. Our whole family could move in, no longer living in this broken ce.¡± Zhao Xiaohui red at him, ¡°That¡¯s the child¡¯s belonging; we can¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°Then you tell me, if we pay for Yangyang¡¯s treatment, we¡¯ll be broke. Don¡¯t both children need money for school? Should I go sell my blood?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui struggled with her emotions.


    Deng Kun pressed on, ¡°Besides, she has so much good stuff. You are her real mother; without you, she would never have had the chance to enjoy the Zhus¡¯ luxurious life. Isn¡¯t it natural for her to show filial piety to you?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what? Would you rather let Yangyang suffer? He¡¯s already unlucky enough. In the future, his medical expenses will cost a lot. Do you care about your daughter but not care about your son?¡±


    As soon as Deng Yang was mentioned, Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s heart softened, ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Let me go.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang shook off Zhu Shaodan¡¯s hand and frowned at him, ¡°Where have you been all this time? You made mom¡­¡¯


    Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips, ¡°You made mom so worried.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about me for now. Is it true that Zhu Mingjing kicked you out?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes flickered, and she shook her head in disappointment, ¡°Mingjing is always good to me; I just couldn¡¯t stay at the Zhus¡¯ anymore.¡±<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re terrible at lying? You can never look me in the eye when you lie.. Can you look into my eyes and say it again?

 Chapter 301: 137 Plan Determined (second watch)_2

    Chapter 301: 137 n Determined (second watch)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang bitterly smiled: What¡¯s the point of saying this now? I can never go back to the Zhus. Shaodan, please take my ce and be filial to our mother and grandmother.¡±


    ¡°No way, your adoptive father is not a good person. How could anything goode from staying with him?¡±<div>


    ¡°But the Zhu family has Zhu Mingjing, and I can¡¯t go back, do you understand?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s tears flowed down as she spoke, looking pitiful.


    ¡°When she came back, my mom and grandma were bewitched by her and no longer liked me. She even framed me for poisoning my mom¡¯s supplements. No matter how I tried to exin, my mom wouldn¡¯t believe me anymore. My mom was so good to me, how could I possibly poison her? Shaodan, do you believe


    Zhu Xiangxiang gazed teary-eyed at Zhu Shaodan, pleading so heartbreakingly.


    Zhu Shaodan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be so vicious. I underestimated her.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, Shaodan. I don¡¯t know whether I should tell you.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s expression was conflicted.


    Zhu Shaodan said, ¡°Just tell me. No matter what grievance you have, your brother will stand by you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, looked around, and lowered her voice: ¡°I suspect that Zhu Mingjing is not the real daughter of the Zhu family.¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice the fleeting darkness that shed in the bottom of the teenager¡¯s eyes in front of her.


    Zhu Shaodan narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Why would you suspect her like this?¡±


    For some reason, Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly felt that Zhu Shaodan had changed a bit. Although he was still the same person, having not seen him for more than two months, Zhu Shaodan had indeed changed quite a bit.


    He had be more unpredictable, even more difficult for her to read.<div>


    Perhaps it was because he had grown up. Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t pay too much attention and skipped this thought, saying, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been suspecting for quite some time and secretly had a private detective investigate. Finally, there was some progress. But after I left the Zhu family, I had no money and couldn¡¯t continue the investigation. Shaodan, are you willing to believe me? My suspicions aren¡¯t just out of hatred for Zhu Mingjing. I don¡¯t want my mom and grandma to be deceived and let the real Ms. Zhu suffer unjustly.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s gaze was very sincere, looking quite touching.


    Zhu Shaodan nodded, ¡°Of course I believe you. This Zhu Mingjing, an illegitimate child from who knows where, is actually impersonating my sister! She even drove you out of the Zhu family. Sooner orter, I will skin her alive to seek justice for you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at him gratefully, ¡°Shaodan, I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down. But we need to n carefully, Zhu Mingjing is very cunning and cautious. To prevent her from finding out, you must not act rashly. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, and we¡¯ll gradually make our move, understand?¡± ¡°If Zhu Mingjing is an imposter, then who is my real sister?¡± Zhu Shaodan frowned, the situation getting moreplicated.


    ¡°I suspect it might be her senior, Ming Xin, who has been missing for a long time. I don¡¯t know if Zhu Mingjing killed or hid her. As long as we find her, the truth wille to light.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said confidently.


    She had been pondering the causes and consequences of this matter, deducing many situations, and finally arrived at the most likely conclusion.


    All the cluesy with the missing Ming Xin. As long as they found her, all the issues would be solved.


    Zhu Shaodan nodded, ¡°I understand. Leave this matter to me. I will skin that vixen alive and let the world despise her.¡±


    ¡°Sis, please be patient. After dealing with Zhu Mingjing, I¡¯lle and take you home.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled, ¡°Alright, Shaodan. You must take good care of yourself. Don¡¯t confront her directly. Patience is key. Once we find Ming Xin, she will have no excuses left.¡±


    Whether Ming Xin was the real Ms. Zhu or not, there was still no definitive evidence. But as long as Zhu Shaodan believed, that was enough.


    Watching Zhu Shaodan¡¯s hurried departure on his motorcycle, Zhu Xiangxiang hooked her lips.<div>


    ¡°Turns out Zhu Mingjing is the one who usurped the position.¡± Tang Wan walked over, smiling.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was startled and looked at her warily, ¡°You eavesdropped on


    Tang Wan shook her head with a smile, ¡°How could eavesdropping be possible in broad daylight? I overheard it identally. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep your secret.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned, ¡°Why should I trust you?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, don¡¯t worry. We have amon enemy. What do you think, would I help you keep the secret?¡±Zhu Xiangxiang looked her up and down: ¡°You?¡±


    There was a hint of disdain in her tone, as Tang Wan was not pretty and her family background was even worse. So she held a grudge against Zhu Mingjing? Even if she hated Zhu Mingjing, Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help but want to say: Are you worthy?


    However, Tang Wan didn¡¯t get angry and just smiled, ¡°In fact, the evidence is right beside you. Your grandmother knew exactly what characteristics the real daughter she took away had.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly came to a realization, ¡°Yes, why didn¡¯t I think about that?¡±


    She hurried back home and found Zhao Xiaohui, asking her to call her grandmother, as she had something very important to ask her.


    Zhao¡¯s grandmother had fallen ill two years ago, and her health was getting worse day by day. It was very likely she wouldn¡¯t survive the winter.


    Having be somewhat senile, the old woman would always answer any question with, ¡°Xiaohui, you¡¯re back.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang asked patiently, ¡°Grandma, do you remember me? You took me away when I was born, fearing that I would hinder my mom, and sent me to Jiyue Temple. Do you remember any birthmarks on my body?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui, who was listening at the side, was a little bewildered and subconsciously gripped her apron.


    ¡°What did you say? Xiaohui, have you found the child? The child is so unfortunate, how could you bear to¡­?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui suddenly hung up the phone.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her displeased, ¡°What are you doing? She was about to tell.¡±


    ¡°Your grandmother is in poor health and can¡¯t talk much. Just ask me if you want to know something. When she knew that she was getting confused, she told me everything about that time in detail.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said, ¡°When my grandmother took away the child, what physical characteristics did she have? Don¡¯t miss out on any small details.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui didn¡¯t know why she was asking this but after a moment of thought, she said, ¡°Your grandmother said that she wanted to make it easiel find the child in the future, so she carefully examined the child¡¯s whole bod) The child had a mole behind her right ear. The mole will never disappear, it will only grow bigger over time.¡±


    But who would have thought that the child had already been switched at that time. Her own daughter had enjoyed the fortune reserved for others for sixteen years due to a twist of fate.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Zhu who is unlucky.¡± Zhao Xiaohui pursed her lips and said.


    A mole behind the right ear, Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly smiled.


    On the first day Zhu Mingjing returned to the Zhus, she was in the bedroom, her bare back facing Zhu Xiangxiang.


    She remembered very clearly that Zhu Mingjing had no impurities on her neck or face, not even a mole behind her ear.


    Zhu Mingjing, you brought this on yourself.


    Tang Wan stood at the door, exchanging a smile with Zhu Xiangxiang.


    With a ¡°ding,¡± a phone suddenly rang.


    Ran Tengxiao put down the chess piece and picked up the phone to look at it.


    He suddenly chuckled.


    Lin Feng across from him asked curiously, ¡°Master Xiao, what¡¯s the good news?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao held a ck chess piece between his fingers and ced it on the board: ¡°You lost.¡±


    Lin Feng raised his eyebrows in surprise: ¡°That was careless of me.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao leisurely took a sip of tea, ¡°nning before action is the way of chess..¡±

 Chapter 302: 139 Ye Zhen (First Watch)

    Chapter 302: 139 Ye Zhen (First Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ming Jing, my dear Ming Jing, please agree to it. Ourpany¡¯s new venture has not been easy, we¡¯re barely getting by. As a major shareholder, you have a duty to save thepany. If it wasn¡¯t for my bad reputation, I would have stepped up myself.¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s persistence was formidable, incessantly nagging from dawn till dusk. Ming Jing¡¯s ear felt like it was about to develop calluses from the nagging.<div>


    Ming Jing closed the calculus book that she was halfway through and looked up at her, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a celebrity. Moreover, I have to join the training program on the 10th to prepare for the Winter Camp.¡±


    ¡°My dear, we¡¯re not asking you to be a celebrity, it¡¯s just a lifestyle variety show. We¡¯ll make an appearance, eat and drink a bit, and make some money. It won¡¯t take more than two days and it won¡¯t interfere with your training.


    Moreover, the filming location is in a small vige under the jurisdiction of


    Jiangzhou, which is very convenient.¡±


    ¡°The neers nowadays are a bunch of misfits, far from meeting my standards. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have asked you, the big boss, to step in personally. Ming Jing, it was not easy for me to get this opportunity. The survival of ourpany depends on you. Do you really want to see it go under?¡± Zheng Qing said pitifully.


    Indeed, as an actress, her acting skills were impressive.


    Ming Jing shook her head as always, ¡°No.¡±


    Zheng Qing sat down on the floor and began to wail, ¡°If A Yu is looking down from heaven, please look at how your daughter is mistreating me¡­ I can¡¯t go


    on any longer.¡±


    Ming Jing was racked with a headache: ¡°Enough.¡± Zheng Qing stared at her: ¡°Are you going to agree?¡± Ming Jing sighed: ¡°Is there no other way?¡±


    ¡°If there were, I wouldn¡¯t have approached you, my dear.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing frowned: ¡°But I don¡¯t like to live under the spotlight.¡±


    ¡°I understand your low-key nature and dislike for the shy entertainment industry. But consider it from a different angle. Those in Buddhism favor peace, yet there¡¯s an old saying ¡®True mastery is most potent in the midst of the mundane.¡¯ The more chaotic the entertainment industry is, the more conducive it is to your practice. If you can hold onto your principle even in the entertainment industry, you¡¯re not far from bing a Buddha. Isn¡¯t that the logic? Trust me, I scrabbled my way up in this industry.¡± Zheng Qing tried to persuade gently.


    Ming Jing paused for a moment, nced at her, and muttered: ¡°True mastery is most potent in the midst of the mundane¡­¡± She suddenly chuckled: ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°So you¡¯re agreeing?¡±


    ¡°Life is full of opportunities to practice, I was being narrow-minded.¡± Ming Jing gave a faint smile.


    Zheng Qing shivered suddenly: ¡°Terrifying!¡± She instinctively stayed a yard away from Ming Jing.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve agreed. I¡¯ll contact the producer to arrange the time.¡± Zheng Qing picked up her phone and moved aside to make a call.


    Ming Jing thought for a moment, picked up her book and started reading again.


    After making the call, Zheng Qing came back and saw Ming Jing reading the book attentively. The words she was about to say were swallowed back.


    She didn¡¯t know whether her actions were beneficial or harmful to Ming Jing, but she knew that if Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to, nobody could force her.


    ¡°The schedule is fixed, we¡¯re leaving the day after tomorrow.¡±<div>


    As though struck by a thought, Zheng Qing grinned mischievously: ¡°ording to the producer, the crew is also trying to get Qu Feitai. If they manage, you guys will meet again on the show. What a coincidence that would be, it seems even the heavens are helping you.¡±


    Ming Jing turned a page, nonchntly saying: ¡°Do you have a lot of free time?¡±


    Zheng Qing chuckled, ¡°Busy, very busy.¡± She slipped out of the window after speaking, disappearing into the night.


    The night wind blew through the white curtains, bringing a whiff of cool air.


    After a long while, Ming Jing closed her book and walked to the French window.


    The ancient Buddhist beads gently slipped through her pale fingertips, making a slight sound in the serene room.


    The room suddenly went silent, creating a tense atmosphere.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Ming Jing suddenly startedughing. The bright moon cut through the clouds, inundating the earth with its delicate radiance once more.


    After changing her outfit, Ming Jing headed downstairs.


    When Madam Zhou turned off the kitchen light and came out, she saw Ming Jing descending the stairs, her ankle-length white dress making her look particrly tender under the light. She was holding a string of Buddhist beads and walked with such poise and elegance she seemed to leave lotus flowers in her wake.<div>


    ¡°Miss? It¡¯s quitete, are you going out?¡±


    Ming Jing gave a light smile: ¡°I have some errands to run.¡±


    Madam Zhou nced at the darkness outside: ¡°It¡¯s almost ten¡­ Be back early


    Miss, I¡¯ll ask Uncle Wen to wait up for you.¡± ¡°Mhm, you should rest early, Madam Zhou.¡±


    Madam Zhou shook her head, knowing it was best not to pry into the young miss¡¯s affairs..

 Chapter 303: 139 Ye Zhen (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 303: 139 Ye Zhen (First Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    She was just about to go back to her room when she noticed Zhu Shaodan sneaking down from upstairs. Madam Zhou was startled, ¡°Young Master¡­ what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan red at her, ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡±<div>


    He sneakily followed Ming Jing out of the house.


    Madam Zhou was utterly confused, ¡°What¡¯s going on with these siblings?¡±


    As the car left the mountainous area, Du Ze nced at the rearview mirror, ¡°Miss, someone is following.¡±


    Did Zhu family¡¯s Young Master take her for a fool?


    Only a fool would think that way.


    Ming Jing smirked, ¡°Drive slower so he doesn¡¯t lose us.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After a stop and go journey, they finally reached their destination.


    Zhu Shaodan removed his sunsses and looked at the sign reading ¡°Jiangzhou Rehabilitation Hospital¡±. He smirked confidently.


    Finally, I¡¯ve caught up.


    However, the hospital¡¯s security was extremely strict, and he was chased away by the guards before he could even get close.<div>


    Zhu Shaodan pointed to the disappearing car, ¡°Why can she go in?¡±


    The security guard looked at him as if he were an idiot, ¡°She¡¯s a VIP customer here, of course she can enter. Now leave, or I¡¯ll call the police.¡±


    Looking at his colorful hair, resembling a peacock, and his tattered and hole-ridden clothes, he seemed like a hairdresser¡¯s apprentice straight from a salon, a sight for sore eyes. What was he doing here in the middle of the night?


    Zhu Shaodan grumbled angrily as he left. He circled around the hospital¡¯s walls, prepared to climb over them, but the moment he tiptoed, the security guard approached with a shlight, ¡°What are you doing? Still not giving up?¡±


    ¡°Woof woof woof¡­¡± The guard¡¯s hound leaped out from behind him, barking wildly and charging at Zhu Shaodan.


    ¡°F*ck your mother!¡± Zhu Shaodan cursed and turned to run for his life, the hunting dog furiously chasing him. Zhu Shaodan cursed and ran, not knowing when he lost his shoe.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, I¡¯ll never share the same sky as you¡­¡± Zhu Shaodan let out a desperate wail.


    By contrast, the unsettling ordeal at the main entrance seemed worlds apart from the quiet corridor on the top floor, where a pin drop could be heard.


    A woman in a long dress walked down the quiet hallway. The voice-activated lights above her flickered on and off, reminiscent of a horror movie opening scene, and she walked without making a sound.


    A small nurse came out of a patient room and saw this scene, almost frightened to death.


    A ghost!<div>


    The young woman turned to nce at her, and the voice-activated light suddenly turned on, revealing a stunning face with gentle andpassionate features. The fear in the nurse¡¯s heart vanished instantly, reced with the warmth of a spring breeze as thouzh she was standing in a peach blossom forest in April.


    The young woman smiled slightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The small nurse quickly shook her head, ¡°No¡­ nothing.¡± Was this the descent of a celestial being?


    So beautiful and gentle, light-years away from being a ghost.


    It wasn¡¯t until the young woman walked away that the nurse patted her chest. It was the middle of summer, and she suddenly felt cold sweat on her back and a chill throughout her entire body.


    Evente at night, the hospital room was quite lively.


    An entertainment show was ying on TV, and everyone was trying to make the audienceugh. The host and guests all joined in theughter.


    Except for the only audience member in front of the television, who was expressionless.


    *Click* The door to the room was opened from the outside, and the girl lying on the bed shifted her gaze towards the doorway.


    Upon recognizing the person who entered, her expressionless face suddenly cracked a smile. She abruptly sat up, her trembling lips revealing her inner excitement.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing closed the door and walked to the bedside, where she took the girl¡¯s hand and checked her pulse.


    The girl stared nkly at her. She had seen many beautiful women in the entertainment industry, but the girl before her was truly exceptional. Even Luo Ziyin, known as the number one beauty of the entertainment circle, would have to submit to her charm.


    A true beauty is in the bones, not the skin. The entertainment industry has too many flower vases ¨C beautiful, but empty-headed, with their so-called temperament and quality nothing but added value derived from their looks.


    However, the girl in front of her held her head high with a straight back, as if the weight of the world couldn¡¯t break her. She moved with elegance and grace, showing a calm expression that could handle any adversity. This kind ofposure was a life philosophy that could only be attained by those who had experienced many ups and downs.


    She was too young, and this poise only made her more captivating, making people want to think and explore what kind of story had unfolded in her life..

 Chapter 304: 139 Ye Zhen (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 304: 139 Ye Zhen (First Watch)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The curiosity-driven exploration is the beginning of a fall.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost fully recovered,¡± said Ming Jing as she released her wrist.<div>


    ¡°Can I leave this ce? I¡¯ve been here for so many days, I¡¯m really suffocating. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cause any trouble for you,¡± the young girl said anxiously, yet hopefully.


    Being confined was unbearable, despite the adequate food and numerous attendants.


    She realized at this moment how important freedom was.


    Ming Jing looked downward at her. Standing tall, she blocked the overhead light, casting a shadow. The girl instinctively shrank back.


    Ming Jing was much younger than her, but facing those eyes induced a soul-shaking fear.


    The girl¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°But you need to change your appearance so that nobody can recognize you.


    You also must conceal your real name.¡±


    Liang Yanran paused and nodded without asking why: ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, I will be attending a lifestyle variety show, be my assistant.¡±


    A lifestyle variety show?<div>


    Liang Yanran realized that the tide of fate hade full circle. She had just left the entertainment industry and was about to reenter with a new identity.


    Before, she was a celebrated star; now, she was a mere assistant.


    ¡°As long as you keep your promise, I will not refuse anything you ask me to do.¡±


    Liang Yanran hadn¡¯t forgotten the reason why she was hanging on, switching identities might help with her investigation.


    A young woman entered the room and politely said: ¡°Miss.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Begin.¡±


    The woman held a ck bag which seemed full.


    Liang Yanran watched her curiously. The woman took out a set of makeup tools, false hairs, and clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Liang Yanran turned to look at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing sat on the sofa, flipping through a magazine.


    Liang Yanran pursed her lips and turned away.<div>


    After the female makeup artist was done, she stepped back, satisfied: ¡°After so long, I¡¯ve finally learned well.¡±


    Then, she picked out a short wig and put it on Liang Yanran¡¯s head. ¡°Now, go check yourself in the mirror.¡±


    Liang Yanran went to the bathroom, only to scream at what she saw.


    Just who was this ugly woman with dark skin, facial spots, and a mole near her mouth in the mirror?


    Moreover, there was a hair growing from the mole, moving as she breathed. It was extremely vivid !


    Her previous face, although not exceedingly beautiful, was at least pretty. Now, where did this ugly-looking womane from?


    There was literally no trace of the original body¡¯s appearance.


    If she hadn¡¯t seen it, she would have thought she was reborn in another body again.


    Liang Yanran rushed out of the bathroom, pointing at her face: ¡°This is too ugly. ¡±


    Ming Jing looked up and furrowed her eyebrows.


    ¡°Too noticeable.¡±<div>


    Ugly and noticeable indeed, Liang Yanran almost burst out.


    Han Suwen quickly held onto Liang Yanran: ¡°Let¡¯s adjust it a little again.¡±


    This time was better; the skin was not that dark, just a bit yellowish. The mole was gone, and she looked less remarkable but much better, too average to notice in a crowd.


    An extremely ordinary person.


    Han Suwen was satisfied with her handiwork: ¡°This is special waterproof makeup; it can hold for a week.¡±


    Liang Yanran frowned, bothered. Why did she have to change so much¡­? Ming Jing closed the magazine, stood up: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t figure out what Ming Jing was up to and didn¡¯t dare to ask. She just followed her and left the room. Before stepping out of the sickroom, she nced back at the woman who applied her makeup. She took off her shoes andy down on the bed.


    Liang Yanran frowned, realizing that her current identity seemed somewhatplicated, at least her face must not be recognized.


    Could there be danger?


    She looked at the girl walking by her side. Everything was like a puzzle, her life and fortune in her hands.


    Liang Yanran followed Ming Jing out of the sickroom, taking a deep breath.


    This was the air of freedom.


    At the underground parking lot, they got into the car. Du Ze saw their reflection in the rearview mirror but drove in silent.


    Once they were out of the sanitarium, predictably, someone started tailing them.


    Ming Jing calmly said: ¡°Shake them off.¡±


    Du Ze nodded and hit the gas, disappearing swiftly in the night.


    The car raced down the street at night, arriving at Tonghe Shengshi Residence.


    As the elevator door opened, Ming Jing looked up to see a familiar face.


    Qu Feitai was also surprised: ¡°Ming Jing? What are you doing here?¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow: ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask.¡±


    Liang Yanran was stunned to see Qu Feitai. He knew Ming Jing?


    Looking at the spark in his eyes, she immediately understood what was happening.


    Knowing she was just an ordinary person, she kept quiet, turning herself invisible.


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t notice her, and pointed behind him: ¡°I bought the house next to yours.¡±


    He looked earnestly at Ming Jing. From purchasing to moving in, all were done in a day, though he had paid an extra 10 million over the market price. Ming Jing nodded without anyment: ¡°You can go about your business.¡±


    As she walked away, Qu Feitai noticed the woman standing behind Ming Jing a young woman, pretty unimpressive with short hair.


    He remembered all the people who ever came close to Ming Jing, but this was the first time he saw this woman.


    Liang Yanran knew he was watching her. She lowered her head and caught up with Ming Jing. She thought, ¡®Damn boy, so the person you are interested in is Jing. No longer the cold and handsome top streamer, Qu Feitai.¡¯


    Years back, at an event, out of kindness, she initiated a conversation with Qu Feitai to help him cope with awkward situations. But the ungrateful guy didn¡¯t miss a chance to snub her, causing her to be trolled by his fans, calling her an old woman¡­ She really despised him.


    ¡®Damn boy, I see you¡¯re not cold, you just haven¡¯t met someone who makes you willing to let go of your pride.¡¯


    If this news got out, it would certainly cause an uproar. She could then sit back and watch the drama unfold.


    A ¡°bang¡± sound of the door closing brought Liang Yanran back from her wild thoughts.


    She looked around the extravagant house. Jiangzhou was famously pricey. Owning a well-decorated, two hundred square meters mansion in this upscale area meant she was definitely super wealthy.


    ¡°What should I call you from now on?¡± Ming Jing turned around and asked casually.


    Liang Yanran paused, her brows furrowed in thought. ¡°You can call me Ye Zhen. Liang Yanran was my stage name..¡±

 Chapter 305: 140 Cut-off (second revision)

    Chapter 305: 140 Cut-off (second revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The house is equipped with basic living necessities, and there¡¯s enough food in the refrigerator for a week. Take this phone with you; it has Du Ze¡¯s and my phone numbers saved. I¡¯lle pick you up the day after tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ming Jing ced a new phone on the table. ¡°If you want to be a wandering ghost, you can leave now.¡±<div>


    The girl¡¯s emotionless voice caused Ye Zhen¡¯s heart to tighten suddenly.


    ¡°Where can I go now when I have no one to rely on? Besides, you promised to help me find out the cause of my death. Anyway, I¡¯m clinging to you now.¡±


    Ming Jing handed her a string of Buddhist beads: ¡®Wear this on your body; it¡¯s good for your health. ¡±


    Ye Zhen took it and nced at the beads. They were simple and elegant, each bead perfectly round and smooth, as if they had been frequently held by their owner, forming a natural patina over time.


    The Buddhist beads felt warm to the touch, as if they had absorbed their owner¡¯s body heat. Amazingly, the moment Ye Zhen touched the beads, a warmth spread from the beads into her body, as if she were immersed in a hot spring. Every pore on her body opened up, her ears became clear, her eyes bright, and the gloomy atmospherepletely dissipated.


    Ye Zhen knew that these Buddhist beads were always worn on Ming Jing¡¯s wrist and were her personal items. They must have been precious.


    She put the beads around her wrist and pulled her sleeves down to cover them. She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt a sense of security.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Even if she knew Ming Jing was only doing this for her senior sister¡¯s sake, Ye Zhen still felt a warmth in her heart at that moment.


    ¡°Rest well and call me if you need anything.¡± Ming Jing gave her instructions and left.


    As soon as Ming Jing walked out of the door, she saw Qu Feitai waiting outside. Seeing her exit, he immediately stood up.<div>


    ¡°Are you going back to the Zhu family thiste?¡± Qu Feitai seemed to have just taken a shower, his hair still damp. His beautiful eyes were as clear as a sky washed by rain, reflecting Ming Jing¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t stop walking and entered the elevator, Qu Feitai hesitated for a moment, then chased after her: ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to the parking lot.¡±


    He slipped in just before the elevator doors closed.


    As the elevator descended, their breaths could be heard clearly in the confined space. Qu Feitai¡¯s nose caught the familiar fragrance once again.


    ¡°You should go up. Be cautious, even at thiste hour.¡± Ming Jing said softly.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes lingered on her skirt hem, his heart racing uncontrobly.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving the day after tomorrow.¡± Qu Feitai said.


    Ming Jing remembered what Zheng Qing had said about the variety show wanting Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes lit up; Ming Jing finally asked him a question voluntarily.<div>


    ¡°My agent has arranged a variety show for me. It¡¯s near Jiangzhou, about an hour¡¯s drive. It might take two or three days to film. After the show, I¡¯ll head straight back to Jingdu.¡±


    His elder brother didn¡¯t want him to stay in Jiangzhou, both because of the Qinglong Association and the distance from Jingdu, which made it difficult to respond in case of an emergency.


    Especially when his elder brother found out that Ming Jing had contact with Ran Tengxiao, he was even more opposed to Qu Feitai staying in Jiangzhou. If it weren¡¯t for his strong objection, Yun MO would have taken him away long ago.


    Qu Feitai felt mncholic about the imminent separation. Why did Jiangzhou have to be so far away from Jingdu? Why couldn¡¯t he break free from his brother¡¯s control even after leaving home? A deep sense of helplessness arose from his heart, causing him to clench his fists unconsciously.


    What did it matter if he was a top celebrity, a music superstar? At this moment, he was just a coward who didn¡¯t have the courage to confess his feelings to the girl he liked.


    The elevator door dinged open, and Ming Jing walked out. After taking a few steps, she turned her head and looked at him: ¡°Live your life well. A pleasant surprise might be just around the next corner.¡±


    Having said that, she turned around and left.


    The elevator door slowly closed, cutting off the view of the girl¡¯s graceful figure.


    Qu Feitai was puzzled, wondering what Ming Jing meant.


    At that moment, his phone rang. Qu Feitai looked at the screen; it was Huang Chao calling, so he hung up immediately.


    Huang Chao was helpless too. He had agreed to give Xiao Fei a month off, but who could have expected the variety show¡¯s production team to contact him suddenly, inviting Qu Feitai to participate? Huang Chao initially wanted to refuse, but the production staff brought out the television executive who had given Qu Feitai plenty of opportunities when he first debuted. This favor had to be repaid.<div>


    An already unhappy Qu Feitai ignored Huang Chao when he learned about the news.. Huang Chao thought gloomily that although other shows had invited Qu Feitai before and were refused, why did the television executive get involved this time? Was this instance different from the previous ones?

 Chapter 306: 140 Cut-off (second revision)_2

    Chapter 306: 140 Cut-off (second revision)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The more she thought about it, the more she couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking.


    Lying on the bed, Qu Feitai turned over restlessly, thinking of Huang Chao¡¯s words, suddenly realizing something, and abruptly sat up.<div>


    Picking up his phone, he dialed a number. After the call was connected, a low male voice came through: ¡°Xiao Fei? This is the first time you¡¯ve called Big Brother.¡±


    ¡°Is it you who invited someone to invite me to the show? Just to get me out of Jiangzhou.¡±


    The other end of the phone went silent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve grown up, and I¡¯m no longer the scared, crying little boy I used to be. I know what I¡¯m doing, and I know what kind of danger I face, but I¡¯m not afraid. This is my own choice, and I hope it¡¯s thest time you interfere in my life.¡±


    The young man¡¯s firm, cold voice rang loud and clear across the distance, reaching the man¡¯s ears.


    After a long while, a sigh echoed softly: ¡°Do you really like her? Do you know what it means to like someone?¡±


    The young man sneered, as if he had heard a joke: ¡°I¡¯ve known it since I was very young: in this vast world, and among countless people, I exist for someone. Sooner orter, she will appear in my life, and I have been waiting for her. The moment I saw her for the first time, I knew she was the one.¡±


    ¡°You ask me what it means to like someone? I can¡¯t answer that, but I know that from now on, she is my hope to live a better life, my lifelong pursuit, my beloved career, and my beloved her. This life is enough.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Grandpa that when you married my sister-inw, you faced the unanimous opposition of your parents. But you went against everyone¡¯s advice


    and married her- After she passed away yearster. when von were surrounded


    by young and beautiful women, you vowed never to remarry. You know the answer in your heart, so don¡¯t ask if you already know.¡±<div>


    After a long silence, the man asked, ¡°Do you remember Master Ku Ye¡¯s fate for you?¡±


    The air seemed to freeze for a moment.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes gradually changed from deep to determined: ¡°Even if I am shattered and never to be restored, I will have no regrets even after death.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Honghong, I¡¯m Zhu Xiangxiang.¡± The young girl had a delicate and attractive face, an elegant and gentle temperament, and wore a white dress, looking pure and well-behaved.


    Liang Xiaohong nodded in satisfaction. Lu Yao hadn¡¯t lied to her; this girl was quite promising and just the type the entertainment industry liked.


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°Sixteen.¡±


    ¡°A bit young, but age is also an advantage in this industry. Here¡¯s the contract, take a look, and if you have no objections, you can sign it.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked over the contract and found it to be reasonable, which seemed to be due to Lu Yao¡¯s mediation and not trying to take advantage of her. ¡°Honghong, can you make me a hit within a year? I can endure any hardship.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong smiled, seeing ambition in the girl¡¯s eyes. Good, this was what a budding artist should be like.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know much about me, but I can¡¯t even count the number of artists I¡¯ve helped achieve stardom. Zhou Zhengru, Li Xingyao, Zhao Ninghan, Liang Yanran¡­¡± Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face suddenly changed, and she stopped talking.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes were wide open with admiration. These were all prominent figures in the entertainment industry: Movie King Zhou Zhengru, popr young actor Li Xingyao, the controversial celebrity Zhao Ninghan, and leading young actress Liang Yanran¡­ Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly realized that it hadn¡¯t even been a month since Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide, and the past month had cast a shadow over the entertainment industry because of her departure.


    Ignoring the ill-fated Liang Yanran, the chubby woman in front of her was none other than the gold-medal agent in the entertainment industry, and Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s smile had a hint of ttery.


    ¡°Honghong, I didn¡¯t know you were so amazing. I have been so ignorant, and I hope you can give me more guidance in the future.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong was pleased with Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯spliment, and it lifted some of the gloom in her heart, ¡°As long as you obey, the result won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t hesitate to sign her name on the contract.


    ¡°Have you heard of the reality show ¡®Three Meals a Day¡¯?¡± Liang Xiaohong asked.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a very popr lifestyle reality show; I never miss an episode.¡±¡±Great, I have a guest spot and I¡¯m going to rmend you for it, which will be your debut. Since you¡¯ve seen the show before, I don¡¯t need to remind you what to do, right?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nodded, ¡°Neers need to be diligent and sensible, always ready to work.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong nced at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fingers, which clearly showed that she had been spoiled at home and had never done any real work.


    ¡°As long as you understand, the specifics of the time will be determined when


    Liang Xiaohong¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang, and she picked it up and answered it immediately, ¡°Hello, Producer Zhang ¡­¡±<div>


    Whatever was said on the other end, Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face changed suddenly, ¡°We agreed on this long ago, you can¡¯t change your mind at thest minute, can you, Producer Zhang?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart tightened in an instant as she nervously stared at Liang


    Xiaohong.


    After the person on the other end hung up, Liang Xiaohong cursed, ¡°F*cking bastard, ying me.¡±


    ¡°What happened, Honghong?¡±


    Liang Xiaohong frowned and said angrily, ¡°You can¡¯t join One Day Three Meals anymore, someone has snatched it away.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang hadnt been happy for two minutes before she was doused with a bucket of cold water, leaving her speechless for a while.


    ¡°Who dares to grab resources from me, Liang Xiaohong? Don¡¯t they know who I am? If I find out who it was, I won¡¯t let them off.¡¯


    Pausing for a moment, Liang Xiaohong looked at Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°The entertainment industry cake is only so big, it¡¯s normal for people to grab it from each other. This time I was unexpectedly snatched away, but there won¡¯t be a next time. Since you can¡¯t go to the variety show, I have a spot for a talent show here ¡­¡±


    Liang Xiaohong looked at her, ¡°What skills do you have?¡±


    ¡°Violin, dancing, piano, painting.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong raised her eyebrows, ¡°Your family must be doing pretty well, huh?¡±


    Ordinary people couldn¡¯t afford to send their children to learn these things.


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed but didn¡¯t answer.


    Lin Qing had spent quite a bit of money cultivating her, and she had learned all of these things, though none of them were her expertise. The only skill she was quite good at was the violin, but she had been out of practice for a long time.


    ¡°You should go back and prepare, this talent show is Fanyu Entertainment¡¯s second season of Super Girl Group after ST Girl Group. They might even invite Qu Feitai as a mentor this time, so seize this opportunity.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she clutched her skirt tightly with both hands.


    Liang Xiaohong didn¡¯t notice Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s change, lost in her own thoughts, wondering about what Lu Yao had said: if cultivated well, this girl had unexpected value.


    No matter how Liang Xiaohong looked at her, Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t seem exceptional. That face wouldn¡¯t stand out in the entertainment industry, and while her youth might give her some freshness, it wouldn¡¯tst long.


    Oh well, there weren¡¯t any great prospects for now, so she¡¯d make do.


    A hundred miles south of Jiangzhou, there was a ce called Hanshan that was named after Hanshan Temple. Master Jue Ming, a renowned monk of the temple, continuously attracted worshippers to the temple, making it a bustling ce for many years.


    At the foot of Hanshan, there was a vige called Donghan Vige, located near mountains and rivers with picturesque scenery. It was a geomantic treasure and the vigers lived and worked in peace and contentment, enjoying a prosperous life.


    The One Day Three Meals production team chose to film at a small farmhouse on the outskirts of Donghan Vige for this season. The house was backed by the green peaks of Hanshan and faced the babbling Hanshan stream, providing a cool respite from the scorching summer heat.


    The fields surrounding the house were full of fruits and vegetables, providing abundant food and a pleasant life that reflected the theme of One Day Three Meals.


    One morning, a thick fog enveloped Donghan Vige, and the peace was shattered by the arrival of a car..

 Chapter 307: 141 Recording (Revision 1)

    Chapter 307: 141 Recording (Revision 1)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Xiao Fei, I can¡¯t go in with you. Let Xiao Tian apany you. Give me a call if somethinges up. Hang in there for a maximum of three days, and it¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Standing in the field, Huang Chao¡¯s eyes showed a deep reluctance, like an old mother who had to send her son away from home.


    Qu Feitai turned around and left without even looking at him.<div>


    Huang Chao sighed, still angry with him. He had quite the temper.


    Tian Long said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big brother Chao, I¡¯ll take good care of Xiao Fei.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Fei has never participated in a variety show. He¡¯s straightforward and has never been wronged since his debut. There are two regr guests on this show who are senior artists that love to tease the juniors. Be vignt and remind Xiao Fei not to confront his seniors. These three days will soon pass, and I¡¯lle pick you guys up.¡± Huang Chao kept on talking nonstop. If it wasn¡¯t for the show¡¯s rules that only allowed one assistant, he would¡¯ve chased after them right away.


    ¡°Alright, big brother Chao, I¡¯ll remember that. You should go back now.¡±


    Tian Long pulled the luggage for a couple of steps along the country road, which was uneven with stones. He changed his approach to carrying the luggage, catching up to Qu Feitai at a brisk pace.


    Huang Chao watched the two figures gradually be two small, ck dots in the fields as they moved further away. He sighed, ¡°I¡¯m just not at ease. I can¡¯t stand not keeping an eye on things.¡±


    However, if the media got wind of his exceptional treatment, they wouldbel Xiao Fei as a difficult top star.


    Huang Chao watched until the two figures hadpletely disappeared. He then put on his sunsses and got in the car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    A white sedan brushed past him and stopped at the spot where Huang Chao had just been standing.


    ¡°Stop the car.¡± Huang Chao instructed the driver.<div>


    He knelt down on the backseat, peering through the rear windshield. Today¡¯s guests were definitely the stars of this episode of the show. Qu Feitai, being such a huge star, should¡¯ve undoubtedly had the show¡¯s focus all on him. However, he heard that besides Xiao Fei, there was also another neer. It was obvious that the neer was heavily promoted by their agency to appear in the same episode as Xiao Fei.


    If it were a male star, he would only be overshadowed. But it¡¯s not clear-cut these days fangirls adored their male idols in an almost obsessive way.


    If it were a female star, it¡¯d be dire. Xiao Fei¡¯s blood would be sucked dry, and Huang Chao was already drafting a counterattack in his heart. No matter the backing, whoever leeched off Xiao Fei¡¯s poprity was asking for trouble. If they couldn¡¯t learn to stand on their feet, they would remain kneeling.


    He saw a short-haired girl carrying a suitcase emerge from the car first. She was dressed in a dull, gray outfit, in looking at best ¨C probably an assistant.


    The carry-on sized suitcase was the smallest one avable. It¡¯s impossible that was her only piece of luggage. Nowadays, female stars require more than that just for their makeup. Or could it be a male star?


    Soon, the figure that emerged from the car shattered his assumptions. A tall and slender silhouette, one that fueled unlimited spection.


    It was a willowy figure with long, ck hair reaching down to her waist. Wearing a white dress that swept down to her ankles, she sauntered through the misty morning mountains with an ethereal grace.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ it¡¯s a girl.¡± She seemed young and had an elegant demeanor.


    rms sounded in Huang Chao¡¯s heart. The show¡¯s production team was up to something.


    The woman nodded slightly toward the car and walked towards the fields. Her assistant immediately followed, carrying the suitcase.


    With her unhurried, calm demeanor, the white silhouette seemed like an immortal ready for ascension, exuding an indescribable profundity amidst the morning mountain mist.<div>


    Huang Chao froze. Why did he feel more and more uneasy? It was as if something significant was about to happen.


    The white sedan seemed to leave without any lingering attachment, driving off in preparation.


    Huang Chao instructed the driver, ¡°Hit their car. I want to see who this neer is.¡±


    Just as the white sedan rubbed past, Huang Chao¡¯s car honorably scraped it. Both vehicles mmed on the brakes at the same time.


    Huang Chao immediately got out of the car and knocked on the window of the white sedan: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my driver didn¡¯t see your car, and we scratched it. Let¡¯s talk about how we can sort this out.¡±


    The car window rolled halfway down, revealing an ordinary-looking man¡¯s face. However, those vibrant and beautiful eyes on his face seemed strangely out of ce.


    The man nced at Huang Chao with a cold snort, ¡°You¡¯ve been watching for a while now. Are you satisfied? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your driver who¡¯s blind ¡ª it¡¯s you.¡±


    Huang Chao¡¯s anger red up. How arrogant!


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re quite amazing. Whichpany raised a talent like you? Tell me, big talent agent Huang, whom you¡¯re with..¡±

 Chapter 308: 141 Recording (an update)_2

    Chapter 308: 141 Recording (an update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°You? Not qualified enough.¡± The man held up his middle finger and shook it, his attitude extremely contemptuous.


    Huang Chao was so angry that smoke seemed to rise from his head, ¡°Are all the neers so arrogant now? Where did this brate from, daring to act rampant in front of me? I know what yourpany is up to, so don¡¯t even think about it.¡±<div>


    It was as if the other party had heard a tall tale,ughing exaggeratedly, and nced at Huang Chao obliquely, ¡°I should be the one to say that to you. Take care of your own artist. If I find out that you dare to have any ideas about my artists, I¡¯ll tear down yourir.¡±


    Without giving Huang Chao a chance to catch his breath, a business card was thrown out through the window andnded at Huang Chao¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Contact my driver forpensation within three days. If you miss the deadline, you¡¯ll bear the consequences. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As soon as the words fell, the car window closed, and it sped away, soon disappearing into the mountain road.


    Huang Chao was dumbfounded. What did she say? My artist coveted her artist?


    ¡°Pah, keep dreaming! Neers nowadays are so arrogant it¡¯s ridiculous. How dare you speak up in front of me, Huang Grandpa! Qu Feitai coveting your artist? That¡¯s like the sun rising in the west.¡±


    Huang Chao, cursing and muttering, picked up the business card at his feet. On it, in big gilded letters, were the words Unspeakable Entertainment Company, Manager Qing Zheng, and a string of phone numbers below.


    ¡°Unspeakable Entertainment Company? Pah, what a small, brokenpany, just wait and go bankrupt.¡±


    ¡®IWvo female producers and two photographers were nervously and eagerly waiting at the entrance of the vige.


    No one expected that the director would actually invite Qu Feitai. When the news arrived, the whole crew was shocked.


    Who was Qu Feitai? The current top popr artist in the entertainment industry, a talented young king of music, a walking hot search. Qu Feitai was good at everything, but he didn¡¯t like to go on variety shows. He had rejected countless invitations from different programs. A few months ago, he finally made an appearance on a variety show in the form of a VCR, but due to Zheng Qing¡¯s ban, that episode never aired.<div>


    So, people have said if someone could invite Qu Feitai to a variety show, the crew would have burned incense to get such good luck.


    Both female producers red at each other; they both wanted to be with Qu Feitai. But in the end, the director chose Li Yiyi, and Lu Xinyu could only take care of the new artist. The difference was huge. Lu Xinyu was unhappy about it, but who told Li Yiyi to have a rtive in television as a Master?


    Seeing a tall and thin silhouette appear at the entrance of the vige, Li Yiyi¡¯s eyes lit up. She signaled to the photographer to follow closely.


    Lu Xinyu looked enviously at the approaching Male God, with astonishment covering her growing jealousy.


    This was Qu Feitai, a beautiful young man with a perfect body proportion, a cold and cool temperament. As he approached, he was like walking hormones that charmed everyone.


    Thinking that Li Yiyi could have close contact with Qu Feitai for three days while she could only deal with some unknown neer, Lu Xinyu felt sour.


    ¡°Mr. Qu, hello, I am your producer Li Yiyi. If you have any problems during the shooting of the program, you can tell me. I¡¯ll help you solve the problems and liaise with the crew.¡± Li Yiyi suppressed her excitement and spoke calmly. The young man responded with a ¡°mmm¡± and strode past her towards the vige.


    So cold and cool, so full of personality, a single ¡®mmm¡¯ was worth a thousand words of sexy charm.


    Li Yiyi excitedly trailed after him, winking triumphantly at Lu Xinyu as she passed, angering Lu Xinyu to clench her fists.


    The sun was now high in the sky, where was this neer? Already acting in such a high-profile manner before her fame.


    Just as Lu Xinyu was scolding in her heart, the photographer pointed to a ridge in the nearby field, ¡°Here shees.¡±<div>


    Lu Xinyu looked up to see a wisp of morning light cut through the fog, revealing the picturesque scenery of green hills and clear waters.


    In the painting, a young girl in white was walking slowly, unhurried and calm. Her white skirt brushed over the grass and wildflowers, wet with the morning dew. On the skirt, faint silver sparks shimmered under the sunlight.


    Though her steps weren¡¯t slow, she was in front of Lu Xinyu in just a few breaths.


    Suddenly, Lu Xinyu felt that the sunlight above her head was even more ring.


    ¡°Hello, I am Ming Jing.¡± The young girl approached, her ethereal and soft voice like a dream,pletely calming Lu Xinyu¡¯s nerves.


    Lu Xinyu found herself frozen, unable to return to the present. The girl did not urge her, her expression showing no impatience, just patiently and gently looking at her.


    It wasn¡¯t until the photographer nudged her that Lu Xinyu suddenly snapped back to reality. Her face flushed red and she stuttered, ¡°Y-you hello, I am your producer Lu Xinyu. You can find me if you have any problems during the


    recording..¡±

 Chapter 309: 141 Recording (Revision 1)_3

    Chapter 309: 141 Recording (Revision 1)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The words dropped quickly, and her gaze fell on a white skirt with lotus patterns embroidered with silver threads. As she walked, the skirt flowed and rippled, indescribably beautiful.


    Deep feelings of inferiority suddenly emerged from her heart. In the face of such extreme beauty and gentleness, all words seemed pale.<div>


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The pleasant sound fell on her ears, like a clear spring hitting rocks, crisp and tinkling.


    Ming Jing nced at the camera, and the cameraman who was carrying it felt his legs go weak.


    ¡°So, it starts now?¡± Ming Jing asked casually.


    ¡°Recording began when you stepped in here. From now on, your every move will be recorded by the camera. Later, there will be selective editing and then the footage can be broadcasted on television, ¡± Lu Xinyu exined.


    Ming Jing nodded.


    Lu Xinyu nced at her and quickly lowered her head: ¡°Let¡¯s go to the log cabin together, your seniors are waiting for you there.¡±


    Ming Jing followed Lu Xinyu into the vige.


    Ye Zhen yed the role of an invisible assistant, following Ming Jing by her side. Seeing the world from this angle was quite novel.


    Some old vigers sat at the entrance of the vige while children yed and followed the group of strangers curiously.


    As they approached an intersection, suddenly two children dashed out. One of them bumped into Ming Jing. The child panicked and grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s skirt. Ming Jing bent down to support him, saying gently, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    The child looked up nkly, ¡°Are you a fairy?¡±<div>


    The young girl smiled gently, ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    The little boy suddenly let go, his face filled with horror.


    A striking ck handprint was now visible on the girl¡¯s pristine white skirt.


    Seeing this, Lu Xinyu scolded him with a stern face: ¡°Why are you running around like this? You look so dirty, like you just crawled out of a mud pit! You¡¯ve ruined her skirt, even selling you wouldn¡¯t be enough topensate.¡±


    Shivering with fear, the little boy realized these were big celebrities from the city that couldn¡¯t be messed with. He had dirtied the celebrity¡¯s skirt; would she ask him forpensation? If his grandfather found out, he would surely be punished severely.


    Ming Jing nced at Lu Xinyu, who involuntarily stiffened and swallowed the rest of her rebuke.


    The beautiful celebrity who looked like a fairy gently brushed the dirty spot and smiled softly, ¡°You didn¡¯t do it on purpose, did you?¡±


    Compared to the woman¡¯s domineering presence, her voice was too pleasant and gentle, reminding him of his mother, who had been away from home for a long time. His eyes reddened unconsciously.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± he choked out.


    The young girl squatted in front of him and gently wiped his tears: ¡°So why are you scared? Your sister won¡¯t me you because it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±


    Her delicate, fair fingers contrasted starkly with the boy¡¯s dirty, ck face. Everyone around stared dumbfounded at the scene, captivated by the young girl¡¯s gentle and forgiving demeanor.<div>


    The little boy beamed, ¡°Thank you, sister. ¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and y,¡± Ming Jing gently patted his head.


    The boy hesitated for a moment, and then stammered, ¡°Sister, my name is


    Xiao Hoo, can I visit you and y?¡±


    As Lu Xinyu was about to scold him for being presumptuous, Ming Jing smiled and nodded, ¡°Of course, do you know where I live?¡±


    The little boy pointed in the direction of the vige¡¯s end, ¡°The log cabin, it was very old and worn before you came. Now it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Ming Jingughed and said, ¡®You¡¯re wee to visit the log cabin.¡±


    All of this was recorded by the camera.


    The little boy shyly ran off, leaving Ming Jing standing. The other children¡¯s curiosity towards her faded, reced by warm enthusiasm and admiration. They followed Ming Jing along the way, the procession growing longer and longer.


    Lu Xinyu said discontentedly, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, you shouldn¡¯t be so friendly to these kids. They¡¯ll take advantage of you, and what will you do if they keep pestering you?¡± She thought Ming Jing was trying too hard to create a persona.


    Ming Jing replied indifferently, ¡°Children are naive and pure, how can you think of them like that?¡±<div>


    Feeling criticized for her well-meaning advice, Lu Xinyu thought this neer was simply arrogant.


    In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the log cabin. In front of it stood arge elm tree, its thick and verdant branches providing ample shade. Standing behind the cabin were mountains, and fields of vegetables and fruits on either side. A small stream wound through the distance, creating a picturesquendscape of rural life.


    Through the low wooden gate, they could see the courtyard, where a group of people were surrounded byughter and chatter. On the outskirts, a crowd of people huddled under a canopy, where all the machinery was stationed.


    From this point on, both the assistants and the director stayed off-screen, and Ming Jing faced the camera alone.


    As she approached the wooden gate, Ming Jing nced at the camera mounted above. The log cabin was surrounded by 360-degree cameras, and once she stepped into the yard, she would lose all semnce of privacy. Every nuance of her expressions would be captured by the high-tech cameras.


    Ming Jing adjusted her skirt and pushed open the wooden door.


    ¡°Brother Feitai, your song ¡®White Robe¡¯ is just too nice! I can sing it too, let me sing it for you¡­¡± The young girl was just about to start when she saw a girl in a white robe entering through the door.


    She suddenly shrieked, pointing in the direction of the entrance, ¡°Brother Feitai, has the person in your song be a fairy?


    It couldn¡¯t be said to be unrted, just too simr.


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s words made everyone¡¯s gaze turn to the entrance.


    Qu Feitai disliked these asions, but since he had promised to be involved, he had no choice but to endure the ttery of these people who used the same phrases over and over. Just as he was feeling bored, a young girl at his side suddenly pointed towards the entrance.


    Did the person in his song be a fairy?


    It was a joke; even Ma Lang¡¯s divine brush could not capture one-tenth of Ming Jing¡¯s charm.


    He hated that everyone devalued Ming Jing.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyebrows instantly furrowed with cold viciousness, and he turned his head towards the entrance, suppressing his rage..

 Chapter 310: 142 Character design (Updated twice)

    Chapter 310: 142 Character design (Updated twice)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Therge elm tree was as green as a pine, covering every inch of shade beneath it. asionally, mischievous morning light prated through the gaps between the branches, falling upon the tips of the young girl¡¯s hair and the


    hem of her dress, like a leaping elf surrounding a fairy who had descended to the mortal world.<div>


    All the fans and audiences¡¯ first impressions of Ming Jing originated from here, and it was unforgettable for a lifetime.


    She was like a fairy from heaven, pure and untainted, transcending the mundane, and it was difficult to describe even a fraction of her charm with worldly words.


    At this moment, many people were rendered speechless.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s pupils constricted slightly, and his heart felt like being on a roller coaster, experiencing the impact of rising from the lowest point to the climax, which no one could understand.


    Qu Feitai subconsciously wanted to walk over, but as he lifted his foot, he suddenly realized that he was in the middle of filming a show. He frowned deeply, somewhat annoyed.


    Blind impulsiveness might bring Ming Jing unexpected troubles, so he could only endure it, pretending to be a stranger in front of everyone else.


    Realizing that Ming Jing was the neer everyone was talking about, Qu Feitai¡¯s feelings were tooplicated to describe in words for a moment.


    Was Ming Jing entering the entertainment industry?


    It wasn¡¯t that it was bad, but Ming Jing was just too clean and pure for this circle. She was easily bullied. It didn¡¯t matter, he would protect her from now on.


    Suddenly, he thought of the words Ming Jing had said to him the night before when she got out of the elevator.


    A surprise is just around the corner.<div>


    It turned out to be a big surprise, indeed.


    Ming Jing had subtly hinted to him at that time, but he had been foolish and hadn¡¯t grasped her meaning.


    They had managed to have half a day¡¯s leisure, and he had thought that they were going to face a long separation. But they were reunited at the variety show filming, spending three days and nights together. The gods had been so kind to him.


    As various thoughts stirred in his mind, Qu Feitai looked at the approaching girl, his cold eyebrow melting visibly bit by bit, his gaze turning incredibly gentle.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was on Ming Jing, and no one noticed the change in Qu Feitai¡¯s expression for the moment.


    Han Ying was the first to react, quickly jogging over to take Ming Jing¡¯s luggage from her hand. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Han Ying, wee to the little wooden house¡±, he said, somewhat shyly, fully disying the innocence of a young boy.


    Ming Jing smiled softly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, Ming Jing.¡± Han Ying savoured the name, then sighed, ¡°What a beautiful name!¡±


    Be fitting of her.


    He racked his brains but couldn¡¯t think of such a beautiful person in the entertainment industry, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be so unknown. It seemed she really was a neer making her first appearance.


    Zou Jingyu sighed, ¡°A beautiful woman like a flower on the other side of the clouds, it seems the entertainment industry is going to be lively again.¡±<div>


    Zhao Xinrong shouted, ¡°Director, where did you find such a lovely young girl? Our conditions here are strict, don¡¯t let her suffer, I¡¯ll be the first to go against it.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong¡¯s words lightened the frozen atmosphere, and Xiao Wenwen snapped back to reality, instinctively nced at Qu Feitai, and frowned.


    Ming Jing stepped forward, her smile full, gracefully saying, ¡°Hello, teachers, I¡¯m Ming Jing, it¡¯s my first time here, please be more forgiving.¡±


    Zou Jingyuughed, ¡°Ming Jing, a good name. It reminds me of a Bodhi Pooja Gatha: There is no Bodhi tree, nor stand of a mirror bright. Since all is void, where can the dust alight?¡±


    He nced at qu reital, ¡°¡®Ine two or you really nave some rate.¡±


    Qu Feitai was taken aback, then looked at Ming Jing, his gaze churning with turbulent undercurrents.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes swept over Qu Feitai effortlessly, a faint smile, but she did not speak.


    ¡°Today, our little wooden house is simply blessed with the presence of handsome men and beautiful women. My eyes can¡¯t get enough of them¡±, Zhao Xinrong jumped in, mediating the situation. The sun outside was getting bigger and bigger, calling everyone into the house.


    Qu Feitai deliberatelygged behind, walking side by side with Ming Jing. From an angle where the camera couldn¡¯t see, he quickly lowered his voice and said, ¡°You should have told me in advance that you wereing to participate in the show. I was so startled just now. I thought I was seeing a ghost.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen, who was walking behind Qu Feitai, looked up at Qu Feitai¡¯s retreating figure with a strange expression, then looked at Ming Jing. She saw the white hem of the young girl¡¯s dress sweep over the threshold, and the silver-threaded lotus embroidery on the dress refracted a dazzling light in the sun.


    Xiao Wenwen instinctively squinted her eyes.<div>


    Han Ying, who was thest to enter, sighed, ¡°If a fairy were to descend to earth, this is probably what it would be like.¡± He then disdainfully nced at Xiao Wenwen walking next to him.


    ¡°Look at her goddess-like aura, and then look at you, all covered in dirt and dust¡± , he eximed..

 Chapter 311: 142 Character Design (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 311: 142 Character Design (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Xiao Wenwen red at him fiercely: ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Han Ying yfully stuck out his tongue.<div>


    The four regr guests on the show were Zou Jingyu, a respected veteran artist in the entertainment industry approaching his twilight years, leading a semi-retired life with a taste for poetry and rural farm life, single-handedly supporting the entire program. Zhao Xinrong was a famousedian in his prime years, a regr attendee at the Spring Festival G, with a huge public following and great poprity.


    Han Ying was a household child star, now fifteen years old, mischievous and fond of ying pranks on people.


    Xiao Wenwen was a neer pushed in by the advertisers this season, with no fan base and just there to ride coattails. She didn¡¯t get along with Han Ying; they would bicker and fight when no one was paying attention, and Han Ying would always find ways to make fun of her. Xiao Wenwen dreamed of giving him a good beating.


    As soon as they entered the house, Han Ying, who had always beenzy and unwilling to even pick vegetables, suddenly became diligent, rushing to serve tea and pour water, showing great attentiveness like a waiter.


    ¡°Pretending to be polite.¡± Xiao Wenwen secretly pursed her lips.


    ¡°Ming Jing, here¡¯s some tea for you. I picked these wild chrysanthemums myself, washed them, and dried them.¡± Han Ying brought a cup of chrysanthemum tea to Ming Jing¡¯s side.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ming Jing took it with both hands.


    ¡°Brother Qu, you should have some too. It¡¯s hot weather, and chrysanthemum tea is refreshing and fire-relieving.¡± Han Ying was not so attentive to Qu Feitai and just ced the teacup on the table in front of him.


    Qu Feitai nodded.


    Looking at the handsome men and beautiful women in front of him, Zou Jingyu smiled, enjoying the visual feast.


    ¡°Ah, Ming Jing, how did your skirt get dirty?¡± Xiao Wenwen suddenly pointed to a stain on Ming Jing¡¯s skirt.<div>


    Everyone¡¯s eyes followed Xiao Wenwen¡¯s finger to the stain on Ming Jing¡¯s skirt.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you might not know because you just arrived, but our program requires us to work. How can you work wearing something so out of touch with reality? Although it looks good, you need to consider the real situation, right? Our program doesn¡¯t support idlers,¡± Xiao Wenwen said with her cute face and sweet voice, as if she were kindly reminding Ming Jing, along with her big innocent eyes, making her seem considerate and thoughtful.


    It was easy to imagine that once the program aired, Xiao Wenwen¡¯s words would be enough to make the audience scold Ming Jing to the point of withdrawal.


    Were they here to experience rural life or for a fashion show? If you didn¡¯t want to do the work, get out of the cabin; there¡¯s no room for idlers. For a neer without any fan base, these words could be devastating.


    Xiao Wenwen thought Ming Jing would be anxiously defending herself. However, to her disappointment, Ming Jing held her old-fashioned enamel cup, sipped her tea with small, gentle sips, leisurely and elegant. The stain on her skirt did not affect her pure and gentle temperament at all.


    Xiao Wenwen felt a bit stifled, as if she had punched a ball of cotton.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look good in skirts with your figure anyway. You¡¯re self-aware enough to know that, but why should other people have to be like you? Besides, she just arrived and hasn¡¯t even had a sip of tea yet, and you want her to work already? Is this how a host treats their guests?¡± Han Ying said yfully with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.


    Xiao Wenwen red at him fiercely, hating the lecherous kid.


    ¡°Haha, Wenwen is probably just too excited about finally having a femalepanion. Ming Jing, don¡¯t take it to heart. If you want to go work in the fields, you can; we won¡¯t force you.¡± Zhao Xinrong came forward to mediate.


    Ming Jing looked too much like a pampereddy with delicate hands and feet. She was probably just here to ride off Qu Feitai¡¯s poprity. For such a person, all you could do was tter them. If they were asked to work in the fields, they would get tired in just a few steps and then turn around toin to their backers, unintentionally offending people without even knowing it.


    Having spent half his life in the entertainment industry, Zhao Xinrong knew very well the antics of suchdies.<div>


    Anyway, when it was time for post-production editing, they could just cut out all the mischievous parts. As long as the audience held the upper hand, there would be nothing to fear.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ming Jing readily nodded.


    She agreed so easily that Zhao Xinrong¡¯s smile remained unchanged on his face, but he sneered inwardly.This one seemed to not even bother keeping up appearances. Who is this neer that the capital is preparing to promote?


    Looking at her demeanor, she must be like a canary bred by the rich.


    Xiao Wenwen said, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯ll show you to the room to put your luggage.


    There aren¡¯t many rooms here, so you¡¯ll share one with me tonight.¡±


    As she took Ming Jing¡¯s suitcase, she exaggeratedly said, ¡°Ming Jing, why do you have so few things?¡±


    Ming Jing took it and replied indifferently, ¡°Travel light.¡± She then carried her luggage upstairs with ease.


    Xiao Wenwen was stunned and quickly followed her.


    Han Ying said to Qu Feitai, ¡°Brother Qu, let¡¯s go upstairs and put our luggage as well. After we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll show you around the nearby area. The scenery is great.¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded at Zhao Xinrong and Zou Jingyu, picked up his suitcase, and went upstairs. Han Ying wanted to help Qu Feitai with his suitcase, but he refused.<div>


    Zou Jinzvu took a sip of tea, looked in the direction of the second floor, andughed, ¡°The ratings are going to be sky-high this season.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong said, ¡°Qu Feitai is very different from what I imagined. Everyone says he is aloof, but I think he¡¯s alright, a humble young man.¡±


    After saying that, he nced at the camera and lowered his voice, ¡°What¡¯s the background of this Ming Jing?¡±


    Zou Jingyu shook his head calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t know, go ask the director.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong gave him a look, ¡°Didn¡¯t Sister Zhang tell you? I don¡¯t believe it. Give me some urate information so I can be prepared too.¡±


    Sister Zhang was Zhang Yun, the program¡¯s executive producer and Zou Jingyu¡¯s wife. It was her job to invite guests to the show.


    Zou Jingyu coughed, ¡°Old Zhao, sometimes you¡¯re just too cautious. No matter what her background is, she¡¯s just a guest on the show now, so treat her normally.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong nodded, ¡°I see.¡±


    Judging from Zou Jingyu¡¯s tone, Ming Jing probably didn¡¯t have much of a background. He could rx now.


    Zou Jingyu just smiled and continued to drink his tea.


    On the second floor, there were three rooms. One master bedroom with arge bunk bed for Zou Jingyu, Zhao Xinrong, and Han Ying. One single room was reserved for big stars like Qu Feitai, and Ming Jing would share a room with Xiao Wenwen.


    The room was very small, with a single bed against each wall. Xiao Wenwen pointed to the bed near the door, ¡°You can sleep here.¡±


    On the floory two open suitcases with clothes thrown everywhere. A long table by the wall was filled with jars and bottles, and arge cup filled with half-drunk overnight tea emitted an unfriendly smell.


    On the bed against the wall, the quilt and pillow were lumped together, with half-eaten potato chips on the bedside, and hair and chip crumbs scattered on the floor.


    Ming Jing nced around and walked to the bed, where she saw some clothes thrown on it.


    Xiao Wenwen quickly took them away andughed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the director notified me toote. I didn¡¯t have time to clean up. It looks messy, but there¡¯s order in the chaos.¡±


    Ming Jing ignored her, looking down to open her suitcase. Xiao Wenwen peeked in, expecting it to be full, but there were even fewer items than she thought.


    One set of pajamas, a change of clothes, a small toiletry bag, and a pouch that looked like it was for underwear storage.


    No snacks, no makeup, no fancy clothes¡­


    Xiao Wenwen stared at the girl¡¯s wless, fair skin. This person¡¯s character setting was a bit too much..

 Chapter 312: 143 Unsolved (First Update)

    Chapter 312: 143 Unsolved (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing took out a clean set of clothes, turned her head to look at the cameras in the corner of the room, there were two of them, side by side. She walked over with two towels and covered the lenses.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Wenwen asked.<div>


    She caught on fast. Was she really a newbie to the show?


    At this moment in the surveince tent, arge group of people gathered in front of the A8 monitor. After a moment of silence, they broke into a cacophony ot discussions.


    ¡°This new girl¡¯s looks are absolutely stunning. She was so close to the camera just now that I could almost see the peach fuzz on her face. So beautiful, I can¡¯t even¡­!¡±


    ¡°Is she barefaced? I think she didn¡¯t even do her eyebrows. She looks so elegant and gentle. I wonder where Sister Zhang found such a treasure.¡±


    ¡°As long as this episode airs, with this face and temperament, she¡¯ll definitely be super popr. Our show this season will make a good start, a great sign. ¡±


    Most of the people gathered around the monitor were women, fawning over Qu Feitai. Hearing themotion from the A8 side, one girl scoffed, ¡°Another flower vase girl trying to leech off Brother Qu¡¯s poprity. What¡¯s the use of being beautiful if she can¡¯t tell wheat from chaff and isn¡¯t diligent? She¡¯s dressed so ostentatiously, is she here to experience rural life? I think she¡¯s treating our show like a fashion runway. No matter how gorgeous, Brother Qu wouldn¡¯t give her a second nce. She should give up that hope.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Brother Qu has high standards. He wouldn¡¯t be interested in an empty-headed flower vase like her.¡±


    A guy on the A8 side snorted, ¡°You guys are just jealous. What did she say or do? Starting by cursing her so harshly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re smitten already. Men really are fickle creatures¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, stop fighting. Everyone do your own jobs and stop making a scene.¡± The director scolded with a stern face.


    The crowd quickly bowed their heads and returned to their positions.<div>


    The director thought for a while, walked to the side, and asked through the walkie-talkie, ¡°Old Zou, are we still following the original n?¡±


    Zou Jingyu replied, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°That new girl¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be a bit inappropriate? Since Sister Yun arranged for her toe in, her background must be extraordinary. Just let her eat, drink, and enjoy the breeze. Don¡¯t trouble such a delicate young girl.¡±


    ¡°If she participates in our show, she should be prepared for anything. If she doesn¡¯t do anything, the audience will scold her even worse. I¡¯m doing this for her own good.¡±


    The director said, ¡°Alright then, but if anything happens, it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    With her back to Xiao Wenwen, Ming Jing took off her skirt.


    It turned out that Ming Jing was wearing a strapless top and shorts underneath. Her butterfly bones on her back were sexy and elegant, entuating her perfect right-angled shoulders, slender waist, and long, straight legs. Her body was even more perfect than a supermodel¡¯s.


    Xiao Wenwen subconsciously lowered her head to look at her own body, her face slightly embarrassed.


    When she looked up again, Ming Jing had already changed her clothes. She wore a white stand cor button-up shirt and matching wide-leg pants with silver flower embroidery at the cor, cuffs, and hems. It was delicate and elegant, forming ripples.


    Compared to the long skirt she wore before, this outfit is much more casual, but she still looked great in it.


    Walking, the wide pants legs seemed like clouds surging, silver lotuses shining.<div>


    Why were Ming Jing¡¯s clothes all white with lotus embroidery?


    What a white lotus flower¡­


    Xiao Wenwen sneered, ¡°Ming Jing, which brand are these clothes? I¡¯ve never seen them before, but they¡¯re quite nice. I¡¯ll buy a set for myself next time.¡±


    ¡°Dai Xi, the designer. You can find her.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen was stunned. This person was quite famous in the fashion circle. Her self-created brand was popr among celebrities, and it was said that she only designed clothes for A-list stars. Lesser celebrities shouldn¡¯t even think about it.


    Ming Jing finished changing, took off the towels from the cameras, put away her suitcase by the bed, and left with her dirty clothes.


    Xiao Wenwen immediately followed her and saw Qu Feitaiing out of his room. When he saw Ming Jing, his cold eyebrows seemed to soften in the spring breeze, visibly thawing.


    ¡°Han Ying said she will show us around, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°Alright, let me wash these clothes first.¡±


    It was only then that Qu Feitai noticed her change of clothes and the dirty garment in her hand.


    As Ming Jing went downstairs, Xiao Wenwen stayed beside Qu Feitai.. ¡°Brother Qu, where are you all going? Can I go with you?¡±<div>

 Chapter 313: 143 Unsolved (First Update)_2

    Chapter 313: 143 Unsolved (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qu Feitai said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t know, you should ask Han Ying.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen pouted, feeling a little wronged, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to offend Han Ying, he just always seems displeased with me. Brother Qu, can you take me with you? As long as you say something, Han Ying definitely won¡¯t object.¡±<div>


    ¡°This is between you two, and it has nothing to do with me.¡± After saying that, he quickly walked away, leaving Xiao Wenwen behind.


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s face darkened a bit, but then she realized there were cameras all around and quickly put on a smile, catching up with the others.


    The purpose of the show was to experience the real rural life, which was indeed very authentic. There was no tap water, and the only source of water in the courtyard was an old-fashioned hand pump well. To get water, they had to pump it themselves. The four main guests arrived three days early to experience this life, and this well nearly drove Han Ying and Xiao Wenwen to breakdown.


    There was arge vat next to the well, which was almost empty. Ming Jing took adle and scooped out some water, walked to the well, and prepared to prime the pump.


    Zou Jingyu was lying in a rocking chair under the eaves, wearing reading sses and holding a book in his hand. Hearing the noise, he looked up from the pages to the corner of the courtyard.


    Zhao Xinrong, who was ying with a cat, also looked over andughed,


    ¡°Seems like there¡¯s going to be another person driven to the edge.¡±


    As soon as Qu Feitai stepped out of the threshold, he heard Xiao Wenwen say, ¡°This well is too hard to use. The crew is inhumane, deliberately making things difficult for us. Don¡¯t let Ming Jing cry her eyes out. She is a delicate little girl who has never experienced such hardship.¡±


    Qu Feitai nced coldly at Xiao Wenwen, who suddenly felt a chill and found it inexplicable.


    The moment his voice fell, Ming Jing held adle in one hand and the well¡¯s handle in the other. She poured some water into the well with thedle and shook the handle a few times. In just a few moments, water started flowing out of the well. Another push, and clear water gushed out.


    Xiao Wenwen watched in amazement, ¡°Could it be that Ming Jing grew up in the countryside? She¡¯s so proficient in using this broken well.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai hooked his lips, crossed his arms, and watched Ming Jing squat down to seriously wash some clothes.


    In this fast-paced, modern world, everyone is striving for fame and fortune, having their hearts drawn away by vanity , opportunism, impetuousness, and greed. People would ratherment the beauty of a sunset someone else captured on their social media than bother to look up at the actual sunset. With beauty readily avable, many choose to remain blind to it, pursuing elusive desires instead. The world is deceived by the hustle and bustle, making it difficult for people to have the patience to see through appearances and understand their essence.


    But Ming Jing is the only pure stream in this restless world. She adheres to her heart, is unaffected by externals, works diligently and treats people with tolerance. Shebines knowledge with action and is modest and unassuming.


    He could imagine Ming Jing¡¯s 16 years in the nunnery, with the morning bells and evening drums, simple meals, and lonely nights, during which she gradually attained a state of equanimity and detachment.


    Yet, he felt pity for her. She was just a 16-year-old girl who should be a little narcissistic, shy, and yful. She should be able tough happily and cry sadly, with her emotions changing naturally.


    Qu Feitai paused, then shook his head andughed.


    He really was possessed. Wasn¡¯t this the Ming Jing that attracted him in the first ce? If she were an ordinary 16 -year-old girl, he might not have been moved by her.


    The chicken and the egg conundrum, which came first, the chicken or the egg, remains an unsolved riddle.


    Perhaps time will provide the answer.


    One year, five years, or even ten years¡­ As long as he¡¯s alive, anything is possible.


    Zhao Xinrong eximed in surprise, ¡°Ming Jing doesn¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯s ever done manualbor, but she¡¯s surprisingly efficient at it.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing quickly finished washing the clothes, and there were hangers on the clothesline in the courtyard for her to hang them.


    At that moment, Han Ying, who had changed into new clothes, rushed downstairs. He was wearing casual clothes and a blue baseball cap, looking like a refreshing and handsome young man.


    Xiao Wenwen fanned her nose, looking disgusted, ¡°How much perfume did you spray? You¡¯re suffocating me.¡±


    Han Ying deliberately leaned in closer to Xiao Wenwen, ¡°Are you a dog with a sharp nose?¡±


    Xiao Wenwen immediately escaped far away from him, as if he were a dangerous beast. She hid behind Qu Feitai.


    When Han Ying saw Ming Jing, his eyes lit up, and he ran over, ¡°Ming Jing,


    Ming Jing, do you need my help?¡±

 Chapter 314: 143 Unsolved (First Update)_3

    Chapter 314: 143 Unsolved (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°The water tank is empty, let¡¯s fill it up.¡±


    Han Ying¡¯s eyebrows sagged immediately. This was a really tough job to do. He had been pampered and spoiled at home and had never done such work before. He had initially been tricked by his agent, who said they were going to eat, drink, and have fun here. Only after arriving did they realize it was a ce for manualbor. The signal in the mountains was sometimes strong, sometimes weak, causing him to often drop out while ying games, and he had been kicked out of his team several times already, giving him a notorious reputation.<div>


    Furthermore, they had to do farm work, and it was impossible to let their seniors do the water pressing and carrying. This task fell to him and Xiao Wenwen. Xiao Wenwen was evenzier and more inept than him. Ever since the water tank had arrived, it had never been full. He was afraid of this well.


    Ming Jing carried a bucket of water and ced it in front of the well. She held the handle of the pump and gently pressed it down, and clean water flowed from the well.


    Han Ying eximed in surprise, ¡°You got the water out? That¡¯s amazing! I always had to ask vigers for help. How did you do it?¡±


    Ming Jing calmly replied, ¡°The principle of pressing a water well is to use a piston and valve to form a one-way valve, which allows the air to go up but not down. When the piston goes up, the valve opens, drawing the air in the underground pipe into the upper cavity. When the piston goes down, the valve closes, and the air escapes from the side of the piston. This process is repeated, causing the pipe below to be evacuated, and the water is drawn up under atmospheric pressure. If the seal is not good, the air from the outside will leak in when the piston goes up, making it difficult to evacuate the pipe, and the water will note up. To draw water, first seal it well. Since the local water level is low, it is necessary to induce water. I noticed that the water pump¡¯s sealing skin in the well was old and not airtight, making it difficult for you to draw water every time. Just rece it with a new sealing skin.¡±


    As Ming Jing spoke, she pressed the water, and her cool and gentle voice was a rare breeze in the sweltering summer heat, making people feel refreshed.


    Han Ying stared at her, dumbfounded. The young girl¡¯s eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely gentle and beautiful. Therge elm tree behind her provided shade, but there were still a few scattered rays of sunshine yfully bouncing on her body, making her look like she was surrounded by elves.


    She spoke unhurriedly, doing this seemingly ungraceful task, yet no one could doubt the nobility engraved in her bones.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re so amazing, even this you know.¡± Han Ying¡¯s ears turned red.


    When the bucket was full, Ming Jing came over to lift it, but Han Ying hurriedly picked it up before her. In an instant, his face changed color.


    It¡¯s so heavy¡­


    But he couldnt lose face in front of Ming Jing. If he struggled even to lift a bucket of water, how could he still call himself a man?<div>


    Han Ying clenched his teeth, his face turning red as he managed to pour a bucket of water into the tank.


    Han Ying ced the empty bucket back at the water outlet and took the handle from Ming Jing¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Let me do it. You can take a break.¡± He then began to press the water with a groaning sound, and soon he was sweating profusely.


    It made no sense. Ming Jing had not sweated a drop earlier, and yet he was soaked in sweat before even filling the bucket.


    Ming Jing said calmly, ¡®Move your hands a little back.¡±


    As Han Ying moved his hands back an inch, it indeed became much easier. He curiously asked, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Taking the point where the handle joins the well as the fulcrum, the distance from the fulcrum to your fingers is the driving arm, and the distance from the fulcrum to the water outlet is the resisting arm. When the driving arm isrger than the resisting arm, it¡¯s abor-saving lever.¡±


    Han Ying wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Ming Jing admiringly, ¡°You must be a top schr, applying your knowledge in practice. Please ept my admiration, I¡¯ll follow you from now on.¡±


    A few people in the distance watched the scene, and a profound smile appeared on Zou Jingyu¡¯s face.


    Zhao Xinrong clicked his tongue and said, ¡°This young girl is really smart.¡± She was not ordinary, he had almost misjudged her.


    But at the same time, he wondered if this could be a script written by the program team? He would observe before making any conclusions.


    Xiao Wenwen frowned and said with a grin, ¡°Ming Jing knows so much. Did you do a lot of research beforeing here?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai gave her a cold nce, ¡°Is it that hard to admit someone else¡¯s excellence?¡±


    He walked towards Ming Jing, leaving behind a cool and aloof figure for the three of them.


    Xiao Wenwen was choked with anger. What did Qu Feitai mean by that? Was he speaking up for Ming Jing?


    Another one blinded by beauty. Men were all the same, and Qu Feitai was no exception.


    Zhao Xinrong squinted his eyes and smiled, ¡°Wenwen, you should go help too.


    You¡¯re all young people, and you¡¯ll have something to talk about.¡±


    He was giving Xiao Wenwen a way out, so that after the program was broadcast, she wouldn¡¯t have conflicts with everyone. It wouldn¡¯t be other people¡¯s problem, but her own, and the audience would only be more critical of her.


    Xiao Wenwen wasn¡¯t stupid. She could tell that Zhao Xinrong was speaking on her behalf, so she gritted her teeth and went over.


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t act like a big star. He worked well with Han Ying, one pressing water and the other pouring it, in perfect harmony.


    Ming Jing walked around the yard and saw a discarded tire in the corner. She turned to the photographer who was following her and asked, ¡°Is this tire still useful?¡±


    The photographer nodded with a red face.<div>


    Ming Jing pulled the tire out, rolled it to the well, cleaned it with water, and then found a pile of tools.


    Han Ying curiously approached, ¡°Are you making a water seal?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded. She lifted an ax, thicker than her arm, and split the tire in half. At that moment, Han Ying¡¯s heart trembled, but Ming Jing remainedposed, using scissors to cut along the inner tube.


    She cut out a round gasket, measured the diameter against the well opening, made some more adjustments, and amazingly cut a perfect circle without even using apass.


    Ming Jing washed the gasket several times, filled a basin with clean water, fetched some vinegar from the kitchen, and poured a few drops into the water before soaking the gasket in the mixture.


    Han Ying asked, ¡°Why add vinegar?¡±


    ¡°The acetic acid in vinegar can dilute the sulfur in the tire. Immortal Crane Grass could have a better effect, if avable.¡±


    By that time, the water tank was almost full. Han Ying was about to ask what


    Immortal Crane Grass was, but Ming Jing looked at the sun above and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a walk.¡±


    Han Ying happily said, ¡°I¡¯m familiar with this ce; I¡¯ll take you.¡±¡®


    Ming Jing said, ¡°I¡¯ll let the seniors know first.¡±


    The three of them left the small courtyard, and Xiao Wenwen caught up with them, running, ¡°Wait for me; I want to go too.¡±


    Zou Jingyu smiled and said, ¡°Youth has its advantages.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong rubbed his stomach, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Lao Zou. What are we having for lunch today?¡±


    Zou Jingyu shook his wrist, ¡°My old ailment has red up, and I can¡¯t cook today. Looks like you¡¯ll have to fend for yourself.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong said resentfully, ¡°You know I¡¯m a kitchen killer! I can¡¯t cook, and we have two guests. We can¡¯t let them eat my dark cuisine.¡± Zou Jingyu helplessly said, ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do..¡±

 Chapter 315: 144 Treasure (Second Update)

    Chapter 315: 144 Treasure (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Brother Qu, wait for me!¡± Xiao Wenwen quickly caught up and squeezed between Ming Jing and Qu Feitai.


    Ming Jing moved to the side and increased the distance between them, and Han Ying hurriedly walked beside Ming Jing.<div>


    Qu Feitai subconsciously frowned and picked up the pace, leaving Xiao Wenwen behind.


    Xiao Wenwen realized that Qu Feitai ignored her and couldn¡¯t cling to him any longer; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t get any exposure on the show and would be scolded by his crazy fans.


    But to be scolded was also a kind of poprity. No matter what, she had to do whatever it took to save her face.


    This was Qu Feitai. As long as she had something to do with him, she wouldn¡¯t worry about poprity in the future. With poprity came fans, and with fans came value.


    Xiao Wenwen changed her strategy. She affectionately clung to Ming Jing¡¯s arm: ¡°Ming Jing, you know so much. Where are you from? I don¡¯t hear any ent in your speech?¡±


    Han Ying smiled and said, ¡°Jiangnan produces beautiful women, especially ssical and gentle beauties like Ming Jing. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Ming Jing, you¡¯re a local, right?¡±


    Ming Jing subtly withdrew her arm and said indifferently, ¡°Sort of.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen was surprised: ¡°You¡¯re really a local? Do you know any fun ces nearby? We have to film a whole season here. When we have free time, we can explore the surroundings. Ming Jing, can you be my guide then?¡±


    Qu Feitai, who walked in front, took a deep breath.


    Ming Jing looked up at the distant Hanshan Mountain. The mountain peaks were steep, towering into the clouds, isted and dangerous.


    Birds lingered and sang on the lonely peak, creating an even more secluded and mysterious atmosphere.<div>


    Hanshan Mountain, the higher it is, the colder one feels.


    Han Ying followed Ming Jing¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°I heard from the locals that there¡¯s a Han Shan Temple on this mountain. Inside the temple, there is Master Jue Ming, a highly respected monk. Many peoplee from far away to seek blessings and worship Buddha at the temple, and it¡¯s said to be very effective. Maybe one day we can go up the mountain to worship too.¡±


    Ming Jing withdrew her gaze and spotted some Immortal Crane Grass by the roadside. She crouched down, parting the grass to reveal a nt with small yellow flowers.


    She carefully plucked it out and wrapped it in her handkerchief.


    Han Ying asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Immortal Crane Grass. It helps contract bleeding and strengthens the heart. The roots can be ground into juice and mixed with water to detoxify the effects of sulfur.¡±


    Han Ying was delighted: ¡°You know about traditional Chinese medicine too?¡± Oh my, what a hidden treasure she is.


    Suddenly, Han Ying said, ¡°There¡¯s more over here. Since it¡¯s such a treasure, let¡¯s pick some more to take back with us.¡±


    Ming Jing nced over: ¡°The tender stems and leaves of Immortal Crane Grass are rich in nutrients and taste great. They also have remarkable effects against cancer.¡±


    Han Ying became more excited, searching through the grass for Immortal Crane Grass.


    Qu Feitai watched Ming Jing, then silently crouched down to search as well.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t damage the roots. Pull it out gently, like this¡­¡± Ming Jing demonstrated.


    ¡°All things have spirits, even the little grass has life. If we can minimize the pain, it¡¯s also a way to avoid negative karma.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s faint voice was like a distant stream, refreshing and clear, making them feel rejuvenated and alert. Han Ying instinctively looked over, seeing the young girl crouching in front of the grass, her long, fair fingers cradling a small nt as if it were a priceless treasure, her eyebrows and eyes filled withpassion and mercy.


    She who understands the grand universe, still cherishes the greenery of grass and trees.


    Xiao Wenwen cried out: ¡°I broke it, Ming Jing. Is it okay?¡±


    Han Ying rolled her eyes at her: ¡°Clumsy, what can you do other than eat?¡±


    ¡°Go away, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Han Ying drove her away and squatted down to dig with her hands.


    Xiao Wenwen felt a bit useless. Staring at Ming Jing¡¯s back, her tone couldn¡¯t help but be tinged with resentment: ¡°What¡¯s the point of digging this stuff? Are we going to eat wild grass? Can you eat this? We¡¯re here to experience farm life, not really to suffer. Are you guys getting your priorities backward?¡±


    Even though she intended to nder Ming Jing, no one cared about her. Han Ying did respond, but her words were rather harsh: ¡°Sure, go back and enjoy the air conditioning and giant watermelons. We¡¯re so sorry to have troubled you, Miss, toe dig wild grass with us. No need to send you off, just leave.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen stomped her foot and nced at the zing sun overhead. She was wearing sun-protective clothing, a sun hat, and had sprayed severalyers of sunscreen, but she still feared getting a tan.


    After hesitating for a moment, she resigned herself and squatted down.


    If she were to turn back now, the audience would undoubtedly curse her to death when the show aired..<div>

 Chapter 316: 144 Treasure (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 316: 144 Treasure (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    If she¡¯d known how difficult this program was, she would never havee.


    In no time at all, Ming Jing had dug up many herbs and ferns. Han Ying followed her example, digging up whatever Ming Jing did.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Ming Jing took a vine, bundled up the wild vegetables and Immortal Crane Grass, and easily picked them up.


    Han Ying wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up to see Ming Jing¡¯s face still white and clear, without a drop of sweat.


    Qu Feitai handed Ming Jing the Immortal Crane Grass he¡¯d dug up and said, ¡°The sun is too strong. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Qu Feitai was also sweaty.


    Xiao Wenwen, on the other hand, had already fled to a shady spot to escape the heat.


    Ming Jing took the herbs and bound them together with vines, along with the previously dug up wild vegetables. From afar, it looked like several bundles of wild vegetables strung together by a single vine. Ming Jing¡¯s bundling technique was exquisite, and Han Ying couldn¡¯t learn it after watching her for a long time, his admiration for Ming Jing grew even more.


    Qu Feitai naturally took the vine from Ming Jing¡¯s hand, and she didn¡¯t resist.


    They headed back the way they came.


    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Xiao Wenwen chased after them, panting and looking wilted. Her earlier enthusiasm was long gone.


    Back at the courtyard, Zhao Xinrong saw Qu Feitai carrying the herbs and curiously walked over, asking, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Han Ying exined, ¡°There are wild vegetables and Immortal Crane Grass.<div>


    Ming Jing is amazing, she even knows about medicinal herbs.¡± He then praised Ming Jing to Zhao Xinrong, who listened with admiration.


    Zhao Xinrong watched as Ming Jing skillfully untied her bundle of herbs and began carefully sorting through the nts. Han Ying had picked a lot of weeds along with the herbs, so they needed to be carefully sorted out.


    Qu Feitai squatted down opposite Ming Jing and silently began sorting through the herbs as well.


    At that moment, Xiao Wenwen, who had finally made it back, leaned against the doorframe and said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m dying from the heat.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong shook his head. Compared to Ming Jing, Xiao Wenwen wouldn¡¯t gain any fans and might even be disliked.


    People always fearparison.


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s brain was fried from the heat, and she couldn¡¯t think. She rushed to the water tank, scooped up a handful of water, and sshed it on her face, sighing with relief.


    Han Ying shouted, ¡°What are you doing? This tank of water was just filled up, and you¡¯ve ruined it! You don¡¯t work and now you¡¯re causing trouble! Are you even human?¡±


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s brain circuits reconnected, and she stiffened slightly before saying with a wronged expression, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it. I¡¯ll make up for it by filling the water tank again. ¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t press the well, you don¡¯t carry the water, and it¡¯s easy for you to say. I don¡¯t care, you¡¯ll have to carry the waterter, and if you don¡¯t fill the tank, you won¡¯t eat.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen, tired, hot, and hungry, felt more wronged after being criticized by Han Ying. Tears filled her eyes, and anyone who didn¡¯t know better would think Han Ying was bullying her.<div>


    Han Ying¡¯s anger was smoke rising from his head. Women were such a hassle except for Ming Jing, of course.


    ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s not like Wenwen did it on purpose. We¡¯ll all work together to fill the water tankter.¡±


    Han Ying¡¯s temper red up: ¡°Why should we? She made this mess, and we shouldn¡¯t have to clean it up for her.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong had a headache from the young people¡¯s endless energy, and said, ¡°Let me give you some bad news: Mr. Zou¡¯s old wrist injury has rpsed, and he can¡¯t cook anymore. Let¡¯s figure out what to do for lunch.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen felt even more wronged, and she couldn¡¯t even get a decent meal. Was this how people were supposed to live?


    Han Ying frowned, ¡°What can we do? I can¡¯t cook, Ms. Zhao can¡¯t even mention it, her cooking is a dark cuisine that can kill people. Xiao Wenwen doesn¡¯t need to be mentioned, Brother Qu probably doesn¡¯t know either, and Ming Jing¡­


    Forget it, I¡¯ll just eat instant noodles.¡±


    Ming Jing finished sorting the Immortal Crane Grass, put the wild vegetables in a basin to clean, and walked into the kitchen.


    Zhao Xinrong squinted his eyes and followed her in, asking, ¡°Ming Jing, do you know how to cook?¡±


    Ming Jing looked around the kitchen, found rice and flour, and various seasonings, and said indifferently, ¡°I can manage.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s sharp voice cut in, ¡°Ming Jing, this is not the time to show off. Everybody¡¯s starving and won¡¯t be able to take your jokes.¡±<div>


    Han Ying red at her, ¡°No one would mistake you for being mute if you didn¡¯t speak..¡±

 Chapter 317: 144 Treasure (Second update)_3

    Chapter 317: 144 Treasure (Second update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Xiao Wenwen pouted in grievance, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid everyone will be disappointed if they expect too much.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t respond to her, instead, she scooped some flour into a porcin basin, added water, and started kneading the dough. One look at her movements showed she wasn¡¯t just for show.<div>


    Zhao Xinrong raised his eyebrows in surprise, taking a serious look at Ming Jing.


    This young girl was really extraordinary. She didn¡¯t say much, she looked frail, like a flower grown in a greenhouse. But she was efficient and decisive when it came to work, constantly shattering everyone¡¯s impression of her.


    This probably wasn¡¯t a scriptid out by the show¡¯s team. After all, the production team couldn¡¯t do the work for her.


    ¡°Han Ying, grind the roots and stems of the Immortal Crane Grass into juice and drip it into the basin of soaked animal hides.¡± Ming Jing said while Imeading dough.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Han Ying was excited to have a task to do and sprung up, fully energized.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, you have a bad back. You can rest, and I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s ready.¡± Ming Jing didn¡¯t look up as she spoke, so she didn¡¯t see the shocked look on Zhao Xinrong¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡­ how did you know I have a bad back?¡± He hadn¡¯t told anyone about that.


    Qu Feitai then spoke from behind him, ¡°Ms. Zhao, could you please move over?¡±


    Zhao Xinrong was blocking the kitchen entrance. Hearing Qu Feitai¡¯s words, he quickly made way. Qu Feitai¡¯s interruption stopped him from questioning further.


    Having washed all the wild vegetables and Immortal Crane Grass, Qu Feitai asked Ming Jing, ¡°What can I do to help?¡±


    Xiao Wenwen widened her eyes, ¡°Brother Feitai, the kitchen is no ce for you. You should go and rest.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai responded coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go rest in the room and stop bothering others.¡±


    Humiliated, Xiao Wenwen stomped her foot and turned to leave.


    ming Lu Dongbin after being bitten by a dog ¨C failing to appreciate kindness.


    Ming Jing spoke lightly, ¡°Do you know how to start a fire?¡±


    Qu Feitai nced at the stove, hesitating, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­ ahem.¡± Qu Feitai began to cough violently. He hadn¡¯t even managed to start the fire yet, but he¡¯d nearly set the kitchen aze.


    Ming Jing covered the kneaded dough and turned to see Qu Feitai¡¯s sooty face, shaking her head in amusement.


    Qu Feitai spoke, sounding a bit aggrieved, ¡°I¡¯m¡­l¡¯m learning. I will get it soon.


    Could you wait a little longer?¡±


    Would Ming Jing think him worthless for not even being able to start a fire?


    Ming Jing, smiling, walked over, took the lighter from his hand. She nced around and found a stic bag in a corner. As she lit the bag, she calmly exined, ¡°This type of stic is easy to ignite. You can use it to get the fire started on the firewood.¡±<div>


    While exining, she stuffed the burning stic under the firewood, ¡°Keep one hand on the firewood. Don¡¯t suffocate the fire. It¡¯s easier to burn with some air.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s gentle and patient voice fell on his ears, the flickering me casting a warm glow on her gentle face.


    The two were so close, their breaths were intertwined. Qu Feitai¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°1¡­1 understand.¡± He tried to lift the firewood in his fluster, identally touching Ming Jing¡¯s hand. Her skin was soft and warm as jade.


    Qu Feitai pulled away like he¡¯d been electrocuted, his ears turning a subtle shade of red.


    Ming Jing seemed not to notice and naturally withdrew her hand. She nced at Qu Feitai, her eyes full of mild amusement. She then handed him a damp handkerchief, ¡°Here, wipe your face.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s handsome face was entirely covered in soot, bringing literal meaning to the phrase ¡®face covered in dirt.¡¯ However, it did not diminish his attractiveness in the least.


    Qu Feitai took it and gently wiped his face. He thought he could smell a faint, chilly scent on the handkerchief.


    It was a unique scent, like that of a plum blossom in cold, snowy weather, reserved only for Ming Jing. The scent was very distinctive, very pleasant.


    The crackling sound of burning wood brought Qu Feitai back to reality. His face turned bright red, although it wasn¡¯t clear if it was due to the fire¡¯s heat. Ming Jing stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going out to find more firewood.¡±


    Watching her graceful figure disappear, Qu Feitai stared nkly for a while, onlying back to reality when he saw the camera following her..<div>

 Chapter 318: 145 Cultivation (Midnight)

    Chapter 318: 145 Cultivation (Midnight)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    There was firewood in the yard, but it hadn¡¯t been split, so it couldn¡¯t be burned yet.


    Zhao Xinrong, Zou Jingyu, and Xiao Wenwen were enjoying the air conditioning inside the house, while Han Ying was in the yard grinding juice.<div>


    ¡°Bang bang bang-¡± A rhythmic sound came, and the startled Zhao Xinrong, who was drinking tea in the room, quickly leaned on the window to look outside.


    Under the shade of the big elm tree, the girl was swinging an axe twice as thick as her arm, splitting the firewood into two halves with each swing, perfectly equal, without the slightest deviation.


    She piled up the split firewood in one ce, and Ming Jing ced new firewood on the stump, then raised the axe again¡­


    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Zhao Xinrong covered his mouth, realizing hepletely misunderstood Ming Jing. The scriptwriting and directing team really couldn¡¯t have made this up.


    Zou Jingyu nced from a distance, a fleeting look of surprise shed in his eyes. He smiled and lowered his head to drink his tea.


    Xiao Wenwen eximed, ¡°Oh my, Ming Jing looks so weak, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be so strong. Is she a Kung Fu Barbie?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t exactly apliment for a young girl.


    Zou Jingyu shot her a nce, ¡®Wenwen, why don¡¯t you go help out? Young people should findmon topics to talk about.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen didn¡¯t budge from her seat, her innocent big eyes wide open,


    ¡°What did you say, Mr. Zou?¡±


    Zou Jingyu just smiled, ¡°Nothing.¡±<div>


    ¡°Wow, Ming Jing, you¡¯re amazing! Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Even though they were in the shade, it was noon and the outdoor temperature had reached 37 degrees Celsius. An egg could be fried on the ground instantly.


    However, Ming Jing effortlessly split the firewood with a few swings of her axe, not even breaking a sweat, her cheeks not flushed and her breath not heavy. This was not normal!


    After splitting the firewood, Ming Jing tied it up with a rope and carried it into the kitchen.


    As he watched Ming Jing¡¯s casual figure, Han Ying hesitated for a moment, walked over to pick up the axe, and almost dropped it on his foot. It was so heavy he could barely lift it, let alone chop firewood.


    Han Ying shook his head, ¡°She¡¯s stronger than a human.¡±


    At that moment, the kitchen was like a steaming room, and Qu Feitai, who was sitting right by the fire, was almost roasted alive. He was drenched in sweat like he had just been fished out of the water, his clothespletely soaked, but he didn¡¯tin, quietly squatting by the fire.


    Ming Jing ced the freshly split firewood beside him and asked, ¡°Are you hot?¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded and then shook his head quickly, ¡°Not really. I can still hold


    ¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, lifted the lid, and the water in the pot was already boiling, bubbling, and steaming.


    She nched the washed wild vegetables in hot water, scooped them up quickly, and ced them in cold water.


    ¡°Lower the heat a bit.¡± After saying that, Ming Jing took out the dough she had prepared and mmed and twisted it repeatedly on the cutting board, making it more stic. She pinched off a small piece and stretched it into a very thin, long strip. Ming Jing ced it in the boiling pot to cook, then moved on to the next piece.<div>


    Qu Feitai watched in amazement, ¡°Ming Jing¡­ where did you learn this?¡±


    As Ming Jing continued to make the noodles, her expression remained calm, ¡°Master was sick, and Senior Sister couldn¡¯t handle cooking fumes. Since people need to eat, the owner of a noodle shop down the mountain often volunteered at our temple, and he taught me.¡±


    She spoke so casually, but her words were like a stormy wave crashing into Qu Feitai¡¯s ears.


    Those davs must have been difficult. but she never uttered aint. calmlv epting all the hardships life had given her.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s all in the past now, and you won¡¯t have to go through that kind of hardship again,¡± Qu Feitai muttered to himself.


    ¡°Hardship?¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Compared to those who are born with disabilities or whock the five senses, I have a Master, a Junior sister, a healthy body, and a sound personality. These are all great gifts from Heaven, and I¡¯ve never felt that my life was hard.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s faint voice seemed to blur into the rising steam, and Qu Feitai stared at her nkly.


    The girl, shrouded in the mist, had delicate and gentle features, a heart as vast as the ocean, and a humble attitude like a valley.


    She had never found the tranquil, lengthy days in the temple a burden; on the contrary, she had enjoyed every moment.<div>


    Every action, whether it was sitting or lying down, having a meal or a drink, living in a secluded temple, or being engaged in the bustling life of a wealthy family or a reality show, was a form of spiritual practice.


    Zhao Xinrong stared at the food on the table in amazement, ¡°Did Ming Jing make all of this?¡±


    Zou Jingyu walked over, took a look, and smiled, ¡°Yes, they all look perfect in color, aroma, and taste..¡±

 Chapter 319: 145 Cultivation (Part 1)_2

    Chapter 319: 145 Cultivation (Part 1)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Xiao Wenwen sniffed and felt the delicious aroma. The appetite in her stomach was instantly stimted.


    She slowly walked to the table and nced at it, seeing six bowls of noodles with scallion segments floating on top, the soup clear and light in color. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was so hungry that the noodles seemed extremely tempting.<div>


    In the middley two tes of wild vegetables, the color bright and fresh, picked by Ming Jing in the morning ¨C Immortal Crane Grass and Ferns. Han Ying walked in from outside the door, ¡°What are you all waiting for? Let¡¯s eat!


    Zhao Xinrong coughed and asked, ¡°Where are Ming Jing and Qu Feitai?¡±


    At that moment, Ming Jing entered through the curtain, dressed in white, spotlessly clean. Everyone¡¯s gaze involuntarily changed when they looked at her.


    How could someone who cooked not have greasy skin and be dripping with sweat? Only she was so clean and refreshing.


    Qu Feitai followed her. The once bright star on stage was now having a somewhat haggard appearance. His hair had lost the careful styling it had when he first arrived, showing some disarray, but it emphasized his youthful spirit even more.


    Ming Jing and Qu Feitai took their seats at the table, and Ming Jing said, ¡°Help yourself everyone.¡±


    Han Ying couldn¡¯t wait to take a bite of the noodles and couldn¡¯t help eximing, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really delicious! Ming Jing, you¡¯re amazing. There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do. I¡¯m in awe.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and looked at Zhao Xinrong and Zou Jingyu, ¡°Our teachers, the noodles won¡¯t be as tasty if they get all clumped together.¡±


    Zou Jingyu picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, savoring it with relish, nodding his head in approval, ¡°The noodles are chewy, the soup is sour, crisp and refreshing. There¡¯s a faint spiciness in the aftertaste, it¡¯s different from the spiciness of chili peppers. It doesn¡¯t sting the throat and is very appetizing.


    What did you add?¡±


    Zhao Xinrong took a bite without waiting, his eyes widened in an instant, ¡°Old Zou, this is her secret recipe, she definitely won¡¯t tell you so easily.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing poured a cup of chrysanthemum tea, took a slow sip and said with a faint smile, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t say. Knotweed is everywhere outside; it¡¯s spicy and is a Chinese medicinal herb that clears heat, relieves heat exhaustion, nourishes tendons and strengthens bones. I added the steamed distite of the Knotweed to the soup to enrich the taste and help cool the heat and quench the thirst.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong raised his thumb in admiration, ¡°Amazing! Really amazing! I¡¯ve lived for more than forty years and haven¡¯t met a young girl who knows more than you. It¡¯s really embarrassing.¡±


    Zou Jingyu smiled and nodded, ¡°You really know quite a lot.¡±


    Han Ying suddenly realized, ¡°So that¡¯s why you wrapped it separately with a handkerchief, it has such a use.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Knotweed is spicy, and contact with skin can cause a stinging, burning sensation. Be careful if you encounter it in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see, I¡¯m learning so much from you. I¡¯ve learned a lot in just half a day.¡±


    Zou Jingyu picked up a chopstick of wild vegetables, ¡°Is this Immortal Crane


    Grass?¡±


    Han Ying proudly boasted, ¡°Yes, Ming Jing said it¡¯s a very good Chinese medicinal herb that¡¯s beneficial to one¡¯s body when eaten.¡±


    Zou Jingyu tasted it and nodded non-stop, ¡°It¡¯s very refreshing and delicious.¡± Ming Jing started to eat her meal slowly and methodically.


    She was very quiet when eating, not saying a word. For a moment, silence fell on the dining table.<div>


    Xiao Wenwen took a bite and quietly pursed her lips. It was just that, listening to them would make you think it was some rare delicacy.


    If not for being famished, she wouldn¡¯t be able to eat this kind of food at all.


    Qu Feitai was enjoying the meal very much. This was food personally made by Ming Jing. He had eaten dishes made by State Banquet chefs, countless abalones and ginseng, but none of them couldpare with these ordinary noodles in front of him.


    He ate slowly and carefully, one bite at a time.


    Han Ying put down her chopsticks and looked at Xiao Wenwen, ¡°The meal was made by Ming Jing, the fire was started by Brother Qu, and I washed the vegetables. We all have chores, and one who hasn¡¯t done any today just enjoyed the air conditioning in the room. You shouldn¡¯t shirk dishwashing, right?¡±


    Xiao Wenwen stiffened her expression, cursing her agent in her heart for epting such a lousy show.


    ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll take it as your agreement. Ming Jing, go upstairs and rest after eating. You¡¯ve worked hard preparing the meal.¡± Han Ying didn¡¯t give Xiao Wenwen a chance to refuse, urging Ming Jing to go upstairs.


    Ming Jing put down her chopsticks and looked at Xiao Wenwen, smiling,


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She nodded to Zou Jingyu and Zhao Xinrong after speaking, then got up and went to the second floor.


    Xiao Wenwen clenched her teeth, staring at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating back. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that thest smile was filled with mockery.<div>


    Without a word, Qu Feitai put down his bowl and chopsticks and went upstairs as well.


    Xiao Wenwen looked at the messy table, her face turning green.


    Zou Jingyuughed, ¡°Wenwen, you¡¯ve worked hard!¡±, he patted her shoulder, then turned and walked out with his hands behind his back..

 Chapter 320: 145 Cultivation (Part 1)_3

    Chapter 320: 145 Cultivation (Part 1)_3<div>


    Approaching the surveince tent, the director, holding a lunchbox, trotted out and said, ¡°Old Zou, where does this neere from? I don¡¯t see anything that¡¯s difficult for her, and when it¡¯s broadcast, she¡¯ll definitely attract fans. She and Qu Feitai have good chemistry too. The female staff who scolded her in the morning are now shipping her and Qu as a couple. This is getting weirder and weirder. Our show is going to explode.¡±


    Zou Jingyu nced at the stir-fried vegetables in the lunchbox that barely had any oil andughed, ¡°Let¡¯s just let things take their natural course.¡±


    The director¡¯s eyes rolled: ¡°Is her ramen really that delicious? To be honest, I¡¯m from the north, and I can¡¯t stand eating rice every day. My mouth is getting nd. ¡±<div>


    Zou Jingyu smacked his lips, a look of endless aftertaste on his face: ¡°Delicious, it tastes very unique, no one in the world can make the same taste except her.¡±


    ¡°Really? I read in her file that she¡¯s only 16 years old, and she doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s had a hard time growing up. I can¡¯t see through her. Once it¡¯s broadcast, it¡¯ll definitely be a hit. Let¡¯s not make things difficult for her,¡± said the director with a worried frown.


    Zou Jingyu snorted, ¡°Is this difficult? It¡¯s clearly an opportunity for her to perform.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you have a big heart. But what about Xiao Wenwen? She¡¯s someone the investors want to promote. Remind her not to go too far. If she gets scolded and the advertisers withdraw their sponsorship, what are we going to do?¡± the director said with a bitter face.


    To be fair, Ming Jing has already captured everyone¡¯s hearts now. As for thezy Xiao Wenwen, she can go wherever it¡¯s cool. But who canpare with her connections? When the editing is done, there will be nothing but negative points everywhere, and the advertisers will pressure the show to cut Ming Jing out. What¡¯s left to watch? Qu Feitai is following Ming Jing all the way, are we supposed to watch Xiao Wenwen creativelyze around?


    ¡°Who will have more connections is not settled yet. Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± Zou Jingyu said with a grin.


    The director¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Did Sister Yun tell you something?¡±


    ¡°Get back to work, I¡¯m going for a walk in the field.¡± Zou Jingyu walked away with his hands behind his back.


    The director pondered for a moment, thinking that the neer was not simple either. After all, it¡¯s impossible for anyone to fit into Qu Feitai¡¯s schedule this time without strong connections and skills.


    After a short rest, Ming Jing pulled out a book from the lining of her suitcase, sat down cross-legged on the bed, and read it.


    Xiao Wenwen pushed the door open, but Ming Jing didn¡¯t look up, lost in her thoughts among the pages of the book.<div>


    Xiao Wenwen nced at her, rolled her eyes behind the camera, and thought: what is she trying to show off?


    Shey down on the bed and fell asleep almost in the blink of an eye.


    Time passed silently, and Ming Jing closed her book and went downstairs.


    Ms. Zhao was rubbing her waist downstairs, her face strained as she walked in from outside.


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Ms. Zhao, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhao Xinrong said with a bitter face, ¡°My waist, it¡¯s an old problem. It torments me from time to time. When it¡¯s about to rain, it hurts even more. It¡¯s more urate than a weather forecast. I think it¡¯ll rain in the next few days.¡±


    Ming Jing helped her sit down on a chair, and rubbing her lower back, Zhao Xinrong cried out in pain, ¡°Ouch!.¡±


    ¡°How about here?¡±


    ¡°Even more painful¡­¡± Zhao Xinrong gasped for air.


    Ming Jing whispered, ¡°Ms. Zhao, did you have a lumbar sprain in your early years that you didn¡¯t get treated in time, leaving some seque?¡± Zhao Xinrong was surprised, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Recalling Ming Jing¡¯s words in the kitchen at noon, she thought, ¡°Did you notice it earlier?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing said, ¡°Ms. Zhao, you walk with your weight shifted to the left side to reduce the pain in your right lumbar sacral area, right?¡±


    Zhao Xinrong looked at her and eximed, ¡°You¡¯re really a gentle and careful girl. Your parents must be very outstanding to have raised such an outstanding daughter like you.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Ms. Zhao, you¡¯re too kind. If you don¡¯t mind, I can give you a massage to temporarily alleviate your pain.¡±


    After nearly a day of contact, Zhao Xinrong didn¡¯t think Ming Jing was making an idle promise, so she quickly said, ¡°Do it quickly, please. I can¡¯t bear the pain any longer.¡±


    Ming Jing washed her hands and instructed Zhao Xinrong to lie face down on a


    cushion. She first massaged to rx the muscles and activate the blood cirction, which made Zhao Xinrong sigh infort.


    ¡°The next part may hurt a bit, so please bear with it, Ms. Zhao.¡±


    As thest word fell, Ming Jing pressed her fingers onto acupuncture points such as the yu-kidney, yang-guan, and wei-zhong one by one, then kneaded and rolled them. Zhao Xinrong screamed loudly like a pig being ughtered, waking up Xiao Wenwen who had been asleep. She ran out barefoot, ¡®What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Han Ying and Qu Feitai came out of their room, too.


    Ming Jing withdrew her hands and said indifferently, ¡°Ms. Zhao, lie on your side for a while. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t bring my needle bag with me on this trip. If I could use acupuncture and moxibustion, the effect would be twice the result with half the effort.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong let out a long, turbid breath, ¡°It¡¯s sofortable¡­it¡¯s morefortable than massages I got from professional therapists. Where did you learn this skill, and can you teach me?¡±<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­you¡­you can massage¡­where did you learn this improper skill? What if you hurt Ms. Zhao identally? Can you afford it?¡± Xiao Wenwen rushed down from upstairs, looking at Ming Jing with disdain.


    Zhao Xinrong pulled her back, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I feel much better after Ming Jing massaged me.¡±


    ¡°Huangdi Neijing says, when meridians are not smooth, ailments arise from ack of benevolence. They can be treated with massage using specific techniques and force rooted in organs and meridians to achieve the effects of getting the meridians unclogged and relieving pain. It has been praised as the great medical skill of the ancients throughout history. In your words, it is improper. I can forgive your ignorance but please don¡¯t make baseless ims.¡± Without giving her a nce, Ming Jing turned around and walked away.


    Xiao Wenwen was left standing there with her face turning from green to white.


    Zhao Xinrong got up, swayed to the left and right, and said happily, ¡°It¡¯s so amazing. I feel much better after Ming Jing¡¯s massage.¡±


    ring at Xiao Wenwen, she said unhappily, ¡°Wenwen, how could you say that about Ming Jing? Go and apologize to her.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Apologize to her?¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± Han Ying crossed her arms and walked downstairs, ¡°Rambling on like that only shows your stupidity and ignorance. Ming Jing has given you enough face already. Go now.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen didn¡¯t expect Han Ying to be so harsh in front of the cameras. She looked at Qu Feitai, who wore a cold expression with his brows furrowed tightly.


    Xiao Wenwen understood that Qu Feitai was thinking the same way.


    Pouting in grievance, Xiao Wenwen felt that Ming Jing had captured everyone¡¯s hearts soon after her arrival, and now she had be the target of everyone. It wasn¡¯t fair..

 Chapter 321: 146 Life and Death (Second Update)

    Chapter 321: 146 Life and Death (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zou Jingyu returned and heard about what had just happened, rubbing his own wrist; ¡°True characters don¡¯t reveal their faces, this little girl is a tough one.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong, delighted, rubbed his own waist: ¡°It¡¯s really miraculous, it was so painful before, now it feels much better; I wish Ming Jing was my daughter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dreaming, how would her parents bear to do that.¡±<div>


    The two of them started boasting here, sitting on the side, Xiao Wenwen¡¯s face was getting greener and greener.


    Han Ying and Qu Feitai both chased after them. Han Ying is just a kid, that¡¯s okay, but Qu Feitai, a top figure in the entertainment industry, how could he run after a neer, it¡¯s downright hrious.


    Want her to apologize to Ming Jing? Don¡¯t even think about it, even if she¡¯s scolded, she¡¯ll say she¡¯s not in the wrong.


    Moreover, let the post-production cut all of Ming Jing¡¯s parts, the audience won¡¯t know.


    She is the person the biggest sponsor of the program wants to promote, the program team has no reason not to support her.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Wenwen felt relieved.


    Ming Jing took Han Ying and Qu Feitai to dig up potatoes in the field, picked eggnts and vegetables, and returned when the sun was about to set.


    Qu Feitai operated the stove with familiarity, Han Ying washed the vegetables, and Ming Jing cooked; the three of them worked together excellently, and within a short time, four dishes and one soup were ready.


    Everyone sat in front of a table full of delicacies, admiring Ming Jing¡¯s dexterity.


    Zou Jingyu said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Among all the seasons of this show, Ming Jing is the only one who made me feel useless. It seems I am really getting old.¡±


    ¡°The future of the entertainment industry belongs to the young. I can see that Ming Jing is full of spiritual energy. This girl is smart and patient, her future is limitless.¡± Zhao Xinrong, as an old veteran of the entertainment industry, had never publicly praised anyone so hispliment to Ming Jing was truly heartfelt.<div>


    Xiao Wenwen rolled her eyes secretly, what¡¯s interesting about all this boasting?


    What¡¯s so good about Zhu Mingjing? Always with that calm and indifferent face, but hiding a deep scheming mind.


    If she really were so carefree, whye to the entertainment industry? It¡¯s simply hypocrisy to stick with that character.


    ¡°Where is Ming Jing? Quick, call her to eat, she¡¯s worked the hardest.¡± Zhao Xinrong said.


    Qu Feitai lowered hisshes and said softly, ¡°Ming Jing doesn¡¯t eat dinner, let¡¯s


    eat. ¡±


    Thinking of something, he nced at Xiao Wenwen, that look very meaningful.


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s face suddenly turned ugly.


    What does Zhao Xinrong¡¯s look mean? Was she being judged for eating too much? Not as disciplined as Ming Jing?


    Is this the kind of manners a respected veteran artist should have?


    Why can everyone mock her so easily?<div>


    ¡°Brother Qu, I haven¡¯t heard Ming Jing say that, when did she tell you? You two have a good rtionship? Unfair, Ming Jing also judges people by their appearances, huh¡­.¡± Han Ying said in a tone of refusal to ept, her light-hearted attitude looked more like jest.


    Xiao Wenwen and Zhao Xinrong turned their attention towards Qu Feitai at the same time. Indeed, Qu Feitai had always been unusual to Ming Jing since he entered the show; although he tried hard to hide it, everyone could see for themselves.


    Zhao Xinrong was calcting in his heart that after the program was broadcast, it would be explosive, and he could almost smell the tense atmosphere of the uing storm.


    Zou Jingyu coughed lightly, his gaze imperceptibly brushing past Qu Feitai, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat, or else the food will get cold.¡±


    ¡®Ming Jing, you have mastered the survivalw of this program. After the broadcast, you just wait to skyrocket.¡±


    The setting sun went down, its pale golden light spilled over the fields, beautiful like a painting.


    Ming Jing and Ye Zhen walked in the fields, with no camera following, the two of them bathed in the golden sunset, feeling the breeze of the mountains, their backs slowly drifting away.


    Ye Zhen nced at the young girl walking beside her, with no joy or sorrow on her face, she shows no ambition for the uing fame and fortune.


    She really couldn¡¯t see through her anymore, not entering the entertainment circle for fame, then what for?


    Ming Jing nced at the mountain not far away and muttered, ¡°Hanshan


    Temple¡­.¡±<div>


    Ye Zhen followed her gaze and looked over, and for some reason, she shivered subconsciously.


    ¡°I overheard a few staff members talking, you guys might be going to Hanshan Temple on the mountain on the third day, kind of like a team -building activity. After all, always having you guys stuck in the courtyard cooking is not much fun.¡± Ye Zhen said.


    Ming Jing lowered her gaze and asked, ¡°Is your body still limating?

 Chapter 322: 146 Life and Death (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 322: 146 Life and Death (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Before, I felt so ufortable, with cold hands and feet, and I had nightmares at night. But ever since you gave me the Buddhist beads, I haven¡¯t had any nightmares, and my body has felt much better, as if¡­.¡± Ye Zhen paused, as if it were her own body.


    But saying this would probably not make Ming Jing happy.<div>


    ¡°The soul being detached for too long is not good for both of you.¡±


    Ye Zhen pursed her lips and cautiously asked, ¡°Ming Jing, can your senior¡­e back?¡±


    This concerned her future, and she looked at Ming Jing expectantly after speaking.


    Ming Jing nced at the horizon, where the crimson glow was like a fully-bloomed Manjusaka, enchantingly beautiful to the extreme.


    It devoured life as if it were a blooming life.


    All things in the world have always been interdependent andplementary, as inside and outside of one another.


    Just as life and death, and good and evil are.


    ¡°Do you want my senior toe back?¡± Ming Jing asked indifferently.


    Ye Zhen was stunned; this was a heart-piercing question.


    After a long time, she slowly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±.


    Ming Jing nced at her: ¡°You are very honest, it¡¯s human nature to be greedy for life and afraid of death. But the most terrifying thing in this world is not the dead, but the human heart¡­ If you haven¡¯t done anything wrong in your life, you don¡¯t need to fear death, and there won¡¯t be a single mark about you in the Judge¡¯s book of trials.¡±<div>


    Ye Zhen felt a creepy sensation while listening to the indifferent voice of the girl.


    ¡°After death¡­ will people really go to hell?¡±


    ¡°Six realms of reincarnation, the cycle of birth and death, the Five Precepts and Ten Virtues, rebirth in the Pure Land, the Ten Evils and Five Unnatural Deaths, and Avici. ¡±


    Apanied by the cool breeze of summer evenings, the ethereal voice of the girl drifted over, leaving Ye Zhen momentarily lost. When she looked up, there was no one around and Ming Jing¡¯s indifferent figure was gradually moving away in the sunset. The rays of the setting sun sprinkled on her body, glittering with specks of golden light.


    Ye Zhen shivered, and hurried to catch up.


    Ming Jing entered the small courtyard; the sky was getting darker. The twonterns hanging under the eave of the courtyard swung in the night breeze, emitting a warm red glow.


    Several people sat under the eaves and chatted without noticing Ming Jing¡¯s approach.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity, she was so young. When she camest season, I saw that she was so well-behaved and sensible, she had been helping me with work. She was a good child, how could she be gone just like that?¡± Zou Jingyu, always a rational and restrained person, couldn¡¯t help but grieve when talking about the deceased.


    ¡°Sigh, who could tell that the child had depression? Such a promising future, it¡¯s really a pity¡­¡± Zhao Xinrongmented.


    ¡°Sister Yanran¡­ I acted in a TV drama with her when I was young, I yed her younger brother, and she took care of me. I still remember her patting my head, saying I was so cute, and wishing I could really be her younger brother¡­¡± Han Ying said, wiping away tears.


    ¡°I grew up watching Sister Yanran¡¯s dramas, she was my goddess, I never thought she¡¯d have such a short life¡­ Sigh.¡± Xiao Wenwen squeezed out two fake tears in a showy manner.<div>


    Only Qu Feitai was silent, as if he and the others were not in the same picture.


    Ye Zhen, who was following behind Ming Jing, had her face slightly changed and clenched her fists tightly.


    It was quite an interesting feeling to hear others talk about her death, while she was standing right in front of them.


    The shadow of death that had enveloped her heart came back once more.


    She was really dead.


    Although Ming Jing called her Ye Zhen, she would not forget that this body belonged to Ming Xin.


    Ming Jing loved her senior so much that one day, the real Ming Xin woulde back.


    At that time, there would be no ce for her in this world.For a moment, Ye Zhen was engulfed in boundless sorrow, and she could hardly suppress her emotions. Her eyes reddened quickly.


    Lu Xinyu thought she was just a fan of Liang Yanran and pulled her aside, ¡°Don¡¯t block the camera. What are you crying for? She¡¯s dead, but she has nothing to do with you. You¡¯re really emotionally invested. I tell you she deserved to die.¡±


    Lu Xinyu nced around and lowered her voice, ¡°I have some insider information. I heard that Liang Yanran was drugged to death, not suicide. Her agent said it was depression to save her reputation. Depression is so fashionable. You see, as soon as it¡¯s mentioned, everyone sympathizes with her. In no time, she¡¯ll be everyone¡¯s moon goddess.¡±


    As soon as Lu Xinyu finished speaking, the girl in front of her looked up abruptly, her eyes fixed on her.<div>


    Lu Xinyu was startled, her hair standing on end, ¡°Why are you looking at me with such eyes? A reporter from the TV station had been following Liang Yanran for a long time. He was outside her vi the night she died. Xue An lied to the media. He actually arrived early but staged a show with the agent to hide the news of Liang Yanran¡¯s drug death. After all, it¡¯s a matter of life and death. The reporter dared not expose it, but it spread throughout our TV station. Liang Yanran appeared so noble in public, but who knew she was such a rotten person in private? You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±


    Lu Xinyu¡¯s words were like a dagger plunging into Ye Zhen¡¯s heart. She suddenly stepped back, and Lu Xinyu quickly supported her. Seeing her pale face and dazed eyes, Lu Xinyu couldn¡¯t help but shake her head.


    ¡°She really let Xue An down, just a scumbag woman. Xue An treated her so well, even after her death he remained loyal. She owes Xue An so much that she can never repay him in the next life. Do you still think it¡¯s worth being sad for a woman like this?¡±


    Ye Zhen gave a bitterugh, uglier than crying.


    Drugged? How could she not know that she was drugged? People were still pouring dirty water on her after she died. It was simply abominable.


    Ye Zhen was now certain that her death was not an ident but a conspiracy.


    After the initial shock, Ye Zhen swiftly calmed down, ¡°So she¡¯s really that kind of person? It¡¯s a good thing the reporter knew the truth, or the public would be deceived. I need to thank this reporter.¡±


    ¡°Haha, he¡¯s just a paparazzi from the entertainment channel. I don¡¯t know if he got frightened this time, but he¡¯s be a bit neurotic. Oh, by the way, he used to be a fan of Liang Yanran and became a paparazzi because of her. Maybe he was scared by his goddess¡¯s true face, tsk tsk¡­ ¡±


    Lu Xinyu suddenly felt a cold wind and couldn¡¯t help but hug her arms, thus missing the coldness in the girl¡¯s eyes.


    Ming Jing heard their conversation and raised her eyebrows, ncing at Ye Zhen.


    Ye Zhen looked up at Ming Jing, and somehow, her overwhelming anger faded under Ming Jing¡¯s gaze.


    She unconsciously touched the Buddhist beads on her wrist. They were warm and seemed to carry Ming Jing¡¯s body temperature, making her feelfortable and secure.


    She forced a pale smile, as if to say, I¡¯m fine.


    Ming Jing walked into the courtyard.


    Her arrival ended everyone¡¯s grief, and the mncholic atmosphere dissolved into the tranquil night.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Han Ying jumped excitedly.


    He was now Ming Jing¡¯s biggest fan, his eyes always filled with enthusiasm and admiration when looking at her.


    Qu Feitai sat under the eaves, looking up at her quietly, the red light above his head giving his face a gentle, tender hue.


    Ming Jing nodded, her gaze sweeping across everyone¡¯s faces, saying softly, ¡°Everything has a birth, dwelling, change, and end, and everyone must face birth, aging, illness, and death. If you don¡¯t know life, how can you know death? Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, who¡¯s to say it¡¯s not a


    blessing?


    As her words left everyone puzzled, Ming Jing went into the room.


    Ye Zhen understood that Ming Jing¡¯s words were meant for her.


    Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, who¡¯s to say it¡¯s not a blessing? Ye Zhen pondered the words, her eyes gradually bing determined.


    Zou Jingyu stared, then turned abruptly to look at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure.


    As the girl ascended the stairs, her figure elegant and ethereal in the dim light, she exuded an air of a reclusive sage. To sum up a person¡¯s life in two words:


    Let go.


    Let go of fame and fortune, let go of attachments, let go of life and death.


    It seems simple, but letting go is not as easy as it sounds, and few can truly grasp the meaning of these two words throughout their lives.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know life, how can you know death¡­¡± Zou Jingyu murmured, suddenlyughing..

 Chapter 323: 147 Leading the Snake (First Watch)

    Chapter 323: 147 Leading the Snake (First Watch)<div>


    The next day when Ming Jing woke up, the sky was gray, and there was a drizzle.


    Everyone was immersed in their dreams, and all around, there was nothing but the sound of rain and the rustling of wind through the trees, quiet and peaceful.


    After washing up and heading downstairs, one of the staff on duty looked up and was surprised to see Ming Jing: ¡°Why¡­ are you up so early? Why not get more sleep?¡±<div>


    Last night everyone partied until midnight, but Ming Jing went to bed early. Nobody dared to disturb her as she did the most work yesterday and must have been exhausted.


    The staff member nced at their watch: 5:05 am. It was way too early. Xiao Wenwen wouldn¡¯t get up unless she slept until 8 or 9 0¡¯clock.


    Ming Jing picked up an umbre from the corner, opened it, and stepped into the rain. Her ethereal voice was wrapped in the misty rain and drifted into the listener¡¯s ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk.¡¯


    Ming Jing¡¯s photographer was fast asleep, but Lu Xinyu woke him up, ¡°Hurry,


    Ming Jing is going out.¡±


    The photographer looked bewildered: ¡°It¡¯s not even light yet; what¡¯s she doing going out?¡±


    Lu Xinyu replied with some impatience: ¡°How would I know? She won¡¯t let us sleep; what a nuisance.¡±


    The photographer quickly put on a raincoat, picked up his camera, and rushed out. Lu Xinyu hesitated but eventuallyy back down in his sleeping bag. It was still quite early, better to sleep a bit more.


    As the staff member was turning away, they saw Qu Feitaie out: ¡°Mr¡­ Mr.


    Qu? Why are you up too?¡±<div>


    ¡°Did Ming Jing go out?¡± Qu Feitai asked.


    The other person nodded dumbly.


    Without another word, Qu Feitai grabbed an umbre and hurried out after her.


    By the time Qu Feitai¡¯s photographer was woken up, his subject was long gone in the vast mountains.


    Nobody could sleep any longer. The director was also called on short notice, and upon hearing that Qu Feitai had gone after Ming Jing, he instructed: ¡°Call Yan Xu, don¡¯t let him miss out. This is a golden opportunity.¡±


    Yan Xu was Ming Jing¡¯s photographer, and he was the only one who had followed her.


    Mountain rain was misty, and morning fog lingered.


    A young girl in white stepped into the rain under an umbre, her figure obscured by the mist, like a character in a painting.


    Yan Xu followed at a discreet distance, no special effects needed, she was a fairy indeed.


    Ming Jing turned around after two steps, her face more beautiful than the distant mountains, her eyes more profound than misty rain, among the countless colors of the world, only this moon-white was unique.


    ¡°You can go back; I¡¯ll walk alone.¡±<div>


    Yan Xu hesitated before replying: ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. It¡¯s raining, and it¡¯s too dangerous for you to be alone¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany her; you can go back.¡± Yan Xu turned around and saw a tall young man walking towards them under an umbre. Amidst the rain, his features were like that of a celestial being.


    Qu Feitai!


    Yan Xu thought to himself that this was the golden opportunity; he couldn¡¯t leave¡­ the show¡¯s ratings depended on them.


    The handsome young man¡¯s eyebrows were sharp, his eyes cold as stars. With a casual nce, Yan Xu felt a chill run down his spine.


    ¡°But with the rain and the mountains, if anything happens to you two, the show¡¯s crew can¡¯t bear the responsibility¡­¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Seeing Qu Feitai¡¯s strong stance, Yan Xu reluctantly chose to give up on the ratings over offending him. He turned around and left with his camera.


    Waiting for him to be far away, Qu Feitai walked up to Ming Jing, and they walked side by side.


    ¡°If I grow old and build a hut in the mountains, raise a few chickens and ducks, and y music in my leisure time, with a loved one by my side, wouldn¡¯t life be wonderful?¡± Qu Feitai gazed at the distant peaks, his face full of longing. ¡°Can you give up fame and fortune and be content with a simple life?¡±


    Qu Feitai smiled and shook his head: ¡°It seems you still don¡¯t understand me; fame and fortunee and go, and happiness is the most important thing in life. If I can be with someone I love, even in hell, it would be like heaven.¡±<div>


    The young man¡¯s gaze was bright and determined; it was hard for any woman to resist such an all-epassing figure.


    Ming Jing looked at the vast mountains in the distance and said softly: ¡°I wish your dreamse true.¡± Qu Feitai smiled at her.


    Only you are in my dreams.


    For a moment, words were left unspoken as they strolled leisurely along the path.


    After the rain in the empty mountains, the weather turned cool and autumnal.


    Compared with the heat of the previous day, today¡¯s temperature had dropped, and the wind and rain brought a refreshing chill.


    Qu Feitai took off his coat and draped it over Ming Jing: ¡°Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Ming Jing replied, even though she wasn¡¯t cold.


    Qu Feitai apanied her on the walk, listening to the babbling stream, the misty mountain rain, and the wind passing by their ears..

 Chapter 324: 147 Luring the Snake (First Update)_2

    Chapter 324: 147 Luring the Snake (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the vast heavens and earth, only the two of them existed, hoping this road would never end.


    When Yan Xu came back with the camera, the director was astonished. ¡°Howe you¡¯re back alone? Where¡¯s Ming Jing? And Xiao Qu?¡±<div>


    Yan Xu scratched his head: ¡°Xiao Qu told me toe back first.¡±


    ¡°So you just came back by yourself?¡±


    Yan Xu nodded.


    The director was furious, cursing loudly, ¡°Are you a fool? If he tells you to go back, you just go back? If he tells you to die, you¡¯d go die? What a great scoop, but you, with your blockhead, messed it up. I¡¯m livid.¡± The director was so upset he was pacing in circles.


    ¡°Go look for them. If you can¡¯t find them, don¡¯t bother eating today.¡± Upon the director¡¯s order, everyone hurriedly put on their raincoats and ran out. Zou Jingyu walked out, stretchedzily, and began to exercise under the eaves.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    When the director exined the situation, Zou Jingyuughed, ¡°Why the rush? It¡¯s more interesting to keep things vague. Do you think they would allow it to air if everything was clear? Do it in moderation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to improve the ratings¡­¡± ¡°Are you trying to offend Qu Feitai then?¡±


    The director fell silent.


    ¡°Alright, call everyone back. It¡¯s too early for such amotion. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and see what to make for breakfast.¡±


    The director quickly stopped him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you giving the neers a chance?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say to do it in moderation¡­¡±<div>


    Watching Zou Jingyu walk into the rain with his umbre, the director frowned deeply, ¡°Am I really that stupid?¡±


    Li Yiyi was grumbling, woken up quite early in the morning, of course, she was in a bad mood.


    But that¡¯s her job.


    Usually, she vents her frustrations through Weibo. Because she became Qu Feitai¡¯s director, she couldn¡¯t help but show off. But the crew had a confidentiality agreement, prohibiting staff from revealing any guest or shooting process information until the official announcement, or they would risk legal liabilities.


    But she couldn¡¯t help herself yesterday, she secretly took a picture of Qu Feitai¡¯s back and posted it on Weibo, captioned: ¡°The dream guy has arrived, he¡¯s so tall and handsome. I get to work with him up close every day. Everyone shoulde and be jealous of me haha.¡±


    Her Weibo certification was ¡°A Bite of China¡± staff member, she¡¯s been following up with posting recent pictures and videos of the guests, amassing a small following.


    Unable to resist the temptation, she posted the picture of Qu Feitai¡¯s back before going to bed. She woke up to pandemonium on Weibo.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s participation in ¡°A Bite of China¡± was trending, and it all started from her post.


    These days, there¡¯s nothing fans can¡¯t dig up, they¡¯re all like reincarnations of Sherlock Holmes.


    Li Yiyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, even the autumn rain couldn¡¯t match the chill in her heart.


    The signal in the mountains was poor, everyone was still asleep and hadn¡¯t gotten to checking the inte.<div>


    Li Yiyi quickly deleted her original post.


    But Qu Feitai¡¯s participation in ¡°A Bite of China¡± was already confirmed. The fans were overjoyed, spreading the news, it was even more festive than the New Year.


    Some people traced the news to Lu Xinyu¡¯s Weibo. Coincidentally, Lu Xinyu had also posted about ¡°the neer¡±.


    From her posts, everyone deduced that this neer as an attention-seeking drama princess. They suddenly felt it was problematic.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s fans sounded the rm bells, vigntly ready to prevent this neer from causing trouble or trying to steal the limelight.


    The production team scolded Li Yiyi, but otherwise were pleased with the attention. Thanks to Qu Feitai¡¯s fans drumming up interest, the show was popr even before it was aired. Coupled with the original IP value, this was now the most anticipated variety show.


    Zhu Xiangxiang saw this news online and was upset, thinking that it was supposed to be her cohabiting with Qu Feitai for three days on the show, but now she was reced by an unknown neer, making her furious.


    She created an anonymous ount and vented her anger by cursing the neer online.


    Zhu Shaodan sent her a message ¨C I traced Zhu Mingjing to the Jiangzhou Rehabilitation Hospital. The security is tight, I can¡¯t go in. Did she hide him there?


    Zhu Xiangxiang squinted her eyes, Jiangzhou Rehabilitation Hospital?


    Her fingers flew across the keyboard, quickly replying to a message ¨C Where is Zhu Mingjing? What has she been doing these days?<div>


    I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen her for several days. I heard she went out to run some errands and won¡¯t be back for a while.


    She went out? Zhu Xiangxiang subconsciously felt something was wrong. Zhu Mingjing has been in the Zhu¡¯s for so long but rarely travels far, except when she went to pick up her juniors..

 Chapter 325: 147 Luring the Snake (First Update)_3

    Chapter 325: 147 Luring the Snake (First Update)_3<div>


    She set up my father to go to jail, controlled thepany single-handedly, and now that she¡¯s not here, it¡¯s an opportunity. You are the rightful heir to the Zhu Group. Thepany must not fall into the hands of a bastard child.


    ¡ªDon¡¯t you think I¡¯ve thought of that? I was kicked out of thepany as soon as I entered it. Now the entirepany is filled with her people, and that Shen Zhou guy is guarding her. Did they all get kicked in the head by a donkey?


    Zhu Xiangxiang had a headache. Zhu Shaodan was simply a useless mud that couldn¡¯t stick to the wall. As the eldest son of the Zhus, he was kicked out of the Zhu Group by their own people. Wasn¡¯t it because he was too useless?<div>


    Everyone supports her just because she is the eldest daughter of the Zhu family. But once her true identity is exposed as a bastard child from nowhere, those high-level executives won¡¯t support her. So now our priority is to find Ming Xin, get her hair for a DNA test, and when the truthes to light, let¡¯s see how she will defend herself.


    ¡ªOK, just tell me what to do, sis. I can¡¯t wait any longer for that day.


    ¡ªDon¡¯t rush; let me think carefully¡­


    Jiangzhou Rehabilitation Hospital.


    In a single room, Han Suwen was lying bored on the bed. This confined life was too dull, it could drive a person crazy.


    She wondered how the girl before her had survived it.


    Suddenly, she sat up from the bed, frowning in thought.


    She always felt that the girl looked familiar, and at this moment a thought struck her: the girl looked 60% like Zhu Wentao, especially those eyes, which were strikingly simr.


    They had the same bald head, the same age¡­ Could it be Master¡¯s mysterious Senior?


    Ming Jing looked nothing like the Zhu family members, but this Senior¡­


    Han Suwen suddenly felt cold all over her body.<div>


    That fairy-like girl¡­ had deceived the sky.


    No, Ms. Ming Jing wasn¡¯t that kind of person. There must be some backstory that outsiders didn¡¯t know, judging by the girl¡¯s dependence on Ms. Ming Jing that day.


    From the day Han Suwen stepped into the Zhu family, she made a vow in her heart.


    Ms. Ming Jing saved one-one, and from then on, her life belonged to Ms. Ming Jing.


    She didn¡¯t need to think much; she only needed to know who she was loyal to, and that was enough.


    The door opened from outside, and a nurse came in pushing a meal cart. Han Suwen quicklyid back down and turned away.


    The nurse walked up to the bed and whispered, ¡°Miss, are you asleep?¡± No response.


    The nurse squinted and took out a syringe from her pocket, aiming it at Han Suwen¡¯s neck and jabbing it in.


    By the time Han Suwen reacted, it was toote. Thest thought that shed through her mind before she fell unconscious was whether it would affect Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s n.


    Once the anesthetic was injected, even a bull would fall asleep.


    The nurse put away the syringe and took out a tray from the bottom of the meal cart with a set of blood collection tools on it.<div>


    The syringe pierced into a vein in the arm, and the red blood flowed through the tube and into the collection vial. The nurse muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡±


    Five minutester, the nurse pushed the meal cart out of the room, and two ck-d bodyguards diligently guarded the room¡¯s entrance.


    As the nurse passed by a trash can, she threw the blood collection vial, along with the left-over food, into the trash.


    Soon, the cleaners cleared the trash can and took the garbage downstairs, leaving the hospital with the garbage truck.


    A ck sedan was parked outside a nearby garbage processing nt. Shortly after, a man in ck got in the car and handed a tube of blood to the man on the passenger¡¯s side.


    Ye Jian looked at the blood collection vial in his hand and roughly guessed Master Xiao¡¯s intentions.


    The storm is brewing, and the building is filled with wind.


    Ye Zhen walked up to Ming Jing and whispered something in her ear. Ming Jing¡¯s smile deepened as she listened.


    Han Ying said with a grin, ¡®What¡¯s the joke? Let me hear it too.¡±


    ¡°My assistant said she saw a snakeing out of its hole to hunt by the roadside. It was quite cute.¡±


    Han Ying shuddered: ¡°Snake? Cute? My god, Ming Jing, do you have any misunderstandings about snakes?¡±<div>


    With a horrified look, she stared at the girl standing behind Ming Jing. Are all girls so fierce nowadays?


    ye zhen gritted her teeth.


    Thinking that she was not Liang Yanran, she lowered her eyes and tried her best to avoid the camera.


    ¡°Snake meat dispels wind and invigorates blood, snake bones and skin nourishes the face, snake bile clears heat and brightens the eyes, snake blood strengthens the body, snake venom relieves pain and reduces inmmation; such a precious snake, how can it not be cute?¡± Ming Jing sat under the corridor, holding a cup of clear tea in her hand, looking at the misty rain curtain, and said with a smile.


    As Ming Jing spoke, Han Ying¡¯s face turned pale.


    He looked at Ming Jing, wondering if he had any misunderstandings about her?


    How could a fairy-like girl say something so chilling with a smile on her face?


    ¡°Do you want to try it? It¡¯s raining today, which is great weather for snakes toe out of their holes to hunt. Let me catch one for you to taste, how about that?¡±


    Han Ying ran away in a sh, unable to enjoy such a blessing.


    Ye Zhen chuckled and muttered, ¡°Silly boy.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s smile gradually faded, her eyes deep and unfathomable as she looked at the rain curtain.


    Ye Zhen stood in a corner avoiding the camera and looked at Ming Jing, frowning slightly.


    Ming Jing went on the show and handed the phone to her. Just now, a personRemark Qingqing sent her a message.


    ¡ªThe snake has left its hole.


    She didn¡¯t understand what it meant, so she honestly told Ming Jing.


    Why would Ming Jing, as a stranger, entrust her with a personal item like a cellphone?


    Isn¡¯t she afraid that she would betray her?


    What exactly does Ming Jing want to aplish? She couldn¡¯t see through it at all. No, she had never been able to see through this girl.


    Subconsciously touching the Buddhist beads on her wrist, Ye Zhen¡¯s floating heart gradually calmed down.


    Ming Jing is her only hope right now.


    Perhaps Ming Jing thought the same way, which is why she trusted her so much.


    ¡°Fairy sis, fairy sis.¡± A little boy ran into the courtyard. The director scolded: ¡°How did this kid get in here? Get him out.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°Xiao Hoo? How did you get in?¡±


    Xiao Hoo held two big yellow fish in his hand, still wriggling.


    ¡°Fairy sister, my grandpa caught two big yellow fish. I brought them to thank you for helping me yesterday. Grandpa says a good person like you will be rewarded.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the staff who hade over to chase Xiao Hoo away, her gaze soft but intimidating, and the man couldn¡¯t help but halt his steps involuntarily.


    Ming Jing picked up the umbre beside her, opened it, and took Xiao Hoo¡¯s hand, walking into the rain together.


    Yan Xu hurriedly followed with the camera.


    Xiao Hoo stared nkly at Ming Jing holding his hand, her hand so soft and warm.


    ¡°Fairy sister, where are we going?

 Chapter 326: 148 Path to Life (Second Update)

    Chapter 326: 148 Path to Life (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The cold stream was clear to the bottom, raindrops fell into the water, sshing.


    Ming Jing squatted by the stream, smiling, ¡°You want to give me these two fish, right?¡±<div>


    Xiao Hoo nodded nkly, ¡°Yes, I want to give them to Fairy Sister.¡±


    Ming Jing took the two yellow fish struggling violently in Xiao Hoots hands, and they suddenly calmed down in her hands.


    Xiao Hoo was surprised and said, ¡°Even the fish like Sister?¡±


    Ming Jing untied the grass rope and released the two fish into the stream, ¡°Go.¡±


    Upon returning to the water, the fish swam energetically, sshing water all around like dragons entering the abyss.


    ¡°Sister, why did you let them go? They were meant to be eaten.¡± Xiao Hoo said anxiously.


    The two fish swam in a circle and returned to the shore, gathering at Ming Jing¡¯s feet, looking up from the water with their empty eyes, shimmering with sshing raindrops.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°It¡¯s fate that they met me, I¡¯ll let them go to umte blessings for myself.¡±


    Xiao Hoo stared nkly at her, feeling as if the girl at this moment was shining like gold, her eyebrows and eyes full ofpassion and gentleness, like the goddess he and his grandma prayed to in the temple.


    ¡°Sister, are you a goddess reincarnate?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t spheme the Goddess.¡± ¡°Sister, look!¡± Xiao Hoo suddenly pointed to the stream.<div>


    More and more small fish gathered, forming arge school of fish, swimming enthusiastically towards Ming Jing¡¯s feet.


    The raindrops falling in the stream couldn¡¯t dampen the enthusiasm of the fish.


    ¡°They all like Sister.¡± Xiao Hoo felt that this scene was very shocking; he had never seen so many fish gathered together before.


    Yan Xu, standing nearby with a camera, recorded this scene.


    Ming Jing¡¯s slender, white fingers waved gently in the air, ¡°Go.¡±


    As the words fell, the school of fish dispersed instantly as if they understood.


    Xiao Hoo widened his eyes, speechless, ¡°Sister, can you¡­mand fish?¡±


    Yan Xu also had a stunned look on his face.


    Was this a supernatural event?


    Ming Jing smiled, propped up her umbre, and took Xiao Hoo¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go, the rain is getting heavier.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fish?¡± Xiao Wenwen saw Ming Jinging back empty-handed, ¡°Didn¡¯t a kid give you two fish? Where did the fish go?¡±<div>


    She had been dreaming about eating meat or fish.


    She had even thought about how to cook them: half steamed and half braised.


    The more she thought about it, the more her mouth watered, and her stomach started rumbling.


    Her eyes were fixed on Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing closed her umbre, brushed her dress, and said indifferently, ¡°I set them free. ¡±


    She walked past Xiao Wenwen and entered the main room.


    ¡°Set them free?¡± Xiao Wenwen blocked Ming Jing, cutting off her way, sneering, ¡°You really know how to y the good person, setting them free? You think you are the Goddess? We haven¡¯t eaten meat for days, and you let the only fish we had go. Are you doing this on purpose?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her coldly, and Xiao Wenwen telt a chill down her spine as she was stared at by those dark eyes. She wrapped her coat around herself, perhaps the wind had picked up.


    ¡°What¡­what are you looking at me for? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her, smiled, and walked past her.


    Xiao Wenwen hesitated, what did her smile mean?<div>


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiao Wenwen blocked Ming Jing¡¯s path again, determined to get an exnation.


    ¡°Misfortunees from the mouth, and that¡¯s all. Within a month, trouble wille. ¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing,e help me out.¡± Zou Jingyu emerged from the kitchen, waving at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing stepped over Xiao Wenwen and walked out the door.Xiao Wenwen stared at Ming Jing¡¯s receding figure in the rain, and for some reason, she suddenly shuddered.


    ¡°Putting on airs,¡± she muttered.


    She tightened her coat, smirked, and looked up to see Qu Feitaiing down the stairs.


    Did he see everything just now?


    Xiao Wenwen immediately stered a smile on her face and greeted him cheerfully, ¡°Brother Feitai¡­!¡±


    Qu Feitai coldly nodded without even ncing at her and went straight to the kitchen.


    Xiao Wenwen felt a little stifled. She had gotten upte that morning and heard that Ming Jing had gone out with Qu Feitai. They spent more than two hours outside, and she had no idea what they had been up to.


    Was Qu Feitai blind? Why was he spending so much time with Ming Jing, a neer? Did he forget that he was a top singer?


    Imagine if your die-hard fans saw this¡­


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s eyes darted about, and she logged on Weibo with her phone. Qu Feitai had made it onto the hot search list that morning and was still up there.


    Although the show had not announced its guests yet, the official Weibo ount and other guests had followed her, prompting many old fans to deduce that she was a new guest on the show.


    Although she was a neer, she had starred in two online series, which had achieved decent ratings, and she had almost a million fans.


    Hertest Weibo post was a selfie, which had just over a thousandments. Apart from a few genuine fans, the rest were bought by thepany to inte her poprity,monly known as ¡°water army.¡±


    When she opened thements, they were filled with typical water army sentiments like ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so beautiful¡­¡± and ¡°Sister, kill me¡­¡±


    After finding the perfect angle, Xiao Wenwen finally took a selfie she was satisfied with. Her pouted lips gave her a somewhat aggrieved look. She slightly retouched the photo and posted it on Weibo.


    The caption read: Your brother is being seduced by a white lotus. I can¡¯tpete. [Grievance]


    She didn¡¯t care one bit about the storm her Weibo post might provoke. If Ming Jing was going to upset her, then she would make sure Ming Jing wasn¡¯t happy either.


    You¡¯re acting like such a white lotus. Let Qu Feitai¡¯s die-hard fans teach you a lesson on how to be a real person!


    As for offending Ming Jing, who cares? Her backer was no pushover either.


    As expected, this Weibo post immediately attracted the attention of the show¡¯s fans. The show had high expectations on various tforms since it featured Qu Feitai. When fans saw Xiao Wenwen¡¯s post, they eagerly took it to various forums and ignited a debate.


    Could this ¡°white lotus¡± be the neer who is on the show with Qu Feitai?


    Since Xiao Wenwen openly posted that insinuation in her Weibo, this must be a high-ranking white lotus!


    The ¡°brother¡± Xiao Wenwen mentioned must be Qu Feitai, right?


    Damn, the one thing fans dreaded most has happened. Their pure and innocent brother must have been seduced by the bewitching neer.


    The show hadn¡¯t even started, and the fans were already at each other¡¯s throats.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s most famous fan, @XiaoFei_early_tonight, posted on Weibo to calm the fans, urging them not to act impulsively and be used by others. Her words carried a lot of weight in the fanmunity and seeded in stabilizing the fans. However, with a fan base sorge, the younger fans weren¡¯t as rational. They frantically searched for more information about the neer, worried that she would seduce their precious brother and taint his purity.


    Since the show had not officially announced the guests yet, no one knew who the neer was, except for a few vague hints dropped by Lu Xinyu. The fans let out their rage without knowing who to target.


    At least they stirred up interest in the show.


    The fans were on high alert. This neer seemed formidable. She was already slyly ying up a romance with Qu Feitai before the show even aired. Once the show aired and the water army joined in, what then? It would be unbearable!


    The fans were on standby, waiting to unmask the neer and criticize her so harshly that she would have topletely reinvent herself. They wanted her to understand one thing ¨C anyone¡¯s poprity could be leached on, except Qu Feitai¡¯s.


    When Huang Chao saw all this, he nearly had a heart attack.


    It¡¯s already starting to heat up now. My goodness, this neer¡¯s team is very clever. Their momentum is fierce.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t afford to fall behind. After so many years, Qu Feitai had managed to stay scandal-free and avoid any affairs. All of Huang Chao¡¯s skills were lying dormant but, finally, his time hade!


    He¡¯d show whatever monsters and freaks who they were dealing with!


    Huang Chao immediately called Tian Long and asked what was going on. Tian Long stammered, ¡°Brother Huang, I don¡¯t know how to say it. I have a feeling¡­


    that Xiao Fei has unusual feelings for this neer¡­¡±.


    ¡°What?¡± Huang Chao covered his heart, unable to cope.


    It wasn¡¯t the neer stirring up trouble, but Qu Feitai inviting it himself?


    Thinking of that ethereal silhouette, Huang Chao thought it was normal for Xiao Fei to fall for her. However, remembering the arrogant man who threw his business card, Huang Chao was filled with regret.


    He had taken this variety show for Xiao Fei at the risk of offending the leaders of the TV station, essentially trading a watermelon for a sesame seed.


    When Liang Xiaohong saw the online situation, she couldn¡¯t help but join in, ready to curse to her heart¡¯s content.


    Under her instigation, the neer¡¯s fame was quickly turning from ck to red before even making her debut..

 Chapter 327: 149 Dark Willow (At the first watch of the night)

    Chapter 327: 149 Dark Willow (At the first watch of the night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ye Zhen stared at the chaotic insults on the inte. Words like bitch, scum, whore, you name it. All kinds of demeaningbels were thrown at her.


    She had made her way through the brutal realities of the entertainment industry, and was no stranger to such underhanded tactics. Theseizens didn¡¯t care about the truth. iust looking for an excuse to vent their anger and frustrations from real life. They even gave it a lofty title ¨C ¡°I¡¯m a fan of Qu Feitai. Everything I¡¯m doing is for our idol¡¯s sake.¡± and med her for all wrongdoing, using her of having ulterior motives for getting close to their idol.<div>


    Ye Zhen cast a nce at Ming Jing in discussion with Zou Jingyu, her heart as clear as a mirror, untouched by defiling dust. Those filthy words were sacrilege even for her to think about.


    When she had first started in this industry, she faced more than her fair share of online harassment, but none of those instances hurt as much as this one.


    Tian Long suddenly felt a chilling gaze on him.


    Looking up, he saw a woman looking coldly at him, leaving him utterly baffled.


    Wasn¡¯t she Ming Jing¡¯s assistant? When did he offend her? Why was she watching him as if he hadmitted some great sin?


    Brother Huang warned him to keep an eye on Qu Feitai, and to avoid solitary contact with Ming Jing as much as possible. What could he do? His hands were tied.


    Could he really control someone as headstrong as Xiao Fei?


    The girl at the center of the controversy, Ming Jing, was blissfully unaware, locked in a quiet conversation about calligraphy with Zou Jingyu.


    The two were engrossed in their conversation, thoroughly enjoying each other¡¯spany despite the age gap.


    Meanwhile, Han Ying stood nearby,pletely confused by their talk but unable to look away from Ming Jing¡¯s captivating eyes.


    Qu Feitai, who didn¡¯t spend much time on his phone and thus was oblivious to the controversy online, picked up a guitar and began to y under the eaves.<div>


    The gentle strumming melded with the patter of the rain into a beautiful harmony.


    Han Ying suddenly said with delight, ¡°This is ¡®White Robe!¡±¡®


    Good heavens, to hear Qu Feitai ying ¡®White Robe¡¯ live was simply too fortunate.


    Even the backstage crew abandoned their secrecy agreements, taking out their phones to snap photos and record videos. The director was so mad he was practically spitting fire, but his yelling had no effect.


    Zou Jingyu and Ming Jing stopped talking, as if quietly enjoying Qu Feitai¡¯s performance.


    Ming Jing looked out at the rain falling in the courtyard, her chin lifted slightly, face calm and beautiful. Behind her, a young man held a guitar, ying quietly. The boy looked up just then. Under his cold eyebrows was a soft,passionate gaze directed at the young girl.


    With a ¡®click¡¯, this fleeting moment was captured forever.


    As the song came to a close, Han Ying asked curiously, ¡°Qu Brother, there¡¯s something I, and many of your fans, have been curious about. Now that we have the chance, I¡¯ll ask for them: is this song ¡®White Robe¡¯ about a specific person?¡±


    The director silently gave Han Ying a thumbs-up in his heart. Typical child of the entertainment industry, she knew exactly the right question to ask.


    Qu Feitai instinctively nced at Ming Jing, but quickly averted his eyes to watch the storm outside.


    Han Ying was taken aback. He was standing closest to Qu Feitai, was Qu Feitai just looking at Ming Jing just now?<div>


    Something felt odd.


    Everyone was waiting for Qu Feitai¡¯s answer when Zhao Xinrong broke the silence, ¡°Little Ying, I didn¡¯t realize you were such a gossip. How could he possibly answer such a personal question?¡±


    However, Zhao Xinrong¡¯sment only made things worse for Qu Feitai. If it wasn¡¯t a big deal, he could have simply answered the question. Him choosing to stay silent¡­ made the situation even more suspicious.


    ¡°Haha, my mistake, just a bit of personal curiosity,¡± Han Yingughed off and directed the conversation elsewhere.


    Internally, she was slightly worried. She didn¡¯t want to offend Qu Brother.


    They had only been together for a few days, and while Qu Brother didn¡¯t talk a lot, he didn¡¯t seem petty.


    ¡°The day¡¯s gettingte, everyone should get some rest. We¡¯ll have to get up early to ascend the mountain tomorrow¡± Zou Jingyu chimed in.


    Han Ying¡¯s eyes lit up, she excitedly asked, ¡°Are we going to Hanshan Temple?¡±


    ¡°Little Ying, aren¡¯t you having a streak of bad luck recently? You should speak with Master Jue Ming at the temple tomorrow. I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s quite a spiritual monk.¡± Zhao Xinrong jestingly said.


    Ming Jing returned to her room. Xiao Wenwen was slouched on her bed, face covered in a mask and engrossed in her phone. Upon seeing Ming Jing, shezily rolled over, turning her back to her.


    Underneath the face mask, her lips curled into smugness..<div>

 Chapter 328: 149 Dark Willow (At the second watch of the night)

    Chapter 328: 149 Dark Willow (At the second watch of the night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Enjoy the spotlight now. Let¡¯s see how smug you are after the show is announced.


    Don¡¯t underestimateizens; they could dig up dirt on your ancestors.<div>


    ¡°Hello¡­?¡± Xiao Wenwen answered a call from her agent. Hearing Ming Jing was out washing up, Xiao Wenwen raised her voice, ¡°What¡¯s


    ¡®What¡¯s up? What¡¯s the deal with your Weibo post?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Can¡¯t I vent when someone upsets me?¡± Xiao Wenwen said nonchntly.


    ¡°Do you know anything about that neer¡¯s background?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? Even if she has some background, am I supposed to be scared? Mr. Zhou promised to marry me.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen nced at her newly-made manicure, with dazzling diamonds glittering under the light.


    She wasn¡¯t worried that these words would be recorded by the cameras, because she simply wouldn¡¯t let them be included in the final cut.


    Xiao Wenwen knew the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry all too well: power and money ruled, and with powerful backing, she could do whatever she wanted. Otherwise, why would she waste her prime years on a potbellied, greasy man? The frustration could only be released through her antics.


    ¡°Do you really think Zhou Nan is going to marry you? Fool! He already has a wife,¡± her agent scolded her.


    ¡°So what? Am I not younger and prettier than his wife? She¡¯s bound to be dumped sooner orter, so she should stop taking up space.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± The agent couldn¡¯t win the argument. ¡°Just hurry up and delete that Weibo post. We don¡¯t know much about this neer yet, so it¡¯s better not to offend anyone. There¡¯s always someone better and higher.¡±<div>


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ve achieved what I wanted, so I¡¯ll delete it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to Hanshan Temple tomorrow? I heard Master Jue Ming of Hanshan Temple is an aplished monk. Pay your respects and ask for a peace charm for me. I¡¯ve been feeling uneasy and short of breathtely, as if something big is about to happen. I need a charm for protection.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, it¡¯s not superstition, but better safe than sorry.¡±


    After hanging up, Xiao Wenwen deleted the Weibo post she had published at noon. Ming Jing came back after washing up and sat cross-legged on the bed to meditate.


    Xiao Wenwen couldn¡¯t help butugh. Was she trying to be immortal?


    Gradually, ten minutes passed¡­ then half an hour. Ming Jing remained motionless.


    Xiao Wenwen stared at her, utterly still, barely able to sense her breathing.


    Xiao Wenwen felt a bit scared, inexplicably experiencing a chill down her spine.


    Another half hour passed¡­ Xiao Wenwen almost thought Ming Jing was bing a mummy!


    Stepping barefoot onto the floor, Xiao Wenwen cautiously approached Ming Jing¡¯s bed and felt for her breath with a finger under her nose.


    Relieved, Ming Jing was still breathing.<div>


    Suddenly, Ming Jing¡¯s eyes snapped open, revealing deep, clear pupils that resembled ancient wells, thousands of years old, calm, mysterious and unfathomable.


    Startled, Xiao Wenwen stumbled back, missed a step, and fell to the ground embarrassingly.


    Ming Jing smiled at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something the matter?¡±


    Xiao Wenwen stood up, rubbing her butt and sounding angry, ¡°What¡¯s with the ghostly act? I was so scared I thought you were dead.¡±


    ¡°Guilt betrays the boldest ghosts,¡± Ming Jing replied, picking up a book from her bedside and starting to read.


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s eyes widened. What did she mean? Was she implying that she had done something wrong?


    Did she know about the Weibo post mocking her?


    But she didn¡¯t dare to confront her face-to-face. Coward!


    Ming Jing read for a while before putting the book down and going to bed around ten o¡¯clock.


    Xiao Wenwen nced at her. Going to bed this early?


    Young people were usually night owls, like herself, whose nightlife had just begun. Sleeping early was a waste of life.<div>


    They had to get up at five to climb the mountain tomorrow. Even Xiao Wenwen didn¡¯t dare stay upte tonight, fearing she wouldn¡¯t wake up the next morning. She yed with her phone for a while and then went to sleep.


    The rain stopped around midnight. At 5:30 am, everyone gathered in the courtyard. Zou Jingyu frowned and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Wenwen?¡±


    He knew she liked to sleep in, but it wasmon for young people. However, he reminded everyone yesterday that they would climb the mountain early today. How could she be so inconsiderate as to make everyone wait for her? Ming Jing scanned the crowd and glimpsed Ye Zhen, who waved to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing responded with a nod and a smile.


    Half an hourter, Xiao Wenwen appeared, still drowsy, led by her assistant, yawning constantly..

 Chapter 329: 149 Dark Willow (At the third watch of the night)

    Chapter 329: 149 Dark Willow (At the third watch of the night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zou Jingyu red at her and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    This time, the crowd going up the mountain was vast, with half of the program crew present.<div>


    The most challenging job belonged to the cameramen, who carried heavy cameras up the mountain, something that was impossible without adequate physical strength.


    It had just rained, so the steps were somewhat slippery, and the sky was not yet fully bright. The director repeatedly reminded everyone to be cautious and beware of falling.


    Within twenty minutes of climbing, the crowd was filled with Xiao Wenwen¡¯sints: ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore¡­ I can¡¯t climb.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen leaned on her assistant, gasping for breath.


    Han Ying nced at her, ¡°How could your body be so weak? Look at Ming Jing, she¡¯s not even breaking a sweat. You should learn from her.¡± ¡°You stinker, are you looking for trouble?¡± Xiao Wenwen shook her fist.


    Han Ying quickly ran away, shouting loudly, ¡°Ming Jing, wait for me.¡±


    Ming Jing and Qu Feitai walked side by side, unhurriedly, as if strolling in the mountains. Compared to the rest of the panting crowd, the two were much more at ease.


    Hearing the shout, Ming Jing stopped and turned her head to look.


    She stood on the stone steps with the unending stairs and lush foliage behind her. The first rays of morning sunlight shining through the gaps in the trees fell on her, and her white skirt fluttered in the morning mist. Her beautiful, gentle features appeared and disappeared in the mist, as if she was an ethereal spirit from another realm.


    Han Ying gazed in astonishment before hurrying to climb up. ¡°Ming Jing, don¡¯t leave me behind. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.<div>


    However, within a few minutes, Han Ying, full of energy, wilted like a frostbitten eggnt. Looking at the never-ending stairs, shemented, ¡°How much longer until we reach the top of the mountain?¡±


    Ming Jing nced up, hearing Qu Feitai say, ¡°Give it another hour. We should make it before eight. Just hang in there.¡±


    Han Ying felt as if struck by lightning, ¡°Another hour? I can¡¯t climb anymore.¡±


    Han Ying sat down on the spot, with the main group still far behind, appearing as distant ck shadows.


    ¡°I heard there are tigers in these mountains¡­¡± Ming Jing¡¯s voice trailed off, and Han Ying sprang to her feet as if her butt was on fire, panting as she climbed.


    Qu Feitai shook his head, chuckling, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of tigers in these mountains.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°The tiger isn¡¯t in the mountains. It¡¯s in the heart.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, howe you¡¯re not tired at all? Are you still human? And you too, Brother Qu. Both of you are like superhuman beings.¡± Ming Jing and Qu Feitai¡¯s cameraman trailed far behind, unable to keep up and sure to be scolded by the directorter.


    Qu Feitai said, ¡°You justck exercise.¡±


    He enjoyed working out, and as for Ming Jing, she had grown up in the mountains, so climbing was probably a breeze for her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore. Let me rest for a while.¡± Han Ying sat down, taking off her hat to fan herself.<div>


    Ming Jing stood quietly at the spot, watching two figures leaving the main group and quickly approaching the mountain top.


    It was Ye Zhen and Tian Long.


    ¡°Get lost, you scoundrel. I¡¯ll hit you every time I see you.¡± Ye Zhen cursed, while Tian Long scratched his head in grievance.


    Qu Feitai squinted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    There were no cameramen around, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about being filmed.


    Just as Tian Long was about to speak, Ye Zhen cut in, ¡°Mr. Qu, please control your assistant, or the next time I see your name, it will be in the legal news.¡± Ming Jing looked at Ye Zhen, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Ye Zhen grabbed Ming Jing and continued up the mountain, whispering, ¡°That Qu Feitai¡¯s assistant tried to harass me. It¡¯s unbelievable that a well-behaved man like Qu Feitai has such an assistant. It¡¯s ruining his image.¡±


    Ming Jing hooked her lips, ¡°Is that really the case?¡±


    Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s smile, Ye Zhen shuddered involuntarily, sensing that no lies could be hidden from her.


    ¡°Fine, fine. I did it on purpose because I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and wanted to vent my anger at him. You don¡¯t go online, so you don¡¯t know that despicable Xiao Wenwen has been implying things about you on Weibo, which has been discovered by Qu Feitai¡¯s fans, who are now cursing you. You wouldn¡¯t believe how disgusting they are.¡±


    As Ye Zhen spoke, she became angrier. ¡°Cursing me is one thing, I¡¯m used to it, but cursing you, I can¡¯t ept.¡± Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Is that all?¡±<div>


    ¡°What else could it be?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head and continued up the stairs.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?


    ¡°Why should I be angry?¡±


    Ye Zhen didn¡¯t know the answer, as she stared at Ming Jing¡¯s gentle profile, questioning, ¡°But those people are ndering you without knowing what kind of person you are. Isn¡¯t that infuriating?


    ¡°What would getting angry change? As you said, they don¡¯t know what kind of person I am, so they curse me. Should I pay for their ignorance?¡±


    Her gentle voice echoed through the mountains, soothing the soul. Ye Zhen felt her grievances disappear suddenly.


    She smiled, ¡°If I had your state of mind back then, I wouldn¡¯t have taken so many detours. To this day, I still can¡¯t escape.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up at the mountain looming over the numerous steps, her eyes smiling, and asked, ¡°What do you see before you?¡± Ye Zhen followed her gaze and murmured, ¡°A mountain.¡± Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Not a mountain?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not a mountain, then what is it?¡± Ye Zhen was puzzled.


    Ming Jing smiled gently, ¡°It is a mountain.¡±


    Ye Zhen was baffled.


    ¡°What your eyes see is the mountain, and everything in the world is created by the heart. What your heart wants to see, your eyes will see. All worries are just a product of the heart.¡±


    Ming Jing finished speaking and proceeded up the steps, her skirt trailing over the stones and dewdrops grazing the silver lotus flowers, reflecting dazzling silver light.


    ¡°Just like this path up the mountain, the countless steps appear daunting at first, but once you step on the first, second, third steps, you realize it¡¯s just a series of individual steps. Before you know it, you¡¯ve finished the whole path, and the road will eventuallye to an end.¡±


    As the clouds dispersed, the sun broke through, and the temple gates appeared before them.


    The sound of the gong echoed through the mountains, startling countless birds.


    Ming Jing stood in front of the temple gate, gazing at the que of Hanshan Temple, a faint smile on her face.


    A junior monk sweeping the ground in front of the gate saw Ming Jing standing there, white-robed and bathed in the morning light, with a faint golden glow surrounding her figure, it was difficult to look directly at her..

 Chapter 330: 150 Hang-ups (Second Update)

    Chapter 330: 150 Hang-ups (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The junior monk was stunned, he approached and made a bow, ¡°Are you from the television program that dines three times a day?¡±


    The guest-serving monk, Enlightened Uncle, mentioned at the puja yesterday that a television variety show crew woulde to the temple for shooting today. This is a good opportunity to promote Hanshan Temple, and the monks in the temple should cooperate with the crew.<div>


    Ming Jing gently held a flower in one hand and smiled, ¡°I am here to meet


    Master Jue Ming.¡±


    The junior monk looked at her somewhat nkly. The young woman had a face as bright as the moon, with eyebrows exudingpassion, extremely Buddha-like.


    He bowed his head and shook his head with a chill in his heart, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    Master Jue Ming has been in seclusion for several days.¡±


    Master Jue Ming is a famous high monk known far and wide, countless people want to meet him in person, but really very few can.


    This woman was blunt, so the junior monk refused her with his usual excuse.


    l am Ming Jing from Silent Moon in Baitou Mountain, disciple of


    Master Wu Xin. I came today to pay respects to Master Jue Ming.; Ming Jing said with a faint smile. The morning sun illuminated her face, making her appear like a blooming white lotus, born in mud, blooming in the clear sky, with its red sepals and white petals, pure and elegant.


    The junior monk looked at her in shock. So it turned out she was a Dharma friend.


    Although he didn¡¯t know where Baitou Mountain and Silent Moon were, he had never heard of it before. Seeing how unusual this woman looks, he dared not neglect and put his hands together, saying, ¡®Wait a moment, Sister. I will inform the senior brother.¡±<div>


    The junior monk turned and hurried away.


    Ye Zhen caught up and looked at the que and murmured, ¡°So this is


    Hanshan Temple.¡±


    Hanshan Temple upied an entire mountain top. The temple was bustling with incense offerings, especially on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month. Ye Zhen had heard about the reputation of Hanshan Temple long ago, and only today did she finally get to see it.


    Just looking at the grand entrance, ording to the legend, there is a North Beixiang Nation and a South Hanshan, one to the north and the other to the south, two great mountains.


    At this moment, Qu Feitai and Tian Long had also caught up. Qu Feitai walked up to Ye Zhen and said very seriously, ¡°I am sorry, Miss Ye. My assistant has offended you. I will apologize on his behalf.¡±


    Tian Long, looking aggrieved, followed behind Qu Feitai. If it hadn¡¯t been for his help, Ye Zhen would have fallen down the mountain earlier. Instead of thanking him, she falsely used him, what a sign of moral degeneration of the society!


    Ms. Ming Jing is such a kind person, how could she have this kind of assistant?


    Having been enlightened by Ming Jing, Ye Zhen was no longer angry. Qu Feitai probably still didn¡¯t know. He is not like the rest of the entertainment industry who are blinded by their desires. He is a pure genius devoted to music.


    ¡°Whatever, in consideration of you, I won¡¯t bother with him.¡± said Ye Zhen generously.


    Qu Feitai smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡±<div>


    Sure enough, everyone whoes into contact with Ming Jing will be transformed.


    After Han Ying caught up, shey down on the stone lion at the door, panting, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. We finally arrived.¡±


    At this time, the temple gate ¡°creaked¡± open, and a strong scent of sandalwood rushed toward them. A middle-aged monk in a brown robe led a few young monks out of the temple.


    This middle-aged monk was Enlightened, the guest-serving monk at Hanshan Temple, Master Jue Ming¡¯s younger Dharma brother. The three young monks are Master Jue Ming¡¯s disciples, Jing Yun and Jing Feng, and Enlightened¡¯s disciple Jing Zhen. The junior monk Jing Yan, who was sweeping at the door earlier, is a regr disciple in the temple.


    Enlightened firstid his eyes on Ming Jing, his brows furrowing slightly. Jing Yan whispered, ¡°Master, that¡¯s her.¡±


    Enlightened snorted coldly, ¡°These days, anyone dares to im themselves as my disciple?¡±


    Jing Yun nced at Ming Jing and smiled, ¡°Master, everyone is a guest from afar. Buddhism embraces all rivers. There are myriads of disciples, and as long as her master is well-known and she is sincere to Buddha, it is a blessing for Buddhism.¡±


    Ming Jing stepped forward, ¡°I am Ming Jing from Silent Moon in Baitou


    Mountain, disciple of Master Wu Xin, greetings to master and all brothers.¡±


    Enlightened said coldly, ¡°Since you are Buddhism¡¯s disciple, why do you dress like this?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled innocently, ¡°If the heart has no hindrances, Buddha-nature is free.¡±<div>


    The cultivation of Buddhism focuses on one character: cultivation. We cultivate the heart, not Buddha.


    The monks being obsessed with upholding precepts is in itself a hindrance.


    Enlightened was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly became furious,


    ¡°Are you trying to teach me a lesson?¡±


    ¡°If the master thinks so, then just think so.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ a young girl dares to teach me, not knowing your ce.¡± Enlightened pointed at Ming Jing¡¯s nose and said.


    Ming Jing calmly looked at him. Her eyes, for some unknown reason, were as dark as vortexes, as if they could suck people¡¯s souls in.


    The guest-serving monk is responsible for the temple¡¯s external exchanges, mixed with worldly dust, long lost in cultivation, impatient, filled with anger. This Enlightened person is unworthy of his Dharma name.


    Jing Yun interjected to mediate, ¡°Uncle Master, watch your words.¡±


    This Enlightened One seemed rather fearful of Jing Yun. At his words, he fell silent, his face twisted in anger.


    Jing Yun offered a salutation to Ming Jing. The young man had fair skin and refined features; when he smiled, he projected a sense of gentility, like a refreshing spring breeze.


    ¡°Apologies, Junior, our Master is in seclusion. I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll emerge, but I will pass on your request as soon as he does. Are you here today with the program crew?¡± Jing Yun shifted his gaze onto Qu Feitai and his group.


    Han Ying was utterly confused. What¡¯s this about brothers and sisters? Is Ming Jing ay disciple?


    Oh no, this is a bolt out of the blue.


    Why on earth would a beautiful woman like her choose to renounce the world? Doesn¡¯t she find the secr world appealing?


    Qu Feitai had kept his gaze fixed on Ming Jing. This was a side of her he had never seen before.


    His hand, hanging by his side, clenched into a tight fist.


    He didn¡¯t like seeing Ming Jing like this, standing right in front of him yet seeming millions of miles away.


    ¡°I¡¯m a guest on the ¡®Three Meals a Day¡¯ program,¡± Ming Jing stated.


    Jing Zhen and Jing Yan, both quite young, looked shocked. The Enlightened One snorted in disdain, ¡°Shamelessly seeking attention. You¡¯re unworthy of entering the realm of Buddhism.¡±


    Jing Yun only smiled, ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it.¡±


    At that moment, the director and his crew finally arrived. Xiao Wenwen copsed on the spot, beyond caring about her image.


    This was without doubt the most heartbreaking show she¡¯s ever participated in.


    Everyone was panting from exhaustion. Zhao Xinrong waved his hand, ¡°Damn my old bones. Being young is great. Look at Ming Jing, Xiao Qu, and Xiaoying.


    They run so fast. Not like us old folks, we just can¡¯t keep up.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s expression stiffened as she felt like the subject of mockery.


    Enlightened One arranged for Jing Feng and Jing Zhen to lead the group to visit the temple, while he was called away by his disciple.


    One of the female staff members pointed at Jing Yun and eximed, ¡°This Master is so handsome! I just want to kidnap him home. He looks so well-behaved and gentle¡­¡±


    Someone asked Jing Feng, ¡°Junior Monk, what¡¯s that Master¡¯s name? How old is he this year?¡±


    Jing Feng coughed lightly and replied, ¡°He¡¯s our Senior Brother Jing Yun, and he¡¯s eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Only eighteen? Oh my god, such a waste of a heavenly creature!¡±


    ¡°He has a different kind of good looks from Qu Feitai. Qu Feitai is cool and aloof, a distant icy mountain peak, but this Master is like an orchid or a jade tree, gentle, refined, and he has a certain restrained sexiness in his monk¡¯s robe. I can¡¯t help wanting to strip his robe off¡­¡±


    ¡°I have the same thought.¡±


    ¡°Junior Monk, you¡¯re quite good yourself. When you grow up, you¡¯ll definitely be a handsome guy. Why do the good guys all choose to be monks? Isn¡¯t the secr world pleasing to you?¡±


    Jing Feng blushed a bit when he heard someone praising his good looks,


    ¡°Patron, please behave yourself.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s blushing! Haha, our Junior Monk is really cute.¡±


    ¡°Whoever manages to woo Master Jing Yun, that would surely be an act of merit. The Buddha won¡¯t me you.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being immoral? He swore off worldly affairs¡­ Are you tempting him to break his precepts?¡±


    ¡°Handsome guys are a shared resource for all mankind. How can they be permitted to renounce the world? This is a great loss for humanity¡­¡±


    A group of women giggled andughed, their minds full of handsome men,pletely devoid of reverence for Buddhism.


    Jing Yun heard them from a distance and shook his head.


    His gaze involuntarily fell on Ming Jing in the crowd. She was touring the temple with the TV crew, moving casually but respectfully, a stark contrast against the rest of the noisy and disrespectful crowd. She maintained a gentle reverence and piety towards everything in the temple.


    At that moment, Jing Yan approached him, ¡°Senior Brother, Master has ended his seclusion.


    Jing Yun was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be two more days?¡±


    Jing Yan shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but Master said we have guests. He asked you to take her to see him.¡±


    Jing Yun¡¯s eyesnded on the woman in white amidst the crowd. He looked up at the Chinese parasol tree in the courtyard.


    The ancient tree was adorned with red silk ribbons tied for blessings, fluttering in the wind.


    Underneath the tree stood a young woman in a white gown. Her sleeves pped in the breeze, leaving an impression of a transcendent, ethereal beauty..

 Chapter 331: 151 Vajra (Part 1)

    Chapter 331: 151 Vajra (Part 1)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    In early August, the acacia trees were in full bloom with light pink flowers swaying in the wind, their innocent charm and graceful demeanor on full disy.


    Everyone was busy taking pictures and memorabilia, as Jing Feng introduced the ancient tree¡¯s origin: ¡°This acacia tree has a history of over three hundred years and was nted by Grandmaster Yan Wen himself. Acacia symbolizes reconciliation, harmony, and happiness for the whole family; in its absence, the lovesick tree serves as a symbol of eternal love, conjugal bliss, and marital harmony. If anyone has a wish or desires a romantic connection, you can write it on a blessing strip with sincerity and tie it to the trunk of the tree. The ancient tree is said to be spiritual, and if you wholeheartedly wish for good, with sincere prayers, you will obtain benevolence.¡±<div>


    Jing Zhen distributed a stack of blessing strips to everyone, and standing before the ancient tree, the scent of sandalwood wafted in the air, while the sound of wooden fish resonated in the distance. Bathed in the morning bell and evening drum, the restless heart of the mortal world seemed to calm down in an instant.


    Qu Feitai nced at Ming Jing, gripping the red silk in his hand tightly.


    ¡°Senior Sister.¡± Jing Zhen looked up at Ming Jing and handed her a blessing strip.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile: ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Free from worldly concerns, she sought nothing else.


    Jing Zhen followed her gaze to see people either deep in thought or full of anticipation, some wishing for a suitable husband, others praying for their parents¡¯ well-being.


    In the vast world, a kaleidoscope of diverse faces and personalities could be observed.


    Jing Zhen nodded, ¡°I understand, Senior Sister.¡±


    Ye Zhen happily wrote on the blessing strip and looked up to see Ming Jing standing calmly in the distance, curiously asking, ¡°Do you have nothing to ask


    How could anyone live without desires?


    ¡°At the very least, ask for a loving husband, right? To live as a couple forever, how wonderful,¡± Ye Zhen said while subconsciously ncing at Qu Feitai not far away. Qu Feitai looked at the silk strip in his hand and then at Ming Jing, his intentions clear.<div>


    This naive young man, who had fallen for Ming Jing, was destined to be hurt by love.


    ¡°To live as a couple forever?¡± Ming Jing murmured before letting out a gentleugh, her smile as ethereal as mist.


    At this moment, Jing Yun approached, causing thedies nearby to gather and murmur excitedly, the crowd stirring restlessly.


    ¡°Qu Feitai is already tall enough, and he¡¯s even as tall as him¡­ Wearing a monk¡¯s robe really suits him..


    ¡°Is he going to find Ming Jing? So even monks care about appearances, huh?¡±


    Ye Zhen was rendered speechless listening to the infatuated voices around her.


    Although this monk was indeed quite handsome, and there was an air of nobility about him, like a prince.


    ¡°Ming Jing Junior Sister, Master wishes to see you,¡± said Jing Yun with a smile.


    When he smiled, his eyes appeared even narrower, with the corners turned up slightly, revealing his peach blossom eyes. However, his gaze was clear andpassionate, always greeting others with a slight smile.


    Ming Jing nodded and followed him as they departed.


    As soon as the two left, the crowd started buzzing with excitement.<div>


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Master Jue Ming, Jing Yun¡¯s master? Why does Master Jue Ming want to see Ming Jing?


    ¡°Do you know how many officials and high-ranking individuals have been turned away from Master Jue Ming¡¯s door? What charm does this Ming Jing possess that even Master Jue Ming¡¯s disciple personally invited her?¡±


    ¡°Does Ming Jing have some background? We didn¡¯t do anything to offend her, right?¡±


    Xiao Wenwen frowned and said nothing, unable toprehend why these mere monks demanded such high esteem. Qu Feitai furrowed his brow unconsciously, murmuring, ¡°Ming Jing¡­.¡± For some reason, he felt uneasy as she left.


    With their footsteps unwavering, Ming Jing followed Jing Yun around the Hall of the Heavenly Kings and disappeared from sight.


    As they rounded the corner, the view opened up to reveal the grand square of the Mahavira Hall, its magnificent golden roof illuminating under the sun at a distance of a hundred meters. On the right side of the square were the Three


    Saints Hall, the Jijang Hall, and the Kn Hall, while on the left side were the


    Western Three Saints Hall and the Patriarch Hall. It was clear that the Hanshan Temple was immense and thriving, truly deserving of its title as the number one ancient monastery in the southern region.


    The Luohan Halls guarded the Mahavira Hall and Bodhisattva Hall on both sides, with the Sutra Hall, Dharma Hall, and meditation rooms located behind the Mahavira Hall. The Sutra Pce was situated behind the three halls, serving as a venue for sermons and scripture storage within the monastery.


    Meanwhile, the monks¡¯ quarters, tea rooms, guest halls, and dining halls were distributed on both sides of the central axis, providing daily respite for monks. The abbot¡¯s chamber was located in the northwest corner, adjacent to the storeroom.


    Ming Jing heard the distant sound of chanting from the meditation hall, the soothing sound seemingly suspended between the heavens and the earth.<div>


    ¡°Master, the guest has arrived,¡± Jing Yun announced outside the door.


    Ming Jing heard a deep, sonorous voiceing from the meditation room,


    ¡°Please,e in.¡±


    Jing Yun opened the door, as Ming Jing stared at the hanging portrait of Master Yan Wen in the room, casually brushing the hem of her skirt and calmly walking in..

 Chapter 332: 151 Vajra (Part 1, Updated)_2

    Chapter 332: 151 Vajra (Part 1, Updated)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Jing Yun closed the door and stood guard outside.


    As for the so-called abbot¡¯s room, theyout was very simple. True practitioners who had transcended the mundane world had nothing to worry about ¨C a bowl of porridge, a dish, a seat, a bed, a pot of tea, a game of chess, and a scroll of sutras were all they needed.<div>


    Master Jue Ming sat on a meditation cushion, holding a string of exquisite Buddhist beads in his hand and smiled gently.


    Ming Jing quietly observed him. He appeared to be in his fifties, with a slender build, wearing a gray monk robe, and his face was round like a full moon. He had a full forehead, square-shaped cheekbones, divine andpassionate eyebrows and eyes, filled with the light of elegant power and wisdom.


    His skin was fair, and his eyes and lips held a smile. He was a joy to look at.


    As the Avatamsaka Sutra reads: ¡®May all sentient beings be freed from the face of anger, attain the face of all dharma, attain the face of no obstacles, attain the face of good views, attain the face of purity, attain the face free of wrong, the face of perfect Buddha, reach all ces, and the face of boundless goodness.¡±¡®


    Attaining the face of the Tathagata, the three karmas are purified.


    Ming Jing put her palms together: ¡°Apprentice Ming Jing pays her respects to Master Jue Ming.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Jue Ming nodded and smiled, as if he had been waiting for her all along.


    He motioned to the seat across from him. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Ming Jing knelt on the cushion across from him, ¡°I came today to seek an audience with Master Jue Ming, for¡­¡±


    ¡°y a game of chess with me first,¡± Jue Ming said.


    Ming Jing nodded.<div>


    On the chessboard was a game in progress. Ming Jing held white pieces, and the other party held ck pieces. The battle was at a stalemate, with both sides evenly matched, the final oue being mutual wound.


    Judging from the chess moves, it should have been done by Master Jue Ming himself, disying his incredible chess skills.


    Ming Jing calmed her mind for a moment and then picked up a ck piece.


    Jue Ming looked at her, ¡°ck moves first.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯m amused by the thought.¡±


    The sunlight poured in through the window, casting it on the chessboard. Half an hour had passed, Ming Jing¡¯s brows furrowed, and Master Jue Ming remained calm and serene, wearing a faint smile.


    Ming Jing shook her head andughed, ¡°Master, I admit defeat.¡±


    ¡°There is still some fighting spirit, yet you abandon your general for the sake of protecting the soldiers. The heavens are full of good virtues. In the way of spiritual practice, you can see it in the way of the chess game, with great benevolence, yet difficult to bear its responsibilities.¡±


    Jue Ming shook his head.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°The world isposed of millions of people, and without the people, where would the generals be?¡±


    ¡°The most powerful weapon in the world is apassionate heart. Although you are young, you have already broken through the bonds of sentient beings. Misfortune and happiness depend on each other, and everything is a matter of consciousness. Some people cultivate in the deep mountains, while others cultivate in the bustling city. You are walking through the world of red dust, able to refine your mind and spirit, yet unknowingly by a single thought, you may be a demon.¡±<div>


    The eyes of Master Jue Ming were filled with the wisdom of Buddha¡¯s light, seeing through all the forms of sentient beings.


    ¡°Today¡¯s you is you, yesterday¡¯s you is also you, so where does the you of your past life stand?¡±


    Ming Jing was taken aback for a moment, then looked up at Master Jue Ming.


    ¡°The body is the Bodhi tree, the mind is the mirror-stand, diligently and constantly dusting it, do not allow it to gather dust. Your Master has already told you the answer. My Buddha ispassionate, relieving all suffering. The road of spiritual cultivation is a long one.¡±


    Master Jue Ming put his palms together, ¡°Amitofo.¡±


    Ming Jing murmured, ¡°Which one is the real me, the me from my past life and the me from this life¡­?¡±


    Jue Ming smiled slightly, ¡°Human life is hard toe by, and I have already obtained it. The Buddha¡¯s teachings are hard toe by, and I have already heard them. If I do not use this body to attain enlightenment in this lifetime, when will I ever attain it? If I cannot attain it in this lifetime, when will I ever attain it? Today¡¯s cause, the results of the next life ¡­¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows were knitted together as she seemed to be trapped in a struggling dream.


    Jue Ming watched her quietly, sighing deeply after a long while.


    Suddenly awake, Ming Jing bowed her head and put her palms together, ¡°Master, I am grateful for your teaching. From now on, I will diligently strive to attain the Dharma and enlighten the people in this world.¡±


    ¡°To save others is to save oneself; to save oneself is also to save others.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing said solemnly, ¡°Master, there is currently someone who needs to be saved. With Buddha¡¯spassion, can you lend me the Vajra Bell?¡±


    Jue Ming smiled slightly, ¡°How do you know the Vajra Bell is in my temple?¡±


    ¡°During the Tang Dynasty, the whole country worshiped Buddha. The Tang imperial court offered Mand of the Buddhist relics and countless artifacts to the Tang Dynasty, including the Vajra Bell, which was brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng when she was married. Later, the artifact was passed down to Tantra Buddhism in Tibet. After a thousand years of cirction, it has not diminished in power. Three hundred years ago, the Tibetan master Yanwen fell out with his fellow apprentice due to a disagreement in their debate and left, taking the Vajra Bell with him. When he passed by here, Hanshan Temple was just a small temple. Yanwen stayed here to preach, meditate and enlighten, eventually turning Hanshan Temple into the number one ancient temple in the Southern Region.¡±


    After Ming Jing finished speaking, Jue Ming looked at her, ¡°What school and sect did your Mastere from?¡±


    It was a closely guarded secret, and fewmon people knew of it..

 Chapter 333: 151 Vajra (Part 1, Updated)_3

    Chapter 333: 151 Vajra (Part 1, Updated)_3


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Nameless and unaffiliated, just an ordinary person from the countryside.¡±


    Master Jue Ming said, ¡°The Vajra Bell is a treasure of our monastery and cannot be given away casually. However, both you and her are predestined with Buddha. In this case, if you can pass my test, I will lend it to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    As the sun rose high in the sky and Ming Jing still hadn¡¯t returned, everyone went to the dining hall to taste the monastery¡¯s vegetarian dishes. The vegetarian dishes at Hanshan Temple were quite famous, with many people traveling long distances just to taste them.


    Qu Feitai found Jing Feng and asked, ¡°Little Master, can you take me to find Ming Jing?


    Jing Feng shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, benefactor.¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned and turned his head, only to find that Ye Zhen had disappeared.


    Ever since Ye Zhen arrived at the temple, she felt uneasy. She subconsciously touched the Buddhist beads on her wrist and eventually found Jing Yun. She walked over and asked, ¡°Master Jing Yun, is Ming Jing inside?¡±


    At that moment, the door opened and a kind-looking old man walked out. Ye Zhen bowed immediately, ¡°Greetings, Master.¡±


    The Master stood on the steps, nced at her from a distance, and said, ¡°Benefactor, your life was destined to end, but a noble person helped you extend your life.¡±


    Ye Zhen was shocked, truly living up to the reputation of a high monk.


    Ye Zhen said respectfully, ¡°Please enlighten me, Master.¡±


    ¡°Follow the path of goodness, and karma will take care of itself.¡± As the words fell, he walked away, leaving Ye Zhen with the image of his immortal and distinguished figure.


    Ye Zhen muttered these eight words and took them as guidance.


    She peeked into the meditation room and saw a slender figure with a straight back, as if writing something, holding a brush and writing tirelessly.


    Jing Yun closed the door of the meditation room,pletely blocking Ming Jing from view.


    Ye Zhen sat down in the viewing area under the eaves, recalling Master Jue Ming¡¯s words.


    Her benefactor, Ming Jing, and following the path of goodness meant for her to do more good deeds¡­


    Qu Feitai walked west from the Sutra Pce and passed the main hall. A kind-looking old man walked towards him, and the passing monks all bowed respectfully, some calling him ¡°Master¡± and others ¡°Uncle Master.¡±


    In an instant, Qu Feitai realized that this must be the renowned Master Jue Ming.


    Master Jue Ming noticed him, looked puzzled, and furrowed his brow.


    The disciples had never seen their Master like this and couldn¡¯t help but follow his gaze to see a tall, handsome young man standing in the sunshine not far away. Although he was born with a good appearance, these superficial aspects were meaningless to monks who had renounced worldly concerns.


    Master Jue Ming said indifferently, ¡°Go.¡±


    The disciples dispersed upon hearing this.


    Master Jue Ming approached Qu Feitai, who nodded and tried to walk past him. ¡°Why does seeing me make you feel afraid, benefactor?¡±


    Qu Feitai paused his steps, ¡°Master must be joking, I¡¯m in a hurry to find someone.¡±


    ¡°Bodiesie has no tree, Ming Jing is not a tform either. The master who defied the heavens to change your fate has already passed away, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    Any method to defy the heavens and change fate goes against the natural order.


    Qu Feitai clenched his fists, didn¡¯t turn his head, and coldly asked, ¡°What do you mean, Master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to defy the heavens and change your fate. You should treasure this opportunity. Only by letting go of your obsessions can you be at ease, otherwise, your heart will die and your body will be destroyed, never to be revived again.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± The young man sneered.


    ¡°Defying the heavens and changing fate, never toe back¡­ I only know that, for the people and things I want, I have to fight hard for them.¡±


    With that, he left without any hesitation.


    Master Jue Ming stood still and watched the young man¡¯s retreating figure, shaking his head.


    ¡°The cycle of karma, the entanglement of sin¡­¡±


    As their visit to the temple came to an end and everyone was about to leave, the director looked worried.


    Ming Jing left in the morning and hadn¡¯t returned. At lunchtime, Qu Feitai disappeared as well.


    He couldn¡¯t help but scold the two cameramen who were following them. The angry cameramen felt wronged because the two guests didn¡¯t follow the script at all. They didn¡¯te to film a variety show; they came to travel and do as they pleased.


    Ming Jing¡¯s assistant came over and told the director that Ming Jing had left due to an urgent matter.


    The director cursed loudly, thinking this neer was too arrogant to leave without any notice.


    Soon after, Qu Feitai¡¯s assistant also informed them that he had left to catch a flight.


    The director: ¡­ There¡¯s a saying I¡¯m not sure if I should use.


    Although they were supposed to leave after the recording on this trip was over, leaving so suddenly without any proper farewells seemed a bit too much.


    Han Ying sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t even say goodbye to Ming Jing. I added her on WeChat, but she hasn¡¯t epted yet. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever have the chance to see her again.¡±


    On the way down the mountain, Han Ying¡¯s mood was somewhat low.


    Zhao Xinrong eximed, ¡°You added her on WeChat? Ipletely forgot, what a miscalction.¡±


    Zou Jingyu looked at the sunset on the horizon andughed, ¡°We¡¯ll meet again if it¡¯s meant to be.¡±


    Xiao Wenwen secretly rolled her eyes, d that the annoying lotus had finally left, making even the air feel more refreshing.


    From sunset till the moon was high, a faint yellow light emitted from the meditation room. A slender silhouette was cast on the window, head slightly lowered and back straight as a stick.


    The door to the meditation room opened with a ¡°creak¡± from the outside, and Jing Yun entered with a tray of porridge and small dishes.


    He looked up and saw the girl holding a brush and writing gracefully on rice paper.


    Jing Yun was astonished to see the thick stack of sutras on the table, which she hadn¡¯t nced at from beginning to end.


    The Avatamsaka Sutra in the monastery was tranted during the reign of Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty, with eighty volumes and 45,000 verses, thirty-two characters in each, totaling 144,000 characters. The task their master had given the girl¡ªto copy the entire sutra by hand¡ªseemed like an impossible task, perhaps meant to make her back down.


    However, after ten hours, she had neverined of exhaustion, writing tirelessly. It was an incredible disy of patience and willpower. It seemed more like she was writing from memory rather than copying.


    Jing Yun marveled at her.


    Under themplight, the girl had rxed eyebrows and long, thickshes resting on her eyelids. Her pure and wless skin was as pristine as a snow lotus on an icy mountain, and her gaze was calm and determined. No matter what hardships were ahead, they couldn¡¯t crush her will.


    Her skirt spread out, and the silver lotus seemed to have absorbed the essence of Buddhism, being clear and unstained by dust.


    The evening bell rang in the monastery, breaking the tranquility; the girl remained focused, not lifting her head..

 Chapter 334: 152 Lonely Boat (Second Watch)

    Chapter 334: 152 Lonely Boat (Second Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, have some vegetarian food and rest, the guest room has been prepared for you.¡±


    Jing Yun ced the meal tray on the desk, softly addressing her.


    Only after finishing thest character of the verse did Ming Jing put down her writing brush, adjusting her sleeves and looking up at Jing Yun.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes were dark and bright, calm and restrained.


    Ming Jing handed over the scriptures she had written and said to Jing Yun,


    ¡°Please keep these safe for me.¡±


    Jing Yun took them, and smiling, said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ming Jing carried her meal tray and left the meditation room, Jing Yun pointed to the east, ¡°The guest room is this way,e with me.¡±


    Now the whole monastery was gathering in the Mahavira Hall for evening sses, distantly the sound of chanting could be heard carried on the night wind.


    The two walked on a deserted corridor, high evergreen trees aligning both sides of the path and basked inmplight shedding a mottled y of shadows.


    As the wind swept through the treetops, amidst the quiet rustling of their clothes, Jing Yun asked, ¡°Have you memorized the entire Avatamsaka Sutra?¡± This was truly horrifying.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°The tranquil years in the mountains leave only scriptures as apanion.¡±


    Jing Yun gave her a nce, ¡°You have been raised in Buddhism since birth?¡±


    ¡°On the day I was born, I was abandoned by my parents before the mountain gate. Luckily, the Master took me in, a great destiny.¡±


    So it was.


    ¡°Entering into Buddhism, you severed all worldly concerns, as long as you are at peace it will be well.¡±


    When they arrived at the guesthouse, Ye Zhen, hearing the footsteps, rushed out and seeing Ming Jing, eximed, ¡°Ming Jing, you have finallye back.¡± Ming Jing nodded, then looked up to see a young man standing under the eave.


    She was taken aback: ¡°Hasn¡¯t he left yet?¡±


    Ye Zhen murmured, ¡°Who knows¡­ he insisted on staying.¡±


    Jing Yun said, ¡°This benefactor is your friend, he asked to stay so we arranged a room for him.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the trouble, Brother.¡±


    Jing Yun, smiling, shook his head: ¡°Rest well.¡±


    As he finished his words, he turned around and departed, closing the door of the guesthouse.


    Hanshan Temple was thriving with devotees and after expansion over the years, had a dozen rooms in both east and west wings of the guesthouse for devotees living away from the monastery. Due to filming in thest few days, the program team had all the guests in the rooms vacate in advance, hence at this moment only four people resided in the guesthouse Ming Jing, Qu Feitai, Ye Zhen, and Tian Long.


    It was silent all around, only the unending shrill sounds of crickets in the grass added some elegance to the night.


    Ming Jing nced at him and said indifferently, ¡°You should rest early.¡±


    After saying this, she stepped into the room on the west side where the door was open.


    Ye Zhen sighed and hurriedly followed her in.


    Qu Feitai stood in the darkness, watching the room¡¯s light turn on and then off.


    The cool night wind grew stronger as the night deepened.


    Tian Long came out, ¡°Xiao Fei, it¡¯s a call from brother Huang.¡±


    Qu Feitai retracted his gaze and took the phone.


    ¡°What business do you have staying in the monastery? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re renouncing the world to be a monk. Believe it or not I¡¯ll hang myself right now; you never give me a moment¡¯s peace.¡±


    ¡°Is there something important?¡± Qu Feitai asked in a cold voice.


    Huang Chao was taken aback, ¡°Xiao Fei, don¡¯t scare me. I was just joking,e back quickly. There¡¯s no luxury in the monastery, not even signal, you won¡¯t be able to take it.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing, then I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Without giving Huang Chao a chance to speak, he directly ended the call, handed the phone back to Tian Long, took off his jacket andy down.


    ¡°Xiao Fei? Are you okay?¡± Tian Long asked cautiously.


    For some reason, sinceing back in the afternoon, Xiao Fei¡¯s mood had been off. This made Tian Long anxious. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, go to sleep.¡±


    The door closed with a ¡°squeak¡±.


    A nt of moonlight filtered through the windowpane, spilling onto the foot of the bed.


    Qu Feitai closed his eyes, a sky filled with blood, a woman was smiling at him, a big hole gushing blood in her chest.


    He looked down, a gun in his hand.


    He hastily threw away the gun, screaming desperately.A nightmare he could never shake off his entire life.


    ¡°Master, how is my brother?¡±


    ¡°The Yang Dry Jia Wood meets Yin Dry Yi Wood, marked by severe cmities.


    Appearing weak but mentally strong, this is an omen of great disaster.¡± ¡°Master, please save my brother, no matter the cost¡­¡¯


    ¡°Defying fate disrupts the Yin virtue. Well, you have shown me kindness, this old man is all alone and has nothing to rely on, I¡¯ll repay this favor to you.¡±


    ¡°Qu Lanzhou, Zou symbolizes a lone ship on the river and sea. Your name suggests istion and it conflicts with your destiny. To change your fate, you have to change your name first.¡±


    ¡°In essence, the Bodhi has no tree, the bright mirror is not a stand, delusions arise from muddled thoughts, dust starts because of the mind. Dust signifies delusion. Once one has attained enlightenment, one bes fully pure, essentially empty ¨C arising and ceasing due to conditions, and being extremelyfortable with it.¡±


    ¡°Half life enlightened, fortune is paramount, every wish is granted, only¡­.¡± ¡°Only what? Master, please say.¡±


    ¡°Only one obsession can give birth to demons, this is due to karmic entanglement, everything is subject to the cycle of cause and effect, unsolvable. By serving the lotus with your body, you may help him attain Buddhahood¡­¡±


    The boundless night seemed like the gaping maw of a beast, capable of devouring everything.


    ¡°With the death of the heart and body, there will be no resurrection after countless cmities¡­.


    The young man suddenly opened his eyes, breathing deeply in the darkness.


    The silver moonlight fell on his hand gripping the quilt, his long fingers and protruding knuckles on the back of his hand were visible.


    The young man gasped like a drowning person, inhaling wildly.


    Obsession, obsession¡­ Why does everyone remind him of it?


    So what about obsession? So what if his heart and body die? So what if he never returns after countless cmities?


    Being born as a human, he chases an unreachable love, even if it meansplete destruction, he would not regret it.


    He reached out, trying to grasp the silver light, feeling the cool night breeze passing over his fingertips, like her jade-white skin.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡± he muttered.


    An unreachable person, a dream from a drunken nap.


    In the meditation room, slender fingertips brushed over the ink marks on the rice paper, as if caressing a rare treasure.


    ¡°Senior brother, is this the Avatamsaka Sutra copied by Senior sister Ming Jing?¡± Jing Feng asked after a nce, surprised.


    The beautiful and elegant handwriting in small regr script was remarkably beautiful. Compared to the stern and orderly engraved on the scripture, the subtleness and resilience between lines, with its elegance, dust-free style, it was trulv entrancing.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Yun had a faint smile on his lips, his peach blossom eyes warm and tender.


    ¡°Senior sister Ming Jing is so amazing, she managed to copy over two hundred pages in one day. If it were me, my hand would be crippled. Why do you think the master is intentionally making things difficult for her? Senior sister Ming Jing is so gentle and beautiful¡­.¡±


    Jing Yun gave him a faint nce, causing Jing Feng to cheekily stick out his tongue, immediately starting to chant, ¡°Form is emptiness, emptiness is form¡­


    Furtively observing the young man under themp, his face as beautiful as jade, tall and straight as bamboo, his eyes slightly closed, and a hint of cinnabar on his brows, he exuded serene nobility beneath hispassion.


    Jing Yun, the oldest disciple, was the master¡¯s favorite student whose abilities far exceeded his age. He was the outstanding one among the younger disciples, in the future to inherit from the master, assuming the great responsibility of promoting Buddhism and enhancing Hanshan Temple.


    Jing Yun rolled up the sutra and said softly, ¡°It¡¯ste.¡±


    Ming Jing stayed in the monastery for three days. She would get up as the morning bell tolled, transcribing the sutra every day, her diligence never slipping.


    The temple had many disciples and, despite being practitioners of Buddhism, gossip still spread. The rumor about a beautiful, young nun with deep understanding living in the guest quarters who can write the eighty volumes of the Avatamsaka Sutra by memory, and had already written nearly a third in just three days, quickly circted among the disciples.


    The rumors among the monks were buzzing. Some said being penalized to copy the Avatamsaka Sutra was an inhumane punishment. They¡¯d rather be whipped than spend time writing the sutra as it felt like an impossible task.


    Yet the young nun had such an unyielding spirit, something they could hardlyprehend.


    Every evening, after the prayer, she would walk down the pathway lined with tall and leafy trees, stepping on the falling flowers that hadn¡¯t been swept away, and sit down in Luohan Hall next to the Mahavira Hall to listen to the scriptures and contemte Zen. Then take her leave before everyone else, leaving only her silhouette for others to see ¨C her white skirt slowly disappearing into the night, just like a silver lotus blooming in the quiet evening, pure and free from dust.


    On the fourth day, Qu Feitai left Hanshan Temple.


    He saw Ming Jing once. At that moment, she was sitting at the desk, dutifully copying the scriptures with a serene expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    The young woman behind the desk didn¡¯t even lift her head; her arm floated above the paper, with the tip of the pen flowing through the paper, the brush strokes like a dancing dragon and snake, flowing elegantly.


    ¡°A safe journey.¡±


    Qu Feitai quietly looked at her, clenching then unclenching his fists.


    A beam of sunlight pierced through the doorframe and shone in front of the door, with every detail of the ancient and worn -out brick glistening in the light.


    Appearing like a silver river, standing between you and me

 Chapter 335: 153 Guarding Silence (Past Midnight)

    Chapter 335: 153 Guarding Silence (Past Midnight)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    A sedan stopped at the foot of Hanshan, and as soon as Qu Feitai appeared, Huang Chao hurriedly jogged over.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, you¡¯re all tanned! Get in the car quickly¡­¡±<div>


    Without a word, Qu Feitai stepped into the car.


    Huang Chao nced at Tian Long, who helplessly shrugged his shoulders. Cursing, Huang Chao quickly got into the car, and Tian Long upied the passenger seat as the car drove out of the mountainous area.


    Just as the car left, a figure walked out from the grass.


    Yan Xu stared at the direction the car was moving away, slowly turning in the field into a small ck dot.


    Just as the director guessed, Qu Feitai was indeed in the temple.


    Looking at the towering summit of Hanshan, Ming Jing hadn¡¯te down the mountain yet.


    Could it be that the two were dating in the temple?


    This could be big news.


    Yan Xu bit into a hard bun and ducked back into the grass.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, haven¡¯t you always wanted to coborate with Master Lin? He just happens to be in Jingdu for work these days. I went through great effort to help you schedule an appointment with him. I yed him the live recording of your song in white clothing. He is very impressed with your musical talent and wants to meet you to discuss your ideas for the new album.¡±


    These past few days, Huang Chao had been running around for this matter, even forgetting to eat. But luckily, it finally came together.<div>


    Master Lin Huan was a top music producer in the industry, having nurtured countless superstars and creating a legend. Gradually, he retreated from the limelight, and other than the old kings, no one could get him toe out of the mountains anymore.


    Huang Chao knew that Qu Feitai had always looked forward to working with Lin Huan. As apetent agent, he naturally wanted to help his artist achieve his wish.


    Thinking that Xiao Fei would be happy, but he just stared nkly out of the car window as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    ¡°Xiao Fei?¡± Huang Chao called several times, but Qu Feitai had no response.


    Finally, Huang Chao realized that something was seriously wrong. When Xiao Fei was in a terrible mood, he would lock himself away. No matter how much you scolded or beat him, there would be no reaction. It was as if he had lost his soul and lived in his own world. Give him some time to slowly figure things out.


    But not now! Master Lin is in Jingdu waiting for him. This opportunity is so rare for Xiao Fei.


    You have to know your priorities, Xiao Fei.


    ¡°Xiao Fei.¡± Huang Chao pinched his arm hard, and Qu Feitai finally frowned and looked at him.


    The dark eyes made Huang Chao¡¯s heart flutter.


    ¡°Xiao¡­ Xiao Fei, if something has happened, you can tell me, and we¡¯ll figure it out together.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Qu Feitai asked coldly.<div>


    Hearing Qu Feitai finally speak, Huang Chao hurriedly said, ¡°Master Lin Huan, the top music producer you¡¯ve always wanted to work with. He¡¯s in Jingdu now, and I managed to arrange a meeting with him. Don¡¯t you want to produce a new album? Having Master Lin as the producer will definitely stir up the music scene.¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded, showing no happiness nor sadness¡ªcalm from beginning to end.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Masters were always a bit bad-tempered, and this Lin Huan was even more so. It must not have been easy for Huang Chao to sessfully arrange the meeting.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard; everything is for your career. When your position is stable in the future, I can retire in peace.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know when that day woulde, but it couldn¡¯t be far away. ¡°Oh, also about that neer issue, I have to remind you¡­¡± Qu Feitai put on his headphones,pletely blocking out Huang Chao¡¯s chatter.


    The car drove to Jiangzhou Airport, where Yun MO was waiting at the entrance. As soon as he saw Qu Feitai, he respectfully said, ¡°Third Young Master.¡±


    Huang Chao¡¯s heart jumped, subconsciously ncing at Qu Feitai.


    Third Young Master?


    Could it be that Xiao Fei was a wealthy second generation?


    That man who called him Third Young Master was muscr, and his clothes couldn¡¯t hide his perfect chest. His skin was slightly dark, but his facial features were well-defined, and his eyes were sharp¡ªlike a leopard ready to pounce.<div>


    Huang Chao couldn¡¯t help but stare at him for a few more nces, itching to touch his chest. How could he resist?


    Xiao Fei was a little on the thin side, but this man was strong¡ªhis touch must feel great.


    Perhaps his gaze was too revealing, for the man coldly nced back at him. It instantly sent chills down Huang Chao¡¯s back and forced him to look away.


    As they walked, Huang Chao realized something was wrong. This wasn¡¯t the way to the civil airport; it led to the private airstrip.


    As expected, when they came out of the security checkpoint, a helicopter was parked on thewn. The strong air currents from the chopper almost lifted his toupee.


    Ignoring his shock, Huang Chao quickly covered his toupee.Qu Feitai and Yun MO climbed onto the helicopter. Yun MO turned and looked at him, ¡°What are you waiting for? Do you want me to invite you personally?¡±


    Huang Chao hurriedly jogged over and got on, followed by Tian Long, who sat down with a shocked and numb expression on his face.


    Yun MO was sitting in the co-pilot¡¯s seat, talking with the pilot about something he couldn¡¯t understand. It seemed very impressive.


    Huang Chao sneaked closer to Qu Feitai and pulled his sleeve: ¡°Xiao Fei¡­ are you some kind of hidden super-rich second-generation tycoon?¡±


    Owning a helicopter, which was subject to air traffic control and involved huge maintenance costs, was beyond the reach and abilities of ordinary tycoons. Huang Chao wasn¡¯t ignorant of the fact that the helicopter had a code¡­ it belonged to the royalty.


    This wasn¡¯t just any rich second-generation family, but one with immense power and influence.


    Huang Chao¡¯s breath became unstable, his brain confused.


    Qu Feitai ignored him, looking down at the gradually recedingnd, his eyes filled with mncholy.


    They had arrived full of high spirits, but left with heavy hearts.


    In just over ten days, his life had turned upside down.


    Jiangzhou¡­


    Closing his eyes, the roaring sound of the helicopter was deafening, the blue sky and white clouds within reach, as the city gradually faded into the distance, his heart suddenly felt an emptiness.


    August 10th was the start of the Olympiad Training Camp,sting twenty days.


    It was already the 10th, and Ming Jing had taken leave from Ren Chuan two days earlier. Although he did not approve, he had no right to interfere with the student¡¯s privacy. Day Five¡­


    Day Six¡­


    Day Seven¡­


    Morning bells and evening drums, the sun rising and setting, autumn was setting in, with winds and rains¡­


    Amidst all these, the Avatamsaka Sutra scrolls on Jing Yun¡¯s desk were piling up, unstoppable.


    Theter stages saw steadier penmanship, void of any impatience, the writing bing even more smooth and unrestrained. Amidst the daily monotonous and tedious task of transcribing scriptures, the young girl¡¯s figure remained immovable, and her state of mind became increasingly clear and stable.


    Master Jue Ming nced at the elegant handwriting on the rice paper and smiled slightly, ¡°Her mind is firmly anchored, calm like still water, unaffected by external circumstances ¨C true Zen. Immersed in unwavering determination, her young age demonstrates a rare state of mind. In the future, she will encounter great opportunities and bring blessings to Buddhism.¡±


    Jing Yun slightly lowered his head and softly said, ¡°Junior¡¯s diligence in cultivation, unwavering determination, puts me to shame.¡±


    ¡°You have been under my tutge since you were ten, possessing innate wisdom and spiritual understanding. However, you are too attached to the external world ¡ª all forms are illusory. I see Ming Jing attaining the supreme Bodhi, not in the scriptures but in the mundane world.¡±


    Jing Yun hesitated, ¡°Master¡­ ¡®


    ¡°Go back and think about it. Once you¡¯ve given it proper thought, let me know.


    Go on now.¡±


    Jing Yun left the room and closed the door.


    In the meditation room, Master Jue Ming walked up to the mural of Master


    Yan¡¯s scripture lectures, twirling his Buddhist beads and murmuring, ¡°Amitofo¡­ the Boddhisattva descended to the mortal realm, born from a lotus, three cycles and three thousand Buddhase together, Amitofo¡­ ¡±


    Ye Zhen was bored in the monastery and liked wandering around during her free time. The incense offerings were thriving, and countless visitors hade through during these days, turning it into a major attraction.


    Ye Zhen¡¯s favorite pastime was squatting in the temple and watching how Master Jue Chen swindled people.


    Master Jue Chen, the younger brother of Master Jue Ming, was not like a typical monk. He was somewhat unconventional, spending his days in the temple, reading the palms of young girls, urging them to buy peach blossom charms, an outright fraud and an embarrassment to Master Jue Ming.


    ¡°Young girl, I see a darkened forehead and exposed teeth in your physiognomy, I fear you face a difficult romantic future. In a mild case, you¡¯ll suffer loss of fortune and reputation; in a severe case, your life may be in danger,¡± said Master Jue Chen, stroking his beard and wagging his head.


    The young girl was terrified, ¡°Master, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°I have a peach blossom charm here that can dispel disasters and protect your romance¡­¡±


    ¡°I want it, no matter how much it costs.¡±


    The young girl left with the peach blossom charm, and Master Jue Chen¡¯s hand cramped from counting the money.


    ¡°Master, help me with my fortune-telling,¡± Ye Zhen sat across from Master Jue Chen.


    As Master Jue Chen continued counting the coins, not raising his head, he said, ¡°Tell me your birth date.¡±


    ¡°Year of Ji Si, April 25th.¡±


    ¡°At nine years old, Ding Chou; neen years old, Wu Yin; twenty-nine years old, Ji Mao¡­ Rich and powerful, enjoying favorable fortunes and assistance from an influential person, with a flourishing career. At twenty-nine, the Ji Mao luck cycle concludes, bringing scandals and trouble from adversaries in theing year¡­ ¡°¡®


    Suddenly, Master Jue Chen stopped. He looked up at Ye Zhen, scrutinizing her carefully. His piercing gaze made Ye Zhen ufortable.


    ¡°Are you giving me a dead person¡¯s birth date to calcte their fortune? Are you trying to jinx me?¡± Master Jue Chen grumbled..

 Chapter 336: 154 Going Viral (Second Update)

    Chapter 336: 154 Going Viral (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ye Zhen was shocked, staring in disbelief at the fat monk in front of her, he was a bit of a con man.


    ¡°You only figured out half.¡±<div>


    Jue Chen stared at her closely, and suddenlyughed. He suddenly grabbed Ye Zhen¡¯s wrist, which startled her. She always felt that the old monk¡¯sughter was particrly lewd, and she quickly withdrew her hand: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Borrowing a body to resurrect?¡± Jue Chen stroked his beard and murmured: ¡°Interesting, really interesting.¡±


    Ye Zhen jumped in shock, suddenly standing up: ¡°Old monk, what¡­ what do you know?¡±


    ¡°All phenomena are empty, only cause and effect are not empty, you will understandter, you are fortunate to have benefactors.¡± Jue Chen said with a smirk.


    Thinking of something, he suddenly said, ¡°You are friends with the girl who copies sutras, aren¡¯t you? I was wondering why you look familiar, you always squat outside my Yue Lao Hall and sneak a peek, you have nothing better to do, do you?¡±


    ¡°What did you mean by what you just said? What does it mean ¡®I¡¯ll understandter¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, curiosity killed the cat, don¡¯t you know? The secrets of heaven must not be revealed.¡± Jue Chen said, nodding and shaking his head.


    ¡°Being close to that girl is only beneficial to you, not harmful.¡± Jue Chen pointed at the Buddhist beads on Ye Zhen¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°All things have spirits, only my Buddhist teachings are boundless, Amitofo.¡± Jue Chen said with a feigned profundity.


    Unconsciously, Jing Yun reached the guesthouse entrance.


    ¡°Master Jing Yun?¡±<div>


    Jing Yun looked up, it was a slightly chubby old woman, who looked excited to see him.


    Jing Yun gave a slight smile: ¡°Master Hu.¡±


    The old woman in front of him was named Hu Xiangyue, she had amassed wealth over many years, and was a prosperous woman. She was also Master¡¯s most devout follower, often donating incense money to the temple, organizing volunteers for charity, she was truly kind and generous.


    Hu Xiangyue looked in the direction of the west guest room and asked: ¡°Master Jing Yun, is the nun who came to meet Master Jue Ming recently staying there?


    I heard from little Master Jing Yan that she has been copying the Avatamsaka Sutra for a week, it is a boundless merit indeed.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Thinking about something, Hu Xiangyue suddenly said: ¡°Is her surname Zhu?¡±


    Jing Yun shook his head and smiled: ¡°I only know her Dharma name, not her worldly name.¡±


    ¡°But she is about sixteen or seventeen, beautiful as a fairy?¡±


    Jing Yun was taken aback, his clear eyes seemed to drift with the clouds, he smiled faintly: ¡°All appearances are empty.¡±


    A faint puzzled look crossed Jing Yun¡¯s face.<div>


    Hu Xiangyue exined: ¡°In Jiangzhou, there is a wealthy family with the surname Zhu. Three months ago, they had a big uproar. It turned out that the daughter they had raised for sixteen years was not actually theirs. The real daughter, it is said, had been raised in a nunnery since she was little. At first, many people were skeptical and were waiting to see the Zhu family be aughingstock. But this real daughter, oh, not only is she beautiful as a fairy, gentle and smart, but also possesses a Bodhisattva¡¯s heart. Despite her young age, her understanding of Buddhism is profound. The nobledies of Jiangzhou are eager to meet her, but this Miss Zhu keeps a low profile. Many people who have visited the Zhu family have been turned away. There are many more rumors about her, apart from her, I can¡¯t think of anyone else with such a cultivation.¡±


    Hu Xiangyue said with a look of wonder.


    Jing Yun furrowed his eyebrows, so she had such a background, more dramatic than a y.


    ¡°Master Jue Ming must have had a high opinion of her after meeting her, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t let her copy the Avatamsaka Sutra by hand. This is a test for her. To receive such special care from Master Jue Ming at a such young age, she has an unlimited future, an unlimited future¡­¡±


    As Hu Xiangyue went on and on, Jing Yun entered the guesthouse and arrived at the door of the west guest room.


    A gust of wind came from nowhere, pushing the slightly open door ajar. The door creaked and revealed a delicate and beautiful silhouette.


    The girl was not disturbed by the wind, she didn¡¯t even notice the two people standing at the door, her head down concentrating on writing.


    The wind blew her skirt, her figure was ethereal like a lonely swan, and as cold as snowy lotus.


    Hu Xiangyue eximed: ¡°Such grace, it must be Miss Zhu.¡±


    Jing Yun watched quietly, fiddling with the Buddhist beads at his fingertips. His lustrous peach blossom eyes were filled with clear and merciful intent.


    The master had attested to the supreme Bodhi in her, not in the pages of the sutra, but in the mundane world.<div>


    He had always been half-convinced, at this moment, it was as if he had suddenly realized something.


    Came from the world of mortals, return to the world of mortals. The path to the great way, has never been smooth sailing..

 Chapter 337: 154 Going Viral (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 337: 154 Going Viral (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Jing Yun smiled faintly and turned away.


    Hu Xiangyue looked at Jing Yun¡¯s retreating figure, suddenly feeling much taller and more resolute.<div>


    If Master Jing Yun hadn¡¯t be a monk, there would surely be many women who liked him, and her own granddaughter¡­


    Tsk, what was she thinking?


    Hu Xiangyue immediately put her hands together and bowed in the direction of the Mahavira Hall: ¡°Buddha, please forgive me, I didn¡¯t mean to offend¡­.¡±


    Hu Xiangyue looked at the young girl inside the room, who was diligently copying the scripture, and sighed with emotion: ¡°Ms. Zhu really lives up to her reputation¡­.¡±


    ¡°Following the flow of life and death, entering the great river of love.


    ¡°The difficulty in liberating from life and death lies in love itself; sentient beings are always lost and unable to turn back due to their unbroken attachment to love. Only when the river of love dries up can they attain liberation.¡±


    Hu Xiangyue eximed: ¡°Ms. Zhu is truly copying the scriptures with all her heart, and I believe that after this, her cultivation will surely improve.¡± It was ten dayster when Ming Jing left the mountain.


    The sky was high, the clouds were light, and the wind was soft.


    Jing Feng personally saw her off down the mountain, and behind the gate, there were many heads peeking out, secretly watching her.


    After spending twenty days in the monastery, she had be a famous figure.


    Twenty days spent hand copying eighty volumes of the Avatamsaka Sutra, her efforts earned her the approval of her master, who said: The mind is without attachment, and both ability and ce are absent.<div>


    Not being attached to appearance, one could already be said to have entered the realm of the three wheels¡¯ essential emptiness; what level of cultivation was required for this?


    Although they did not cling to appearance, the pursuit of beauty was human nature. Entering the gate of emptiness did not mean abandoning natural desires, especially for the young monks who had just entered Buddhism.


    Not-yet-seniors longingly looked at the fluttering figure d in white


    ¡°Master Jing Feng, Master Jing Yun has not been seen these past few days. Is he in seclusion?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    Jing Feng said: ¡°Senior Sister, our eldest senior brother has gone down the mountain. ¡±


    ¡°He went down the mountain for a wandering journey?¡±


    Jing Feng shook his head, but did not say more.


    Ming Jing did not dig deeper, and went down the mountain with Ye Zhen.


    ¡°Master Ming Jing, wait for me.¡± Hu Xiangyue chased after them.


    Ming Jing stopped and looked back.


    Hu Xiangyue, panting, said: ¡°Is Master Ming Jing heading back to Jiangzhou?¡± Ming Jing nodded.<div>


    Hu Xiangyue wiped the sweat from her forehead: ¡°That¡¯s perfect, I¡¯m going the same way as Master Ming Jing. Could you give me a ride with the wind?¡±


    There was no way a youngdy of the Zhus would travel without luxury vehicles.


    Ming Jing nodded her head: ¡°Master Hu, pleasee with me.¡±


    Hu Xiangyue was overjoyed and immediately followed Ming Jing down the mountain.


    Jing Feng looked into the distance, watching several voices fading along the mountain road, then turned back to the monastery. Turning around, he saw several heads hiding behind the door and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head andugh: ¡°If Master knew, he would not spare you.¡±


    ¡°Second Senior Brother, when will Senior Sister Ming Jinge back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Why did our eldest senior brother go down the mountain? Did he go on a wandering journey?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten? Two years ago, our eldest senior brother¡¯s grandmother was seriously ill, and his parents came to the monastery to ask him to go home once, but he refused. Our eldest senior brother must have gone home now, perhaps something big has happened there.¡±


    ¡°What, our eldest senior brother has a family?¡± A newly arrived junior monk asked in surprise.


    Most of the monastery¡¯s disciples were orphans. In order to pass on the Buddha¡¯s teachings and train excellent disciples, a monk who received guests would go to the orphanage once a year to select children with wisdom roots. After gaining their consent, the children would have their heads shaved to be monks. These disciples had no parents and no worries, making them suitable for practicing Buddhism.


    But a monk like the eldest senior brother who had a family was rare.<div>


    Nowadays, which parents would be willing to let their children be monks?


    Upon hearing Ying Zhen¡¯s words, everyone was surprised.


    Jing Feng nced at Jing Zhen and said coldly: ¡°Jing Zhen, be cautious in your words.¡±


    Jing Zhen stuck out his tongue.


    After Jing Feng left, a group of junior monks surrounded Jing Zhen, all chattering to inquire about their eldest senior brother. In their hearts, the eldest senior brother was sacred and invible, the direction they aspired to reach.


    Jing Zhen whispered: ¡°You must not tell anyone that I told you, if the brothers in the disciplinary hall find out, they will definitely punish me.¡±


    ¡°We swear not to tell, don¡¯t worry Jing Zhen senior brother.¡±


    Jing Zhen coughed and immediately a junior monk rushed to bring him water; as he rubbed his legs, another junior monk brought him a stool.


    Only then did Jing Zhen leisurely say: ¡°In Yunzhou City, there was a family named Li. The loving couple had a son and a daughter who were smart and lively. The son, in particr, was a well-known prodigy. The family led a happy and blissful life. However, when the prodigy reached the age of ten, a sudden change urred in the family¡­.¡±

 Chapter 338: 154 Going Viral (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 338: 154 Going Viral (Second Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    White clouds in the sky resemble white robes, transforming into gray hounds in an instant.


    Fleeting shadows of floating clouds, leaving no trace when the wind blows past.<div>


    ¡°His mother med him for his sister¡¯s death and often hit and scolded him, while his father was useless, fooling around outside, keeping countless mistresses. Once, his drunken father nearly killed him and his mother; they were discovered by neighbors and sent to the hospital, barely surviving. Later, Master Jue Ming happened to pass by and saw that he had great wisdom, so he took him away. Two years ago, his wicked father somehow learned of his whereabouts and came to the temple to find him, iming that his grandmother was critically ill and wanted to see him before she died. Master Jing Yun refused the request, but who knew that his shameless father would cause a scene in the temple, finally ending everything by calling the police. Master Jing Yun has a bitter life, but luckily, he has wisdom and can let go. Otherwise, with all these troubles, how could someone with a fragile mind survive?¡±


    Ye Zhen eximed in surprise, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Master Jing Yun has such a tragic background. So what about his departure this time¡­?¡±


    ¡°I only found out about this when his father caused a scene in the temple two years ago. Perhaps Master Jing Yun, being kind-hearted, might have gone home to fulfill his filial duties. After repaying the debt of raising him, he would be free of worries.¡± After finishing her sentence, Hu Xiangyue stealthily nced at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing¡¯s lips curved in a gentle smile like a spring breeze, her expression neither sorrowful nor joyful, and the aura of immortality around her seemed even thicker than when they first met.


    Her ethereal elegance was too powerful to look directly at, lest one should defile it.


    Even after hearing such a tragic story, there was no emotion disyed on her face. Were all masters this calm?


    From a distance, Du Ze saw three figures descending the mountain and immediately went to greet them respectfully.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    The youngdy seemed to have changed a bit since thest time they parted, but he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint the difference.


    Ming Jing closed her eyes to preserve her energy during the journey, and Hu Xiangyue dared not say much.


    These twenty days had been a test for the state of mind, but a drain on the body.<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s right hand was numb and stiff, already devoid of sensation, requiring a period of recuperation.


    ¡°Ming Jing, here¡¯s your phone.¡± Ye Zhen handed the phone to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing opened her eyes and took it with her left hand.


    Ye Zhen¡¯s eyes fell on Ming Jing¡¯s right hand, and she pursed her lips.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯ve be famous, haha!¡± Zheng Qing¡¯s exaggeratedughter came from the phone.


    Ming Jing moved the phone a little farther away.


    ¡°You were on the mountain and had no signal on your phone, so you didn¡¯t Imow that the show premiered a week ago, and you became an instant sensation. Advertisers are blowing up my phone. Your dress, the bag you carried, they¡¯ve all be hot items, with countless knockoffs flooding the inte. That Xiao Wenwen tried to ridicule you online, intending to turn Qu Feitai¡¯s brain-dead fans against you. This clumsy tactic makes meugh! It¡¯s like lifting a rock and dropping it on her own foot. Now, online fans value appearance as justice, and when you two stand side by side, you can¡¯t imagine how badly you crushed her! She tried to use her sponsor to cut you out and hired people to besmirch you, but you know me, I¡¯m good in every way except that I¡¯m ruthless and cruel, hehe. So, I had to fight fire with fire. That Zhou Nan is just trash I¡¯ve used up, and she¡¯s treating him like a treasure.¡±


    Zheng Qing rambled on and on, while Ming Jing gazed at the scenery outside the window, which shifted from vast farnd to bustling high-rises. During Ming Jing¡¯s quiet and disciplined life in the mountains, her name quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of Hua Country through a TV variety show.


    A 16 -year-old girl named Ming Jing became like a beautiful dream, dwelling in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Her unparalleled beauty transcended any earthly description. Her delicate elegance, extensive knowledge, and transparent rity were beyond what any nder or defamation could erase.


    As society and technology advance at a rapid pace and people¡¯s living standards improve, the purity of joy is lost. People be impulsive, anxious, and suffocated by life¡¯s heavy burdens, oftenshing out online in self-righteous attacks, ndering and vilifying anything that displeases them. The extreme behavior of brain-dead fans reveals the tragic state of humanity.<div>


    However, all of this came to a halt on the evening of August 18th at eight o¡¯clock, when a show called ¡°Three Meals a Day¡± premiered.


    Whether they were fans of the show, fans of the stars, or just ordinary viewers who turned on the TV out of boredom, the moment they saw the girl in white emerging from the morning mist, they were captivated. Without the need for any special effects or filters, all it took was a pair of eyes to see the most ethereal and natural beauty in the world.


    Allnguage and description paled inparison to such beauty and seemed powerless.


    Her gentle smile seemed like a pure lotus flower blooming, soothing the anxiety and depression of the world.


    So, the wind grew gentle, the clouds lightened, the breath became smoother, and the view became brighter¡­


    Watching her effortlessly recite physics knowledge, skillfully cook soups, show tender calmness while giving a massage for Zhao Xinrong, remainposed when Xiao Wenwen Drovoked her. and stand confidentlv and unfazed among


    popr celebrities¡­


    The world finally witnessed someone like her. In contrast to her unmatched grace, Xiao Wenwen¡¯s sweet and yful demeanor was like a roadside weed, unbearably ugly.


    Those ¡°brain-dead fans¡± who were ready to chastise this ignorant neer suddenly fell silent.


    In their eyes, the peerlessly handsome Qu Feitai also became cautious and pale inparison to this girl.


    As the girl captivated everyone¡¯s attention and upied their hearts, with people discussing her clothing, hairstyles, and all aspects of her, nobody knew that while she should have been surrounded by apuse and flowers, this girl was instead seeking enlightenment amongst ancient Buddhas and dim candlelight, writing by hand.<div>


    All phenomena in the world are like illusions; if one can realize this, the mind will no longer waver.


    Like seeing all sorts of strange scenes in a dream, the world is also like this, indistinguishable from a dream..

 Chapter 339: 155 Confrontation (first watch)

    Chapter 339: 155 Confrontation (first watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Hu Xiangyue¡¯s home was in the rural area of Jiangzhou, a two-story vi with a small courtyard.


    As Hu Xiangyue got out of the car with her luggage, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl ran out of the gate, shouting happily, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re back!¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you, Master Ming Jing, for a smooth journey.¡± Hu Xiangyue respectfully said.


    The car drove away.


    The girl pouted, ¡°Grandma, who gave you a ride? Dad said he would pick you up but you wouldn¡¯t let him. Do you know the driver? What if they were a bad person? Don¡¯t do this next time.¡±


    Hu Xiangyue patted Xu Xue¡¯er¡¯s hand, ¡°How could Master Ming Jing be a bad person? There¡¯s no one kinder than her.¡±


    ¡°Master Ming Jing?¡± Xu Xue¡¯er frowned, ¡°Why does that name sound so familiar?¡±


    Xu Xue¡¯er suddenly pped her forehead: ¡°Is it the Ming Jing from the recently popr variety show ¡®Three Meals a Day¡¯?¡±


    Xu Xue¡¯er asked urgently: ¡°Grandma, how old is she? What does she look like?¡±


    Hu Xiangyue didn¡¯t know anything about the variety show and said, ¡°Master Ming Jing is the young miss of the Zhu family who they just found, she has been copying scriptures at Hanshan Temple for the past twenty days. She gave me a lift even though it wasn¡¯t on her way. Ms. Ming Jing has a kind heart and went out of her way to drop me off at home.¡±


    ¡°What? The young miss of the Zhu family?¡± Xu Xue¡¯er had heard of her too. Were the two young misses the same person?


    Xu Xue¡¯er still needed confirmation: ¡°Does she wear a white skirt, look extremely beautiful, and have an ethereal aura?¡±


    Hu Xiangyue nodded: ¡°Yes, yes, Master Ming Jing only wears white clothes and is detached from the mundane world¡­¡±<div>


    So, they were indeed the same person. In recent days, her ssmates and people on the inte had been discussing Ming Jing. Everyone knew about the Zhu family¡¯s young miss, but they did not know her specific name. It was surprising to find out they were the same person; this certainly was big news.


    ¡°Grandma, you said she¡¯s been copying scriptures at Hanshan Temple for the past twenty days? Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie to you? I saw it with my own eyes. She copied the entire Avatamsaka Sutra, more than a million characters, for twenty days. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t do that. Even Master Jue Ming praised her for having boundless potential.¡±


    Xu Xue¡¯er widened her eyes: ¡°So, is the young miss of the Zhu family really a nun?¡±


    At the time, the rumor spread but nobody believed it. It was unbelievable to find out it was actually true.


    ¡°What nun? How can you be so disrespectful to Master Ming Jing? It¡¯s appropriate to address her as Master now based on her cultivation.¡± Hu Xiangyue chided.


    Xu Xue¡¯er¡¯s mind buzzed with information, and she needed to sort it all out.


    She opened her ssmate group chat with trembling hands.


    Xu Xue¡¯er: Big news, big news! Your goddess Ming Jing turns out to be the young miss of the Zhu family! I have the first-hand news about where she has been these past days. Do you all want to know?


    ¡ªDo you mean the young miss of the Zhu family I know?


    ¡ªThat must be right! Her age, looks, and height all match up. I knew Ming Jing couldn¡¯t juste out of nowhere and then disappear just like that. If she¡¯s the Zhu family¡¯s young miss, everything makes sense.<div>


    ¡ªXue¡¯er, you¡¯re awesome! Tell us quickly, where has my goddess been and why hasn¡¯t she updated her Weibo? I¡¯m dying of anxiety!


    ¡ªXu Xue¡¯er, we¡¯re counting on you to reveal the truth. Sister Xue¡¯er, Aunt Xue¡¯er, Grandma Xue¡¯er¡­


    ¡ªIt¡¯s all an act, fooling you gullible people. If she was really so detached from the world, then she wouldn¡¯t have entered the entertainment industry. Once she¡¯s in, she sells this image of innocence, disgusting.


    ¡ªThe person above, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you¡¯re Tang Wan¡¯s alternate ount, it¡¯s just jealousy, right? Haha, it¡¯s too funny. Even if you¡¯re jealous, you have to be qualified. This is just in sycophancy, shameless.


    Tang Wan looked at the messages cursing her, almost throwing her phone in anger.


    Had these people gone mad? What kind of love potion had Zhu Mingjing fed them? They were all bewitched.


    Thinking of something, Tang Wan smirked and sent a message in the group.


    ¡ªHypocrisy can¡¯tst long. One day, the mask will be ripped off, revealing the dirty, ugly heart beneath the pure, beautiful exterior. Just you wait and see. The more you fawn over her now, the more you¡¯ll regret itter. I¡¯m waiting for that day when truth prevails.

 Chapter 340: 155 Confrontation (first watch) _2

    Chapter 340: 155 Confrontation (first watch) _2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After leaving thatment, she didn¡¯t bother with how the crazy people in the group would criticize her, directly quitting the group and uninstalling the app.


    Zhu Mingjing, do you know the saying, the higher the climb, the harder the fall?<div>


    Tang Wan left her house, knocking on the door downstairs.


    Zhao Xiaohui was happy to see her: ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re here to see Xiangxiang again, she¡¯s in her room, go ahead.¡±


    The two kids really hit it off and became good friends.


    ¡°Wait a moment, Wanwan.¡± Zhao Xiaohui suddenly called after her.


    Tang Wan turned to look at Zhao Xiaohui.


    Zhao Xiaohui was twisting her hands on her apron, somewhat embarrassed to say: ¡°Wanwan, you¡¯re close with Xiangxiang, do you know what¡¯s going on with hertely? I feel like something¡¯s off about her mood, did something happen?¡±


    Tang Wan thought to herself, what else could it be, obviously it¡¯s about Zhu Mingjing, but telling Zhao Xiaohui wouldn¡¯t help anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Auntie, don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Tang Wanforted Zhao Xiaohui a bit, turned her head to look at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room door.


    Zhu Xiangxiang opened the door, nced at Zhao Xiaohui, went back to her room to grab her hat and bag: ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a cup of coffee.¡±


    ¡°Xiangxiang, I just made dinner¡­ your favorite shrimp tail rice.¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, you eat it yourself.¡± She left without looking back after saying that.


    Zhao Xiaohui sighed.


    Her phone rang at this moment, Zhao Xiaohui looked at the caller ID, her hand instinctively trembled and, after hesitating for a while, she picked it up.


    ¡°Hello, Dr. Li¡­ could you give me a little more time, I¡¯ll definitely have the surgery fees together then¡­ a week at most? Okay, I¡­ I¡¯ll do my best, yes, yes, it¡¯s Yangyang¡¯s sister, she voluntarily donated, okay¡­¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s eyebrows drooped, her face full of worry.


    What should she do?


    ¡ª¡ª


    At a nearby caf¨¦, Zhu Xiangxiang ordered a cappino, looked up at Tang Wan: ¡°What do you want to drink?¡±


    At such a high-end caf¨¦, any cup of coffee costs a week¡¯s worth of her food budget. How could Tang Wan afford that? She didn¡¯t even know the difference between atte and caramel mhiato.


    ¡°The same as you.¡± Tang Wan forced herself to remain calm.


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the waitress, ¡°Two cappinos, two tiramisus.¡±<div>


    Tang Wan looked at the expensively dressed, meticulously made-up Zhu Xiangxiang, who was at ease in the high-end caf¨¦. The slight lift of her chin carried a hint of arrogance, Tang Wan felt a twinge of difort in her heart.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was really lucky. If she hadn¡¯t been mistakenly taken in by the Zhus when she was little, she¡¯d be far worse off than Tang Wan herself. Where would she get the money for skin care, for brand name clothes and jewelry, to leisurely sit in caf¨¦s? Even if the Zhus kicked her out, the money they invested in her was real and couldn¡¯t be taken back. And Tang Wan didn¡¯t believe that Zhu Xiangxiang hadn¡¯t set aside some private savings over the years, enough for her to livefortably for the rest of her life.


    Otherwise, given the character of that man, Deng Kun, as well as Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s weak personality, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fate would be visible to the naked eye.


    But fate was such a trickster. The illegitimate daughter from a slum somehow became the daughter of a rich family. Not only was she provided for, her knowledge and horizons were wider than the average person, things much more important than brand-name clothes and bags.


    Her jealousy of Zhu Mingjing originated from a part of her heart where she felt a slight reluctance to ept this fact. She was aware that she could never surpass Zhu Mingjing in this life. Zhu Mingjing was the moon in the sky, while she couldn¡¯t evenpare to the stars next to it.


    But Zhu Xiangxiang was different; she was an illegitimate daughter who wasn¡¯t acknowledged by the family. Her biological mother was weak and indecisive, her stepfather a gambler, and she had a half-brother from the same mother suffering from leukemia. These family conditions ced her firmly in the lower echelons of society.


    The arrogance on the face of Zhu Xiangxiang sitting across from her stabbed at her. Was she a sparrow who had lived in a swallow¡¯s nest for a few days and now thought herself a swallow? What¡¯s there to show off about?


    Zhu Xiangxiang did not notice the turmoil in Tang Wan¡¯s heart sitting across from her, her brows tightly furrowed.


    Suppressing the feelings welling up in her, Tang Wan asked with feigned concern: ¡°Xiangxiang, are you still upset about Zhu Mingjing? You know, in my opinion, her bing famous is actually a good thing.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at her, scoffed: ¡°A good thing?¡±


    ¡°Of course, think about it, now that people across the country know her, once her true face is revealed, the spit from every person in the country could drown her. She loves managing her reputation, doesn¡¯t she? She¡¯d perfectly suit being a rat everyone shouts down in the streets.¡±<div>


    The waitress brought over the coffee. Tang Wan took a sip and almost spat it out.

 Chapter 341: 155 Confrontation (first watch) _3

    Chapter 341: 155 Confrontation (first watch) _3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    How can such a bitter thing sell for more than forty yuan a cup? It tastes even worse than she thought. Is this how rich people torture themselves?


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenlyughed, ¡°The higher you climb, the harder you fall.¡±<div>


    Tang Wan looked at her and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s true. Have you found any evidence?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, ¡°It still needs time. Let her enjoy herself a little longer.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang never expected that the person who snatched the opportunity from her was Zhu Mingjing.


    Zhu Mingjing was born to be her nemesis.


    If it weren¡¯t for Zhu Mingjing¡¯s interference, she would be the one who was famous all over the country now.


    Liang Xiaohong couldn¡¯t swallow her anger. She spread a lot of rumors on the inte, but they were useless. Everyone seemed to be bewitched. If anyone dared to say anything bad about Zhu Mingjing, those stupid fans would chase and scold them like eczema.


    She had been so angry that she couldn¡¯t eat for days, and she had lost a lot of weight.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the young master of the Zhuse to see you a few days ago? You two grew up together, so your rtionship should be very good, right?¡±


    Mentioning Zhu Shaodan, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s expression softened.


    ¡°Shaodan and I have been close since we were young. Even though he knows I¡¯m not his real sister, he still treats me the same. It¡¯s quiteforting.¡±


    Tang Wan¡¯s eyes turned, ¡°Could it be that he has other feelings for you? He¡¯s at the age when his hormones are raging¡­ ¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang was startled, then understood Tang Wan¡¯s meaning and her face changed instantly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? We are siblings.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no blood rtion between you two; anyway, the way I saw him treat youst time didn¡¯t seem like how a brother would treat a sister.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said righteously, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. My rtionship with Shaodan isn¡¯t what you think. We are just innocent siblings.¡±


    ¡°I trust you, of course. But as for Zhu Shaodan¡­I can¡¯t say for sure.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart suddenly started pounding. Tang Wan¡¯s words reminded her to think carefully about Shaodan¡¯s attitude towards herter on.


    Could it be true¡­


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t ept this for a moment, but Tang Wan was right about one thing ¨C they had no blood rtion.


    If Lin Qing knew, would she be so angry that she¡¯d die¡­


    With this thought, Zhu Xiangxiang felt a hidden sense of vengeful pleasure.


    Tang Wan stirred her coffee, giving Zhu Xiangxiang a nce. Seeing her face change with various emotions, Tang Wan couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips.


    The more she stirred the water, the muddier it became, and the more interesting it got.<div>


    The car drove into the Zhus¡¯ residence, and Uncle Wen ran into the living room, ¡°Madam, Granny, the youngdy is back.¡±


    Everyone in the living room sat neatly on the sofa, with an episode of the variety show ¡®Three Meals a Day¡¯ ying on the TV across the room.


    In the scene, a girl in white was making noodles in the kitchen, even her movements in making noodles were elegant and beautiful. The big star Qu Feitai, squatting by the stove, had a dirty face, staring with innocent and pitiful eyes. With post-production special effects, the interaction between the two is very sweet.


    This was also a ssic scene that had been widely circted on the inte. Although Qu Feitai¡¯s fans tried to resist, they couldn¡¯t stop the CP fans from emerging like spring bamboo shoots after the rain.


    ¡°This young man is not bad, quite handsome.¡± Granny Zhu couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    At first, no one in the Zhu family knew that Ming Jing was on a variety show. Zhou Bao, who loves surfing the inte, discovered it. She thought it was someone with the same name and went to watch it because of Qu Feitai. Unexpectedly, she saw Ming Jing on the show.


    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence; it was her!


    The Zhu household exploded that night.


    Lin Qing tried to call Ming Jing several times, but couldn¡¯t get through.


    Ming Jing had said she was going out for a few days and would be back in three to five days, but it had been more than ten days now.


    Lin Qing was worried and angry. The girl was so distant from her that she couldn¡¯t control her, but after being out for so long, the least she could do was to report to her family that she was safe.<div>


    Did Ming Jing even think about her own grandmother, mother, and sisters from time to time?


    No one in her own family knew that she was even on a variety show.


    Seeing how happy Granny Zhu, Zhou Bao, Ming Ti, and Ming Chen were watching the show, Lin Qing felt a coldness in her heart.


    This girl had no heart from the beginning, she didn¡¯t even bother to pretend.


    When Granny Zhu heard that Ming Jing was back, her face lit up, and she looked down to straighten her clothes.


    Ming Yi had already rushed out the door with excitement.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen looked at each other, stood up immediately, their faces barely able to contain their happiness.


    Zhou Bao jumped up, her face shining, ¡°Is my cousin back?¡±


    Lin Qing red at the door, and Ming Jing walked in with Ming Yi¡¯s hand. In just over twenty days, she seemed to have grown a little taller, more mature, and more beautiful.


    ¡°Sister,¡± Ming Chen and Ming Ti couldn¡¯t help but pounce on her, ¡°Sister, I missed you so much.¡±


    Ming Chen looked up pitifully, tears twinkling in her eyes.


    Ming Ti didn¡¯t say anything, but the emotion in her eyes was strong.


    Ming Jing smiled and patted their heads, then walked over to Granny Zhu, ¡°Granny, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Granny Zhu held Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°My good child, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡±


    Ming Jing touched Granny Zhu¡¯s pulse with her fingers and withdrew her hand without a trace.


    ¡°Your mother is very worried about you, she tried calling many times but no one answered. You¡¯re a girl alone outside, she¡¯s afraid that something might happen to you,¡± Granny Zhu looked at Lin Qing and patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back now.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Lin Qing and asked indifferently, ¡°How have you beentely?¡±


    Lin Qing pursed her lips, ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯ve been just fine.¡±


    Granny Zhu red at Lin Qing, the child had just returned; don¡¯t lose your head now.


    Lin Qing frowned and asked, ¡°Where have you been all these days? Why did no one answer when I called you? Don¡¯t you remember that you have a home, a grandmother, a mother, and sisters?¡±


    Lin Qing became more and more angry as she spoke, all the expectations turning into disappointment.


    Even now, as Ming Jing stood in front of her, she couldn¡¯t see any concern in her eyes.


    In Ming Jing¡¯s heart, her own mother was probably no different from Madam Zhou, a nanny.


    Ming Jing helped Granny Zhu sit down, ¡°I was living a simple life in Hanshan Temple. There was no signal in the mountains, and I didn¡¯t inform you beforehand. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Hanshan Temple?


    This Hanshan Temple was very famous, and Lin Qing had heard of it before. As soon as she heard this, her anger grew even more.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, do you still think you¡¯re a nun? You are now the youngdy of the Zhu family, please remember that.¡±

 Chapter 342: 156 Worth it (Second Update)

    Chapter 342: 156 Worth it (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    For a moment, the entire Zhu family¡¯s living room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen frowned and looked at Lin Qing.<div>


    Madam Zhou cautiously nced at Ming Jing¡¯s face, reciting Amitofo in her heart. What on earth was Madam trying to do?


    Lin Qing regretted shouting that sentence immediately, looking awkwardly at Ming Jing.


    She actually saw Ming Jing smile, as if she didn¡¯t care at all.


    A surge of anger rose, and Lin Qing¡¯s regret instantly dissipated.


    ¡°Cultivating one¡¯s mind is for progress, nun is an identity, being a Miss in the Zhu family is also an identity, they do not conflict with each other.¡±


    Ming Jing thought for a moment and looked at Lin Qing¡¯s blushing face: ¡°I know what you expect, and what you are disappointed in. I cannot give you an answer now, but you will understand in the near future.¡±


    After finishing her words, Ming Jing didn¡¯t look at Lin Qing again and helped Granny Zhu back to her room.


    When Lin Qing came out of Granny Zhu¡¯s room, she still stood in ce. Seeing Ming Jing, she pursed her lips and turned to go upstairs.


    ¡°Cousin.¡± Zhou Bao called cautiously.


    She somehow felt that Ming Jing had changed some things upon her return. Does bing a star do this to a person?


    Ming Jing nodded and went upstairs with Ming Chen, while Ming Ti happily followed behind Ming Jing.<div>


    Everyone was afraid of Ming Jing except for them. In their memory, Ming Jing has always been like this.


    ¡°Sister, where did Aunt Wen go? I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time.¡± Ming Chen looked up and asked.


    ¡°One-one misses her?¡±


    Ming Chen thought seriously with her little eyebrows furrowed and nodded: ¡°One-one misses Aunt Wen. Aunt Wen tells me stories every night. Now, there is no one to tell me, and One-one doesn¡¯t want to sleep.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, hoping that Zhu Shaodan and Zhu Xiangxiang would not disappoint her.


    ¡°Sister, will you be a star in the future?¡± Ming Chen asked excitedly.


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    ¡°Ah? But you recorded a variety show, and now you have a lot of fans. Everyone likes you. On Weibo, your name is always on the trending list. If you don¡¯t be a star, it¡¯ll be a waste.¡± Ming Chen was genuinely disappointed, and she was now the number one fan of ¡°Seeking Truth¡± CP.


    ¡°There are more important things in life. You are still young, so study hard. All experience and wisdome from books. When you figure it outter, you will be ashamed of asking such a question today.¡±


    Ming Chen did not quite understand, but Ming Ti was deeply thoughtful and said seriously: ¡°Sister, I understand.¡±


    Ming Jing thought of something and asked: ¡°How was your entrance exam?¡±<div>


    Ming Chen immediately became happy and said: ¡°Ming Ti and I both scored full marks; we did not disgrace Sister. We just received the admission notices yesterday. Sister, let me show you.¡±


    Ming Chen ran into her room and came out with two admission notices in her hand. After giving them to Ming Jing, she looked excitedly at her, waiting for praise.


    Ming Jing looked at both notices: Jiangzhou High School, Junior High Division, ss 1A.


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Elite ss, very good. What rewards do you two want?¡±


    Ming Chen thought for a moment: ¡°Sister, studying hard is what we should do. We don¡¯t want rewards, just having you with us every day is enough.¡±


    Ming Jing tapped her head: ¡°You, so smooth-talking.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Ming Chen held Ming Jing¡¯s arm and smiled happily.


    Ming Ti noticed Ming Jing¡¯s tired face and pulled Ming Chen. She said to Ming Jing, ¡°Sister, go back to your room and rest. Ming Chen and I are going to review our first-grade lessons.¡±


    Ming Jing watched the two leave and returned to her room.


    Starting tomorrow, she would enter the training camp. Although there were only five days left, it was enough.


    Ye Zhen had returned to the sanatorium, and Han Suwen would be back soon.<div>


    The results must havee out at Ran Tengxiao¡¯s ce.


    It¡¯s time to close the.


    ¡°Master Xiao, the results are out.¡± Ye Jian shook his head.


    Ran Tengxiao furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Did I guess wrong?¡±


    Ye Jian said, ¡°Although we have ruled out the possibility of Ming Xin being the true daughter of the Zhu¡¯s, it doesn¡¯t mean that Ms. Zhu¡¯s identity is not suspicious.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked at him: ¡°What do you suspect?¡±


    ¡°If we assume that Ms. Zhu is not the real daughter of the Zhu¡¯s, then why would she pretend? Is her motive suspicious? Since she returned to Jiangzhou, in just a few months, she has had a close rtionship with Shen Zhou, Madam Jiang, and the young master of the Qus. Master Xiao, as you have also said, too many coincidences are no longer coincidences, and everything is premeditated. Why would she do this? It can only be said that there is a deeper conspiracy behind her.¡±


    Not only that, but the thing that made Ran Tengxiao most suspicious was the Narcissus Basin.


    ¡°Is there any news from Shou Chang? Hurry up, I¡¯m running out of patience.¡± The man turned the jade ring on his thumb and said in a chilling tone.


    Ye Jian shook his head, ¡°It seems that he really doesn¡¯t know much about the events of that year.¡±


    ¡°No, this old man is hiding something, so keep a close watch.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao thought of something and curved his lips: ¡°Ms. Zhu is most adept at deceiving people, perhaps we have been tricked by her.¡±


    Ye Jian was surprised: ¡°How can it be possible, unless she knew everything from the beginning, but how could that be?¡±


    If that were the case, this Zhu Mingjing would be too terrifying ¨C all of their ns were within her calctions. What a dreadful schemer she must be.


    Ye Jian suddenly shuddered, thinking that everyone in Jiangzhou believed Ms. Zhu to be gentle andpassionate, which he found utterly terrifying.


    If it was true, the motives behind Zhu Mingjing would be highly suspicious.


    ¡°Maybe, from the moment she returned to Jiangzhou, or even before she returned, she started to arrange everything. Madam Jiang, Shen Zhou, Qu Feitai, and even me, are all on her chessboard. Interesting, I¡¯d like to see what her final goal is.¡±


    A person cannot act without a purpose, and Zhu Mingjing¡¯s purpose is not yet clear. The position of the Zhu¡¯s daughter is not worth her great efforts. So, what exactly is she after?


    Ran Tengxiao thought about what Zhao Qin said that day: Xi Yu¡­ Xi Yu is the son of Ji Chang, who is more trusted by Ran Bowen than Lu Chang and Shou Chang. Otherwise, after Ji Chang¡¯s betrayal years ago, Ran Bowen would not have been furious and chased him all the way to Jingdu.


    Ji Chang is a smart and cautious man, so he definitely had a backup n. Maybe he knew that this day woulde, and passed the secret to Xi Yu. Whether Xi Yu approached Zhu Mingjing to avenge his father or to¡­


    Ran Tengxiao suddenly stood up: ¡°We were wrong, maybe we were wrong from the very beginning.¡±


    Ye Jian was surprised: ¡°Master Xiao¡­¡±


    ¡°Yu Jiang, Yu Jiang.¡± Ran Tengxiao suddenlyughed.


    Those memories had be very vague, but he would never forget those gentle eyes.


    They had agreed that when he returned, she would teach him martial arts. He had been envious of her ¡°Swallow Skimming the Water¡± for a long time, and she had smilingly agreed.


    Little did they know that it would be their final goodbye.


    It¡¯s been twelve years: out of sight, out of mind.


    She achieved sess with two years of hidden endurance, but twelve years have passed, and Ran Bowen is still a prominent figure. She, on the other hand, has been forever forgotten in the river of time.


    Was it worth it?


    Was the result worth all she sacrificed, even her life?


    Others have risen to prominence on the merit of her efforts, but she is either buried anonymously in the wilderness or living a quiet, secluded life under a different name.


    Ran Tengxiao sighed and looked at the setting sun in the distance, his expression nk.


    Ye Jian bowed his head in fear.


    Yu Jiang¡¯s name is a taboo in the Qinglong Association.


    But ever since Master Xiao mentioned this name, he would fall into inexplicable emotions. Gradually, Ye Jian came to understand.


    For the past two years, Master Xiao had been painstakingly investigating the events of twelve years ago and searching for Yu Jiang¡¯s whereabouts. Although it seemed to be for the purpose of appeasing the Four Elders and finding the Qinglong Seal, it was also to give an exnation to his younger self.


    People of the Ran family were all sentimental, and Master Xiao was no exception.


    Having wealth and power, all he sought for was that original thrill that he once felt.


    Upon leaving the study, Ye Jian saw Ye Shuang, and his brow furrowed unconsciously: ¡°What are you doing here? Master Xiao asked you to keep an eye on Shou Chang. Is there a situation

 Chapter 343: 157 Detonation (First Update)

    Chapter 343: 157 Detonation (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At eight o¡¯clock this evening, the second episode of ¡°Three Meals a Day¡± is about to be broadcast.


    Each group of guests is split over two episodes. Thest one ended with Ming Jing waking up at five in the morning on the second day, then going out. The editing crew was quite mischievous, having just shown Ming Jing leaving, then someone elseing down the stairs, focusing only on a close-up of a shoe. After that, the camera pans to the shocked pupils of a night-shift worker.<div>


    The show abruptly ends there.


    This cliffhanger has everyone hooked, itching to know who thest person to appear was.


    Even though the fans guessed that it was Qu Feitai, that hadn¡¯t stopped any of them from fighting back over the course of the week. Just like they previously treated actresses and inte celebrities who tried totch onto Qu Feitai¡¯s fame, they first sought out damaging information and then employed a swarm attack strategy of overwhelming criticism until the used came out to apologize. However, this strategy didn¡¯t work this time.


    It had been a long time since an iparably beautiful woman had appeared in the entertainment industry. The previous generation of beauties were now just a memory. The current beauties on TV were indeed beautiful butcked depth. Even Luo Ziyin, who was given the title of the most beautiful woman in the entertainment industry, was deeply entangled in stic surgery rumors. At recent events, her face was so frozen from all the botox it was hard to watch. All pretense of natural beauty had been stripped away.


    As for Zhao Ninghan, Liang Yanran and the like, they either were too radiant andcked subtlety, or were too innocent, which sometimes resulted in dull expressions. Either they had obvious signs of stic surgery, or their beautiful looks were void of any substantive thoughts¡ªa good for nothing pretty face. It was almost impossible to find a universally acimed stunning beauty in the modern entertainment industry.


    Then Ming Jing came along, a pleasant surprise that brought a glimmer of hope to viewers.


    Although she was quite young with a face that was still yet to mature, her cultured andposed way of speaking, her graceful demeanor, her calmness in doing everything, her untainted innocence¡­ made the thickly made-up, showy actresses of the entertainment industry look insignificant.


    There are many beautiful women, but she is one of a kind, irreceable.


    Initially, there were some heartless trolls who tried to nder her, some fanatics who went out of their way to criticize her, but all that negativity was washed away by the overwhelming amount of praise.


    The second episode is about to be aired tonight. After the sessful broadcast of the first episode, the second episode is already trending, even before its airing.


    Viewers have eagerly settled in front of their TVs andputer screens.<div>


    Granny Zhu, Madam Zhou, Zhou Bao, along with Ming Ti and Ming Chen, all sat quietly on the sofa, with tea and snacks ready. When the clock pointed to 7:55, Granny Zhu asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Lin Qing? What is she doing?¡±


    Madam Zhou nced upstairs, ¡°Madam has not been well recently, she might have gone to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Just when everything was finally calm, what is she up to now?¡± Granny Zhu said discontentedly.


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s hard to say with these things. You better not get involved. Madam tends to overthink, she¡¯ll figure it out on her own.¡±


    ¡°People who tend to overthink just go deeper into it the more they think. They need to be pulled out of it, or else there will be no peace,¡± Granny Zhu insisted.


    Granny Zhu then asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Ming Jing?¡±


    While licking a lollipop, the ever-sweet Ming Chen said, ¡°Sis Ming Jing is going to the Olympiad Training Camp tomorrow, she¡¯s solving problems.¡±


    Granny Zhu sighed, ¡°Such a good girl, what more can we demand? You can¡¯t have your cake and eat it too, why doesn¡¯t she understand that?¡±


    All Madam Zhou could do was join in the sighing.


    Lin Qing wanted a loving daughter but thought littledy was cold-hearted. This so wronged the little girl.


    There wasn¡¯t any girl in this world who was kinder and had a better heart than the littledy.<div>


    Littledy didn¡¯t concern herself with small love affairs, but rather, she was full of universal love.


    At first, Lin Qing was rude towards the littledy and preferred the adopted daughter, Zhu Xiangxiang. Yet the littledy bore no grudge and treated Zhu Xiangxiang just as she always had, never giving Zhu Xiangxiang a hard time. With such a good daughter, what more could Lin Qing be hoping for?


    People are often surrounded by happiness but fail to realize it until it¡¯s toote.


    Granny Zhu squinted at the clock, and just before the final two minutes before the show began, she suddenly remembered what Ming Jing had said to Lin Qing at noon.


    There was more to her words than met the eye.


    Ming Jing¡¯s words were never wasted, there must have been another hidden meaning.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting, it¡¯s starting, Sis Jing is going to show up,¡± Ming Chen eximed cheerfully, pping his little hands.


    The opening credits passed, and the episode began.


    Picking up where thest episode left off, Ming Jing woke up at five in the morning, and left the house under a drizzly rain, alone with her umbre.

 Chapter 344: 157 Detonation (First Update)_2

    Chapter 344: 157 Detonation (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The show¡¯s camerawork and post-production were outstanding, capturing the moment when the sky began to lighten as a gentle rain fell. A girl with an umbre ventured out into the rain and gradually disappeared into the mountains, her graceful silhouette full of ethereal charm, as beautiful as an oil painting.


    Just as she left, someone came downstairs.<div>


    As everyone guessed, it was Qu Feitai.


    Granny Zhuughed and said, ¡°What a good young man.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Brother Qu is handsome and talented, and has such a beautiful singing voice. How could anyone not like him?¡±


    Seeing that Qu Feitai was following Ming Jing, the audience¡¯s hearts raced as they anticipated a romantic encounter in the wild.


    However, much to their disappointment, the camera work was terrible, and they could only see the distant silhouettes of the two. They couldn¡¯t hear their conversation at all, and it left them itching to know more. From their silhouettes alone, the man appeared tall and strong, and the woman delicate. They seemed to be a perfect match, destined for each other.


    In the end, the cameraman lost sight of thempletely, leaving their conversation a mystery forevermore.


    And so, this cameraman found himself atop the trending topics list, with Yan Xu feeling wronged. But the director insisted that he had to take the me.


    Yan Xu took the opportunity to post on Weibo, ¡°Life is so hard for me¡±, attaching an extremely funny emoticon. Although the audience berated him for his ipetence, they also wanted to pry some inside information out of him, and bombarded him with questions about Ming Jing and Qu Feitai¡¯s private issues in thements.


    Yan Xu knew what he could and couldn¡¯t say, giving vague answers to their questions. But his simple and honest demeanor made him an overnight inte sensation, gaining many fans in the process.


    ¡°Haha, this cameraman is so much fun. Was he still half-asleep when he was filming? The camera kept shaking.¡± Zhou Baoughed as she sprawled across the sofa.


    The scene then changed to a little boy holding two fish,ing to look for Ming Jing. The boy¡¯s innocent look and bright eyes made him lovable.<div>


    ¡°Fairy sister, my grandpa caught two big yellowfish. I brought them here to thank you for helping me yesterday. Grandpa said that people as kind as you will surely be rewarded.¡±


    The viewers¡¯ attention turned to the boy¡¯s words. How exactly had Ming Jing helped him? They hadn¡¯t shown that in the program.


    Seemingly anticipating what the audience was thinking, the director used a shback effect to take them back to the previous day. From the weather and attire, it was when Ming Jing had just arrived in the vige. Ming Jing was walking past an intersection when a little boy suddenly darted out and bumped into her. The boy¡¯s dirty hands grabbed her skirt, leaving a filthy stain on the pristine fabric. It was like a crack on a fine porcin piece, instantly infuriating to see.


    The audience wanted to jump into the TV and scold the unruly child, but then the boy¡¯s cautious expression melted their hearts. A woman¡¯s shrill, overbearing voice berating the boy filled the air, causing aversion towards Ming Jing, as if she were fatigued by the scene.


    It wasn¡¯t deliberate on the child¡¯s part, and Ming Jing, as an adult, shouldn¡¯t have been petty in the first ce. Moreover, wearing such a white skirt in a rural area was impractical.


    Seeing an assistant indulge in bullying a child was unkind.


    At that moment, everyone¡±s perception of Mingjing shattered.


    However, in the next instant, Mingjing nced towards the camera, her dark and deep eyes exhibiting a faint sense of oppression. At that moment, the audience before the screen simultaneously shivered, as though their souls were pierced.


    The harsh voice abruptly ceased.


    The girl smiled at the boy in front of her, ¡°You didn¡¯t do it on purpose, did you?¡±


    As if terrified, the boy choked up, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±<div>


    She crouched down and gently wiped the tears from the boy¡¯s face. Her gentle voice was like aforting whisper in a dream, touching the heartstrings and making them submit to her ultimate tenderness.


    ¡°So why are you scared? Your sister won¡¯t me you because you didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    The spiteful voice earlier highlighted the young girl¡¯s incredible empathy at that moment.


    As the boy¡¯s tears turned toughter, the audience in front of their TVsughed along.


    This scene seamlessly connected to the previous one, with Xiao Hoo happily carrying two fish to find Ming Jing. Who wouldn¡¯t love a girl so beautiful and kind-hearted?


    The next moment, Mingjing opened an umbre and walked out with Xiao Hoo hand in hand.

 Chapter 345: 157 Detonation (First Update)_3

    Chapter 345: 157 Detonation (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Viewers were curious about what she was going to do, hoping that the cameramen wouldn¡¯t fail this time. Their prayers paid off, and the cameramen did a great job.


    Ming Jing went to the creek, untied the grass ropes, and set the two fish free. The fish swam around and then returned to the shore, poking their heads out of the water to look at Ming Jing.<div>


    The girl crouched by the creek, drizzle falling gently, her soft andpassionate gaze captured by the camera, ¡°They met me by fate, and I give them a chance to live, which is also umting blessings for myself.¡±


    Xiao Hoo then spoke for everyone: ¡°Sister, are you a reincarnation of a Buddha?¡±


    True beauty in the mortal world is kindness.


    If someone possesses unrivaled beauty and a heart filled withpassion for all living beings, all other stunning beings in this world would pale inparison.


    Her ethereal debut, her schrly exnation of the well suppression principle, her adept cooking in the kitchen, her countless cute moments¡­ all thesebels piled upon her, but none was as moving as this scene.


    Before, it was just admiration, but at this moment, it was deep touching.


    The girl cast a gentle smile, ¡°Do not spheme the Buddha.¡±


    This scene would be forever engraved in the audience¡¯s minds ¨C Buddhas are far away in heaven, but you are right before our eyes.


    You are the one who should never be sphemed.


    Then, a magical scene took ce: more and more fish gathered at Ming Jing¡¯s feet, and the clear creek was filled with schools of fish, making a spectacr sight.


    Ming Jing watched quietly, smiled slightly, and gently lifted her fair fingers in the rain: ¡°Go.¡±<div>


    The most mysterious scene happened: the fish seemed to understand Ming Jing¡¯s words and scattered instantly.


    Ming Jing stood up, opened her umbre, and held Xiao Hoo¡¯s hand, receding into the distance amidst the increasingly heavy rain.


    The slender figure seemed even more holy and ethereal in the rain curtain, evoking reverence in people¡¯s hearts along with the previous scene.


    If anyone had doubted the show¡¯s coboration with Ming Jing to create a false persona before, no one could doubt it after this scene.


    All creatures possess spirituality, and fish are indeed very spiritual animals; their reactions won¡¯t deceive us.


    Ming Jing returned to the courtyard, only to be confronted by Xiao Wenwen¡¯s questioning. In the previous episode, Xiao Wenwen, a regr guest, was overshadowed by Ming Jing, and no one paid attention to her from beginning to end. Her arrogant questioning of Ming Jing now only made her appear more unlikable.


    This woman must be kidding! It¡¯s Ming Jing¡¯s right to deal with the fish given to her. Who are you to point your fingers and tell her what to do?


    The way she spoke, so discourteously, made people clench their fists.


    Leaving the words ¡°sorrowes from the mouth, and words end here,¡± Ming Jing turned and walked away, Xiao Wenwen¡¯s anger and jealousy clear to everyone.


    In the bedroom that night, the scene became more hrious: Ming Jing sat cross-legged, meditating like an old monk. Xiao Wenwen¡¯s attitude changed from initial snobbishness to fear and finally to caution, as she tiptoed over and tried to sniff Ming Jing, who suddenly opened her eyes and scared Xiao Wenwen into falling on her butt, making the audience roar withughter.


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s jealousy was quite apparent, and in front of Ming Jing, she looked like a clown. Ming Jing was like a vast ocean, possessing boundless tolerance. She regarded Xiao Wenwen¡¯s antics as if attending to a mischievous child.<div>


    If the two had confronted each other directly, Xiao Wenwen¡¯s petty harshness would have been severely scolded by the audience, but Ming Jing¡¯s generosity and tolerance made Xiao Wenwen seem not so hateful. It was unclear whether the audience had also been influenced by the transparency and openness of Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing read for a while and theny down to sleep, and that was the end of her scenes in this episode.


    Next were the shots of other guests. After all, the focus couldn¡¯t be on Ming Jing for the entire episode. The scenes with Qu Feitai were also interesting, with the group sitting under the eaves, enjoying the rain and chatting. Qu Feitai lightly strummed his guitar, triggering a hot search that would explode tonight.


    After his Jiangzhou concert, Qu Feitai performed ¡°White Robe¡± for the first time. Sitting under the eaves in the rain, he sang softly and tenderly with a gentle, affectionate expression, deeply touching every viewer.


    This ¡°White Robe¡± could be listened to countless times, and each time, it felt different.


    Then, the national son, Han Ying, asked a heart-stopping question for all viewers and fans.


    ¡°Brother Qu¡­ Is this ¡®White Robe¡¯ really about just one person?¡±


    Han Ying¡¯s timing couldn¡¯t have been better, and Fei moths wanted to punch him.


    How poisonous this question is! How can Brother Qu answer it?


    At that moment, the camera zoomed in on Qu Feitai¡¯s face, and every subtle expression was perfectly captured by the high-definition camera. Then, everyone saw Qu Feitai suddenly look up toward a certain direction, just for an instant, but it was still caught on camera.


    As the day ends, so does this episode. The preview for the next episode shows them going to Hanshan Temple and climbing a mountain. The one-and-a-half-minute preview intrigued viewers, skillfully hooking them.<div>


    After the episode was broadcast, the hot search chart waspletely ughtered.


    ¨C Ming Jing, are you a Buddha reincarnated?


    ¨C Ming Jing and Qu Feitai¡¯s CP vibe.


    ¨C Ming Jing¡¯s wardrobe.


    ¨C Sister Ming Jing, I want to be your younger brother.


    ¨C Xiao Wenwen, the synonym for a clown


    ¨C Dig up Ming Jing¡¯s goddess wardrobe.


    ¨C Han Ying¡¯s adorable everyday shadowing.


    Of course, what the audience most anticipated in the hot search was the age-old mystery: who exactly is Qu Feitai¡¯s ¡°White Robe¡± about?


    Then, ughter trips on major forums began, with fans examining every frame of Ming Jing and Qu Feitai to find clues. Each look, each word from both their appearances were extrapted into numerous meanings, dominating forums.


    At this time, an anonymous poster imed to expose Ming Jing¡¯s true identity, stating that they were her high school ssmate.


    The poster first told a story about mistaken identities, with a rich family girl and a poor family girl being switched at birth. The storytelling was so captivating that it even surpassed that of prime-time soap operas. But the audience couldn¡¯t help but feel Ming Jing was likely one of these girls ¨C whether she was the real rich heiress or the fake one remained unknown.

 Chapter 346: 158 Provocation (Second Update)

    Chapter 346: 158 Provocation (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    It¡¯s been sixteen years, and the real heiress has finally been found by the rich family and returned to the Zhus. Everyone thought that this girl who grew up in the countryside must be crude and embarrassing, and the entire circle of wealthy families was waiting tough at her.


    However, on the day the real heiress arrived, she broke everyone¡¯s expectations. As for why she did that, let¡¯s go back to the scene when Ming Jing first appeared on the show.<div>


    A beauty like a flower that blooms beyond the clouds.


    Everyone understood ¨C Ming Jing was the real heiress in the story.


    As a standalone story, it was pretty dramatic. But if Ming Jing was the true heir in the story¡­


    All that was left was sympathy.


    The fake heiress was enjoying the wealth and luxury of a rich family while the real one experienced hardships growing up in the countryside. Her various actions in the show now had a reasonable exnation.


    Being able to dig for water, makemian (noodles), forage for wild vegetables, know about medicinal herbs, and massage¡­ If she hadn¡¯t grown up in a tough environment, which parents would have the heart to let a beautiful girl¡¯s slender and delicate hands be tainted by dirt and covered in thin callouses?


    However, a born phoenix is a phoenix, even if it grows up in the countryside. It cannot hide its noble nature.


    The power ofizens always goes beyond people¡¯s imagination. Even before midnight, the keyphrase ¡°Ming Jing is the real heiress¡± was trending on Weibo. Now the whole country knew about Ming Jing¡¯s background.


    As the scope of the audience widened, it was soon discovered that the wealthy family in question was the Zhu family of Jiangzhou. Zhu Group was the family¡¯s business, and they had a good reputation in the local area. Jiangzhou was the most prosperous city in the Southern Region, and Zhu Group had a ce in the real estate industry there. They were considered one of the top wealthy families locally, and Ming Jing¡¯s identity as a member of the Bai FuMei (rich, beautiful, and virtuous) was indeed genuine.


    Afterward, even more shocking stories about the Zhu family¡¯s real and fake heiresses started surfacing online, with someizens wondering if it was all actually true.


    That night, the inte felt as festive as the New Year, withizens enjoying the scandal of the real and fake heiresses. As more information was dug up, the imposter who tried to frame Ming Jing at a dinner party was exposed. Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s benevolence and forgiveness, people were deeply impressed. If someone else had done the same, they might havee across as hypocritical or self-righteous, but when Ming Jing did it, everyone felt it was just and fitting. Her kindness and forgiveness were part of her innate character.<div>


    For a time, the fake heiress became the target of criticism and made it to the trending list.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, who hadn¡¯t even debuted yet, had a taste of the heat in advance.


    At the Zhus, Granny Zhu happily went to bed after watching the show.


    Zhou Bao looked at the trending list, which was dominated by Ming Jing¡¯s name, and her excitement was beyond words.


    This was her cousin, her own cousin!


    Zhou Bao wished she could grab a loudspeaker and shout it to the whole world.


    Ming Yi, yawning, was carried to bed by Han Suwen.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen also yawned and stood up, ¡°Yingying, we¡¯re sleepy and going to bed now.¡±


    Zhou Bao quickly stopped them: ¡°Don¡¯t go, haven¡¯t you seen the inte? Your cousin is on fire, and everyone is talking about her. Do you think you can sleep at a moment like this?¡±


    Ming Chen blinked, yawned, and then innocently looked at her with sparkling eyes. ¡°It¡¯s normal for Second Sister to be loved by everyone. What¡¯s the fuss? Yingying, go to bed too, it¡¯s almost 11 o¡¯clock.¡±


    With that, she yawned again and went upstairs with Ming Ti¡¯s hand in hers.<div>


    Zhou Bao thought to herself ¨C kids, indeed.


    While the inte was celebrating Ming Jing, the Zhu¡¯s Mansion, where she was the center, was quiet. Everyone was asleep except for Zhou Bao, who was wide awake. She couldn¡¯t take it and saw that her ssmates were mentioning her in their group chat incessantly ¨C Zhou Bao¡¯s phone was almost crashing.


    She didn¡¯t dare open the messages. The week before, after the show aired, Ming Jing¡¯s identity as the Zhu family¡¯s young Miss hadn¡¯t been revealed yet. Everyone in the group chat was just admiring Ming Jing¡¯s beauty and discussing this girl who was about their age. At that time, Zhou Bao didn¡¯t dare speak in the chat, fearing that she might identally spill the beans and cause trouble for her cousin.


    Now, however, Ming Jing¡¯s identity had been exposed. Everyone knew she was Ming Jing¡¯s cousin, and since Ming Jing was the Miss of the Zhu family, that would mean Zhou Bao was Ming Jing¡¯s cousin, too.


    Her ssmates were frantically mentioning her toe out and speak on what it felt like to be the cousin of a superstar. Some girls even asked her if Ming Jing and Qu Feitai knew each other at all.She had shown off her ticket to Qu Feitai¡¯s concert in the group chat before. At that time, everyone thought she got the ticket through the Zhus¡¯ connections. Now, it seems not that simple ¨C the ticket indicated an internal release. There were too many suspicious points, and as Ming Jing¡¯s cousin, she had to clear things up.


    When a ssmate asked Zhou Ying, she couldn¡¯t help but think more ¨C had Ming Jing known Qu Feitai a long time ago, and the ticket was sent by Qu Feitai?


    Zhou Ying felt a moment of breathlessness and almost lost her bnce.


    Cousin, how many secrets are you hiding from us?


    The barrage of messages sounded nonstop, falling like raindrops. Her ssmates went crazy in the chat.


    Zhou Ying¡¯s hand shook as she opened the input box ¨C Everyone, please calm down, I¡¯m at the Zhus¡¯ house now.


    ¡ª Holy shit, so excited, the closest I¡¯ve ever been to the goddess.<div>


    ¡ª Zhou Ying, were you the savior of the gxy in yourst life? You get to have such an amazing cousin in this life.


    ¡ª I¡¯m envious, I¡¯m jealous! Help, ambnce¡­


    ¡ª Zhou Ying, can you quickly tell us what goddess Ming Jing is doing? Will she be happy to see herself so popr?


    Zhou Ying sneered and specifically circled the sender, replying: You all misunderstood my cousin? She¡¯s taking part in the Olympiad Training Camp tomorrow, studying tonight, and going to bed at ten o¡¯clock without fail.


    ¡ª Training camp? Right, almost forgot. Sister Ming Jing is a super schr, ranked first in the Jiangzhou region in Olympiadpetitions, directly entered the training camp. Wasn¡¯t it discussedst month when the results came out?


    ¡ª Respecting the big boss, academic excellence is just one of the least worth mentioning advantages. Damn, is she even human?


    ¡ª Excellent people can always control their time and emotions well, unlike us, hopping around the intete at night, not sleep until the moon sleeps ¡­


    Zhou Ying ignored them and went back to her room upstairs.


    After Zhu Xiangxiang left, she wanted to move into Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room, but her aunt stopped her. It seemed that her aunt still hadn¡¯t let go of Zhu Xiangxiangpletely. No wonder her cousin wasn¡¯t close to her.


    Zhou Ying could only sleep in the guest room on the third floor. When she reached the second floor, she hesitated a bit and tiptoed to Ming Jing¡¯s room, pressing her ear against the door to listen.


    No sound, she must have fallen asleep already.


    Her cousin¡¯s indifferent attitude towards fame and humiliation impressed her. It was difficult for an adult to do this, let alone a sixteen-year-old girl.


    ¡ª


    The flower vase shattered on the floor, and Xiao Wenwen pointed at her agent¡¯s nose and cursed: ¡°What did you promise me? Why did this happen? She¡¯s the moon in the sky, and I¡¯m just a rotten shrimp in a filthy gutter. Listen to theparisons on the inte, it¡¯s making me so angry. Weren¡¯t the production team supposed to cut her out? Why does she have the most screen time? Have you done what I said at all? Does the director team know that Zhou Nan is my boyfriend?¡±


    As Xiao Wenwen spoke, she got angrier. ¡°Secretly disobeying, you all secretly disobey. If you don¡¯t want to work, you can get out now.¡±


    The agent sneered, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you about this, but you¡¯re so unappreciative. Let me tell you now. Zhou Nan is good, worth millions, but his assets are nothing in front of real wealthy people. Do you know where Ming Jinges from? Do you know how ruthless her agent is? You¡¯re ignorant and arrogant, it disappoints me. You won¡¯t have any prospects in this life because you¡¯ve offended everyone. Zhou Nan can¡¯t protect you either.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Xiao Wenwen cursed angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t try to scare me with your exaggeration ¡­¡±


    The agent nced at her phone and showed the screen to Xiao Wenwen, ¡°Take a good look. Ming Jing, the young Miss of the Zhu family, took control of the Zhu Group in just three months. The stocks rose steadily, signed a contract with Shen Zhou on the same stage. If you don¡¯t know the Zhu Group, at least you should know the name Shen Zhou, right? Do you think your Zhou Nan is qualified to even tie Shen Zhou¡¯s shoes?¡±


    The agent¡¯s words jabbed at Xiao Wenwen¡¯s heart. She shook her head in disbelief, ¡°No¡­impossible.¡±


    The agent didn¡¯t intend to let her off, ¡°The Weibo post you made earlier, implying Ming Jing, you thought it was seamless, but you underestimated Ming Jing¡¯s influence and overestimated your own. You see the online public opinion now, you¡¯ve tied a noose around your neck. Even if you delete the post, can you pretend nothing happened? Ming Jing may be easy-going, but her agent is ruthless. Not only were your endorsements and scripts intercepted, but you¡¯ve also gotten other artists in thepany in trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you before, there are people you cannot afford to offend. Those who seem easygoing and easy to bully are often the ones you must not provoke.¡±

 Chapter 347: 159 Clue (First Update)

    Chapter 347: 159 Clue (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The only way is to start being invisible right now. Everyone¡¯s attention is on Ming Jing; as long as you don¡¯t jump around, no one will remember you. Let¡¯s wait until this wave of attention passes.¡± The agent felt exasperated, as it was these impulsive neers who ruined the atmosphere in the entertainment industry.


    ¡°Why should I¡­?¡± Xiao Wenwen tried to argue, but her agent answered a phone call, and her face changed dramatically.<div>


    Xiao Wenwen instinctively felt that something bad was about to happen.


    Indeed, her agent yed a voice recording on WeChat. The voice was very familiar¡ªit was from the night when Xiao Wenwen talked to her agent on the phone.


    As for the content¡ªit was about her being a bragging mistress and cursing the main wife for not giving up her position, saying that she would be torn apart by the public.


    Xiao Wenwen lunged forward to snatch her agent¡¯s phone, but her agent didn¡¯t let her seed, stepping back to avoid her, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Delete it! Delete it! What¡¯s wrong with the crew? How dare they edit my words out of context! I¡¯m going to find the director, the producer! Are they not afraid of retribution in this industry for daring to offend me like this?¡±


    ¡°I told you before that your mouth is going to get you in trouble one day, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. You¡¯re just Zhou Nan¡¯s mistress. There are plenty of young and beautiful girls out there for him to choose from. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re anything special. Moreover, Zhou Nan is not some big tycoon. There are plenty of more powerful people than him. Don¡¯t think that being with him guarantees your safety. Only someone like Shen Zhou can protect you, but he has to be interested in you first.¡±


    ¡°This recording was sent to thepany¡¯s email by an anonymous person. It¡¯s a warning. If you keep jumping around, they¡¯ll expose the recording which won¡¯t be as simple as just apologizing. As for Zhou Nan, he¡¯s only a mud Buddha crossing the river, he can hardly protect himself. Can¡¯t you understand that now?¡± The agent said, frustrated.


    ¡°They¡¯re still being gentle with you, giving you a chance. Otherwise, the recording would¡¯ve already been exposed. Do you know what the consequences would be then?¡±


    The agent knew very well in her heart that this was giving face to the crew. After all, if Xiao Wenwen was involved in a scandal and boycott by the audience, her scenes would have to be cut entirely, causing significant problems for the crew.


    Thus, the other party only warned her for now, not wanting to break off all contact just yet.


    Xiao Wenwen copsed onto the sofa, unwilling to let this go, ¡°I¡¯m just supposed to swallow my pride?¡±<div>


    ¡°What else can you do? Is something wrong with your brain? Why do you have to pick on Ming Jing? Some people are born to be dazzling. Your jealousy and resentment won¡¯t hurt them, only yourself.¡±


    The agent didn¡¯t want to waste her time educating her any longer. She had basically given up on Xiao Wenwen, who had no future prospects.


    ¡°Think about it yourself, don¡¯t go online, get some sleep, and figure out what to do.¡± She left after saying that.


    Xiao Wenwen opened her phone, it was two o¡¯clock in the morning, but the inte was still buzzing.


    ¡ªMing Jing¡¯s background exposed.


    This headline caught Xiao Wenwen¡¯s attention. Her agent had mentioned that Ming Jing was from a wealthy family in Jiangnan. She wanted to see if it was true.


    Netizens had uncovered that Ming Jing was from Zhu Group, a publicly tradedpany in Jiangzhou. Its stock code, annual profit, and corporate structure were all publicly avable information. Zhu Group was a real estatepany. Not long ago, Zhu Wentao, the president of Zhu Group, was caught in a debt crisis, causing huge losses to many stock investors and homeowners. During that time, Zhu Group was facing bankruptcy. It was the recently-returned heiress, Ming Jing, who took charge of the situation, appeasing the stockholders and signing cooperation agreements with Shen Zhou and Ye Group, eventually leading Zhu Group out of the crisis.


    Photos surfaced online of Ming Jing and Shen Zhou signing the agreement together. In these photos, Ming Jing, a 16-year-old girl, appearedposed and confident as she faced the magnates.


    This was no ordinary wealthy heiress. Being able to sit and talk with Shen Zhou meant that she was a heavyweight herself.


    Now, Zhu Group had ovee the crisis brought on by Zhu Wentao and its stock price was steadily rising. With Ming Jing¡¯s recent surge in poprity, thepany¡¯s entire stock line was flourishing, boasting a market value of over ten billion yuan.


    In other words, as the chairman of Zhu Group, Ming Jing¡¯s worth was now over ten billion yuan.<div>

 Chapter 348: 159 Clue (First Update)_2

    Chapter 348: 159 Clue (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    As theizens became more and more excited, Xiao Wenwen¡¯s heart grew colder and colder.


    It¡¯s over, she¡¯s finished. If she offended Ming Jing, would they ban her?<div>


    Xiao Wenwen called Zhou Nan, but no one answered. Could Zhou Nan also have given up on her?


    Finally, the call connected, and Xiao Wenwen¡¯s heart leaped with joy. She coquettishly said, ¡°Brother Nan, what are you doing? You didn¡¯t answer my calls.¡±


    ¡°Miss Xiao, you¡¯re calling my husband in the middle of the night. Aren¡¯t you too idle?¡± A cold female voice came from the phone, and Xiao Wenwen was terrified in an instant.


    Zhou Nan¡¯s wife was a rich second-generation. When Zhou Nan¡¯s career just started, he relied on his father-inw¡¯s support. One could say that his wife contributed a lot to his sess. Even though his wife¡¯s contributions were great, she couldn¡¯tpete with her age. Men¡¯s tendency to be fickle is rooted in their bones, but Zhou Nan¡¯s wife was a tigress with her family¡¯s backing. Zhou Nan could only deceive her, and Xiao Wenwen wanted to wait for the right time to let Zhou Nan divorce her ruthlessly. She didn¡¯t expect his wife to find out so quickly.


    ¡°Where is Zhou Nan?¡±


    ¡°Miss Xiao, I heard someone say that I¡¯m upying atrine without taking a shit. So, that means Zhou Nan is thetrine, and what are you? A fly? Attracted by the smell of thetrine?¡±


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s face flushed red with embarrassment as she listened to the ridicule, ¡°How disgusting can you be?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you¡¯ve done is more disgusting, Miss Xiao. I don¡¯t want to make a big deal out of this, but I hope you¡¯ll have some self-awareness not to contact Zhou Nan anymore. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have no choice but to expose the recording. Good luck.¡±


    The call ended abruptly.


    Xiao Wenwen was stunned,


    Did Zhou Nan¡¯s wife find out? Was she the one behind the recordings?<div>


    Xiao Wenwen sat down on the sofa in despair.


    ¡ª-


    At the top floor of a building in Jiangzhou, everyone was constantly working in front of theirputers day and night. A huge signboard beside them sparkled.


    Unspeakable Entertainment Agency.


    Not far away in the break area, a young man was sitting on a sofa, legs crossed on a coffee table, his eyes half-open.


    Whenever anyone passed by, they would instinctively lower their footsteps, fearing to disturb him.


    ¡°Xiao Wen, what¡¯s the rtionship between Brother Qing and Ms. Zhu? Ourpany¡¯srgest shareholder should be Ms. Zhu, right?¡± Lin Ling whispered.


    They were all recent college graduates who were recruited to this obscure entertainmentpany. It was a newpany, and the boss was a young man. It wasn¡¯t too bad to grow together with the newpany, so everyone didn¡¯t have much expectation at first.


    Who would have thought that they hit the jackpot upon arrival?


    Their new artist became a sensation overnight, and before they even had a chance to celebrate, it was revealed that she was Ms. Zhu from the Zhu family and the current chairman of Zhu Group.


    This scared everyone out of their wits.<div>


    ¡°You can go ask Brother Qing.¡± Xiao Wen nced at the man lying on the sofa in the break area.


    Lin Ling shivered, ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t have the guts.¡±


    Although everyone hadn¡¯t interacted with Brother Qing for long, they knew that he wasn¡¯t a simple character based on his usual methods. It wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement to say that he was ruthless and cold-blooded. They had mixed feelings about him.


    Zheng Qing yawned. Things were going more smoothly than she expected, and there wasn¡¯t much need to worry about the opinions on the inte. Most of them were positive, and even if a few small fry tried to make some noise, it wouldn¡¯t affect the big picture.


    However, Zheng Qing held grudges, and she didn¡¯t want to let even small fry off the hook.


    As for Xiao Wenwen, she didn¡¯t care about her from the beginning. She wasn¡¯t even a worthy opponent.


    She sent the recording directly to Zhou Nan¡¯s wife. Killing a chicken with a butcher¡¯s knife ¨C let this little bitch experience the mistreatment of being a mistress.


    ¡°Brother Qing, we found out it¡¯s Xintian Entertainment.¡± A baby-faced boy wearing ck-framed sses said from behind hisputer.


    Zheng Qing¡¯s half-closed eyes suddenly opened, and in an instant, the entire office felt chilly.


    Zheng Qing snapped her fingers, ¡°Xintian Entertainment? Liang Xiaohong? Okay, let¡¯s settle the new scores and old scores together.¡±


    Lin Ling shuddered involuntarily, ¡°Who is this Liang Xiaohong? Why is she provoking Brother Qing?¡±<div>


    Xiao Wen, who had been in the industry for a long time and knew more about the secrets, quickly realized, ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you? Xintian Entertainment is a powerful, established entertainmentpany, and Liang Xiaohong is their top agent. Zhao Ninghan, Li Xingyao, and Liang Yanran were all promoted by her. Before I joined thispany, I heard that she was hit hard by Liang Yanran¡¯s death and signed new artists, nning to bring out the next Liang Yanran. Xintian Entertainment has an in-depth cooperation with the show One Day, Three Meals, and almost all of her new artists would appear on it. This time Ming Jing snatched the opportunity, and she was probably upset and wanted to fight back. However, it¡¯s amazing that Brother Qing managed to snatch the opportunity from Liang Xiaohong.¡±

 Chapter 349: 159 Clue (First Update)_3

    Chapter 349: 159 Clue (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Ling asked, ¡°Xintian Entertainment is so powerful, are we, a newpany, able to beat them?¡±


    Xiao Wen nced in Zheng Qing¡¯s direction: ¡°Our boss is known for holding grudges, and we have the backing of Zhu Group, so what do we have to fear?¡±<div>


    Speaking of the past grievances between Zheng Qing and Liang Xiaohong, it¡¯s a long story. She and Liang Yanran were like kings who never met in the entertainment circle, constantly disparaging each other through press releases. Liang Yanran was a bit naive and wouldn¡¯t do such a boring thing; it was all orchestrated by her manager, Liang Xiaohong.


    After several confrontations, Zheng Qing had long figured out Liang Xiaohong¡¯s tricks. When she was mired in scandal, Liang Xiaohong spared no effort in fanning the mes. This time, they would settle old and new scores together.


    Zheng Qing narrowed her eyes, suddenly recalling Liang Yanran. She didn¡¯t have much dislike for Liang Yanran, who seemed naive. This woman chose to live in ignorance, being a representative of those ruined by their original family without realizing it. She was merely Liang Xiaohong¡¯s cash cow and stepping stone for climbing up thedder.


    As time passed, the shadow of Liang Yanran¡¯s death gradually faded. The entertainment circle was a ce where old people cried, and new onesughed. With new popr stars appearing like bamboo shoots after spring rain, people naturally wouldn¡¯t get immersed in the grief of Liang Yanran¡¯s death forever. Up to now, no one has questioned the cause of her death.


    Depression and suicide, for a popr star who had long suffered from a torturous family background and constant online exposure, was a good excuse.


    However, Zheng Qing felt it wasn¡¯t that simple, because in this variety show, there was a discussion about Liang Yanran¡¯s death which just appeared on the hot search list and then was forcibly removed. Zheng Qing spared no expense in hiring top hackers, monitoring the online public opinion day and night, so these small tricks couldn¡¯t escape her eyes.


    It was Liang Xiaohong who removed Liang Yanran¡¯s hot search and gradually lowered the heat of her death. Once, Liang Yanran¡¯s fans questioned the cause of her death but were immediately blocked.


    What did this indicate? Liang Xiaohong had a guilty conscience; otherwise, ording to her usual method of using any situation for marketing, she would have made a big deal about Liang Yanran¡¯s death and exploited everyst bit of value.


    Her actions only proved that there was something fishy about Liang Yanran¡¯s death.


    Zheng Qing hooked her lips, ¡°Liang Yanran, since we know each other, rest assured, I¡¯ll seek justice for you.¡±


    ¡°If you have a soul in heaven, give me a clue.¡±<div>


    At eight o¡¯clock the next morning, Zheng Qing was catching up on sleep on the sofa, while others checked in for work one after another. Assistant Xiao Wen ced breakfast on the coffee table, covered Zheng Qing with a nket, adjusted the office air conditioning temperature, and then left on tiptoe.


    ¡°Did Brother Qing not leave thepanyst night?¡± Lin Ling opened herputer, as usual, checking the hot search trends on the inte.


    Great, Ming Jing firmly secured the first ce, while top star Qu Feitai could only be second.


    ¡°Have you seen the news online? Ms. Zhu is going to attend the Olympiad Training Camp today. Last night, when the program was broadcasted, she was solving problems in her room and went to bed at ten o¡¯clock. This was revealed by Ms. Zhu¡¯s cousin, so it¡¯s credible. Ms. Zhu is indeed extraordinary.¡±


    Xiao Wen put her index finger on her lips, gesturing her to lower her voice.


    Lin Ling stuck out her tongue, then saw the receptionist bring a girl in, Lin Ling curiously asked, ¡°Is there a new person here?¡±


    Xiao Wen was taken aback and went over to ask the receptionist, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The receptionist looked at the girl beside her, ¡°She said that Miss Zhu asked her to look for Brother Qing.¡±


    Miss Zhu?


    Xiao Wen frowned, looking at the girl in front of her, with a in face and short hair, but very young.


    A pair of clear and bright eyes appeared on such an ordinary face, making it somewhat strange.<div>


    For some reason, she always felt that this girl looked simr to Brother Qing, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact simrity.


    ¡°Miss Zhu sent you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The girl said confidently, ncing at Zheng Qing lying on the sofa not far away.


    She had met with Qing Zheng the morning Ming Jing went to record the show.


    ¡°Brother Qing is resting, don¡¯t disturb him. Come with me and wait over here.¡± Xiao Wen was about to take the girl away when Zheng Qing woke up.


    Seeing Ye Zhen, she subconsciously hesitated: ¡°Ming Jing sent you to find me?¡±


    Ye Zhen nodded: ¡°Ming Jing asked me to help you.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised her eyebrows, staring at the girl in front of her.


    She knew the girl had disguised herself the first time they met.


    Ming Jing was keeping many secrets from her, and this girl was one of them.


    Why would an ordinary person be in disguise? Only if she had an identity or appearance that she couldn¡¯t let others know.<div>


    Guessing her age, Zheng Qing had a rough idea.


    As for helping her, where did thate from?


    However, Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t shoot without aim. Zheng Qing turned and walked towards her office: ¡°Come with me then.¡±


    Ye Zhen followed behind her, and as soon as the two entered the office, the office hall became lively again. Everyone was discussing the girl sent by Miss Zhu and what she was here for.


    Xiao Wen thought for a moment and left to prepare.


    After closing the office door, Zheng Qing sat down behind her desk, examining the girl in front of her.


    ¡°Ming Xin?¡±


    Ye Zhen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained a smile on her face and didn¡¯t speak.


    The man in front of her was the person Ming Jing trusted the most, to the extent of entrusting everything to him, even her life.


    His features were not outstanding, but he had a pair of beautiful eyes with an unspeakable charm¡­


    Ye Zhen was stunned, why would a man give her this feeling?


    And these eyes, they always felt familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember why no matter what.


    At this moment, those beautiful eyes were filled with sharp scrutiny and a chilling murderous aura.


    Gracees with a lively spirit, she suddenly realized that this familiar feeling wasn¡¯t just about the disguise._fast_forward At the moment, she didn¡¯t have time to think about it in detail. The thoughts shed through her mind, so quickly she couldn¡¯t grasp them._fast_forward


    ¡°What did Ming Jing ask you to help me with?¡± Ming Xin grew up in the mountains and didn¡¯t know anything about modern information. What could she help Zheng Qing with? Zheng Qing was curious.


    Ye Zhen smiled faintly, ¡°You have doubts about Liang Yanran¡¯s death, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes sharply shot out a fierce light, and the room was filled with a faint murderous aura.


    Ye Zhen¡¯s back grew cold.


    The man squinted and asked, ¡°Did Ming Jing tell you?¡±


    Ming Jing had already calcted this step. Was this girl even human?

 Chapter 350: 160 No Blame (Second Watch)

    Chapter 350: 160 No me (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Olympiad Training Camp is closed-off, containing twenty students in total, all are the top Olympiadpetitors throughout the province.


    Lasting for twenty days, students¡¯ cell phones are uniformly collected, removed from the outside world, eating and living together, preparing for the uing Winter Camp.<div>


    The arrival of Ming Jing tears the tranquillity that this ce has maintained for half a month apart.


    In the ssroom, the other seventeen students look upon the white-d, beautiful and elegant teenage girl on the podium, astonished beyond words.


    They have long known that a dark horse achieved first ce in this year¡¯s Jiangzhou Region, but half a month has passed and the first ce has not shown up. Just when the training camp is about to end, she finally arrives.


    Is this perhaps a disy of arrogance from the first ce winner?


    The training camp, unlike a cram school, adopts a militarized management approach. To possess a powerful brain, one must first have a robust body. Morning and evening drills are carried out consistently. Unless severely disabled or suffering from heart disease preventing intense exercise, everyone must participate in these drills. Anyone absent for three times would be expelled from the training camp, forfeiting their eligibility for the Winter Camp selection contest.


    Those who excel in academics generally aren¡¯t all that great in athletics, preferring to allocate more time on learning. However, it is said that this training camp is designed to allow students to adapt to the Winter Camp in advance. It is lenientpared to the Winter Camp. Here, the coaches are tough characters-if they can¡¯t tolerate the training camp, they should give up on the Winter Camp as soon as possible.


    They have been tormented for sixteen days and can¡¯t bear the bitterness anymore, their resentment towards this bted first ce holder runs deep. They thought, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe on thest day so you could still catch the final exam!?¡±


    The only two who were unsurprised are Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang; they are all old friends.


    ¡°Ming Jing was dyed for a few days due to some reasons, but now she has returned. Let¡¯s give her a round of apuse.¡± The residential coach is a young female teacher who leads the cheering with a smiling face.


    Disjointed apuse erupts from the ss.


    It seems that everyone is unsatisfied with this new student. Here, results matter. The pace of lectures in the training camp is fast and difficult. Falling behind for one day means elimination. Almost everyone squeezes in some study time under the coverste into the night, fearing being overtaken. Havinge this far, they certainly do not want to be eliminated during the selection contest.<div>


    What does it matter if you were number one? You¡¯ve been absent for half a month. You¡¯re bound to fall behind the schedule and face an inevitable elimination.


    The residential coach pointed to the seat next to Song Yinzhang: ¡°Sit there.¡±


    Ming Jing nods and sits down with her backpack.


    Everyone bes even more irritated. Song Yinzhang has the best grades among these students. Anyone would benefit significantly from sitting with him. However, Song Yinzhang clearly told the teachers that he preferred to be alone and hence, didn¡¯t want a seatmate.


    You have good grades, and that¡¯s fine. But as soon as Ming Jing arrived, she gets to sit next to Song Yinzhang. Isn¡¯t this obviously biased?


    Looking at Song Yinzhang, he remained silent but smiled happily at Ming Jing. Now, everyone gets it.


    So it turns out that Song Yinzhang reserved this seat expressly for Ming Jing.


    Almost forgot, they bothe from Shengde High School.


    The academic pressure in the training camp is enormous. Time is of the essence. Everyone is too busy to waste time on gossip and buries their heads back into the questions.


    ¡°You finally came.¡± Song Yinzhang hands her a notebook with a warm smile.


    ¡°These are my notes. I hope they can help you.¡±<div>


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Ming Jing flips through the notebook, surprises sparking in her eyes as she nces at Song Yinzhang.


    Song Yinzhang lowers his head to work on problems.


    The notebook has been meticulously prepared. Ultimately all points are covered, and many parts are annotated in different colors.


    The morning teacher, Ren Chuan, called Ming Jing to the office after ss.


    ¡°The final exam is in four days. It¡¯s an important factor for entering the Winter Camp. If you still hope to achieve something in the Olympiad, you should focus on your studies in thesest four days. Take this notebook, and ask me about anything you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Ren Chuan hands her a thick notebook, much thicker than the one Song Yinzhang gave her.


    ¡°Thank you, teacher. I will continue to strive.¡±


    Ren Chuan waves his hand, indicating that Ming Jing could leave.


    Watching Ming Jing¡¯s retreating back, Ren Chuan narrows his eyes.


    The students¡¯ phones are collected, leaving them unaware of anything significant while the teachers think differently. What Ming Jing had been up to this half month they could pretty much guess.


    Ming Jing is bright, beautiful, and talented, with the potential to achieve substantial results on the path of the Olympiad. He had high hopes for her, but unexpectedly, the girl went on to be a celebrity without making a sound, spending her days in that superficial entertainment circle. How could she still concentrate on her studies?<div>


    Perhaps this child is ruined. Ren Chuan feels regret.


    The downfall of a genius always saddens people greatly.


    Ming Jing returns to the ssroom. Zhao Heng, whoes to greet her with a cheerful greeting, ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you at the end of all this. Come on, let¡¯s go eat.¡±Ming Jing put down her notes, calling Song Yinzhang to go to the cafeteria with her.


    Along with Zhao Heng, Xie Zhen from Yi High School also joined the training camp. Seeing Ming Jing enter the dining hall with Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang, Xie Zhen thought of Tang Wan and sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the story behind this Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°I heard she ranked first in the Jiangzhou region, a dark horse who emerged out of nowhere. She¡¯s also very beautiful¡­.¡±


    Xie Zhen detected a hint of jealousy, ncing at the two girls across from her.


    Both girls she met in the training camp, one was Wang Xin from Huazhong and the other was Xu Wei from Lin City.


    Everyone here was a top student, naturally, they all wore thick sses ¨C a burden to their appearances. Furthermore, all their attention was consumed by studying, leaving no time for grooming. Their images were quite ordinary. As fellow girls, seeing Ming Jing¡¯s exquisite beauty, how could they not feel bitter?


    ¡°Xie Zhen, you and Zhao Heng are both from Yi High School, do you know much about this Ming Jing?¡± asked Wang Xin.


    Xu Wei nced over at Ming Jing¡¯s table, where three people sat eating and chatting amiably, quite familiar with each other.


    Song Yinzhang was a loner, while Zhao Heng liked to draw people in. Zhao Heng enjoyed joking around while Song Yinzhang was refined and gentle. They were the two popr boys in the training camp. Now, seeing both of them circling around Ming Jing, you can imagine their feelings.


    Xie Zhen took a bite of her meal, ¡°Ming Jing is the young mistress of Zhu Group.¡±


    I hope you don¡¯t do something foolish like messing with Ming Jing. That would be self-humiliating.


    Wang Xin and Xu Wei looked at each other, ¡®Alright, we didn¡¯t ask anything just now.¡¯


    The young mistress of Zhu Group, born with a golden key, has the capital to be willful.


    Thinking of Tang Wan, Xie Zhen remembers going to Tang Wan¡¯s house to find her and saw Zhu Xiangxiang there.


    Tang Wan has changed, bing very unfamiliar.


    Xie Zhen nced at Ming Jing and continued to eat her rice quietly.


    The training camp was predominately male; including Ming Jing, there were only six female students, all staying in the same dormitory.


    Before Ming Jing arrived, her bed was always vacant and over time, some random objects were piled on it.


    Ming Jing finished her note-taking in the ssroom andpleted a test practice. Checking the time, it was almost half past nine. Looking up, only she and Song Yinzhang were still in the ssroom.


    Ming Jing packed her books and stood up, ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s go back to the dormitory.¡±


    She knew Song Yinzhang stayed back only to apany her. He smiled, nodding his head, locked the ssroom door and they both headed back to their dormitories.


    Ming Jing entered the dormitory. The moment the door opened, the room became quiet.


    Everyone turned to look at her with various scrutinizing gazes.


    Ming Jing walked in without sideways nce, noticing some clutter on her bed. She asked lightly, ¡°Who does this belong to?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards the girl who was applying a face mask in front of the mirror.


    Ming Jing looked at the girl.


    She had a slim figure and was wearing a camisole, exuding a hint of sensuality.


    The girl leisurely applied her face mask before turning to walk back to her bed, humming a tune, seemingly oblivious to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, while Xie Zhen felt trouble brewing. She went to the girl¡¯s bed and whispered, ¡°Muxue, get your clothes. Otherwise, how is Ming Jing going to sleep?¡±


    Liu Muxue chuckled, ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Xie Zhen took a deep breath and repeated what she just said.


    ¡°Oh, you want to stand up for the newbie. Xie Zhen, are you sure you want to cross me for her?¡±


    Xie Zhen fell silent. No one else spoke. Liu Muxue was ustomed to doing as she pleased and none of them wanted to trigger a conflict with her. They all gave in to her demands.


    Wang Xin and Xu Wei knew about Ming Jing¡¯s identity. Wang Xin wanted to stand up for Ming Jing, but Xu Wei stopped her and shook her head.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Liu Muxue, get up now and clear up your things from the bed. I won¡¯t hold it against you. In thesest four days, I just want to study well. Otherwise,¡­¡±

 Chapter 351: 161 Arrogance (First Update)

    Chapter 351: 161 Arrogance (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The girl¡¯s tone was very gentle, like the spring breeze in April, brushing against their faces.


    Everyone felt a shiver in their hearts at the same time. Sometimes, gentleness did not mean easy to bully, but a kind of cultivation ingrained in one¡¯s bones.<div>


    The girl was wearing a white dress, tall and slender, soft and ethereal, a pair of gentle smiling eyes gazing at them quietly, like the silence of a long night, exuding an inexplicable sense of danger and mystery.


    Or else what?


    Liu Muxue sneered, ¡°Or else what? Are you going to make it so I can¡¯t eat and walk at the same time? I¡¯m so scared.¡±


    Liu Muxue touched the mask on her face andzily flipped over on the bed, ¡°If you don¡¯t want toe, just don¡¯te. You won¡¯t make it into CMO anyway. I¡¯m giving you a way out. Hurry and scram.¡±


    Ming Jing asked faintly, ¡°Why can¡¯t I participate in the Winter Camp?¡±


    Liu Muxue seemed to have heard something funny and let out an exaggeratedugh, which was so shrill that it made people ufortable.


    She sat up on the bed and looked at the girl standing opposite to her. From this angle, she had to look up at her, and the girl¡¯s gaze from above made her feel ufortable.


    Liu Muxue simply got out of bed, walked up to Ming Jing in her slippers, and stood on her tiptoes. The scene was somewhatical. Xie Zhen and the others couldn¡¯t help butugh. Liu Muxue suddenly turned her head and red at them.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Xie Zhen coughed and looked away.


    Liu Muxue looked Ming Jing up and down, ¡°The dark horse of this year¡¯s Jiangzhou Region? Is that you?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re the dark horse, you¡¯ve been absent for half a month and fallen way behind. The training camp is set up for the CMO selection. Only six top mathletes from Jiang Province can make it into CMO. How confident do you have to be to think that you can make it into the top six despite missing so many sses? Pride is a disease that needs to be cured.¡±


    Liu Muxue taunted, her hands crossed over her chest, looking at Ming Jing¡¯s dress.


    ¡°Where did you buy your dress?¡±


    This topic is quite¡­ abrupt.


    Ming Jing pursed her lips, ¡°British writer W. Hazlitt once said, ¡®Prejudice is the child of ignorance.¡¯¡±


    Liu Muxue suddenly took off her mask, her face sticky, her brows furrowed as she stared straight at Ming Jing. However, due to the height difference, she didn¡¯t look intimidating at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re calling me ignorant? How funny. Too funny. I¡¯ve never seen anyone as arrogant as you. Fine, during the final exam, if you can¡¯t make it into the top six, you¡¯ll kneel down and kowtow to me, admitting you¡¯re an arrogant, ignorant fool.¡±


    ¡°Why should I wager such a pointless bet with you? Taking exams is not to prove myself to anyone but to pursue higher levels of knowledge for my own sake. It¡¯s not about crushing others for pleasure, but about enriching my own thoughts and better understanding the world. Reading hasn¡¯t brought you any change, but has be a capital for you to bully others, your glib tongue, it¡¯s truly pathetic.¡±


    As Ming Jing finished speaking, she gently shook her head, the pity in her eyes truly touching.


    Liu Muxue got so angry that she stomped her feet. However, she couldn¡¯t find anything to refute, her face turning red with embarrassment.<div>


    Ming Jing nced at the bed, ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time, take your things and leave.¡±


    Liu Muxue snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t be smug. You won¡¯t make it into CMO, just wait to cry.¡±


    ¡°It seems that you still didn¡¯t understand what I meant just now. With such a wooden head, I don¡¯t know how you got here.¡± Ming Jing spoke in a gentle tone but used words that could infuriate others, like hidden needles in silk, ready to kill.


    Liu Muxue gasped for breath, staring at Ming Jing, ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Suddenly, she began coughing violently.


    Ming Jing squinted her eyes slightly.


    She gasped for so long that she couldn¡¯t catch her breath and fell unconscious.


    The others who were watching the excitement were startled. While they were still in shock, Ming Jing swiftly rushed over and caught Liu Muxue, who was about to fall.


    Ming Jing carried her to the bed. Liu Muxue gasped for breath like a drowning person.


    Ming Jing nced over at the bed¡¯s head and noticed an unmarked spray in a cloth bag.


    ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    Liu Muxue reflexively grabbed the spray and sprayed it while inhaling wildly. Her veins bulged on her already-thin hands.<div>


    After a while, Liu Muxue¡¯s breathing gradually calmed down and returned to normal.


    The others watched in horror. Wang Xin asked softly, ¡°Does she¡­ does she have asthma?¡±

 Chapter 352: 161 Arrogance (One more update)_2

    Chapter 352: 161 Arrogance (One more update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Who would¡¯ve thought that Liu Muxue suddenly jumped out of bed, pointed at Wang Xin and scolded: ¡°You¡¯re the one with asthma, are you looking for death?¡±


    Wang Xin pursed her lips in grievance.<div>


    ¡°Do you want another episode?¡± Ming Jing nced at Liu Muxue and said in a deep voice.


    Liu Muxue irritably said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it all because you got me angry? You have topensate me for mental damages.¡±


    Ming Jing stared directly at her with her dark eyes. Liu Muxue shrank her neck out of guilt.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s all rted to you. I will find a life coach tomorrow and sue you. If you affect my graduation exam, I won¡¯t let you go.¡±


    Ming Jing grasped her wrist, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.


    The next moment, Liu Muxue was about to jump and shriek, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Ming Jing said in a deep voice.


    Ming Jing¡¯s demeanor was very gentle, but when she had no expression, she gave off a silent pressure. Liu Muxue, who was just practicing her ws, immediately calmed down, but she was too stubborn and bit her lip. Her face turned red, and her chest heaved rapidly.


    Ming Jing¡¯s fingertipsnded on Liu Muxue¡¯s pulse, and she didn¡¯t say anything, her eyebrows deeply furrowed.


    For a moment, the entire dorm was silent. Everyone watched Ming Jing, not knowing what she was doing.


    When she examined the short pulse, pale face, purplish lips, bruises under the eyes, and cold hands and feet, she concluded that this was congenital asthma. Asthma could not be curedpletely and could only be controlled by medication. Her family must have taken good care of her for her to have survived until now, but she was uncooperative, shouting and screaming in just a short while. How could she not have an attack with her emotional imbnce?<div>


    ¡°What medicine do you usually take?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Liu Muxue rolled her eyes.


    ¡°If you want your family to collect your dead body immediately, please continue.¡±


    Ming Jing let go of Liu Muxue¡¯s wrist, and stood up to leave.


    Liu Muxue hurriedly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have pills here, but they are too bitter, and I don¡¯t like to take them.¡±


    Liu Muxue took a box out of her bag. Ming Jing picked up one and tasted it. ¡°Asparagus, anemarrhena, dwarf lilyturf, tycodon, orange peel¡­ Clearing the lungs and eliminating phlegm, treating lung issues. You made it into pills for convenience when you left home for school, which is theoretically correct. But your main problem is weak kidney and spleen, and excessive dampness. This medicine only treats the surface, not the root cause. You should also add a pinch of Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang to nourish the kidneys, absorb qi, calm asthma. It works very well.¡±


    Ming Jing said it casually, which surprised Liu Muxue with wide eyes. ¡°You understand traditional Chinese medicine?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s words were almost the same as the ones from the old Chinese doctor whom Liu Muxue¡¯s mother had consulted. She stared at Ming Jing half trustingly and half doubtfully.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die sooner, just honestly take your medicine.¡± Ming Jing picked up an empty cup on the table. Xie Zhen came over promptly and took it. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some hot water.¡±


    Liu Muxue pouted resentfully, ¡°It¡¯s too bitter, I won¡¯t eat it.¡±


    ¡°Very well, if you continue like this, your time is up within a year. It would be great if there was one less troublemaker in the world.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing turned and walked over to the bed, picking up her clothes one by one. Wang Xin hurried over to help her tidy up.


    Liu Muxue clenched her teeth as she stared at Ming Jing¡¯s back, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the old saying? My troubles linger for a thousand years. I¡¯m not going to die that easily.¡±


    Xie Zhen mixed hot and cold water, handed it to Liu Muxue with the perfect temperature. Liu Muxue¡¯s face looked as if she had amputated her own arm when she stuffed the pills into her mouth. She almost vomited, drank water urgently, and when she finished said to Xie Zhen, ¡°Quick, get more water.¡±


    Xie Zhen picked up the cup and immediately went to pour more water.


    Liu Muxue drank three cups of water, and her face finally looked less awful.


    But the nauseating taste of medicine still lingered at the back of her throat. Every time she tasted it, Liu Muxue¡¯s face soured further. She took a can of sugar from her bag, had a piece and finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Ming Jing put the neatly arranged clothes at the end of Liu Muxue¡¯s bed. Liu Muxue called out to her, ¡°Hey.¡±


    Ming Jing looked back at her, ¡°I don¡¯t answer to Hey, my name is Ming Jing.¡±


    Liu Muxue pursed her lips, ¡°Thanks for just now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Ming Jing took her toiletries and went to the bathroom.


    As soon as Ming Jing left, Liu Muxue red at Xie Zhen and the others with malicious eyes. ¡°What did you all see just now?¡±<div>


    Xie Zhen quickly said, ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything. You should go to bed early.¡±

 Chapter 353: 161 Arrogant (First Update)_3

    Chapter 353: 161 Arrogant (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After saying that, she went off with Wang Xin and Xu Wei.


    With a frustrated puff, Liu Muxue kept flipping through the same book page over and over, constantly looking towards the direction of the restroom.<div>


    ¡°You,¡± Liu Muxue pointed at Xie Zhen, e here.¡±


    As if facing a formidable enemy, Xie Zhen headed over. On the day of registration, Xie Zhen saw Liu Muxue get off from a Rolls-Royce, two bodyguards carrying her luggage. In just twenty days of training, she brought four big boxes of cosmetics, clothes, and snacks. If it wasn¡¯t against school rules, Xie Zhen figured that Liu Muxue would have brought two maids along.


    Therefore, Xie Zhen knew perfectly well that Liu Muxue was someone she couldn¡¯t afford to offend.


    Xie Zhen nervously walked towards her.


    Liu Muxue asked: ¡°You are a local from Jiangzhou, what can you tell me about this Ming Jing?¡±


    Xie Zhen felt like an ant on a hot pan, sandwiched between a rock and a hard ce. She hesitated, prompting Liu Muxue to rebuke: ¡°Are you deaf?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get angry. Please.¡± Xie Zhen was afraid of Liu Muxue fainting from anger, a responsibility she couldn¡¯t bear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you. Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang are from Shengde High School¡­ actually, she is the young miss of Jiangzhou¡¯s Zhu Group¡­¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t know what Liu Muxue¡¯s family did, her wealth seemedparable.


    These rich kids fighting would only spell trouble for them.


    ¡°Zhu Group?¡± Liu Muxue thought for a moment, then dismissed it: ¡°Never heard of it.¡±<div>


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen her before at the City Championship?¡± Most math Olympiad participants started training from a young age, so they are familiar with each other. Yet, this was the first time Liu Muxue had heard of Ming Jing.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know that. The story is too long¡­¡± Xie Zhen saw Ming Jinging out of the restroom out of the corner of her eye and abruptly shut her mouth, ¡°You should go to sleep early.¡±


    Saying this, she turned and left.


    Ming Jing changed into her pajamas, fixed her bed and sat cross-legged to meditate.


    Everyone stared at her strangely. Xie Zhen had heard rumors that Ming Jing didn¡¯t know how tough.


    Liu Muxue couldn¡¯t hold back herughter: ¡°Hey¡­Ming Jing, have you been overindulging in fantasy novels? Trying to ascend to immortality?¡±


    Ming Jing ignored her, maintaining a calm expression as she practiced her breathing.


    Liu Muxue, having had her fun spoiled, huffed and turned over to sleep.


    Everyone, having studied all day, fell asleep early.


    Ming Jing opened her eyes. The dormitory lights were off and the sounds of breathing filled the space. One particr snoring sound stood out.


    Ming Jing looked across, seeing Liu Muxue¡¯s peculiar sleeping position. Her quilt had fallen to the ground, and with the air conditioner on all night, she could catch a cold. Especially Liu Muxue, who was congenitally deficient.<div>


    Ming Jing got off her bed, picked up the quilt, and covered her. The moonlight illuminated the young girl¡¯s face, exceptionally delicate and lovely, like a blooming flower.


    Dreaming of something, the young girl frowned, her hands frantically wing in the air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Ming Jing held her panicky hands still, and lightly recited: ¡°Om Mani Padme Hum¡­¡±


    The chant, echoing into the silent night, sounded like the divine water from Guanyin¡¯s vase, capable of cleansing all the filth and illness in the world and returning peace to one¡¯s spirit.


    Gradually, Liu Muxue¡¯s scrunched eyebrows rxed, her hands fell limp, and she descended into a deep sleep.


    Liu Muxue slowly opened her eyes, squinted from the beam of sunlight that pierced through the curtain gap, instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.


    After a while, she sat up. The dormitory was empty, with the bed across neat and tidy, the quilt folded without a single wrinkle.At this time, everyone had gone for the morning exercise.


    Due to her health condition, Liu Muxue was excused from the daily morning run.


    Liu Muxue lifted her hand to rub her head, sleep never came easy for her, often disrupted by nightmares.


    However, unexpectedly, as she had the nightmare of falling into a deep abyss against night, a distant chant echoed from the abyss, soothing her agitation and fear with its rhythm.<div>


    She saw a figure emerge from the abyss, glowing so goldenly bright that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes, reced the coldness with a sensation of being wrapped in hot spring water¡ªwarm, gentle, andfortable.


    Liu Muxue looked down at her tender palm, seemingly still feeling the covetable touch of the fingers brushing the spring water.


    Liu Muxue sat on the bed, bewildered, until her rm clock went off. She scrambled to silence it and headed to the bathroom for her morning routine.


    While brushing her teeth, a ray of sunlight shed by, again igniting that voice in her mind.


    Liu Muxue shook her head, finding the voice from her dream oddly familiar, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn¡¯t recollect where she heard it before.


    Walking into the cafeteria, Liu Muxue immediately spotted Ming Jing, who was sitting harmoniously with Song Yinzhang.


    She quickly picked up her breakfast and sauntered over to Ming Jing, mming her te onto the table with a conspicuous ¡°bang¡±.


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on her, while Song Yinzhang frowned reflexively at her action.


    Nevertheless, Ming Jing continued to eat peacefully without granting her even a single nce.


    Song Yinzhang alternated looks between Liu Muxue and Ming Jing, his gaze filled with worry.


    Though everyone was usually absorbed in their studies and did notmunicate much, he knew that Liu Muxue was not an amicable person.


    ¡°What are you trying to y here?¡± Song Yinzhang asked gravely.


    ¡°The cafeteria is big enough; is there a rule stating I cannot sit here?¡± With a casual smirk, Liu Muxue took a seat beside Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing finished her meal and stood up to leave. Song Yinzhang followed, inquiring, ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡±


    Ming Jing responded with a faint smile, ¡°Just a spoiled little girl, no need to worry.¡±


    Song nodded, ¡°Liu Muxue is the youngest ever Gold Medal winner at the China Cup Tournament. No one has broken her record yet. She¡¯s regarded as a prodigy. I¡¯ve known her since The Math Cup. She hasn¡¯t participated in anypetition ever since. Seeing her here at the training camp was a surprise. Her performances are always steady, she should be able to get into the CMO.¡±


    For students who have always been on the path of mathematics, getting into CMO was just the beginning.


    The top students from CMO would be selected for the national team, representing the country topete in IMO. Those students would be guaranteed eptance into the top universities within the country.


    After a decade of hard study, that was all they sought.


    But there were only six spots in CMO in the entire province. At the moment, everyone was apetitor.


    Liu Muxue had always been petty and vindictive, Song Yinzhang feared she might give Ming Jing a hard time.


    ¡°She might be extraordinarily talented, but I¡¯m not far behind either.¡± With that, Ming Jing sauntered off.


    Song Yinzhang stood there shocked, then broke intoughter.


    He just realized that he was worrying over nothing. Ming Jing had always been the soft but tenacious type. Her confidence ran deep and was visible in every gesture.


    What she said just now, however, was uncharacteristic of her.


    Yet, this kind of girlish pride made her seem more real.


    He turned to look at Liu Muxue again, who was mumbling something, furrowing her delicate brows intensely. She seemed on the verge of blowing up at any moment, and no girl dared sit with her.


    It was impressive how Liu Muxue managed to ignite Ming Jing¡¯spetitive spirit.

 Chapter 354: 162 The Lius (Second Watch)

    Chapter 354: 162 The Lius (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After that, for the next four days, Liu Muxue stuck to Ming Jing like a dog-skin ster.


    Ming Jing pretended to ignore her.<div>


    ¡°Here, for you.¡±


    A beautifully designed notebook with embedded rhinestones was handed to Ming Jing, who looked up.


    Liu Muxue said reluctantly, ¡°This is my notebook, my painstaking effort. Consider it repayment for you saving me that night, even though it was your fault that I got sick. But let me tell you, even if you read it, it won¡¯t help you. You definitely won¡¯t be able to get into CMO. Don¡¯t waste your time.¡±


    Ming Jing epted the notebook, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you really want it? Have you no pride?¡±


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I want a prodigy¡¯s notebook? I should learn a lot from it and be more efficient. Besides, I saved you, so being grateful is normal. There¡¯s no need toe up with a far-fetched excuse.¡±


    Ming Jing stopped paying attention to Liu Muxue and started reading the notebook.


    As expected from a genius, Liu Muxue¡¯s thinking was much more imaginative than Song Yinzhang¡¯s methodical approach. In the world of mathematics, it¡¯s these unexpected and brilliant ideas that create miracles. This is what makes a genius truly valuable.


    Newton¡¯s falling appleid the foundation for physics, but an ordinary person would only feel a headache if an apple fell on their head.


    As they say, everyone is unique, and each person¡¯s thoughts are different. There¡¯s no limit to one¡¯s thinking, and knowledge will never end.


    Humans will never stop exploring this path.<div>


    ¡°Who has no pride?¡± Liu Muxue snorted and turned to leave.


    Song Yinzhang shook his head and chuckled, ¡°Liu Muxue is really interesting.¡±


    The four days of the training camp passed quickly, and after the exams, everyone went their separate ways.


    Those who are destined will meet again at the CMO, while those who aren¡¯t will end their journey here.


    Ming Jing returned to the dormitory to pack her things, which fit easily into a small carry-on bag.


    At this time, Liu Muxue came in, followed by two middle-aged women.


    ¡°Miss, this dormitory is so shabby. How did you survive these twenty days? My dear Miss, you have really suffered.¡±


    ¡°Yes, miss, if the madam knew, she would be heartbroken.¡±


    As the two womenined, they quickly began to pack Liu Muxue¡¯s things.


    Xie Zhen, Wang Xin, and others stared incredulously. Was this what a rich family¡¯s youngdy looked like?


    They looked at Ming Jing, who only had a small carry-on bag that probably weighed less than a pound¡­<div>


    Both were from wealthy families, yet the gap between them was enormous.


    Liu Muxue said irritably, ¡°You all talk too much.¡±


    Ming Jing left without saying a word, and Liu Muxue rushed in front of her to block her way: looking up at Ming Jing.


    ¡°Let me ask you, how did you do on the exam?¡±


    ¡°Not bad, I guess.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, ¡°What do you mean ¡®not bad¡¯? If you don¡¯t get into CMO, wouldn¡¯t that prove my notebook wasn¡¯t helpful? Are you trying to tarnish my reputation?¡±


    What a peculiar logic. Is this how genius brains work?


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll meet at CMO.¡±


    She walked past Liu Muxue, not looking back.


    Liu Muxue chased after her, but there was no trace of Ming Jing. Liu Muxue stomped her foot in frustration.


    As everyone gradually left, Liu Muxue returned to the dormitory. One nanny grabbed an exquisite notebook from the table and asked, ¡°Miss, do you still need this notebook?¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue suddenly snatched it, ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    It was the notebook she had given to Ming Jing, who had left it on her desk when she left.


    ¡°Ungrateful fellow,¡± Liu Muxue muttered as she opened the notebook. Suddenly, she saw a note had fallen out.


    As she picked up the note, Liu Muxue saw that it contained a prescription with clear instructions for dosage and administration. The handwriting was strong and vigorous, exuding confidence.


    Seeing such writing was like seeing the writer in person someone with profound knowledge and insight.


    Four big words followed: Take your medicine on time!


    Even though she couldn¡¯t see the person behind the words, the sense of power in these four words felt overwhelming.


    Liu Muxue couldn¡¯t help butugh as she looked at the note. One of the nannies noticed and asked, ¡°Miss, have you encountered something amusing? It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen youugh so heartily.¡±


    Liu Muxue immediately put on a straight face again, ¡°Did Iugh? Which eye of yours saw meughing?¡±


    At the school gate, a luxurious Rolls-Royce awaited. Liu Muxue came out wearing a sunhat and sunsses, followed by two nannies carrying suitcases.A well-dressed old man got out of the Rolls-Royce and respectfully shouted, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    Liu Muxuezily called out, ¡°Uncle Liu,¡± and then lowered her head to get into the car.


    As the car drove onto the main road, Liu Muxue took off her sunsses. Uncle Liu asked, ¡°Miss, how have you been feelingtely? Is the pressure from school too much? Madam worries about you every day and can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Liu Muxue looked somewhat impatient, then asked, ¡°Are there any Zhus in Jiangzhou?¡±


    Xie Zhen had mentioned the Zhu Group that day.


    Uncle Liu was stunned, wondering why the youngdy suddenly asked about this.


    ¡°Yes, the Jiangzhou Zhus are considered wealthy in this area, but they made their fortune not long ago and still can¡¯t change their nouveau riche habits. They can¡¯t enter the higher social sses and are even more iparable to our Jiangnan Lius,¡± Uncle Liu said disdainfully.


    The Jiangnan Lius were a schrly family with a long and prosperous history.


    The Liu family lived in Liuxian Town, 200 kilometers south of Jiangzhou, far away from the hustle and bustle of the mundane world, living a life of non-contention.


    They prided themselves as a great aristocratic family, looking down on the so-called wealthy families of modern cities, calling them full of vulgar money stench.


    The Liu family was highly respected in the local area, with offspring spread across various fields, thriving and continuing their lineage. The current head of the Liu family was Liu Muxue¡¯s father, Liu Zhangshen. Zhangshen had only one daughter, who was his beloved treasure.


    ¡°Why did the youngdy ask about the Zhu family?¡± Uncle Liu asked.


    Liu Muxue shook her head, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Miss, the family has been a bit uneasy these days. Madam asked you toe back to your Jiangzhou aunt¡¯s house for a few days first, and then go back to the family once everything is settled.¡±


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Uncle Liu hesitated for a moment, ¡°Your health is not good, Madam doesn¡¯t want these mundane matters to disturb you.¡±


    ¡°Not telling me is what disturbs me, just tell me.¡±


    Uncle Liu sighed, ¡°Master wants to acknowledge the child from the second branch of the family and register him under Madam¡¯s name. He would officially be your eldest brother. Madam doesn¡¯t agree and is quarreling with Master about it. But the master has no choice; there are three unfilial acts, and having no offspring is the biggest. The n elders are using this to pressure him. If he doesn¡¯t do it, the master has to hand over the position of the head.¡±


    Liu Muxue sneered, ¡°They treat me like I¡¯m nothing.¡±


    Uncle Liu¡¯s face turned a little awkward. There was nothing he could do; this was a tradition spanning thousands of years. Girls couldn¡¯t inherit family business, especially because the young miss had a frail body. Even if she is smart and clever, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pass the elder¡¯s scrutiny.


    ¡°The child from the second branch? Wasn¡¯t he expelled by Grandfather back then? Did they find him?¡±


    ¡°They found him, but it¡¯s a pity¡­¡±


    Liu Muxue waved her hand dismissively, ¡°A child born of a concubine doesn¡¯t deserve to be my brother.¡±


    ¡°So, Miss, should we go straight to the Li¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°No, go home. I want to see what kind of ability this child of a concubine has to dare call himself my brother.¡±


    ¡°By the way, make my medicine ording to this prescription from now on.¡± Liu Muxue handed the rewritten prescription to Uncle Liu.


    Uncle Liu took a nce and asked in astonishment, ¡°Miss, who gave this to you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just do as it says.¡± Liu Muxue frowned.


    Uncle Liu thought to himself, he should first find Doctor Hua to check it before making any move, lest the youngdy be deceived.


    Xiao Wen was dozing off when she suddenly saw a girl in a white dress walking in. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming.


    ¡°Ms¡­ Ms. Zhu?¡± Lin Ling was the first to react, standing up and stuttering.


    In an instant, everyone in the office stood up and respectfully bowed to Zhu.


    This was their first time seeing Ming Jing in person.


    She was even more gentle and beautiful than on television, with an otherworldly temperament that seemed to bring a misty special effect with her.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I came to find¡­¡±


    She paused, ¡°Zheng Qing.¡±


    ¡°Zheng Qing is in the office. Youe with me.¡± Xiao Wen excitedly led Ming Jing toward the office.


    As soon as Ming Jing left, the whole office exploded in chatter.


    Zheng Qing saw Ming Jing and immediately stood up from his chair, surprised, ¡°How did you show up here?¡±


    Xiao Wen sneaked a nce at the man, without the usual cold indifference. At this moment, Qing Zheng looked somewhat cute and at a loss.


    Xiao Wen left with a feeling of loss as she closed the office door behind her.


    Ming Jing stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the Zhu Group building not far away.


    ¡°Nice view.¡±

 Chapter 355: 163 Enemies (Part One)

    Chapter 355: 163 Enemies (Part One)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Are you done with your exam?¡± Zheng Qing poured a cup of tea for Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing held it in her hand, ¡°It just ended.¡±<div>


    ¡°You came to thepany right after finishing the exam. You must be tired, Miss.¡± Zheng Qing smirked.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ye Zhen?¡± Ming Jing looked around.


    Zheng Qing looked inexplicable. She nced at Ming Jing and lowered her voice, ¡°Ming Jing, tell me the truth, who is Ye Zhen? I think she looks familiar, but isn¡¯t she Ming Xin? Didn¡¯t you say she has been staying in a sanatorium due to illness? She¡¯s nothing like the Ming Xin I imagined.¡±


    Ming Jing took a sip of tea and replied lightly, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°If I knew, would I ask you? She knows too much about Liang Xiaohong, even the mole on her butt. This is too frightening! Did you hire a private detective to investigate her? But we never had any conflicts with Liang Xiaohong before, right?¡±


    This is just too bizarre.


    Ming Jing curled her lips, looking at the bustling scene outside the window. The setting sun dyed half of the sky red.


    ¡°Everything in the world has its own cause and effect. Buddha sent her to me to save both her and myself.¡±


    Ming Jing always talked like this, leaving Zheng Qing confused. She wished she could shake Ming Jing to make her speak like a normal person!


    ¡°Never mind who she is, as long as she can bring down Liang Xiaohong. She¡¯s been too domineering in the entertainment circle for too long, ruining the atmosphere. This time, I want to act as an agent of justice and take down this demon.¡±


    Zheng Qing had been nursing a grudge since being driven out of the entertainment circle like a street rat. Now she had the perfect opportunity to stir up a storm in the entertainment industry.<div>


    Those who onceughed at her, get ready to pay.


    Liang Xiaohong will be the first to go.


    ¡°Ye Zhen went to Yunzhou. She has a clue that could reveal the truth behind Liang Yanran¡¯s death. I sent two people to follow her. How much do you trust her? Can she be of use to us?¡±


    ¡°A tired bird wille back home on its own.¡±


    Zheng Qing understood and suddenly remembered something, ¡°Almost forgot, that fake rich girl called Xiang Xiang is actually a new artist signed by Liang Xiaohong. What a small world!¡±


    Zheng Qing nced at Ming Jing, who remained expressionless, and knew that she had never cared about this fake rich girl.


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her yet. I still have use for her.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised her eyebrows, ¡°OK.¡±


    At this moment, someone knocked on the office door from outside. Zheng Qing coughed and sat up straight in her chair.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Xiao Wen opened the door and came in, saying, ¡°Brother Qing, the new artists you¡¯ve arranged to meet are here.¡±<div>


    Zheng Qing snapped her fingers, ¡°Let them wait for me in the meeting room.¡±


    Xiao Wen answered and left.


    Zheng Qing took a mirror from the drawer and looked at her disguised face, saying regretfully, ¡°I had to make my face look rough to avoid attention. I guess I can only attract my little brothers with my temperament and personality.¡±


    Zheng Qing sprayed some perfume, fixed her hairstyle, and put on a shy coat. Although her face was not striking, her temperament was indeed invigorating.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and have a look at the new artists. The future of the entertainment industry belongs to them.¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°Miss, do you know how many ads and scripts I¡¯ve rejected for you these days? We¡¯ve been losing money since you stopped selling products, doing ads, or making movies. Who¡¯s going to fill this hole in thepany¡¯s finances?¡±


    Ming Jing, who felt a headache from the nagging, put down the tea cup and brushed her skirt, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zheng Qing immediately beamed and personally helped Ming Jing get up, ¡°The princess is now ready.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at her perfect impersonation of a submissive eunuch and couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°The most mediocre Golden Deer Movie Queen of the country? Don¡¯t those who mock you feel ashamed?¡±


    As expected of an actress, she captured the essence of the character perfectly.<div>


    Ming Jing remembered that Qingqing used to enjoy imitating people in the past, especially¡­ Ming Jing¡¯s face suddenly turned cold, and her gaze deepened.


    ¡°That¡¯s because those people are blind. If I¡¯m the worst movie queen, then there would be no movie queens in the entertainment industry. They¡¯re just sour grapes.


    Zheng Qing didn¡¯t notice Ming Jing¡¯s expression and retracted her hand before opening the door, after all, she was disguised as a man and had to avoid causing gossip.


    The meeting room had a one-way mirror, allowing people outside to see inside, but those inside couldn¡¯t see outside.

 Chapter 356: 163 Enemies (Part Two)

    Chapter 356: 163 Enemies (Part Two)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zheng Qing and Ming Jing walked to the ss window and saw four handsome men sitting or standing inside, each with an extraordinary appearance and unique temperament.


    Zheng Qing smiled and said, ¡°What do you think? They are all handsome guys I¡¯ve gathered from all over the country. The oldest is 20 and the youngest is 18. Every one of them is fresh and juicy¡­ making people drool and eager to take good care of them.¡±<div>


    Zheng Qing¡¯s smile was really lewd. Ming Jing had nothing to say but, ¡°You¡¯re hogging all the handsome men!¡±


    ¡°The boy in the white shirt is so cute, like a little white rabbit, with innocent and pitiful watery eyes. I can¡¯t stand it any longer.¡± Zheng Qing pushed the door open and went in.


    As soon as they heard the sound at the door, the four of them looked up together.


    The man who entered was about 5¡¯7¡å tall, slender, wearing a mboyant green suit, with his hair slicked back and shining with hair gel. His face was in but his eyes were extremely beautiful, like a fox¡¯s. When he looked at people, there was a hint of charm in his eyes.


    At this moment, their re was shining brightly, and the four men¡¯s hearts shuddered together, with an ominous premonition. They wondered if it was toote to escape now.


    As the man approached, a light and refreshing scent drifted over, stirring the heartstrings and lingering in their minds for a long time.


    ¡°Hello everyone, I am your boss and your future agent. You can call me Brother Qing. Now, let¡¯s start with some self-introductions, starting with you.¡± Zheng Qing looked at the handsome guy in the white shirt closest to him.


    The handsome guy shyly bowed his head under the straightforward gaze, ¡°I¡¯m Su Xiu, 18 years old, from Xuzhou. I got admitted to Jiangzhou University this year¡­ I don¡¯t know any talents or skills, I just came to audition with my ssmates. I didn¡¯t expect that my ssmate would be eliminated while I was chosen by the auditioner.¡±


    Su Xiu¡¯s voice grew smaller and smaller until it was inaudible at the end.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The standard procedure for bing a superstar is apanying friends to auditions, having your friends eliminated, and getting chosen yourself. Su Xiu, you have the potential to be a superstar. Although you don¡¯t know anything, you have a handsome face, and that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Su Xiu looked up and met a pair of warm and encouraging eyes.<div>


    Su Xiu¡¯s nervous heart miraculously calmed down, nodding desperately, ¡°I¡­ I will put effort into learning.¡±


    The boss is too nice. His ssmates told him he was being scammed and not toe. He had to go back and tell them that not only was he not scammed, but the boss was also a nice person.


    Wow, what a cute little brother, with clear and innocent eyes that would make anyone feel sorry for reprimanding him. Zheng Qing thought that the employee who auditioned Su Xiu should get double his monthly bonus.


    ¡°My name is Xu Yan, 20 years old. I¡¯ve been working since graduating from high school, working as a waiter, washing cars. I have no talents or hobbies, only a face.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, looking at the second face, ¡°Wow, a very arrogant kid.¡±


    Xu Yan was 6¡¯1¡å tall, with a muscr body and very short hair, which made him look spirited and neat. He had wheat-colored skin, deep and strong facial features, and a very vorful handsomeness.


    ¡°You¡¯re like the beginning of an inspirational movie. Brother sees a bright future for you.¡±


    Xu Yan pursed his lips and lowered his gaze.


    ¡°Hello, brother. My name is Li Chi, 19 years old. I can dance street dance, Latin dance, and jazz. I have won the national street dance championship. My street dance team has also won numerous group prizes.¡±


    This was a smart and handsome guy who smiled first when he saw people. He wore an earring and cool clothes.


    ¡°A sunshine cool street dance boy, not bad.¡± Zheng Qing nodded.<div>


    Li Chi smiled, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.


    ¡°Dong Jiahe, 20 years old, bar singer.¡± Concise and direct, his voice as cold as ice.


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow and looked at thest handsome guy, his eyes lighting up.


    Deep facial features, cold eyebrows, a green stubble around his mouth, a sense of vicissitudes in his young eyes, very distinctive macho.


    ¡°Rich experience, very good.¡±


    Zheng Qing looked at the different types of handsome men in front of him, feeling very proud.


    ¡°Alright, everyone is doing great. Brother is very satisfied.¡±


    With a snap of his fingers, Xiao Wen brought in four documents and handed them out one by one.


    The handsome guys opened the contracts and began to read them carefully.


    ¡°This is the contract. I presume that before you came, you have also inquired about the revenue-sharing ratios at other agencies. Although mypany is newly established and doesn¡¯t have much experience, we are supported by the Zhu Group. So be assured that we have the strength to provide you with the necessary backing.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 357: 163 Enemies (Part One)_3

    Chapter 357: 163 Enemies (Part One)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The mention of Zhu Group astonished the four of them simultaneously.


    The recently-famous Ming Jing online was rumored to be the youngest president of the Zhu Group. So, could it be that she was actually the secret boss of thispany?<div>


    Who wouldn¡¯t be moved by the thought of the beautiful, intelligent youngdy?


    Li Chi smiled as he asked, ¡°Brother Qing, will Miss Zhu still enter the entertainment industry in the future?¡±


    The show had be a huge sess, and the other guests were interacting on Weibo, doing live broadcasts to collect money. Even Qu Feitai had a managementpany to help him gain attention. Ming Jing alone was doing nothing, remaining very mysterious as her enthusiastic fans and viewers had no outlet for their passion.


    After Li Chi asked, the other three people looked with anticipation at Zheng Qing.


    Zheng Qing coughed. ¡°What are you guys thinking? Our youngdy is busy all day long, managing schools andpanies. There¡¯s no time for her to get involved in the entertainment industry.¡±


    Li Chi dropped his head in disappointment. True, she was a youngdy and had probably just joined the show for fun. There was no way she could really make an appearance in the entertainment industry.


    Disappointment lingered in the eyes of the other three people too, but they perked up when they thought about their big boss being Ming Jing.


    Zheng Qing scoffed. Ming Jing had taken all their attention even though she wasn¡¯t here. She wondered if there was any room left for her.


    ¡°Did you read the contract carefully? Or do you want to take it back and consult with awyer?¡± Zheng Qing asked coldly.


    The others were puzzled by Brother Qing¡¯s sudden change of expression.


    ¡°This contract is very friendly towards neers. Miss Zhu is really so kind, so what do we have to question?¡± With that, Li Chi picked up a pen and signed his name.<div>


    Xu Yan and Su Xiu also signed without further ado.


    Zheng Qing looked at Dong Jiahe. The only handsome guy who hadn¡¯t been mesmerized by Ming Jing. To her surprise, Dong Jiahe also picked up a pen and very casually signed his name next.


    Zheng Qing resentfully nced out the window. She had underestimated someone¡¯s charm. If she hadn¡¯t mentioned the Zhu Group earlier, these young men wouldn¡¯t have signed so decisively.


    ¡°All of you should write an analysis of yourself, including your talents, personalities, and future development direction. I¡¯m an insightful leader. I won¡¯t force you. I will n your future acting careers based on your talents and passion. Send me your emails once you have finished writing. Also, those who don¡¯t have amodation can contact my assistant, who will arrange housing for you. That¡¯s it for now. Contact me on WeChat if you need anything.¡±


    After adding each other on WeChat, Zheng Qing sent them away.


    After exiting the building, Li Chi stroked his chin: ¡°Did any of you think Brother Qing was kind of weird?¡±


    Seeing their expressions, something wasn¡¯t right. Very not normal.


    Su Xiu blinked: ¡°Not really, Brother Qing is such a good person, so kind and gentle¡­¡±


    Xu Yan gave him a nce: ¡°Is that how you use the word ¡®kind¡¯? Did yournguage and sports teacher teach you that?¡±


    Su Xiu argued unyieldingly: ¡°I was admitted to Jiangzhou University. You didn¡¯t even go to college. So why are you lecturing me?¡±


    ¡°Enough, you two stop arguing,¡± Li Chi said, feeling a headacheing.<div>


    ¡°We¡¯re all colleagues now, and we will have to see each other often,¡± Li Chi stepped in to mediate.


    Dong Jiahe left without saying a word, showing no interest in the boring topic.


    ¡°Dong is so cool. No wonder Brother Qing treats him differently,¡± Li Chi said and nced at Xu Yan and Su Xiu.


    Both of them looked confused, not reacting at all, so Li Chi couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s your advice, all four handsome guys?¡± Zheng Qing asked with a smile.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy, after all, you¡¯ve taken the first step towards your lifelong ambition.¡±


    Sleeping with all the beautiful men in the world was the grand ambition that Zheng Qing had set forth years ago.


    ¡°How about I give you two?¡± Zheng Qing smiled slyly.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I am not worthy.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and she frowned unconsciously as she picked it up.


    Zheng Qing raised her eyebrows. She was curious about what could make Ming Jing show such an expression.<div>


    Ming Jing stood up. ¡°I have something to do. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    After taking two steps, Ming Jing hesitated, ¡°On Ye Zhen¡¯s side, give her your full support, and the result won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°Could there be more behind Liang Xiaohong¡¯s situation?¡± Zheng Qing¡¯s face darkened at the thought of some possibilities.


    By the time she looked up, Ming Jing had already left.


    Zheng Qing couldn¡¯t figure out how Ming Jing knew these secrets despite living on the mountains and never leaving home.


    A Yu, what other secrets are you hiding?


    ¡°Xingxing, you¡¯ve been sighing all morning. What¡¯s bothering you? Tell Mom, and let¡¯s solve it together,¡± Wu Jiaqi said as she made dumplings, looking at the young girl sitting on the balcony with her cheek resting on her palm. Her tone was gentle as water.


    ¡°Mom, do you think Ming Jing really sees me as a true friend?¡± Tao Xingxing asked.


    Wu Jiaqi paused her dumpling making and frowned. ¡°Miss Zhu? Why would you ask that, Xingxing?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is a big star now, but she didn¡¯t tell me. If we were good friends, how could she not tell me such a big thing? I send her messages, and she never responds. I think of her as a good friend, but it turns out I¡¯m not that important to her.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi put aside the half-packed dumplings, wiped her hands, walked to Tao Xingxing, and gently patted her head. She smiled and said, ¡°Xingxing, you might be misunderstanding. Everyone has secrets that they can¡¯t tell others. Don¡¯t you have any? It doesn¡¯t mean that good friends have to tell each other everything.¡±


    ¡°You can invite Miss Zhu to our house for your birthday next week. You can talk openly with your friends and everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Miss Zhu needs to manage thepany and take exams. Where would she have time to brood like you?¡±


    Tao Xingxing suddenly pped her forehead. ¡°Yes! Ming Jing has been in the training camp for twenty days and only just finished today. How could I be so silly?¡±


    Just then, the doorbell rang.


    Tao Xingxing jumped up to open the door, and Wu Jiaqi looked at her back and shook her head with a smile.


    When Tao Xingxing opened the door and saw the person standing outside, she eximed excitedly and threw herself at them, hugging them tightly.

 Chapter 358: 164 Old Friend (The Second Watch)

    Chapter 358: 164 Old Friend (The Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ming Jing, I thought you¡¯d be a big star and wouldn¡¯t care about me anymore.¡± Tao Xingxing¡¯s tone was somewhat resentful, tightly hugging her without letting go.


    Ming Jing smelled so nice.<div>


    Wu Jiaqi walked over and saw Ming Jing, somewhat surprised, not expecting her to appear at her doorstep.


    Seeing Tao Xingxing not letting go of Ming Jing, she said bemusedly: ¡°Xingxing, you silly girl, let Ms. Zhue in first, why block the door?¡±


    ¡°No way, I just finished my exam today, saw your message, and came to see you because I was worried.¡± Ming Jing said with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re too kind. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you.¡± Tao Xingxing released Ming Jing and ushered her into the house.


    Ming Jing was carrying a basket of fruit which she handed to Wu Jiaqi.


    ¡°Hello, Auntie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice of you toe, but why bring gifts? Next time, don¡¯t spend any more money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Go y with Xingxing in her room. I¡¯m making dumplings for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, let me help you.¡± Ming Jing went straight to the kitchen, washed her hands, and came out.


    Picking up the dumpling wrapper, she filled it and, with a pinch of her fingers, a tiny, beautiful dumpling was formed.<div>


    Set together, they looked exactly like the ones Wu Jiaqi made in terms of size and technique.


    Everyone¡¯s dumpling-making methods are different, some t, some round, some crescent-shaped, some ear-shaped, some ingot-shaped, but Wu Jiaqi¡¯s are small fan-shaped dumplings.


    And Ming Jing¡¯s dumplings were no different from hers.


    Wu Jiaqi eximed, ¡°Ms. Zhu, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, just call me Ming Jing.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi smiled, ¡°Alright, Ming Jing.¡±


    Tao Xingxing moved closer to Ming Jing and picked up a dumpling wrapper, trying to imitate Ming Jing¡¯s dumpling-making, but she couldn¡¯t do it well; either the filling was spilling or the wrapper was breaking. Her dumpling looked embarrassingly ugly.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at eating and having fun, but nothing else. Look at Ming Jing, she¡¯s smart, talented, and sensible. If you were half as good as her, I¡¯d be grateful.¡± Wu Jiaqi scolded with an indulgent tone.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one Ming Jing in the world. If everyone learned from her, how could we be ourselves? If you like Ming Jing, let her be your daughter instead.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking? I don¡¯t have that kind of fortune to have Ms. Ming Jing as my daughter.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing patiently taught Tao Xingxing how to wrap dumplings, speaking in a soft and gentle voice like a spring drizzle, very heartwarming.


    Wu Jiaqi nced at Ming Jing, thinking that this Ms. Zhu was even more outstanding than the rumors said. Her parents were very fortunate.


    With Ming Jing¡¯s help, Tao Xingxing finally made a decent-looking dumpling. She proudly bragged, ¡°Mom, look, I did it!¡±


    Wu Jiaqiughed and shook her head.


    Ming Jing quickly made another one, casually asking, ¡°People from the Southern Region don¡¯t eat dumplings, Auntie, are you originally from the North?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi paused, saying, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from the North. I came to Jiangzhou for university, and have been here ever since. Even after all these years, I haven¡¯t changed my taste. What about you, Ming Jing? Are you a native of Jiangzhou? Your dumpling-making skills are quite proficient.¡±


    ¡°I once had a friend who loved eating dumplings. So, I specifically learned how to make them from a chef. He liked the small fan-shaped ones because, he said, they look like a beauty¡¯s lips.¡±


    The rolling pin in Wu Jiaqi¡¯s hand suddenly stopped.


    Ming Jing looked up at Wu Jiaqi; her clear and beautiful eyes mirrored Wu Jiaqi¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No¡­nothing.¡± Wu Jiaqi rolled out the dough again, her eyes downcast. ¡°Is your friend also from Jiangzhou? There aren¡¯t many locals here who like dumplings.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing softly said, ¡°He has passed away.¡±


    ¡°Plip.¡± The rolling pin fell to the ground. Wu Jiaqi squatted down hurriedly to pick it up.Ming Jing squinted her eyes and stared at Wu Jiaqi¡¯s frail figure squatting on the ground.


    Tao Xingxing didn¡¯t know what had happened. She was always blunt and didn¡¯t notice anything. She proudly showed off the little figurine she had made from dough.


    At that moment, there was a sound at the door. Tao Xingxing immediately flew over like a butterfly, excitedly shouting, ¡°Dad is back.¡±


    ¡°My little Xingxing.¡± Tao Qian smiled and touched Tao Xingxing¡¯s hair, looking incredibly gentle and loving.


    ¡°Dad, my good friend is here. Let me introduce her to you.¡± Tao Xingxing pulled Tao Qian to Ming Jing.


    ¡°Ming Jing, my good friend, this is my dad, a great cardiovascr surgeon.¡±


    Tao Xingxing looked at Ming Jing, then at Tao Qian, feeling proud to have such an outstanding friend and father.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu?¡± Tao Qian said in surprise.


    This Ms. Zhu had been quite famous recently. Her daughter at home talked about her every day, and the nurses at the hospital also mentioned her often. Even when he was making rounds, he could hear patients discussing her.


    After work, in the elevator, two nurses were still discussing whether Ming Jing and Qu Feitai were hiding something. Who would have thought he¡¯d meet her face to face the moment he returned home?


    ¡°Uncle Tao, just call me Ming Jing.¡±


    This girl was truly lovely like ice and jade; refined and elegant.


    Tao Qian smiled and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve heard Xingxing talk about you a lot. Today, I finally met you in person. Your reputation is well-deserved.¡±


    ¡°Uncle is too kind,¡± Ming Jing replied modestly.


    While the two were talking, Wu Jiaqi picked up the rolling pin and walked towards the kitchen. She stood in front of the faucet, the sound of the water constantly flowing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wrap the remaining dumplings. Xingxing, you take Ming Jing to your room to y. I¡¯ll call you when dinner is ready.¡±


    Tao Xingxing didn¡¯t hesitate to take Ming Jing to her room.


    ¡°Jiaqi? What¡¯s wrong?¡± A pair ofrge, gentle handsnded on her shoulder, apanied by a tender voice.


    Wu Jiaqi suddenly came to her senses. She saw a man with a warm and gentle face, at this moment, his eyes filled with concern as they looked at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about what present to give Xingxing for her birthday.¡± Wu Jiaqi dried the rolling pin with a towel and returned to the table to roll more dumpling wrappers.


    Tao Qian washed his hands and came out, wrapping dumplings as he spoke, ¡°Xingxing likes Molly dolls. The anniversary edition she wants is sold out in China, but I have a colleague going abroad on a business trip. I¡¯ve already asked him to buy one for me. When it arrives, we¡¯ll say it¡¯s your birthday present for Xingxing.¡±


    ¡°Spending thousands on a doll, you¡¯re really spoiling her. And if I take credit for your efforts, what about you?¡±


    ¡°I have another gift prepared for her, something else she likes.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi pursed her lips and looked down, ¡°You¡¯ve spoiled this child.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter, who else would I pamper? Girls should be raised with material wealth so they won¡¯t be easily led astray by boys when they grow up,¡± Tao Qian sighed.


    ¡°Children will grow up eventually, and the time we can spend with them is limited.¡±


    Tao Qian ced the wrapped dumplings aside,ughing, ¡°After all these years, you still love eating dumplings, especially shepherd¡¯s purse and pork ones. But Ms. Zhu should be vegetarian. There¡¯s some chives left in the fridge. Why don¡¯t you make some chive and egg dumplings instead?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi pped her forehead, ¡°I almost forgot if you hadn¡¯t reminded me.¡±


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s room was decorated in a dreamy princess style, extravagant and shy. The pink sheets, pink walls, pink curtains¡­


    The dazzling array of dresses in the wardrobe, limited edition Molly dolls lined up in a ss cab¡­ It was quite an achievement to collect so many editions. Tao Xingxing proudly introduced the origins of these dolls to Ming Jing, who learned they were mostly birthday gifts or rewards for her academic achievements from her parents.


    The other side of the wardrobe was filled with Qu Feitai¡¯s albums, figurines, and framed art photos.


    Looking at Tao Xingxing, Ming Jing thought that only a girl raised in such a loving environment could grow up to be so innocent and lively.


    Upon seeing Qu Feitai¡¯s photos, Tao Xingxing¡¯s face suddenly turned serious. She ced her hands on her hips in front of Ming Jing, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on between you and Qu Feitai?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head while smiling, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Liar! I¡¯ve watched the show back and forth with a magnifying ss more than a dozen times. You clearly knew Qu Feitai long before. And you¡¯re still trying to deceive me? Are we still good friends?¡± Tao Xingxing said, biting her lip angrily.


    Helplessly, Ming Jing said, ¡°Before recording the show, we did meet a few times, but there¡¯s nothing more to it. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    In the next moment, Tao Xingxing¡¯s face lit up with a smile, ¡°So, I was right! You two really did know each other before, and you were even pretending to be strangers on the show. It must have been hard to hold back, right? We¡¯re best girlfriends, and you also know Qu Feitai. Ah, Ming Jing, you¡¯re truly my good sister. I never thought I¡¯d have some connection to Qu Feitai one day.¡±

 Chapter 359: 165 Stars (After the First Watch)

    Chapter 359: 165 Stars (After the First Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    This was the highlight of Tao Xingxing¡¯s fangirl career, and she couldn¡¯t wait to shout it out to the whole world.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I want an autographed photo of Qu Feitai, a selfie with him, and a handshake. Can you help me get backstage?¡± Tao Xingxing coquettishly shook Ming Jing¡¯s arm.<div>


    Ming Jing looked at the radiant smile on the young girl¡¯s face and unconsciously raised the corner of her lips, nodding her head: ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Ming Jing! I love you.¡± Tao Xingxing jumped over and gave Ming Jing a big hug.


    After arranging her own perks, Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t help but gossip, hesitating a bit before asking, ¡°Ming Jing, do you like Qu Feitai?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°How can you not like him? Qu Feitai is so handsome and talented. I used to think there was no woman in this world who deserved him, but if it were you, you two would be a perfect match. There¡¯s no better man than him.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure after all the roads you¡¯ve walked and the sights you¡¯ve seen that he is the best man of this world, in your opinion?¡±


    Tao Xingxing said decisively, ¡°Because I like him. Of course, it¡¯s the kind of liking for an idol. He¡¯s the moon in the sky, and I¡¯m just an ordinary person on earth. The moon needs to be admired, and there¡¯s only one moon in the sky.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the bright joy in the young girl¡¯s eyes and understood, even though she had never experienced this feeling before.


    Young love is passionate, bright, and doesn¡¯t seek any reward in return. They were pure, fervent, and full of solo courage, just like stars chasing after the moon.


    ¡°By the way, Ming Jing, I¡¯m having a birthday party next week at home. My mom¡¯s helping me set up a small one. You muste.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±<div>


    Tao Xingxing rolled around in her bed with the covers: ¡°School starts in just two days, why does time pass so quickly? Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Once school starts, we¡¯ll be in different sses: you¡¯ll be in science ss while I¡¯ll be in literature ss. If it weren¡¯t for my terrible math and physics skills, I¡¯d choose science ss as well. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re still in the same school.¡±


    ¡°I envy the person who¡¯ll get to share a desk with you in the future.¡± Tao Xingxing punched her pillow fiercely and muttered, ¡°They better behave themselves, or else they¡¯ll face my ruthless fists.¡±


    Ming Jing noticed an elephant ivory pendant hanging on the bed head and asked, ¡°Xingxing, can I take a look at it?¡±


    Tao Xingxing took it down and handed it to Ming Jing, whispering, ¡°My mom says it¡¯s real, but I don¡¯t dare wear it outside. What if I get caught?¡±


    Ming Jing stroked the ivory; it was dense, tough, and had fine lines. It was a rare, precious ¡°blood tooth¡± with a cruel origin. One end was iid with gold, shaped like a dragon¡¯s head.


    Tao Xingxing was born in the Year of the Dragon.


    Ming Jing nced at her, ¡°Did an older rtive give it to you?¡±


    Tao Xingxing nodded, ¡°My mom said it was a gift from an uncle for my first birthday, but I don¡¯t have any impression of him. It¡¯s ivory, which is illegal. I wouldn¡¯t dare wear it out.¡±


    ¡°Later, I asked my mom about it, only to find out the uncle had passed away. Every time I asked when I was little, my mom would get upset. I even caught her crying secretly with my dad, so I stopped asking. But for him to give me such an expensive gift, he must have been wealthy.¡± Sheter gathered from somewhere that the value of this broken ivory could buy a small vi in the city.<div>


    Not daring to wear it out, she could only hang it by her bed, hoping her uncle in heaven would bless her with smooth sailing.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Your uncle must have really loved you, your name is carved on it.¡±


    Tao Xingxing looked startled, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    Ming Jing pointed at the seam of the dragon¡¯s head, where there were two small stars engraved.


    ¡°There really are two stars! How did I not notice all these years?¡± Tao Xingxing was surprised and excited, as if she had discovered a new world.


    Ming Jing watched the girl¡¯s excitement, her smile disappearing from her face at a visible speed.


    Her eyes were as deep as an abyss.


    ¡°Xingxing, are you happy?¡±


    Ming Jing asked a strange question, but as Tao Xingxing yed with the ivory, she answered with a radiant smile, ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy. I have loving parents, an amazing friend like you, and an uncle who gave me such a precious gift. I¡¯m the happiest person in the world.¡±

 Chapter 360: 165 Stars (First Shift)_2

    Chapter 360: 165 Stars (First Shift)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°I understand.¡±


    Tao Xingxing looked at Ming Jing curiously: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? It seems like you became a bit off after seeing this ivory. Do you like it? If you do, I can give it to you.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing shook his head: ¡°This was given to you by your elder, and the gilded ivory contains his affection for you. Although you haven¡¯t met him, all his thoughts about you are in it. So you can¡¯t give it away casually; keep it as a memento.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tao Xingxing picked up the pendant and held it up to the sunlight.


    ¡°What kind of person was that uncle I¡¯ve never met?¡± Tao Xingxing tried hard to recall, she should remember this person, but her memory was a nk.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his expression turned dim.


    At this moment, Wu Jiaqi knocked on the door: ¡°Xingxing, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi pushed the door open and walked in. She saw the pendant in Tao Xingxing¡¯s hand and her eyes suddenly constricted.


    Tao Xingxing casually asked, ¡°Mom, do you remember the uncle who gave me this pendant?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi forced a smile: ¡°Xingxing, why did you suddenly think of him?¡±


    ¡°My name is actually engraved on this ivory, and if Ming Jing hadn¡¯t noticed it, I wouldn¡¯t have known. It would be great if he were still alive.¡± Tao Xingxing said with a sigh.


    Wu Jiaqi nced at Ming Jing, her face slightly pale, and said between her lips, ¡°Come out for dinner.¡±


    She turned around and exited the room.<div>


    Tao Xingxing winked at Ming Jing: ¡°I told you, every time I mention this uncle, my mom gets really sad. I won¡¯t ask about him anymore.¡± Tao Xingxing stuffed the pendant under her pillow and pulled Ming Jing outside.


    Ming Jing looked back at the direction of the pillow, his eyes growing increasingly colder.


    That night, Jiangzhou Train Station was brightly lit and bustling with people.


    Arge number of passengers carrying luggage came out of the exit in groups, immediately encountered by ticket scalpers.


    ¡°Thirty yuan for a ride to Shidai Square, want to go?¡±


    ¡°Young man, where do you want to go? Over ten kilometers gets 20% off, absolutely convenient and fast¡­¡±


    The young man nced at him, and the scalper shuddered. Those clean and beautiful eyes inexplicably gave him a chill down his spine, as if he were being targeted by the grim reaper.


    With that moment¡¯s distraction, the young man walked past him with long strides.


    The ticket scalper turned to look and saw the young man wearing all ck, carrying a backpack, blending in with the night, cold and mysterious.


    A gust of wind blew, and the ticket scalper shuddered.


    ¡°What kind of person is that? Doesn¡¯t seem decent at all.¡± he muttered before beckoning the next passenger.<div>


    The young man continued walking along the side of the road, and his stomach suddenly rumbled. He looked up and saw a 24-hour fast food restaurant across the street with a few customers scattered around at ten o¡¯clock at night.


    The young man pushed the door and walked in. The waiter behind the counter, yawning, asked, ¡°What would you like? We have abo deal, scan the QR code to get a discount, ten yuan off for every twenty yuan spent.¡± The waiter pointed to the QR code nearby.


    Looking up to see a handsome young man, the waiter¡¯s eyes brightened instantly, and all sleepiness vanished.


    The young man furrowed his brows, seemingly a bit confused. He pointed at the menu and said, ¡°I want this family bucket meal.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s sixty-five yuan and nine cents. Please show the payment code.¡± The waiter held the scanner with an appropriately polite smile on their face.


    Their inner thoughts were screaming: What a pretty and well-behaved young boy! How could his eyes be so beautiful! It¡¯s melting my heart at just one nce.


    The young man murmured, ¡°Payment code? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The waiter felt a bit awkward. Was this pretty boy joking with her?


    ¡°Please take out your phone, open VX, click on the bottom right corner, and select payment. There¡¯s a QR code that you can use for payment.¡± Usually, there would be some elderly people who were unfamiliar with paying by phone, and she had grown very proficient with helping them through the process.


    The young man took out his phone and followed her instructions to open the payment code in VX.


    The waiter scanned it, and the payment was sessful.<div>


    The waiter couldn¡¯t help but take a peek at the young man, who must have been joking with her just now.


    While waiting for the food, the young man studied his phone. When Xiao Hoo left, Aunt Hong had trained him on how to quickly adapt to modern society. He had fallen asleep during ss and missed some parts, but he remembered one thing: In modern society, the phone is vital, and almost everything can be solved with one device.


    After fiddling with it for a while, he basically learned how to use it.


    The family bucket wasrge enough for three people to eat. The moment he bit into the chicken leg and hamburger, his eyes suddenly widened.


    It was so delicious!


    Surrounded by shocked gazes from others, the young man quickly finished the meal and left.


    The young man walked into a random hotel. Thedy behind the counter was watching TV and said without looking up, ¡°ID card.¡±


    The young man took out his ID card from his pocket and handed it over. Thedy took a look and suddenly looked up with wide eyes, staring at the handsome young man in front of her.


    ¡°Zhang Wei?¡± Why did such a handsome young man have such amon and unremarkable name? It felt like a waste of his good looks.


    The young man nodded, ¡°Yes, my name is Zhang Wei.¡±


    It felt good to have a name.


    No longer just a numeric code, but a name written on an ID card.


    The young man smiled, his eyes curved like crescents, revealing two Xiao Hoo-like teeth. He looked cute and well-behaved, and thedy¡¯s heart instantly softened.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the room key. If you need anything, call the internal line, and I¡¯ll bring it up to you.¡± The kinddy said thoughtfully.


    The young man took the room key, and his eyes nced at the tablet behind thedy.


    On the screen, a girl in white was squatting by a stream, releasing two fish in the pouring rain. The camera zoomed in, showing the girl¡¯s gentle and beautiful profile. The little boy next to her asked the question on everyone¡¯s mind, ¡°Sister, are you a Bodhisattva in human form?¡±


    No audience would doubt it after seeing this scene.


    The girl smiled gently. No one could resist being captivated by her ultimate gentleness andpassion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spheme the Buddha.¡±


    Within the quiet hotel at night, the girl¡¯s ethereal and gentle voice came softly, as if it could purify the soul and wash away all impurities.


    The young man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a murderous aura silently spread.


    Thedy suddenly felt a chill down her spine and, seeing the young man staring at the tablet, smiled and said, ¡°You like watching this too, huh? This girl has be really popr recently. Everyone likes a beautiful and kind-hearted girl.¡±


    The young man nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The young man smiled, revealing his two Xiaohu like teeth, looking cute and well-behaved. However, those beautiful eyes were like bottomless abysses, clean and pure but also incredibly dangerous.


    Thedy suddenly shivered, feeling that the good-looking young man had something eerie about him.


    The young man turned and left, heading for his room.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, Zhu Mingjing,¡± the young man murmured.


    As autumn grew colder, the wind swept the fallen leaves, the nights became chilly, and silence spread.


    I don¡¯t remember my own name; everyone calls me Eighteen.


    From the time I had memories, I grew up in the mountains, enduring inhumane training.


    That training was about how to kill people.


    This is my first time leaving the mountains to carry out a mission in the city, my target is a sixteen year old girl.


    ¡°Click¡± The dart hit right between the girl¡¯s eyebrows.


    In the photo, the beautiful and gentle girl smiled with a lowered brow, stunning the passage of time.

 Chapter 361: 166 Evil Fate (Second Update)

    Chapter 361: 166 Evil Fate (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liuxian Town is true to its name, with a river called Liu River running through it. On both sides of the river, several willows are nted. Towards the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, cool breezes sweep across the clear river, creating ripples of green waves.


    The willow branches, like graceful beauties, gently sway in the wind and are reflected in the river, dancing their waist-length manes, reminiscent of a stunningly romantic Jiangnan beauty.<div>


    In the distance, blue skies, white clouds, and wisps of smoke coalesce, as the small town basks in the serene and tranquil sunshine, disconnected from the world and enjoying a peaceful time.


    At the entrance of the town, there is a stone archway, consisting of five rooms, six pirs, and eleven floors, towering and spectacr. The lifelike reliefs on the archway are rich in feature. The central inscription reads: ¡°Bright Virtue Brings Fragrance, and a Thousand Blessings Fill the Gate.¡±


    The inscriptions on the other two pirs describe the virtues of the Liu n: ¡°The glory of a thousand years brings blessings to ten thousand people, and the righteousness of the Liu family spreads its fragrance for a hundred generations.¡±


    This is a merit monument erected in memory of the Liu family¡¯s ancestors. It has a history of over 400 years and has endured the test of time without decline. It has be the symbol of the Liu family, together with the ancestral hall and residences, known as the three unparalleled treasures. Today, it is listed as a national key protected cultural relic site by the government, ast swan song for the waning ancient n culture.


    Under the archway, a group of children were ying and joking around. Seeing a ck luxury car approaching from a distance, one of the younger children pointed at it and cried out, ¡°That annoying ghost from the n Leader¡¯s family is back.¡±


    His words had an explosive effect, and the others scattered hastily in all directions, disappearing without a trace.


    The n Leader was well-respected and revered by his people, but his daughter, Liu Muxue, was an extremely arrogant and domineering youngdy who loved to bully children. Many children in the n had suffered under her cruelty, and her name had be synonymous with terror.


    While everyone knew the youngdy had a bad temper, it was easier to avoid her than confront her.


    The car drove into the town before disappearing into the distance.


    In the blink of an eye, the children emerged again from all directions, gathering and chattering.


    ¡°I heard from my dad that the annoying ghost will have an older brother soon. Let¡¯s see how arrogant she¡¯ll be then. With a new brother, her dad won¡¯t love her as much anymore.¡±<div>


    ¡°I saw on TV that rich people often have secret children outside their marriage, called illegitimate children. Could the n Leader have such a child now?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? The n Leader is a good person; he would never do such a thing. It¡¯s adoption, understand?¡±


    ¡°What is adoption?¡±


    ¡°Adoption means letting someone else¡¯s child recognize you as their parent, and their original parents are no longer considered their parents.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Why would he agree to that? Anyway, if it were me, I wouldn¡¯t want to leave my real parents.¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? If you be the n Leader¡¯s son, you can walk around with your head held high. The annoying ghost is so arrogant just because she has a father who¡¯s a n Leader. Without him, who would be afraid of her?¡±


    ¡°Today, they¡¯re holding a ceremony in the ancestral hall for the new son to recognize his ancestors. Let¡¯s go and watch the excitement. I wonder if we¡¯ll get to see the annoying ghost¡¯s angry face.¡±


    Along both banks of the Liu River, rows of Jiangnan-style houses stand in sequence, characterized by pink walls, ck tiles, and intricately carved eaves.


    Jiangnan water towns, picturesque scenery,


    The car stops in front of the Liu family¡¯s mansion, where fourrge characters on a que symbolize the n Leader¡¯s status.


    Liu Muxue enters, dressed in a Western-style dress, wearing a sun hat and sunsses, and carrying a designer handbag, looking out of ce among the ancient Jiangnan architecture.<div>


    ¡°Miss is back.¡± Maid Liu excitedlyes out to greet her.


    Liu Muxue grunts in response. Suddenly remembering something, Maid Liu hastily pulled her aside, ¡°Miss, your mother asked you to stay at your aunt¡¯s house in Jiangzhou for a few days. Why did youe back? Please, just go. Your mother and I will take care of your father.¡±


    Liu Muxue shakes off her hand, smirks, and says coldly, ¡°If I hadn¡¯te back, I wouldn¡¯t have known when I¡¯d gained an older brother.¡±


    ¡°Miss.¡± Maid Liu watches as she walks past the shadow wall and disappears inside the house.


    Maid Liu sighs and res at Uncle Liu, who scratches his nose and says, ¡°You know the youngdy¡¯s temper just as well as I do. There¡¯s nothing I could have done to stop her.¡±


    ¡°What a pity.¡± Maid Liu quickly follows.


    The living room is empty, but the sound of crying can be heard from the upper floor.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s face turns cold, and she rushes upstairs, only to find a middle-aged beauty sobbing at the head of a bed.


    ¡°Mom, why are you crying?¡±


    Upon hearing her voice, the beautiful woman turns her head, first joyful and then shocked. She hurriedly wipes away her tears and says, ¡°Muxue, you¡¯re back. I¡¯m fine, just got some sand in my eye.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s mother, Yang Ruoshui, is a genuine Jiangnan woman, with ssical delicate features and a personality as gentle as water, adhering to the philosophy of obedience in marriage. The greatest conflict she had ever had with her husband was likely this current disagreement over adoption.<div>

 Chapter 362: 166 Evil Fate (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 362: 166 Evil Fate (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Muxue looked at her pitiful, frail mother and said resentfully, ¡°Don¡¯t try to hide it from me, I already know. My dad wants to acknowledge his second wife¡¯s grandson as his son, right?¡±


    Yang Ruoshui shook her head while crying, ¡°Muxue, don¡¯t me your dad. He has no choice. The n elders are forcing him. If he doesn¡¯t divorce, he must adopt. It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re not a boy.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue clenched her teeth and cursed, ¡°What era is this, still resorting to divorce? What do those old men think they are? Vige emperors? It¡¯s ridiculous. Your marriage is protected byw. If you don¡¯t agree, no one can interfere in your marriage. My dad is such a coward, when he is pushed a little, he sumbs. In the future, won¡¯t those old men continue to lead him around by the nose?¡±


    ¡°Muxue, how can you talk about your dad like that? He¡¯s been devoted to me wholeheartedly. I¡¯m already very content. At the beginning, I didn¡¯t understand either and opposed his adoption, but after your Aunt Lan kept persuading me, I understood. The boy is only a son in name, and he is also blood-rted. He¡¯s your dad¡¯s nephew, and once you have a brother, you¡¯ll have someone to rely on after you get married. I have seen that boy, he is one in a million both in appearance and character¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think a bad bamboo can produce a good shoot? Stop dreaming. At most, I will marry someone who will take my surname, and the child will bear my name, which can also continue the family line.¡±


    Liu Muxue looked very impatient, hating herself for being born a girl, which caused her mother to suffer such humiliation.


    Liu Muxue frowned. No, why should she hate herself for being a girl? Those clearly to be med were the old men stuck in their feudal ways.


    She clenched her fists and asked coldly, ¡°Is my dad at the ancestral hall now?¡±


    Tears shimmering in her eyes, Yang Ruoshui looked up at her, ¡°What¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    Liu Muxue sneered, ¡°What am I doing? Those old men are making things difficult for my mom and me, so I¡¯m going to smash the ancestral hall.¡±


    With that, she turned and ran downstairs.


    Yang Ruoshui was shocked and chased after her immediately, ¡°Muxue, don¡¯t do anything foolish,e back quickly¡­¡±


    However, there was no trace of Liu Muxue in the courtyard. Maid Liu came over, ¡°Madam¡­¡±<div>


    Yang Ruoshui grabbed her hand anxiously and said, ¡°Maid Liu, hurry¡­ hurry to chase Muxue. She is going to smash the ancestral hall¡­¡±


    A n¡¯s ancestral hall represents the spiritual belief of the family members and descendants. The Lius had prospered for hundreds of years, and their ancestral hall held great significance.


    Breaking the ancestral hall was like provoking the whole Liu family. Those old men would be furious.


    Maid Liu was dumbstruck and stuttered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go chase her right away. Madam, rest assured, nothing will happen to the youngdy.¡±


    From a distance, Liu Muxue saw many people gathered around the ancestral hall. Liu Muxue shouted coldly, ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Upon hearing hermand, the nsmen were startled and instinctively gave way, revealing a path for the exquisitely dressed young girl.


    Everyone exchanged nces, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and excitement for the uing drama.


    In Liuxian Town, the name ¡°Miss Liu¡± referred to only one person: the chieftain¡¯s daughter, Liu Muxue.


    She had been notorious for her arrogance and domineering behavior since childhood. Her reputation could stop children from crying and make the elders¡¯ faces pale upon hearing her name.


    She rarely returned home while studying abroad, but whenever she did, chaos would inevitably ensue.


    However, from now on, this youngdy would no longer be able to act so arrogantly.<div>


    The nsmen¡¯s eyes carried a hint of schadenfreude as they looked toward the tall figure standing at the center of the ancestral hall.


    The man wore a linen robe, his slender figure resembling a graceful pine and bamboo tree. His elegance, nobility, and aloofness stood out among the group of pot-bellied old men, making him look extraordinary.


    ¡°Jing Yun, from now on, you¡¯re my eldest son, the one hundred and thirty-fifth direct descendant of the Liu family. I hope you¡¯ll be self-disciplined and follow the rules and continue the family¡¯s line for us¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Suddenly, a sharp female voice rang out, echoing through the entire ancestral hall.Liu Zhangshen looked at the girling in, rubbing his forehead for a headache.


    He immediately scolded with a stern face, ¡°Muxue, is this the ce for a girl like you? Go back now.¡±


    The elders sitting in the hall red at Liu Muxue angrily. Zhangshen¡¯s daughter was really unbearable and had disgraced the Liu family.


    The oldest and highest-ranking elder had merely scolded Liu Muxue for being unorthodox and unruly before, but she had retorted by calling him ¡°old fart.¡± The elder had almost died from anger.


    Seeing Liu Muxue now, the elder¡¯s face turned red and his neck thickened with rage, wishing he could hit her with his walking stick.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie? What¡¯s wrong with being a girl? Weren¡¯t all of you born from women? And now you look down on us? Who gave you the right?¡± Liu Muxue was not afraid of these old men. They wouldn¡¯t darey a finger on her in thisw-abiding society.


    Despite themotion, the man in the hall didn¡¯t turn his head. His back was straight, proud and aloof like bamboo or pine.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s words made the elders even angrier, almost dying on the spot. The people outside the ancestral hall also pointed at Liu Muxue and said some unpleasant things.<div>


    Liu Zhangshen shouted with a stern face, ¡°Muxue, what nonsense are you talking about? Quickly apologize to the elders!¡±


    But a glimmer ofughter shed in his eyes, a slight smile emerged from the corner of his lips and quickly disappeared.


    ¡°What did I do wrong? Why should I apologize to them? Hmph! Why can¡¯t Ie to the ancestral hall? I am the younger sister of the person you want to recognize as a brother. How can I not see him myself? Is that right?¡±


    Liu Muxue walked over and circled around the man, ¡°To be my brother, not everyone can do it, especially the offspring of a mistress. What kind of good cane from a bad bamboo¡­¡±.


    The word ¡°bamboo shoot¡± was stuck in her throat, unable toe out.


    Liu Muxue stared nkly at the young man in front of her, momentarily dumbfounded.


    An elegant and handsome young man, holding a cup and looking at the sky, as radiant as jade trees in the wind.


    The perfect gentleman from Jiangnan, exquisite and elegant, with a fragrant orchid aroma.


    Thinking of this gentleman, warm as jade. In his humble abode, my heart is in disarray.


    In that instant, many beautiful verses shed through Liu Muxue¡¯s mind. However, none of them could capture the beauty of the young man standing before her like precious orchids and jade trees.


    His angled eyebrows flew into the hair on his temples, and his long eyshes cascaded down to his eyelids. His brows conveyed a gentle,passionate, and sorrowful air, making his entire character seem holy and unattainable.


    As he lifted his gaze, time seemed to freeze. With a single nce and a smile, time stretched into eternity.


    His peach blossom eyes held the most beautiful spring colors, clear and bright like wandering clouds and drifting colors. They reflected the hustle and bustle of the mortal world.


    With a faint smile, the beauty mark on his brow appeared, noble and elegant,passionate to all living beings.


    Liu Muxue suddenly clutched her chest, unable to catch her breath. She breathed rapidly, her gaze fixed on the young man in front of her.


    The elder spat, ¡°Liu Zhangshen, look at the shameless daughter you¡¯ve raised.¡±


    Liu Zhangshen coughed and said with a stern face, ¡°Muxue, don¡¯t be disrespectful. This is your elder brother, Liu Jingyun.¡±


    Elder brother, Liu Jingyun.


    Liu Muxue suddenly fainted, her hand still clutching her chest.


    The ancestral hall fell into chaos.

 Chapter 363: 167 Start of School (First Update)

    Chapter 363: 167 Start of School (First Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    September 1st, the day when the new school year begins.


    Early in the morning, the Zhu residence was already bustling with activity.<div>


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen came downstairs, hand in hand, wearing brand new uniforms and carrying new school bags.


    Madam Zhou smiled broadly as she looked at the beautiful twin sisters.


    Ming Yi, who was about to report to kindergarten, also came down the stairs, dressed in a pretty little skirt and carrying a pink school bag, holding Han Suwen¡¯s hand.


    Madam Zhou thought to herself that although her young mistresses were not as beautiful as their elder sister, they were still one in a hundred, clever and pretty. Who knows how many young men would be infatuated with them when they grow up.


    Ming Yi saw Ming Jing sitting at the dining table and happily jumped over: ¡°Senior sister, I¡¯m going to kindergarten today. Aunt Wen says there will be many children to y with me.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and patted her head: ¡°Eat your breakfast first, then I will take you to the kindergartenter.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s great!¡± Ming Yi jumped with joy.


    Ming Chen sighed in disappointment, ring at the oblivious Ming Yi. She was annoyed that this little girl got the attention first.


    Ming Jing nced at Ming Chen and Ming Ti sitting opposite her and said indifferently: ¡°Today is also your first day at school. Remember to be cautious and prudent at school, remain patient in difficult situations. My help for you will be limited. From today on, the road of your lives will be under your own feet.¡±


    The two nodded in unison: ¡°We understand, senior sister.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°Eat your breakfast.¡±<div>


    After breakfast, Ming Ti and Ming Chen left by car; Ming Jing then took Ming Yi¡¯s hand, with Han Suwen carrying the school bag behind them, and they left the Zhu residence together.


    Zhou Bao had left three days ago, returning to school to prepare for the new semester.


    The once bustling Zhu family mansion suddenly became empty.


    Half an hourter, Lin Qing came downstairs, looked around the empty dining room, and asked, ¡°Where is everyone?¡±


    Madam Zhou replied: ¡°Today is the start of the school year, they all went to school.¡±


    As she spoke, Madam Zhou ced hot milk and sandwiches on the dining table in front of Lin Qing.


    Lin Qing looked a little dazed. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s taste had been influenced by her, and she usually had a western-style breakfast of milk and sandwiches.


    Ming Jing and her sisters, on the other hand, always had a traditional Chinese breakfast.


    Lin Qing took a sip of milk, her expression softened for a moment as if she thought of something.


    Regaining her senses, she looked at the empty hall again, feeling mncholy.


    After only a few bites, Lin Qing got up and went upstairs.<div>


    Madam Zhou looked at the sandwich that had been bitten only twice and sighed.


    Lin Qing opened Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room and walked inside. Everything was the same as when they had left. The sheets and quilt cover were Xiangxiang¡¯s favorite purple, and a violin sat on a shelf in the corner, a birthday present that Lin Qing had bought for her from a collector at a high price when she turned nine.


    Lin Qing caressed the violin, a vision of a young girl ying the violin by the window appeared before her eyes.


    She had been nurturing her for sixteen years, and unlike nts, humans have feelings.


    She could still remember all the times Xiangxiang had sat on herp, the gentle swaying of her arm when she wanted a gift, the ttering and fawning looks she offered, the fury in her eyes when they had quarreled, and how she had attentively looked after her when she was sick.


    When and how did everything change?


    It was after Ming Jing¡¯s return.


    Ming Jing was her biological daughter, and because of a moment of negligence years ago, she had changed the destiny of two children.


    But was it her fault?


    No, it was just a joke yed by fate.


    Lin Qing stroked the beautiful dresses in the wardrobe, imagining Xiangxiang wearing them with elegance and grace.<div>


    She wondered how she was doing in her new home.


    Lin Qing thought to herself that she would sneak a peek at her once, just a nce from afar, as long as she saw Xiangxiang living well, she would be relieved.


    Xiao Ying saw Lin Qing walking out of Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room and was surprised. Could it be that Madam still missed Zhu Xiangxiang?


    She quickly ran to the side and made a phone call, ¡°Wenwen, something¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    Han Suwen hung up the phone and watched from afar as Ming Yi held her teacher¡¯s hand and walked into the kindergarten.


    This was the most expensive bilingual kindergarten in the entire Jiangzhou, costing more than three hundred thousand a year in tuition fees.


    There was no way that the Han family could afford such a kindergarten. Han Suwen didn¡¯t know what else she could say besides being grateful.


    She returned to the car and whispered, ¡°Miss, after you left, Madam went to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room and stayed there for a long time. She then changed her clothes and went out.¡±


    Han Suwen thought to herself that Lin Qing simply couldn¡¯t let go, creating more problems for herself.

 Chapter 364: 167 Start of School (First Update)_2

    Chapter 364: 167 Start of School (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ming Jing had a book spread out on her knees. She flipped a page and said lightly, ¡°Affectionate concern for the young is only human nature.¡±


    As for the rtionship between the three of them, Han Suwen didn¡¯t feel it was her ce toment. All she could do was report the situation and let her young miss handle it herself.<div>


    Ming Jing nced out the window. A row of luxury cars lined up outside the kindergarten gate, among which the white BMW didn¡¯t stand out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to school.¡±


    Today was also the opening day of Shengde High School.


    The second year was divided into liberal arts and sciences, and the first-year sses were disrupted and ressified. The ss lists were posted on the honor board in front of the second-year teaching building.


    Today was just registration and book distribution, with formal sses starting tomorrow.


    In ss 2A, students who hadn¡¯t seen each other for a summer break excitedly gathered together, exchanging thetest gossip.


    The campus forum was constantly updating, and it was bustling because they were about to have a big star in their school.


    This big star was none other than the dark horse Zhu Mingjing.


    Before, Qu Feitai was their untouchable idol, like the moon in the sky, always to be looked up at.


    But now, one of their ssmates had shared the stage with Qu Feitai and even lived and dined with him for three days. Their rtionship seemed quite good ¡ª they might even be good friends. In other words, they were only one person away from their idol, Qu Feitai.


    The moment Ming Jing walked in, the ss fell silent for an instant.<div>


    Forty-nine pairs of eyes were focused on her.


    There was only an empty seat next to Song Yinzhang, and Ming Jing walked straight over. In the past, nobody would have dared to sit with Song, but now, everyone was silently wishing they were him.


    ¡°You left early that day, and I didn¡¯t have a chance to ask you how you did on the exam?¡± Song Yinzhang recalled that Ming Jing had already left by the time he finished his test.


    ¡°Not bad. Your and Liu Muxue¡¯s notes were a great help.¡±


    The top six students were selected for the CMO based on their scores in the integratedpetition and the final exam of the training camp. The list would be announced at the end of October.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I wanted to go to Jingdu with you. Ziyan owes us a meal, and there¡¯s also Xiao Fei¡­¡± Song Yinzhang paused, nced at Ming Jing, and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the show. In fact, Xiao Fei is very simple-minded, even in the entertainment circle, he still maintains his original intention. He¡¯s a good friend worth getting to know. I¡¯ve grown up with Ziyan and Xiao Fei since we were young, and they can¡¯t hide anything from us.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s very talented, and his singing is really good.¡±


    Song Yinzhang grinned, ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Ming Jing thought for a moment, ¡°He¡¯s well-behaved.¡±


    Song Yinzhang shook his head with a smile, thinking that Xiao Fei still had a long way to go.<div>


    At this moment, a bald middle-aged man who looked like Zhang Fei walked in. As soon as he entered, more than half of the students began to wail.


    ss Two-1 was a top science ss, and half of the students were from the previous Yi High School¡¯s ss 1, so they were no strangers to the man in front of them.


    This was the former Yi High School ss 1¡¯s ss teacher, Zou Wei.


    Everyone had suffered under Zou Wei for a long time and thought they had finally escaped, but they had jumped from the frying pan into the fire.


    They could almost foresee the hardships of theing year.


    Zou Wei nced around and paused on Ming Jing. With a stern face, he said, ¡°After a summer break, it¡¯s time to get your minds back in the game. Huang Yue, collect the summer homework. Li Yan, take a few people and go to the Academic Affairs Office to get the new textbooks.¡±


    Huang Yue was the former math ss representative, and Li Yan was the ss leader. Zou Wei was used to them, and as there were no new ss cadres yet, he continued to use them for now.


    ss 1-4 is the top liberal arts ss. Thanks to Ming Jing, Tao Xingxing had the honor of entering the top ss and was currently getting to know her new ssmates. Naturally, the focus of their discussion was Ming Jing.Upon learning that Tao Xingxing was Ming Jing¡¯s deskmate, several girls crowded around Tao Xingxing, asking her questions. Tao Xingxing smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, let me tell you slowly¡­¡±.


    More and more people gathered around Tao Xingxing, and everyone¡¯s curiosity about Ming Jing was matched only by their eagerness to get close to Tao Xingxing.


    It was unknown who said ¡®Zhu Xiangxiang is here¡¯; the noisy ss suddenly quieted down, and you could hear a pin drop.


    Tao Xingxing sneered ¨C what are the odds of running into each other.<div>


    Rumors had already spread on the campus forum that Zhu Xiangxiang was taken back by her biological mother and was no longer the Zhus¡¯ Miss. It was said that her mother was a supermarket cashier, and her stepfather was a construction worker. If she hadn¡¯t stepped in dog shit and be the Zhus¡¯ fake daughter, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to step into Shengde High School in eight lifetimes.


    Especially with Ming Jing as a stark contrast, the former Shengde High School flower had now be a joke.


    Why bothering to Shengde High School? Yi High School next door would be happy to have her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sensed the mocking gazes all around her, and though she had been prepared, she still stiffened.


    Zhu Xiangxiang saw a sweet and cute-looking girl provocatively staring at her, surrounded by a group of girls as if the center of a gang. Zhu Xiangxiang felt that the girl was familiar ¨C she seemed to be one of the girls who often followed Ming Jing around.


    From ss 8?


    The mere thought of falling down to the same ss as those from ss 8 suffocated her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked around and finally saw a familiar face ¨C Wu Jiajia, her former deskmate.


    However, Wu Jiajia already had a deskmate, and there was only one empty spot left in the corner of the ss. Zhu Xiangxiang steeled herself and went to sit there.


    ¡°Jiajia, isn¡¯t that your former deskmate? Let¡¯s switch ces, you two must have a lot to talk about,¡± said Wu Jiajia¡¯s deskmate thoughtfully.


    Wu Jiajia nced in Tao Xingxing¡¯s direction and whispered, ¡°No need, it¡¯s fine as it is.¡±


    Her deskmate looked at her, smiled and said, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    From beginning to end, no one in the ss spoke to Zhu Xiangxiang. Zhu Xiangxiang realized that she had been isted.


    As the once esteemed school flower, she had never experienced such humiliation. Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her fists tightly, holding back the tears in her eyes.


    Just bear with it, Zhu Mingjing won¡¯t be smug for long.


    When that timees, how dare any of these fair-weather, sycophantic bastards iste me.


    At this moment, Huang Liang walked in with a big smile on his face. From a bottom-ranked ss to a top-ranked one, Huang Liang had experienced an impressive rise.


    Unfortunately, his prized student Ming Jing had moved to ss 1. Nevertheless, waterflows down and people rise up, and he was d to see Ming Jing with better prospects.


    After a rather boring round of self-introductions, Huang Liang grinned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s arrange our seats first. My old ssmates should know me well, I am a very democratic homeroom teacher. The pressure of study is already high enough, there are not many extracurricr activities, so having a deskmate can be the most beautiful memory of high school life. I still remember my high school deskmate, so gentle and pretty¡­¡±.


    The ss erupted inughter, and someone yelled, ¡°Teacher, was that your first love?¡±


    Huang Liang pretended to scowl, ¡°What nonsense! No dating is allowed in high school! I meant to say that you¡¯re free to choose your deskmates, as long as the other party is willing to be your deskmate.¡±


    A student joked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this like matchmaking? If the eyes match, it¡¯s a sess.¡±


    Huang Liangughed and scolded in reply.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was used to Zou Wei¡¯s seriousness and couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Huang Liang¡¯s clownish, unserious demeanor.


    However, of all the selections, Tao Xingxing was the most popr. Everyone wanted to be her deskmate, while Zhu Xiangxiang was left alone due to a ssmate¡¯s absence due to illness.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face could only be described as the bottom of a pot.

 Chapter 365: 168 Fairness (Second Revision)

    Chapter 365: 168 Fairness (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Today is registration day, and tomorrow is the official start of school.


    After distributing the new textbooks, everyone went home.<div>


    Long-time no-see ssmates made ns to go shopping together. They grouped together in twos and threes, discussing which milk tea to drink and which restaurant had new dishes.


    Zhu Xiangxiang packed her bag slowly, and when most people had left, she stood up and left with her book bag.


    ¡°Wu Jiajia.¡± She called out to Wu Jiajia, who was about to leave the room.


    Wu Jiajia paused in her steps. Almost everyone in the ss had left by then, leaving only the two of them and two boys who were on duty.


    ¡°Xiangxiang.¡± Wu Jiajia turned back and looked at her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked up to her, ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me anymore?¡±


    Wu Jiajia clutched the straps of her book bag, lowering her head guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to, but I don¡¯t want to be isted.¡±


    Girls at this age are the most sensitive. They know which cliques to join, whom they shouldn¡¯t offend, and whom they should stay away from.


    In the past, Zhu Xiangxiang was the school beauty and a well-courted rich girl. Everyone wanted to tter her and look up to her, but Zhu Mingjing¡¯s arrival changed everything.


    Given a choice between a genuine and a counterfeit item, even a fool would know how to choose.


    All of Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s glory was snatched away by Zhu Mingjing, and now it¡¯s an even stronger glory than before.<div>


    Moreover, Zhu Xiangxiang had been kicked out of the Zhu family, her current family couldn¡¯t even be considered well-off. Wu Jiajia looked down on her a little and even felt a bit of schadenfreude. Although she shouldn¡¯t think this way, in the past, Zhu Xiangxiang had been haughty and proud. She always put on airs as a school beauty and rich girl, and both she and Huang Yue had to cater to her. To outsiders, they were nothing more than Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s sidekicks.


    Now the tide had turned, and Wu Jiajia knew that it was immoral to take joy in others¡¯ misfortunes, so she tried her best to stay away.


    ¡°Jiajia, I didn¡¯t expect you to think like this too. I¡¯m really disappointed.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said with a heartbroken expression.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better for you to transfer to another school given your current situation.¡± Wu Jiajia kindly suggested.


    That way, she wouldn¡¯t have to face Zhu Xiangxiang anymore.


    Without waiting for Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s response, Wu Jiajia turned around and left the ssroom.


    Transfer to another school? Why should she?


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her fists indignantly.


    Shengde High School is the best private high school in Jiangzhou. Ordinary people can¡¯t get in. Why should she transfer?


    Zhu Xiangxiang took a deep breath, as if swallowing a bitter pill.


    These fair-weather people would regret it someday.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang had stayed behind to avoid seeing Ming Jing. Did she want to watch her bask in the praises and adoration of everyone? Zhu Xiangxiang was afraid that she might die of anger on the spot.


    As she expected, the school was empty when she left the ssroom.


    After walking out of the school gate, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s gaze shifted, and she saw a familiar car across the street.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mind went numb for a moment.


    It was Lin Qing¡¯s car. She wouldn¡¯t get it wrong. There were only two red Ferraris in Jiangzhou¡ªone belonged to Zhao Qin, and the other belonged to Lin Qing.


    Zhao Qin was in her senior year and had started school half a month earlier, so it was impossible for her to be here.


    So it could only be Lin Qing.


    Why was she here? To pick up Zhu Mingjing?


    But Zhu Mingjing had left a long time ago.


    Zhu Xiangxiang considered the possibility, her whole body trembling with excitement.


    Lin Qing was here to see her.<div>


    As Zhu Xiangxiang walked forward without showing her excitement, she rejoiced in her heart.


    Lin Qing still couldn¡¯t let go of her. Zhu Xiangxiang knew her well. Even though she had done something to hurt Lin Qing before, the love and care Lin Qing had given her in the past sixteen years were genuine.


    Zhu Mingjing, you have calcted everything, but you have miscalcted human hearts.


    Zhu Xiangxiang curved her lips, her eyes gleaming with triumph.


    The red sports car on the opposite side of the street drove at a snail¡¯s pace, always staying in line with Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang squinted and took out her phone to make a call; ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui, who was taking care of Deng Yang in the hospital, rushed out with her mobile phone to answer the call.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Xiangxiang, I¡¯m working outside. What do you need from mom?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui turned and looked at the ward. There was no money to afford a single room, so they could only stay in this crowded ward with more than ten patients. The noise was unbearable, and patients couldn¡¯t rest well.


    In the closest bed to the entrance, a thin little boy subconsciously opened his mouth to call for his mother. Zhao Xiaohui hurried over to cover his mouth, gesturing with her eyes for him not to speak.


    The little boy looked at her with his big eyes, nodding obediently.

 Chapter 366: 168 Fairness (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 366: 168 Fairness (Second Revision)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Who¡¯s calling you?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang asked warily.


    ¡°No¡­nothing, it¡¯s just my colleague¡¯s son looking for her. Xiangxiang, what do you want to tell Mom?¡±<div>


    ¡°Where¡¯s Deng Kun?¡±


    ¡°He¡­He should be at home, he¡¯s off work today.¡±


    ¡°You call him now and tell him to pick up a delivery downstairs in twenty minutes. Don¡¯t say I told you. Tell him the delivery is very important and he must go downstairs.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui looked confused, but she did as requested. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make sure to tell him.¡±


    ¡°Bed number twenty-six, go for the CT scan, family members take good care of the patient¡­¡± A nurse shouted at the door of the ward.


    Zhao Xiaohui was startled and quickly covered her phone with one hand.


    Zhu Xiangxiang squinted her eyes: ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m at work, my colleague was just watching a medical drama¡­ ¡± Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s voice became quieter and quieter.


    ¡°You just pass the message to Deng Kun, and don¡¯t say I told you.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang finished the sentence and hung up the phone, her brow furrowed.


    What was Zhao Xiaohui really up to? Was she hiding something from her?


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t figure it out, but whatever secret Zhao Xiaohui had was none of her business, as she wouldn¡¯t stay at the Dengs for long.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang was walking on the sidewalk, followed by a red Ferrari slowly approaching on the motorway behind her, with a white sedan far behind the Ferrari.


    In order to reach the residential area where the Dengs lived, they had to go through a dirty and chaotic market, making people nauseous. Lin Qing watched Zhu Xiangxiang walk in without changing her expression, feeling a mix of emotions.


    Lin Qing parked the car on the roadside and walked in, wearing high heels and carrying a bag.


    Shaodan had mentioned to her once before how bad the environment of the residential area where Zhu Xiangxiang lived was. She didn¡¯t care at the time, but now that she was there, she realized it was even worse than she had imagined.


    There were muddy puddles and garbage everywhere, and flies buzzed around messily inte summer. On the roadside, a butcher lifted a cleaver and chopped meat, and sshes of itnded on Lin Qing¡¯s shoes.


    Lin Qing¡¯s face changed at once, and she red at the butcher. The butcher, seeing a well-dressed and elegant woman, sheepishly smiled: ¡°Madam, would you like some meat? Authentic tenderloin¡­¡±


    Lin Qing snorted coldly, stomped her foot, and walked forward suppressing her disgust.


    Zhu Xiangxiang bought vegetables and noodles, and even haggled with the vegetable seller over a few cents, showing none of the delicate demeanor that she had as the youngdy of the Zhus.


    Could it be that Xiangxiang was actually cooking at the Dengs¡¯? Lin Qing found it unbelievable and heartbreaking.


    Her daughter, whom she had held in the palm of her hand, had hands that were meant for ying the violin, not for being smeared with grease.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s lips curved but she did not change her expression, as she continued to walk forward.<div>


    Arriving at the entrance of the building, she ran into Deng Kun head-on. Seeing her, he sneered, ¡°The youngdy is back.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang narrowed her eyes and smelled a whiff of alcohol.


    Had Deng Kun been drinking?


    He became crazy when he drank. God was helping her too.


    After Deng Kun had rummaged through her room and Zhu Xiangxiang discovered it, the two had a big quarrel and their superficial peace could no longer be maintained. However, Zhu Xiangxiang was somewhat afraid of Deng Kun and would avoid him whenever she saw him.


    Today, Zhu Xiangxiang did not leave immediately. She looked up and down at Deng Kun with a hint of contempt in her eyes, ¡°I warn you, don¡¯t even think about getting anything from me. Even if I threw it away or donated it, I wouldn¡¯t give you a penny. Give up this idea as soon as possible, you rotten gambler, scumbag.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang spoke lightly, and only Deng Kun, who was close by, could hear her. Deng Kun, drunk and angry, red furiously at her, his hand suddenly gripping Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s neck. ¡°You little bitch, are you asking for death?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang struggled fiercely, shouting, ¡°Help, murder!¡± She threw the vegetables and noodles in her hand at Deng Kun¡¯s face, but they had no effect on him at all.


    Her cry only provoked Deng Kun¡¯s anger even more. He got even more violent in his grip, wishing he could strangle her to death.


    ¡°Shut up, shut up!¡±


    Deng Kun was a strong man, while Zhu Xiangxiang was small-framed, apletely mismatched pair in front of him, like a fish on a chopping board.<div>


    The hand on her neck felt like the scythe of the grim reaper, and Zhu Xiangxiang truly felt death at one moment, her eyes rolling back, fear consuming her heart¡­


    Was she really going to die?


    Just then, a loud shout rang out: ¡°Let go of my daughter!¡±

 Chapter 367: 168 Fairness (Third Revision)_3

    Chapter 367: 168 Fairness (Third Revision)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The very next moment, a brick hit Deng Kun¡¯s forehead hard. Struck by pain, he loosened his grip and held his forehead.


    Having lost her support, Zhu Xiangxiang started to fall backwards. Just as she was about to hit the ground, a person rushed out and caught her in their arms.<div>


    ¡°Xiangxiang.¡± The woman cried out in pain.


    Struggling to open her eyes, Zhu Xiangxiang took a faint look at the person in front of her. Her deathly still eyes suddenly sparked with light, ¡°Mum¡­ is that you?¡±


    ¡°Am I dead? Or am I dreaming¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang murmured.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, mum is here, Xiangxiang, you need to stop talking, mum will take you to the hospital¡­¡± Lin Qing brought out her mobile phone from her bag, her fingers trembling as she dialled 120.


    Tears flowed from Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes,nding on the back of Lin Qing¡¯s hand. Lin Qing paused for a moment, feeling a sudden sting in her heart.


    She remembered how Xiangxiang looked when she was just born. Small and adorable with eyes that seemed to always contain water, drawing people¡¯s love.


    This was the daughter she had raised for sixteen years. From a small baby in swaddling clothes, through her babbling toddler years to her adolescence as a graceful young girl. Every day and night, every birthday, she remembered it all clearly. People¡¯s hearts may change, but memories can¡¯t be erased.


    ¡°Mum, is it really you?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Lin Qing said, holding her hand: ¡°Don¡¯t talk now, let me take you to the hospital.¡±


    Deng Kun touched his head and found it covered in blood. The cruelty in his eyes intensified. He red at Lin Qing menacingly, ¡°Who the hell do you think you are, daring to hit me? You¡¯re asking for death.¡±


    As he spoke, he advanced towards Lin Qing. Blood flowed from his head onto his face, and his bulging eyes filled with hostility made him look extremely terrifying.<div>


    Lin Qing, carrying Zhu Xiangxiang, turned to run. Barely two stepster, her high heels got stuck in a hole in the ground. She twisted her foot and both of them fell to the ground.


    ¡°Mum, be careful¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang shouted, deliberately cushioning Lin Qing¡¯s fall. Lin Qingnded on top of Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang let out a muffled groan her face twisted in pain.


    ¡°Xiangxiang.¡± Lin Qing cried out anxiously as Deng Kun approached step by step.


    ¡°Is this man a lunatic? How could he be so terrifying? How can he try to kill someone in broad daylight?¡± Lin Qing couldn¡¯t believe it. If she hadn¡¯t been following them, Xiangxiang would have met with a terrible end today.


    ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s my stepfather, a gambling addict. When I don¡¯t give him money, he beats me¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang shivered mid-sentence. The fear in her eyes deeply pierced Lin Qing¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Stepfather?¡±


    So this was the environment in which Xiangxiang grew up? When Zhao Xiaohui agreed to let her leave that day, she had no idea this is what Xiangxiang would have to face. Lin Qing was filled with regret and hatred.


    Just then, someone passing by saw Deng Kun attacking them and immediately came to stop him. Lin Qing, carrying Zhu Xiangxiang, managed to escape stumblingly.


    Ming Jing quietly observed as Lin Qing, carrying Zhu Xiangxiang, emerged from the other side of the road and got into the Ferrari parked at the roadside, then drove away.


    Soon after, the ambnce and police cars arrived. The medics brought out a stretcher with a man on it who was covered in blood. They lifted him onto the ambnce, and after the police got in, the ambnce sped off.<div>


    A group of people had gathered at the roadside, discussing the incident.


    Han Suwen emerged from the crowd and got into the car. She hesitated for a moment before saying to Ming Jing, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s stepfather hit her, and almost strangled her to death. Your mother arrived just in time to save her¡­¡±


    Han Suwen sighed inwardly. The Zhus family had not been in peace for long when anothermotion started.


    It must be hard for the youngdy. Her biological mother was indifferent towards her but could not let go of this adopted daughter. Anyone would find it hard to deal with.


    Han Suwen looked up to see Ming Jing with a usual expression, even smiling a bit.


    She was stunned¡­ was the youngdy¡­?


    ¡°Humans have feelings; it¡¯s not like we¡¯re nts or trees. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Han Suwen aired her grievances, ¡°But if Zhu Xiangxiang returns to the Zhu household this time, it¡¯d be so unfair to you, Miss.¡±


    ¡°What is this so-called fairness? Everyone has their own measure of justice. I had already foreseen this situation, there¡¯s nothing surprising about it. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After being taught a lesson, Zhu Xiangxiang has learned to be a bit smarter. This is the only way she could continue in the game I¡¯m ying. If she¡¯s too stupid, it¡¯s no fun.


    The doctor put her on an IV drip, and after a bit of rest, Zhu Xiangxiang woke up to see Lin Qing sitting by her bedside, still holding her hand. She suddenly burst into tears.<div>


    ¡°Mum, so it wasn¡¯t just a dream,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said with a hoarse voice.


    Lin Qing smiled and shook her head, ¡°Silly girl, of course it¡¯s not a dream. How are you feeling now? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head and rushed forward to hug Lin Qing, sobbing, ¡°People say that the person who appears in your mind when you¡¯re on the verge of death is someone you can¡¯t forget in your life. When I was at death¡¯s door, the person who appeared in my mind was you, Mum. I thought that if I died, I would need to thank him, because he would have freed me from the heartache of missing you day and night.¡±


    The grief-stricken and wistful tone of her voice was enough to move anyone to tears.


    Lin Qing sighed, ¡°If I knew you were going back to a terrible home, I wouldn¡¯t have let you leave for anything. It¡¯s not toote now, recover from your injuries ande home with mum.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively shrunk away, ¡°But what about Ming Jing¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, I¡¯m still the one who calls the shots in this house,¡± Lin Qing said in a cold tone.


    ¡°Mum, you¡¯ve finally reunited with your biological daughter. If I ruin the rtionship between you two because of me, it¡¯ll be a big sin.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is my daughter, and so are you. Remember that. You rest first, as for your stepfather¡­¡±


    A glint flickered in Lin Qing¡¯s eyes and she gritted her teeth, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll never let him get away with this.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang curved her lips into a smile, and before Lin Qing turned back around, she let her smile fade.


    Lin Qing adjusted her nket gently and said softly, ¡°Rest well, I¡¯ll step out to make a call.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively grabbed Lin Qing¡¯s sleeve, looking pitiful. She quickly stirred Lin Qing¡¯s soft side.


    ¡°Mum, are you not going to leave me again?¡±


    Lin Qing patted the back of her hand, ¡°Have a good rest. Mum won¡¯t go away.¡±


    After Lin Qing left, Zhu Xiangxiang was left alone in the luxurious single room, smirking at her great fortune.


    Zhao Xiaohui walked out of the hospital building and saw a familiar figure in the distance.


    Wasn¡¯t that Madam Zhu?


    What was she doing at the hospital?


    Zhao Xiaohui stealthily followed her. Lin Qing was on the phone, apparently furious, ¡°Such scum must be fired. Also, find me awyer. How dare he bully my daughter, I¡¯ll sue him till he rots in jail!¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui wondered, who would dare to bully the young miss from the Zhu family to make Madam Zhu so furious?

 Chapter 368: 169 Unsteady (Part One)

    Chapter 368: 169 Unsteady (Part One)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhao Xiaohui had just finished venting her frustration when she received a phone call from her neighbor.


    ¡°Xiaohui,e back quickly. Something¡¯s happened to Old Deng from your family!¡±<div>


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s brain seemed to ring loudly, ¡°What happened to my Old Deng?¡±


    ¡°He was taken away by an ambnce covered in blood. There are quite a few police officers here too, they say someone was killed¡­ you better get back here quickly.¡±


    ¡°Murder?¡± Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s face instantly turned pale: ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not trying to scare me, are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he killed anyone, but he definitelymitted a crime. Your building¡¯s entrance has been cordoned off by the police; this incident is bing quite serious.¡±


    Meanwhile, an ambnce whizzed through the hospital gates and made its way into the emergency room.


    Zhao Xiaohui watched from a distance, her heart pounding involuntarily.


    Anxiety surged within her.


    Before she had even left the hospital, she received a call from the police station.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen climbed off the bus, carrying their school bags, as they excitedly headed home.


    Seeing a slender and graceful figure standing in the garden from a distance, the two children excitedly ran towards her.


    ¡°Senior, we¡¯re home.¡±<div>


    In early September, chrysanthemums blossomed all over the garden. Their pink and blue petals, apanied by their proud and noble demeanor, drew the admiration of the onlookers. Pine and chrysanthemums still exist.


    The girl in white standing among the flowers was even more pure and ethereal, with an otherworldly elegance.


    Ming Jing turned her head, as streaks of golden sunlight from the setting sun cast a glow over the garden, seemingly highlighting her with its brilliance, an almost unbearable sight.


    The cool autumn breeze swept through the leaves, swaying the shadows of the flowers, with their faint fragrance in the air.


    Delicate skin and weak bones scattered like mysterious petals, with golden stamens reflecting the rosy glow.


    The garden was filled with golden chrysanthemums, with a single frost-like cluster amidst them.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen held their breath, afraid of startling the person.


    ¡°How did it feel on your first day of school?¡± Ming Jing asked with a smile.


    Her smile seemed to outshine the blooming flowers behind her.


    Ming Chen looked dazed before replying, ¡°Going to school is so much fun, Senior, let me tell you, I made many good friends. Everyone is so friendly; today we got new textbooks and everyone took turns introducing themselves. Ming Ti and I were the most popr among our ssmates. I¡¯m so happy, I wish it was already tomorrow morning so I could y with my friends again.¡±


    Compared to Ming Chen¡¯s excitement, Ming Ti appeared much calmer.<div>


    She nced at the prayer beads in Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Senior, did you change your prayer beads?¡±


    Prayer beads are one of the main tools for chanting and cultivating oneself. Since she could remember, Ming Jing never parted with that string of prayer beads. However, after returning this time, Ming Jing¡¯s prayer beads were gone, and now she had a new strand.


    Ming Jing touched the prayer beads on her fingertips and said softly, ¡°I gave them to someone with destiny.¡±


    Ming Ti frowned subconsciously.


    As practitioners recited their prayers day and night, their prayer beads were infused with their thoughts and intentions. umted over time, they had be powerful instruments. Their Master¡¯s prayer beads were already enshrined with him.


    Of the five sisters, the eldest could barely recite the Heart Sutra, Ming Chen was impulsive and impatient. She was told by their Master that she had too many distracting thoughts and an impure heart, unable to pursue her spirit, while little Xiao Wu was too young and had already returned to the secr world. Only Ming Jing had perfectly inherited her Master¡¯s mantle; her cultivation was unfathomable, and her ever-present prayer beads were truly powerful instruments.


    And yet, Ming Jing had gifted those beads to someone else, which meant that person must be very important to her.


    The ordinary wooden prayer beads seemed to highlight those jade-like hands, delicate and slender, almost indescribable.


    Ming Ti had always been more afraid of Ming Jing than respectful, and she never dared to ask about Ming Jing¡¯s affairs. Ming Ti simply nodded and said, ¡°Well, Senior, I¡¯ll go to my room to prepare my lessons now. Ming Chen, don¡¯t bother Senior anymore, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ming Chen followed Ming Ti out of the garden, and the garden fell silent once again.


    The sun set quietly in the west, and thest strand of light faded as it fell beyond the horizon, casting a sorrowful beauty upon the scene, like a beautiful woman in the twilight of her life.<div>


    The cool breeze brushed against her face, causing her skirt to flutter, while the Silver Lotus was bathed in golden light.


    ¡°A flower represents a world, a Buddha embodies a Tathagata.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s gaze fell upon the golden flowers throughout the garden as she murmured softly.


    The vast world was as vast as the sands of the Ganges,ing and going like the Tathagata.


    Unbeknownst to her, the setting sun gave way to the rising stars, and a crescent moon hung from the treetops as night enveloped the sky.


    Car noises came from outside the door, and as the gate opened, the respectful voice of Uncle Wen could be heard in the night breeze, ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve returned. And what about Miss Zhu Xiangxiang?¡±


    Hisst words were filled with surprise.


    ¡°Uncle Wen, long time no see.¡± The girl¡¯s gentle and husky voice echoed softly in the night.


    Uncle Wenughed awkwardly, nced at Lin Qing, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.


    It seemed like just yesterday that Zhu Xiangxiang had left, and yet so little time had passed¡­

 Chapter 369: 169 Unsteady (One more)_2

    Chapter 369: 169 Unsteady (One more)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Uncle Wen sighed quietly to himself just as he saw Lin Qing help Zhu Xiangxiang into the living room.


    On hearing Madam Zhou¡¯s startled, pitch-altered gasp, followed by Granny Zhu¡¯s contemptuous exmation of ¡°ridiculous¡±, Uncle Wen felt a disquiet in his heart. Once again, The Zhu family was headed for turmoil.<div>


    A jarring racket echoed, as Zhu Shaodan arrived on a motorcycle. He barely stopped the bike before eager questioning, ¡°Is my sister back?¡±


    Uncle Wen nodded, watching as the young man rushed forward like a gust of wind.


    The siblings, long separated, embraced each other enthusiastically.


    Zhu Xiangxiang asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Ming Jing?¡±


    As her words fell, the entire living room was instantly struck winter-still.


    Lin Qing and Zhu Shaodan fell into simultaneous silence.


    Granny Zhu cast a nce at Madam Zhou, who replied, ¡°Madam is in the garden.¡±


    Madam Zhou grumbled to herself, ¡°So, that¡¯s it. Madam Zhu¡¯s recent abnormal behavior was all for Zhu Xiangxiang. She brought Zhu Xiangxiang back without a word to anyone. Where does that leave Ming Jing?¡±


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti stood by the entrance gallery on the third floor, watching the scene in the living room with mutual suspicion.


    ¡°This woman just won¡¯t go away. She¡¯s going totch onto The Zhus,¡± huffed Ming Chen indignantly.


    Ming Ti squinted slightly, her perspective somewhat deeper. ¡°If Madam had a stronger will, Zhu Xiangxiang would never havee back. Ming Jing, devoted to her faith, is detached from worldly desires. Madam Zhu, as a mother, wants nothing but familial harmony. She can¡¯t find that in Ming Jing, so naturally, she rekindled the me for her adopted daughter. A few months of coldness cannot freeze sixteen years of a mother and daughter¡¯s affection,¡± she scoffed.<div>


    ¡°So, what now? Just let Zhu Xiangxiang swagger her way back in? That¡¯s much too unfair to Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Patience. Remember what Ming Jing told us ¡ª don¡¯t be impetuous,¡± Ming Ti responded.


    ¡°Well, I am holding my breath, I¡¯m sure Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s return is not well-intentioned,¡± Chen retorted.


    Ming Ti arched her lips into a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    Although Ming Jing is spiritually focused andpassionate, that doesn¡¯t mean she will be indifferent to someone crossing her. If Zhu Xiangxiang steps over the line, she will regret ever being born into this world.


    As their Master once imed, Ming Jing being born into Buddhism is both a blessing and a curse.


    The holy teachings of Buddhism cleanse the soul, wash away the murder, and atone for one¡¯s sins. This long, long path towards re-establishing bone and blood ties¡­


    Uncle Wen squinted at a pure white silhouette in the distance in the garden. She had been standing there for some time, as motionless as a statue.


    ¡°Madam, Madam is back, and she has brought, Madam Xiangxiang.¡±


    Ming Jing straightened her skirt, turned around, and replied with a soft smile, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Uncle Wen.¡±


    Unable to maintain eye contact, Uncle Wen quickly diverted his gaze. ¡°I am used to it, Madam. It is you who are truly overworked.¡±<div>


    Those involved cannot see as clearly as impartial bystanders.


    Ming Jing smiled and walked out of the garden.


    After over a month, Zhu Xiangxiangid eyes on Ming Jing again.


    She was always so sanctified, elusive like a fairy, as if themon folk were not fit for her gaze.


    People proimed her magnanimous andpassionate. Zhu Xiangxiang snorted in disbelief, for only she knew the ugly hypocrisy beneath that perfect facade.


    Having learned from herst stint of troubles, she would not lose her cool so easily again. Above all else, in dealing with Ming Jing, she learned not to let anyone discern her true feelings.


    Ming Jing stayed on her high horse, prioritizing her reputation above all; she would not make her move so easily. Zhu Xiangxiang seized the opportunity to stay in The Zhus¡¯ household. As time would pass, she would find a handle on Ming Jing, tear off her mask, and expose her true face to the world.


    She flicked a nce at Lin Qing standing next to her. Zhu Xiangxiang purposefully let a hint of fear show in her eyes. Lin Qing gave aforting pat on her hand then stepped forward, acting as a shield between them as he exined to Ming Jing, ¡°Ming Jing, Xiangxiang had a difficult time in her new home. Her stepfather was intolerable. If I hadn¡¯t arrived in time today, Xiangxiang would have been choked to death by that man. She can¡¯t stay in that kind of home, so I took the liberty of bringing her back without asking. Rest assured, you are the true heiress of The Zhus. Xiangxiang only needs a roof over her head. She won¡¯t fight with you over anything.¡±


    Granny Zhu scoffed coldly, ¡°What kind of person do you think Ming Jing is? What kind of mother are you to speak those words? Also, is my house some sort of hotel ¨C to go ande as one pleases? I thought the incident in your life would have made you wiser. But I see you are still as naive as ever. Among various solutions, you managed to choose the most annoying one. If it was not intentional then it was purely selfish. I am too old to manage all these things. As you wish! Ming Jing, help me back to my room.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t favor Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang with a nce, rather she turned and pushed Granny Zhu¡¯s wheelchair back towards her bedroom.


    <div>

 Chapter 370: 169 Unsteady (One more)_3

    Chapter 370: 169 Unsteady (One more)_3<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Lin Qing¡¯s face was somewhat embarrassed, she did not expect both of them to not give her face, even though she was the head of the family.


    Zhu Shaodan sneered: ¡°Since when did our family have to look at the face of a yellow-haired girl? Mom, you give her too much face. Thepany was built by you and Dad with painstaking efforts. Now she is reaping the benefits, appearing indifferent on the surface, but in fact, she has deep schemes. I think she came back this time with a premeditated n, the ultimate goal is to swallow up Zhu Group. Howe it¡¯s such a coincidence that she just came back and thepany is in trouble? And my dad, even though he did something wrong, he has already paid the price. That¡¯s her biological father, she actually sacrificed family ties for great justice and gained a good reputation. Poor dad¡­¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood behind Lin Qing, and their eyes met with Zhu Shaodan.


    Both of them hooked the corners of their mouths at the same time.


    Zhu Wentao was a taboo in Lin Qing¡¯s heart, and now that Zhu Shaodan mentioned him, it hurt her deeply in one corner of her heart.


    Her body swayed, and Zhu Xiangxiang quickly supported her, ¡°Mom, mom, are you okay?¡±


    Lin Qing waved her hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Lin Qing looked at Zhu Shaodan: ¡°Ming Jing is your blood sister, be good to her in the future. She has made a lot of contributions to this family. I just want you siblings to help each other and get along well, I have no other requirements.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan pursed his lips, not knowing where that bastard came from, and how he was worthy of being my sister.


    Lin Qing thought of something and looked at Zhu Shaodan: ¡°I have already arranged your school. Starting from tomorrow, go to school and study obediently. If you dare to mess around again, I¡¯ll break your legs.¡±


    She snorted and took Zhu Xiangxiang upstairs.


    Zhu Xiangxiang asked, ¡°Mom, which school did you arrange for Shaodan?¡±


    ¡°Shengde High School. I donated a library for this school. This boy is driving me crazy, staying out all day and mixing with some unscrupulous people. You will have to watch over him for me at school.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang hooked her lips: ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Shaodan at school.¡±


    ¡°Then I can rest assured.¡±


    ¡°Go to school?¡± Zhu Shaodan jumped up like an angry rooster. He had a grudge with school all his life.


    Thinking of Master Xiao¡¯s instructions, Zhu Shaodan could only endure it temporarily.


    There is a long way to go.


    ¡°Lynn,e quickly, there¡¯s a good show tonight, that Wang Quan bastard offended old Qian and is about to be punished¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Zhu Shaodan excitedly got on his beloved little motorcycle, took two steps, and stalled.


    He looked down and saw the tire was t.


    ¡°Motherfucker, my tire was deted in my own home. Who¡¯s so despicable?¡± Zhu Shaodan cursed with his hands on his hips.


    Uncle Wen cowered in a corner with tears in his eyes. I¡¯m sorry, young master, I had no choice but to follow Madam¡¯s orders.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at everything in the room, familiar as it was when she left: silk bed sheets and covers, a wardrobe full of luxurious dresses, famous brand shoes and bags, and a row of expensive skincare products on the dressing table.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang rolledfortably on the bed. She didn¡¯t realize her fortune in the past. Only after experiencing life at the Dengs¡¯ house did she realize the gap between ordinary people and the rich. She vowed never to return to the Dengs¡¯ small broken house again! Never again!


    Zhu Mingjing, it¡¯s not clear yet who will have thestugh.


    She just noticed that Lin Qing¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t quite right. She now knows how important it is to hold Lin Qing¡¯s heart. She should be clear about what Lin Qing thinks and needs to perform well in front of Lin Qing. As soon as she left her room, she saw Ming Jing walking towards her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hooked her lips: ¡°Ming Jing, it¡¯s been a long time. I haven¡¯t congratted you on bing a big star yet.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, her eyes deep and unfathomable. Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t bear to look directly at her and subconsciously looked away.


    ¡°The cycle of cause and effect is always urate. Today¡¯s cause will result in tomorrow¡¯s consequences. I hope that one day you will not regret the choices you made today.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much I hate your sanctimonious look? As if everything you say and do is correct, as if you are the existence of truth in this world. But what are you? A nest-stealing liar. Who are you to lecture me?¡±


    Ming Jing squinted her eyes and smiled lightly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her, her heart beating fast.


    Why was she so calm? Why could she still smile?


    She held her greatest secret, shouldn¡¯t she be in a panic, fearful and uneasy?<div>


    ¡°You¡¯ve made some progress atst. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me too much in the future.¡± Ming Jing smiled faintly and went back to her room, passing her by.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood in ce, baffled. What did she mean?


    Nothing she had imagined happened; Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart grew more and more uneasy. Zhu Ming Jing never yed by the rules. Was this another one of her schemes? For a moment, all of Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s confidence began to waver.


    It was 10 p.m.te at night, and a barbecue restaurant by the roadside was still crowded.


    In the corner, a man with half-white hair and a wizened face was guzzling beer, drowning his sorrows but only adding to his mncholy.


    ¡°Bossdy, beer, I want beer.¡± The man drunkenly hollered.


    His words drew the attention of many people.


    The man cursed: ¡°What are you looking at? Keep looking and I¡¯ll gouge out your eyeballs. Imagine back in the day¡­ How majestic it was when I was with Master Wen¡­¡±


    The man was drunk, babbling nonsense, and a table of heavily tattooed men exchanged nces,ughing sinisterly, threw away their cigarettes, walked to the man, and kicked his chair over.


    ¡°Old man, you just said you were going to gouge out my eyeballs? You¡¯re quite bold.¡± The tattooed man sneered.


    The bossdy saw that there was going to be trouble, and quickly came out to mediate.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bossdy, we¡¯rew-abiding citizens.¡± The tattooed man said and grabbed the man by the cor, dragging him out of the barbecue restaurant.


    ¡°Let go of me, you bunch of dog bastards, do you know¡­know who I am? I¡¯ll scare¡­scare you to death.¡± The man slurred drunkenly.


    The group of tattooed menughed: ¡°Tell us so we can open our eyes.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who Ran Bowen is?¡± The man was leaning against a tree, throwing up.


    Several people looked at each other: ¡°Why does this name sound so familiar?¡±


    Someone pped their forehead: ¡°Isn¡¯t this Ran Bowen, the founder of Qinglong Association? He¡¯s Master Xiao¡¯s uncle!¡±


    Mentioning Master Xiao, their legs turned to jelly in an instant.


    ¡°Look at how weak you guys are. This old man looks so wimpy. He¡¯s not even worthy of being Master Wen¡¯s dog. Besides, Ran Bowen has been dead for over a decade, and his dogs must have died long ago too. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Now it¡¯s Master Xiao¡¯s world.¡±


    ¡°Who knows if he¡¯s telling the truth or not? It doesn¡¯t matter, he bumped into me, so he¡¯s unlucky.¡±


    Fists rained down like a storm, and the man wailed: ¡°The world is so unfair. Master Wen, if you have a spirit in heaven, please show me a way.¡±


    Suddenly, a cold shout rang out: ¡°Stop it!¡±

 Chapter 371: 170 Loyalty (Second Watch)

    Chapter 371: 170 Loyalty (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    A few people turned their heads at the sound and saw a stunningly beautiful woman standing in the night.


    ¡°Yo, little beauty, are you trying to be a hero, or is this your lover?¡±<div>


    As soon as the tattooed man finished speaking, the woman rushed over with an arrow step. Before everyone could see how she made her move, ¡°pa pa pa¡± three crisp sounds rang out, and the man¡¯s face swelled up on both sides.


    The man was dumbfounded, and the others were frightened. This woman was full of cold murderous aura, which was too shocking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to dirty my hands, get lost.¡± The woman coldly shouted.


    One of them tugged at the tattooed man¡¯s arm and whispered tremulously, ¡°Bro, I¡­ I think I saw her at Jin Bi¡¯s beside Master Xiao¡­¡±


    Instantly, everyone¡¯s knees went weak, and they all knelt on the ground.


    ¡°Please spare us, Miss Shuang, we were blind not to recognize great talent¡­¡±


    There was only one female fighter by Ran Tengxiao¡¯s side, Ye Shuang.


    It was rumored that she came from the hidden ancient martial art Xuanjing Sect. She and her senior brother, Ye Jian, were the two great masters at Master Xiao¡¯s side. They were well-known and famous in that circle.


    If they offended this female killing god, their lives were at stake.


    Several people knelt on the ground, trembling, their hearts pounding like drums.


    A cold order came from above; ¡°Get lost.¡±<div>


    Everyone hurriedly fled in panic, fearing that if they were a step slower, they would fall into the tiger¡¯s den.


    Ye Shuang nced at the man on the ground, who resembled a corpse, and walked over to give him a kick: ¡°Are you dead?¡±


    The man struggled to get up, crying and shouting, ¡°Master Wen¡­ I am ashamed of you¡­¡±


    Ye Shuang sneered, ¡°Shou Chang, you are quite loyal. Unfortunately, your master has been dead for twelve years. Now it¡¯s Master Xiao¡¯s world. If you want your son to live, find the person Master Xiao wants soon. Otherwise, you and your son can only go to hell to reunite with your master.¡±


    Shou Chang let out a muffledugh from his chest, ¡°The chaotic strip has not yet turned yellow, the east wind is in power and bes rampant¡­ the east wind is in power, and it bes rampant¡­¡±


    As the words fell, heughed sarcastically and staggered into the night.


    ¡°You¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have saved you. Let those gangsters kill you. You ungrateful thing.¡± Ye Shuang cursed.


    Seeing that it was alreadyte and Shou Chang was drunk and unconscious, there shouldn¡¯t be any progress today. She let her subordinates follow him, while she prepared to go back and get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    She must recuperate for the martial artspetition at the end of October, and strive to win this year¡¯s championship.


    No woman has ever won the championship in more than a dozen years, other than the founder, Yu Jiang.


    All that Master Xiao couldn¡¯t forget was that woman.<div>


    She would not be worse than that woman.


    Ye Shuang turned around and walked into the dark night.


    Hiding in the countryside with his wife and children, Shou Chang lived a life of contentment in poverty for more than a dozen years. If not for Ran Tengxiao¡¯s men finding him, he would have spent his life like this.


    He rented a small room of about twenty square meters in Jiangzhou, living a chaotic day and night life.


    Jiangzhou was so big; where could he find Master Wen¡¯s lover? Back then, among the three, Ji Chang, Shou Chang, and Master Wen, Master Wen trusted Ji Chang more. How good would it have been if Ji Chang were still alive? He would have definitely known where Master Wen¡¯s lover was hiding.


    Shou Chang wandered and climbed up the stairs, took out his key, unlocked the door, and opened a crack. Suddenly, a chill wind brushed past his ear.


    The door was mmed shut with a bang, and the corridor¡¯s sound-controlled lights turned on one by one.


    The air was filled with the rotten smell of instant noodles and beer mixed together. It was not clear how many days and nights they had been left there, but they were already stinking.


    It was nauseating to smell it in the small, unventted room.


    In the darkness, Shou Chang¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly.


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡± Shou Chang, pressed against the wall, his drunkenness suddenly dissipating, stared in shock at the shadow before him.<div>


    ¡°Uncle Shou Chang, don¡¯t you remember me?¡± The youth had a good voice, yful and charming, like an invisible cold dending on the carotid artery.


    Shou Chang¡¯s back hair stood on end, and he frowned for a moment, incredulously saying, ¡°You¡­ are you Ji Chang¡¯s son?¡±


    Xi Yu.


    He knew this person, who was now well-known within the Qinglong Association.Having heard that he had earned Ran Tengxiao¡¯s trust, Shou Chang thought for a long time but couldn¡¯t figure out why Jichang¡¯s son would do so, considering there must be a deep-seated hatred between Jichang and the Rans.


    Not being able to figure out the other party¡¯s purpose, Shou Chang didn¡¯t dare to speak rashly.


    ¡°Only ten days left, Uncle Shou Chang. Your son is still waiting for you.¡±


    The seemingly kind-hearted reminder from the youngd made Shou Chang feel as if he had fallen into a freezing pit.


    Ran Tengxiao had initially set a deadline of three months: if he couldn¡¯t find Ran Bowen¡¯s wife and child, he would have to part with his son forever.


    Now, only ten days were left.


    ¡°Did Ran Tengxiao send you to remind me?¡± Shou Chang sneered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Jichang¡¯s son was now working for the Rans. If Jichang knew, he¡¯d probably jump out of his coffin to scold you as an unfilial son.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Shou Chang, there¡¯s no need to sow discord. You know very well whether my father betrayed us or not. I don¡¯t need to spell it out for you, do I?¡±


    In the dark, Shou Chang was terrified, ¡°What¡­ what nonsensical things are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, huh?¡± The teen curled his lips.


    ¡°The tree that stands tall in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. My father¡¯s mistake was misjudging people¡¯s hearts. He considered you and Lu Chang as brothers, while you both harbored treacherous intentions.¡±


    With a deep sigh from the youngd, Shou Chang¡¯s heart plummeted into the abyss.


    ¡°It was Yu Jiang who drove a wedge between the three of us brothers. Later, I found out she was an undercover agent. We were all deceived by her. She lured Jichang to Jingdu, tricked Master Wen into thinking Jichang had defected, and when Master Wen chased after him, he fell into Yu Jiang¡¯s trap. At that moment, I was misguided by her, and for the past twelve years, I¡¯ve regretted it every single day.¡± Shou Chang knelt down and broke into tears.


    ¡°Yu Jiang¡­¡± the youngd¡¯s voice was cold and chilling to the bone.


    Shou Chang shivered involuntarily.


    ¡°Do you think that by ming a dead person, you can atone for your sins?¡±


    Shou Chang said helplessly, ¡°If you want to avenge your father, go ahead and do it.¡±


    ¡°Sister, wait for me! From today on, I¡¯m going to school with you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang, smiling, tiptoed to straighten Zhu Shaodan¡¯s cor, ¡°Shengde High School has strict rules; if you don¡¯t wear a uniform, you¡¯ll get a demerit. umte three demerits, and you¡¯ll be punished. Even the library mom donated won¡¯t be enough to cover your mischief.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m just going to kill time and protect you while I¡¯m at it.¡± Zhu Shaodan clenched his fists.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s smile deepened, ¡°School is a ce to study, not to fight.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Whoever dares to bully you will have to deal with my fists first.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up at Zhu Shaodan. She didn¡¯t know when the little boy who followed her around had grown so tall, with a mature and defined face.


    Zhu Xiangxiang burst intoughter, pointing at his colorful hair, ¡°Do you want to be famous on your first day? You should dye your hair back first.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan snorted, ¡°Why should I dye my hair back after spending four hours doing it? If they don¡¯t like it, they can suck it up.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes shimmered, and she smiled, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡±


    The library their mother donated should be enough for Zhu Shaodan tost a few months. And that time should be enough for her.


    Lin Qing smiled as she watched the affectionate scene between the siblings.


    Ming Jing walked by without ncing at them, got into her car, and drove away.


    Zhu Shaodan pointed at Ming Jing¡¯s car, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re partial. You got Ming Jing such a nice car, while my sister¡¯s car is all old and ugly. It¡¯s downright embarrassing.¡±


    Lin Qing gave in, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get you a new car tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What about today?¡±


    ¡°Just bear with it for today.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhu Shaodan pointed at the red Ferrari in the garage, ¡°People outside have been saying that my sister was kicked out of the house. Who knows how many are waiting to see her humiliated? If my sister shows up at school in this car, she¡¯ll p their faces hard.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang chided, ¡°Shaodan, stop causing trouble. This is Mom¡¯s car.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan put his hands on his hips, ¡°If you, Mom, personally dropped her off, all those rumors would instantly fall apart!¡±


    ¡°Shaodan, we¡¯re going to school to study, not to show off. Besides, I couldn¡¯t care less about what others say about me. All I need to do is to have a clear conscience.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang spoke and gave Lin Qing a subtle nce.

 Chapter 372: 171 Style (First Update)

    Chapter 372: 171 Style (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Have you heard? Zhu Xiangxiang is back at the Zhu¡¯s residence, the drama is getting intense, such twists and turns.¡±


    ¡°This morning Madam Zhu personally drove her to school in a red Ferrari, you can¡¯t imagine how ostentatious it was.¡±<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, exactly? Wasn¡¯t there talk of Zhu Xiangxiang being thrown out by the Zhus? How did she get back there? Have the Zhu family gone blind, still favoring her even with the presence of Zhu Mingjing, the family¡¯s gem of a daughter?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just supporting another person, the Zhu¡¯s is a wealthy family, they wouldn¡¯t worry about afford it. Probably they¡¯re just afraid of gossip, just putting on appearances. Even so, she still can¡¯tpete with Zhu Mingjing, the rightful youngdy of the Zhu family.¡±


    During morning study time, small groups in the ss were discussing the scene at the school gate this morning, asionally ncing towards the protagonist of the incident, sat in the back corner.


    ¡°A centipede dies but never falls down.¡± Tao Xingxing snapped her pencil in her hand and said venomously.


    ¡°Xingxing, what¡­what are you nning to do?¡± Ma Xiaoxiao, her desk-mate, was a reserved and shy girl. They quickly became good friends after meeting just yesterday, and she was somewhat frightened seeing Tao Xingxing like this.


    Tao Xingxing sneered: ¡°That shameless Zhu Xiangxiang not only stole Mingjing¡¯s mother, but also shamelessly dwells in Mingjing¡¯s house. She¡¯s so cunning, Mingjing is no match for her. As Mingjing¡¯s good friend, it¡¯s my duty and responsibility to help Mingjing reim her home.¡±


    Tao Xingxing gestured: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of her. Once she falls into my hands, I¡¯ll make her pay.¡±


    Tao Xingxing was popr, and had friends in every ss. Now, taking advantage of her status as Mingjing¡¯s best friend, she thrived in ss four, enhanced by her revolutionary friendship with Huang Liang, she sessfully got elected as ss monitor.


    The ss monitor is a symbol of authority, if they want to make life hard for someone, it¡¯s easy.


    As the end of ss approached, Huang Liang said, ¡°Our ss hasn¡¯t elected a group secretary yet. Let¡¯s take this time to decide the candidate. This time we¡¯re not voting. The work of group secretary is different from other ss officers, it requires those with high ideological awareness, any self-nominations?¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces. Tao Xingxing immediately raised her hand: ¡°Sir, I would like to nominate someone.¡±<div>


    Huang Liang nodded, ¡°Go on.¡±


    Tao Xingxing stood up with a smile, ¡°I nominate Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    The whole ss fell silent, Zhu Xiangxiang included.


    Zhu Xiangxiang abruptly looked up at Tao Xingxing. Since she was as close as peas and carrots with Zhu Mingjing, why would she kindly nominate her?


    What was she trying to pull?


    Huang Liang looked towards Zhu Xiangxiang. He didn¡¯tpletely understand the students¡¯ gossip, but he knew that Zhu Xiangxiang was previously the school¡¯s top beauty, and her academic performance was decent too. He thus nodded his head: ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, what do you think?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood up, intending to refuse subconsciously: ¡°Sir, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir, as far as I know, Zhu Xiangxiang was the group secretary when she was a junior. She¡¯s sure to be proficient at this work. Now that we are a ss, our priority is to honor the ss. Zhu Xiangxiang, as a person with high ideological awareness, you wouldn¡¯t refuse this, would you?¡±


    With that said, it was difficult for Zhu Xiangxiang to refuse.


    Huang Liang didn¡¯t detect the sarcasm in Tao Xingxing¡¯s words; instead he thought Tao Xingxing was considerate and genuinely had the ss¡¯s best interest at heart. After praising her, he affirmed Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s position.


    After ss, Ma Xiaoxiao asked curiously: ¡°Why did you nominate her? Don¡¯t you have a beef with her? Isn¡¯t this just boosting her morale?¡±<div>


    Tao Xingxing smiled and said: ¡°We¡¯re ssmates who see each other every day, why create such a tense rtionship? Besides, Zhu Xiangxiang genuinely has the ability, it¡¯d be unjust to bury her talents.¡±


    After saying this, she patted Ma Xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder, and joined the other students on the way to the bathroom.


    Passing by ss one, Tao Xingxing stood at the ssroom door excitedly waving to Mingjing.


    Everyone was used to hering to ss one at the end of each lesson.


    Mingjing smiled and nodded.


    After Tao Xingxing left, Mingjing¡¯s gaze dropped and she unconsciously, wrote a couple of words on the sketch paper.


    Her eyes were fixated on the words she wrote on the paper, deeply lost in thought.


    After Song Yinzhang finished his problem, he raised his head to look at Mingjing. Seeing her furrowed brow, he thought she had encountered some difficult problem. His gaze inadvertently fell on the paper.


    At the bottom of the sketch paper, three words were written with each stroke powerful enough to pierce the paper.


    Usually Mingjing¡¯s handwriting was fluid without a pause, to write in such a heavy-hearted way, she surely must be deeply thoughtful.


    <div>

 Chapter 373: 171 Style (First Update)_2

    Chapter 373: 171 Style (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ran Bowen?


    Is that someone¡¯s name?<div>


    It seems like there¡¯s only one family with thest name Ran in Jiangzhou, right?


    Song Yinzhang looked at Ming Jing with confusion.


    Ming Jing casually crumpled up the draft paper.


    As soon as ss was dismissed at noon, Tao Xingxing immediately ran to ss 1 to find Ming Jing, ¡°Hurry up, hurry up! If we¡¯rete, there won¡¯t be any sweet and sour pork ribs left.¡±


    Ming Jingughed and shook her head: ¡°Even if we leave early, there might not be any left.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s definitely better to go early thante.¡±


    ¡°How does it feel to share a desk with the goddess Ming Jing?¡± Two guys approached from the left and right, and walked out of the ssroom with Song Yinzhang.


    Song Yinzhang watched Tao Xingxing pulling Ming Jing to sprint away, shaking his head andughing.


    The two hadpletely different personalities, it was amazing they could be good friends.


    Ming Jing was nice to everyone, but she always maintained a certain distance. However, she didn¡¯t do that to Tao Xingxing. Song Yinzhang was curious about this.


    ¡°Everyone has left, stop looking.¡± Li Yan teased.<div>


    Song Yinzhang nced at him: ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Ming Jing and I are just friends.¡±


    ¡°Just friends? Have you lost your manhood? How did you be a coward after not seeing each other for a summer break?¡±


    Song Yinzhang said solemnly: ¡°I don¡¯t care, but Ming Jing is pure and innocent. It¡¯s not right to joke around like this with a girl like her. Don¡¯t say things like that in the future.¡±


    Li Yan caught the warning in his words and scratched his nose: ¡°All right.¡±


    At this time, the cafeteria was crowded. Ming Jing¡¯s appearance was like dropping a bomb into the water, causing a thousand ripples.


    If it weren¡¯t for the school¡¯s new rules prohibiting using mobile phones on campus and the presence of the dean of students and the student council to patrol, Ming Jing would have been surrounded by phones by now.


    Ming Jing was like a national treasure in a zoo, with all eyes on her from all directions. Ming Jing remained indifferent, Tao Xingxing wasn¡¯t worried, their calmness made those gazes feel somewhat awkward.


    ¡°Ming Jing, let me tell you, Zhu Xiangxiang is in my ss now. I¡¯ll keep an eye on her for you and make sure she doesn¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do anything, let it be.¡±


    Tao Xingxing finally got the sweet and sour pork ribs she had been longing for and happily picked up her tray and left.


    When it was Ming Jing¡¯s turn, the cafeteria auntie saw her and said excitedly: ¡°You¡¯re Ming Jing, right? You look much prettier than on TV! I saved thisst serving of sweet and sour pork ribs just for you!¡±<div>


    ¡°Auntie, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Ming Jing helplessly watched as the cafeteria auntie piled thest serving of sweet and sour pork ribs onto her te.


    ¡°You¡¯re too thin, eat more meat.¡± The auntie said with pity.


    Ming Jing smiled helplessly: ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡±


    ¡°From now on,e to this window for your meals. Auntie will save all the good food for you and make sure you gain some weight within a month. Girls should have some meat on their face for good luck.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some more of this shredded pork in garlic sauce and twice-cooked pork¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Wow, Ming Jing, the cafeteria auntie really favors you. Howe she gave you so much meat?¡± Looking at the overflowing meat dishes on Ming Jing¡¯s te, Tao Xingxing eximed.


    Ming Jing told her what happened, and Tao Xingxingughed so hard that tears came out, ¡°The auntie is so funny, doesn¡¯t she know you only eat vegetarian food? But you¡¯ve already returned to secr life, right? It¡¯s okay to eat a little; you should keep up with your body¡¯s nutrition.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°You can eat it. I¡¯ll go to the supermarket to buy some breadter.¡±


    At that moment, someone swapped Ming Jing¡¯s tray with one filled with the vegetarian dishes she usually ate.


    Ming Jing turned her head to see Zhao Qin sitting next to her with their tray of meat dishes.


    As Shengde High School¡¯s top female student, Zhao Qin attracted attention wherever she went. She was now a senior and much more low-key than before, but she was still a terrifying presence in the school.<div>


    ¡°I was standing right behind you earlier, and now you don¡¯t recognize me in just a few days. You really hurt my feelings.¡± Zhao Qin¡¯s tone didn¡¯t show any sadness.


    Tao Xingxing widened her eyes; so the gazes just now might not have been just for Ming Jing, but also for Zhao Qin who was standing behind her.


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What are you thanking me for? I¡¯m the one taking advantage. From now on, I¡¯ll always follow you when getting food. Within a month, I¡¯ll definitely be plump and rosy-cheeked.¡±


    Zhao Qin stuffed a piece of sweet and sour pork rib into her mouth, satisfied, ¡°Our school cafeteria¡¯s sweet and sour pork ribs are unparalleled. So many people from other schools envy us. I¡¯m also basking in your glory, right, Miss Zhu Xiangxiang?¡±

 Chapter 374: 171 Style (First Update)_3

    Chapter 374: 171 Style (First Update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhao Qin was used to being ttered, so her tone always had a strange, sarcastic edge to it. Ming Jing didn¡¯t care, but Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t stand it and red at Zhao Qin.


    Zhao Qin squinted at Tao Xingxing and smirked: ¡°Miss knows she¡¯s good-looking, so there¡¯s no use in ring at me like that. If you¡¯re jealous, go find a mirror.¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Tao Xingxing angrily stabbed at the rice in her te, imagining it as Zhao Qin¡¯s face.


    Was it such a big deal to be good-looking? Why act so arrogant?


    Zhao Qin sighed: ¡°Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao have gone to university. Without those pretty boys around, suddenly everything seems so boring¡­¡±


    Tao Xingxing, for once, actually agreed with Zhao Qin and nodded: ¡°The forum is currently holding the annual school beau and belle contest. Ming Jing, you¡¯re definitely the most deserving belle. As for the school beau, after Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao left, the remaining candidates are of mixed quality. The most likely candidate is your deskmate Song Yinzhang. If you both win, one school belle and one school beau sharing a desk, that¡¯ll be just amazing.¡±


    Zhao Qin gave her a nce: ¡°You¡¯re acting like I don¡¯t exist?¡±


    Tao Xingxing really wanted to say something sarcastic, but she just smiled and said: ¡°Miss Zhao,st year, you lost to Zhu Xiangxiang. But why botherparing a rich and beautiful flower like yourself to amon little white flower? This year, losing to Ming Jing is not shameful at all. Can you imagine how prestigious that would be, huh?¡±


    ¡°You do have a way with words¡­¡± Zhao Qin sneered.


    ¡°But you¡¯re right about one thing, losing to Zhu Xiangxiang was a disgrace. Losing to Ming Jing, on the other hand, is eptable, at least it¡¯s not embarrassing.¡±


    The two girls were discussing the title of the school belle while Ming Jing ate quietly.


    Zhao Qin suddenly paused, then burst intoughter.


    ¡°Are all the new students this feisty this year? So much fun, even more exciting than when I was a freshman.¡±<div>


    A group of boys walked into the cafeteria, led by a young man who stood out with his non-standard dress and colorful, half-long hair. He had an arrogant expression and was followed closely by a group of boys, all reduced to hisckeys under his swaggering dominance.


    As soon as this young man walked into the cafeteria, it was as if an ice cube had been thrown into boiling oil, causing amotion.


    Zhao Qin wasughing so hard she was crying, ¡°The new students this year are too much fun, there¡¯s going to be a good show.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the scene with a hint of irritation. No matter how many times she saw it, Zhu Shaodan¡¯s outfit was still an eyesore.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had just picked up her food and identally bumped into a boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang apologized politely.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the former school belle? Why are you all alone now? It breaks my heart to see you like this.¡± The boy sneered.


    Zhu Xiangxiang furrowed her brows and tried to leave, but the boy suddenly blocked her way. ¡°Where are you going, our great school belle Zhu?¡±


    Calling her the school belle now was just ironic.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°My shoes are dirty. If the great school belle Zhu would deign to wipe them for me, I¡¯ll let today¡¯s incident slide.¡±<div>


    The other students were watching themotion, reveling in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s misfortune.


    Qi An had once pursued Zhu Xiangxiang relentlessly; everyone in the school knew about it. To their surprise, Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t seem to care at all. She never even gave Qi An a nce, let alone a chance. Qi An¡¯s pride was deeply wounded, and he never let anyone mention Zhu Xiangxiang in front of him again.


    This was Qi An taking his revenge on Zhu Xiangxiang out of resentment.


    Watching Zhu Xiangxiang being bullied by Qi An, everyone felt that she looked so pitiful. It was like a tiger that had been brought low by a dog. However, no one stepped forward to help her.


    Times had changed, and the title of school belle and Miss Zhu no longer belonged to Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Everyone looked in the direction of that person, who was sitting with Zhao Qin, chatting andughing. Their feelings became even moreplicated, mixed with a touch of fear.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face showed embarrassment as she finally remembered who the boy was. He had once been so passionate in his pursuit. How despicable he had be. ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized. Don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    ¡°Too far?¡± Qi An sneered. ¡°You still think you¡¯re Miss Zhu? Take a good look at yourself- you¡¯re going to wipe these shoes one way or the other.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve got quite the attitude. Daring to make my sister wipe your shoes- are you really that eager for a beating?¡± A young man with multicolored hair emerged from the crowd. Not only was his hair eye-catching, but his non-mainstream outfit was also quite noticeable.


    Where did this kide from? Even Zhao Qin had to wear the school uniform. It was amazing that he was so bold.


    Qi An frowned and looked at him: ¡°Who are you?¡±<div>


    ¡°Shaodan?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang looked at him in surprise, then shook her head and said, ¡°You should go. Don¡¯t get involved in my troubles. I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t create more problems for everyone.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan walked up to Zhu Xiangxiang. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m here, no one will bully you.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan intentionally raised his voice so everyone could hear clearly, and soon there was a buzz of discussion around them.


    ¡°This messy-haired kid is Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s brother?¡±


    ¡°The younger brother is actually quite handsome. Why did he choose such an eye-catching outfit? If he tidied himself up a bit, he could even be a contender for the school beau. What a waste.¡±


    ¡°You guys are missing the point. The real question is why is he Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s brother? Are they actually rted, or is he from the Zhu family¡­?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan looked around at the crowd and said with a grin, ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Zhu Shaodan. I¡¯m new at Shengde High School, so please be lenient with me. Zhu Xiangxiang is my sister, so if any of you want to bully her, you¡¯ll have to deal with my fists first¡­¡±


    As soon as his words fell, Zhu Shaodan¡¯s fist flew towards Qi An¡¯s face, swearing: ¡°Fuck you, you think you can bully my sister? Crawl away.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan? Surnamed Zhu, could he be the young master of the Zhu family?


    Before anyone could recover from their surprise, they saw the once-grinning teenager suddenly swing his fist at Qi An. The brutal swing sent a shiver down their spines.


    Oh no, Shengde High School is going to have another bully.


    Zhao Qin raised her eyebrows, turned to Ming Jing, and teased: ¡°Your brother is really brave, just like me back in the day.¡±

 Chapter 375: 172 Disciplinary Action (Second Revision)

    Chapter 375: 172 Disciplinary Action (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Shaodan¡­!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang eximed in shock.


    Qi An was stunned by this sudden turn of events, and before he could react, he was pushed to the ground and beaten. The punchesnded heavily on his flesh, and he was dazed by the attack.<div>


    Seeing that it was a real fight and not just ying around, the others froze, panic-stricken, and retreated.


    This kid is terrifying.


    ¡°Stop, stop it right now!¡± The disciplinary director on patrol in the cafeteria burst in, furious, and tried to pull Zhu Shaodan away.


    Zhu Shaodan shook off the director¡¯s hand and pointed at Qi An, who was lying on the ground, gasping for breath. He threatened fiercely, ¡°My sister ¡ª if I find out any of you have been bullying her again, it won¡¯t be just a beating. And remember my name, Zhu Shaodan. It¡¯ll be a nightmare for all of you.¡±


    Such arrogance. The disciplinary director¡¯s nose almost crooked with rage. Noticing his colorful hair and outfit, he fumed, ¡°Which ss are you in? This is outrageous!¡±


    He took out some heart-relief pills from his pocket, poured a few tremblingly into his mouth, patted his chest, and finally caught his breath.


    Zhu Shaodan grinned, ¡°Hello, teacher. My name is Zhu Shaodan, and I¡¯m in Senior ss 1/8. This guy bullied my sister and the school didn¡¯t do anything about it, so I, as her brother, had to take matters into my own hands.¡±


    With a roll of his eyes, the director clutched his chest, and two students rushed to hold him up. ¡°Mr. Li, are you alright?¡±


    Li Rengui ground his teeth, ¡°Starting a fight on the first day of school, dyeing hair, not wearing the school uniform, impertinent, and forming cliques. You¡¯repletely unreasonable. I must expel you.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan scoffed, ¡°I hope you keep your word.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang, seeing that the situation was escting, hurriedly pulled Zhu Shaodan back, and pleaded with Mr. Li, ¡°Shaodan, just keep quiet. Mr. Li, my brother didn¡¯t mean to do it. Please give him another chance. He won¡¯t do this kind of thing again.¡±<div>


    Li Rengui waved his hand, pointing at Qi An, ¡°You should apologize to this student.¡±


    With his swollen nose and bruised face, Qi An had lost all dignity in front of his ssmates.


    ¡°He should apologize to my sister first.¡± Zhu Shaodan¡¯s stubborn attitude made Li Rengui¡¯s eyes roll with rage, leaving him short of breath again.


    Everyone watched the drama unfold with glee, not expecting such excitement on the first day of school.


    ¡°Shaodan, do you want to cause more trouble? Apologize to Qi An quickly!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang scolded sternly.


    ¡°Why should I? He deserved it for bullying you.¡± Zhu Shaodan looked around, and people retreated wherever his gaze fell.


    Zhu Shaodan had made a name for himself with this fight.


    Ming Jing picked up her tray and left, indifferent to themotion before her.


    Tao Xingxing hurried to catch up with her, sneaking a nce at her before quietly asking, ¡°Ming Jing, isn¡¯t he your biological brother?¡±


    Why was he defending Zhu Xiangxiang?


    While cleaning her tray, Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°So what if he is?¡±<div>


    Tao Xingxing huffed, ¡°Is he blind or something? Defending Zhu Xiangxiang like that when you¡¯re clearly his real sister.¡±


    ¡°The little brat is a traitor.¡±


    Ming Jing ced her cleaned tray into the sterilizing cab and took out a handkerchief from her school uniform pocket, wiping the water stains from her fingers unhurriedly. ncing up at the noisy crowd across her, she walked away.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡± Someone suddenly called her.


    Ming Jing¡¯s steps momentarily halted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to Zhu Xiangxiang. She¡¯s just doing this on purpose.¡± Tao Xingxing pulled Ming Jing away quickly.


    ¡°Ming Jing, Shaodan is your biological brother. Aren¡¯t you going to help him when he¡¯s in trouble?¡±


    As Zhu Xiangxiang finished, all eyes fell on Ming Jing.


    Suddenly, everyone realized that the young boy with multicolored hair, who was as terrifying as a demon, was actually Ming Jing¡¯s brother.


    How could the graceful, gentle and kind Ming Jing have such an unreasonable brother?


    ¡°What do you want her for? I can handle my own affairs.¡± Zhu Shaodan grumbled unhappily.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head at him, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be expelled on the first day of school, then shut up.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan snorted.


    Meanwhile, Li Rengui was on the phone with ss 8¡¯s homeroom teacher. This matter had to be resolved today.With so many students watching, the impact could be severe, potentially ruining the century-old reputation of Shengde High School in an instant.


    Ming Jing shook off Tao Xingxing¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°You go back first.¡±


    With that, she turned and walked towards the crowd.


    Tao Xingxing resignedly followed.


    Everyone saw Ming Jing walk straight up to Qi An and suddenly grab his wrist. Qi An was stunned, staring nkly at the girl in front of him.


    His breathing suddenly became rapid, and the fingertips on his wrist were like cold jade, instantly dispelling all his pain.


    The others were also stunned, unable to understand what Ming Jing was trying to do.


    Ming Jing quickly let go and calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s a skin wound, just rest for a few days and it will heal. If you¡¯re not reassured, you can have the Zhu¡¯s driver take you to the hospital now. All medical expenses will be covered by the Zhus. If you have any other requests, you can make them as well.¡±


    The girl¡¯s voice was cold and clear, like shattered ss.


    Before anyone could react, Ming Jing walked up to Li Rengui and said, ¡°Hello Mr. Li, I am Zhu Shaodan¡¯s sister, Ming Jing.¡±


    Li Rengui was taken aback, first by the girl¡¯s stunning looks and demeanour, but then by her calm andposed attitude. He felt a sense offort and nodded, ¡°Ming Jing, I know you.¡±


    The teachers would gossip about the school¡¯s celebrities in private.


    ¡°Being young and impulsive is not an excuse for making mistakes. From now on, he will ept any punishment from the school. Please calm down, Mr. Li.¡±


    This was the proper attitude for admitting a mistake. Just as Li Rengui was about to nod his head in satisfaction, he heard Zhu Shaodan angrily question, ¡°Who do you think you are? How can you make decisions for me? I don¡¯t have a sister like you.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him indifferently. In an instant, it was as if a sharp de was pressed against his throat, and Zhu Shaodan¡¯s mocking smile froze on his face. He stood there as if under a paralysis spell.


    ¡°Zhu Shaodan, you¡¯re fifteen years old and should know what order, rules, andws are, as well as take responsibility for your actions. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re any different from others. In the vast sea of people, you are nothing but an insignificant mortal. Don¡¯t re at me with hatred; I don¡¯t owe you anything. Today you beat someone up for a moment of glory, tomorrow you could kill. Desires in people¡¯s hearts expand step by step. As your sister, I have no responsibility but an obligation to discipline you, not for your sake, but for the innocent people you might hurt in the future.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s words were powerful and resounding, stirring the hearts of all who listened.


    Li Rengui apuded, ¡°Ming Jing, what you said is excellent.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang secretly gritted her teeth, knowing that Ming Jing was best at this kind of act, appearing righteous and full of moral integrity in front of others, but extremely hypocritical in reality.


    But everyone else bought into it.


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face turned pale and green, not knowing what he was afraid of, and never daring to speak up.


    ¡°Mr. Li, I ept any punishment the school has for Zhu Shaodan.¡±


    Li Rengui nodded, ¡°Please invite your parents toe to the school. I¡¯ll wait for you in the office.¡±


    With that, he turned and walked away with his hands behind his back.


    Ming Jing walked a few steps and looked back at Zhu Shaodan, who was still standing in the same spot, her eyes slightly narrowed.


    Zhu Shaodan cursed silently in his heart. Why did her eyes make him feel both fearful and oddly familiar? He instinctively chased after her.


    ¡°Shaodan¡­¡± A sense of unease crept into Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not afraid of her.¡± Zhu Shaodan reassured Zhu Xiangxiang before swaggering off after Ming Jing.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment before following suit.


    As soon as the three left, the cafeteria exploded with chatter.


    ¡°Hey, Ming Jing, you stop right there! Don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you! Let me tell you¡­¡±


    Ming Jing turned around, and with a p, hit Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face hard, showing no mercy and leaving himpletely dazed.


    ¡°Shaodan!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang hurried over, standing in front of Zhu Shaodan and ring at Ming Jing angrily.


    ¡°Why did you hit him so hard? He didn¡¯t do it intentionally.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt slightly shaken, as this was the first time she had seen Ming Jing use violence.


    There was not a trace of anger on Ming Jing¡¯s face, still as serene as ever, the corners of her mouth slightly curved, smiling as gently as a spring breeze.


    Having dealt with Ming Jing for so long, Zhu Xiangxiang had gained some understanding of her. The gentler her smile, the bigger the issue.


    Ming Jing raised her chin slightly, her eyes calm and indifferent, and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m disciplining my own brother; outsiders, please step aside.¡±

 Chapter 376: 173 Courage (First Update)

    Chapter 376: 173 Courage (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ordinary people?


    Zhu Xiangxiang was indignant, finding herself nowbeled as ordinary people.<div>


    ¡°Shaodan is my brother too. He¡¯s a grown man, how could you just hit him like that?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly turned and twisted Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face, looking at it left and right, and said with pity, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s temporarily short-circuited brain finally reconnected, and he stared fiercely at Ming Jing, his eyes full of viciousness, startling even Zhu Xiangxiang, who was most familiar with him.


    She had never seen Zhu Shaodan like this before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes, Zhu Shaodan. This is school, not the Qinglong Association. Your fists can¡¯t solve any problems here. People who only show off their bravery won¡¯t get far. If this continues, you¡¯ll only be a tool in the hands of others, without thoughts and personality. Once you lose your usefulness, you¡¯ll be ruthlessly discarded.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head gently, her eyes filled with sadness.


    ¡°Uneducated minds really can¡¯t hear any reason. No one is obligated to be responsible for your life. If you want to sink and degrade yourself, then go ahead.¡±


    Without the slightest hesitation, Ming Jing turned and walked away, her slender figure gradually fading into the distance.


    Zhu Shaodan clenched his fists tightly and stared intently at her retreating figure.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was still chattering in his ear, defending Ming Jing. For the first time, Zhu Shaodan felt annoyed and yelled, ¡°Stop talking!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was startled and stared nkly at the irritable boy before her.


    ¡°Shaodan¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang asked cautiously.<div>


    Zhu Shaodan touched his cheek. Ming Jing¡¯s p had been fierce, and half of his face was already swollen.


    Zhu Shaodan hissed softly, gritting his teeth, which sent shivers down Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Pah.¡± Spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva, Zhu Shaodan sneered and walked away.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly followed him, ¡°Shaodan, don¡¯t me Ming Jing, maybe she was trying to help you.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan nced at her, and Zhu Xiangxiang felt goosebumps rise to the surface from his gaze, tremblingly she said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    In the end, the matter was resolved by Lin Qing paying some money. In consideration of the face of the library building, the school decided to give Zhu Shaodan the punishment of being criticized in a report. Li Rengui stormed the principal¡¯s office, demanding expulsion as Zhu Shaodan¡¯s behavior tarnished Shengde High School¡¯s century-old reputation.


    Eventually, Zhu Shaodan was given a week of suspension to reflect on his actions, required to write a 10,000-word self-criticism letter, and ordered to dye his hair, put on school uniform, and read his self-criticism letter in front of the whole school during Monday¡¯s g-raising ceremony. A second offense would result in immediate expulsion.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s all my fault. If Shaodan hadn¡¯t stood up for me, he wouldn¡¯t have got into this mess.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed and her voice was tearful.


    Lin Qing had given up on saving Zhu Shaodan. Anything that could be resolved with money wasn¡¯t really a problem. What she was more concerned about was Zhu Xiangxiang being bullied at school.


    ¡°Xiangxiang, tell mom the truth. Has anyone been bullying you at school?¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s expression showed a moment of panic, and she quickly shook her head, ¡°No, no, mom, you¡¯re overthinking it. Everyone at school is very friendly¡­¡±


    Lin Qing could see from her expression that something was wrong and gently patted her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, tell mom.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang finally broke down and threw herself into Lin Qing¡¯s arms, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done wrong. All the students like Ming Jing and not me¡­¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not as pretty as Ming Jing and I don¡¯t have her good grades, but I¡¯ve been trying so hard. Everyone still doesn¡¯t like me. I just don¡¯t know what to do anymore. I¡¯ve already returned what I owed Ming Jing. Does she want to hound me to death to be satisfied?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang cried like the rain, pitiful and delicate, and with every word she said, Lin Qing¡¯s expression grew darker until it was almost dripping with water.


    She patted Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s back gently, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry. How about mom helps you transfer schools? A change of environment might be better.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened and she quickly lowered her head to hide the panic in her eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not bother. With Shaodan causing such a huge mess on his first day of school, I can only feel at ease if I keep an eye on him.¡±


    Lin Qing said with a pleased expression, ¡°You really do care about Shaodan.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Ming Jing cares about Shaodan too. She pped him in a fit of anger earlier, afraid that Shaodan might get into trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°What? She pped Shaodan?¡± No wonder she saw Shaodan¡¯s half-swollen face at the time, she had thought it was from fighting.<div>

 Chapter 377: 173 Courage (First Update)_2

    Chapter 377: 173 Courage (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ming Jing was just looking out for Shaodan¡¯s best interests; I¡¯ve never seen her so angry before,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang sighed.


    Thinking that Lin Qing would be upset, Zhu Xiangxiang was surprised when Lin Qing just smiled with relief.<div>


    So Ming Jing did have a heart, and cared for her brother after all.


    Lin Qing let out a breath.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to ss. I¡¯ll take Shaodan home first.¡± Lin Qing patted Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand, climbed into the Ferrari, and Zhu Shaodan hung his head without saying goodbye to his sister. Zhu Xiangxiang watched the car disappear before steeled herself and turned around.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Lin Qing¡¯s solution to be transferring schools.


    To where though, the neighboring Yi High School?


    The two schools were iparable. If that happened, she really would be fleeing disgracefully, unable to wash away the humiliation for the rest of her life.


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked along the campus avenue lined with tall camphor trees. It was September, and the leaves whirling in the air before settling at her feet, carpeting the ground in gold.


    Her steps suddenly faltered; she seemed to have gone astray.


    Competing for Lin Qing¡¯s favor served no purpose, and impressing Ming Jing was also pointless. As an adopted daughter, no matter how well she performed, Lin Qing¡¯s eyes would always prefer his biological son. She just wanted to feel the ¡°warmth¡± from her daughter, and that was her value in this situation.


    If she went off track, the gains might not make up for the losses.


    From today¡¯s oue, it was clear that Ming Jing could get angry and retaliate, so before that happened, she had toy low and bide her time.<div>


    There was only one chance, and she had to make it count, giving her opponents no opportunity for aeback.


    This was a long and arduous path, filled with many injustices and humiliations. But after enduring this darkness, light would eventually shine through.


    Having understood this, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mood miraculously calmed down. As the ancients said, those who wish to aplish great things must endure what others cannot.


    After school, Ming Jing packed her bag and left the ssroom.


    Tao Xingxing ran over and linked arms with Ming Jing, ¡°Your brother became an overnight sensation after this fight. The forums are flooded with his name ¨C partly because of you, and partly because of his impressive fighting skills. Wow. You¡¯re so gentle; how did you end up with such a hot-headed little brother? Did he bully you at home?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early; let me treat you to some milk tea,¡± Ming Jing suggested.


    ¡°Not everyone can afford milk tea from the goddess Ming Jing. What an honor! Others would be green with envy.¡± Tao Xingxing took out her phone, ¡°I¡¯ll call my mom and ask her to pick me upter.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°No need to trouble your mother, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    After hanging up, Tao Xingxing grinned, ¡°My mom¡¯s entertaining clients at Shidai Square tonight, so I¡¯ll just hitch a ride home with her.¡±


    The milk tea shop was bustling, with a long waiting line. Someone recognized Ming Jing, and the ce instantly buzzed with excitement.<div>


    Tao Xingxing quickly grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s arm and fled before anyone had time to react. Those bystanders had just taken their phones out when Ming Jing¡¯s figure vanished from sight.


    Reaching a deserted ce, Tao Xingxing bent over, panting, ¡°I can¡¯t go out with you casually anymore ¨C you¡¯re a national icon now. Everyone on the street recognizes you.¡±


    ¡°National icon?¡± Ming Jing raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you never go online?¡± Tao Xingxing said exasperatedly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a Weibo ount ¨C where can your fans channel their love and admiration? Are you worthy of them?¡± Tao Xingxingmented.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°Fans¡¯ adoration is like the moon¡¯s reflection in water or flowers in a mirror ¨C ultimately an illusion.¡±


    Tao Xingxing nced at her, ¡°Many people dream of bing a superstar, basking in the adoration of thousands. Yet you remain unmoved. I admire that.¡±


    It would be pretty uninteresting to see through everything at such a young age.


    Tao Xingxing looked at Ming Jing¡¯s calm andposed face, suddenly feeling pity for her.


    To be indifferent to material gains and personal losses is a lofty quality admired and sought after by many. Can anyone truly attain it? If asked previously, Tao Xingxing would have scoffed. But Ming Jing¡¯s presence disrupted her beliefs.


    She believed Ming Jing could achieve it, but then what?<div>


    Living in this world, people have all sorts of desires ¨C big and small. From houses, cars, jobs, spouses, and children, to dazzling clothes, beautiful bags, or even a delicious meal or cup of milk tea that brings happiness for a long time. People are creatures ruled by desires, leading to joy, pain, and distress. This is the true feeling of being alive, and people should make the most of their short lives.

 Chapter 378: 173 Courage (First Update) _3

    Chapter 378: 173 Courage (First Update) _3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    But if Ming Jing remains like this, with no desire and no passion, void from sadness or joy, Tao Xingxing finds it even more meaningless.


    Seeing through the secr world prematurely would result in the loss of much happiness, leaving a person feeling like a walking corpse.<div>


    However, each person strives for something different, so perhaps Ming Jing is enjoying the path she¡¯s chosen. My thoughts may be rather narrow-minded.


    Tao Xingxing simply hopes for Ming Jing to be happy.


    ¡°Your phone is ringing.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s reminder brings Tao Xingxing back to reality.


    Tao Xingxing quickly answers her phone: ¡± mom, Ming Jing and I are at the square here, we are not¡­okay.¡±


    Tao Xingxing nced at Ming Jing: ¡°My mom brought a document to the office and needs it urgently. Her assistant took a leave, so I must make a trip to her office.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    Tao Xingxing got up and held Ming Jing¡¯s arm: ¡°I knew you¡¯re the best.¡±


    It took 20 minutes to go to the office, collect the document, and return to Shidai Square. Tao Xingxing, pulling Ming Jing out of the car, asked, M¡±Ming Jing, would you join me? I¡¯m scared to go alone.¡±


    My mom said she¡¯s at a Sichuan restaurant on the 5th floor named Chun Man Tang, this one right here.¡±


    Tao Xingxing pointed to a shop with the sign Chun Man Tang. The storefront wasvishly decorated, with four attendants standing at the entrance.


    Tao Xingxing approached them and said: ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver something for the guests in room 202.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, please follow me.¡± A female waiter escorted them in.


    Both of them were wearing school uniforms. Thin and graceful, Ming Jing¡¯s school uniform couldn¡¯t hide her innate elegance. Not only the attendants but many customers gazed at her as she passed.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ming Jing? The one from ¡°Three Meals a Day¡± show¡­¡±


    The three attendants exchanged startled nces.


    Tao Xingxing leaned towards Ming Jing, giggling: ¡°Walking with you, I¡¯ve now experienced what it¡¯s like to be in the spotlight, like a big star. It feels great.¡±


    Ming Jing gave her a little pull: ¡°Be careful.¡±


    A waiter was approaching with a cart containing wine and an ice bucket. She quickly protected the wine, frowning at Tao Xingxing.


    ¡°This is a ¡¯47 nc, one bottle is worth 200k. Can you afford to pay for it if you knock it over?¡±


    When Tao Xingxing heard that a bottle of wine was 200k, she was frightened almost senseless. What were they drinking, gold? Even gold wasn¡¯t that expensive¡­


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Tao Xingxing quickly apologized.<div>


    Ming Jing nced coldly at the waiter. The waiter suddenly felt a chill on her back, and pushed her cart away inexplicably.


    ¡°Be careful when you walk.¡± Ming Jing reminded her.


    Tao Xingxing put her hand to her chest. ¡°A bottle of wine costs 200k? Oh my God¡­¡±


    Ming Jing looked back to see the waiter pushing her cart inside a room. The door opened partially, and the refined face of a middle-aged man shed by.


    Room 202 was a short distance from the staircase. As the waiter approached the room and knocked, Wu Jiaqi quickly stepped out of the room.


    Today, Wu Jiaqi was dressed in a ck suit skirt, her hair tied up in a ponytail behind her head, showing the agile spirit of a professional woman. She was a petite and lovely beauty. She was innocent in her youth and her middle age didn¡¯t make her look older, but rather more mature and charming. Her face was a little flushed, probably due to drinking, making her look even more charming.


    ¡°Xingxing, you¡¯re here. Ming Jing, I¡¯m sorry my carelessness made you have toe all this way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, aunty.¡± Ming Jing handed the document to Wu Jiaqi.


    ¡°You should head home now. It¡¯s going to bete here. Xingxing, your father is on duty tonight, remember to lock the door when you¡¯re at home by yourself¡­¡± Wu Jiaqi said, as if she¡¯s talking to herself.


    Tao Xingxing responded, and looked at Wu Jiaqi, worried. ¡°Mom, your stomach is not good, you should drink less wine, dad will chide you if he finds out.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, go home now.¡± Wu Jiaqi enjoyed her daughter¡¯s care, gave a pampering smile, waved her hand and motioned for them to leave.<div>


    At this moment, a man¡¯s voice, mixed with slight drunkenness, came from the room: ¡°Mr. Wu, you¡¯re unfair, trying to sneak away after drinking half of the wine! Oh, is this Mr. Wu¡¯s daughter? How pretty.¡± A rotund manwalked out of the room, his eyes resting on Tao Xingxing. He was first stunned, but when heid his eyes on Ming Jing, he was almost floored.


    ¡°Where did this fairye from? Mr. Wu, you sure have good taste.¡± The manughed vulgarly.


    The expression on Wu Jiaqi¡¯s face changed, and she quickly stepped in front of Ming Jing and Tao Xingxing, her voice cold. ¡°Mr. Li, they are still kids, just here to deliver a quote. Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t sign without a quote? I have it here, why not talk about signing the contract?¡±


    ¡°Discussing the contract is fine, fine. What¡¯s this youngdy¡¯s name? How old is she? Where does she live?¡± the man continued, walking towards Ming Jing. ¡°How about having a few drinks with me?¡±


    Tao Xingxing, who had never faced such a situation, instinctively stepped in front of Ming Jing. Even though she was scared, she shoved the man and yelled, ¡°Back off, don¡¯t touch my friend!¡±


    The man staggered backward, a look of anger on his face. He red at Wu Jiaqi. ¡°Mr. Wu, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi looked at Ming Jing apologetically. ¡°I¡¯ll apologizeter for allowing you to experience such an unpleasant incident. Xingxing, you and Ming Jing leave first, don¡¯t worry about things here.¡±


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s voice had a hint of a sob: ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m not leaving. He will definitely bully you. Shall we call the police¡­¡±


    Wu Jiaqi shook her head: ¡°You two just leave, don¡¯t worry, I can handle this.¡±


    ¡°Leave? No one is going anywhere today. If you want to sign the contract, let this little girl stay and drink a few sses of wine with me. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just drinking. Yourpany has been making consecutive mistakes. If you can¡¯t sign this contract, bankruptcy is not far off. You know the gravity of the situation, don¡¯t you, Mr. Wu?¡±


    The manughed nastily, his gaze fixed on Ming Jing. This youngdy sure was different, he found it hard to shift his gaze after seeing her for the first time.


    Wu Jiaqi¡¯s face was deathly pale: ¡°Mr. Li, don¡¯t go too far, they¡¯re still children.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Aunty, don¡¯t be angry. Let him see if he has the guts to drink with me.¡±

 Chapter 379: 174 Risking One’s Life (Second Update)

    Chapter 379: 174 Risking One¡¯s Life (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What a big tone this little girl has.¡± Li Qingsheng sneered.


    Wu Jiaqi¡¯s face showed anger, another girl was frightened and scared, but this girl, from the beginning to the end, seemed indifferent, making her all the more extraordinary.<div>


    Li Qingsheng initially wanted to make things difficult for Wu Jiaqi, but now he really had some interest.


    With such unparalleled beauty, how could he let her go so easily?


    Wu Jiaqi suddenly thought of Ming Jing¡¯s identity and sneered, ¡°Mr. Li, I advise you to give up this idea and apologize to this ssmate.¡±


    Thedder has been ced here for you, it¡¯s up to you to climb it.


    At this time, two more men came out of the box, and the shorter one said, ¡°Alright, Mr. Wu, isn¡¯t it just drinking with Mr. Li? It¡¯s not a big deal. If you offend Mr. Li, yourpany will be close to bankruptcy. I don¡¯t think you want to see this happen.¡±


    Another tall and skinny man scrutinized Ming Jing carefully, finding her more and more familiar. He needed to be cautious, for this girl¡¯s appearance and temperament did not seem ordinary. If Li Qingsheng offends a powerful figure, he won¡¯t even know it.


    ¡°Mr. Li, don¡¯t make things difficult for the kids. If you want girls to apany you to drink, I can call a few for you right now. Theye in all shapes and sizes, whatever type you want. Let these youngdies go, they have to go to school tomorrow. Please give me face.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the man who was talking, and in return, he apologized with a smile.


    The short man red at him fiercely. ¡°Good for you, Zhang Qiao, always contradicting me, huh.¡±


    Li Qingsheng remained unmoved, determined to have this girl stay, ¡°Mr. Wu, will you give me this face?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi sneered, having made herself clear, was Li Qingsheng¡¯s brain filled withrd?<div>


    ¡°Mr. Li, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t agree to this request. This is¡­ ¡°.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu?¡± Suddenly, a surprised voice came. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man in a suit and leather shoes walk up to Ming Jing, eximing, ¡°I thought I recognized the wrong person, but it is really Ms. Zhu, what are you doing here?¡±


    Li Qingsheng stared at the man, growing more and more incredulous, wasn¡¯t this¡­ wasn¡¯t this Shen Ke?


    If he is here, Shen Zhou must be nearby.


    But why would he talk to that girl, and in such a respectful tone?


    Zhang Qiao narrowed his eyes, surnamed Zhu? In a sh, he suddenly understood something and heaved a sigh of relief.


    So, the rumors are true.


    Ming Jing looked at the neer, nodded, and smiled, ¡°Secretary Shen, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Shen would be very happy to know you are nearby. Did you receive the Buddha statue he sent earlier? Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for Mr. Shen¡¯s concern. I like it very much.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Shen is dining with Mayor Shen and his wife tonight; they are old acquaintances. Why not go say hello? Madam Shen just mentioned you earlier, she would be delighted to see you.¡±<div>


    Shen Ke finished speaking, turning his head to look at Li Qingsheng, Zhang Qiao, and the others, his eyes slightly narrowing: ¡°This is¡­ ¡°.


    With the end of Shen Ke¡¯s words, Li Qingsheng¡¯s heart gradually sank to the bottom.


    Shen Zhou was dining with Mayor Shen and his wife in the next room? Shen Zhou had sent this girl a Buddha statue? Madam Shen had a good rtionship with her?


    The implication in Shen Ke¡¯s words couldn¡¯t be clearer.


    Li Qingsheng¡¯s eyes fell on Ming Jing, full of suspicion, what exactly was this girl¡¯s background?


    Not only Li Qingsheng, but Zhang Qiao and the short man were also shocked and then red even harder at Zhang Qiao.


    Good for you, Zhang Qiao, you are so cunning.


    ¡°Secretary Shen, nice to meet you. I am Li Qingsheng, the CEO of Qinglong Building Materials Group. This is my business card for your inspection. It¡¯s an honor for me to see Secretary Shen tonight.¡± Li Qingsheng¡¯s obsequious double-handedly handed over his business card.


    Shen Ke didn¡¯t ept the card, raising his eyebrows with a smile, ¡°If I didn¡¯t hear wrong, did you just ask Ms. Zhu to apany you for a drink?¡±


    Li Qingsheng quickly shook his head, ¡°No such thing, Secretary Shen, you must have misunderstood. This youngdy¡¯s demeanor is extraordinary, and I was shocked by her beauty and asked a few more questions, causing your misunderstanding.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi sneered, ¡°Mr. Li is really good at sugarcoating things. I¡¯m not blind or deaf. If you don¡¯t apologize to Ms. Zhu today, don¡¯t think about easily letting it go.¡±<div>


    Li Qingsheng red at her with clenched teeth and a threatening look in his eyes.Wu Jiaqi stared back fearlessly, insisting that even if the deal was off, Li Qingsheng had to apologize.


    Shen Ke curved his lips and nced at the business card: ¡°Li Qingsheng? What a thick skin you have, asking Ms. Zhu to drink with you. Do you dare to drink?¡±


    Li Qingsheng trembled, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, and nced at Ming Jing, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I didn¡¯t recognize greatness before me. I¡¯m sorry for offending you. Please forgive me. If you need me in the future, I¡¯ll serve you without hesitation.¡±


    Silence. A suffocating silence.


    Li Qingsheng¡¯s cold sweat continued to drip, he didn¡¯t dare to raise his head, his eyes fixed on a pair of white shoes not far in front of him. The owner of the shoes wore white knee-high socks, revealing straight and slender legs, but Li Qingsheng didn¡¯t dare to entertain any lustful thoughts now.


    ¡°Offend?¡± Ming Jing hooked her lips, and Li Qingsheng felt his heart skip a beat, lowering his head further.


    ¡°Looking at how experienced Mr. Li is, you must have done this kind of thing quite often, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Tao Xingxing snorted, although he didn¡¯t know what Secretary Shen did, seeing how these people suddenly became submissive upon his appearance, he knew he was a big shot, and Taot Xingxing flexed his power.


    ¡°You shameless old man, you wanted to take advantage of Ming Jing? Why don¡¯t you take a piss and look at your turtle-like face, are you worthy?¡± Tao Xingxing scolded, spitting on Li Qingsheng¡¯s face, who dared not utter a single word.


    ¡°Yes, what this youngdy said is right.¡±


    This taunt set Tao Xingxing off, and he jumped up scolding, ¡°You are the youngdy, your whole family are youngdies.¡±


    Li Qingsheng wanted to cry but could not.


    Once Tao Xingxing had vented enough, Ming Jing calmly said, ¡°Those who act unjustly will bring about their own destruction. Here are seven words for you, Mr. Li.¡±


    Without another nce at him, she turned to Shen Ke and said, ¡°Secretary Shen, these two are my friends, does Mr. Shen mind if they join us?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Since they are Ms. Zhu¡¯s friends, they are also Mr. Shen¡¯s friends.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi suppressed her astonishment, nced at Ming Jing, and secretly squeezed Tao Xingxing¡¯s hand.


    Ming Jing smiled and said to Wu Jiaqi, ¡°Auntie,e with me, and I¡¯ll send you both hometer.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi hesitated, ¡°Ming Jing, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to go, I should take Xingxing home first.¡±


    The mere thought of the gathering between Shen Zhou and Mayor Shen made her weak in the knees, but Ming Jing appeared incredibly nonchnt. Her daughter¡¯s ssmate was no ordinary person.


    Ming Jing gave it some thought and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have the driver take you home.¡±


    This time Wu Jiaqi didn¡¯t refuse. She red at Li Qingsheng, nodded courteously at Shen Ke, and then quickly left with Tao Xingxing.


    Shen Ke smiled and nced at Wu Jiaqi¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Is she Ms. Zhu¡¯s friend?¡±


    Li Qingsheng immediately pricked up his ears.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°She¡¯s a respected elder, and her daughter is my best friend.¡±


    Shen Ke narrowed his eyes and nodded with a smile.


    Given the value Ming Jing ced on the elder and her best friend, it was clear that she had tried to introduce this woman to Shen Zhou just now. Even if they only became acquaintances, it would be an extraordinary opportunity for the woman.


    Worthy of Ms. Zhu¡¯s attention, this woman was smart enough to refuse such a huge temptation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Shen for a long time, nor Madam Shen. I promised herst time to teach her Zen. Madam Shen might think I¡¯m unreliable.¡±


    The two chatted andughed as they walked away. Li Qingsheng almost copsed,saved by the two quick-handed men behind him.


    ¡°What background does this Ms. Zhu have?¡± Li Qingsheng gritted his teeth.


    Zhang Qiao sighed, ¡°Mr. Li, she¡¯s Zhu Wentao¡¯s daughter.¡±


    The short man eximed, ¡°The same Ms. Zhu who single-handedly sent Zhu Wentao to jail and worked with the Shenzhou Group to save the Zhus?¡± He didn¡¯t even pause for a breath.


    ¡°So it¡¯s her.¡± Upon learning the truth, Li Qingsheng wished he could faint on the spot.


    His constructionpany had always wanted to cooperate with the Zhu Group, but thetter had never given his small building materialspany any attention. With a wave of their hand, the Zhu Group could choke his business.


    He truly messed up this time.

 Chapter 380: 175 Threat (Updated once)

    Chapter 380: 175 Threat (Updated once)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ming Jing, it really is you.¡± Madam Shen was delighted to see Ming Jing. She rushed over to take Ming Jing¡¯s hand, telling the waiter, ¡°Add another chair.¡±


    ¡°Madam Shen.¡± Ming Jing turned to Shen Zhou and Shen Shaojian, giving them a nod and a smile of acknowledgement.<div>


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, it¡¯s often better to meet by chance than by invitation. Mr. Shen was just speaking about you. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.¡± Shen Shaojian didn¡¯t put on any airs, and his attitude was very kind.


    The waiter added another chair, stealing nces at Ming Jing, with cold sweat breaking out in his palms.


    Wasn¡¯t this the schoolgirl who happened to be the friend of the girl who almost spilled wine in the corridor? She felt like pping herself for her previous nonsense.


    Everyone sitting in this room was powerful, and she maintained a respectful and bnced demeanor despite being so warmly weed by Madam Shen, suggesting she must hold a significant status.


    She could only hope Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t remember her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ming Jing politely responded and sat down with an air of grace and elegance.


    It was clear she had been overthinking. How could someone young enough to dine with Shen Zhou and Mayor Shen harbour resentment towards a simple waiter?


    Wait, why did she look familiar?


    ¡°Ming Jing, that variety show you filmed, ¡®A Day of Three Meals¡¯, I¡¯ve watched it many times. It¡¯s absolutely wonderful, especially when consuming a meal, and I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a good cook, especially with that ramen. You¡¯ll have to teach me sometime so I can cook it for Old Shen.¡±


    Hearing Madam Shen¡¯s words, the waiter instantly understood, and looked at Ming Jing with disbelief.


    Wasn¡¯t this the very popr Ming Jing?<div>


    It was surprising she hadn¡¯t recognized her. She looked even better in person than on TV.


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded: ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°You went into the entertainment industry without a sound. I hear it¡¯s full of chaos over there. You¡¯re a nice youngdy, so you must be sure to protect yourself.¡± Madam Shen implored sincerely.


    ¡°If you ever run into trouble, you should seek out Mr. Shen. I recall that Shenzhou Group owns several entertainmentpanies, right? Including Apple Video, one of the three giants of the domestic media industry. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say they control half of the pie in the entertainment circle. Let Mr. Shen back you up in the future.¡±


    Shen Zhou smiled and nodded.


    The waiter was so stunned he couldn¡¯t speak. Seeing the wine was about ready; he carefully refilled everyone¡¯s sses.


    ¡°Madam Shen, worrying too much. A friend of mine opened an entertainmentpany, and wanted me as a joint venture. They are new and don¡¯t have much business, so I went to build up the brand. I did what I could.¡±


    ¡°I see, does your friend¡¯s agency need any more investments?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her: ¡°Madam Shen, you¡¯re interested in this industry?¡±


    ¡°I trust in you. Mr. Shen just praised you as a business genius. Following your investment would surely not go wrong.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with augh: ¡°I¡¯m not a management expert. I simply assemble a team and delegate tasks. I¡¯m just a hands-off boss.¡±<div>


    ¡°Having the talent to select and use people is what makes you brilliant. An ancient saying goes ¡®If you drive a good horse at its top speed, it will tire out after five miles; if you ride the horse moderately, it will keep going. The intelligent man knows how to use manpower well.¡¯ The same is true in the battlefield and in the marketce. You don¡¯t have to be overly modest. You can spend the saved time on aplishing many things.¡± Shen Zhou stated calmly.


    ¡°Your words, sir, have enlightened me.¡±


    Shen Zhou raised his wine ss, ¡°Why are you being so formal with me? You are way too modest.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, lifting her tea cup in return: ¡°I take tea in ce of wine, to your health, sir.¡±


    ¡°Mom, who is that Secretary Shen?¡± Tao Xingxing curiously asked.


    Wu Jiaqi nced at the driver subconsciously and whispered, ¡°He is Shen Zhou¡¯s secretary, Shen Ke.¡±


    Tao Xingxing gasped at mention of the famous name Shen Zhou: ¡°So you¡¯re saying Ming Jing just took us to meet Shen Zhou? And I heard them mention Mayor Shen? Is that really what I think it is?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi nodded.


    Tao Xingxing mumbled, ¡°What kind of friend did I make? You¡¯re right, mom,pared to Ming Jing, I¡¯m such a loser.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi rubbed her head andughed, ¡°You¡¯re always my unique and special star.¡±


    The car pulled over roadside, and Du Ze said, ¡°Give me a moment.¡±<div>


    As soon as the words fell, he opened the car door and exited, hurrying into a nearby convenience store.


    A man dressed oddly came out of the convenience store. He had a straw hat on his head, his head hung low. He took a cigarette from the pack and put it in his mouth. As Du Ze was passing him, he identally bumped into the man.

 Chapter 381: 175 Threat (Updated once)_2

    Chapter 381: 175 Threat (Updated once)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The man¡¯s straw hat fell to the ground, and just as he looked up, the lights above the convenience store were blinding, clearly illuminating the man¡¯s face. Wu Jiaqi suddenly covered her mouth, staring with wide eyes.


    Tao Xingxing asked in surprise, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±<div>


    Following Wu Jiaqi¡¯s gaze, Tao Xingxing saw an oddly dressed man in his forties or fifties picking up the straw hat from the ground, cursing as he put it back on his head. The man lit a cigarette and leisurely walked away.


    Tao Xingxing was puzzled. What had his mother seen?


    A hint of panic shed through Wu Jiaqi¡¯s eyes, and she subconsciously clutched Tao Xingxing¡¯s hand, making him cry out, ¡°Mom, that hurts¡­!¡±


    Wu Jiaqi quickly let go, ¡°Sorry, Xingxing.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi watched as the man gradually disappeared into the darkness, turning a corner, then vanished.


    At that moment, Du Ze returned to the car with a pack of cigarettes, tossed it into the storagepartment between the two front seats, and continued driving.


    However, Wu Jiaqi couldn¡¯t calm her nerves for a long time. As they passed the intersection, she stared into the darkness, unable to see anything clearly.


    ¡°Stop the car,¡± Wu Jiaqi suddenly said.


    Du Ze slowly pulled over, turning his head to ask, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi tightly held her bag with both hands, looking at Tao Xingxing, who was yawning, his head swaying from side to side.


    After struggling with hesitation for a long time, Wu Jiaqi finally said weakly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±<div>


    Du Ze nced at the rearview mirror, his lips slightly curved, and resumed driving.


    The alley was pitch ck, with only the flickering light from the man¡¯s cigarette glowing faintly. He passed through the alley, with the rented house just a stone¡¯s throw away.


    Ye Shuang followed from a distance, feeling that something was off about Shou Chang today, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it.


    Ye Shuang took a quick step to block Shou Chang¡¯s path, frowning as she looked him up and down.


    Shou Chang had always been scruffy and unkempt, his beard messy, and looked like a homeless man. But today, he had shaved his beard, washed his face, and cleaned his hair ¨C making him look a decade younger.


    ¡°Shou Chang, what are you up to? Remember, you have only eight days left.¡±


    Shou Chang took a drag on his cigarette, slowly exhaling a ring of smoke. Ye Shuang, disgusted, stepped back. ¡°Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you kill me then? That would mean your master will never find the person he¡¯s looking for.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Ye Shuang¡¯s fists crackled as she clenched them.


    ¡°Youngdy, show some respect. When I was fighting alongside Master Wen, your father was still ying in the mud.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t find the person, neither you nor your son will survive.¡±<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me. I can¡¯t even wait eight days. Heh.¡± Shou Chang chuckled coldly, brushing past Ye Shuang to go upstairs.


    Returning to the rented room, Shou Chang walked into the bathroom and stared at the face in the mirror.


    Ji Chang, Shou Chang, and Lu Chang were actually biological brothers, with simr appearances.


    Especially him and Ji Chang, who shared eighty percent resemnce. If it weren¡¯t for their close rtionship, it would be easy to mistake the two.


    Washing his face, Shou Chang murmured, ¡°Xi Yu, what on earth are you trying to do?¡±


    Xi Yu didn¡¯t kill him, but wanted to help him.


    He didn¡¯t know what Xi Yu was nning, but he believed Xi Yu¡¯s words.


    As one of Ran Bowen¡¯s most trusted confidants, only Ji Chang had seen the mother and daughter. Xi Yu was Ji Chang¡¯s son, so he must know the truth.


    No matter what Xi Yu wanted to do, he was now his only lifeline, and he had no choice but to cling to it.


    But why didn¡¯t Xi Yu tell Ran Tengxiao directly, so he could take advantage of the situation and gain Ran Tengxiao¡¯s trust?


    Why go through such an borate setup¡­<div>


    What did he really want to do?


    ¡°Thank you for bringing me home. Go pick up Ming Jing. I really appreciate your help tonight.¡±


    ¡°No problem. It is all per the youngdy¡¯s instructions. Madam, please go back. It¡¯ste.¡± Du Ze drove away.


    Wu Jiaqi watched the taillights disappear into the night, standing silently in ce.


    Tao Xingxing yawned, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go back. Dad¡­¡±Tao Xingxing suddenly eximed in surprise.


    Wu Jiaqi was startled and suddenly turned her head.


    Tao Qian came over with a coat over his arm and draped it over Wu Jiaqi, chiding, ¡°You¡¯ve been drinking again?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you on duty tonight? How are you at home?¡± Wu Jiaqi asked in surprise.


    ¡°I heard you on the phone this morning, saying you had a social engagement tonight, so I was worried. I specially changed shifts with a colleague. I called you several times, but you didn¡¯t answer. Your assistant didn¡¯t answer either. If I couldn¡¯t contact you, I would have had to call the police.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi pursed her lips, ¡°Xiao Wang took a leave. My phone¡­ might be out of battery.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s chilly at night, and you¡¯ve been drinking. You can¡¯t catch a cold. You¡¯ll have a headache if you get up tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s go home first.¡± Tao Qian held her shoulder and walked slowly inside.


    Tao Xingxing hummed behind them, her parents were true love, and she was definitely an ident.


    Wu Jiaqi looked at the gentle man beside her, his thoughts gradually bing blurred.


    Tao Qian noticed her distracted state and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi quickly turned her head, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Tao Qian narrowed his eyes and saw her coat slipping off her shoulder. He adjusted it for her and smiled, ¡°Jiaqi, do you remember what day it is today?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi was stunned, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s eyes rolled, and she suddenly pped her hands, ¡°Mom, how could you forget such an important day? Today is the 17th anniversary of when you and dad first met.¡±


    Having a loving pair of parents meant that there were endless celebrations at home, such as anniversaries of meeting, falling in love, and marrying. Tao Xingxing had long memorized them all.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy at worktely, and I forgot.¡± Wu Jiaqi apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qian.¡±


    Tao Qian shook his head and chuckled, ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife, there¡¯s no need to apologize.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi pursed her lips, and her memory took her back to seventeen years ago.


    ¡°Jiaqi, drink this sobering soup before going to sleep. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have a headache tomorrow morning. Be good, drink it and then sleep.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi opened her eyes groggily, and the bedsidemp emitted a soft, dim yellow light. The man sitting in the light was handsome and gentle, just as he was when they first met¡­


    ¡°Qian¡­¡± Wu Jiaqi murmured.


    Tao Qian helped her sit up and fed her the soup spoon by spoon, gently wiping the water stains from the corner of her mouth with a tissue, softly saying, ¡°Go to sleep now.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi suddenly threw herself into his arms, tightly hugging his waist.


    ¡°Qian, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Tao Qian smiled faintly, one hand around her waist and the other gently resting on her hair.


    Under themplight, his eyes were as tender as water.


    ¡°Have a good sleep, and when you wake up, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, we agreed, I¡¯ll wait for you at home this weekend. You muste.¡± Madam Shen urged Ming Jing earnestly before leaving.


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be there as promised.¡±


    Madam Shen left with Shen Shaojian in their car.


    Shen Zhou went to her side, ¡°Shen Ke told me about what happened at the door just now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to your assistance, I was able to avoid trouble.¡±


    Shen Ke shook his head and chuckled, ¡°Are you teasing me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m genuinely grateful.¡±


    Shen Ke looked at her, touched his nose, and changed the subject, ¡°Forget about that. On the 20th of this month, it¡¯s my father¡¯s birthday. He¡¯s been talking about you for a while, and he insists youe.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°I¡¯m honored to be invited by Mr. Shen.¡±


    Shen Zhou thought for a moment and said, ¡°My father wants to recognize you as his goddaughter, what do you think?¡±


    Ming Jing was stunned and looked at Shen Zhou, ¡°Goddaughter?¡±

 Chapter 382: 176 Hunting (Second Watch)

    Chapter 382: 176 Hunting (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s goddaughter, which makes her Shen Zhou¡¯s godsister.


    As everyone knows, Shen Zhou has no children or siblings, only an old father forpany.<div>


    To be his godsister, for ordinary people, would be a blessing that took several lifetimes to umte.


    This news is definitely more exciting than winning the lottery.


    However, the young girl in front of him showed no emotion, her gaze warm and calm, as if Shen Zhou¡¯s words were just ament on the lovely weather today.


    Of course, if someone cares about fame and wealth, they naturally wouldn¡¯t gain Shen Zhou¡¯s approval.


    ¡°Was it your idea, or the elder¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°It was the elder¡¯s, but I agree with it. From an age standpoint, it might be slightly inappropriate. How about I just consider you as my goddaughter instead? Ultimately, we¡¯re still family.¡±


    But as just a goddaughter, it always felt a bit strange. Ming Jing was naturally a generation younger than him. Shen Zhou shuddered unconsciously at the thought of Ming Jing calling him father.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°Thank you for the elder¡¯s favor, but I¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, my old father is already in his seventies. His greatest wish in life is to have a close daughter. Unfortunately, this wish has nevere true, until the day you saved him. My father believes in fate, and this is the fate between you two. Besides, I have no children or siblings either, so I get lonely sometimes. We got along on our first meeting, and if we be siblings, we can take care of each other. Or is it too disgraceful for you to be my sister?¡±


    Shen Ke, who was standing not far away, heard the words carried by the night wind and twitched the corners of his mouth.


    It was hard to imagine that this man who sold pity for sympathy was the steady, inscrutable, and deep Shen Zhou in the eyes of the world.<div>


    It¡¯s simply like two different people, and it¡¯s difficult to believe if you didn¡¯t see it with your own eyes.


    Even with Ming Jing¡¯s eloquence, she was somewhat helpless in the face of Shen Zhou¡¯s questioning.


    Is it disgraceful to be Shen Zhou¡¯s sister? No matter how thick her skin is, she couldn¡¯t say such words.


    Ming Jing looked seriously at Shen Zhou: ¡°What if, in the future, I bring a lot of danger to you?¡±


    Shen Zhou calmly smiled, and said with peace of mind: ¡°If Shen Zhou is afraid of danger, I wouldn¡¯t have built my business empire from nothing.¡±


    His gaze is warm and touching, ¡°Ming Jing, isn¡¯t your Buddhist school most believing in the theory of cause and effect? You saved my father, and that¡¯s the cause. My father recognizing you as his daughter is the effect. Once the fate is there, it can¡¯t be driven away.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be family, and take care of each other, and have someone to rely on.¡±


    ¡°Family¡­¡±. Ming Jing murmured, lowering her gaze.


    ¡°If the price of bing family is to plunge you into an unredeemable abyss?¡±


    Shen Zhouughed: ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worrying about, but Shen Zhou doesn¡¯t do things with apprehension. There is no point in worrying about the sky falling down. If I decide that you are my family, then sacrificing everything for you is worth it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still time, go back and think about it.¡±<div>


    Shen Zhou left in his car.


    The night breeze blew across his face, bringing a hint of coolness.


    Ming Jing walked slowly along the roadside, while Du Ze followed behind her in his car.


    Between her fingers, the prayer beads turned with her fluctuating thoughts.


    After walking for an unknown amount of time, suddenly, the prayer beads stopped.


    Ming Jing stopped, and ahead was a red light. She stood at the intersection, waiting quietly.


    On the street cornerte at night, there were few pedestrians, and the neon lights of the city flickered, reflecting a bustling and lively long night.


    When the green light came on, Ming Jing and a few other pedestrians walked onto the crosswalk.


    As she walked to the middle of the street, a young man in ck came towards her.


    As they brushed past each other, Ming Jing squinted slightly.


    Upon reaching the other side of the street, the other pedestrians went their separate ways, Ming Jing turned around and looked across the street.<div>


    The red light came on, and the waiting cars drove through the intersection in an orderly manner, disappearing in the dust.


    Under a por tree on the other side of the road stood a young man in ck.


    The street light shone through the branches, casting mottled shadows. The young man, dressed in ck, was lonely and cold.


    A pair of eyes, so bright they seemed to pierce through the abyss, gazed from afar. Between them was a stream of cars hurtling past. As their eyes met, a murderous intent surged beneath the surface.


    In the blink of an eye, the leaves under the tree fell, the shadows flickered, and the young man disappeared without a trace.


    Ming Jing hooked her lips, catching the scent of a hunter.


    And she was the prey.


    A new round of the hunting gamemenced.


    Zhao Xiaohui walked out of the police station distraught. Three days had passed, and she still couldn¡¯t ept what had happened.

 Chapter 383: 176 Hunting (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 383: 176 Hunting (Second Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Deng Kun almost strangled Xiangxiang to death, but luckily Lin Qing came to her rescue. Lin Qing, however, refused to let her stay with the Dengs, took her back to the Zhu family, and filed awsuit against Deng Kun, seeking to send him to prison.


    Three days had passed, and she had not seen Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face, nor talked to her on the phone. Xiangxiang only said that her heart was broken and she never wanted to return to the Dengs¡¯ house.<div>


    With her son in the hospital waiting for surgery, her husband being sued, and facing legal troubles, Zhao Xiaohui was at her wit¡¯s end. Everything hinged on Zhu Xiangxiang, but she couldn¡¯t even enter the Zhu family¡¯s doorstep.


    Zhao Xiaohui found out that Zhu Xiangxiang attended Shengde High School, so she rushed to the school immediately. She squatted at the school gate for a whole day, and when she saw Zhu Xiangxianging out after school, she ran up to her right away.


    ¡°Xiangxiang, I¡¯m begging you, please save your Uncle Deng. He has admitted his mistake, and he won¡¯t hurt you ever again. Please ask Madam Zhu to drop thewsuit, I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was scared by the sudden appearance of the frantic and disheveled woman in front of her, who imed to be her mother. At the peak of the school¡¯s dismissal, the school gate was full of studentsing and going. Watching this unkempt woman dash towards Zhu Xiangxiang, everyone gathered around to watch the spectacle.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned red and white in anger, and she stammered, ¡°How did you find me here?¡±


    ¡°I tried calling you, but you wouldn¡¯t pick up. I had no choice but toe to your school to find you.¡±


    Seeing more and more students crowding around, Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly pulled Zhao Xiaohui away and left in a hurry.


    But it was toote. Rumors spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the school. The distorted gossip imed that Zhu Xiangxiang was molested by her stepfather.


    Tao Xingxing clicked her tongue, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought, her biological mother even blocked the school gate? Such a gold-digger.¡±


    As for the outrageous rumor, Tao Xingxing didn¡¯t believe it at all. If it were true, would Zhu Xiangxiang still be attending school with her head held high?


    ¡°Rumors stop with the wise,¡± Ming Jing said.<div>


    ¡°Why are you still defending her?¡± Tao Xingxing disagreed, ¡°She took so much from you. She¡¯s still clinging to the Zhu family, and if I were you, I would be so annoyed.¡±


    ¡°No one owes anyone anything; it¡¯s all fate,¡± Ming Jing saw Li Yan, talked to him for a bit, and then left with Tao Xingxing.


    ¡°What did you say to Li Yan? He¡¯s the student council president of our grade, my future boss. I¡¯d be so lucky if I could ingratiate myself with him.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I asked him to take care of you in the future.¡±


    Tao Xingxing hugged Ming Jing¡¯s arm and rubbed against it happily, ¡°I knew you were the best, Ming Jing.¡±


    However, Tao Xingxing soon discovered what happened. All the posts discussing Zhu Xiangxiang were deleted, and many ounts that started the rumors were banned.


    As the student council president, Li Yan had administrative privileges on the forum.


    Ming Jing must have spoken to Li Yan about this matter earlier.


    Tao Xingxing sighed. Ming Jing was too kind-hearted, repaying malice with virtue. But Zhu Xiangxiang wasn¡¯t worth it, in her opinion.


    ¡°Don¡¯te looking for me at school again. Do you have any idea how much trouble you¡¯ve caused me?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang was on the verge of breaking down, yelling at Zhao Xiaohui.


    Zhao Xiaohui sped her hands nervously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xiangxiang. I had no other choice, please forgive me. Can you drop thewsuit against Uncle Deng? He knows he was wrong and promises never to show his face in front of you ever again.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang pulled down her scarf, revealing shocking bruises on her neck. ¡°Do you know he almost strangled me to death? The one wanting to put him in jail isn¡¯t me, it¡¯s my mother.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui reached out to touch her neck sorrowfully, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang dodged her touch and said coldly, ¡°I will never forgive him. You should give up on that idea.¡±


    ¡°Xiangxiang, I¡¯ve never asked you for anything before. Just this once, okay? Let me kneel before you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly helped her up, furious and exasperated, ¡°Am I even your biological daughter? I was almost strangled to death, and you want me to forgive him? Is that something a mother would say?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui shook her head sorrowfully, ¡°Xiangxiang, I know you¡¯ve always wanted to return to the Zhu family. I¡¯ve let you go, and so has your Uncle Deng. Are you going to be ungrateful now?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s pupils shrank, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui wiped the tears on her face and whispered timidly, ¡°That day, you called me and asked Uncle Deng to go downstairs to get a package in twenty minutes. Twenty minutester, he went downstairs and saw you. Usually, you avoid him, but this time you confronted him and said harsh words. He was drunk and didn¡¯t know his own strength. Just as he attacked you, Madam Zhu appeared to save you. So many coincidences¡ªdo you really think it¡¯s all a coincidence?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang narrowed her eyes and stared at Zhao Xiaohui. The seemingly timid housewife in front of her was unexpectedly clever.


    Zhao Xiaohui held Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand and spoke earnestly, ¡°Xiangxiang, I¡¯ve figured it out. I can only harm you by keeping you by my side. The Zhu family is your true home. Before, I was worried about how to send you back, but now you¡¯ve found your own way back. I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the sincere woman in front of her, her heart stirring. Perhaps she had overthought it. She had witnessed Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s kindness to her for a long time, and that couldn¡¯t have been an act.<div>


    ¡°Your Uncle Deng isn¡¯t easy for me to find, and though he has many ws, he¡¯s Yangyang¡¯s biological father. Even for Yangyang¡¯s sake, we can¡¯t have him charged with a crime. How would Yangyang face the world? Besides, Xiangxiang, he¡¯s your biological brother.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang reluctantly said, ¡°I can drop thewsuit, but I never want to see anyone with the surname Deng ever again. Otherwise, I may change my mind.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I promise you. He will never appear in front of you again,¡± Zhao Xiaohui cried with joy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt uneasy as well. She held Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s hand tightly, ¡°If you can¡¯t live like this anymore, divorce him. From now on, I¡¯ll support you and Yangyang. He¡¯s my biological brother, and I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui smiled, ¡°Just knowing your intentions fills my heart. But Yangyang, he¡¯s been wanting to see his sister for a long time. It¡¯s still early, Xiangxiang, why don¡¯t youe home with me for a visit and see him?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt sick at the thought of Deng Yang being Deng Kun¡¯s son and was about to refuse when she saw Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s eager gaze and couldn¡¯t bring herself to say no.


    Fine, this would be thest time. She would give Zhao Xiaohui some money, tell her to take Deng Kun and Deng Yang away from Jiangzhou, and disappear from her world. From then on, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have my driver take us,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the school forum, and to her surprise, there was no discussion about her. The imagined attacks and ridicule never happened.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was stunned for a moment, wondering who had cleaned up the forum for her.


    She remembered that the student council president of her grade was Li Yan, and Li Yan was a close friend of Song Yinzhang who was inseparable from Ming Jing.


    Would Li Yan have kindly cleaned the forum for her?


    Impossible!


    Immersed in her thoughts, Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t notice the worried woman next to her, clenching her fists tightly and her eyes filled with anxiety that gradually turned into determination.


    I¡¯m sorry, Zhao Xiaohui said to herself in her heart.

 Chapter 384: 177 Bone Marrow (First Update)

    Chapter 384: 177 Bone Marrow (First Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Tang Wan was quite surprised to run into Zhu Xiangxiang at the entrance of the residentialplex. She nced at Zhao Xiaohui and walked over to Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Didn¡¯t you go back to the Zhu¡¯s?¡±


    She had known long ago that Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t stay at the Deng¡¯s for long, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to happen so soon.<div>


    These days, the biggest topic in the neighborhood after meals was the gossip about the Deng family, such as the absurd rumors about a stepfather killing his stepdaughter. Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s family had be famous in themunity.


    Zhu Xiangxiang replied, ¡°I came back to see Yangyang.¡±


    ¡°Yangyang?¡± Tang Wan raised her eyebrows, apparently Zhao Xiaohui had been hiding this matter from Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Looking at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s radiant and smiling face, Tang Wan secretly curled her lips and sighed, ¡°Yangyang is quite pitiful.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang snorted coldly, thinking what was there to pity for a child with both mom and dad? It wasn¡¯t like her; she didn¡¯t even know who her biological father was.


    Watching Zhu Xiangxiang follow Zhao Xiaohui into the house, Tang Wan sneered, anticipating that there would be a good showing up.


    Half an hourter, Zhao Xiaohui hurriedly went downstairs. The Zhu¡¯s driver parked the car at the entrance of the residentialplex. Zhao Xiaohui told him that Zhu Xiangxiang wanted to spend more time with her brother and would stay at home tonight, so the driver could go back first.


    Considering that Zhao Xiaohui was Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s biological mother, the driver felt nothing would go wrong, so he drove back to the Zhu¡¯s.


    Zhao Xiaohui stared at the departing car and called: ¡°Dr. Wang, I¡¯m ready here.¡±


    Ten minutester, a stout middle-aged man knocked on the door of the Deng¡¯s.


    ¡°Cousin, is this your daughter Xiangxiang? It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s raised in a wealthy family, with such delicate skin and a pampered look.¡± The man stared at the sleeping girl on the sofa and sighed in admiration.<div>


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s face was somewhat pale as she said, ¡°Quit the nonsense, let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    Xie Qiang asked, ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t you tell Xiangxiang the truth? That¡¯s her own brother; she wouldn¡¯t refuse to donate bone marrow, right? You¡¯re doing this secretly without her knowing, won¡¯t she get angry and disown you when she wakes up? Then you won¡¯t be able to take advantage of her anymore.¡±


    He thought his cousin was acting foolishly.


    If it could be done openly, why did it have to be done secretly?


    Zhao Xiaohui sighed, ¡°Do you think I want that? Thew explicitly states that one cannot donate bone marrow under the age of 18, and Xiangxiang is only 17. But Yangyang can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± She had specifically paid to go through the back door, or the operation wouldn¡¯t even be possible.


    What she didn¡¯t say was the more crucial point: If Zhu Xiangxiang knew the truth, she would refuse without hesitation, putting Yangyang¡¯s life on the line.


    This was the only chance.


    For Yangyang, she was willing to sacrifice everything.


    ¡°Fine, as long as you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Xie Qiang carried Zhu Xiangxiang while Zhao Xiaohui covered her with a nket, hiding her face. The two hurriedly left.


    Tang Wan followed them closely from a distance, guessing that Zhao Xiaohui had big ns in mind. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of the Zhu family settling the score with her afterward?


    Thinking about it, Tang Wan understood Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s intention.<div>


    No matter how deceitful she might be, she was still Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s biological mother, and their blood ties were unchangeable. Besides, considering how doting she was on Deng Yang, she would willingly give her life for his; there was nothing she couldn¡¯t do.


    Xie Qiang ran a small business and had a van. They stuffed the unconscious girl into the van and drove to the hospital.


    Lin Qing was furious when she heard from the driver that Zhu Xiangxiang was staying at the Deng¡¯s for the night.


    When she called Zhu Xiangxiang, Zhao Xiaohui answered, ¡°Madam Zhu? I¡¯m sorry, Xiangxiang went to the bathroom. Yangyang, Xiangxiang¡¯s brother, just came back from our hometown. The siblings rarely see each other, so she wanted to spend some more time with him. She won¡¯t be able to return tonight; I hope Madam Zhu can understand.¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡± Lin Qing replied coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard Xiangxiang mention him. Let her answer the phone.¡±


    ¡°Xiangxiang is in the bathroom right now; it¡¯s not convenient. Madam, I know that you raised Xiangxiang and that you have a deep mother-daughter bond, but the blood rtionship is still there. Just like Miss Ming Jing, isn¡¯t she close to you too? We¡¯re all mothers; please spare a thought for me. You have everything, and your own daughter is by your side while my husband is gone, and now my own daughter is leaving me as well. Are you trying to drive me to my grave?¡±


    Lin Qing choked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything. I just want Xiangxiang to spend more time with me, just a few days. I promise to send her back safely, and the three of us will disappear from your lives.¡±


    Lin Qing responded, ¡°I hope you remember what you¡¯ve said today.¡±The phone call was abruptly hung up.


    ¡°What did Madam Zhu say?¡± Xie Qiang asked while driving the car.


    Zhao Xiaohui touched Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face, taking the opportunity to examine her carefully as she slept.<div>


    ¡°Xiangxiang is a lucky child, and she¡¯ll have a happy life in the Zhu family. Our mother-daughter bond will be severed from now on.¡±


    ¡°Sister, what are you talking about? You¡¯re Xiangxiang¡¯s birth mother, and no adoptive mother, no matter how rich, canpete with you. Even if Xiangxiang finds out the truth, she will be angry for a few days at most but will not cut ties with you forever.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui shook her head, knowing her own child well.


    A person who is fundamentally selfish can give up everything for the sake of personal gain.


    Just like how she would sacrifice everything for Yangyang¡¯s sake.


    You can¡¯t have both fish and bear¡¯s paw.


    Upon arrival at the hospital, Zhu Xiangxiang was first taken for an examination. They had arranged everything in advance and it proceeded smoothly.


    ¡°Mom, have you seen my big sister? I miss her so much. I drew this picture for her. If you see her, can you give it to her for me?¡±


    The little boy in the sickbed was emaciated, his face pale and his eyes sunken after a long battle with illness, but he still had a pair of bright and clear eyes.


    He excitedly showed off his drawing, depicting arge and a small character hand in hand, both with bright smiles, therger figure wearing a pink dress and a hairstyle like sheep horns. The smaller one was a cool little boy. The drawing was very nice, and he was clearly talented.


    Zhao Xiaohui smiled and nodded, ¡°Alright, once Yangyang¡¯s illness is cured, he will be able to see his sister. She also misses Yangyang very much. So Yangyang must stay strong and get through this together.¡±


    Yangyang nodded, ¡°Mom, after I get better, I want to go to school and y together with sister.¡±


    As he spoke, he started to smile. The pain didn¡¯t seem to affect the bright smile on the little boy¡¯s face, as his eyes brimmed with hope for his future life.


    Zhao Xiaohui covered her mouth, holding back her tears. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go for the checkup first.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui and the nurse pushed the bed out along the corridor, with Yangyang excitedly asking questions all the way, and the topic never strayed far from his yet-to-meet sister.


    His mom said that as long as he had the surgery, his illness could be cured. He must be strong and not cry out in pain. Once he got better, he could see his sister soon.


    His mom told him that his sister was very gentle and beautiful, like a fairy. He often dreamed about her, and she indeed appeared like a fairy in his dreams.


    During this blood draw, he didn¡¯t even furrow his eyebrows. He was now a strong boy.


    The nurse taking his blood patted his head sympathetically, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    The little boy shook his head with a smile, ¡°Not at all. You can take more if you want.¡±


    The nurse couldn¡¯t help butugh and shake her head. What a lovely child, why did he have to be gued by illness?


    This child was talented in drawing, always giving pictures to doctors and nurses. He was also well-behaved and sensible. Everyone pitied and cared for him. Knowing his family¡¯s financial situation, the hospital even organized a fundraiser. Perhaps even the heavens pitied him, for they found a suitable donor, and the child could be saved.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a sharp pain in her arm, and her fuzzy eyes opened slowly, squinting against the bright light above her head.


    Where am I?


    Turning her head, she saw a nurse injecting a syringe into her arm, the fluid slowly entering her body.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted, and she violently pushed away the nurse, shouting, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The nurse stumbled back, frowning at her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Deng Yang¡¯s family member from bed 28? You volunteered to donate bone marrow, so now we are injecting rbinant human granulocyte colony-stimting factor to mobilize your bone marrow. This process might be ufortable, but you can just bear with it and it¡¯ll be over soon.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang recognized the individual words the nurse said, but whenbined, she couldn¡¯t understand them.


    ¡°Deng Yang? Bone marrow donation? What are you talking about?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly remembered the ss of water Zhao Xiaohui had given her, and losing consciousness after drinking it, as well as her blurry apology before she passed out¡­


    Zhu Xiangxiang shouted with despair, ¡°Zhao Xiaohui, you actually deceived me.¡±

 Chapter 385: 178 Beginning (part 2)

    Chapter 385: 178 Beginning (part 2)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Zhao Xiaohui closed the door of the sickroom and walked up to Zhu Xiangxiang, then ¡°plop,¡± she knelt down before her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked coldly at her: ¡°What are you doing? ying the victim?¡±<div>


    Zhao Xiaohui shook her head: ¡°When your brother was eight years old, he got leukemia. For the past four years, I¡¯ve been borrowing money everywhere to treat his illness, so much so that our rtives run away when they see me. The doctor says that we need to find a suitable donor from the bone marrow bank for Yangyang to have a good chance of getting better. But I¡¯ve been waiting and waiting for four years, and it¡¯s never Yangyang¡¯s turn. He can¡¯t wait any longer, and then you appeared. You are Yangyang¡¯s biological sister, and only you have a match for him. This is thest time I beg you. As long as you agree to donate bone marrow to Yangyang, I promise I will never show up again and won¡¯t disturb your life.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui was earnestly looking at Zhu Xiangxiang, the tears in her eyes glistening, and her words were very touching.


    ¡°I know that in your heart, only a rich Madam like Madam Zhu is qualified to be your mother. I understand this and consider it a favor I owe.¡±


    ¡°So for your son, you drugged and deceived me? I¡¯m also your flesh and blood. Is this how you treat me?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang bitterly smiled: ¡°So you had a purpose when you found me at the beginning, just to get a mobile bone marrow bank for your son. You can forget about it. I will never agree.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang got up and was about to leave when her body suddenly staggered. Zhao Xiaohui hurriedly held her: ¡°Xiangxiang, please, I beg you. Your brother can¡¯t wait any longer. He is a good child and always thinks of you as his sister. For your brother, can¡¯t you just sacrifice this once? Donating bone marrow won¡¯t have any impact on your body, and it¡¯ll be over quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have to donate. You¡¯re not the one doing it, so it doesn¡¯t bother you at all. From today on, we are done. You better note to find me again. As for donating bone marrow for your son, don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    Thinking about it made Zhu Xiangxiang feel extremely nauseous. Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s intention to use her from the start was horrifying. How unlucky was she.


    ¡°Xiangxiang, can¡¯t you do it for your mother? You can¡¯t just walk away. Your brother really can¡¯t wait any longer. Do you want to watch him die?¡± Zhao Xiaohui knelt before her, begging her own daughter, which required immense courage. But now she could not care about anything else.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who made him sick. If he wants to die, then let him. What does it have to do with me?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t have any feelings for this brother. Letting her donate bone marrow to him? Fat chance.


    Just the thought of donating bone marrow made Zhu Xiangxiang break out in a cold sweat. Thoughmon sense told her it wouldn¡¯t have much impact on her body, she couldn¡¯t ept it mentally, especially for a half-brother who was also Deng Kun¡¯s son.<div>


    ¡°Get up. I can¡¯t bear you kneeling to me. Everything else is negotiable. I can pay for your son¡¯s surgery, but donating bone marrow is impossible. Don¡¯te looking for me again.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang stumbled out with these words.


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s eyes turned cold as she grabbed Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s wrist.


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned to look at her, startled by the chilling determination in her eyes, and screamed, ¡°What are you trying to do? You know this is against thew, right?¡±


    ¡°All I know is that Yangyang is dying, and you are the only person who can save him. Even if you hate me, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Zhao Xiaohui pressed Zhu Xiangxiang onto the sickbed without further exnation, taking a handkerchief from her pocket to cover Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mouth.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand iled about wildly, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the corner of the wall and hitting Zhao Xiaohui on the head. Blood dripped from Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s head onto Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face, and she stared at Zhu Xiangxiang fiercely, practically hissing through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, please!¡±


    Her voice was so desperate and deste.


    But Zhu Xiangxiang only felt fear. Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s determination in her eyes frightened her, and in her struggle, she pushed Zhao Xiaohui away and ran away in a panic.


    ¡°Xiangxiang!¡± Zhao Xiaohui screamed in a heartbroken and desperate voice that was oppressive and distressing to hear.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment. For an instant, she wanted to turn back, but in the end, fear and selfishness won over her meager sense ofpassion.


    It was Zhao Xiaohui who had deceived her in the first ce. She wasn¡¯t wrong!


    Zhu Xiangxiang stumbled and staggered away, leaning on the hospital corridor¡¯s walls for support.<div>

 Chapter 386: 178 Beginning (part 2)

    Chapter 386: 178 Beginning (part 2)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Zhao Xiaohui sat on the ground in a daze, and the nurse came in. Seeing her bloodied head, the nurse was shocked and quickly went to help her up. The nurse, who had overheard the argument, was puzzled and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Yangyang¡¯s biological sister? Donating bone marrow won¡¯t have any negative effects on her body. Why wouldn¡¯t she agree to it? I thought it was voluntary.¡±


    Although the mother-daughter rtionship didn¡¯t seem great, saving a life without harming oneself seemed like a worthwhile endeavor.<div>


    The nurse sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll help you bandage the wound on your head first.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui suddenly grabbed the nurse¡¯s hand, anxiously asking, ¡°Can Yangyang wait any longer?¡±


    Understanding her feelings, the nurse softly advised, ¡°There are many patients waiting in the Hematology Department. Finding a suitable match is difficult. Maybe you can try persuading your daughter again?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui rushed out like a madwoman, but Zhu Xiangxiang was nowhere to be found.


    Lost and devastated, Zhao Xiaohui wandered the streets. Her husband was facing awsuit, her son was waiting for death, and her daughter had run away.


    What was there left to hope for in her life?


    She received a call from the hospital, and she heard Yangyang crying and calling for his mother, ¡°Mom, I want to eat the sweet and sour ribs you make.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui wiped away her tears, ¡°Okay, Mom is cooking them for you right now. Be good and listen to the nurse.¡±


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s okay if my illness can¡¯t be cured. I just won¡¯t be able to see my sister.¡± The little boy¡¯s distraught voice came through the phone.


    But soon, he spoke cheerfully, ¡°Having been your son, I already consider myself fortunate.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui covered her mouth and sobbed in the empty night street.<div>


    Suddenly, a heavy rain began to pour. Pedestrians on the road frantically sought shelter from the rain, but Zhao Xiaohui continued walking aimlessly in the downpour.


    Lin Qing looked up to see Zhu Xiangxiang soaking wet from the rain, surprised, she asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you staying at the Dengs¡¯ house tonight?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang snuggled into Lin Qing¡¯s embrace, and coquettishly said, ¡°Mom, you are always the best to me.¡±


    Lin Qing scolded, ¡°You¡¯re all wet. Go back to your room and take a hot shower. You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? Madam Zhou, make some midnight snacks for Xiangxiang.¡±


    Lin Qing led Zhu Xiangxiang upstairs, frowning, ¡°What happened? Did Zhao Xiaohui bully you?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated to speak and instinctively chose to avoid the question. ¡°No¡­ no, I just missed you, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Then you could have called the driver to pick you up, why did you run back in the rain? What if you catch a cold?¡±


    Gazing into Lin Qing¡¯s concerned eyes, Zhu Xiangxiang felt a warmth in her heart as her fears began to dissipate.


    After Zhu Xiangxiang took a hot shower, Lin Qing apanied her for a midnight snack. At this time, Madam Zhou came over and said, ¡°Madam, just now the security called saying someone named Zhao Xiaohui is looking for Miss Xiangxiang.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang immediately said, ¡°I won¡¯t see her. Tell her to leave.¡±


    Lin Qing nced at her and held Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand, asking, ¡°Xiangxiang, what exactly happened? Tell Mom, if you have been wronged, I will stand up for you. Even your biological mother can¡¯t bully you.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang sighed, ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s all over. Even if she wronged me, I¡¯ve done all I could. I won¡¯t see her again.¡±


    Madam Zhou frowned, ¡°ording to the security, Zhao Xiaohui said it¡¯s a matter of life and death. She ims that if she can¡¯t see Miss Xiangxiang, she¡¯ll kill herself at the gate of themunity. It seems to be very serious.¡±


    Lin Qing burst into anger, ¡°What on Earth does this woman want to do?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangforted Lin Qing and stood up, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, Mom. You can rest at home. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Lin Qing nodded, ¡°If you can get rid of her with money, do it. Don¡¯t get involved with her anymore.¡±


    Lin Qing thought the woman was after money; otherwise, why would Xiangxiang refuse to recognize her own mother? What she said on the phone earlier made Lin Qing feel uneasy.


    And as for her repulsive husband, Lin Qing felt disgusted just thinking about him.


    Zhu Xiangxiang went out with an umbre. The driver drove her to the entrance of themunity, and just as she left, Madam Zhou asked Xiao Ying to secretly follow her.


    Upon returning, Zhu Xiangxiang hummed a song as she went upstairs. Xiao Ying found Madam Zhou and whispered a few words in her ear.<div>


    Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±

 Chapter 387: 178 Beginning (part 2)_3

    Chapter 387: 178 Beginning (part 2)_3<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Xiao Ying nodded: ¡°I heard it with my own ears. I didn¡¯t expect Zhu Xiangxiang to have such a heart of stone. Her own mother was kneeling and begging her, but she remained unmoved. She must be jealous of the Zhus¡¯ wealth and glory.¡±


    Madam Zhou also had mixed feelings: ¡°It¡¯s still a life, after all.¡±<div>


    ¡°Should we tell Madam?¡± Xiao Ying asked.


    Just as Madam Zhou was hesitating, she looked up and saw Ming Jing. Ming Jing was holding a cup of water, quietly standing at the kitchen door, not knowing how much she had heard.


    ¡°Miss.¡± Madam Zhou and Xiao Ying called out respectfully.


    Ming Jing walked in, poured a ss of warm water, took a sip and asked, ¡°Xiao Ying, was everything you just said true?¡±


    Xiao Ying stuck out her tongue, not expecting that her low voice had been heard by the youngdy. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. I just heard it at the entrance of the neighborhood. Zhao Xiaohui knelt down and begged her, and that¡¯s her own brother. I didn¡¯t expect Zhu Xiangxiang to have nopassion at all. It¡¯s just a bone marrow donation, not a liver or kidney donation. Is she ignorant or heartless?¡± Xiao Ying curled her lips.


    After thinking for a while, Ming Jing said, ¡°Xiao Ying,e with me.¡±


    Xiao Ying nced at Madam Zhou, and seeing her nod, immediately followed her cheerfully.


    With red-rimmed eyes, Xiao Ying walked out of Ming Jing¡¯s room. Madam Zhou immediately pulled her aside and asked softly, ¡°What did the youngdy want you to do?¡±


    Xiao Ying spread out her palm, revealing a bank card.


    ¡°The youngdy asked me to go to the hospital to visit Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s son and pay the hospital bills for her.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang doesn¡¯t even care about her own mother, but the youngdy takes it so seriously. Our youngdy is so kind-hearted that Zhu Xiangxiang can¡¯t evenpare to a single hair of hers.¡±<div>


    Madam Zhou sighed: ¡°I¡¯ve always said that our youngdy ispassionate and will be blessed.¡±


    ¡°The youngdy said that the child is innocent, and saving a life is better than anything¡­ ¡°? Xiao Ying scratched her head in confusion.


    Madam Zhou red at her, ¡°You¡¯re so stupid. It¡¯s called ¡®saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what the youngdy said.¡± Xiao Ying¡¯s face was full of admiration, ¡°Our youngdy is the most beautiful and kind-hearted person in the world, no one canpare.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and just go do as the youngdy instructed.¡±


    Xiao Ying asked: ¡°Madam Zhou, should we tell Madam about this?¡±


    Madam Zhou thought for a moment and shook her head: ¡°Madam doesn¡¯t have a good impression of that family. Telling her might cause trouble. It¡¯s better to do less than to do more in front of others.¡±


    Xiao Ying rushed out into the rain.


    Madam Zhou nced at the second floor and walked into Granny Zhu¡¯s room.


    A momentter, Granny Zhu shook her head: ¡°This child, she¡¯s ruined.¡±


    ¡°I can understand how Lin Qing is thinking. Without a husband, she can only put her love on her child. This kind of dependent emotion will eventually harm both her and the child. Ming Jing¡¯s goodness, she can¡¯t see. From beginning to end, she¡¯s shallow. Let her make trouble, Ming Jing is clear-headed and will cover for her.¡±<div>


    Madam Zhou said: ¡°Madam is blinded by the situation.¡±


    Granny Zhu snorted: ¡°She¡¯s not blinded at all. She and Zhu Xiangxiang are like peas in a pod, using each other. Just wait and see.¡±


    Ming Jing sat in front of the Buddha statue, with sandalwood incense wafting around her. In the quiet room, only the soft friction of the prayer beads brushing against her skin could be heard.


    Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the rain was pouring, and the wind was roaring fiercely, apanied by thunder and lightning.


    After an unknown period, the ringing of her cell phone broke the silence.


    Ming Jing opened her eyes.


    ¡°The child may not be able to wait much longer. There are many patients waiting for donations in the bone marrow bank. If we want to save time, we can only go through the ck market, but the cost is quite high.¡±


    ¡°For a life, it¡¯s worth everything. You can use my ount.¡±


    There was a pause on the other end of the phone. ¡°Ming Jing, he¡¯s Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s brother. Why do you care about these things that are thankless?¡±


    ¡°His name is Deng Yang, 12 years old. Before he is someone else¡¯s brother, he is himself.¡±


    ¡°Buddha has mercy on all beings, wishing people to be free from suffering and enjoy happiness.¡±<div>


    ¡°I admire you.¡±


    Just as Zheng Qing was about to hang up the phone, the gentle whisper of the young girl came through: ¡°Qingqing, thank you.¡±


    Zheng Qing rolled her eyes: ¡°Just consider that I am umting good deeds with you, Miss. I should thank you for hoping for a better life in my next life, and not having such a *&^% life.¡±


    She hung up the phone after saying that.


    Ming Jing stared into the eyes of the Buddha statue and murmured, ¡°Can Bodhisattva forgive your disciple?¡±


    She looked at her open palm, delicate and slender, fragile and boneless.


    There was no turning back on this path.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang eximed, waking up from the nightmare.


    Outside the window, lightning shed and thunder roared, illuminating the deep horror in her pupils.


    She dreamed that Deng Yang died and turned into a ghost, haunting her day and night, crying and questioning why she didn¡¯t save him.


    In the dream, Deng Yang had no face, and thinking about it now scared her into a cold sweat.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hid trembling under the covers, holding her head ¨C no, she wasn¡¯t wrong, she wasn¡¯t wrong!


    In a daze, she dreamed that someone was sticking a tube in her, and she screamed, pushing them away, ¡°Get away, don¡¯t touch me¡­!¡±


    Opening her eyes, it was the family doctor.


    Zhu Xiangxiang realized she wasn¡¯t in the hospital and that it wasn¡¯t a nurse taking her bone marrow, so she breathed a sigh of relief, her body soaked with cold sweat.


    Lin Qing scolded: ¡°You foolish child, you didn¡¯t even know you had a fever. You must have gotten caught in the rainst night. Your fever is up to 39 degrees. If you had discovered it anyter, your brain would have been fried. The doctor just gave you a shot to reduce the fever, and I asked your teacher for a leave. You should rest at home for a few days.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice was tearful, ¡°Mom, I¡­ I feel so terrible.¡±


    Lin Qing gently patted the quilt, whispering: ¡°If you feel terrible, it also makes me feel terrible. What did Zhao Xiaohui do to you in the end? You were fine, but now look at you. Don¡¯t associate with her anymore in the future.¡±


    After giving Zhu Xiangxiang medicine, Lin Qing sent the doctor away.


    After a night of rain, the sky was clear and blue, and the air was filled with the freshness of grass and raindrops.


    Ming Jing walked into the school gate, stepping on fallen leaves. Zhao Qin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, patting Ming Jing on the shoulder: ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    Suddenly, Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Faint strands of sandalwood entered her nostrils, which were much stronger than the scent she had smelled before.


    She stared deeply at the young girl walking beside her. The bright morning sun fell on the girl¡¯s eyebrows and

 Chapter 388: 179 Birthday (an additional update)

    Chapter 388: 179 Birthday (an additional update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    September 7, Sunday, the sky was clear and the temperature was pleasant.


    Early in the morning, Tao Xingxing called Ming Jing, inviting her toe over early for a birthday party at her ce that evening.<div>


    Ming Jing went downstairs for breakfast and saw that Ming Ti and Ming Chen were already sitting quietly at the dinner table. Their school had organized an autumn outing, and after breakfast, the two were heading out. Ever since Ming Chen started school, he had be as excited as a bird let out of a cage, his entire demeanor exuding excitement.


    After they had finished eating, the two left hand in hand, full of joy.


    Madam Zhou ced a bowl of mixed grain porridge in front of Ming Jing and asked, ¡°Miss, I heard from Xiao Ying that Deng Yang¡¯s bone marrow donation results are in? The surgery can be done next week, did you arrange it?¡±


    Although Zhu Xiangxiang isn¡¯t the best person, the child is innocent. And from what Xiao Ying told her, Deng Yang is a very well-behaved and sensible child.


    Ming Jing nodded.


    Madam Zhou¡¯s, eyes filled with tears, said as she watched the young girl quietly eating in the morning sun, ¡°Miss, you really are a good person, you will be blessed.¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhou, why don¡¯t you sit down and join me.¡±


    Madam Zhou shook her head and looked up, only to see Lin Qinging down from the second floor. Madam Zhou promptly closed her mouth.


    ¡°Madam Zhou, make some shrimp porridge that Xiangxiang likes and send it to her. She¡¯s been sick for a few days and hasn¡¯t seemed to improve.¡±


    Madam Zhou muttered under her breath about karma before heading into the kitchen.


    Lin Qing sat down across from Ming Jing, nced at her, hesitated, and then said, ¡°I¡­I went to see your father a few days ago.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing responded with a nonchnt hum.


    Lin Qing gripped her chopsticks tighter, ¡°He¡­he realizes his mistakes now. Can you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Ming Jing willingly agreed.


    Lin Qing looked up suddenly, ¡°Do¡­do you know what I was about to say?¡±


    Ming Jing answered so quickly, Lin Qing thought she would have to talk more before getting an answer.


    ¡°I hope your decision to forgive him is because you¡¯ve seen his true colors, not because you¡¯ve been fooled by his sweet words. Consider if it¡¯s worth it, if you can bear the consequences, and as always, I respect all your decisions.¡± Ming Jing¡¯s voice remained calm and cool, devoid of any emotion.


    Lin Qing had a somewhat embarrassed look on her face. Was it necessary for a girl more than half her age to teach her about life?


    ¡°But he¡¯s still your father.¡± Lin Qing emphasized strongly.


    ¡°The moment he decided to betray this family, he ceased to be. If you choose to remarry, I have no objections. This is your life, and you should be in control of your own choices, and bear the consequences yourself. I¡¯m done eating.¡±


    Ming Jing picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth leisurely before getting up to leave.


    As Lin Qing watched Ming Jing¡¯s receding figure, her face was a bit pale.<div>


    She mmed her chopsticks onto the table, startling Madam Zhou who had just walked out of the kitchen.


    Ming Jing reached out to herwyer. She only intended to teach Zhu Wentao a lesson, not to seriously hurt him. It wouldn¡¯t be as simple as the present situation if she really wanted to go hard on him.


    She knew when Lin Qing went to see Zhu Wentao. Even their conversation yed out clearly in Ming Jing¡¯s ears.


    In a marriage, betrayal can happen easily, and so can forgiveness.


    As far as this was concerned, Ming Jing chose not to interfere. As everyone had their own fate, the only thing that mattered was not to regret one¡¯s choices.


    ¡°Senior, you¡¯re a tough talker but soft at heart, you probably would have handled this situation better than me.¡±


    Since she could remember, she didn¡¯t know what familial love was. She hadrades in the past and now she has seniors and juniors, but she had never experienced the blood ties that are innate to family.


    Ming Jing looked at the garden outside the window; under the sunlight, a vast array of flowers bloomed.


    She recalled Shen Zhou¡¯s words from that night.


    ¡®When I consider you my family, sacrificing everything for you is worth it.¡¯


    Ming Jing curled her lips slightly, vibrant sunlight filled her eyes as she squinted softly.<div>


    She was alone, with no attachments, walking on a path full of thorns. The slightest carelessness could lead to a disaster.


    Why bring innocent people into this?


    But that day, Shen Zhou¡¯s sincere gaze touched her.


    The prayer beads brushed her fingertips, an ethereal and gentle voice echoing as if it came from beyond heaven.


    ¡°Destinies arise and end. Theye together and drift apart. Everything happens for a reason.¡±


    Ming Jing went to the office for a bit, and when she left, it was already three in the afternoon.


    She went to the Luoshan Shop to pick up a gift, then hurried to the Tao¡¯s.


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s birthday venue was the open-air balcony on the roof. The ce was decorated warmly. Tao Xingxing invited close friends and a few good ssmates. All were students, so instead of alcohol, they used soft drinks, and fruits and snacks were prepared. One of the ssmates who was into music brought a drum set, a standing microphone, and DJ equipment, which nicely heighted the atmosphere.

 Chapter 389: 179 Birthday (an additional update)_2

    Chapter 389: 179 Birthday (an additional update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    There were nine people in total, including Tao Xingxing and Ming Jing.


    Tao Xingxing pushed open the rooftop door, pulling Ming Jing along with her, ¡°Now, let me introduce my best friend, Ming Jing, to everyone.¡±<div>


    Some of them were Tao Xingxing¡¯s primary and middle school ssmates who had parted ways with her in high school. They werepletely stunned when they found out that the renowned Ming Jing was Tao Xingxing¡¯s best friend.


    Ma Xiaoxiao and two other good friends that Tao Xingxing made at Shengde High School seemed moreposed.


    ¡°Xingxing, how secretive of you, bing the best friend of a wealthy and beautiful woman. How impressive.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Ming Jing, much prettier than on TV, and she¡¯s got that amazing style. Plus, she¡¯s the heiress of Zhu Group.¡±


    ¡°Nah, she¡¯s the Chairman of the Board at Zhu Group. She¡¯s on equal terms with Shen Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Today we¡¯re living off Xingxing¡¯s luck, otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to meet Ms. Zhu.¡±


    Everyone was chattering excitedly and discussing feverishly.


    Tao Xingxing leaned towards Ming Jing, ¡°They do exaggerate a lot. They¡¯ve never seen a celebrity before, so bear with them.¡±


    Ming Jing just shook her head and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s your show today.¡± Ming Jing gently reminded her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, the happier they are about you, the happier I am, why should I care¡­¡± Tao Xingxing waved her hands indifferently.<div>


    Tao Xingxing snapped her fingers, ¡°Yan Chen, let the music y.¡±


    A dull thud echoed as the drumstick hit the bass drum, causing a deep, deafening sound that stirred the soul.


    Then the hand holding the drumstick swung, releasing a bright, strong note, ¡°Boom pop! The powerful rhythm caught everyone¡¯s vibe.


    Ming Jing looked up to see a coolly dressed teenager sitting behind the drums, a duckbill cap obscuring his eyes, leaving only his lower face visible. His chin looked mysterious under the shing multicolored lights.


    ¡°Yan Chen, an art test taker. He¡¯ll be taking the entrance exam for the music academy next year. He¡¯s a future star. Isn¡¯t he cool? His singing is amazing too. During middle school, he was the heartthrob of the entire school and is now the most popr guy at Yi High School.¡±


    Tao Xingxing began to hum along with the rhythm.


    The atmosphere was heating up, and a girl shouted, ¡°Yan Chen, sing us a song.¡±


    The boy looked up, his dark eyes focusing on Tao Xingxing.


    His deep, husky voice came through the microphone, making everyone¡¯s cheeks blush.


    ¡°What would the birthday girl like to hear?¡±


    Tao Xingxing raised her hand high, the smile on her face beaming brightly, ¡°I want to hear ¡®White Robe.¡¯<div>


    Yan Chen smiled, his eyes sparkling in the dark like morning stars, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The other girls started to tease, one of them joked: ¡°Xingxing, you do realize how many girls chase after Yan Chen at school, don¡¯t you? He never gives any of them a second nce, except for you. Could it be that he likes you?¡±


    Tao Xingxingughed it off and waved her hand in dismissal, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense, we¡¯re just good pals.¡±


    The girls giggled, ¡°Xingxing, you better pay attention. You need to hold on tight to such a high-quality guy, once you lose this chance, you may never get another one. If he bes a big star in the future, we won¡¯t be able to reach him, aren¡¯t you gonna seize this opportunity?¡±


    Tao Xingxing rolled her eyes at the girl, ¡°If you like him, why don¡¯t you go for it? Stop trying to mess up our friendship.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like me, I¡¯d be asking for a death wish.¡±


    The gentle, low voice of the young man came through the microphone, and the scene instantly fell silent as everyone listened attentively.


    Unlike Qu Feitai¡¯s gentle and bitter version, Yan Chen sung with a different feel, his song style was more upbeat. Everyone was thrilled, their hearts blossoming in joy.


    ¡°It sounds amazing, I think it¡¯s even better than Qu Feitai¡¯s version.¡±


    ¡°Not bad, but Qu Feitai is YYDS [Only, only, only].¡±When Qu Feitai came up in conversation, everyone instinctively looked at Ming Jing ¡ª the one who had lived and eaten with Qu Feitai for three days. Suddenly, it seemed as if Qu Feitai wasn¡¯t so far away from them anymore.


    ¡°Have any of you noticed¡­ there¡¯s something off about the lyrics to this song ¡®White Clothes¡¯.¡±<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re just realizing this? The inte¡¯s already gone wild, saying that Qu Feitai wrote ¡®White Clothes¡¯ for Ming Jing, that they knew each other before they were on the show together. Didn¡¯t you see the leaks online? A restaurant manager slipped up and was exposed by an employee, revealing that they had gone on dates before the show¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, is that true?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why this hasn¡¯t exploded, it was probably suppressed by Qu Feitai¡¯spany. After all, rising star dating might affect his career. Qu Feitai¡¯s future is bright, he can¡¯t let a romantic rtionship get in the way.¡±


    For a moment, the way people looked at Ming Jing changed ¨C pure admiration, not a hint of jealousy.


    Because jealousy needs its rights. Look at ourselves, then look at their beauty, family background, and intelligence. How many keys can you match? Are you a match?


    After Yan Chen finished singing, Tao Xingxing led the apuse.


    ¡°Happy birthday to you¡­.¡± With a change in melody, the well-known birthday song echoed in the room. Even when singing the birthday song, Yan Chen¡¯s deep voice was particrly pleasing to the ears.


    The whole room followed suit, singing along. At this point, Tao Qian and Wu Jiaqi came pushing in a three-tiered cake, their mouths filling the room with the tune of ¡°Happy Birthday¡±.


    ¡°My star, your mom and dad wish you a happy 17th birthday, always be happy and blessed. We will always be with you.¡±


    ¡°Now, make a wish.¡±


    Seventeen candles lit on top of the cake.


    Tao Xingxing looked at her parents standing close by and all of her friends around her, closing her eyes in happiness.


    After silently making her wish, Tao Xingxing blew out all the candles, and then excitedly began to cut the cake.


    Wu Jiaqi looked at the carefree girl, a shade of sadness welling in her eyes.


    Arge hand rested on her shoulder as Tao Qian gently said, ¡°In the blink of an eye, our star has grown so much and we¡¯ve gotten old.¡±


    ¡°Why bring up such a sentimental thing on a happy day?¡± Wu Jiaqiined.


    Tao Qian held her hand, lowering his voice, ¡°Jiaqi, what are you worried about?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi abruptly looked up at him; Tao Qian was gazing at her tenderly.


    Their eyes met, and the joy of the young boys and girls seemed far away for a moment.


    Wu Jiaqi¡¯s lips moved slightly, struggling to speak up: ¡°A Qian¡­.¡±


    ¡°No matter what happens in the future, we must stay together as a family. No one can separate us.¡± Tao Qian gently held her, looking at Tao Xingxing sharing cake with her friends, his eyes soft as water.


    ¡°Mom, the first piece of the cake belongs to you. My birthday is also the day you suffered, without you and dad, there would be no me.¡± Tao Xingxing handed the cut cake to Wu Jiaqi and Tao Qian.


    ¡°Thank you, mom, for giving birth to me seventeen years ago. Having grown up with you and daddy, and thepanionship of Ming Jing and my friends, I am the happiest person in the world.¡± Tao Xingxing¡¯s eyes shone brilliantly, her face was lit up with a sunny and blissful smile.


    Wu Jiaqi touched her face; seventeen years had passed in the blink of an eye.


    Our daughter has already grown into a graceful youngdy, confident, lively, and cute. She looks exactly like what you had hoped for.


    Do you see it?


    Tao Xingxing saw a kind of indescribable sadness in her mother¡¯s eyes, as if she was looking at someone through her.


    Such a look made her feel unbearably heavy in her heart.


    Soon, Wu Jiaqi smiled and said, ¡°Go y with your friends.¡±


    The sadness in Wu Jiaqi¡¯s eyes hadpletely disappeared, as if it had been just her illusion.


    After finishing the cake, it was time for Tao Xingxing¡¯s most anticipated part ¨C opening presents.

 Chapter 390: 180 Opportunities (Second Update)

    Chapter 390: 180 Opportunities (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Wu Jiaqi gifted her a limited edition Molly Doll, which made Tao Xingxing hug Wu Jiaqi and kiss her several times, causing everyone¡¯s envious gaze.


    Xingxing¡¯s parents were not only loving but also hadn¡¯t fought for over a decade. They were also very indulgent towards Xingxing, never ming her for her poor grades. The Molly Dolls were expensive, but Tao Xingxing had a whole disy cab filled with them.<div>


    Just with the first point, everyone¡¯s parents fell short, either constantly fighting or divorced and single. The damage caused by their family backgrounds would take a lifetime to heal. These inexpressible growing pains were only truly understood by themselves, so everyone was particrly envious of Tao Xingxing, who grew up in a loving and open-minded environment.


    Tao Qian gave Tao Xingxing an amber star bracelet, and Tao Xingxing happily said, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, I love it, Dad!¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°In our Hua Country¡¯s folklore, amber is transformed from the tiger¡¯s soul and symbolizes the vast grace of parents. It can soothe the five internal organs, stabilize the soul and ward off evil spirits. Xingxing, your father loves you deeply.¡±


    Tao Xingxing blinked, ¡°Is there such a legend?¡±


    She walked over and hugged Tao Qian, sniffing, ¡°Dad, I will always love you.¡±


    Tao Qian gently patted her back, just as he did when she was a baby. Every time she cried, he wouldfort her like this.


    ¡°Dad will always love you too.¡±


    Next was Ming Jing¡¯s gift. When they opened the wrapping bag and saw the logo on the box, everyone was amazed, not just Tao Xingxing.


    ¡°Luoshan Shop?¡±


    Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t wait to open the box, revealing the flowing cloud brocade inside, which was breathtakingly gorgeous under the light.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Phoenix Seeks Phoenix! Ming Jing, I love you so much!¡±<div>


    Tao Xingxing excitedly pounced on Ming Jing and kissed her side face, leaving Ming Jing with a wry smile.


    Wu Jiaqi was surprised and asked a girl, ¡°What is Phoenix Seeks Phoenix?¡±


    The girl exined, ¡°Luoshan Shop is a high-end Hanfu customizing organization, and their Hanfu are all hand-made and very, very expensive. This Phoenix Seeks Phoenix set is designed by the famous Hanfu designer Edward Feng, who is also the treasure of the shop. It was featured as the finale of a traditional show, made entirely by hand from silkworm to weaving, with the highest standards of Hua Country¡¯s silk craftsmanship. Wearing it, you will look absolutely stunning. It¡¯s everyone¡¯s favorite Hanfu and not to mention the beautiful meaning ¡®Phoenix, Phoenix, return home, soar across the four seas to find its Phoenix¡­¡¯. ¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is so generous, gifting the Phoenix Seeks Phoenix at once. How wonderful it would be if I had such a caring and wealthy best friend,¡± the girl said enviously.


    Wu Jiaqi sighed, ¡°I really can¡¯t keep up with the times. I didn¡¯t know that kids nowadays like to y with these.¡±


    The most important thing in giving gifts is the thought, not the expense. Seeing Xingxing so happy showed how much she loved it.


    Ming Jing was very thoughtful.


    This set of Hanfu included exquisitely crafted shoes and headdress so beautiful that Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t put it down.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I never told you I liked Hanfu before. How did you know?¡± Tao Xingxing remembered that she had never mentioned it in front of Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I saw a set of Hanfu in your room.¡±


    ¡°So, you deduced that I like Hanfu?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing nodded. It was easy to know with careful observation.


    Tao Xingxing patted Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, ¡°From now on, we are best friends for life.¡±


    After Ming Jing¡¯s generous gift, everyone else¡¯s gifts were somewhat overshadowed. But Tao Xingxing wasn¡¯t the type of person to despise poorer gifts. Even if she received a cup worth just over ten dors, she would be happy to say she liked it.


    Thest gift was a crystal ball with snow falling inside. A little girl sat on a swing in front of a small house in the crystal ball, and a small sign beside her was covered by a snowke, making it impossible to read the English words.


    Tao Xingxing loved it at first sight and looked at Yan Chen, who stood at the back of the crowd, sharing a knowing smile with him.


    She was born in the Southern Region and had never seen snow before.


    He had always remembered.


    Theughter from the balcony echoed in the distance, and the hallway was pitch-ck. A wraith-like shadow drifted silently through the darkness.


    Yan Chen¡¯s phone rang, and he nced at Tao Xingxing, who was smiling brightly in the crowd, before walking out with the phone.


    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m attending a ssmate¡¯s birthday party. Yes, I¡¯ll go hometer. Alright, you should rest early.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 391: 180 Opportunities (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 391: 180 Opportunities (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    After hanging up the phone, Yan Chen rubbed his temples and was about to leave when his footsteps suddenly halted.


    An instinctive intuition made all the hairs on his body stand on end in an instant, but it was toote.<div>


    Feeling a sharp pain at the back of his neck, he opened his mouth, a trapped beast-like roar escaping from his throat as boundless darkness consumed him.


    In thest second before losing consciousness, he saw a pair of eyes, clean and beautiful like zed ss, but full of cruel indifference, like a messenger of hell.


    The door opened again, and a young boy walked in, silently hiding in the shadows.


    At this moment, Ming Jing lifted her head while the boy lowered the brim of his hat, his right index finger lightly rubbed against his trouser seam.


    Tao Xingxing was excitedly caught up in a pile of gifts, unable to contain his joy. Ming Jing left the crowd, walking to the edge of the terrace, below the half-meter high railing was the abyss of the thirtieth floor.


    A night breeze blew against her face, lifting the young girl¡¯s skirt, her ethereal aura seemed ready to float away with the wind.


    From under his hat brim, the boy¡¯s eyes narrowed, blending into the darkness.


    The boy stepped forward, remaining detached from the lively crowd. His steps made no sound as he slowly approached that white figure.


    Suddenly, the boy stopped in his tracks.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    His assassin¡¯s instinct made him halt.<div>


    He looked at the figure standing in the breeze, her skirt billowing ethereally.


    Although she was an otherworldly beauty, she gave him an extremely familiar feeling.


    Just like that night, across the roaring traffic, he saw those eyes.


    Mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, gunfire, and walking on the edge of knives and gun barrels, fighting with darkness and death, without heart or emotion, poisoned with no antidote other than fresh blood and a stopped heart.


    He smelled the scent of his own kind.


    Master once said that he was not the best assassin, but a natural-born one. His innate sharpness allowed him to escape disaster in every test, a gift from animal instincts. Out of twenty members, only he and Thirteen survived to the end.


    Luck, too, was a kind of strength.


    Instinct told him that the otherworldly girl was very dangerous, and he had underestimated his opponent. He should turn and leave immediately.


    No, wait¡­


    The boy knitted his brows in confusion, this didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Yan Chen.¡± Suddenly someone draped their arm over his shoulder, and the boy froze.<div>


    A sweet, fragrant breath whispered in his ear, ¡°You remembered what I said before, that¡¯s thoughtful of you, buddy.¡±


    ¡°By the way, don¡¯t you like Qu Feitai? My best friend Ming Jing has a very close rtionship with him, let me introduce you.¡±


    Tao Xingxing dragged the boy towards Ming Jing without a word.


    Tao Xingxing, always nonchnt, didn¡¯t notice anything unusual about the boy. After all, in her knowledge, Yan Chen naturally had some quirks, and fighting poison with poison was the only way to subdue him.


    ¡°Ming Jing, this is Yan Chen, my middle school deskmate and good buddy.¡±


    Ming Jing turned around, looked at the boy, and smiled, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ming Jing.¡±


    In the darkness, the boy¡¯s hat brim was pressed down so low that his face could not be seen.


    Silence.


    Tao Xingxing patted his shoulder: ¡°Yan Chen, what¡¯s going on? You¡¯re not speechless because you think Ming Jing is too beautiful and you¡¯re too shy to speak, are you? Look at you, acting all timid.¡±


    Tao Xingxing teased.


    The boy narrowed his eyes, his wrist turning, a fine knife slipped into his palm.<div>


    This was his only chance.


    Dark clouds covered the moon, the terrace plunged into darkness.


    Not far away, colorful lights flickered, andughter filled the air.The young man was like a nimble leopard, suddenly leaping up with a dagger in hand, its gleaming de shimmering in the darkness like the Grim Reaper¡¯s scythe, as it sliced through the air toward the young woman standing ahead, aiming straight for her throat.


    Death faced her head-on while an abyss loomed behind her; surrounded on all sides, there was no escape.


    In that critical moment, he saw the girl¡¯s lips curling into a smile, as gentle as a spring breeze, but it sent chills down his spine.


    Ming Jing arched her upper body backward, forming a 90-degree angle with the ground, her hair fluttering in the night breeze as her upper body hung in mid-air.


    The young man¡¯s de whisked past Ming Jing¡¯s nose tip. Ming Jing hooked her legs around the iron railing, spun gracefully, her white skirt billowing like a blossoming lily, stunningly beautiful, and escaped from the threat in the blink of an eye.


    The young man¡¯s eyes narrowed; everything had happened in the blink of an eye. Such agility and terrifying skills could not have been acquired overnight.


    His initial judgment was correct.


    At this moment, Tao Xingxing, who stood closest to the young man, let out a piercing scream.


    Wu Jiaqi heard Tao Xingxing¡¯s scream, and for that instant, she felt the blood in her body run cold.


    She stumbled towards them, only to witness a scene that made her blood boil.


    Tao Xingxing was being held hostage by the young man, his long de at her throat. Ming Jing stood opposite the young man, her face expressionless, and said, ¡°Let her go.¡±


    Shocked to the point of speechlessness, Tao Xingxing trembled as her voice quivered, ¡°You¡¯re not Yan Chen¡­ Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Where is Yan Chen? What have you done to him?¡±


    ¡°Let go of my daughter,¡± Wu Jiaqi stumbled forward, knelt on the ground, and pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t hurt my daughter, I will give you anything you want.¡±


    Tao Qian remained calm. As heforted Wu Jiaqi, he added, ¡°Just don¡¯t harm my daughter, whatever you want, I will agree.¡±


    The others had already been scared witless by the sudden turn of events. Wasn¡¯t that Yan Chen? How did he suddenly kidnap Tao Xingxing? What kind of devilish plot was this?


    Tao Xingxing said he wasn¡¯t Yan Chen? Then who was he?


    The young man ignored the others, his eyes locked on Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing¡¯s face was expressionless as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time ¨C let her go.¡±


    Her voice was devoid of warmth, as cold and merciless as an ancient, frozen abyss.


    The young man retreated a step, pressing the de against Tao Xingxing¡¯s spine, hiding in the shadows.


    In the blink of an eye, he vanished like a ghost, disappearing at the fire exit.


    Tao Xingxing¡¯s knees buckled, and Ming Jing immediately caught her. Tao Xingxing tightly hugged Ming Jing, choking back tears, ¡°Wu¡­ Ming Jing, I thought I¡¯d never see you again.¡±


    Ming Jing gently patted her back, soothing her softly, ¡°It was my mistake. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up at the night sky, her eyes somber.


    ¡°Xingxing,¡± Wu Jiaqi rushed over, closely examining Tao Xingxing, barely holding back her tears, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    The young girl who had just been crying in front of Ming Jing now shed a big smile, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not that fragile, I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    Seeing tears falling from Wu Jiaqi¡¯s eyes like broken pearls, Tao Xingxing panicked, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi tightly hugged Tao Xingxing, squeezing her almost to the point of breathlessness.


    ¡°Xingxing, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Tao Xingxing looked perplexed. Why was everyone apologizing to her one after another?


    Tao Qian walked over after making a call to the police, ¡°I¡¯ve reported the situation; something¡¯s fishy about this¡­.¡±


    Before he could finish, Wu Jiaqi cut in: ¡°We can¡¯t let the police handle this.¡±


    Tao Qian was taken aback, ncing between Tao Xingxing and Wu Jiaqi, ¡°Jiaqi, it would be better to find out who it is. Don¡¯t you think Xingxing is at risk of encountering such danger again?¡±


    Ming Jing approached, saying, ¡°Uncle, Auntie, he¡¯s after me. I¡¯ll handle this matter; I¡¯m sorry for involving Xingxing.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi shook her head numbly, ¡°The day has finallye¡­.¡±

 Chapter 392: 181 Request (Midnight Update)

    Chapter 392: 181 Request (Midnight Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    For many people, tonight should be an unforgettable night.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ma Xiaoxiao found Yan Chen unconscious in the corridor.<div>


    Tao Xingxing rushed over anxiously, knelt down and listened to Yan Chen¡¯s heartbeat, and let out a sigh of relief.


    Thankfully, he had a pulse.


    Yan Chen opened his eyes, and in the dim corridor, the girl¡¯s eyes shone like the brightest stars in the night sky.


    Ignoring the pain in his neck, Yan Chen immediately asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Tao Xingxing shook her head, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yan Chen said, ¡°Someone knocked me out, fortunately, they didn¡¯t hurt you guys. We should call the police.¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s take you to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Tao Xingxing red at him, Yan Chen touched his nose and said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to the hospital along with your father. Ming Jing, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble tonight, turning a nice birthday party into such a mess.¡± Wu Jiaqi frowned, her face full of sorrow.


    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll go with you guys.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, stay with Xingxing first. Your uncle and I will go home and get some clothes.¡±


    After taking a few steps, Wu Jiaqi said worriedly, ¡°Xingxing, don¡¯t run around, stay with Ming Jing.¡±


    As soon as Wu Jiaqi left, Tao Xingxing clung to Ming Jing¡¯s arm and smiled, ¡°You were amazing just now. I waspletely astonished. You hid your skills so well, turns out you¡¯re a martial arts master.¡±


    Tao Xingxing seemed to bepletely unaffected by the earlier events, back to her carefree self.


    Ming Jing touched her hand, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    A gust of wind blew, and it was indeed quite cold. Tao Xingxing shivered suddenly.


    ¡°Ming Jing, since you know martial arts, could you teach me some moves? So that next time someone tries to bully me, I can teach them a lesson.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote for you to learn now, but I can teach you some practical self-defense techniques.¡±


    ¡°My dear Ming Jing, I knew you¡¯re the best to me.¡±


    Tao Xingxing looked up and saw Yan Chen staring at Ming Jing. She snorted, ¡°Yan Chen, are you stunned?¡±


    Yan Chen shook his head, his eyes still fixed on Ming Jing¡¯s face, and hesitated, ¡°The person who knocked me out just now, his eyes are very simr to Ming Jing¡¯s.¡±<div>


    Tao Xingxing looked at Ming Jing¡¯s eyes, ¡°Are you blind? Ming Jing¡¯s eyes are so beautiful, how could that person possibly look like her?¡±


    Yan Chen scratched his head in confusion, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure, maybe I really saw it wrong.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes shed with a faint smile.


    Tao Xingxing and Wu Jiaqi got into Ming Jing¡¯s car, while Yan Chen took Tao Qian¡¯s car, and they all rushed to the hospital.


    Tao Qian, worried, had someone take x-rays of Yan Chen to make sure he was alright.


    When Tao Xingxing went in for a checkup, Wu Jiaqi sat lifelessly on a bench outside the door, while Tao Qian softlyforted her.


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry, Xingxing will be fine.¡± Wu Jiaqi looked up and saw a gentle, beautiful face with kind andpassionate eyes.


    Wu Jiaqi stared at her, suddenly thought of something, abruptly stood up and gripped Ming Jing¡¯s hand. She opened her mouth to speak but was speechless in the end.


    She couldn¡¯t get an innocent person involved.


    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m a good friend of Xingxing. If you need any help, please let me know.¡± Ming Jing said softly.


    Wu Jiaqi held Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Thank you, Ming Jing.¡±<div>


    Tao Xingxing finished her checkup, both physically and mentally, she was perfectly healthy.


    Tao Qian received a call from the police station. He had reported an incident earlier and quickly canceled it, but the station called again to check on their situation. Wu Jiaqi snatched the phone, exined the situation to the officer and hung up.


    Yan Chen quietly asked Tao Xingxing, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t your mother call the police? It¡¯s so strange.¡±


    Tao Xingxing shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. What does that person want? Does my mom know him? Since my mom doesn¡¯t want to call the police, you shouldn¡¯t talk about it either.¡±


    Yan Chen nodded, ¡°Be careful as well, something seems fishy about this whole thing.¡±


    As they were leaving the hospital, they passed by the Hematology Department on the fifth floor. A girl carrying a thermos entered and, upon seeing Ming Jing, excitedly eximed, ¡°Miss? What are you doing here?¡±


    Xiao Ying¡¯s face changed instantly, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not sick, are you?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m here with Xingxing for a check-up.¡±


    Xiao Ying breathed a sigh of relief.


    She immediately greeted Tao Xingxing with a smile, ¡°Hello, you must be Miss¡¯s friend, right? My name is Xiao Ying, and I¡¯m a maid for the Zhu family.¡±

 Chapter 393: 181 Request (Midnight Update)_2

    Chapter 393: 181 Request (Midnight Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Tao Xingxing nodded in understanding: ¡°I know you, I called Ming Jing once, and you answered.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, it was me.¡± Xiao Ying, no more than two years older than Tao Xingxing, loved to talk andugh, and greeted them one by one.<div>


    Tao Xingxing nced at the thermos in Xiao Ying¡¯s hand, and asked curiously, ¡°Is someone in your family sick?¡±


    Her father is the deputy director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of this hospital. When she was a child, the hospital was like her second home. If she remembers correctly, the 5th floor is the Hematology Department where they generally treat blood diseases like leukemia, purpura, and lymphoma.


    Xiao Ying nced at Ming Jing subconsciously, sighed, and hesitated whether she should say anything.


    Tao Xingxing smelled something unusual. Just then, the elevator reached the first floor, and Ming Jing¡¯s cell phone rang. Ming Jing apologized as she looked at everyone, and went aside to answer the call.


    Tao Xingxing immediately pulled Xiao Ying aside: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is someone in Ming Jing¡¯s family sick?¡±


    Xiao Ying shook her head. It wasn¡¯t anything that couldn¡¯t be seen by others. Ms. Zhu was low-key and didn¡¯t like to show off, but Xiao Ying felt unjust for her and said right away, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s younger brother has leukemia, and she¡¯s the only one with a sessful match. Her mother begged her on her knees to donate bone marrow, but she refused, watching her brother die. When Ms. Zhu found out, she paid for the child¡¯s hospitalization, had the family chef make nutritious meals for him every day, and spent money to find a suitable bone marrow donor.¡±


    Tao Xingxing cursed with anger: ¡°I knew Zhu Xiangxiang was no good. She¡¯s watching her own brother die just because she loves the rich and despises the poor. Madam Wu is so confused; why did she let here back?¡±


    Xiao Ying didn¡¯t dare to talk about her family¡¯s right and wrong in front of outsiders, as she abided by the employee code of conduct, but Zhu Xiangxiang was an exception.


    ¡°I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong about Ming Jing; she¡¯s the kindest girl in the world.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi and Tao Qian looked at each other. Tao Qian asked, ¡°Is the child¡¯s name Deng Yang?¡±


    Xiao Ying nodded: ¡°How did you know?¡±<div>


    Tao Qian said: ¡°I have heard my colleagues mention that the child is sensible and has a talent for painting, but he had bad luck in getting leukemia at a young age. Meeting Ms. Zhu is his good fortune.¡±


    ¡°As long as you know, but don¡¯t tell anyone, Ms. Zhu doesn¡¯t want me to tell others.¡± Xiao Ying cautioned.


    Tao Xingxing patted her shoulder: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make it widely known in the campus tomorrow. I¡¯ll let Zhu Xiangxiang, this shameless and cheap person, be socially dead.¡±


    Xiao Ying gritted her teeth: ¡°As long as I can vent my anger for Ms. Zhu, it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good sister; she has backbone.¡±


    Ming Jing returned after finishing her call and noticed the strange looks on everyone¡¯s faces. Ming Jing quickly understood what had happened and nced at Xiao Ying, who lowered her head guiltily.


    ¡°Ming Jing, don¡¯t me Xiao Ying, I forced her to tell.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let me take you guys home first.¡± Ming Jing took the lead and walked out.


    Tao Xingxing hugged Xiao Ying¡¯s shoulder andforted: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, from now on, your sister will take care of you.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m older than you.¡±


    ¡°Well, the three heroes of Peach Garden didn¡¯t form their alliance based on age.¡±<div>


    ¡°Oh.¡± Xiao Ying obediently nodded.


    Wu Jiaqi and Tao Qian walked behind, sighing: ¡°Ming Jing is such a good child, repaying grievances with virtue, not many ordinary people can do that.¡±


    Tao Qian agreed wholeheartedly: ¡°Ms. Zhu is a person of great vision. It¡¯s Xingxing¡¯s luck to be her good friend.¡±


    Tao Qian drove to send Yan Chen home, Xiao Ying hitched a ride with Ming Jing, and they took Tao Xingxing and her mother home.


    Before getting out of the car, Wu Jiaqi looked at Ming Jing and hesitated for a moment. Under Tao Xingxing¡¯s urging, she got out of the car and left.


    ¡°Ming Jing, see you tomorrow.¡± Tao Xingxing stood by the car window, smiling and waving.


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Having put Tao Xingxing to sleep, Wu Jiaqi tucked her in and noticed the ivory pendant hanging by her bed, suddenly bing dumbfounded.


    She picked up the ivory and caressed it carefully, murmuring, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    In other people¡¯s eyes, she had a gentle, handsome, young, and sessful husband who was undeniably loyal to her, a lively, lovely, confident, and cheerful daughter, a decent job, and a happy family. As a woman, there was nothing else she could wish for in this life.


    However, for more than a decade, she had not had a good sleep, tormented by nightmares day and night. She felt guilty towards her daughter and even more guilty towards her husband. She had kept this secret for over a decade, fearing day and night. She thought her life would just end quietly, like flowing water. The other two were happy, and she alone was tormented, which was fine.However, the scene she feared most still happened in the end.<div>


    Wu Jiaqi looked at Tao Xingxing, who was sleeping soundly, and stroked her face. ¡°Xingxing, Mom will definitely not let anything happen to you.¡±


    Xiao Ying found that this wasn¡¯t the way back to the Zhus. They had already gone down this road once before.


    ¡°Du Ze, are you lost?¡± Xiao Ying asked.


    Du Ze coughed, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Xiao Yingined, ¡°You dare to be Ms. Zhu¡¯s driver even when you¡¯re lost. It¡¯s only because she has a good temper.¡±


    Du Ze nced at the rearview mirror and stepped on the gas. ¡°Hold on tight.¡±


    The car shot out like an arrow released from a bow.


    Xiao Ying quickly grabbed the overhead handle, noticing Ming Jing with her eyes closed, seemingly unaffected, which made her rather annoyed.


    This Du Ze had terrible driving skills. Was he only hired for his good looks? Ms. Zhu is so superficial.


    After ten minutes, the car turned back onto the main road, a distance away, a Jeep followed them, causing the driver to heave a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank goodness my driving skills are good. I avoided losing them, otherwise, I¡¯d be punished again.¡±


    The man in the passenger seat crossed his arms and yawned. ¡°Why did Master Xiao ask us to keep an eye on Ms. Zhu? Could it be he has taken a liking to her? Master Xiao, who seldom shows interest in women, seems to have good taste by choosing such a finedy.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to die, daring to gossip about Master Xiao?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? No one¡¯s here. Are you nning to sell me out?¡±


    ¡°Sell you out, my ass¡­!¡±


    The car roared past, stirring up fallen leaves that danced in mid-air, eerily spinning beforending on the ground.


    Ming Jing emerged from behind a tree just as a nondescript ck Santana stopped in front of her.


    Ming Jing got into the rear seat, and Han Suwen, gripping the steering wheel, turned to her. ¡°Miss, please fasten your seat belt.¡±


    Han Suwen had obtained her driver¡¯s license during college; it had been a long time since she¡¯d driven. After a few days of practice, she regained some of her skills.


    Being able to do something for her youngdy, she felt invigorated.


    The ck Santana joined the flow of traffic, heading toward the bustling city street.


    Thendy was dozing off when suddenly, a knocking sound jolted her awake. Startled, she opened her eyes to see a face of remarkable beauty, and she froze, wondering if she was dreaming.


    ¡°You¡­ are you looking for a room?¡± thendy stammered.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was as gentle as water and a great pleasure to listen to. However, in the deserted lobby, as the lights flickered on and off, it provoked an eerie, chilling fear.


    Such a beautiful person¡­ Could she be a ghost?


    Thendy felt a cold shudder down her spine. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    The young girl smiled gently. ¡°A person about my age, dressed all in ck, wearing a cap.¡±


    Thendy pped her hands. ¡°You must be looking for Zhang Wei. Are you his sister? I thought you two had simr eyes.¡±


    The girl nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in room 1205. Did he run away from home in rebellion? I knew it¡­¡±


    Thendy rambled on as she watched the girl ascend the stairs, her enchanting figure fading into the distance, an exquisite sight to behold.


    Thendy scratched her head. ¡°I have the feeling I¡¯ve seen her before. Where could it have been?¡±


    With rhythmic knocking, the sound broke the silence of the corridor, as the voice-activated lights turned on one by one.

 Chapter 394: 182 Vast Ocean (Second Shift)

    Chapter 394: 182 Vast Ocean (Second Shift)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Inside the room, the young man lying on the bed suddenly leaped up, his flying dagger sliding into his palm at the same moment.


    He peered through the peephole, but the corridor outside was empty.<div>


    At that moment, a knock on the door startled him once again.


    In the silent night, it sent chills down his spine.


    With one hand gripping the doorknob, the young man squinted and opened the door a crack.


    From the gap, a cold night breeze wafted in, carrying with it an intoxicating, faint fragrance that drifted into his nostrils.


    A slender, fair hand held onto the doorframe, and the youth¡¯s eyes narrowed. The flying dagger spun in his palm, springing forth in a sh as he opened the door.


    ¡°Snap!¡± The room was suddenly brightly lit.


    With a grin, the youngdy sauntered in, her elegant hand raised as the flying dagger nailed a bullseye on the target hanging on the wall opposite.


    The boy stared wide-eyed as she entered, his heart sinking instantly.


    The only exnation for how she found his address so quickly was that he had been exposed from the very beginning.


    If she came alone, it must mean she was fully prepared.


    But in any case, there was no possibility of leaving empty-handed.<div>


    No turning back, the arrow had to be released.


    The boy sprang up, a faint trace of menace shimmering between his fingers as he aimed straight for the youngdy¡¯s heart with the force of a thunderbolt.


    Her back straight as a rod, the young woman strolled leisurely, seemingly oblivious to the impending danger looming behind her.


    Her red lips parted slightly, and she uttered softly, ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one.¡±


    As her words fell, the knife stopped suddenly, just half an inch from her heart. The boy¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and in the next moment, he copsed to the floor, flustered and exasperated.


    From his perspective, all he could see was the hem of the girl¡¯s skirt as she moved gracefully away.


    Ming Jing walked to the window, which was sealed shut. Through the iron bars, she saw the sparse nighttime traffic on the street outside.


    The boy struggled to his feet, veins bulging on the back of his hand. He stared fixedly at the figure standing by the window, cold sweat rolling down his forehead, wetting his eyshes.


    ¡°Drip!¡± The beads of sweat sttered onto the floor.


    ¡°You drugged me?¡± The words were virtually forced through the gaps between his teeth.


    ¡°All is fair in war. This must be your first mission; you¡¯re a bit inexperienced,¡± Ming Jing said as she circled the room and flipped through his ID card.<div>


    ¡°Zhang Wei, the most popr name among assassins when in hiding, blending seamlessly into society.¡±


    ¡°When did you find out?¡±


    Ming Jing picked up the cellphone, perhaps the other party was too confident as there was no password. She opened WeChat to find only one contactbeled ¡®Aunt Hong¡¯.


    Ming Jing took out her cellphone, added him as a WeChat friend, and sent Aunt Hong¡¯s contact card.


    ¡°I have too many enemies and cherish my own life too much, so I¡¯m sorry for causing your mission to fail,¡± Ming Jing put the cellphone back, turned around, and squatted down in front of him, gazing into his eyes.


    Those were a pair of beautiful eyes, clear and pure like a mountain spring, untainted by the slightest speck of dirt.


    In those eyes, Ming Jing saw her own reflection.


    Even though he was at her mercy, the boy didn¡¯t show any signs of shame or anger, but tried to stand upright instead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. This is a special sedative I concocted myself. Once exposed, it leaves one helpless for three days. If you attempt to resist, it will reverse your meridians and attack your vital organs. I¡¯ve named it ¡®Beautiful Lady.¡¯ You see, your helpless demeanor right now is so like a beauty toyed with by fate.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s voice was soft and gentle like water, but it sounded to him like a call from hell.


    ¡°Kill me,¡± the boy closed his eyes.<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The boy refused to say.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. I¡¯ll give you a chance to live.¡±


    The boy opened his eyes and frowned at her.


    ¡°As per WT¡¯s rules, failure is not an option. If you can¡¯t bring back the head of your target, the only thing you can return with is your own. You are talented, but your master put you in the wrong ce.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head and sighed.


    The boy¡¯s pupils shrank, his gaze filled with disbelief. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Ming Jing smoothed her skirt, sublime and otherworldly, smiling faintly, ¡°An ordinary person.¡±


    At that moment, the aura around her seemed to envelop her like mist, emitting a faint golden hue, as if she were a divine being, holy and ephemeral, unreachable.


    ¡°You have three days to think it over,¡± Ming Jing smiled as she patted his shoulder and left gracefully.


    As she reached the door, she stopped but didn¡¯t turn around, ¡°Sink forever in the darkness or walk with me on the path of redemption. The choice is in your hands.¡±

 Chapter 395: 182 Vast Ocean (Second Shift)_2

    Chapter 395: 182 Vast Ocean (Second Shift)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Did your little brother note with you? The youngd is quite rebellious.¡± Thendy, noticing Ming Jinging downstairs alone, couldn¡¯t help but speak.


    Ming Jing responded with a smile and a shake of her head, ¡°Give him three days to think, auntie. During these three days, please don¡¯t disturb him. Let him figure out the path he should walk in the future.¡±<div>


    Thendy nodded, ¡°I understand, your conscientious effort as his sister is admirable, starve him for three days and see if he stays obstinate.¡±


    With a light smile, Ming Jing left the guesthouse.


    ¡°What a gentle girl, the littled really doesn¡¯t appreciate what he¡¯s got, let him starve.¡± Muttering andining, thendy went back.


    To forever sink in the dark abyss or walk the path of redemption, the choice is in your hands¡­


    The youth closed his eyes, does he still have the right to be redeemed?


    Ming Jing stepped out of the guesthouse, walking slowly along the road, while Han Suwen trailed behind in his car.


    ¡°Ming Jing, are you not at home? What are you doing out sote?¡± The doubtful voice of Zheng Qing came from the phone.


    ¡°Just out for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Taking a walk in the middle of the night? Did you go see Ran Tengxiao?¡±


    Ming Jing did not reply.


    ¡°Your sluggish nature really frustrates me, when are youing back, I have something to tell you.¡±<div>


    ¡°Did Ye Zhen find something out?¡±


    ¡°You guessed?¡±


    Zheng Qing went straight to the point, ¡°The night that Liang Yanran died, a paparazzi saw Xue An. He wasn¡¯t like what he said to the media, rushing back to the apartment after her death. He lied to the media. At the same time, I found that the background of this Xue An is quite interesting. Previously, only heard his name, had a good reputation in the industry. Had I not investigated, I would not have known, his films over these years, each worse than thest, but he still keeps getting roles. Looking into it, there¡¯s a deep meaning behind it all, I have probably figured out why Liang Yanran died.¡±


    Walking on the streetste at night, patchy lights through the tree branches sprinkled onto her skirt, dancing like sparks.


    ¡°If we continue to investigate, I guess a lot of people will be involved. I have a son to take care of and I can¡¯t risk my life, figuring out the cause of Liang Yanran¡¯s death can be considered as my final stubbornness.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ming Jing, are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Why are you not talking? Is the signal bad?¡± The sound of Zheng Qing muttering to herself came through the phone.


    Ming Jing hung up the phone and walked alone for a long time.


    Once one has seen the ocean, all else will be viewed as clouds.


    He is a true Emperor of Acting, weaving a beautiful dream with his superb acting skills.


    One moment, he was pledging forever; the next, he turned his knife against her.<div>


    What¡¯s ridiculous is, she actually believed him.


    Beads glide over her fingertips, one by one, clear and clean.


    Those betrayals, pains, hesitations, despairs, and resentments- they once tormented her so vividly.


    The bullet that pierced her heart on that day, the fresh blood that colored the snowy ground, as vivid as if it happened just yesterday.


    Those resentments, they have already been released after more than four thousand days and nights of ancientmps and Buddha.


    What could be picked up, could also be put down.


    The wind blowing her clothing, she walked calmly in the night, as beautiful as a blooming epiphyllum.


    Han Suwen followed leisurely in his car, looking at the figure in front of him, for some unknow reason, he felt a sour sensation in his nose.


    The Rans¡¯ Mansion was brightly lit.


    Shou Chang walked into the hall with Ye Shuang.


    He used to know every grass and tree, every brick and tile here so well. When Master Wen was alive, he coulde and go freely. But now, he was a prisoner.<div>


    A deste feeling of ¡°When the hare dies, the fox mourns¡± rose in Shou Chang¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Shou Chang, three months have passed. Where is the person I asked for?¡±Ran Tengxiao sat on the living room sofa, brewing tea while asking indifferently.


    Shou Chang lowered his head, ¡°Initially, Yu Jiang instigated a rift between the three of us brothers. Lu Chang and I were envious of Ji Chang being trusted by Master Wen, and so we framed him as a traitor. All of this was a part of Yu Jiang¡¯s scheme. She knew Master Wen would relentlessly pursue her all the way to Jingdu. It was Lu Chang and I who caused Master Wen¡¯s death.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s hand holding the purple y teapot paused for a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Where is the person I¡¯m looking for?¡±


    ¡°Yu Jiang was undercover beside Master Wen for two years. What did she¡ªor the organization behind her¡ªvalue so much they went to such great lengths? Was it Master Wen¡¯s head? No, it was the Qinglong Seal in Master Wen¡¯s possession.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao walked towards him impassively, ¡°The Qinglong Seal?¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao, this is getting pointless. You¡¯ve gone to great lengths to find the mother and daughter, isn¡¯t it for the Qinglong Seal? You should ask Xi Yu. He is Ji Chang¡¯s son. Didn¡¯t Ji Chang tell him about it? Back then, this secret was Ji Chang¡¯s death warrant. For the woman he loved, Master Wen was willing to kill his own brother. Ask Xi Yu, is it worth it for the enemy who killed his father?¡±


    Shou Chang started to chuckle.


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve met with Xi Yu?¡±


    ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    ¡°He is my nephew, just expressing regard towards his uncle.¡±


    ¡°Good, so I¡¯ll give you three more months. You decide what is more important ¨C your son or your nephew.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao gestured and Shou Chang was forced to leave.


    ¡°Master Xiao, why don¡¯t you just ask Xi Yu?¡± Ye Shuang asked, puzzled.


    Why go for such unnecessary trouble? Talk about Xi Yu or Dong Yu, never mind, one way or another, he will break sooner orter.


    Ye Jian shot her a re, ¡°What have you been looking at? When did he meet Xi Yu?¡±


    Ye Shuang stuck out her tongue, ¡°Brother, I was wrong.¡±


    Ye Jian nced at Ran Tengxiao before saying to Ye Shuang, ¡°Just this once. Don¡¯t take it lightly next time. Now go.¡±


    Ye Shuang hurriedly departed.


    ¡°Ye Jian, what do you think?¡± Ran Tengxiao asked.


    Ye Jian knew he was referring to what Ye Shuang had said.


    Simultaneously cursing Ye Shuang for being foolish and replying, ¡°Not everyone can be threatened, and it might backfire with Xi Yu.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao let out a sigh, ¡°My wily uncle sure likes to keep tricks up his sleeve. Maybe Xi Yu is the ace he left for that mother and daughter. What I¡¯m wondering is why, after hiding for twelve years, would he appear now? What is his goal?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao tapped the table with his fingers, muttering to himself, ¡°Xi Yu, I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    When Shou Chang left the Rans¡¯ Mansion, a chill wind blew, making him shudder.


    Looking back at the brightly lit mansion behind him, he had a sense of mncholy.


    Xi Yu was right. His only use now was his insider knowledge; Ran Tengxiao still wasn¡¯t willing to take his life.


    Master Wen was both brave and cunning, cautious yet resolute. He was a formidable presence of his era. This Ran Tengxiao was no less than him, and arguably even more crafty.


    But all this was within Xi Yu¡¯s anticipations.


    Shou Chang chuckled disdainfully. That seat wasn¡¯t so easy to upy. The reason Ran Tengxiao was so eager to find the mother and daughter was for the Qinglong Seal they had.


    The two parts of the Qinglong Seal joint to form the Qinglong Order.


    The true master of House Ran and the Xuanwu Hall is the one who possesses the Qinglong Order.


    The mother and daughter were like a sword suspended above his head day and night, making him restless.


    Curling his lips, Shou Chang figured out what Xi Yu was nning to do.


    Master Wen¡¯s death was caused by the Ran brothers, Ran Bocai and Ran Boxue. Their descendants couldn¡¯t possibly turn out good.


    One is Ran Qing, one is Ran Yang, and then there¡¯s Ran Tengxiao. Truly a nest of vipers.


    The true filial sessor of the Rans is the one with Master Wen¡¯s blood¡ªthe only one worthy.


    Xi Yu, Xi Yu, I hope I won¡¯t have to wait too long for that day.


    And then, Master Wen will finally rest in peace in Heaven.

 Chapter 396: 183 Beauty (One more update)

    Chapter 396: 183 Beauty (One more update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Zhu Xiangxiang rested at home for a week and returned to school on Monday after recovering from her illness.


    Zhu Shaodan dyed his hair ck and put on his uniform, but the rebellious teen still maintained his stubbornness. When the wind blew, the colorful strands hidden within his ck hair were revealed.<div>


    ¡°How¡¯s the self-criticism lettering along?¡± Inside the car on the way to school, Zhu Xiangxiang adjusted Zhu Shaodan¡¯s cor and asked gently.


    Zhu Shaodan pulled out a thick stack of printed papers from his bag.


    ¡°Anyway, that old man didn¡¯t specify whether it should be handwritten or printed.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled helplessly, ¡°Lucky for you, mom donated a library to the school, otherwise, you might have been expelled on the first day of school. Focus on your studies from now on and stop breaking school rules.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan grunted and turned his head away arrogantly.


    He had be infamous overnight. The moment he appeared at the school gate, he was surrounded by stares from all directions.


    Some of these stares were scornful, fearful, or cautious. People kept a two-meter distance when they walked past him, as if he was a carrier of some super virus.


    Zhu Xiangxiang became the only one walking beside Zhu Shaodan. Naturally, from that day on, no one dared to bully her in person anymore.


    However, the rumors about her became even more rampant.


    As Zhu Xiangxiang walked to her ssroom, she sensed that people were looking at her strangely, and it wasn¡¯t just because of Zhu Shaodan¡¯s intimidation.


    When Wu Jiajia handed over her Chinese homework, she quickly threw Zhu Xiangxiang a note and turned away.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang secretly opened the note. After reading what was written on it, her face changed instantly.


    Who the hell spread this rumor?


    Now, the whole school knows that she, Zhu Xiangxiang, is a mercenary and heartless social climber who ignored her own brother¡¯s death.


    People were afraid of Zhu Shaodan, so they didn¡¯t dare say anything to her face, but she could imagine the nasty things they were saying about her behind her back.


    Zhu Xiangxiang crumpled the note and took a deep breath.


    Only Zhu Mingjing would know about this. It must have been her who spread the rumor.


    Tao Xingxing didn¡¯te to school today, iming to be sick. Still, hardly anyone in her ss dared to talk to Zhu Xiangxiang.


    In part, because of Ming Jing, and certainly, because of Zhu Shaodan, who would just beat up anyone without any repercussions. So, just to avoid being beaten up by Zhu Shaodan, it was better for everyone to avoid provoking Zhu Xiangxiang.


    If the rumors were true, then Zhu Xiangxiang was morally bankrupt. Even though no one is perfect, she was ruthless and ungrateful to the extreme, deserving only of disdain.


    She could do nothing but swallow her pride and bear it¡­


    During the g-raising ceremony, Zhu Shaodan was honorably called on stage to read his self-criticism in front of the whole school. He stumbled through the reading and was sent off the stage by the principal after just a few sentences.<div>


    Such a student was incredibly infuriating. If he kept reading, the principal would lose all his dignity.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, you really made a name for yourself this time. Even the principal can¡¯t do anything about you, truly impressive.¡± When Zhu Shaodan returned to his ss, he was immediately surrounded by two sycophants, massaging his shoulders and nking him on either side.


    Zhu Shaodan smirked, ¡°From now on, ss 8 is mine. Follow me, and I will make sure you live the good life.¡±


    The twods were thrilled and began showering him with praise.


    Others in ss 8 avoided him like a gue but some of the boys idolized him, hoping to gain some power and influence by association.


    Now everyone knew about a student in Senior ss 1/8 called Zhu Shaodan, Mr. Zhu from the Zhu family, Ming Jing¡¯s biological younger brother. On the first day of school, he beat up Qi An and got off with just a week of suspension. Whichever way you looked at it, he was someone not to be messed with.


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t call me ¡®young master¡¯, it¡¯s so unpleasant. Just call me ¡®boss¡¯.¡±


    Zhou Xiang considered this and said, ¡°Boss Dan, we¡¯ll call you Boss Dan from now on.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan nodded approvingly, feeling like he was on his way to bing as authoritative as Master Xiao. One day, he would be even more powerful than him.


    Ji Dagui said, ¡°Boss Dan, there¡¯s something you probably don¡¯t know yet. It¡¯s about Sister Xiangxiang.¡±


    As soon as it had something to do with Zhu Xiangxiang, Zhu Shaodan immediately asked, ¡°Did someone bully her?¡±<div>


    Ji Dagui quickly shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s about a rumor regarding Sister Xiangxiang. They say¡­¡±.


    Ji Dagui exined everything, ¡°Sister Xiangxiang doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of person, does she? But the rumor is so detailed, what do you think we should do, Boss Dan?¡±

 Chapter 397: 183 Beauty (One more update)_2

    Chapter 397: 183 Beauty (One more update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Both of them cursed his blindness in their hearts, ignoring Ming Jing, his own sister, and getting close to a white-eyed wolf like Zhu Xiangxiang. Was there something wrong with his brain? Of course, the two of them only dared toin in private.


    Zhu Shaodan spat and said, ¡°Bullshit, there¡¯s no way my sister could be that kind of person. If I hear anyone spreading rumors again, I¡¯ll beat them up.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, Young Master Dan.¡±


    ¡°It must be Zhu Mingjing¡¯s doing¡­¡± cursed Zhu Shaodan.


    Ji Dagui straightforwardly retorted, ¡°Young Master Dan, Mingjing isn¡¯t that kind of person. Don¡¯t nder her.¡±


    Zhou Xiang hurriedly tugged at his sleeve. Wasn¡¯t it asking for death to say that in front of Zhu Shaodan?


    Zhu Shaodan stared at him, asking with a gloomy smile, ¡°What did you say just now?¡±


    As if not understanding Zhou Xiang¡¯s hint, Ji Dagui stubbornly said, ¡°Young Master Dan, I¡¯m saying Ming Jing is a very kind person. If you had watched the show ¡°Three Meals a Day,¡± you wouldn¡¯t say such things. It¡¯s an insult and sphemy to her.¡±


    Zhu Shaodanughed out of anger, ¡°Well, it turns out there¡¯s a hardcore fan of Zhu Mingjing hiding by my side.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan looked at Zhou Xiang, ¡°Tell me, do you like Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    Zhou Xiang coughed, ¡°Young Master Dan, I can¡¯t lie against my conscience. It would be disrespectful to you, though I don¡¯t know what deep hatred you have with Mingjing, I really like her a lot¡­ If I could be her brother, I would wake upughing in my dreams¡­¡±


    Zhou Xiang moved away from Zhu Shaodan after speaking.


    Zhu Shaodan kicked the air angrily and shouted, ¡°Get out of my sight.¡±<div>


    The cafeteria was crowded at noon.


    Ming Jing had just sat down with her food when Zhao Qin took the seat opposite her. Then Li Jiaojiao and Sun Qingqing arrived too.


    Four people filled the table.


    Everyone else stared at the table, not daring to breathe.


    When did Ming Jing start hanging out with Zhao Qin and Li Jiaojiao?


    ¡°I heard about the rumor. Zhu Xiangxiang, as I expected, I had a reason to look down on her. Thank you for helping to rid the world of such evil,¡± Li Jiaojiao patted Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, treating her like a close friend.


    Ming Jing furrowed her brows, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao raised her eyebrows, ¡°Fine, fine, it wasn¡¯t you. Anyway, from now on, you¡¯re under my protection. If you need anything, just say the word.¡±


    Ming Jing narrowed her eyes. Li Jiaojiao suddenly felt a tingling in her hand, and like she had been shocked, she removed her hand from Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with your brother? Instead of giving his eyes to blind people, he actually sided with Zhu Xiangxiang. This kid is naturally rebellious. After school, let¡¯s give him a lesson for you,¡± said Li Jiaojiao, full of righteousness.


    ¡°No need.¡±<div>


    Li Jiaojiao found that talking to Ming Jing always left her feeling frustrated, like she couldn¡¯t get a word out. She wasn¡¯t the kind to take it lying down. She picked up her tray and left.


    Sun Qingqing was her little sidekick. Seeing her leaving, she immediately picked up her own tray and followed.


    Li Jiaojiao walked a few steps, noticed that Zhao Qin hadn¡¯t followed, turned her head, and saw her sitting opposite Ming Jing, unmoving. ¡°Qin, are youing or not? Why are you sticking your hot face to her cold ass?¡±


    Zhao Qin didn¡¯t turn her head, waved her hand, urging her to hurry on.


    Li Jiaojiao stamped her foot and turned to leave.


    Zhao Qin silently picked at the ribs in her bowl, ¡°Ming Jing,st time I saw you ride well at the horse farm. Let¡¯s go horse racing this weekend?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Qin propped her chin with one hand, idly picking at the ribs in her bowl with the other, staring straight at Ming Jing¡¯s face.


    Ming Jing finished her meal, picked up the tray, and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m done eating. You take your time.¡±


    She left without looking back.


    Zhao Qin kept staring at her retreating figure until it disappeared then tossed her tray into the sink and left.<div>


    She¡¯d hardly touched the sweet and sour pork ribs.


    With the heavy course load in the senior year of high school, every seat was piled with thick textbooks and test papers. Zhao Qin sat in the middle of the third row, the best viewpoint in the ss. Her grades were average, ranking neither high nor low in the ss.


    She never really focused on studying. If she put her mind to it, her grades wouldn¡¯t be this way.Zhao Qin took out a mirror, looking at her reflection from different angles, and asked her deskmate, ¡°Am I pretty?¡±


    Her deskmate was a boy who had the highest grades in the entire grade. He had thick sses and was very focused on his studies.


    Upon hearing Zhao Qin¡¯s question, he turned his head and took a nce at her. His ears turned slightly red.


    ¡°Pretty.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s prettier between me and Ming Jing?¡±


    This was practically a life-threatening question. Xie Jue hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Both are beautiful.¡±


    ¡°No, you must tell me the answer. Who is more beautiful?¡±


    In the school forum¡¯s beauty voting, Ming Jing ranked number one.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s reputation overshadowed her beauty. When people mentioned her, they only thought of her arrogant and domineering identity as the daughter of the Zhaos, casting a shadow over her beauty.


    Xie Jue thought carefully and said, ¡°Ming Jing is more beautiful.¡±


    Zhao Qin mmed the mirror on the table with a loud ¡°bang.¡± Startled, the students who were resting during lunch break nced at her with discontent. Upon seeing it was Zhao Qin, they quickly turned their heads back.


    Xie Jue said with some grievance, ¡°You asked me to tell the truth.¡±


    Zhao Qin took a deep breath, ¡°In what way is she more beautiful than me?¡±


    Xie Jue said, ¡°Actually, I have only seen her from afar and haven¡¯t seen what she really looks like. However, I¡¯ve heard many rumors about her, and my grandma and mother really like watching the show she participated in. They discussed how her outer beauty would fade with age, but inner beauty is the true beauty.¡±


    Zhao Qin sneered, ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m not as kind-hearted as Ming Jing?¡±


    Xie Jue shook his head, ¡°Ancient people said beauty lies in the bone, not the skin. You are also beautiful. Whypare yourself with others? Everyone is unique and has their own value. Comparing yourself with others will only get you deeper into trouble.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Jue lowered his head and continued working on his test papers without looking at Zhao Qin again.


    Zhao Qin looked at herself in the mirror, questioning if, in a man¡¯s eyes, Ming Jing was really more beautiful than her.


    Unable topare in appearance, height, or grades, her family background was only slightly better than Ming Jing¡¯s.


    Zhao Qin sighed.


    At that moment, Xie Jue added, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. As long as you study hard and mend your ways, even if you can¡¯t surpass Ming Jing, many people will still like you.¡±


    No male student in school had ever dared to pursue Zhao Qin.


    Upon hearing Xie Jue utter those words so earnestly, Zhao Qin stared at his serious eyes and snapped, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Xie Jue pushed up his sses and lowered his head with some grievance.


    While Ming Jing was cold and ethereal like a fairy, she was determined to be as passionate as fire, believing she could set his heart aze.


    Zhao Qin secretly vowed in her heart.


    ¡°Dad?¡± When Zhu Xiangxiang returned home after school, she saw Zhu Wentao in the living room.


    She immediately rushed over excitedly.


    Haven¡¯t seen him for several days, Zhu Wentao looked much paler and thinner. He had stubble and dark circles under his eyes.


    Compared to the spirited, handsome Zhu Wentao of the past, the man in front of her seemed to have aged ten years.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Zhu Wentao smiled and rubbed Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s head with a loving and gentle look on his face.


    Granny Zhu had an unhappy expression, while Lin Qing turned her head away, making the atmosphere awkward and silent.


    Zhu Shaodan greeted his father stiffly and went upstairs.


    There wasn¡¯t much father-son affection between them, and now he was expected to put on a show of love with Zhu Wentao; he just couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°Shaodan.¡± Zhu Wentao called out with a hoarse voice. Zhu Shaodan didn¡¯t look back and continued walking.


    ¡°Miss is back.¡± Uncle Wen¡¯s respectful voice came from the courtyard.


    The smile on Zhu Wentao¡¯s face disappeared instantly without a trace.

 Chapter 398: 184 Guardian (Second Update)

    Chapter 398: 184 Guardian (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    A girl in a school uniform walked in.


    Shengde High School¡¯s uniform was very beautiful, which once aroused the envy and jealousy of the students from Yi High School and other nearby public high schools.<div>


    The top was a white shirt with a red tie, a navy-blue fitted jacket, and a high-waisted dark gray pleated skirt. Knee-high socks outlined a pair of straight, slender legs, and she wore a pair of ck British-style leather shoes.


    The uniform was very well-designed and looked custom-made on Ming Jing, making her look even more stunning and eye-catching than the beautiful girls in theics.


    Her ck hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her skin was as white as the finest mutton-fat jade, without a single blemish. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her eyes as clear as spring water, seemingly capable of washing away all the filth of the world.


    Ming Jing walked in with her backpack, her pace unhurried and her movements graceful and elegant. Her calm demeanor made it easy to overlook her age.


    This was his biological daughter, Zhu Mingjing.


    He looked at Zhu Xiangxiang beside him, then back at Ming Jing.


    Upon seeing his daughter, he couldn¡¯t help butment that he had mistaken pearls for fish eyes before.


    He knew how chaotic thepany had been before, and he had paid a heavy price for his arrogance.


    In the time he was in prison, Ming Jing swiftly cut through the weeds, eliminating all the parasites and his confidants, nted her people in thepany, appeased the stockholders and property owners who were causing trouble, and stabilized the public sentiment through external coborations with The Yes and Shenzhou Group. It was hard to believe that all of this was done by a sixteen-year-old girl.


    After this battle, his reputation was greatly damaged, with no ce for him in Zhu Group and the board of directors.


    Zhu Wentao watched the girl walk in, remembering the day she first returned to the Zhus a few months ago.<div>


    She had been quiet and unassuming, with immense inner strength, capable of both making cloud and rain at will.


    Zhu Wentao would never underestimate this daughter again.


    He thought of Shen Zhou and realized why he was able to gain Shen Zhou¡¯s favor. Their working styles were very simr.


    When Ming Jing saw Zhu Wentao, she only nced at him briefly and then lowered her eyes.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s reaction was a normal one for someone who hadn¡¯t seen their father in a long time.


    Zhu Wentao suppressed the gloom in his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you off school?¡±


    He was trying to care for his daughter and learn to be a loving father.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Ming Jing walked to Granny Zhu and adjusted the nket on herp.


    Granny Zhu held Ming Jing¡¯s hand, nced at Zhu Wentao, sighed, and said, ¡°Ming Jing, your father knows his mistakes. Let hime back.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded: ¡°Alright.¡±


    Granny Zhu red at Zhu Wentao: ¡°From now on, you better behave and don¡¯t do anything to betray Lin Qing and the children. You¡¯re not young anymore. If you don¡¯t care about your reputation, I do.¡±<div>


    Zhu Wentao hung his head like a child who had made a mistake and did not argue.


    ¡°Dad, will you and mom remarry?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang asked.


    Lin Qing¡¯s face stiffened, and she said coldly, ¡°Madam Zhou, tidy up the study. From now on, he will live in the study.¡±


    Ming Jing pushed Granny Zhu¡¯s wheelchair back to her room. Granny Zhu patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand: ¡°Ming Jing, will you me Granny?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°He is your son. Anyone can abandon him, but you won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You are indeed a good child, and they are not fortunate enough to deserve to be your parents. Granny truly doesn¡¯t know what to do anymore. Let¡¯s just leave it like this for now and see how he behaves in the future.¡±


    Granny Zhu also felt helpless. She loved both her son and Ming Jing.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry too much. Children have their own fortunes, and you have fulfilled your responsibilities and obligations. Now is the time for you to enjoy your old age.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Granny Zhu had an uneasy feeling deep within her heart, as if something bad was about to happen.


    Granny Zhu suddenly grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Ming Jing, the Zhu family will always be your home, right?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded: ¡°Of course, I will guard it forever.¡±<div>


    She had promised someone that she would protect this home forever.


    The towering Zhu Group building stood in the center of the CBD.


    Zhu Wentao took two days off at home and finally stepped into the Zhu Group building on this day.


    The receptionist at the front desk stared at him in shock, ¡°Mr. Zhu¡­ Mr. Zhu?¡±


    There had been rumors in thepany that Zhu Wentao had been released, she never thought that they were actually true.


    Zhu Wentao nodded and took the express elevator to the top floor.


    As soon as he left, the two girls at the front desk quietly began gossiping.


    ¡°Is Mr. Zhu going to start a power struggle? Just like in those TV dramas, with father and daughter fighting against each other?¡±

 Chapter 399: 184 Guardian (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 399: 184 Guardian (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Well, that depends on whether he¡¯s capable or not. He almost caused the Zhu Group to go bankrupt. If it wasn¡¯t for the youngdy pulling everything together, we would¡¯ve been starving by now. Now, everyone in thepany is loyal to the youngdy, who even cares about Mr. Zhu? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if he just stayed at home and retired? What¡¯s the point ofing to thepany and stirring things up?¡±


    ¡°But you have to admit, Tao Xianxian going from being an intern to kicking out a project manager and bing the youngest project manager herself really changed the atmosphere in thepany. Everyone¡¯s more energetic, and it just goes to show that as long as we have the strength, promotions and raises are within reach. It¡¯s much better than the old days when everything was stagnant and rigid. Having a young leader makes thepany¡¯s atmosphere feel younger, too. Plus, the proportion of handsome men among the neers has gone up, so now my favorite part of the day ising to work.¡±<div>


    ¡°So, why is Mr. Zhu evening back? The youngdy is simply the best.¡±


    At the same time, the news of Zhu Wentao¡¯s return to thepany spread like wildfire to every corner of thepany.


    This was a signal that it certainly wasn¡¯t a good thing for everyone.


    Although Zhu Wentao was the founder of the Zhu Group, he didn¡¯t do much good during his tenure, allowing his subordinates to embezzle funds and form cliques. His morality and integrity were also dubious, causing the stock price to plummet and bringing the Zhu Group close to bankruptcy. Employees resented him, and it was only the appearance of his daughter Ming Jing that helped restore some of his reputation. But his only value was having a good daughter. That¡¯s it.


    Yang Lin walked into the manager¡¯s office with the documents and knocked on the door: ¡°Manager, you¡¯re quite busy these days. I have to make an appointment with your assistant just to see you.¡±


    Tao Xianxian raised her head from the documents andughed, ¡°Even you are leaving me behind.¡±


    She got up and poured a ss of water for Yang Lin.


    Yang Lin looked at the luxurious and spacious office, and then at Tao Xianxian, who was wearing high-end fashion and had a sophisticated and elegant makeup look, exuding the air of a powerful career woman.


    She remembered that Tao Xianxian had just graduated from college when she became the project manager of Zhu Group, already holding a high-ranking position.


    And then there was herself, who had been in the Zhu Group for four or five years but was still a low-ranking employee.


    Comparing oneself to others could really be demoralizing.<div>


    ¡°Did you hear? Mr. Zhu is back.¡±


    Tao Xianxian wasn¡¯t aware of the gossip at work, so she didn¡¯t know that Zhu Wentao had returned. She frowned, ¡°Perhaps the youngdy has other arrangements.¡±


    Yang Lin took a sip of tea to moisturize her throat: ¡°You¡¯re still young, so you don¡¯t understand the intricacies of the situation. The Zhu Group was founded by Mr. Zhu, and he is in the prime of his life. He definitely won¡¯t just sit back and watch thepany fall into the hands of his daughter. There is bound to be a tough battle ahead, and we, the small fry, will be the ones to suffer. Since you were promoted by the youngdy, and the wholepany knows you¡¯re loyal to her, you¡¯re now in the front line. You¡¯d better start thinking about how to protect yourself.¡±


    Tao Xianxian nced at Yang Lin. The woman in front of her had a mocking expression on her face, as if she had seen through everything, which made Tao Xianxian feel ufortable.


    ¡°We can¡¯t control thepany¡¯s power struggles. As employees, our job is to do the work at hand well.¡±


    Yang Lin sneered, ¡°I¡¯m just looking out for your best interest. Mr. Zhu has been in business for more than a decade, and the youngdy is just too inexperienced. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a match for him. Why don¡¯t you try to find out which way the wind is blowing up there so we can be prepared?¡±


    The smile on Tao Xianxian¡¯s face gradually disappeared, and she looked at Yang Lin seriously, ¡°If you spent the time you spent gossiping on your work, you wouldn¡¯t still be a low-ranking employee after four or five years.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very busy, so if there¡¯s nothing else, please leave.¡± Tao Xianxian coldly ordered her out.


    Yang Lin¡¯s face turned pale green and then white. The newly promoted manager now looked down on her former colleagues. Yang Lin wondered how long Tao could remain triumphant.


    Yang Lin stormed out of the office, only to find that the entire project department seemed unbothered by this news, and everyone continued to carry on with their work as usual.


    Thepany¡¯s atmosphere had changed. The ckers had been kicked out, and the energetic young neers were eager to prove themselves. Everyone was hoping to get noticed by the youngdy and be the next Tao Xianxian. They worked harder than ever, which was great for thepany¡¯s atmosphere, but not so great for Yang Lin, because she could no longer ck off at work.<div>


    The new human resources manager was also some kind of irvoyant, recruiting a batch of clever, sharp-eyed neers who showed no respect for her as an experienced employee. They would always find faults with her work, making her days feel like years.


    How could she not envy Tao Xianxian?


    If only she had been the one to deliver the materials to the youngdy, maybe she would have been the one to be noticed.


    Zhu Wentao stepped out of the elevator. Ding Wei greeted him with a smile, ¡°Mr. Zhu, why didn¡¯t you call ahead? I could¡¯ve arranged for the employees to give you a proper wee.¡±


    Zhu Wentao gave him a sidelong nce, ¡°You used to be on Zhang¡¯s team, right?¡±


    Ding Weiughed, ¡°I¡¯m honored that Mr. Zhu remembers me. Yes, it was Zhang who recognized my potential and brought me into thepany.¡±


    Back then, it was Zhang Shuda who had supported Ming Jing, leading to Mr. Li¡¯s defeat.


    If thepany had fallen into Mr. Li¡¯s hands, the current situation wouldn¡¯t have been so awkward.


    He could have taken thepany back from Mr. Li, but dealing with Ming Jing would be a whole different matter¡­


    Zhu Wentao pushed open the door of his office, and everything was exactly the same as when he left. Theyout inside hadn¡¯t changed at all, and someone came to clean every day, making it spotless and as good as new.


    Zhu Wentao sat down behind his desk with a solemn expression, lost in thought.<div>


    Ding Wei coughed, ¡°Mr. Zhu, do you have any instructions?¡±


    Zhu Wentao must be feeling reluctant, but what could he do? The present Zhu Group was no longer the same as before.


    Dealing with the youngdy wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Would the uing struggle be a father-daughter feud? Ding Wei felt a headacheing on, as it seemed the recent stability wasing to an end.


    ¡°Bring me the recent financial report to take a look,¡± instructed Zhu Wentao.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Secretary Du toe and report to you. He¡¯s the youngdy¡¯s secretary, and he¡¯s been responsible for handling thepany¡¯s major and minor affairstely.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, please wait a moment.¡± Ding Wei turned and left, looking for Du at the secretary desk, ¡°Hello, where¡¯s Secretary Du?¡±


    The female secretary replied, ¡°Secretary Du is in the project department delivering materials. Mr. Ding, do you need him for something? I¡¯ll call the project department right away.¡±


    ¡°Tell him toe back quickly.¡±


    At this time, the youngdy was still in ss at Shengde High School, where cell phones were not allowed, so they couldn¡¯t inform her of the situation.


    Ding Wei couldn¡¯t figure out the youngdy¡¯s intentions, so the best he could do was have her secretary step in.


    Tao Xianxian was lost in thought, recalling Yang Lin¡¯s words. Although she had scolded Yang¡¯s gossiping on the surface, she couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy deep down.


    ¡°Knock knock¡±, the sound of knocking on the door pulled Tao Xianxian¡¯s thoughts back to reality.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The person entered, and at Tao Xianxian¡¯s line of sight were a pair of shiny ck men¡¯s leather shoes.


    This prompted her to instinctively look up and see who it was. She hesitated for a moment.


    Du Ze, the youngdy¡¯s secretary, was well known. The youngdy was a high school student at Shengde High School, where her studies were a priority. Du Ze handled thepany¡¯s affairs on her behalf, essentially acting as her spokesperson in thepany.


    Tao Xianxian had met Du Ze several times during the approval process for some recent joint projects with Ye Group.


    He always maintained aissez-faire attitude, staying emotionless and strictly professional.


    No wonder he was worthy of being the youngdy¡¯s secretary.


    Tao Xianxian hid the disappointment in her eyes and smiled as she stood up, ¡°Secretary Du.¡±

 Chapter 400: 185 Trouble (Part One)

    Chapter 400: 185 Trouble (Part One)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    After discussing work matters, Du Ze got up to leave.


    ¡°Secretary Du,¡± Tao Xianxian hurriedly called out to him.<div>


    Du Ze turned his head, his eyes questioning.


    Tao Xianxian pursed her lips, ¡°Nothing¡­nothing, just remember to eat on time since you have a bad stomach.¡±


    Du Ze expressionlessly nodded and left.


    Tao Xianxian watched the man¡¯s tall figure disappear at the office door and sighed.


    Taking the documents, she went out. As expected, she heard a few employees talking quietly near the water dispenser.


    ¡°Secretary Du is handsome and young with a bright future. After this opportunity is gone, there won¡¯t be another one, so we¡¯d better seize it quickly.¡±


    ¡°Does he have something going on with Manager Tao? Otherwise, why would a president¡¯s secretary personally bring materials to the project department? It¡¯s a waste of talent.¡±


    ¡°Who knows for sure? Manager Tao went from being an intern to a project manager in just a few months, responsible for such a big project like Spring Academy. Do you really believe she was favored by the young miss without any tricks involved? Who would believe that without any intrigue?¡±


    ¡°She and Secretary Du are both from Jiangzhou University¡¯s finance department. If you check Jiangzhou University¡¯s official website, Secretary Du is an outstanding graduate representative, and I heard Tao Xianxian was also famous in her ss. These two definitely know each other. Maybe Manager Tao got the young miss¡¯s favor because of her rtionship with Secretary Du. It seems the young miss is still a bit naive and can easily be led by the nose by Secretary Du.¡±


    ¡°What a joke, our young miss can chat andugh with Shen Zhou without changing her face. How could she be led by the nose by a secretary? Don¡¯t insult our young miss.¡±


    ¡°What do you guys know? Let me tell you¡­,¡± lowering her voice and cautiously scanning the surroundings, she continued, ¡°I have a college ssmate whose aunt is a secretary in Shenzhou Group¡¯s president office. She said that Shen Zhou¡¯s rtionship with our young miss is not ordinary. Otherwise, with such a big financial group, many bigpanies are seeking cooperation, so why would they even consider ourpany that¡¯s on the verge of bankruptcy? It¡¯s a thankless task. Mr. Zhu has always been a ticking time bomb. How many times he has sought cooperation, Shen Zhou never gave him a nce, so it¡¯s even more impossible now. What kind of force could make Shen Zhou extend a helping hand to Zhu Group?¡±<div>


    Regarding this gossip, it had spread when the contract was signed, but since it involved Shen Zhou, they didn¡¯t dare to disseminate it too much and only chatted about it privately within business circles.


    ¡°Really? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not bad either. Shen Zhou is a diamond-level single Lao Wu, even though he¡¯s a bit older, he knows how to pamper people. I heard he¡¯s never been married and has a clean reputation, unlike those wealthy men who maintain women everywhere. If the young miss really gets together with him, it could be considered a beautiful story.¡±


    ¡°All I can say is that our young miss has iparable charm to be able to take down Shen Zhou. You think Mr. Zhu should cry orugh at this¡­ ¡±


    Seeing Tao Xianxian approaching, they immediately shut their mouths and awkwardly greeted her, ¡°Manager Tao.¡±


    ¡°Discussing your superiors¡¯ gossip during work hours. Have you ignored the newpany rules?¡± Tao Xianxian coldly said, sweeping her gaze across them. Everywhere her eyes went, they would drop their heads in embarrassment.


    Being scolded by a superior younger than them, it was an unbearable experience.


    ¡°Go back to work, everyone except Jiajia. Jiajia,e with me to the construction site.¡±


    Except for Jiajia, everybody else left as if they were pardoned.


    Wang Jiajia was the only one who didn¡¯t speak in that group of people. Although it couldn¡¯t prove anything, at least she was a smart person.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu,¡± Du Zeid out everything Zhu Wentao wanted in front of him.


    Zhu Wentao nced at him. The man in front of him had an extraordinary aura, neither humble nor arrogant. Everyone called him Mr. Zhu while only Du Ze called him Mr. Zhu.<div>


    This represented Ming Jing¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t been with thepany for long, right?¡± Zhu Wentao asked while flipping through the financial report.


    ¡°I already had experience in this field beforeing to thepany. I¡¯m grateful for the young miss¡¯s favor, giving me this opportunity. I will not let her down and will not betray her trust.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good for a young man to be proactive. I think you¡¯re talented too. Ming Jing is still studying, and you¡¯d be wasted at her side. Why note and be my secretary?¡±


    Ding Wei, who was standing aside, twitched the corner of his mouth. So Mr. Zhu was digging people, not afraid of the young miss getting angry.


    This sentence also revealed Zhu Wentao¡¯s ambitions.


    Unfortunately, times have changed.


    Without changing his expression, Du Ze said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Zhu. The young miss has shown me great favor, and I can¡¯t forget my roots. To be a good person, one must know how to repay kindness.¡±

 Chapter 401: 185 Troublemaker (an update)_2

    Chapter 401: 185 Troublemaker (an update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ding Wei wanted to give him a thumbs-up. Was this a dig at Zhu Wentao being an ungrateful wretch?


    Sure enough, Zhu Wentao¡¯s face changed upon hearing this. He suppressed his anger and gave Du Ze a cold nce.<div>


    ¡°A wise man submits to circumstances. Secretary Du is a smart man.¡±


    Du Ze gave a faint smile and replied with an idiom that means ¡°using a small effort to move great weight¡±: ¡°I¡¯d say those words apply equally to Mr. Zhu.¡±


    Zhu Wentao snorted. The financial report was perfect; what could he glean from it? He stood up to leave.


    Du Ze sent Zhu Wentao to the elevator. As he watched the elevator doors slowly close, he hooked his lip in a sneer.


    Zhu Wentao exited Zhu Group, thought for a bit, then drove to the Zhangs¡¯, only to be declined a visit on the grounds of the grandpa¡¯s illness.


    ¡°Old bastard.¡± Zhu Wentao was seething. What did Zhu Mingjing feed the Zhangs?


    He went door to door, visiting the homes of some major shareholders, who all declined him for a variety of reasons.


    Once the CEO of Zhu Group, and now this. It was heartbreaking to see him brought so low.


    Back at the Zhus, he ran into Lin Qing leaving the house.


    Lin Qing was wearing a cheongsam that entuated her curves. Her makeup was exquisite, and though signs of age were visible, they couldn¡¯t hide her charming appeal.


    ¡°Qing¡­¡± Zhu Wentao murmured, his eyes filled with suppressed emotion.<div>


    Lin Qing spared him no more than a nce before stepping out with her handbag.


    Men¡¯s regrets are the cheapest of things. Ming Jing was right. She had to stay sober. You can¡¯t teach an old dog new tricks ¨C men are like that. If she believed his sweet talk, she¡¯d be betraying all the tears she¡¯d shed and suffering she¡¯d undergone for him.


    The only reason she let Zhu Wentao into the house was out of respect for his elderly mother, who had always treated her well, and because she couldn¡¯t deny their three children the right to see their father. Beyond that, she had no connections to him.


    In high society now, she might be the subject of ridicule due to her husband¡¯s infidelity, but Ming Jing had vindicated her somewhat. In Jiangzhou, no other woman was as excellent as her daughter Ming Jing. While her daughter might be cold-hearted and aloof, no one could fault her elsewhere.


    She arrived fashionablyte to the high societydies¡¯ afternoon tea.


    Upon seeing her, the other rich wives¡¯ expressions fluctuated.


    Lin Qing took a seat without a fuss, listening to the women gossip about some CEO¡¯s affairs ¨C the same old stories simply repackaged.


    All men are the same ¨C scoundrels. Lin Qing mocked with a tilt of her lips.


    ¡°The Li¨²s¡¯ youngest daughter is getting married this weekend, to a security guard, no less! Oh, how the Li¨²s are fuming. They ended up having to consent only because their daughter threatened to take her own life.¡±


    ¡°That Liu girl must be out of her mind ¨C the nouveau riche are nothing but trouble. She¡¯s going to regret this big time.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s getting older. If she doesn¡¯t get married soon, she won¡¯t be able to have children. Her security guard husband is a good ten years younger than her.¡±<div>


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Liu girl chasing after Shen Zhou like crazy before? How did she end up getting married so soon?¡±


    ¡°Shen Zhou ¨C who canpete with him? Even ten of that Liu girl would be no match for him.¡± The woman nced at Lin Qing andughed behind her hand.


    ¡°I heard a rumor that Shen Zhou has taken a liking to Ms. Zhu from the Zhu family. So, Shen Zhou had a reason for giving a hand during Zhu Group¡¯s bankruptcy crisis. Congrattions to Mrs. Zhu on her son-inw. May I ask Mrs. Zhu about how she raised such an outstanding daughter? With just one stroke, she got a top-notch son-inw, amazing.¡±


    Lin Qing frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Shen Zhou seems to be about the same age as Mrs. Zhu, right? So, you two should always have something to talk about as mother-inw and son-inw. It¡¯s quite enviable, really. Having a son-inw like Shen Zhou extends beyond age ¨C his ability to protect Zhu Group from bankruptcy is what truly matters. Isn¡¯t that right, Mrs. Zhu?¡±


    The rest of the women barely concealed theirughter, dripping with envy and not entirely healthy humor.


    Who was Shen Zhou? Thebined wealth of all their husbands couldn¡¯t evenpare to him. The rich wives are, in essence, eating grapes andining they¡¯re sour ¨C they¡¯re simply envious.


    If they could have Shen Zhou as a son-inw, it wouldn¡¯t matter if he was older, even by a full generation.


    What a fate had befallen Lin Qing ¨C her husband fell, but her daughter rose.


    Though nothing was set in stone yet and it was mainly rumor, the charm of Ms. Zhu was something all present had seen and they had no reason to doubt the rumor¡¯s authenticity.


    In the future, Lin Qing could walk around with her nose in the air as Shen Zhou¡¯s mother-inw. If they weren¡¯t jealous now, they¡¯d never get another chance.<div>


    Lin Qing finally understood their hidden agenda. She sneered to herself and said with just the right amount of pride, ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard this, but as far as I know, Ming Jing and Mr. Shen are just ordinary friends. If you keep spreading rumors like this, you¡¯re damaging my daughter¡¯s reputation. What if it reaches Mr. Shen¡¯s ears? He controls the economic lifeline of Jiangzhou. If you don¡¯t want to ruin your own business by offending Mr. Shen, it would be best to keep your mouths shut.¡±

 Chapter 402: 185 Troublemaker (an update)_3

    Chapter 402: 185 Troublemaker (an update)_3<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Everyone rolled their eyes. Are they really going to praise the mother-inw now?


    Well, your biological daughter is amazing and untouchable, but don¡¯t me us for being unsparing with your adopted daughter.<div>


    ¡°Mrs. Zhu, I heard you brought your adopted daughter back?¡±


    Lin Qing frowned, wondering why the topic suddenly shifted to Xiangxiang. What were these gossiping wives plotting?


    ¡°She¡¯s also my daughter. Although she¡¯s not my birth child, we¡¯ve been together for sixteen years, and we¡¯re inseparable.¡± Lin Qing took a sip of tea and replied lightly.


    ¡°Madam Zhu, we all know you¡¯re kind-hearted, but be careful not to raise a white-eyed wolf.¡±


    Lin Qing sneered: ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, I know my own daughter, don¡¯t I?¡±


    The other woman shook her head: ¡°Madam Zhu, you might not know this, but it¡¯s all over Shengde High School. I heard from my daughter, who is in the same ss as your Ming Jing, that your adopted daughter¡¯s blood brother has leukemia and she is the onlypatible donor. Her biological mother knelt down begging her to donate her bone marrow, but she refused. Medical technology is so advanced nowadays, donating bone marrow is no more than taking a blood sample, and it won¡¯t cause any significant harm to her body. And besides, that¡¯s her blood brother. She can be so cold-hearted to her own family, Madam Zhu, you better be careful.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Zhu, you can¡¯t let go of her because you¡¯ve spent too much money and emotion on her for sixteen years. But can she let go of you?¡­ Considering how ruthless she is to her own mother and brother, how much affection do you think she has for you?¡±


    They were almost using her of being materialistic and snobbish.


    Lin Qing¡¯s face darkened, as she had just heard these things for the first time. She suddenly recalled the stormy night when Zhu Xiangxiang rushed back home, andter when the security guard called saying Zhao Xiaohui was looking for Xiangxiang, but she didn¡¯t think much of it then due to her dislike for Deng Kun¡¯s family. Now it seemed that Xiangxiang had been hiding things from her.


    ¡°But I have to say, Ms. Ming Jing is so kind. After she found out about this, she told the housekeeper to secretly pay the hospital bills for them and even covered the surgery costs. Unlike your adopted daughter, who didn¡¯t donate and just left the mother and son in the lurch. Mrs. Zhu, you have such a good biological daughter, yet you adore some white-eyed wolf from another family, and we can¡¯t help but praise you for being a great phnthropist. There are so many homeless orphans in the orphanage, why don¡¯t you show some kindness and provide them with a good home as well?¡±


    Finding a chance to ridicule Lin Qing, everyone attacked her relentlessly, leaving her speechless.<div>


    Lin Qing returned home with a bellyful of anger and happened to see Xiao Ying carrying a thermos and leaving. She didn¡¯t get out of the car but followed her.


    ¡°Yangyang, your sister brought you some delicious food. Have you been good and taken your medicine today?¡±


    Yangyang needed a good rest, so he was moved to a double room. The old man in the next bed lived near the hospital and rarely stayed there.


    ¡°Sister Xiao Ying.¡± The little boy sitting on the sickbed was drawing. He looked up, and the sunlight fell on his face. His smile was even warmer and brighter than the sunlight outside the window.


    ¡°What are you drawing?¡± Xiao Ying walked over and nced at the drawing, surprised: ¡°Miss Ming Jing?¡±


    It was a simple sketch on the paper, depicting a delicate girl¡¯s side profile in just a few strokes. The girl¡¯s head was slightly raised, her lips gently curled. She had a soft andpassionate aura.


    It was exactly like Miss Ming Jing¡¯s aura.


    Deng Yang had never seen Ming Jing, but he managed to draw her just based on a few descriptions he had heard about her. This child had an incredible talent.


    ¡°Can you give the drawing to my sister?¡± Deng Yang asked carefully.


    ¡°Of course, Miss Ming Jing will definitely like your drawing.¡± Xiao Ying patted his head.


    Initially, she simply pitied the child, but after interacting with him a few times, she waspletely conquered by his understanding and well-behaved nature, and her disdain for Zhu Xiangxiang deepened.<div>


    If it weren¡¯t for Miss Ming Jing¡¯spassion, the world would have lost a pure soul.


    ¡°Really?¡± Deng Yang¡¯s eyes shone with anticipation.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Today, I brought you chicken soup that I¡¯ve cooked for four hours. Smell it, doesn¡¯t it smell great¡­?¡±


    ¡°It smells so fantastic, Sister Xiao Ying. You¡¯re so kind.¡±


    ¡°If you want to thank someone, thank Miss Ming Jing. Without her instructions, I wouldn¡¯t have had the time to cook the soup and bring it to you.¡±


    Xiao Ying closed the door to the sickroom. As she turned around, she saw the person in front of her and dropped the thermos in shock.


    ¡°Madam?¡±


    Lin Qing peeked through the ss window in the door and saw a little boy lying on the bed next to the window.


    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Qing asked coldly.


    Xiao Ying¡¯s heart trembled, but she quickly told the truth. After all, it wasn¡¯t something disgraceful. Since Zhu Xiangxiang did it, she shouldn¡¯t be afraid of people talking about it.


    After some emotional storytelling with a few embellishments, Xiao Ying recounted the whole story, emphasizing how Zhao Xiaohui had pleaded with Zhu Xiangxiang on that rainy night, only to be met with indifference and even verbal abuse. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heartless image was vividly portrayed.<div>


    ¡°Miss Ming Jing identally heard my conversation with Madam Zhou and learned about this. She told me not to tell anyone else about it¡­¡±


    Lin Qing looked at her coldly: ¡°Are you sure you haven¡¯t mentioned it to anyone?¡±


    Xiao Ying thought for a moment, ¡°I met Miss Ming Jing and her ssmates at the hospital one night. While Miss Ming Jing was on the phone, one of her ssmates asked me, and I told her.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it happened. The rumors must have been spread by Ming Jing¡¯s ssmate, who didn¡¯t realize the consequences of her actions and unknowingly ruined Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Lin Qing red at her fiercely: ¡°Your mouth is nothing but trouble. From tomorrow on, you¡¯ll be paid off and leave the Zhu¡¯s.¡±


    Xiao Ying was struck dumb, ¡°Madam, what did I do wrong?¡±

 Chapter 403: 186 Humiliation (Second Update)

    Chapter 403: 186 Humiliation (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t bother to exin and turned to leave.


    Xiao Ying clenched her teeth, finally seeing how biased Madam was. Even at this point, all she could think about was Zhu Xiangxiang.<div>


    What kind of spell had Zhu Xiangxiang cast on Madam?


    Thinking about being fired by Madam and unable to serve her youngdy any longer, her heart ached.


    She left dejectedly with her head down.


    As the two figures disappeared into the elevator, Zhao Xiaohui slowly came out from the stairway entrance.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Deng Yang happily called out when he saw her.


    Zhao Xiaohui walked over with a thermos, ¡°What are you drawing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m drawing sister.¡± Deng Yang showed Zhao Xiaohui the half-finished drawing.


    Such appearance and temperament belonged to none other than Zhu Xiangxiang, the universally praised youngdy of the Zhus.


    Zhao Xiaohui curled her lips: ¡°Yangyang, your drawing is excellent.¡±


    ¡°Just now, Sister Xiao Ying came and brought me chicken soup. Sister is so nice. I really like her a lot,¡± Deng Yang said with an adoring face.


    ¡°Mom, when will sistere to see me?¡± Deng Yang asked expectantly while holding Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s hand.<div>


    Zhao Xiaohui tried to hold back her tears, unwilling to disappoint her son, ¡°Your sister has to go to school, and high school is very demanding. With such good grades, she definitely has to work harder than others. When she has time, she¡¯lle to see you, Yangyang.¡±


    ¡°Sister is so amazing, I want to get better soon, so I can go to school with her.¡±


    ¡°Mom, can my illness be cured?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui patted Deng Yang¡¯s head: ¡°Of course, it can be cured. Your sister donated her bone marrow to you, so you must repay her kindness in the future. Without her, you wouldn¡¯t be here now.¡±


    Deng Yang nodded, ¡°I understand, mom.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui turned away, holding back tears that threatened to burst.


    Upon entering the house, Zhu Xiangxiang felt an oppressive atmosphere. Lin Qing was sitting on the living room sofa, and when she saw her, she stood up and said, ¡°Follow me,¡± then went upstairs.


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed uneasily, wondering what had happened.


    Upon entering the room, Lin Qing turned to her and asked sharply, ¡°Is it true about Deng Yang?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat, immediately understanding where Lin Qing¡¯s anger came from.


    She never expected to keep this a secret from Lin Qing forever, especially with the rumors swirling around school. It was only a matter of time before Lin Qing found out, but she didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly adjusted her emotions, putting on a tearful face: ¡°Mom, do you think the same as those people? Do you think I¡¯m a heartless white-eyed wolf, indifferent to my own brother¡¯s life and death?¡±


    Lin Qing silently stared at her, knowing that her daughter wasn¡¯t as simple as she seemed after the incident with the drugged drink. That matter had always been her concern.


    Zhu Xiangxiang knew that this was a huge obstacle and that Lin Qing wasn¡¯t a fool. She must be suspicious of her. If she didn¡¯t handle it well, she¡¯d be kicked out of the Zhus¡¯ house in no time.


    Zhu Mingjing had calcted this move well, catching her off guard. But she had already grasped the key to securing her position in the Zhus¡¯ wealth.


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed bitterly, backing away, ¡°So this is what you really think of me, mom. I deserve to be abandoned, deceived, and used as a tool for bone marrow donation. In the end, even my mother doesn¡¯t trust me. What¡¯s the point of living?¡±


    With these words, she angrily mmed her head into the wall.


    Lin Qing was startled and rushed to hold her, ¡°Xiangxiang, what are you doing? If there¡¯s a problem, exin it properly, don¡¯t do anything rash.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang clung to Lin Qing, sobbing loudly.


    Xiao Ying followed Ming Jing into the Zhus¡¯ living room.


    With her youngdy¡¯s support, Xiao Ying¡¯s back straightened.


    Ming Jing spoke indifferently: ¡°Xiao Ying, go upstairs and call Madam and Zhu Xiangxiang down. I have something to discuss with them.¡±<div>


    Xiao Ying immediately went upstairs.


    Zhu Shaodan and Zhu Wentao walked in one after the other. Upon seeing Ming Jing, Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes darkened, but he quickly concealed it and smiled, ¡°Ming Jing is back from school. Did you get tired from ss today?¡±


    Ming Jing pointed to the sofa and spoke indifferently, ¡°Sit.¡±Zhu Shaodan rolled his eyes: ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ming Jing spoke to Madam Zhou who came out of the kitchen, ¡°Please invite Granny Zhu.¡±


    Remembering how the madam had stormed in and solemnly called Zhu Xiangxiang away, Madam Zhou sensed trouble brewing.


    Worriedly ncing at Ming Jing, Madam Zhou turned and entered Granny Zhu¡¯s room.


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked down from the second floor arm in arm with Lin Qing, looking at Ming Jing¡¯s gaze and curling her lips with smug satisfaction.


    Even if you¡¯re cunning and calcting, you can¡¯t fight the human heart.


    Ming Jing calmly looked away, not taking Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s provocation seriously.


    Suddenly, Ming Jing¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Zhu Shaodan, who was sitting across from her, rubbed his arm, suddenly feeling a chilly sensation.


    Xiao Ying followed Zhu Xiangxiang and Lin Qing down the stairs. A red p mark on her left cheek was striking. At this moment, her eyes were red, and she walked aggrievedly to Ming Jing¡¯s side.


    Ming Jing held prayer beads, her fingertips sliding over each one.


    Her eyshes were slightly lowered, her face as cold as jade.


    Lin Qing nced at her, ¡°Come here, I have something to say to you.¡±


    Ming Jing sat still. Lin Qing¡¯s tone became more serious: ¡°Did you not hear me?¡±


    ¡°If you have anything to say, just say it in front of everyone,¡± Ming Jing said indifferently.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who spread the rumors about Xiangxiang at school? I told you, Xiangxiang won¡¯t fight with you. Why can¡¯t you live with her?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan raised an eyebrow, and nced at Ming Jing with a gloating look.


    The rumors were very detailed, and anyway, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s reputation was ruined. ording to the analysis of the beneficiary, Zhu Mingjing was the only suspect.


    Let¡¯s see how she exins it.


    ¡°What does this have to do with Ming Jing? Youe up and directly use her, when did you be so unable to tell right from wrong?¡± Granny Zhu sat on the wheelchair pushed by Madam Zhou, speaking coldly.


    ¡°Mom, do you know how much damage this has done to Xiangxiang¡¯s reputation?¡±


    Granny Zhu interrupted her, ¡°You ask Zhu Xiangxiang if she did those things or not. Since she did them, don¡¯t me others for talking. Moreover, do you have any evidence to prove that Ming Jing spread the rumors?¡±


    ¡°Xiangxiang was deceived by Zhao Xiaohui. Zhao Xiaohui called her back to donate bone marrow for Deng Yang. She even drugged Xiangxiang¡¯s water, nning to perform the surgery while Xiangxiang was unconscious. Is Xiangxiang not pitiful?¡±


    Granny Zhu sneered, ncing at Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°You really know how to make excuses,pletely winning over your mom. You have some skill.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said: ¡°Granny, I know you don¡¯t like me. But for this matter, I was really deceived by my mom. I¡¯m not unwilling to donate bone marrow to Yangyang, I just can¡¯t stand the deception. I never thought it would cause such an uproar in school¡­ How am I to show my face in the future¡­?¡±


    Her words trailed off into a sob, tears streaming down her cheeks, a pitiable sight.


    Granny Zhu was not swayed by her act, snorting coldly, ¡°tant sophistry.¡±


    Zhu Wentao had been listening for a while and finally pieced the story together. He sighed and looked at Ming Jing, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯m not ming you, but it¡¯s not right if you did this. Xiangxiang is your sister, and if her reputation is ruined, how can you benefit? You are both daughters of the Zhus. One¡¯s honor is everyone¡¯s, and so is one¡¯s shame. Why don¡¯t you understand this?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan sneered disdainfully, ¡°Some people are simply selfish. They don¡¯t really consider us family.¡±


    Everyone argued back and forth, and the me was pinned on Ming Jing.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Ming Jing asked indifferently.


    She paused her prayer beads, slightly lifting her eyes. Her dense, long eyshes fluttered like butterfly wings. In an instant, she emanated a captivating beauty.


    The entire hall fell silent for a moment.


    Ming Jing looked at Xiao Ying and asked calmly, ¡°Who hit you?¡±


    Xiao Ying covered her face, aggrievedly nced at Lin Qing, ¡°It was Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Hit her back.¡±


    Xiao Ying hesitated, and everyone, including Lin Qing, was stunned.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned pale. She pointed at Ming Jing incredulously, ¡°She¡¯s just a servant, and I hit her. How dare you let her hit me back? You can¡¯t humiliate me like this just because you have a grudge against me.¡±


    Ming Jing ignored her, sitting upright on the sofa with a calm expression, her prayer beads gently stroking her fair fingertips.


    ¡°Servant? Your humiliation is quite feudal. Xiao Ying¡­¡±

 Chapter 404: 187 Passerby (Updated)

    Chapter 404: 187 Passerby (Updated)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Xiao Ying, who had been called out, immediately puffed up her chest and walked in front of Zhu Xiangxiang.


    It was this woman who had just relied on Madam¡¯s support and pped her hard.<div>


    It was estimated that Madam had told her that the rumors at school came from her, and she was seeking private revenge.


    But now she also had the youngdy¡¯s support, with Zhu Group on the verge of bankruptcy, it was the youngdy who turned the tide. The youngdy is now the chairman of Zhu Group, even Zhu Wentao wouldn¡¯t dare to touch her.


    Not to mention that Shen Zhou was backing the youngdy from behind.


    The people of The Zhus were all too bullying, thinking that the youngdy was soft persimmons, easy to pinch, especially Zhu Xiangxiang, Xiao Ying had long been unable to bear her ugly face. She was hiding behind Madam¡¯s favor, making small moves and ndering the youngdy. She wasn¡¯t even a genuine article herself.


    ¡°You dare ¡­.,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s threatening words hadn¡¯t finished yet, when Xiao Ying raised her hand, and pped her hard, knocking Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s head to one side.


    At the stairway on the second floor, three little heads were hidden. Ming Chen and Ming Ti clenched their fists in unison, ¡°Well done.¡±


    They had long been disgusted with Zhu Xiangxiang, who kept overstepping her boundaries one time after another.


    Ming Yi, in a milky voice, shouted, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Ming Ti hurried to cover her mouth, ¡°Keep it down.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang incredulously covered her face, and not far away on the sofa, Ming Jing sat there with a calm and breezy expression.


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.<div>


    Lin Qing immediately pulled Zhu Xiangxiang behind her, raised her hand, and was about to p back. A servant dared to hit the youngdy, it was too much.


    This time, Xiao Ying would not stand still to be hit. She quickly escaped back to Ming Jing¡¯s side, raised her voice and said, ¡°Madam, you are extremely unfair in your bias. What evidence do you have to prove that the youngdy was the one spreading the rumors? The youngdy repaid evil with kindness by arranging Deng Yang¡¯s surgery. She didn¡¯t let me tell anyone. I admit that it was my mistake for talking too much and telling others, but it has nothing to do with the youngdy. You determined that it was the youngdy¡¯s fault without distinguishing right from wrong. May I ask Madam, did Zhu Xiangxiang not do anything wrong? Your one-sided protection of her is really unfair to the youngdy.¡±


    Xiao Ying¡¯s barrage of words came out like a machine gun, making Lin Qing¡¯s head smoke with anger.


    ¡°You, a little maid, what qualifications do you have to point fingers at the master¡¯s affairs? The Zhus can¡¯t keep you anymore.¡±


    Madam, let¡¯s make everything clear today,¡± Ming Jing¡¯s cold voice interrupted the confrontation between the two.


    Lin Qing stared at Ming Jing, her eyebrows furrowed tightly.


    Ming Jing had never called her ¡°mother.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, the rumors about you at school have nothing to do with me. It¡¯s best for both of us to be at peace. But if you keep provoking, troubling everyone, I will show you my means, and by then, it won¡¯t be as simple as a verbal warning. I hope you can take it.¡±


    ¡°Madam, love is mutual. You can only reap what you sow. I won¡¯t ask for anything from you. If I have caused any misunderstandings to you, I apologize. Empty exnations are meaningless. Please wait patiently for a while longer, and your expectation will be answered. But in the meantime, I still need to remind you, when judging people, look with your heart, so you won¡¯t regret it in the future.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, there is no need for me to list your series of crimes one by one. The fact that Zhu Group is on the verge of bankruptcy must be clear to you. Zhu Group was founded by you, and that¡¯s a fact that can never be erased. But now, it¡¯s not as simple as your personal property. It is rted to the livelihood of tens of thousands of employees, countless shareholders, and property owners. It affects everyone. These people are the foundation of Zhu Group. I hope you can think carefully about the road ahead. Before you figure it out, I won¡¯t let you interfere in thepany¡¯s affairs again. This is being responsible to you and to all the employees and shareholders and property owners.¡±


    ¡°I will set up a charity foundation. Apart from the daily operation of thepany and employee wages and benefits, all the profits of thepany will be invested in the foundation for charitable purposes. This is also to atone for Mr. Zhu¡¯s sins. When you¡¯ve figured it out,e find me.¡±<div>


    ¡°Zhu Shaodan, you have been pampered since you were a child. It¡¯s understandable that you¡¯ve been rebellious in your youth. But if you¡¯re arrogant and self-important, you¡¯ll end up hurting both others and yourself. You probably won¡¯t listen to reason, but society will teach you that lesson.¡±


    After Ming Jing finished speaking one by one, she paused and said, ¡°I am just a passing guest and have no intention of staying longer. From today on, I will take my juniors and move out of The Zhus. We met by chance, let¡¯s wish each other well.¡±

 Chapter 405: 187 Passerby (First watch of the night) _2

    Chapter 405: 187 Passerby (First watch of the night) _2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Xiao Ying,e along with me.¡± Ming Jing stood up to leave, no longer considering the expressions on the faces in the room, her figure blended gracefully with the surroundings as she left in an unhurried manner.


    For a brief moment, the hall was as quiet as a tomb, with a remarkable array of expressions on everyone¡¯s faces.<div>


    Each of her statements left the people speechless.


    What did she say at the end? Was she nning to move out of the Zhus¡¯?


    Granny Zhu finally reacted, reprimanding Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang fiercely, ¡°What the hell are you two up to? Is it really so pleasurable to chase Ming Jing out of the Zhus¡¯? Now that you have your wish, if Ming Jing leaves, I will not remain in this house either.¡±


    Lin Qing stammered, ¡°Mother¡­ I never expected Ming Jing to make such a decision. Where can she go if she leaves the Zhus¡¯ home?¡±


    ¡°You have broken the kid¡¯s heart.¡±


    Only Zhu Xiangxiang seemed satisfied. Fantastic, Ming Jing was going to leave the Zhus, she had won this round.


    Once Zhu Ming Jing left the Zhus¡¯, the p on her face didn¡¯t feel quite as painful.


    Ming Jing went upstairs and ran into Ming Ti and Ming Chen at the stairwell, along with Ming Yi. The three of them stared at Ming Jing simultaneously.


    Ming Jing slightly curved her lips, ¡°Pack up, we are leaving the Zhus.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Ming Chen immediately rushed excitedly upstairs.


    Ming Ti nced worriedly at Ming Jing, ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡±.<div>


    ¡°Wherever Ming Jing goes, that will be your home.¡±


    Suddenly raising his head to look at Ming Jing¡¯s gentle eyes, Ming Ti nods heavily and then goes upstairs.


    Han Suwen, holding Ming Yi, said, ¡°I¡¯ll pack up immediately.¡±


    Without keeping everyone waiting for too long, Ming Jing returned downstairs, having changed her school uniform to a long white dress. She had a portfolio and a jewelry box in her hands. Xiao Ying followed behind her with a suitcase, while holding a wooden box in her other hand, beyond this, there were no other belongings.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen each had a suitcase. There was no lingering sorrow on their faces from leaving such a wealthy household, their dazzling smiles were blindingly bright.


    Ming Yi, holding Han Suwen¡¯s hand, was too little to understand the situation and remained obediently silent.


    Everyone looked at her in shock, they hadn¡¯t expected her to be truly leaving.


    Lin Qing¡¯s lips moved slightly, muttering, ¡°Ming Jing, are you really leaving?¡±


    Ming Jing ced the folder and the jewelry box on the tea table and calmly said, ¡°These are the property deeds of the shop and all the jewelry you gave me before. They¡¯re all here. I¡¯m giving them back to you.¡±


    Lin Qing covered her mouth in disbelief. The jade bracelet she had given Ming Jing on her first visit was also inside.


    ¡°Where can you go if you leave the Zhus¡¯? This is your home.¡± Lin Qing was panicked and subconsciously walked over to grab Ming Jing¡¯s hands.<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing, your mother should not have used you without knowing the whole story. I was wrong. Can you please not leave? Where can you and your junior sisters go after leaving the Zhus¡¯? Would you return to be nuns again?¡±


    Ming Jing brushed her hand away with a serene smile, ¡°Madam, our journey together ends here. As for my future, you need not worry.¡±


    Leaving these words behind, she calmly walked out the Zhus¡¯ house.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡± Granny Zhu cried out.


    Ming Jing paused, then turned back and walked to Granny Zhu. She pulled the nket higher on Granny Zhu¡¯s legs, ¡°Granny, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t stay with you anymore. But you¡¯ll always be my Granny. Once I¡¯ve settled down, and if you¡¯re willing, I wille and take you to live with me. Madam Zhou, remember to give Granny her medication on time, and if there is any difort, contact me immediately.¡±


    After giving these final instructions, she left the Zhus¡¯, with Xiao Ying, Ming Ti, and all the others walking proudly behind her, disappearing quickly into the distance.


    Lin Qing rushed out, and saw a luxury vehicle at the Zhus¡¯ gate. A handsome young man, the driver, came down from the car and helped with the luggage.


    Zhu Wentao, who followed her out, recognized him at first nce.


    The confident and impressive Secretary Du from thepany, turned out to be Ming Jing¡¯s personal driver.


    How could such an impressive young man willingly serve as a secretary and driver for a youngdy?


    After loading the luggage, everyone got into the vehicle and left in a cloud of dust, soon disappearing into the mountain road.<div>


    Lin Qing ran after the car for a couple of steps, then fell helplessly to her knees, ¡°Ming Jing¡­ why are you leaving?¡±


    She finally realized toote that she was about to lose her daughter, and she would be gone forever.


    She never expected it to be a big deal at the time, and she finally understood the bone-piercing regret which left her restless.


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed outside, and seeing Lin Qing weeping on her knees, she nervously licked her lips and went over to help her, ¡°Mother, we should go back inside, it¡¯s cold outside and it¡¯s going to rain soon.¡±

 Chapter 406: 187 Passerby (First watch of the night) _3

    Chapter 406: 187 Passerby (First watch of the night) _3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Lin Qing stared at her, feeling extremely ufortable at the thought of losing another daughter.


    Lin Qing patted her hand: ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go home.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the direction of the mountain road where the car had disappeared, hooked her lips, and a hint of triumph shed through her eyes.


    Zhu Mingjing, you chose to leave on your own; you can¡¯t me me.


    Zhu Shaodan stretchedzily: ¡°With someone gone, the air feels much smoother.¡±


    Granny Zhu gave him a nce and told Madam Zhou, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer.


    Madam Zhou sighed, pushing Granny Zhu¡¯s wheelchair back to the bedroom.


    After careful consideration, Ming Jing decided to settle down in Tonghe Shengshi.


    Firstly, theyout was reasonable with enough rooms for everyone. Secondly, it was close to Ming Ti and Ming Chen¡¯s schools, saving a lot of time every day.


    This house was originally given to her by Lin Qing, but Ming Jing swapped it for another house with the sameyout in the sameplex.


    She didn¡¯t feel attachment to things that didn¡¯t belong to her in the first ce.


    Leaving the Zhu¡¯s was Ming Jing¡¯s n from the start. She had fulfilled her promise to Senior, and the Zhu¡¯s had survived the crisis unharmed. There was no need for her to stay and bring trouble to Lin Qing.<div>


    Ming Jing had the house renovated again, and now it had a simple and elegant style that was very pleasing to the eye.


    There were two bedrooms downstairs, a master bedroom with a bathroom, as well as a dining room, kitchen, and a shared bathroom. Upstairs, there was a master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and another bedroom. Ming Jing turned the small living room upstairs into a connected study for the master bedroom.


    Ming Jing lived in the master bedroom upstairs, Ming Yi lived in the other bedroom upstairs, while Ming Ti and Ming Chen stayed in the master bedroom downstairs. Han Suwen and Xiao Ying lived in the other bedroom downstairs. Although not asrge as the three-story vi of the Zhu family, the duplex penthouse had a wider view, and each bedroom wasrge enough for everyone to livefortably.


    Ming Chen excitedly rolled around on the bed. ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll live with Ming Jing and never have to see Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s annoying face again. This is so great!¡±


    Ming Ti prepared to hang their clothes in the closet and was shocked when she entered the walk-in wardrobe. ¡°Ming Jing even prepared clothes for us.¡±


    Ming Chen jumped off the bed onto the soft carpet, which felt especiallyfortable under her bare feet.


    Eximing in surprise, Ming Chen ran in, yelling, ¡°Ming Jing, I love you!¡±


    The walk-in wardrobe was filled with custom-made clothes tailored for them ording to their ages. Ming Ti was fine, but Ming Chen, a girl who loved beauty and dressing up, was dazzled by all the beautiful outfits.


    Simrly, Ming Yi¡¯s room and Ming Jing¡¯s walk-in wardrobe were also filled with clothes.


    This turned out to be a beautiful misunderstanding.


    Ming Jing previously designed clothes and asked Dai Xi to help customize them. Dai Xi liked Ming Jing¡¯s designs but knew they wouldn¡¯t be formercial use, so she didn¡¯t pursue the idea. After all, no one likes seeing everyone wearing the same clothes as them on the streets.<div>


    Later, when Ming Jing participated in the ¡°Three Meals a Day¡± show, Xiao Wenwen asked her where she got her clothes. Ming Jing mentioned her brand, and it became an overnight sensation. She received so many orders and increased her brand¡¯s poprity, creating significant value for herself.


    No wonder businesses love to have celebrities advertise for them. Ming Jing¡¯s casual remark made a huge profit for her.


    Now, there were many imitations of Ming Jing¡¯s dresses being sold online, selling out so quickly thatizens even gave the dress a beautiful name, ¡°Step by Step Lotus.¡±


    No matter how many imitations were sold, only Ming Jing could truly wear the ¡°Step by Step Lotus¡± style.


    At one point, a popr social media influencer tried to chase trending topics by live-streaming in the dress. Without Ming Jing¡¯s figure and elegance, they failed miserably and only providedic relief. The influencer was eventually shamed into apologizing byizens.


    When Ming Jing renovated the house, she had Dai Xi take care of the children¡¯s clothes. Ye Zhen, who was staying at the house at the time, provided their measurements to Dai Xi, but Ming Jing didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    Unexpectedly, Dai Xi sent over so many clothes without charging a cent, iming it was payment for advertising. Furthermore, she would cover all of Ming Jing and her sisters¡¯ clothing expenses in the future, sending new clothes every season and taking back old clothes for recycling. This ensured that their wardrobes were always full of new clothes.


    Ming Jing entered her walk-in wardrobe which was filled with her signature all-white clothing. Dai Xi, knowing her style, only made slight changes to the details. As an excellent designer, she knew Ming Jing¡¯s preferences well and wouldn¡¯t make mistakes in the design.


    She hung up the clothes she brought and finished organizing everything. By this time, the night was deep.


    After showering, Ming Jing came out and noticed it had started to rain heavily. The wind and rain battered against the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    Ming Jing stood by the window for a while before heading downstairs.<div>


    Han Suwen had prepared a midnight snack, and the kids and Xiao Ying were sitting together eating, talking, andughing. The atmosphere was harmonious and cheerful.


    Seeing Ming Jing, Xiao Ying immediately put down her chopsticks: ¡°Miss.¡±


    Ming Chen, Ming Ti, and Ming Yi¡¯s faces were full of smiles, appearing genuinely happy.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Jing pulled up a chair and sat down, noting that everyone had almost finished eating. She said, ¡°Now that we have left the Zhu¡¯s and won¡¯t be going back, this ce will be our home from now on. Wenwen, Xiao Ying, are you willing to stay here?¡±


    Han Suwen didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°Miss, I am willing to stay with you and take care of you for the rest of my life.¡±


    Her hand secretly held Ming Yi¡¯s small hand tightly under the table. As long as Ming Jing stays, she would stay close to Ming Yi.


    ¡°Great, Aunt Wen can stay with me forever!¡± Ming Yi hugged Han Suwen¡¯s arm, cheering excitedly in her childish voice.


    ¡°Miss, of course I want to follow you! Don¡¯t even think about ditching me. I¡¯ll stick with you for the rest of my life.¡± Xiao Ying was still moved by the scene at the Zhu¡¯s house earlier.


    In order to protect her, Ming Jing had even confronted Madam and allowed her to have a satisfying counterattack. Xiao Ying swore to herself that she would follow such a good mistress forever.


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°All right, from now on, you are all part of this family. There are a few things I need to discuss with you¡­.¡±


    The night grew darker, with the wind and rain howling outside.


    Some tossed and turned, some were gued by nightmares, and some slept with sweet dreams.

 Chapter 407: Who is 188 (Second update)

    Chapter 407: Who is 188 (Second update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Thetest update on the campus forum is that Zhu Xiangxiang firmly nted herself in the Zhu¡¯s household, while Ming Jing actually ended up leaving the Zhus.


    The whole school was puzzled, why did it turn out like this?


    Could it be that Zhu Xiangxiang refused to tolerate Ming Jing? Did she kick Ming Jing out of the house?


    With this thought, anger surged within them toward Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s days at school had be hell. Ming Jing had too many supporters. If it weren¡¯t for the lingering intimidation of Zhu Shaodan, they would probably hurl feces and rotten eggs at her. The experience of being ostracized was truly unbearable.


    On top of that, Tao Xingxing often made things difficult for her, using her role as ss monitor. As managing secretary of the student club, Zhu Xiangxiang sought not to merit but to avoid making mistakes. However, when she lost the club fees, she was harshly scolded by the head teacher, Huang Liang, and stripped of her position. Zhu Xiangxiang really disgraced herself.


    It¡¯s only then that she realised the ulterior motive behind Tao Xingxing rmending her for the secretary position.


    Simply detestable!


    Zhu Xiangxiang had to constantly tread carefully at school, and when she returned home, she would face the entric Lin Qing and the expressively displeased Granny Zhu. Zhu Xiangxiang was on the brink of depression.


    Indeed, after Ming Jing left, Lin Qing changed her attitude towards her.


    Regardless of how obedient and considerate Zhu Xiangxiang was, Lin Qing was forever indifferent, spending every day reminiscing in the room Ming Jing used to upy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was speechless; Lin Qing¡¯s mind was simply sick.


    Zhu Xiangxiang thought of a famous love theory: what you can¡¯t get is always the best. This theory was applicable here too.


    In this round, Zhu Xiangxiang had taken the time to understand and admit she had lost, and lost miserably.


    Zhu Ming Jing used the tactic of retreating to advance,pletely defeating her.


    A person who decisively leaves is always more memorable than one who clings on relentlessly.


    She had lost this round, but the next one was the real match.


    After school, Zhu Xiangxiang stepped out of the ssroom and was abruptly bumped into, nearly falling to the ground.


    Tao Xingxing ran past her without even a nce, happily rushing into Ming Jing¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I heard you moved. Invite me to tour around your new house, can I just hang out and eat and drink for free from now on?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded.


    No one dared to help Zhu Xiangxiang, those passing her automatically kept their distance.


    Her enemies were not just Ming Jing and Tao Xingxing, but also Zhao Qin and Li Jiaojiao from the senior year. Previously, she had her followers to back her up, but now they had all transferred their affections. Li Jiaojiao warned everyone who dared to associate with Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her teeth and bowed her head to leave.


    Arriving at the school gate, she saw Ming Jing and Tao Xingxing get into a ck Santana. When Ming Jing left the Zhu¡¯s, she returned everything she had received from the Zhus including the BMW car.


    Ming Jing still had to take care of three children, so where did she stay and where did this care from?


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly thought of a person, Shen Zhou¡­


    No wonder she had the courage to leave.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes darkened. Shen Zhou was just ying around, how could he possibly take her seriously, especially with three kids in tow.


    If Shen Zhou knew that she was not the real daughter of the Zhus, but an imposter with a prior motive, he would probably like her even less.


    Zhu Xiangxiang thought to herself that she must find evidence of Ming Jing¡¯s impersonation as soon as possible, she couldn¡¯t dy any longer.


    First, she needed to find Ming Xin. Shaodan had previously located the sanatorium, but the sanatorium had tight security, ordinary people couldn¡¯t get in.


    However, if she could prove that Ming Jing and Lin Qing were not blood rted, then it wouldn¡¯t matter whether Ming Xin appeared or not.


    Zhu Xiangxiang curved her lips slightly, Ming Jing, just you wait and see, I will definitely tear off your facade.


    ¡°Wow, Ming Jing, this is simply a mansion! And there¡¯s even arge open-air balcony, it¡¯s too beautiful.¡±


    Tao Xingxing was astounded, ¡°Although living alone is cool, why did you move out of the Zhu¡¯s house? Isn¡¯t that letting Zhu Xiangxiang gain the upper hand?¡±


    Ming Jing just smiled without saying a word.


    Sometimes winning doesn¡¯t necessarily mean one has won, losing does not necessarily mean one has lost.


    ¡°Sister.¡± Ming Chen and Ming Ti changed into home clothes and walked out of their bedroom. Seeing Tao Xingxing, they immediately greeted her politely.


    ¡°You two are Ming Jing¡¯s little juniors, right? Let me guess who is the older sister and who is the younger sister.¡±


    Ming Ti sighed out of boredom, why did everyone who met them want to y this boring game.Ming Chen was very cooperative, quickly be good friends with Tao Xingxing, calling her ¡°sister Xingxing,¡± making Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Tao Xingxing had dinner here and yed for a while before she left.


    Ming Jing apanied her to the stairs, Tao Xingxing sighed, ¡°Ever since that incident, my mom has been on edge, wanting to apany me wherever I go. She only let me go when I said I wasing to see you. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t let me out on my own.¡±


    ¡°Listen to your mom, she¡¯s doing it for your own good.¡±


    Tao Xingxing pouted, wanting to say something but held it back.


    Ming Jing escorted her to Wu Jiaqi¡¯s car. The window was half-lowered, revealing Wu Jiaqi¡¯s somewhat haggard face, ¡°Ming Jing,e and have a meal at our house when you have time. I¡¯m going to take Xingxing home first.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, drive slowly on the road.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi nodded with a smile, then drove off.


    Watching Ming Jing bing a small dot in the rearview mirror, Wu Jiaqi asked, ¡°Has Ming Jing moved out of the Zhu family¡¯s home?¡±


    The Zhus live in Mingshan Garden, this ce is Tonghe Shengshi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started, it was all Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s scheming¡­¡± Tao Xingxing borated on the previous events with added dramatizations, ¡°Her mother is so biased it¡¯s ridiculous. I was so mad, Ming Jing moving out clearly benefits Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing¡¯s move is called retreating in order to advance, you¡¯re still too young,¡± Wu Jiaqiughed and shook her head.


    However, Madam Zhu¡¯s intentions were indeed unfathomable. She could be biased towards Zhu Xiangxiang despite everything that happened between Ming Jing and her. Either Zhu Xiangxiang was really something, or Madam Zhu was simply blind.


    But Wu Jiaqi had a sensitive feeling that this matter wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed on the surface. This Miss Zhu was quite mysterious.


    She had been thinking these past few days, maybe she was wrong from the beginning. The assassins on Xingxing¡¯s birthday night appeared strangely and Ming Jing¡¯s reaction and skills were unexpected and illogical.


    The assassin wasn¡¯t targeting Xingxing, but Ming Jing.


    The ¡°Ji Chang¡± she saw at the convenience store that day seemed a little too deliberate, everything seemed to have been purposely arranged.


    She suddenly remembered that day when Ming Jing came to her house and naturally mentioned that old acquaintance while making dumplings¡­


    Wu Jiaqi suddenly hit the brakes, making a shrill noise.


    Due to inertia, Tao Xingxing lunged forward and knocked her head on the back of the seat.


    ¡°Mom, did we rear-end someone?¡± Tao Xingxing was more concerned about Wu Jiaqi¡¯s safety.


    Wu Jiaqi stared nkly at the stream of cars in front of her, ignoring the honking from the cars behind her, she seemed to be in a state of shock.


    ¡°Young man,e in.¡± Han Suwen invited him in with a smile.


    The youth, looking a little hesitant, tugged at the corner of his clothes before Han Suwen pulled him in.


    The open-air balcony was filled with flowers nted by Han Suwen. She enjoyed arranging flowers. The colorful flowers swayed in the wind, exceptionally bright.


    In the center of the flower arrangement was a set of cdon tea set. A simply-dressed young girl kneeled on a meditation cushion, holding a scripture in one hand while lifting the cdon cup to sip lightly with the other.


    The dusk bathed her in golden light, making her appear holy and transcendent.


    Han Suwen lead him onto the balcony, closed the door, and left to prepare dinner in the kitchen.


    ¡°Sit.¡± Ming Jing put down her sutra and pointed to the seat across her.


    The youth looked at her, then kneeled on the meditation cushion.


    A cdon teacup was ced in front of him. Her slender, fair hand held the teapot and poured the brown tea into the cup. The aroma of the tea lingered, apanied by pallid clouds, evening breeze and an unexpected mood.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The girl¡¯s cold yet gentle voice softly echoed in the youth¡¯s ear, like the most enchanting melody providing an ultimate enjoyment.


    ¡°Eighteen.¡± The youth said coldly.


    ¡°How old are you this year?¡±


    The youth shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    There was no concept of time in the mountains, he didn¡¯t know his age, even if he did remember, it wouldn¡¯t be urate.


    ¡°Yiliang Mountain, Yunzhou.¡±


    The teenager looked up in shock. The girl before him repeatedly shattered his assumptions.


    How did she know about that hidden base?


    ¡°You have a tattoo of a hawk¡¯s head on your left shoulder, it¡¯s a symbol of the WT.¡±


    Eighteen subconsciously touched his left shoulder, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Who are you exactly?¡±

 Chapter 408: 189 Closing One’s Eyes (First Watch)

    Chapter 408: 189 Closing One¡¯s Eyes (First Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°An ordinary person, not worth mentioning.¡±


    Shiba didn¡¯t believe her nonsense and became more vignt in his heart. It was terrifying how well she knew about WT.


    ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t figured out what I saidst time yet.¡±


    Shiba stared at her coldly: ¡°What on earth do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°What do I want to do?¡± Ming Jing frowned, seeming somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°I want an answer¡­ an answer that will put her soul to rest.¡±


    Shiba was confused. Who was she? What answer?


    The young girl looked into the distance, her expression somewhat difficult to describe, and Shiba¡¯s cold heartstrings were gently touched.


    He pursed his lips, asking, ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°Is she dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How did she die?¡±


    The girl hooked her lips, her smile lighter than the clouds in the sky.


    ¡°She devoted her life to the organization but was silenced when her value was exhausted, dying a terrible death. If that¡¯s the destiny of an assassin, would you ept it?¡± Ming Jing stared at him deeply, her eyes as unfathomable as two abysses, making it impossible for anyone to hide.


    Shiba was taken aback, his eyes firm as he replied, ¡°I won¡¯t ept it. I control my own life.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded with a smile: ¡°That¡¯s the answer I¡¯m giving you.¡±


    Shiba was deeply shaken, gazing at her intently.


    Some things can be left unsaid.


    ¡°This is a path full of thorns, but this time, we will fight for freedom.¡± Ming Jing put down her teacup, the gentle clinking sound like a thunderp in Shiba¡¯s ears.


    ¡°To fight for freedom.¡± He muttered, his eyes gradually shifting from hesitating to determined, burning with an intense fire.


    As an assassin, he had no choice, but this time, he had the chance to choose again.


    Han Suwen stood outside the ss door and knocked. Ming Jing nodded.


    Han Suwen opened the door and said, ¡°Dinner is ready. This is¡­ how should I address you, little brother?¡±


    ¡°My name is Shiba.¡±


    Han Suwen chuckled, ¡°Shiba,e and have dinner.¡±


    Shiba nced at Ming Jing, and Han Suwen smiled and said, ¡°Missy never has dinner.¡±


    Shiba was warmly pulled out by Han Suwen, who thoughtfully closed the door.


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Shiba. ¡°Wow, where did this handsome brothere from?¡±


    Ming Chen excitedly rushed over, ¡°Big brother, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Facing a lively and cute little girl, Shiba was somewhat at a loss, scratching his head awkwardly, ¡°I ¡­ my name is Shiba.¡±


    ¡°What a strange name, but I like it. Hehe, brother Shiba, please have a seat. Aunt Wen¡¯s cooking is delicious.¡±


    Ming Chen sat down beside Shiba, Ming Ti rolled his eyes at her, this girl was always prioritizing appearances.


    Shiba looked at the delicious dishes on the table, feeling a bit overwhelmed.


    ¡°Brother Shiba, eat.¡± Ming Chen handed him a pair of chopsticks and ced a big chicken leg in his bowl, ¡°Have a taste. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Shiba took a bite of the chicken leg, and his eyes immediately lit up. It was much better than the food he had in fast-food restaurants.


    He ate voraciously, and Ming Yi covered her mouth, giggling, ¡°Brother Shiba eats like a duck.¡±


    Han Suwen chided, ¡°One-One, that¡¯s impolite to say to your brother.¡±


    Ming Yi stuck out her tongue yfully, ¡°Sorry, brother Shiba, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    Shiba choked, Ming Chen handed him a ss of water, looking worried, ¡°Brother Shiba, haven¡¯t you ever had a full meal before?¡± She asked, frowning at his eating habits.


    Shiba gulped down the water, feeling better and looked at Ming Chen. The little girl¡¯s eyes were bright and innocent, full of warmth and enthusiasm.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had food this delicious before.¡±


    His serious words made everyone chuckle.


    Han Suwen said, ¡°You must have suffered a lot in the past, looking skinny. From now on, Auntie will cook you many delicious meals to make up for it.¡±


    Shiba was full. He put down his chopsticks, looked at Ming Chen, Ming Ti, Ming Yi, and Han Suwen, who sat across the table. Xiao Ying was cooking soup in the kitchen. They were adorable, enthusiastic, kind and friendly. None of them excluded him, and he felt a warmth and mundanity that he had never experienced before.


    Not far away, on the open-air balcony, the sky gradually darkened, and the swaying shadows cast a solitary yet straight silhouette of the young girl.


    Far away from worldly concerns, neither sorrowful nor joyful.


    Once, he had lived like a walking corpse, not even knowing what living really meant.

 Chapter 409: 189 Closing One’s Eyes (Second Watch)

    Chapter 409: 189 Closing One¡¯s Eyes (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At this moment, he truly felt the meaning of being alive.


    It was the happiness of taste buds being conquered by delicious food, the satisfaction of the stomach being filled with food, the little girl calling him ¡°Brother Shiba¡± in every sentence, and the gentle and caring gaze of the woman across from him¡­<div>


    Thirteen once told him that WT was their belief, and the so-called belief was the lifelong pursuit, the unyielding dedication to shed blood and sacrifice without regret.


    He wanted to refute, but was left speechless.


    Here and now, he understood that his belief was freedom.


    The night was getting darker.


    All the children were asleep, and Shiba was squatting in the living room, cleaning up the mess.


    Ming Chen had been pestering him to y with puzzles, and Shiba couldplete the mostplex Lego blocks in the shortest time, which caused Ming Chen to scream continuously, and even Ming Ti couldn¡¯t help but look at him in admiration.


    Shiba carefully packed the Lego blocks, one by one, into the box.


    Ming Jing came down from upstairs, and Shiba looked up at her, put down the Lego blocks, and stood up.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Shiba followed Ming Jing out the door.


    The elevator stopped on the eighteenth floor of the same building, with two households per floor. Ming Jing walked to the west household and unlocked it with her fingerprint.<div>


    The house was huge, with painted walls but no furniture, making the living room seem vast and empty.


    There were no lights on in the room, only the moonlight outside the floor-to-ceiling window providing a faint glow.


    As soon as Shiba closed the door, a strong wind came from behind him. He immediately raised his hand to block it, but his opponent¡¯s fingers gripped the seven inches of his arm bone. The fingers felt like steel needles, causing pain in every inch they passed. Shiba¡¯s face twisted slightly, and he used the ck Tiger Stealing Heart move to strike directly at his opponent¡¯s vital point. Suddenly, a sh of white light appeared before his eyes, like a white lotus blooming in the dark night, floating softly over his head, hooking his outstretched right hand with her right foot, and her other foot pointed at his heart. Shiba¡¯s chest boiled with blood and energy, and he was thrown out like a kite, crashing heavily to the ground.


    The girlnded gracefully, her white skirt dancing, reaching her ankles. The silver lotus on her feet emitted a faint glow under the moonlight.


    Shiba looked at her in astonishment, the girl standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with a crescent moon hanging, her figure pure and ethereal, as if she were an immortal.


    ¡°Your foundation is decent, but your speed iscking. In order to overpower your enemy, you must be fast and unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°In a battle of masters, one second can mean life or death.¡±


    Shiba got up, looking at her in confusion: ¡°How can I train to achieve such speed?¡±


    ¡°Concentration,¡± Ming Jing said indifferently. ¡°When Ziyi sat through the night with a candle, his gaze never wavered, nor did his knees move. With a heart free of distractions, one can achieve the unity of heaven and humanity.¡±


    Shiba nodded vaguely in understanding.


    ¡°To develop concentration, meditate in the morning and evening, letting go of all worries and focusing on the present moment. Even if the mountains crumble and the earth shatters, remain as immovable as a mountain.¡±<div>


    Shiba asked, ¡°How did you do that arm technique earlier?¡± His arm was still numb, truly impressive.


    ¡°The human body has twelve main meridians, eight extraordinary meridians, and fourteen meridian points divided into fifty-two single points, three hundred double points, fifty extraordinary points, totaling seven hundred and twenty points. Among them, there are 108 key points, divided into fatal and non-fatal points. There are four levels of soft numbness, dizziness, light and heavy points, and nine points in four levels, totaling thirty-six death points.¡±


    ¡°When Baihui is knocked to the ground, one cannot return home, when Zhangmen is hit, nine out of ten people die, Taiyang and Yamen will inevitably lead to the underworld, the spine cannot be connected without bones, and below the knee is imminent death. By mastering the eight extraordinary meridians and the essential points, defeating and controlling the enemy can be as easy as a mantis shaking a tree.¡±


    Although her words were filled with killing intent, they sounded gentle and unhurried when spoken from her mouth, like a refreshing spring breeze.


    ¡°Will you teach me?¡± Shiba had only seen it in the martial arts novels that Thirteen had hidden, never expecting that such skills truly existed.


    Ming Jing turned and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window: the view from the eighteenth floor was unique.


    ¡°Life is like the moon, with its waxing and waning, gains and losses. What will you exchange with me?¡±


    Shiba lowered his head and thought, seemingly making a difficult decision. After a long time, he said solemnly so.


    ¡°I believe you are my redemption.¡±


    ¡°For freedom, for loyalty.¡±


    ¡°Once uttered, even a galloping horse cannot catch up.¡±<div>


    Under the bright moonlight, the girl smiled gently.


    ¡°From now on, this ce will be your home.¡±


    Last year, Elder Theodore Shelby celebrated his seventieth birthday, and Shen Zhou held a low-key celebration.


    Those who wanted to butter up and tter him left disappointed.


    This year, on the contrary, they were preparing for a grand and extravagant event that did not conform to Shen Zhou¡¯s usual style, so everyone spected what meaning Shen Zhou¡¯s actions held.

 Chapter 410: 189 Closing Eyes (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 410: 189 Closing Eyes (First Watch)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Thinking about it over and over, they couldn¡¯t figure it out, but it gave everyone an opportunity.


    Thus, after the news that Shen Zhou was going to hold a grand birthday banquet at Yunmeng Vi, the whole Jiangzhou¡¯s heart was stirred.<div>


    The young talents and new rich of Jiangzhou, all together, were nothingpared to the legend of Shen Zhou.


    With an unrivaled worth, gentle elegance, clean self-discipline, filial piety and kindness, the unparalleled good man whobined all the advantages was once sought after by many youngdies in Jiangzhou. However, as the years passed, Mrs. Shen¡¯s position remained vacant.


    Liu Yaxin of the Liu family, who had sealed the demon for Shen Zhou, had also given up and recently married a small security guard, bing the talk of the town in Manjiangzhou for half a month.


    Shen Zhou, who is now thirty-six years old, is still single. Those youngdies who once had fantasies gradually extinguished their thoughts on him and proceeded with their rtionships and marriages.


    But this time, Shen Zhou changed his style and held a grand birthday banquet, and the sensitive people had already smelled an unusual atmosphere.


    If something abnormal happens, there must be a demon. Maybe Shen Zhou has changed his mind and wants to choose an ideal partner through this banquet.


    Now Jiangzhou became lively. The beauty salons were full of people, and the youngdies were preparing for the uing birthday banquet.


    Speaking of Shen Zhou¡¯s big budget, almost everyone in Jiangzhou, big and small, with connections or not, had received invitations.


    Looking at the invitation brought to him by Uncle Wen, Zhu Wentao was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°This is¡­ Shen Zhou¡¯s invitation?¡±


    Uncle Wen replied, ¡°Yes, sir. September 20th, Yunmeng Vi, Elder Theodore Shelby celebrates his seventy-first birthday.¡±<div>


    Why is he suddenly having such a big celebration now?


    Zhu Wentao thought it was a bit strange. ¡°Which families in Jiangzhou have received invitations?¡±


    Uncle Wen replied, ¡°Almost all the reputable families have received them. This time Mr. Shen is going to make a big deal. I heard that he has even invited a theatrical troupe. Elder Shelby loves to listen to the opera, and it seems that they are going to sing a three-day-long opera. I don¡¯t know what the purpose is.¡± Uncle Wen was also puzzled.


    Lin Qing suddenly thought of Ming Jing. She asked, ¡°Did Ming Jing receive an invitation?¡±


    Uncle Wen shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    Zhu Wentao looked at Lin Qing, ¡°Is it because of Ming Jing?¡±


    Lin Qing said with a straight face, ¡°How should I know? You, as her father, don¡¯t even care about your own daughter. You don¡¯t even know where she lives.¡±


    Zhu Wentao sighed, ¡°Ming Jing has her ideas. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Besides, thepany is in her hands now. I¡¯m just a useless person. You even look down on me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Lin Qing said coldly, ¡°Did you listen to what Ming Jing said that day? She did it all for your own good.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing, what can I say to make you believe me? I was confused before, and I¡¯m willing to spend my whole life making up for it. But now it¡¯s a matter of a man¡¯s dignity. Do you really want everyone in Manjiangzhou tough at me, Zhu Wentao, as a useless man who relies on his daughter?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Lin Qing sneered.<div>


    ¡°When you did those things, you had no dignity to speak of. Everything that¡¯s happened now is all your fault.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes darkened, and he watched Lin Qing go upstairs.


    ¡°Dad.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang came in and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with mom. What you did back then has hurt her too much. Give her some time.¡±


    Zhu Wentao nodded, ¡°Xiangxiang is right, I¡¯m just being too impatient.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Ming Jing¡¯s departure has hurt mom the most. I don¡¯t understand how Ming Jing can be so heartless to her own mother. She¡¯s mom¡¯s biological daughter after all. I don¡¯t know who she inherited her personality from. She¡¯s nothing like the people in our Zhu family. Could it be grandpa who passed away? But I¡¯ve never met grandpa, what do you think, dad?¡±


    Zhu Wentao looked at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s curious eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°Your grandpa had a bad temper, and she¡¯s nothing like him.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s really strange. Actually, when Ming Jing first came back, I couldn¡¯t believe she was mom¡¯s biological daughter. She¡¯s too beautiful and looks nothing like mom and grandma. Maybe that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t get along with our family¡­ It¡¯s a pity that mom and grandma¡¯s true hearts have gone to waste¡­¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s brows knitted tightly, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was taken aback, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Repeat what you just said.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mouth slightly turned up, she whispered, ¡°Ming Jing looks nothing like you, mom, and grandma. She¡¯s too beautiful. If it weren¡¯t for the DNA paternity test, I would really suspect she¡¯s not mom¡¯s biological child. Of course, Ming Jing couldn¡¯t possibly bribe a private detective to forge the paternity test¡­¡±<div>


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face suddenly darkened. That¡¯s right. How could he not think of that?


    All this time, the strange feeling in his heart finally found a reasonable exnation. Ming Jing¡¯s appearance indeed had no resemnce to any of the Zhu family members. He had never thought about it before, but today Zhu Xiangxiang pointed it out, and he suddenly became alert to a possibility.


    The more he investigated, the more suspicious it became. He even became convinced of it in his heart.


    To a businessman who is only after profit, what is kinship, especially an unraised daughter? It¡¯s not as reliable as the interests at hand.


    Zhu Wentao hurriedly went upstairs. He needed to think carefully about this matter.


    Watching Zhu Wentao¡¯s hurried departure, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s lips curled slightly.


    If anyone in the Zhu family hated Ming Jing the most, it must be Zhu Wentao now.


    Ming Jing snatched hispany, causing his prestige to be swept away, and the once so proud Zhu Wentao couldn¡¯t possibly tolerate it.


    People¡¯s hearts are like a, the more you pull, the bigger the holes get.


    People only believe what they want to believe, and Zhu Wentao is more willing to believe that one percent chance. Human nature tells her that Zhu Wentao will turn that one percent into one hundred percent.


    By doing so, she could sit back and reap the benefits.


    ¡°Master Xiao, Shen Zhou¡¯s invitation.¡± Ye Jian respectfully handed it over.


    Ran Tengxiao opened it, nced at it, and raised his eyebrows with a smile.


    ¡°Shen Zhou is interesting. People like him, orthodox businessmen, are never willing to have any connection with our Ran family. But now he has sent me an invitation, he wants to announce it to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Announce what?¡± Ye Jian asked curiously.


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, ¡°We¡¯ll know soon.¡±


    What person or matter could it be that is worthy of the old fox, Shen Zhou, to go to such great lengths?

 Chapter 411: 190 Unrivalled Beauty (Second watch)

    Chapter 411: 190 Unrivalled Beauty (Second watch)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    A ck Santana drove through the aisle between two equestrian fields and stopped in the parking lot.


    Liu Yuerong was just leading her horse over when she saw her boyfriend staring straight at something.


    She followed his gaze.<div>


    In the bright sunlight, a girl in white just got out of the car, her dress ethereal and elegant, holy and immortal.


    The girl¡¯s figure was slender and tall, and even her distant silhouette exuded endless softness and charm.


    The girl brushed her skirt lightly with her hand, making a simple movement seem incredibly elegant and noble.


    Then she turned around and left under the respectful guidance of the waiter.


    Until her figure disappeared, Peng Jie was still a little stupefied.


    A hint of jealousy shed through Liu Yuerong¡¯s eyes, and she waved her hand in front of Peng Jie: ¡°Is she beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± Realizing he said the wrong thing, Peng Jie quickly changed his tune: ¡°Not beautiful, nowhere near as beautiful as you.¡±


    Liu Yuerong snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, your eyes were wide open just now.¡±


    ¡°I was¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes shifted, ¡°I was blinded by the wind and sand. No one in the world is more beautiful than my Yuerong. Don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯ll teach you to ride a horse¡­¡±


    Peng Jie¡¯s familypany was facing a financial crisis and urgently needed to marry Liu Yuerong to survive. Now, even if a fairy stood in front of him, he had to please this girl first.


    Fortunately, Liu Yuerong¡¯s aunt had recently fallen head over heels for a security guard, angering the elders of the Liu family. Afraid Liu Yuerong would follow her aunt¡¯s example, they tried to set her up with Peng Jie. Compared to a security guard, Peng Jie was a much better match, especially because he was handsome. It took only a little effort to make Liu Yuerong fall for himpletely.


    Liu Yuerong¡¯s face was delicate, but her jealousy surged at the thought of the white figure.<div>


    Daring to seduce her boyfriend, she was simply courting death.


    Liu Yuerong whipped the horse¡¯s belly, and it immediately leaped forward. Liu Yuerong burst intoughter.


    Peng Jie quickly followed on his horse: ¡°Yuerong, slow down¡­¡±


    Ming Jing changed into her riding outfit and walked out of the changing room. Zhao Qin was standing in front of a mirror, tying her hair up in a high ponytail. She saw Ming Jing¡¯s reflection in the mirror and raised an eyebrow: ¡°People rely on clothes, horses rely on saddles. Wearing white every day, people might think you¡¯re in mourning, only at the equestrian club do we see you wear other colors.¡±


    Ming Jing wore a red riding suit, tall boots, her figure slender and dashing, her face even more radiant and beautiful, like a blooming spider lily, swaying with the ultimate allure.


    Yet her eyebrows and eyes were so gentle andpassionate, it gave her a mysterious feeling that made people want to explore further and be increasingly fascinated.


    They knew it was a deadly abyss, but they still rushed in without hesitation.


    Zhao Qin stared at Ming Jing¡¯s indifferent face, lost in thought.


    Ming Jing was the most dangerous kind of person because she was beautiful but unaware of it. She didn¡¯t know that her every frown, every smile, every movement was the deadliest weapon, killing without a trace.


    If she lived in ancient times, she would be a bewitching concubine who brought cmity to the country. She could have anything she wanted, with men falling over themselves to please her. With a single frown, countless men would start wars, just for a smile from a beauty.


    Thinking of Xie Jue¡¯s words, Zhao Qin had been upset for two days. Seeing Ming Jing now, she seemed relieved all of a sudden.


    There was one thing Ming Jing couldn¡¯tpare to her.<div>


    Zhao Qin deliberately straightened her chest, her fiery figure turning heads.


    She nced at Ming Jing¡¯s t chest¡­


    Zhao Qin hummed Qu Feitai¡¯s ¡°White Clothes¡± and asked, ¡°Your rtionship with Qu Feitai was exposed online. Is that true?¡±


    Although the news hadn¡¯tpletely blown up yet, practically everyone inside and outside the circle knew about it.


    The evidence from Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant was simply too strong.


    Zhao Qin surfed Weibo every day. As one of the parties involved, she was dying to expose the truth but held back, almost to the point of injuring herself.


    Ming Jing loosely tied her long hair up with a red silk ribbon, a yful wisp of hair hanging by her temples, adding a touch of tenderness.


    ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡±


    Zhao Qin choked, ¡°Did you pay to suppress the trending topics? Otherwise, it would have blown up.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes rolled, ¡°Could it be Qu Feitai? That¡¯s impossible. He obviously likes you and would probably love for the news to be true.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s really Qu Feitai, then I¡¯ve misjudged him. He dares to act but not admit it, such a coward. Career is more important than love; a man like that should be dumped.¡± Zhao Qin solemnly patted Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder.¡±I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but we¡¯re just friends.¡±<div>


    ¡°Tsk tsk, do you really not understand, or are you just pretending not to? You¡¯re so smart, I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t see it ¨C having a love affair with Qu Feitai is something many people would die for. Once this opportunity passes, you¡¯ll never find another one like it. Then you¡¯ll know what it¡¯s like to be envied by women all over the world. That¡¯s every woman¡¯s dream.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to deal with her, turned around to leave, but Zhao Qin quickly called her back.


    ¡°Are you bare-faced?¡±


    Her skin looked so good, delicate to the touch, and wless.


    ¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Zhao Qin quickly took a lipstick out of her makeup bag and went to apply it to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing furrowed her brow and took a step back: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Women need a bit of lipstick to look lively. If you won¡¯t let me apply it, I¡¯ll go online and expose your rtionship with Qu Feitai. I have proof, you know.¡±


    While Ming Jing was hesitating, Zhao Qin had quickly applied the lipstick to her.


    She took a step back and nodded, satisfied: ¡°As I thought, this auntie color suits you best.¡±


    The lipstick was like a finishing touch ¨C andscape painting in ink, dabbed with a touch of red ¨C instantly brightening her face and bing an unstoppable force.


    Ming Jing turned to leave, but Zhao Qin immediately followed and asked tentatively, ¡°If you don¡¯t like Qu Feitai, does that mean you already have someone in your heart?¡±


    She watched closely for any changes in Ming Jing¡¯s expression. Ming Jing gave a sly smile and nced at her, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    It seemed as if those eyes could see right through her every move. Zhao Qin was a little flustered and quickly tried to brush it off: ¡°I was just asking.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone in my heart.¡±


    Zhao Qin knew Ming Jing well; when she said something, she meant it.


    Relieved, Zhao Qin thought to herself that there was still a chance if Ming Jing only had a crush.


    Since Ming Jing¡¯sst encounter with Violent Wind, the horse wouldn¡¯t let anyone else touch it ¨C even the horse trainer was not allowed.


    Han Cheng didn¡¯t believe itst time, so he insisted on riding Violent Wind, only to be kicked into the hospital, reportedly with two broken ribs.


    As Ming Jing entered the stables, the originally temperamental Violent Wind picked up on her scent, and immediately raised its front hooves and neighed joyfully. Anyone could hear the happiness in its neighs.


    Yang Shuaimented from the side: ¡°Violent Wind is very spiritual. When Ms. Zhu is not here, it doesn¡¯t allow anyone to touch it and has no energy. When shees, it¡¯s instantly lively. It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Ming Jing went over to pat Violent Wind¡¯s back. It pressed its head against her chest, appearing very gentle. Yang Shuai marveled at the sight; who would have thought that this was a horse capable of kicking the best horse trainer into the hospital?


    ¡°Have you been waiting for me?¡± Ming Jing asked softly.


    Violent Wind exhaled hot air through its nostrils, seemingly responding.


    Ming Jing smiled and, with a swift movement, gracefully mounted the horse. She bent over, lightly patted Violent Wind on the side of its face, straightened up, and pulled the reins. With a deafening neigh, the horse¡¯s hooves were raised high.


    The maiden sat straight on the horse¡¯s back, her cold eyes suddenly bing sharp as a sword.


    With a softbattle cry, like an arrow piercing through the air, her voice prated eardrums and stabbed at hearts.


    ¡°Violent Wind, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Violent Wind leaped with its front hooves and effortlessly jumped over the fence of the stable. In an instant, it was like a bird freed from its cage, soaring freely into the sky, and the horse galloped at full speed, turning into a small ck dot in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Drive¡­!¡± There was another battle cry, and as Yang Shuai turned his head, Zhao Qin shouted, ¡°Wait for me!¡± and chased after them on her horse.


    The sun was shining brightly, and the autumn breeze was refreshing.


    Yang Shuai sighed: ¡°How glorious it is to ride the wind with such vigor¡­¡±.


    The figures of these two peerlessdies galloping freely on the horse track were dazzling and unparalleled.


    Especially Ms.Zhu, who was impossible to describe with mere words.


    Outside the racecourse, she was attired in white, ethereal and otherworldly.


    When on a horse, she was d in red equestrian attire, passionate as fire, and even the fiercest horse willingly submitted to her.


    What masterful work of art was used by the heavens to create such an extraordinarily enchanting woman?

 Chapter 412: 191 Bet (Part One)

    Chapter 412: 191 Bet (Part One)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the racetrack, two horses stood side by side.


    Zhao Qin raised her eyebrows and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not fun without any stakes. How about this? If I win, you take off your wig next Monday when we go to school. If you win, you can do what you want with me.¡±


    Her thoughts seemed clear, knowing Ming Jing¡¯s character wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for her.<div>


    However, Ming Jing just doesn¡¯t y by the rules.


    The red-clothed girl sitting upright on the horseback smiled faintly in the scorching sun and gentle breeze, ¡°If you lose, give Ran Tengxiao sugar-coated cannonballs.¡±


    Sugar-coated cannonballs, in this context, mean a bottle of Coke filled with soy sauce or a sandwich stuffed with toothpaste¡­


    These aremon pranks, but if the target is Ran Tengxiao, they be unusual.


    This is suicide!


    Besides, the sugar-coated cannonballs Ming Jing mentioned must have a deeper meaning.


    Zhao Qin chuckled, ¡°I thought you were addicted to being a nun. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at pranks.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t afford to lose, forget it.¡±


    ¡°Trying to provoke me won¡¯t work. Come on, if I die, I¡¯ll have a backrest.¡±


    Zhao Qin waved the riding whip and shouted, ¡°Go.¡± The horse under her leaped forward.


    Zhao Qin looked back andughed loudly, ¡°I will not lose.¡±


    Not caring about her opponent¡¯s rule-breaking, Ming Jing touched Violent Wind¡¯s head and said softly, ¡°Violent Wind, just do your best.¡±<div>


    Violent Wind snorted a heavy breath as if responding to Ming Jing¡¯s words.


    The horse was like the wind, galloping past.


    The whirlwind they stirred up made it impossible for people to open their eyes.


    Watching the two clouds of fire in the distance, Peng Jie couldn¡¯t help following with his gaze.


    Soon, another figure flew past, like a raging me, burning wildly under the sun.


    ¡°What beautiful riding skills and an unrestrained posture,¡± Peng Jie couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    Liu Yuerong whipped his arm coldly and said, ¡°Where are your eyes looking?¡±


    Peng Jie jumped up in pain, ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m not a horse!¡±


    ¡°If you keep looking, I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out,¡± Liu Yuerong threatened viciously.


    Peng Jie was angry but didn¡¯t dare to offend her, so he could only swallow his grievances.


    Liu Yuerong sat on the horse, looking at the two shadows on the horizon, snorted coldly, and rushed forward.


    She didn¡¯t believe she could be worse than others.<div>


    Zhao Qin took the lead, far ahead of Ming Jing. As time passed, Ming Jing remained unhurried, maintaining an appropriate distance with Zhao Qin. Just when Zhao Qin thought she had victory in the bag and had begun to rx, the sound of horses¡¯ hooves approached. She turned her head, and Ming Jing was side by side with her.


    Zhao Qin gritted her teeth, seeing victory just before her. She tightened her grip on the horse, whipped it on its belly, stepped on the stirrups, lifted her hips off the saddle, tightened her grip on the horse, and stared intently at the finish line.


    Unconsciously, she was covered in sweat.


    In the end, Violent Wind¡¯s front hoof crossed the finish line ahead, just a second faster.


    Zhao Qin turned her horse, and Ming Jing sat on her horse, with bright eyes and ethereal beauty.


    Her eyes were as bright as stars, and she smiled, ¡°You lost.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, did you do it on purpose?¡± Zhao Qin looked as if she had been humiliated, her face flushed red, her cheeks sweaty, and her beauty dazzling.


    At first, Ming Jing deliberately slowed down to make her rx. Then, when she thought victory was at hand, he gave her a head-on blow, purposely timing it so that he would only be one step ahead of her.


    It was like ying her for a fool.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, ¡°You agreed to the bet. Are you going to go back on your word, Miss Zhao?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Zhao Qin turned her head away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person. I can afford to lose. I¡¯m just not as skilled as you.¡±<div>


    ¡°Remember our bet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me.¡± Zhao Qin¡¯s temper was alreadyrge, and she had deliberately restrained herself in front of Ming Jing. However, some people tolerated her bad temper, and Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t. She rode her horse leisurely around the arena.


    Zhao Qin watched Ming Jing walk away without waiting for her and felt even more oppressed in her chest, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you wait for me?¡±


    The two rode their horses side by side, facing the breeze. Zhao Qin felt exceptionallyfortable, but her face fell every time she thought of the bet.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we change the bet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Qin eyed her, ¡°What if I expose you and my cousin vents his anger on you?¡±


    ¡°You can try.¡±


    Zhao Qin choked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of my cousin?¡±


    That was Master Xiao of Jiangzhou, a fearsome figure in Jingdu and the north.

 Chapter 413: 191 Bet (Part Two)

    Chapter 413: 191 Bet (Part Two)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°He¡¯s not a monstrous beast in a flood, he¡¯s a human.¡±


    Zhao Qin stared at Ming Jing¡¯s beautiful and calm side profile, suddenly leaning closer to her: ¡°You might as well marry my cousin, be my sister-inw, and then you can walk sideways in Jiangzhou without any issue.¡±


    ¡°Does your cousin know you¡¯re so worried about his lifelong affair?¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin smiled and said, ¡°He¡¯ll thank me for it.¡±


    Ming Jing flicked her whip on Zhao Qin¡¯s horseback, causing Zhao Qin¡¯s horse to suddenly leap forward. Zhao Qin cursed on the horse, ¡°Zhu Mingjing, you bastard¡­!¡±


    Ming Jing leisurely urged her horse on, looking at the distant horizon and squinting her eyes slightly.


    A horse rushed headlong toward them, the girl on the horse swayed from side to side, her voice hoarse as she cried for help.


    The horse was out of control!


    The girl on the horse was on the brink of copse, and she would soon be thrown off the horse. The consequences would be unimaginable if that happened. Not far behind her, a young man was catching up on his horse.


    Ming Jing decisively urged her horse to go over and as they brushed past the out-of-control horse, she reached out and grabbed the waist of the girl on the horse. The girl let out a scream of terror and was ced horizontally on the horse with her head facing down.


    Peng Jie stared at the red-clothed girl riding towards them in amazement. The world suddenly lost its colors and only the charming figure of that girl endured forever.


    Ming Jing took the girl off the horseback and said to Peng Jie, ¡°Watch her.¡±


    She turned her horse around, spurred it forward, and went to chase the runaway horse.


    The safety officer at the riding track arrived with sweat on his forehead, looking at the back of the girl in the red dress and eximing, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Zhu again! She¡¯s like a living goddess of our riding field.¡±


    Peng Jie was taken aback, ¡°Miss Zhu?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yeah, is there anyone in Jiangzhou who doesn¡¯t know Miss Zhu? Last time she came here, she tamed the out-of-control Violent Wind and saved young Master Xiao from the Rans. She ran into it again this time. Miss Liu, you¡¯re so lucky.¡±


    Liu Yuerong took deep breaths, still in shock from her ordeal. Hearing these words, she frowned, ¡°Surname Zhu? Could it be Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see Miss Liu knows about her.¡±


    Liu Yuerong sneered, ¡°How could I not know? She¡¯s quite famous.¡±


    The biggest gossip in Jiangzhoutely was the love affair between Shen Zhou and Zhu Mingjing. Her aunt was desperately obsessed with Shen Zhou, but couldn¡¯t win his attention and eventually turned to a young security guard, which led to a constant low-pressure atmosphere at home recently.


    She had long heard about Zhu Mingjing¡¯s reputation and how she was even famous at Jiangzhou University. She didn¡¯t expect to run into her here.


    She must get justice for her aunt and find out what kind of vixen could entice Shen Zhou.


    Peng Jie sighed, ¡°So it¡¯s Miss Zhu.¡±


    Only a figure like the renowned Zhu Mingjing could exin that demeanor.


    Liu Yuerong saw his infatuated gaze and her jealousy deepened.


    ¡°Oh, I wonder who it is. It¡¯s Miss Liu.¡± Zhao Qin saw the scene from far away, Ming Jing saving Liu Yuerong. Who does this woman think she¡¯s showing her face to bying here?


    Liu Yuerong was surprised to see Zhao Qin and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±<div>


    ¡°What, Miss Liu, are you surprised to see me?¡± Zhao Qin yed with her whip, her expression halfway betweenughter and seriousness.


    Liu Yuerong bit her lip, Zhu Mingjing was just a businessman¡¯s daughter, and businessmen had no power, only smelly money. Her Liu family was different, her aunt was Mrs. Gu¡¯s sister-inw, and this rtionship made her Liu family have a unique status in Jiangzhou.


    She always thought highly of herself, but Zhao Qin was an untouchable existence in Jiangzhou.


    No other reason than her cousin, Ran Tengxiao. The Rans were ruthless and would do anything to get what they wanted. In Jiangzhou, they had the world at their feet, and even her aunt had to call Master Xiao politely when she met him.


    This Zhao Qin, who is notorious for her arrogance among the socialites, had conflicts with Liu Yuerong back in Shengde High School. When Liu Yuerong was in her senior year, Zhao Qin was a freshman. Unaware of Zhao¡¯s identity, Liu confronted her, which resulted in constant crises at her family¡¯spany, her father¡¯s leg being broken and hospitalized for a month. It was only after her aunt¡¯s strenuous mediation that they were spared from disaster. By that time, Liu had learned that Zhao Qin was someone you must not mess with. She had no bottom line and would always outdo her opponents.


    Liu Yuerong pursed her lips and turned to leave when she saw Ming Jing riding her horse towards her with Violent Wind following closely behind.


    Peng Jie immediately walked over and enthusiastically said, ¡°Ms. Zhu, thank you so much for just now. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Yuerong, hurry up and thank Ms. Zhu. If she hadn¡¯t saved you, you¡¯d be in the hospital right now.¡±


    Liu Yuerong frowned and reluctantly walked over, saying dryly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ming Jing dismounted and handed the horse to the security guard, ¡°This horse has been stressed. Take it back and check it carefully.¡±


    The security guard thanked her respectfully and was reminded of something, ¡°Ms. Zhu, our equestrian club is hosting an annual equestrianpetition at the end of October. Your riding skills are outstanding, and you shouldn¡¯t let your talent go to waste. Are you interested in participating?¡±


    With Ms. Zhu endorsing thepetition, it will definitely be a huge sess. Advertising revenue alone will bring them a fortune.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not interested.¡±<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s a one-million-dor prize for the winner,¡± he blurted out before realizing his mistake.


    As the heiress of the Zhu family, would they everck money?


    Zhao Qin encouraged, ¡°Ming Jing, just ept it. Your riding skills are so good, don¡¯t waste them. I¡¯ll cheer for you.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at Zhao Qin, seemingly seeing through her little trick. Zhao Qin rubbed her nose and looked away.


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze was more frightening than X-rays. Did she find out?


    Impossible.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t immediately refuse this time but said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    The organizer immediately smiled, exchanged a quick nce with Zhao Qin, and happily retreated to the side.


    ¡°Hey, Zhu Mingjing, what¡¯s the deal between you and Shen Zhou?¡± Liu Yuerong stood in front of Ming Jing, determined to stand up for her aunt.


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you really having an affair with Shen Zhou? You must be shameless¡­¡±


    Ming Jing hooked the corner of her lips, her gentle smile made Zhao Qin even more delighted.<div>


    ¡°Miss, please watch your words. Troublees from the mouth.¡±


    ¡°If you really want to know my rtionship with Mr. Shen, meet me at Yunmeng Vi on September 20th.¡±


    Ming Jing walked to Violent Wind¡¯s side after she finished speaking, gracefully got on the horse, and her beautiful movements were seamless.


    Without sparing them another nce, she lightly whipped her horse and rode away confidently in her red attire, like a raging fire burning in the distance.


    Liu Yuerong stamped her foot in anger, ¡°What gives her the right to be so arrogant? She¡¯s nothing but Shen Zhou¡¯s ything.¡±


    Peng Jie stared foolishly at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure. Liu Yuerong pped him in the face, scolding, ¡°Still looking? Look again, and I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out. That slut goes around seducing men. Shameless.¡±


    Peng Jie frowned, a hint of disgust shing in his eyes.


    After seeing a stunning beauty like Zhu Mingjing, Liu Yuerong couldn¡¯tpare, like a toad in a pond, difficult to look at.


    Liu Yuerong muttered, ¡°What did she mean by that? September 20 is Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s birthday party. Shen Zhou is going all out this year. Is he going to announce his rtionship with her? That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Shen Zhou belongs to my aunt. How could Zhu Mingjing, a daughter of a businessman, be a match for him?¡±


    Peng Jie thought to himself, who gave her such confidence? Clearly, if it were between Liu Yaxin and Zhu Mingjing, anyone with eyes would choose Zhu Mingjing.


    <div>

 Chapter 414: 192 Knowing Autumn (Second Revision)

    Chapter 414: 192 Knowing Autumn (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Yunmeng Vi is located twenty miles west of Jiangzhou on Fenghuang Mountain. It is interspersed by mountain springs and strewn with flowing streams, pavilions, towers, and terraces, making it a popr summer retreat in Jiangzhou.


    Yunmeng Vi also has another name, Sijun Mountain Vi.


    The name alludes to the Four Gentlemen, the four nts traditionally held in high esteem in China: the plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.<div>


    To the east of the vi, a variety of plum trees are nted. These include mirror water plum, golden spray plum, pce powder plum, green calyx plum, jade butterfly plum, and an abundance of other varieties of plum blossoms. Every chilled winter season, the garden bursts into bright blooms, full of icy beauty and heavenly bones, earning its name, Rugu Garden.


    To the west lies Yueduo Garden, which, as the name suggests, is full of chrysanthemums. Amid September¡¯s chill dew, forestyers are dyed a myriad of colors while autumn chrysanthemums floridly nket the ground. At sunset, one can look up to a sea of golden splendor and reflect on the tranquil beauty of the South Mountain as depicted in an old Chinese poem.


    Bamboo and jade trees, subtle orchid fragrances, dried lotuses wrapping around hibiscus, one thinks of their love but cannot see them.


    Today, the sky is high and the clouds are pale. The autumn colors are pleasant. One luxury car after another passes under therge row of maple trees at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain. Frosty leaves like flowers, the maple forest is ame. Tires roll over the carpet of red leaves, stirring upyers of crimson.


    A delicate jade hand stretches out from a partially lowered car window, catching a falling maple leaf.


    The slender fingertips holding the maple leaf highlight the white hand and wrist, as pure as snow and frost.


    ¡°A falling leaf heralds the arrival of autumn.¡±


    From early spring to mid-summer, and nowte autumn.


    Unconsciously, half a year has passed since their return to Jiangzhou.


    Ming Chen sticks her head out of the car window, catches a maple leaf like Ming Jing does, and ys with it, ¡°When we go back, we can make this into a bookmark. It will be beautiful.¡±


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti sit next to Ming Jing. Ming Chen is wearing a pink dress, Ming Ti a blue one. Their styles are identical, but the pink iris embroidery on Ming Chen¡¯s dress is vivid and passionate, while the orange orchid embroidery on Ming Ti¡¯s blue dress is subtly fragrant.


    Both girls have delicate facial features, yet their temperaments differ greatly. Ming Chen is lively and charming, while Ming Ti is reserved and peaceful.<div>


    Ming Ti fondles her dress nervously. At school, she had heard ssmates talk about the Shen family¡¯s banquet. It seemed to be quite a sensation, with many people wanting to attend, but few were actually qualified to do so.


    She had never expected her second elder sister to bring them along.


    In such a grand event, would she embarrass her sister?


    A warm palmnds on the back of her hand. Ming Ti turns her head and sees Ming Jing smiling softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Your second sister is with you.¡±


    Ming Ti nods her head vigorously. Unlike the carefree and naive Ming Chen, Ming Ti is much more mature and understands what the banquet represents for them as sisters.


    Ming Ti clings to Ming Jing¡¯s arm and leans in lightly, reminiscent of their days as children. Reflecting on their shared past in the mountains, she murmurs, ¡°Second Sister, the big city is bustling, but I still miss the days in the temple. Master was strict when he trained us to practice our skills. The oldest sister would chase after the mischievous Xiao Wu all over the courtyard. You used to sit in the garden drying herbs. Ming Chen would step on your herbs, but you never med her. I, on the other hand, would be memorizing scriptures with a sorrowful expression.¡±


    Those were lively times. Yet, she knows, they can never go back.


    The wake from a dream always brings mncholy.


    Ming Jing smiles and ruffles Ming Ti¡¯s hair, ¡°You have grown up.¡±


    ¡°Second Sister, when will our oldest sistere back? I miss her.¡±


    ¡°Soon¡­¡±


    The car drove into the vi¡¯s gate. The parking lot was full of luxury cars. Ming Jing timed her arrival just right.<div>


    As soon as she stepped out of the car, Shen Ke greeted her with a cheerful smile, ¡°Ms. Zhu, you have finally arrived.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Elder Theodore Shelby has been waiting for you for quite some time. Pleasee with me.¡±


    Ming Jing leads Ming Ti and Ming Chen, following Shen Ke.


    Not far away, Zhu Wentao, Lin Qing, and Zhu Xiangxiang step out of their car. Zhu Xiangxiang spots a few figures in the distance and knits her brow, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ming Jing? The two smaller ones must be Ming Ti and Ming Chen. It appears that Ming Jing was also invited to Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s birthday banquet.¡±


    Lin Qing gazes at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure and lets out a deep sigh.


    A cold nce flits through Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes.


    Zhu Shaodan gets out of the car, stretcheszily, and then his gaze fixes on something. ¡°Master Xiao¡­?¡±


    A young man in casual wear steps out from a luxury car parked a space away. The only person who would wear casual attire to the Shen¡¯s banquet is him.


    For a moment, Zhu Wentao looks startled. He then walks over and greets the young man respectfully, ¡°Master Xiao, you¡¯re here too.¡±


    Although Zhu Wentao is more than a decade older than Ran Tengxiao, that doesn¡¯t stop him from treating the young man with utmost respect.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looks surprised and mumbles to herself, ¡°Master Xiao? Which Master Xiao?¡±<div>

 Chapter 415: 192 Knowing Autumn (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 415: 192 Knowing Autumn (Second Revision)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    How had she never known that Jiangzhou had such a handsome man? Theposure and restraint disyed in his every movement was incredibly alluring. This was a man whose very hair seemed to radiate charm.


    Lin Qing lowered her voice and said, ¡°Don¡¯t speak. He is the head of the Ran family, Ran Tengxiao. Everyone calls him Master Xiao.¡±


    The Ran family? Wasn¡¯t that Zhao Qin¡¯s maternal family?<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang shuddered and finally realized which Ran family it was.


    This young and handsome man was likely Zhao Qin¡¯s cousin. She had heard the name Master Xiao before.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a pang of envy and couldn¡¯t help stealing another nce at him.


    At that moment, the man was looking at her, as well, with a gentle smile that made Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart race and left her frozen in ce.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, your daughter is well-cared-for.¡± Ran Tengxiao smirked and walked away.


    His remark left Zhu Wentao feeling confused. What did Ran Tengxiao mean?


    Zhu Xiangxiang was thrilled, was he praising her?


    Zhao Qing rolled her eyes when she got out of the car. How could someone be that narcissistic?


    As Zhao Qin passed by Zhu Xiangxiang, sheughed and patted Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It seems my older cousin has a good impression of you. Keep up the good work.¡±


    It was only fun when things got heated and chaotic.


    Zhao Qin, who had given Zhu Xiangxiang a misleading impression, concealed her role in the situation with a cunning smile and chased after Ran Tengxiao.


    ¡°Feeling itchy again?¡± Ran Tengxiao asked coolly.<div>


    ¡°Oh, cousin, I¡¯ve already told you that I lost a bet to Ming Jing. This was his idea, not mine. It wasn¡¯t my intention to make you eat spicy food, and I didn¡¯t know you had an allergy. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have joked like that, which caused your stomach to re up. If you think about it, it¡¯s Ming Jing¡¯s fault.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, ¡°So, I was just unlucky?¡±


    Zhao Qin coughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao rubbed his jade thumb ring, smirking. ¡°This is getting more and more interesting.¡±


    She was like a riddle, one never knew when she would surprise him.


    Smart people didn¡¯t do things without a reason. What message was she trying to send him through Zhao Qin?


    Was it an old friend or the daughter of an old friend¡­


    Interesting.


    ¡°Sis, snap out of it. Wipe the drool off your face,¡± said Zhu Shaodan, shaking his sister¡¯s shoulder.


    Zhu Xiangxiang came back to her senses, looking around to find the two of them had already disappeared.


    ¡°Master Xiao¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang muttered, her face flushed with shyness and her eyebrows painted with spring.


    Zhu Shaodan chuckled and put his arm around Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Good taste. Master Xiao is my idol, and you won¡¯t find another man like him in all of Jiangzhou. He¡¯s so cool. If only he could be my brother-inw, that would be great.¡± He then slyly nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, his face full of satisfaction.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang red at him, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not impossible. He seems to have a pretty good impression of you.¡±


    Lin Qing said solemnly, ¡°What are you two talking about? Do you really think the Ran family is within your reach? Their kind of man is too much for you. It¡¯s best you just admire him from a distance.¡±


    Lin Qing gave Zhu Xiangxiang a warning look.


    Respect and fear towards Ran Tengxiao were mixed, and he was definitely not a good match for women.


    Zhu Xiangxiang obediently said, ¡°Oh,¡± and Zhu Shaodanughed, secretly winking at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing had different thoughts. The Ran family represented the extreme of power and wealth, and the thought of Master Xiao being a part of their family excited them.Zhu Wentao nced at Zhu Xiangxiang and suddenly found this non-biologically rted daughter much more pleasing to his eyes.


    Next, Zhu Xiangxiang would witness the ultimate banquet. Madam Jiang, Mayor Shen and his wife, Mr. Gu and his wife, and the families of the Jes, Gaos, Lis, Lius, and the Jiangzhou families, big and small, that were well known all attended.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had lived in Jiangzhou for sixteen years and attended countless banquets big and small, but none as luxurious as this. Really, it was Shen Zhou ¨C so generous when he took action.


    Tonight, Elder Theodore Shelby would be bathed in glory.


    It¡¯s a pity that the Shen family didn¡¯t have a hostess.


    She thought of Ming Jing ¨C if Ming Jing were the future hostess of the Shen family, the mere thought was unbearable to her.<div>


    She wondered how much evidence her father had found and how much longer she would have to wait for that day toe.


    Liu Yuerong searched around and couldn¡¯t find anyone: ¡°Was she scared by me? It¡¯s good that she knows her ce.¡±


    Liu Yaxin frowned: ¡°Rongrong, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ve told you before about Zhu Mingjing, that shameless woman who seduced Mr. Shen. I met her a few days ago at the horse track, and you wouldn¡¯t believe how arrogant she was. It pissed me off.¡±


    Liu Yaxin pursed her lips: ¡°Are she and Mr. Shen¡­really that kind of rtionship?¡±


    ¡°The whole Jiangzhou is buzzing about it. There¡¯s even a rumor that Mr. Shen is going to hold a huge celebration this year to make their rtionship public. What right does she have?! Has Mr. Shen gone blind to fall for her¡­?¡±


    Liu Yaxin¡¯s face turned pale, and she stepped back suddenly, ¡°Rongrong, don¡¯t you dare speak ill of Mr. Shen.¡±


    ¡°Even now you¡¯re still defending him. If you ask me, that Shen Zhou is just a man who covets beauty¡­!¡±


    Liu Yaxin raised her voice and scolded, ¡°Rongrong, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    Her voice attracted the attention of many people around, with all of them thinking of the story of her infatuated pursuit of Shen Zhou that was unsessful, leading her to marry a poor and ignorant security guard. Their eyes were full of mockery.


    Liu Yaxin really regretteding. Right now, she was just a human-shaped target.


    Suddenly, a red figure in the crowd caught her eye. Liu Yuerong followed her gaze and asked, ¡°Who is she? I¡¯ve never seen her before. Is she one of Jiangzhou¡¯s socialites?¡±<div>


    Liu Yaxin shook her head: ¡°She¡¯s from Jingdu.¡±


    She had seen her before beside Shen Zhou. That time too, was at a banquet. She had only spoken a few words with Shen Zhou and was doused with wine by this woman, who viciously warned her to stay away from Shen Zhou.


    Shen Zhou was a man of integrity, but there were never ack of women throwing themselves at him.


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s from Jingdu, we¡¯re in Jiangzhou, and far from the emperor.¡± Liu Yuerong sneered.


    Liu Yaxin squinted her eyes and whispered a few words to Liu Yuerong.


    Liu Yuerong¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Liu Yuerong apologized to the woman with fiery red lips in front of her, mocking her in her heart. Even makeup couldn¡¯t hide her wrinkles, yet she¡¯s trying to steal a man from my aunt.


    Mao Nana raised her eyebrows and stared at her, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going.¡±


    Liu Yuerong had never met anyone more brazen than this woman except for Zhao Qing. Holding back her anger, she forced a stiff smile and said, ¡°Sister, you look so familiar. Have I seen you with Mr. Shen before?¡±


    Mao Nana looked her up and down, ¡°Who¡¯s family are you from?¡±


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re from Jingdu, so you might not know that there¡¯s someone else beside Mr. Shen. I feel so sorry for you. That woman is nothingpared to you ¨C yet she just seduced Mr. Shen with her foxy charm¡­!¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyebrows raised in anger, ¡°What did you say?¡±<div>


    Liu Yuerong shuddered inwardly, this woman was terrifying when enraged. No wonder Shen Zhou didn¡¯t like her with such a temper.


    Liu Yuerong pointed to Zhu Xiangxiang in the crowd, ¡°That¡¯s Zhu Mingjing¡¯s sister.¡±


    Mao Nana nced coldly in that direction, thinking she was some fairy. With such looks, she must know the weight of Zhu Mingjing.


    With a disdainful snort, Mao Nana strode over.


    Liu Yuerong covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Dog eat dog, a mouthful of hair, that¡¯s fun.¡±

 Chapter 416: 193 Splendid (First Update)

    Chapter 416: 193 Splendid (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Are you Zhu Mingjing¡¯s sister?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang saw a woman in a red dress walking arrogantly towards her, starting a sentence rudely.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was confused, but still maintained a proper smile on her face.<div>


    ¡°Excuse me, who are you¡­?¡±


    Every person at this banquet had significant background; she had to be cautious in her response.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am. I¡¯m asking you, where is Zhu Mingjing?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang could tell that this person was here to cause trouble for Ming Jing.


    Before she could speak, Lin Qing stepped forward and said, ¡°May I ask what business you have with my daughter?¡±


    Mao Nana looked Lin Qing up and down: ¡°You¡¯re Zhu Mingjing¡¯s mother?¡±


    Lin Qing nodded: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where is she? I want to see what kind of heavenly beauty she is.¡± Mao Nana sneered disdainfully.


    Lin Qing was only considered delicate-looking when she was young, with her main advantage being her fair skin. Her facial features were nothing special. After bing wealthy, she had cosmetic enhancements and improved her fashion sense. With Madam Zhu¡¯s title, she finally looked like a wealthydy. In the circle of socialites, beauty was not the focus, but rather the means. Only mistresses who wanted to take shortcuts would painstakingly work on their appearance and figure.


    Mao Nana had seen many wealthydies, and she didn¡¯t think much of Lin Qing, who was all show and no substance.


    If the mother looked like that, the so-called Zhu Mingjing probably wouldn¡¯t be very beautiful either.


    That could only mean the other party had powerful means.<div>


    Mao Nana frowned and thought that for a woman, means were more troublesome than appearance and figure.


    Lin Qing tentatively asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know where my daughter has offended you?¡±


    ¡°Where did she offend me? You¡¯ll find out when shees out.¡±


    The banquet was held in Yueduo Garden tonight. The garden was full of blooming chrysanthemums, and a stage had been set up nearby. It was said that Elder Theodore Shelby had invited famous Peking Opera artists to perform for three days. The garden was open for free during this time, allowing everyone in the city to enjoy the show. The whole city of Jiangzhou was buzzing with excitement and well-wishes for Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s birthday.


    Lin Qing frowned: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my daughter is not here.¡±


    ¡°Then where is she? Did she note to the event?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re her mother, and you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face stiffened; she indeed was not doing a good job as a mother.


    Mao Nana snorted coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe she can hide to the ends of the earth.¡± She turned and left after finishing her words.


    Tonight¡¯s event was more like a feast than a banquet, with a table after table of exquisite and delectable dishes. The well-known Dechang Building¡¯s chef was said to be responsible for the dishes tonight ¨C the famous Nine Sets Meal. Thanks to Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s blessings, the guests tonight could enjoy a feast.


    Each table could amodate eight people, with dedicated servers attending to the guests.<div>


    The sun was setting, and the light dimmed. Ground rednterns were lit one by one.


    The brilliantly decorated stage in the distance stood amidst clusters of flowers, like a magnificent pce.


    A slightly cool night breeze, carrying the fragrance of flowers, brushed past the face. Stars twinkled in the sky, and a round moon hung in the treetops.


    Madam Li looked up at the moon: ¡°Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Look at how round the moon is. Elder Theodore Shelby has a great birthday celebration, with everyone gathered together, making it lively and festive.¡±


    Li Qingyao lowered her head, not knowing who she was texting, and responded with a nomittal ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Yao Yao, who are you chatting with?¡±


    ¡°Cousin.¡± Li Qingyao replied, not even looking up, as her fingers quickly tapped the keyboard.


    Madam Li sighed: ¡°Her family¡¯s big mess is really worrisome. I wanted to take Muxue toe live with us for a while, but she refuses. That brother of hers must be a troublemaker. Since it¡¯s the Mid-Autumn Festival, let¡¯s go to Liuxian Town tomorrow.¡±


    Li Qingyao curled her lips: ¡°Mom, do you think Muxue¡¯s personality will let her be taken advantage of? It¡¯s already good if she doesn¡¯t bully others. Besides, her brother is a monk who has returned to secr life. He doesn¡¯t get angry, no matter how much she bullies him, and treats their family very well. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Madam Li was curious: ¡°A monk who has returned to secr life?¡±


    Li Qingyao thought for a moment and said, ¡°We¡¯ll still go to Liuxian Town tomorrow.¡±


    This was Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s first time seeing a traditional Chinese feast, and she was quite intrigued.<div>


    She stretched her neck to look around, and all the tables were full, except for the one closest to the main seat, where only two people were sitting.


    The man was handsome and elegant, like a jade tree in the wind, while the girl in a red dress possessed delicate brows and eyes, making the flowers and moonlight fade inparison. With one hand on her cheek, she looked somewhat bored and sighed.

 Chapter 417: 193 Wonderful (Update 1)_2

    Chapter 417: 193 Wonderful (Update 1)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Countless pairs of eyes were sizing the two of them up, with curiosity, inquiry, and fear, but no one dared toe forward and strike up a conversation.


    It has to be said that there are hundreds of prominent families in Jiangzhou, but the Rans stand out as a unique existence with a history of more than thirty years. They have long since transcended the ranks of ordinary wealthy families and are a miracle of power and wealth. Just the rumors about them alone are enough to make people¡¯s hearts tremble in fear.


    The current head of the Rans, Ran Tengxiao, is the great-nephew of the one-time hero Ran Bowen. It¡¯s said that Ran Bowen had dragon-like eyes and a fierce appearance, capable of making children stop crying in his presence. However, Master Xiao, with his elegant demeanor and dashing good looks, doesn¡¯t resemble a hero but looks more like a charming young master.<div>


    For a moment, countless young women in the audience felt their hearts pounding. When they thought about his identity and the rumors surrounding him, his image became even more irresistibly charming.


    Upon further thought, Master Xiao seemed to have few romantic tales to tell. The Rans, apart from that brazen Ran Tenghui, hardly have any love scandals, including the original Ran Bowen, who never remarried after his wife¡¯s death.


    That being said, the men of the Ran family seemed quite devoted to their loves, much better than ordinary men.


    ¡°Cousin, you¡¯ve always been low-key and never attended such boring gatherings before. Why did you decide toe tonight? Look at the eyes around you, people can¡¯t wait to devour you alive. I¡¯m afraid that starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll surpass those upstarts and be the most sought-after groom-to-be in Jiangzhou.¡± Zhao Qin covered her mouth andughed.


    ¡°Would any woman dare to marry me?¡±


    ¡°Cousin, do you have any misconceptions about your own charm?¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s gaze moved past the crowd and fell on Zhu Xiangxiang, as she yfully hooked the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Mr. Shen has arrived.¡± Someone announced loudly.


    Everyone turned to look, and Shen Zhou walked over with a graceful stride, hisughter as refreshing as a spring breeze.


    ¡°Thank you all for taking the time to attend my grandfather¡¯s birthday celebration tonight. As you know, I¡¯ve always disliked ostentatious disys. However, tonight¡¯s grand event is at my grandfather¡¯s request.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang lowered her head and took a sip of wine, her eyes suddenly lighting up: ¡°What kind of wine is this? It¡¯s so good.¡±


    ¡°This is a ten-year-old Luo Shen Drunk, made from peach blossoms and Luo Shen flowers. It¡¯s much more valuable than foreign red wine. Mr. Shen has certainly spared no expense this time.¡± Someone at the next table tasted a sip and sighed in admiration.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang sniffed the deep and refreshing aroma of the wine, feeling somewhat intoxicated.


    Liu Yuerong sneered, ¡°Drink, drink, let¡¯s see if you can get drunk to death.¡±


    ¡°The reason for my grandfather¡¯s request tonight is that he wants to introduce someone to everyone.¡±


    Shen Zhou turned his head to look.


    Everyone followed his gaze.


    In the dim light, a girl in white was apanying an old man in Tang attire, walking slowly towards them.


    The old man had a kind and wise look, was full of vitality, and greeted everyone with a smile.


    However, everyone¡¯s gaze was fixed on the girl in white. Some people were so surprised that they even dropped their chopsticks.


    ¡°Thud.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s wine ss fell to the ground, ¡°Ming Jing?¡±


    Lin Qing was also shocked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ming Jing? Why is she with Elder Theodore Shelby?¡±


    Lin Qing had a bad feeling in her heart. Could the rumors be true?


    It was not that Shen Zhou was a bad person, but his age was too significant a difference between them to be epted psychologically.<div>


    Had Ming Jing already made up her mind to move out of the Zhu¡¯s house?


    As for her daughter, Lin Qing really couldn¡¯t control her anymore.


    Zhu Wentao narrowed his eyes, ¡°So the person Mr. Shen wants to introduce is Ming Jing?¡±


    Not only him, but everyone present also thought of that rumor.


    For a moment, the way people looked at Ming Jing changed.


    This girl, who had only returned to Jiangzhou half a year ago, had achieved many ¡°great feats.¡± Her charm outshone all the other socialites present. It was not just luck that won Shen Zhou¡¯s affection; she deserved it.


    Other than envy, nobody dared to feel jealous.


    Liu Yaxin¡¯s face turned pale, and she looked on the verge of copsing, ¡°So it¡¯s true¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Shen Zhou, exin to me right now! What is going on between you and this slut?¡± A woman in red suddenly charged out and shouted.


    The entire room was stunned.Shen Zhou¡¯s gaze turned sharp, and the security guards immediately rushed forward to stop her.


    Mao Nana pped the guards on both sides of their faces and scolded them, ¡°Are you blind? Am I someone you can touch? Get lost.¡±


    The security guards looked at Shen Zhou and retreated when he waved them off.<div>


    Mao Nana red fiercely at Ming Jing and then quickly locked her gaze onto Zhu Xiangxiang and Lin Qing among the crowd of frightened gazes, angry that they had tricked her.


    Zhu Mingjing and Zhu Xiangxiang might have the same eyes, nose, and mouth, but the difference between them was enormous.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was like the dirty water in the roadside ditch, while Zhu Mingjing was like the bright moon in the sky.


    Comparing them was an insult to Zhu Mingjing.


    So, it turned out that this girl had relied on her face, not her scheming.


    Mao Nana was furious, ¡°Shen Zhou, I must have been blind! I thought you were a man of substance who doesn¡¯t judge people by their appearance. I never expected you to be a lecherous old man after all. I was so wrong.¡±


    The guests in the hall were instantly in an uproar. Who was this woman who had suddenly appeared and dared to curse Shen Zhou openly?¡­


    This drama was getting too exciting.


    What could be more exciting than the rtionship between Zhu Mingjing and Shen Zhou?


    It would definitely be the biggest news of the year!


    Tomorrow¡¯s financial and entertainment headlines were reserved!


    Liu Yuerong swallowed her saliva, ¡°Auntie, who is this woman, really? She¡¯s so fierce! I admire her.¡±<div>


    Liu Yaxin stared intently at Ming Jing, not saying a word.


    Lin Qing subconsciously wanted to stand up. Someone was insulting her daughter, did they think Lin Qing was easy to bully?


    ¡°Mom, just sit down and enjoy the show. What Zhu Mingjing needs is Shen Zhou, not us,¡± Zhu Shaodan mocked.


    Lin Qing red at him fiercely, ¡°Enjoy the show? That¡¯s your sister! She¡¯s being bullied, and you can still enjoy the show?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan crossed his legs and smiled, ¡°The show tonight is worth watching. It¡¯s very exciting.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand gently and said softly, ¡°Were you scared?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile.


    Elder Theodore Shelby coughed, ¡°Nana, stop yelling. You¡¯re giving this old man a headache.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you have to take my side! Shen Zhou has abandoned me. You raised a good son, but you need to get justice for me.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°What kind of justice do you want?¡±


    Mao Nana pointed at Ming Jing, ¡°What¡¯s her rtionship with Shen Zhou?¡±


    ¡°What does her rtionship with Shen Zhou have to do with you?¡± Elder Theodore Shelby had told her so many times, yet she was persistent like lichen. The headache was only getting worse.<div>


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Mao Nana stamped her foot, ¡°Even you¡¯re on her side.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. Why shouldn¡¯t I be on her side?¡± Elder Theodore Shelby said with great confidence.


    Mao Nana¡¯s face fell, and she was determined to make a scene, ruin the party, and make sure everyone had a bad time. After all, Shen Zhou couldn¡¯t do anything to her, so they would just keep dragging it out.


    Daughter?


    Mao Nana btedly realized and froze, ¡°What did you say? She¡¯s your daughter?¡±


    Not only Mao Nana but also everyone present was stunned by Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s words. They all instinctively looked toward Zhu Wentao¡¯s table, their eyes a mix of confusion and excitement.


    Zhu Wentao was shocked. Wasn¡¯t Ming Jing his daughter? How did she be Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s daughter?


    Could it be that Ming Jing¡¯s true identity was actually Shen Zhou¡¯s sister?


    Zhu Wentao was taken aback.


    Zhu Xiangxiang also figured this out and suddenly clutched her chest, gnashing her teeth in hatred and jealousy.

 Chapter 418: 194 Yun Meng (Second watch of the night)

    Chapter 418: 194 Yun Meng (Second watch of the night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liu Yuerong touched her ear, suspecting that she had misheard.


    ¡°What did Elder Theodore Shelby say? Zhu Mingjing is his daughter? What a joke!¡±


    Liu Yuerong¡¯s words echoed the thoughts of everyone present.<div>


    If it were said that she was Shen Zhou¡¯s daughter, people would believe it, but Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s daughter, that would be too exaggerated.


    Their ages are more like that of grandfather and granddaughter.


    Looking at Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing, then at Shen Zhou and Elder Theodore Shelby, this rtionship is reallyplicated and confusing.


    Was it Lin Qing who cuckolded Zhu Wentao, or was Elder Theodore Shelby the old m giving birth to a pearl? This real daughter who just returned, whose real daughter is she after all?


    Everyone was puzzled.


    Lin Qing eximed in shock, ¡°How is this possible¡­?¡±


    For a moment, all the memories after Mingjing¡¯s return to the Zhus came to mind; no wonder she always felt something was off, and she couldn¡¯t get close to Mingjing. It turned out that Mingjing was not her biological daughter at all.


    So where is her real daughter?


    In the blink of an eye, various thoughts emerged in everyone¡¯s minds. However, before they could think further, Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s next words dispelled their doubts.


    ¡°A few months ago, I had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage while on the subway and almost went to the afterlife. Mingjing saved me; she is my savior. This is a fate destined by Heaven. Mingjing is a kind and clever child. So, I decided to recognize her as my god-daughter. I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at for being old enough to be her grandfather. I don¡¯t care what you all say, a granddaughter is not as dear as a daughter. From now on, Mingjing is a part of the Shen family, my own daughter, Shen Zhou¡¯s biological sister. Today is a day of family reunion, and I, Shen Hanguang, finally have a daughter. I am so happy, haha¡­¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s heartyughter echoed throughout Yueduo Garden, and just at that moment, the gong rang loudly on stage, signaling the start of the show.


    Everyone was brought back to their senses by the sound of the gong, and took a deep breath.<div>


    It turns out she was Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s god-daughter. What a frightening way to phrase it.


    Such a big celebration just for recognizing a god-daughter, it seems that the Shen father and son really valued Zhu Mingjing.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze at Lin Qing and Zhu Wentao changed from mockery to envy. Originally, the Zhu family was far behind the Shens, but now they have be rtives.


    Zhu Wentao frowned, ¡°God-daughter?¡±


    Lin Qing sighed with relief and gently touched her chest. Elder Theodore Shelby, at his age, was stillpeting with her for a daughter, and he didn¡¯t even give any notice beforehand.


    Zhu Shaodan and Zhu Xiangxiang looked at each other in confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did it be a god-daughter?¡± Zhu Shaodan was bewildered.


    Is Zhu Mingjing really that sought after?


    Zhu Xiangxiang muttered, ¡°How could this be?¡±


    ¡°God-daughter?¡± Mao Nana¡¯s mind was still not quite grasping the concept, ¡°Your god-daughter? Shen Zhou¡¯s god-sister?¡±


    Shen Zhou came over and said, ¡°Ms. Mao, tonight is my father¡¯s acknowledgment banquet. Don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    Mao Nana¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, and she urgently asked, ¡°Zhu Mingjing is your father¡¯s god-daughter, which makes her your god-sister. You won¡¯t fall in love with her, will you?¡±<div>


    Shen Zhou¡¯s brows suddenly turned cold, as if it were the coldest days of winter, making Mao Nana shiver involuntarily.


    ¡°Ms. Mao, are you insulting me or my father?¡±


    Mao Nana suddenlyughed, ¡°I misunderstood you. I apologize, alright? Since she¡¯s your sister, she¡¯s also my sister as Mao Nana.¡±


    Mao Nana immediately went to Mingjing¡¯s side, warmly holding her hand, ¡°Mingjing, right? You¡¯re so pretty, just like someone who walked out of a painting. It¡¯s our blessing to have such a beautiful sister like you.¡±


    Mao Nana¡¯s familiarity made others think she and Shen Zhou were family too.


    Mingjing smiled and quietly withdrew her hand, ¡°Thank you for yourpliments, Ms. Mao. I don¡¯t deserve such praise.¡±


    Upon close inspection, this young girl was even more stunning, standing amid the dimly lit scene, and appeared even more ethereal and unworldly.


    Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s grand event must not be for just any god-daughter, but luckily she became Shen Zhou¡¯s god-sister. Otherwise, for such a peerless beauty, she wouldn¡¯t have the confidence topete.


    Mao Nana let go of her guard, finding Mingjing more and more pleasing to the eye.


    Meanwhile, Elder Theodore Shelby and Shen Zhou, apanied by Mingjing, went on to toast the guests at each table.


    Of course, the first table they visited was Shen Changjian¡¯s. Others saw the usually high-and-mighty Madam Shen warmly holding Mingjing¡¯s hand, looking just like a real mother and daughter, and this scene astonished everyone.


    <div>

 Chapter 419: 194 Yun Meng (Second watch of the night)_2

    Chapter 419: 194 Yun Meng (Second watch of the night)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    That was Madam Shen. If it weren¡¯t for the Shen¡¯s banquet tonight, no one would have had the privilege to even meet her ¨C such a high and mighty mayor¡¯s wife, yet, she warmly held Zhu Mingjing¡¯s hand, with her first words being, ¡°Congrattions, congrattions. If Elder Theodore hadn¡¯t made the first move, I would have adopted you as my goddaughter. Who wouldn¡¯t treasure such a smart and beautiful doll?¡±


    ¡°Elder Theodore, you must treat Mingjing well from now on, or I won¡¯t let it slide.¡±


    Elder Theodore chuckled, ¡°If I don¡¯t spoil my daughter, who will?¡±<div>


    Mingjing smiled faintly, ¡°Madam worries too much.¡±


    Madam Shen patted Mingjing¡¯s hand, speaking softly, ¡°The Diamond Sutra you told me aboutst time has been very enlightening. I will seek more teachings from you when I have time.¡±


    When it was Mrs. Gu¡¯s turn, although she still had a long face, she managed to say a few nice things, all thanks to Shen Zhou.


    She thought that Zhu Mingjing was indeed lucky, having caught the eye of Elder Theodore and bing Shen Zhou¡¯s younger sister. She¡¯d instantly be the belle of the ball in Jiangzhou, ascending many ranks above the Zhus.


    Madam Jiang and Shen Zhou, Zhu Mingjing has stirred up quite a storm since she returned to Jiangzhou six months ago. She keeps a low profile but her tactics are truly formidable.


    But this kind of strategy to win people over is truly contemptible. Mrs. Gu disdained it in her heart, but her expression betrayed nothing.


    ¡°Elder Theodore, what a lucky man to have a daughter in old age. Who wouldn¡¯t envy that?¡± Despite the insinuating tone of Mrs. Gu¡¯s remark, Elder Theodoreughed heartily.


    ¡°Let them envy all they want.¡±


    Other than these few big shots, nobody else was worthy of Elder Theodore¡¯s attention. He pulled out an extremelyrge red envelope from his pocket and handed it to Mingjing. ¡°This is my wee gift to you. Take it.¡±


    Mingjing epted it without protest, holding the weighty envelope in her hands.


    Madam Shen urged her, ¡°Elder Theodore must have given generously; hurry and open it, Mingjing. Let us all see.¡±


    Mingjing opened it to reveal a stack of property deeds and jewelry certificates.<div>


    Mingjing startled and looked up at Elder Theodore.


    Elder Theodore grinned, ¡°Due tock of time, I could only prepare this much.¡±


    Just seeing the stack of property deeds alone was enough to give everyone a heart attack. That must ount for an entire apartment building, right?


    Indeed, Elder Theodore had gifted an entire residence. The residences were in Shu Long Bay, a wealthier neighborhood than Mingshan Garden ¨C a string of vis, no less.


    The jewelry consisted of unique collections from international auctions, each piece priced no less than tens of millions.


    Mingjing smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you, father.¡±


    Even though these materialistic things weren¡¯t useful to her, it was the thought that counted.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±


    Shen Zhou also presented Mingjing with a red envelope. ¡°This is the gift from your big brother.¡±


    When Shen Zhou gave out gifts, it was bound to be even more extravagant than what Elder Theodore would offer. However, his red envelope seemed surprisingly thin¡­


    ¡°Open it quickly, Mingjing. If it¡¯s lesser than what Elder Theodore has given, he can quit being your big brother,¡± Madam Shen, being quite close to Shen Zhou, teased.


    Mingjing opened the envelope to find just a thin piece of paper. She opened it and looked at it, then looked up in surprise.<div>


    ¡°Your big brother has actually gifted you Yunmeng Vi. Now that¡¯s truly generous,¡± Madam Shen eximed.


    Hearing Madam Shen¡¯s words, the all the guests who had just closed their mouths, immediately opened them in shock again.


    Everyone realized that tonight¡¯s banquet was just the Shen family¡¯s disy to the public; was this the generosity of the top tier wealthy?


    Although it was everyone¡¯s first time learning that Yunmeng Vi was Shen Zhou¡¯s property, it was not at all surprising when they thought about it.Yunmeng Vi is a renowned attraction of Jiangzhou. With plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums greeting visitors in every season, many travel miles to visit. Besides enjoying the floral and watery sights, there are also ssical architecture like pavilions, terraces, towers, and picturesquendscapes ofkes and mountains. Being the most famous tourist destination within a hundred miles radius in Jiangzhou, now it has been rated as a 4A national scenic spot.


    Everyone thought Yunmeng Vi was state-owned, little did they know, it was Shen Zhou¡¯s private property. And now, Shen Zhou had generously given it to Ming Jing. Many were left heartbroken out of envy, yearning for Ming Jing¡¯s newfound wealth.


    Yunmeng Vi, yes, it was Yunmeng Vi, with a constant stream of tourists all year round. Not to mention the potential profits it would bring, just being the owner of Yunmeng Vi alone was enough to make many hearts yearn for it.


    Henceforth, Yunmeng Vi would be Ming Jing¡¯s private property.


    This evening, Ming Jing was the star, yet faced with such overwhelming riches, she maintained a demeanour of calm and dignity; wholly unmoved, it made people admire her even more. Their admiration echoed the sentiment of elder Theodore Shelby; such a mind was not ordinary.


    ¡°Thank you, elder brother.¡± Ming Jing carefully epted the generous gift.


    From that moment on, Ming Jing was the owner of Yunmeng Vi.


    People were overwhelmed with envy, not knowing where to begin.


    Ming Jing¡¯s life was so blessed. How could this be?<div>


    Someone said: ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Ms. Zhu must have suffered a lot in the nunnery for the past sixteen years. This is what one would call sweet after bitter. You¡¯ll see, Ms. Zhu¡¯s life will be even better, unlike the fake rich girl who thrives on others¡¯ fortune ¨C she will have to pay back sooner orter.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her teeth hard when she heard the whispers at the next table, gripping her fists tightly under the table.


    Why should she have to pay back?


    ¡°But now that the Shens have acknowledged Ms. Zhu, why aren¡¯t the Zhus in the leading seats tonight? What a wonderful opportunity! Could the Zhus be oblivious?¡±


    ¡°Not oblivious, but blind. Didn¡¯t you know? The Zhus treated the fake heiress as a gem and threw Ms. Zhu out, they probably need to make an appointment with the eye doctor. The fake heiress is not worthy of tying Ms. Zhu¡¯s hair, now that the Shens and Ms. Zhu never look back on them, it is retribution. Elder Theodore Shelby and Shen Zhou have good eyesight. Ms. Zhu is indeed iparably remarkable as the rumored pulchritudinous woman.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Shen Zhou is known as the ¡®Eastern Stock God,¡¯ his investment discernment is unquestionable.¡±


    Now not only Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing¡¯s faces were distorted, but Zhu Shaodan also could not sit calmly and red at the two speakers fiercely.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, not knowing whether it was due to the alcohol or out of anger, her face turned crimson. With a sudden m on the table, she stood up.


    She pointed in the direction of Ming Jing, shouting loudly, ¡°Zhu Ming Jing, tell everyone who is the fake heiress! You¡¯ve been lying to everyone this long, don¡¯t you feel guilty at all?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang yelled out so loud using all her strength that everyone was stunned.


    This was a lot of information embedded in her words.


    Shen Zhou furrowed his brow subconsciously, stepped forward to shield Ming Jing and gave a sarcasticugh, ¡°Madam Zhu, is this the way the Zhus are educated?¡±<div>


    Lin Qing¡¯s face turned pale, she red fiercely at Zhu Xiangxiang, lowered her voice and furiously said, ¡°Ming Jing is my biological daughter, what the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Mom, Zhu Ming Jing isn¡¯t even¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiangxiang, you¡¯re drunk.¡± Zhu Wentao interrupted Zhu Xiangxiang, his eyes warning her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang opened her mouth to speak, but she was speechless.


    So Zhu Wentao was looking at Ming Jing now as Shen Zhou¡¯s baby sister, valuable to them; therefore, he wouldn¡¯t further question whether Ming Jing were the real daughter or not?


    A gust of cold wind blew, sending shivers down Zhu Xiangxiang and giving her a chill in her heart.


    Zhao Qin chuckled: ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang is indeed a jealous creature. Is it her turn to yell in this setting? She¡¯s such a fool. Why did I once view her as a thorn in the eye? Shameful memories to recall indeed.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes faintly, the corners of his mouth slightly curved. He gazed into the distance, at the young girl in white at the end of the crowd, by the dimmplight.


    Real or fake, who are you really?

 Chapter 420: Head of 195 (First Update)

    Chapter 420: Head of 195 (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing calmly walked out from behind Shen Zhou, who looked at her worriedly.


    Ming Jing said, ¡°Big brother, leave it to me.¡±


    Shen Zhou nodded but did not step back, standing side by side with Ming Jing.<div>


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, you¡¯re drunk.¡± Ming Jing looked at the blushing Zhu Xiangxiang and spoke indifferently.


    The night was filled with the distant sound of opera singing, and mncholy beauty.


    The young girl¡¯s cold voice seemed toe from the heavens, lingering in the air for a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. I¡¯m the fake daughter? What a joke, you are the fake daughter¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, shut your mouth.¡± Zhu Wentao shouted coldly, causing Zhu Xiangxiang to shudder, sobering up with the cold wind.


    Meeting Zhu Wentao¡¯s angry, cold gaze, even Lin Qing looked at her with a pained and iprehensible expression.


    ¡°Father, Mother? Even you don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°The child is drunk, please forgive her, Shaodan, help your sister to rest.¡± Lin Qing warned Zhu Shaodan with a frown.


    Zhu Shaodan stood up and supported Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t embarrass yourself any further.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked across the crowd at the white figure in the distance. The wind blew her clothes, giving her an ethereal grace as she stood under the dim lights.


    She saw the young girl raise the corner of her lips,ughing gently. She saw the disdain and mockery in her eyes.


    Now, she was Shen Zhou¡¯s sister and whether she was the true or fake daughter of the Zhus no longer mattered.<div>


    As for Zhu Wentao and his wife, they valued Ming Jing too much to pursue the truth.


    Only she was left, like a fool.


    Mocking gazes from all around fell onto Zhu Xiangxiang. She was like a monkey in a zoo, bing the butt of a joke.


    No one took her words seriously. They all thought she was jealous and mad.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, in a daze, was pulled away by Zhu Shaodan.


    The small episode quickly passed, and everyone continued eating and drinking, enjoying the opera and beautiful scenery. The night was destined to belong to Ming Jing.


    People talked about everything rted to her, mentioning Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words earlier,ughing: ¡°That Zhu Xiangxiang must be out of her mind. How could Ms. Zhu be the fake daughter? She is the real fake daughter.¡±


    ¡°Even if Ms. Zhu were a fake daughter, she¡¯s now Shen Zhou¡¯s sister. Who cares about the title of the true daughter of the Zhus?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, but Ms. Zhu wouldn¡¯t be that kind of person. Treating Zhu Xiangxiang like a treasure, allowing Ms. Zhu to leave the house, the Zhus are really a joke. They picked up sesame seeds and lost a watermelon.¡±


    Liu Yaxin¡¯s brows rxed, hearing Liu Yuerong¡¯s curious voice: ¡°Aunt, do you think what Zhu Xiangxiang just said is true?¡±


    Liu Yaxin nced at her: ¡°Whether it¡¯s true or false is no longer important. She¡¯s now Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, not Ms. Zhu.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°But what? Remember, she¡¯s Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, the future leader of Jiangzhou¡¯sdies. If you want to offend her, first think about her brother Shen Zhou. Can you afford to offend him?¡±


    Liu Yuerong¡¯s neck retracted, and she grumbled resentfully: ¡°Why is her fate so good?¡±


    Liu Yaxin said: ¡°Some people are born with an advantage. Jealousy is useless. Do you want a powerful enemy or a powerful friend?¡±


    ¡°You mean I should try to be friends with her?¡±


    ¡°Only if she thinks highly of you.¡± Liu Yaxin sarcastically replied without pity, Liu Yuerong¡¯s face turning pale; ¡°Aunt¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s be serious. She¡¯s different than what I imagined, and I was wrong about her. You should think about it yourself.¡±


    With that, Liu Yaxin stopped paying attention to her.


    ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m going to meet a friend.¡± Ming Jing looked towards Zhao Qin¡¯s table.


    Shen Zhou frowned. Ran Tengxiao was not on his invitation list as he didn¡¯t want any connection with the Rans. But this time, the invitations were handled by Elder Theodore Shelby, who wanted a grand event, inviting all the respectable families in Jiangzhou, whether they were good or bad.


    Shen Zhou said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Dealing with the Rans was no easy task, especially Ran Tengxiao. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the trouble Ran Tengxiao had caused Ming Jing during the Narcissus Basin auction.


    ¡°Zhao Qin.¡± Ming Jing approached with a smile.<div>


    Zhao Qin immediately stood up, grinning as she patted Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Should I call you Ms. Zhu or Ms. Shen now?¡±

 Chapter 421: Head of 195 (First Update)_2

    Chapter 421: Head of 195 (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ming Jing hooked her lips: ¡°I¡¯m not surnamed Zhu nor Shen; my name is Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Got it, got it, Miss Ming, haha.¡± Zhao Qinughed heartily.


    When sheughed, everyone else was rmed.<div>


    Ming Jing actually had such a good rtionship with Zhao Qin; they weren¡¯t even in the same circle.


    This Miss Zhu seemed to have a lot of power; she managed to be friends with two people who seemed to have nothing inmon.


    ¡°Mr. Ran, thank you for your presence. I will toast you with tea instead of wine.¡± Ming Jing raised the water ss in her hand and smiled lightly.


    Everyone saw this usually unapproachable Master Xiao, smiling like a spring breeze, looking like a gentle and kind big brother to those who didn¡¯t know him.


    This was even more shocking!


    Ran Tengxiao raised his wine ss, his gaze lingered on Shen Zhou, then fell on Ming Jing¡¯s face. His pitch-ck pupils were like two deep pools, unfathomable.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Shen, for having such an excellent sister, I am very envious just looking at her.¡±


    Zhao Qin mmed angrily: ¡°Cousin, isn¡¯t my sister good enough for you? You are even jealous of others.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised his cup, hooked his lips, and drained it in one gulp.


    Shen Zhou said indifferently: ¡°You can only be envious.¡±


    He¡¯s really Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s son; he doesn¡¯t mince words when speaking.


    After drinking the tea in her cup, Ming Jing smiled and said: ¡°There are many guests tonight, please forgive me if there are any shorings in our hospitality.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing left with Shen Zhou, and the cold dishes were removed, and the main dishes began to be served.


    The Shark Fin and Bear¡¯s Paw dish left countless people lingering and wanting more, as expected from Dechang Building¡¯s signature dish.


    ¡°Is the mysterious owner of Dechang Building also Shen Zhou?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible because no one could have guessed that Yunmeng Vi was Shen Zhou¡¯s private property before.¡±


    ¡°How rich is Shen Zhou?¡± This was a unanimous question from everyone.


    ¡°Do you see those two identical young girls sitting in the main seats? They must be twins. They¡¯re so cute and beautiful!¡±


    ¡°You are ignorant; those are Miss Zhu¡¯s juniors, who Miss Zhu treats as her own sisters.¡±


    ¡°To sit beside Madam Shen, these two littledies are really fortunate to follow Miss Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re really like a Buddha. You resemble the Guan Yin Bodhisattva.¡± Ming Chen raised her brilliant little face and spoke sweetly.


    ¡°Oh, I dare not disrespect the Guan Yin Bodhisattva.¡± Madam Shen pinched Ming Chen¡¯s face, lovingly.


    ¡°Your second sister is so lucky to have you two cute little sisters. I really want to kidnap you back to my house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. Even though I really like Madam, my second sister would be heartbroken.¡±<div>


    Madam Shen burst outughing, ¡°I¡¯ll tell your second sister, I don¡¯t have a daughter, so you can be my daughter.¡±


    Ming Chen shook her head: ¡°Madam is of the same generation as Shen Zhou; if I became Madam¡¯s daughter, I would have to call my second sister aunty. That¡¯s not eptable.¡± Ming Chen shook her head resolutely.


    Madam Shen couldn¡¯t stopughing, ¡°You are such a clever little thing!¡±


    Ming Chen was lively and active, while Ming Ti sat upright, not moving a muscle. At a young age, she already showed great demeanor.


    Madam Shen nced at her, ¡°What do you think, Ming Ti?¡±


    Ming Ti said seriously, ¡°Madam has a deep and profound blessing. We don¡¯t have the fortune to be Madam¡¯s daughters.¡±


    That little mouth was so skilled at speaking, even words of refusal made people happy.


    Opposite Mrs. Gu sneered, they were truly taught by Ming Jing; their ttery skills were unparalleled.


    Lin Qing ate the famous Shark Fin and Bear¡¯s Paw dish, but it tasted like wax.


    Ming Jing hasn¡¯t been here from beginning to end.


    She must still be ming herself.


    Zhu Wentao said, ¡°When the banquet is over, go find Ming Jing. There¡¯s no grudge between mother and daughter thatsts beyond one night.¡±<div>


    Lin Qing red at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t see you caring about her before.¡±


    Businesspeople are indeed calcting by nature.


    ¡°She¡¯s my biological daughter; of course, I care about her. No matter what, her surname is Zhu. Remember that.¡±


    Lin Qing thought of Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t find peace in her heart.


    She looked toward the white figure not far away. Ming Jing moved among the powerful people Lin Qing was afraid of, without any hint of arrogance or humility, calm andposed. Countless people praised her elegant demeanor; having such a daughter should have been a great source of pride.


    However, Lin Qing didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit happy; she always felt uneasy, and she dared not delve into the source of this uneasiness¡­


    Finally, when the banquet ended, Ming Jing sent off the guests and escorted Elder Theodore Shelby back home.

 Chapter 422: Head of 195 (first update)_3

    Chapter 422: Head of 195 (first update)_3<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ming Jing, will you be living at the Shen¡¯s from now on?¡± Mao Nana walked on the other side, helping Elder Theodore Shelby, looking like she was going to return to the Shen¡¯s house with them.


    Before Ming Jing could answer, Elder Theodore Shelby said with full of energy: ¡°Of course, if she doesn¡¯t live with the Shens, would she live with you?¡±


    ¡°That would be great, but I don¡¯t know if Sister Ming Jing would give me the honor.¡±<div>


    ¡°Dream on, Ming Jing is my daughter. It¡¯s gettingte, you should go home too.¡± Elder Theodore Shelby didn¡¯t have much goodwill towards Mao Nana, who was like a stubborn rash, especially after tonight¡¯s fuss. If Shen Zhou ever wronged her in the future, there would be hell to pay.


    Mao Nana said pitifully: ¡°Elder, tonight is a family reunion. I came to Jiangzhou alone for Shen Zhou. Where else can I go besides your home? Please let me stay for one night.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have quite a few properties in Jiangzhou? Are you afraid you won¡¯t have a ce to stay?¡±


    ¡°Everyone else is having a reunion, while I¡¯m all alone. I¡¯m just a helpless young girl. Can you really bear to see me like this?¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby was left speechless.


    ¡°Fine, just for tonight, and you¡¯ll go back to Jingdu tomorrow.¡±


    Mao Nana immediately beamed with joy: ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand: ¡°Come back to the Shen¡¯s house with me tonight. We¡¯ve already prepared a room for you.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°First, I¡¯ll take my sisters back.¡±


    ¡°No need, we¡¯ve prepared rooms for them as well. The girls are too young to live alone. I can¡¯t be at ease if you are. Everything is ready at home, just go back and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, uncle.¡± Ming Chen said with a grin.


    Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s mouth twitched, and his old face couldn¡¯t help but blush.<div>


    It didn¡¯t feel strange for Ming Jing to call him dad, but when Ming Jing¡¯s sisters, who were only a few years younger than her, called him ¡°uncle,¡± it highlighted the generational gap¡­


    However, Elder Theodore Shelby was still quite happy. In his old age, he enjoyed being surrounded by children and grandchildren. These two girls were pretty, lovely, and sweet-mouthed, who wouldn¡¯t like them?


    Elder Theodore Shelby immediately took out two red envelopes and handed them to the two. Holding the red envelope, Ming Chen smiled and said, ¡°I wish uncle a long life and good fortune.¡±


    This was already the third red envelope that Elder Theodore Shelby had given.


    Ming Ti looked at Ming Jing, epted the envelope, and, unlike the sweet-tongued Ming Chen, just smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, uncle.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby patted Ming Ti¡¯s head, ¡°You look prettier when you smile. As a young girl, don¡¯t always have such a straight face.¡±


    Ming Ti pursed her lips and obediently nodded.


    The group took one car back to the Shen¡¯s house, while Shen Zhou had to deal with some follow-up issues and leftter than them.


    As Ming Jing prepared to get into the car, she heard Lin Qing¡¯s voice from behind: ¡°Ming Jing.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby immediately frowned. Ming Jing did not turn her head but said to Elder Theodore Shelby, ¡°Dad, you take Ming Ti and Ming Chen back first.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath on her. She abandoned you to take care of her precious fake heiress.¡± He deliberately spoke loudly to make sure Lin Qing heard him, and her face stiffened.


    Ming Jing smiled and looked at Mao Nana, ¡°Sister, please take care of Dad. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±<div>


    Mao Nana¡¯s heart bloomed at being called ¡°sister.¡± Besides, Ming Jing was elegant and cultivated, and they didn¡¯t have any conflicting interests. It was hard not to like her. Mao Nana patted her chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely take good care of the elder.¡±


    When the car had driven away, Ming Jing brushed her skirt and finally turned around.

 Chapter 423: 196 My Fate (Second Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 423: 196 My Fate (Second Watch of the Night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Madam Zhu.¡± Ming Jing spoke indifferently, ¡°Did you like the food tonight?¡±


    ¡°I liked it, but since you¡¯ve acknowledged the Shens, why didn¡¯t you tell me? Are you still mad at me?¡±


    Lin Qing took two steps forward and held Ming Jing¡¯s hand.<div>


    Ming Jing calmly avoided her hand, ¡°Madam, I think I made myself clear that day.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like Xiangxiang, I will send her away and keep her out of your sight. Will youe back home with me?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°It has nothing to do with Zhu Xiangxiang. Madam, your constant changes and indecisiveness hurt everyone.¡±


    Lin Qing stood there in a daze.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have your cake and eat it too, Madam. Please think about what you truly want.¡±


    Ming Jing thought for a moment, ¡°Time will tell everything. Madam, please be more patient. In fact, this situation is not necessarily a bad experience for you. It allows you to meet the right person at the right time.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Madam, even if I leave the Zhus, I will not stand idly by if they are in trouble. It¡¯ste now, please go home.¡±


    Ming Jing said to the approaching Shen Ke, ¡°Please escort Madam Zhu home.¡±


    Shen Keplied and said to Lin Qing, ¡°Madam, please.¡±


    Lin Qing took a deep look at Ming Jing, who remained calm as always, like the first day she visited. No matter what happened, she was always as steady as a mountain.


    Lin Qing finally understood.


    People¡¯s hearts are unpredictable, but Ming Jing¡¯s heart is like crystal clear ss. Lin Qing was wrong to suspect her of malicious intent.<div>


    In Ming Jing¡¯s heart, Lin Qing and the Zhus were just passing by. She took care of them out of responsibility.


    It must be the warmth of the Shens that made Ming Jing recognize them as family.


    Remembering her own bias against Ming Jing all this time, Lin Qing had lost face.


    Shen Ke hurried to catch up.


    Ming Jing stood there for a while. As the night breeze turned colder, a coat dropped on her shoulders, bringing a trace of warmth.


    Ming Jing turned around and smiled faintly, ¡°Big brother.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t force yourself,¡± Shen Zhou said kindly.


    ¡°Both my father and I have your back.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the bright moon in the sky and said quietly, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang was right, I am indeed not the real daughter of the Zhus.¡±


    Shen Zhou raised his eyebrows, ¡°You must have your reasons for doing this.¡±


    ¡°Do you trust me that much, big brother?¡±


    ¡°I do have some ability to judge people,¡± Shen Zhou said confidently.<div>


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°One day, the truth wille to light, and everything will return to its original course. Dust to dust, earth to earth¡­¡±


    Shen Zhou frowned, ¡°I never liked the Zhus in the first ce. It¡¯s better not to have any dealings with them now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you told me the truth. It proves that you truly regard me as family. Remember, you are my sister, Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, and no one can bully you. You can do whatever you want with your life.¡±


    Shen Zhou¡¯s heavy voice was resounding, and Ming Jing raised her head to meet a pair of dark yet gentle eyes.


    Ming Jing¡¯s heart stirred, and she smiled faintly, ¡°I understand, big brother.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Ming Jing savored the words ¡°go home¡±, then smiled, raised her steps, and followed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the story between you and Ms. Mao?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re interested?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Mao is nice, lively and cheerful. Don¡¯t you like her, big brother?¡±


    Shen Zhou¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°As one drinks water, only they know its temperature. Of course, I hope my big brother can be happy.¡±<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it up to fate.¡±


    The next day, the headlines of major newspapers and websites inevitably began to publish the news, shocking the whole country.


    Shen Zhou, a household name in China, and Ming Jing, who had recently gained fame, especially after founding the Wishful Thinking Charitable Foundation under the name of Zhu Group. They pledged that all the profits of thepany within a year would be invested in the foundation, with a professional team responsible for operational expenses and charitable projects. The process would be open and transparent, and every detail would be published on the official website for public supervision.


    As a result, Ming Jing¡¯s reputation in Jiangzhou reached its peak, and now bing Shen Zhou¡¯s sworn sister and receiving Yunmeng Vi as a gift made her a hot topic of discussion recently.


    Ever since participating in the ¡°Three Meals a Day¡± event, Ming Jing¡¯s fame had skyrocketed. But she didn¡¯t have a Weibo ount and had never participated in any TV shows, so she clearly had no intention of entering the entertainment industry. However, she was now more famous than any other celebrity.

 Chapter 424: 196 My Fate (Second Watch of the Night)_2

    Chapter 424: 196 My Fate (Second Watch of the Night)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Her name was just as prominent as Shen Zhou, even holding the title of a national goddess.


    Her scandal with Qu Feitai had caused a stir for a few days but then gradually sank away. After having three meals a day, Qu Feitai shut himself away to start working on his new album and hadn¡¯t appeared in public for over a month.


    ¡°Manager Zhang, Xiao Fei is intently working on his new album. As you know, he has high standards. The production cycle for this album is lengthy. With the talent show, you should find someone else. Xiao Fei can¡¯t take this on.¡±<div>


    ¡°Just take out one day a week. I¡¯ve already talked to the show¡¯s crew, they will arrange everything ording to Xiao Fei¡¯s schedule and won¡¯t interrupt his time. We¡¯ve agreed on this. The first recording will start on the 25th of October, and we still have a month, which is enough.¡±


    The other party didn¡¯t give Huang Chao a chance to speak and hung up after finishing his sentence.


    Huang Chao was dumbfounded. Is there such a thing as forced buying and selling?


    After packing some beef brisket rice at the restaurant, Huang Chao rushed towards Chunshui Garden.


    Qu Feitai lived on the tenth floor, in a luxurious big t with 180 square meters. Each floor only had one unit, extremely private.


    Huang Chao entered the password to open the door, ¡°Xiao Fei, it¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Huang Chao walked to the recording studio and knocked on the door: ¡°Xiao Fei?¡±


    He quietly opened a crack in the door. The teenager was sitting in front of theputer with headphones, adjusting the sound track while video chatting with Lin Huan. asionally, he would talk about some professional terminology and English words that Huang Chao did not understand.


    Xiao Fei had not left the house for a month now, declined every single job and focused on making the new album. Looking at the teenager¡¯s earnest look now, Huang Chao was quite relieved.


    Not wanting to interrupt him, Huang Chao put the food in a thermal container to keep it warm, and started rolling up his sleeves to clean.


    By the time he had finished cleaning, it was already dusk outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Huang Chao walked out of the bathroom, stretching his back, and saw Xiao Fei sitting at the dining table, eating while still adjusting the audio frequency.


    Huang Chao walked over, closed theputer, and said seriously, ¡°Xiao Fei, we need to bnce work and rest. You are still young, why are you being so driven? We are not in a rush, take your time.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai did not say anything and continued eating.


    Huang Chao sat opposite of Qu Feitai, staring at him for a long time.


    Xiao Fei had been staying upte every night for the past month to write songs. Huang Chao knew that Xiao Fei was most inspired when the night was quiet, but this was not good for his health in the long run. If it weren¡¯t for him delivering meals to Xiao Fei every day, Xiao Fei might have be nothing but skin and bones by now.


    Such a handsome face has now be much more haggard, and he has be more and more silent. The whole person gives a very oppressive feeling, like the calm before a storm. Beneath the calm surface of ake hide turbulent undercurrents.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, don¡¯t always stay in the house writing songs, go outside for a walk, go climbing. The maple forest at Xiang Mountain is beautiful right now, let¡¯s go take a look tomorrow?


    Qu Feitai shook his head.


    ¡°There are a few good prospects in the entertainment industrytely. There is a guy called Dong Jiahe who is not bad. His songs are full of spiritual energy. I think he is somewhat imitating your style, Xiao Fei. Because you are hidden away, many of your fans have flooded in his direction. Why don¡¯t you make a Weibo post to let your fans know you¡¯re still alive?¡±


    ¡°The music industry is a ce that values talent and ability. If he is truly talented, it¡¯s a good thing for the industry.¡± Qu Feitai threw away the food container and turned back into the recording studio.


    Huang Chao sighed heavily.


    Honestly, having an artist who is too ambitious is a real headache!


    Qu Feitai kept recording until around midnight. He put down the headphones, exhaled deeply, and sprawled in the chair for a moment.


    As he got out of the recording studio, he saw Huang Chao curled up on the sofa asleep. Qu Feitai found a nket and covered him before turning to the bathroom to take a shower.<div>


    A ¡°ding ding¡± sound rang out twice from the mobile phone on the coffee table. Qu Feitai quickly went over to pick it up and have a look.


    It turned out to be a news push notification.


    A twinge of disappointment red in Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes, but then they narrowed. The title of this news notification contained a familiar name.


    So familiar that it pained him to see.


    ¡ªNational Goddess Ming Jing Recognized as Shen Zhou¡¯s Rtive, Scandalous Couple Turned Siblings, Century¡¯s Greatest Turnaround!Qu Feitai opened the news with trembling fingers. After reading it all, a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.


    He had always known she was not happy at the Zhu¡¯s. Only Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen must have been extremely good to her to let such an apathetic person willingly be a member of their family.


    Suddenly, Qu Feitai paused, a quiver of excitement reaching his core with an unexpected revtion.


    Ming Jing wasn¡¯t truly heartless, she did have feelings as a human.


    The Shen family was an example of this.


    Over the past month, he had immersed himself in music, used busyness to numb his mind. However, in the quiet of the night when hey in his bed tossing and turning, something always managed to creep into his brain through the tiny gaps in its defenses, numbing his nerves, controlling his thoughts, destroying his actions, this thing called longing.


    From a young age, his goals were always clear. What he wanted, he would strive for. If he couldn¡¯t get it, he would put in a hundred times, a thousand times the effort until exhaustion set in, until he had no more regrets.


    Ming Jing was not a thing, she was a living person.<div>


    This road was even more rugged, filled with more thorns. Was he afraid?


    If he was, he wouldn¡¯t be Qu Feitai.


    Qu Feitai sat on the balcony sofa, his gaze deep in thought during the unbearable silence and darkness.


    In the grand scheme of life, ups and downs, triumphs and joys ally in a single thought.


    As the first rays of sunlight pierced the pale sky and spread across the earth, Qu Feitai squinted his eyes. He got up and walked to the railing, taking in a deep breath of the fresh morning air. With his breath, he expelled all the repression, listlessness, and sorrow from his lungs.


    The sunlight hit the bottom of his eyes, and Qu Feitai smiled, his features rxed and confident.


    ¡°The master¡¯s fate can¡¯t dictate mine, my life is under my control, not mandated by the heavens.¡± Qu Feitai shouted to the sky, as if trying to voice all the frustration inside him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Huang Chao was startled. He immediately sprang up from the sofa and looked around in fear.


    Qu Feitai walked in, bypassed him, and went straight into the recording studio.


    Huang Chao clutched his chest, ¡°Why did you shout so early? You scared me. I thought something had happened to you.¡±


    Huang Chao followed Qu Feitai into the recording studio, ¡°Let me see how you¡¯ve written the new songs?¡±


    Qu Feitai clicked a folder and deleted all the audio files with one key.<div>


    Huang Chao was about to blow a gasket, ¡°Have you gone mad? That¡¯s a month¡¯s worth of your hard work.¡±


    Qu Feitai shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not the effect I want.¡±


    Huang Chao stared at him, feeling that today¡¯s Qu Feitai was different. His gaze was no longer dull and numb, but lively and full of confidence. This was the Qu Feitai he had known from the start.


    ¡°My dear ancestor, what is the effect you want? That¡¯s a month¡¯s work you¡¯ve just deleted, aren¡¯t you upset? You have to start all over.¡±


    Qu Feitaiughed, ¡°So what? The fans and the public like my songs, I need to give them the best music. How can I fob them off with rubbish? That would be irresponsible to them and to myself.¡±


    These new songs he had written were filled with depression, sharpness, and negative emotions. He was venting through music, but he couldn¡¯t use his fans as a dumping ground.


    Huang Chao was stunned, slowly releasing his grip, ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure.¡±


    Qu Feitai clicked his mouse, deleting all the audio files, as if he was erasing all the negative emotions in his heart as well.


    Big bro always remarked how he never grew up, childish at heart.


    But growing up often happens in an instant, with no consideration for time or ce.


    He was clear on where to go from here.


    <div>

 Chapter 425: 197 Unworthy (First Update)

    Chapter 425: 197 Unworthy (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Poor vocal range, no talent, go back to school, next one.¡±


    ¡°Overacted singing, unnecessary movements, better suited for acting.¡±


    ¡°Good song, but ruined by the voice, not fit to be a singer, maybe work behind the scenes, next one.¡±


    In the recording studio of Girl Idol, everyone held their breath, listening to the emotionless critiques of the young judge, hearts pounding.


    It had been an hour, and among over a dozen contestants, not one had received praise from this ¡°senior.¡± All had received negative reviews.<div>


    His critiques were brief but hit the mark, making it hard for anyone to refute.


    The contestants couldn¡¯t help but doubt themselves ¨C were they really that terrible?


    The director also began to question his own judgment ¨C was his selection truly that mediocre?


    Mentor Xu Lian¡¯er covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Xiao Fei, you¡¯re being too demanding. They¡¯re still children. Take it easy. If you crush their confidence, what will they do? Everyone goes through a growth process.¡±


    The show had four mentors in total. Qu Feitai needed no introduction, he was practically begged to join the show by the production team.


    Xu Lian¡¯er, the first-generation national goddess, debuted as a singer butter turned to acting when the music industry declined. Her acting career was sessful, and she remained popr among the public.


    Zhao Xinrong, an old acquaintance, was responsible for keeping the rtionships between the mentors lively.


    Zhou Zhengru, a popr actor well into his thirties.


    The show aimed to create all-rounded idols by selecting mentors from the music, film, and stage industries. Qu Feitai, only neen years old, was immensely talented, and after this year¡¯s concert, his outstanding appearance allowed him to redefine his image from simply an idol to thest hope for the music industry.


    Besides daily meals, Qu Feitai never participated in any variety shows, giving a sense of mystery to the public. The daily meals allowed fans to see that the aloof idol was actually obedient and well-behaved in real life. The contrast attracted a lot of fans. His coboration with Ming Jing became a hugely popr CP (couple pairing), and his flow reached the peak of the entertainment industry. After the daily meals, he disappeared for nearly three months. Rumor had it that he was preparing a new album under the production guidance of Master Lin Huan, generating great anticipation from the public.


    The production team was overjoyed when Qu Feitai agreed to join the show, knowing that his presence would guarantee the show¡¯s sess.


    However, no one expected Qu Feitai to have such a sharp tongue. One girl was so upset by hisments that she cried and ran off the stage.<div>


    Hearing Xu Lian¡¯er¡¯s gentle voice, the staff and students felt warm-hearted. Xu Lian¡¯er really was a kind person.


    Qu Feitai raised his eyebrows, speaking indifferently: ¡°What is growth? Forcing them to grow faster? Encouragement? I¡¯m responsible to the fans and the audience by sitting here. The stage is a fair ce with no frills. If one can perform well, they will; if not, they won¡¯t.¡±


    Xu Lian¡¯er didn¡¯t expect Qu Feitai to be so blunt and show her no face in front of everyone. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.


    Although she was not as popr as Qu Feitai, she was still his senior. Was this the attitude of young people nowadays?


    However, Xu Lian¡¯er still held her ground and smiled, ¡°Xiao Fei is really principled, no wonder he can write so many hit songs. But you could be gentler; after all, they¡¯re just young girls. Show some pity.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Teacher Xu, you don¡¯t know, Xiao Fei is just like that ¨C serious, responsible, and principled. That¡¯s why he was able to gain such a die-hard fan following even after being away from the public for so long. I think these students are just too sensitive. If they can¡¯t take a few words of criticism, how will they ever face the ups and downs of the entertainment industry?¡±


    As the mood maker of the group, Zhao Xinrong immediately stepped in to mediate. Once he spoke, the tension in the room eased somewhat.


    Zhao Xinrong looked towards Zhou Zhengru, signaling him to speak up.


    Zhou Zhengru, in his thirties, had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a high nose, and thin lips, perfectly fitting the traditional standard of a handsome man. He was particrly stunning in ancient costumes, and being a young actor, he was already the pir of the film industry

 Chapter 426: 197 Unworthy (Second Update)

    Chapter 426: 197 Unworthy (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhou Zhengru took his time to drink some water, moistening his throat, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about singing, so I won¡¯tment on that. Xiao Fei is an expert in this field, and I¡¯ve heard that Master Xu has also released some albums. Master Xu and Xiao Fei¡¯s intentions are for the good of the students. There is no right or wrong here, and everyone is responsible. This is a good thing.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong sneakily gave Zhou Zhengru a thumbs up, a real master at smoothing things over.


    The director¡¯s team breathed a sigh of relief, gratefully seeing that Zhao Xinrong and Zhou Zhengru were normal people who managed to get things back on track.


    The storm had passed, and the show continued.


    A young girl dressed in a white dress walked onto the stage, her figure exuding a sense of freshness and grace as if a cool breeze had brushed against everyone¡¯s face, dispelling the heat and noise within the broadcast room, and calming everyone¡¯s hearts instantly.<div>


    Zhao Xinrong¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°This girl has a good image and temperament.¡±


    Image and temperament are the top priorities for idols, followed by singing talent. Although the priorities might be misced, this is how the idol market works today.


    That was also the core of the debate between Qu Feitai and Xu Lian¡¯er earlier, although neither of them pointed it out explicitly.


    Zhao Xinrong marked a check for the girl¡¯s image and temperament on the form, as did Xu Lian¡¯er and Zhou Zhengru, leaving only Qu Feitai sitting motionless.


    Xu Lian¡¯er said with a smile, ¡°This girl reminds me of one of Xiao Fei¡¯s songs, ¡®White Dress.¡¯ It seems she¡¯s another fan of Xiao Fei.¡±


    The song ¡°White Dress¡± by Qu Feitai was actually written for Ming Jing, the top socialite of Jiangzhou and an open secret in the entertainment industry.


    This youngdy was indeed a legendary figure, well-known in the entertainment circle. Unfortunately, she had no interest in diving into the big dye vat that is the entertainment industry, given her high worth.


    When people think of the song ¡°White Dress¡± now, they naturally associate it with Ming Jing. No one else could own that unique style while wearing a white dress.


    This girl could only be described as ¡°not bad,¡± butparing her to the real deal would be overestimating herself.


    ¡°Hello, teachers, my name is Zhu Xiangxiang and I am from Jiangzhou. It has always been my dream to stand here.¡±


    Qu Feitai, who had not looked up from the start, suddenly raised his head when he heard the girl¡¯s words. His delicate eyebrows instantly became extremely sharp.


    This scene was perfectly captured by the camera, which then focused on the girl on stage.<div>


    The girl had long hair draped over her shoulders, a delicate and fairplexion, a gentle and elegant temperament, and glistening almond-shaped eyes that seemed to hold within them a pool of spring water. She looked shyly in one direction, blushing, making her seem even more bashful.


    ¡°From Jiangzhou, huh? That¡¯s and of outstanding people. I remember that Ming Jing is from Jiangzhou too,¡± Zhao Xinrong said with a smile, giving a sidelong nce at the young man beside him.


    It was well known that Ming Jing and Qu Feitai, as a couple, had been popr since the ¡°Three Meals a Day¡± show, with their fans firmly holding onto the top spots in various rankings, defeating the once-popr Boys Love and bing thest paradise for Girls Love enthusiasts.


    Unfortunately, Ming Jing never ventured further into the entertainment industry and had no public interactions with Qu Feitai, much to everyone¡¯s regret.


    Now that Zhao Xinrong had mentioned Ming Jing, both the audience and the students were instantly abuzz. Was this some information from the front lines?


    The director excitedly had the cameraman focus on Qu Feitai¡¯s face, seizing the rare opportunity. The show was going to be a hit.


    At this point, everyone¡¯s attention was on Qu Feitai, and no one noticed the girl¡¯s face on stage turning pale in a sh.


    Qu Feitai nodded and said ¡°Hmm¡± in response to Zhao Xinrong¡¯s words. His face remained aloof, not revealing any micro-expressions.


    Disappointed at theck of drama they had hoped for, the audience¡¯s spirits dampened.


    Zhao Xinrong was even more disappointed.


    He was sure that there was something between the two, but Ming Jing, being in Jiangzhou and Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, was hard to approach. The only option was to dig for information through Qu Feitai.But Qu Feitai¡¯s reaction was a bit too calm, which made Zhao Xinrong a little suspicious.


    Zhao Xinrong coughed and looked at the girl on stage, ¡°Why did you decide to take part in this show?¡±<div>


    It seemed like every contestant was asked this question. It had almost be a standard query. Then, the contestants would begin telling their stories, and the more heartbreaking the story, the more they could win over the audience.


    The girl looked in one direction and smiled faintly, ¡°So I can stand in front of him openly and honestly.¡±


    Zhao Xinrong understood, as did everyone else.


    Another one targeting Qu Feitai, to which everyone had be ustomed.


    ¡°What song are you going to sing today?¡± Zhao Xinrong asked.


    ¡°White Robe.¡±


    Xu Lian¡¯er raised an eyebrow: ¡°Bravery, the original singer is right in front of you. Regardless of how well you sing today, I¡¯ll let you advance purely on this courage alone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Xu.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked up at the girl only when he heard her name, and then he lowered his gaze, not looking at her again. When he heard the girl sing his White Robe, he furrowed his brow but did not speak.


    The apaniment sounded, and Zhao Xinrong couldn¡¯t help but hum along. It was just as delightful no matter how many times he heard it.


    The girl¡¯s voice was clear and matched the song quite well. She delivered a unique vor with her affectionate eyes and hesitating singing, perfectly expressing the feelings of a young girl with a hidden crush.


    Singing the climax ¡°The mountain has trees and branches, who in the world can match¡­¡±.<div>


    Everyone was captivated by the girl¡¯s clear and melodious voice. The girl on stage, dressed in a white robe, seemed like the person in the song. This sincere and full emotion deeply touched every person present.


    However, a piercing ¡°ding¡± sounded, interrupting everyone¡¯s thoughts and the girl¡¯s singing.


    The words ¡°White Robe¡± were lodged in the girl¡¯s throat, without another chance for her to finish.


    Qu Feitai pressed the stop button, interrupting the performance. Amid countless puzzled gazes, Qu Feitai coldly said, ¡°Unstable breath, showing off your voice, overacting in your performance, and tantly ambitious. Please don¡¯t tarnish my song.¡±


    The scene was in an uproar instantly. The girl on stage bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked mournful and pitiful. People couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for her and think that Qu Feitai was going too far.


    In the past, even if a singer¡¯s performance was terrible, Qu Feitai would still listen through the end without interrupting like this.


    Although hisments were often harsh, they were generally objective and just seemed too strict. However, he used the word ¡°tarnish¡± when speaking about this girl. For a young girl, it was almost like an insult.


    Seeing the girl¡¯s pale and distraught expression, it was truly heartbreaking. She sang so beautifully. How could she have tarnished his song?


    For a moment, many people looked at Qu Feitai with confusion and anger.


    Xu Lian¡¯er mmed the table, finally bursting out, ¡°Qu Feitai, don¡¯t go too far. This girl¡¯s singing has no problems at all andpletely meets the standard. You are being nitpicky and not objective.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked up and quickly said, ¡°Master Xu, please don¡¯t me Master Qu. I humbly ept his criticism. It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t sing well and tarnished Master Qu¡¯s song¡­.¡±


    Look at her, the girl is so understanding, she¡¯s even defending him. Does he have a conscience at all? Is his heart made of stone?<div>


    Qu Feitai was under siege but did not panic. With a slight smile on his lips, he said, ¡°White Robe is my exclusive copyright. Anyone who sings it without my permission is infringing on my rights. Moreover, no one in this world can truly sing my White Robe. The song should remain untainted, free of any filth. To sing it with utilitarian intentions is to tarnish my White Robe.¡±


    His words were basically saying ¨C you are not worthy of singing my White Robe!

 Chapter 427: 198 Marseilles (Second Revision)

    Chapter 427: 198 Marseilles (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The broadcast hall was silent as a graveyard.


    Xu Lian¡¯er looked at Qu Feitai¡¯s handsome and cold face, rendered speechless for a moment.


    Although she was not as skilled in music as Qu Feitai, she was also a singer. The songs she had put so much effort into creating were like her own children. There might even be a special meaning behind this song. It was one thing for others to sing it behind her back, but to sing it in front of her, for someone as nitpicky and severe about cleanliness as Qu Feitai, it might be unbearable.


    But it was too much to say that about a young girl in front of everyone.


    He had made the young girl cry. Didn¡¯t she have any dignity?<div>


    ¡°Teacher Xu, calm down. Xiao Fei didn¡¯t mean any harm. This song must have a different meaning for him, like his own child. The girl sang it well, but I remember Xiao Fei never released the copyright to ¡®White Robe,¡¯ so technically, it¡¯s copyright infringement to perform it formercial purposes.¡± Zhao Xinrong hurriedly tried to smooth things over, as he was the busiest person in the room.


    On the stage, Zhu Xiangxiang said tearfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher Qu. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Can you forgive me?¡±


    Xu Lian¡¯er suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you change to another song?¡± The girl¡¯s image and singing skills were good, so switching to another song besides ¡°White Robe¡± should be fine.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hastily sang another song a cappe. Xu Lian¡¯er, Zhao Xinrong, and Zhou Zhengru all approved, but Qu Feitai still passed.


    Everyone else thought he held grudges, considering Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s a cappe performance was quite good.


    After finishing her performance, Zhu Xiangxiang returned backstage, meeting mocking gazes from all sides.


    ¡°Trying to brownnose but ended up on the horse¡¯s leg instead, how hrious.¡±


    ¡°Take a look in the mirror before you act, wearing a white dress, thinking you¡¯re Ming Jing? Trying to be East Shi effectuating color.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯spletely offended Qu Feitai now, what a disgrace.¡±


    ¡°I used to hear that Qu Feitai wrote ¡®White Robe¡¯ for Ming Jing. I didn¡¯t believe it before, but after today, I do. His pure and sacred goddess doesn¡¯t allow any defilement, ah, they are such a perfect couple.¡±


    Hearing the discussions around her, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned from pale to red. At this moment, her phone rang. She grabbed it and quickly ran to a corner to answer it.


    ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t Lu Mi say you had a special rtionship with Qu Feitai? Why would he say that to you? Were you lying to us?¡± Manager Liang Xiaohong asked pointedly.<div>


    News traveled fast, showing that someone in the broadcast hall was her informant.


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her lip: ¡°When did I ever say I had a rtionship with Qu Feitai?¡±


    ¡°You¡­,¡± Liang Xiaohong choked, ¡°You¡¯ve been lying to us all along?¡±


    If she knew about this, she wouldn¡¯t have wasted her effort on promoting this person.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you; I have a rtionship with Qu Feitai. Ming Jing is my sister.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong was stunned, as she was no stranger to the name Ming Jing. She had lost the ¡°Three Meals a Day¡± deal to Ming Jing before, and she never forgot that grudge. Afterward, she hired a group to nder Ming Jing online, but Ming Jing had powerful connections and a skilled manager, so she suffered quite a few secret losses.


    Later, when Ming Jing became Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, her fame rose even higher, especially after she established her own charity foundation, making her a renowned phnthropist, equivalent to a popr young star in Hua Country.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re Ming Jing¡¯s sister? Yourst name is Zhu? You¡¯re the fake heiress?¡± Liang Xiaohong finally recalled Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s background.


    With her marketing expertise, Liang Xiaohong quickly sniffed out the business opportunities in this situation andughed, ¡°I see. Then, let me ask you, you must be very familiar with Ming Jing, right?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered, ¡°In this world, no one knows her better than me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her rtionship with Qu Feitai?¡± Liang Xiaohong posed the most significant question in her mind.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was at a loss for words. Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, ¡°White Robe¡± was indeed written for Ming Jing.<div>


    ording to the information uncovered online, the person Qu Feitai met with at Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant was indeed Ming Jing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang told the truth.


    ¡°Ming Jing is now Shen Zhou¡¯s sister. Has she broken ties with the Zhus?¡± Liang Xiaohong never forgot her previous grudge, always looking for opportunities to retaliate.


    ¡°With the Shens by her side, why would she care about the Zhus? People say that I snatched her nest, but in reality, she¡¯s the one who did. It¡¯s just that no one believes the truth.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang scoffed.

 Chapter 428: 198 Marseille (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 428: 198 Marseille (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Liang Xiaohong¡¯s blood was boiling in excitement as she asked excitedly, ¡°You mean¡­ Ming Jing is the fake heiress?¡±


    After the recording of the show, Qu Feitai had left the broadcasting room immediately without pausing for even a moment.


    Participating in such a show was simply an insult to his intelligence.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, have some water.¡± Huang Chao untwisted a thermos and handed it to Qu Feitai.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today? Are you on a warpath? Going against everyone, do you realize you¡¯ll be criticized once the show airs?¡± Huang Chao said with serious concern.<div>


    ¡°Or did you actually write ¡®White Robe¡¯ for Ming Jing?¡± This question has been guing Huang Chao for a long time, and today, he finally couldn¡¯t hold back from asking.


    He used to think that Ming Jing was trying to gain publicity by associating herself with Qu Feitai, but now it appeared that he was the one who was wishful thinking.


    After all, Ming Jing was from the top echelons of society, beautiful and wealthy. It was rather his protege who had been harboring secret desires.


    Ignoring Huang Chao, Qu Feitai instructed the driver, ¡°To the airport.¡±


    Huang Chao was stunned, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t recall you having any schedules in Jiangzhou. Plus, weren¡¯t you supposed to meet with Director Han over the next few days to scout filming locations in Xiang Mountain for the music video?¡±


    ¡°We rescheduled it for tomorrow.¡±


    Huang Chao realized that he was losing control over his artist and was being kept in the dark.


    Halfway to the airport, Huang Chao was asked to get out of the car and make his own way back.


    Huang Chao waspletely bewildered. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    At that moment, a notification popped up on his phone. The headline left him dumbfounded.<div>


    National sweetheart¡¯s stunning appearance at Jiangzhou Equestrian Competition!


    The term ¡®national sweetheart¡¯ was now especially triggering for Huang Chao.


    No wonder Qu Feitai had been in such a hurry to get to Jiangzhou. He was rushing to see Ming Jing¡¯spetition.


    Feeling a mix of exasperation and relief, Huang Chao realized that this time, Xiao Fei was serious.


    Today was the horse-ridingpetition in Jiangzhou, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal in the past and there were countless simr events held domestically that went unnoticed. But this year, it had suddenly be important because a celebrity was taking part in thepetition.


    The celebrity in question was Ming Jing, who was currently at the height of her poprity as the nation¡¯s sweetheart.


    The celebrity effect was evident. As soon as news went out on the inte, it exploded online and the equestrianpetition even had to set up a live stream. Thepetition was scheduled to start at 3 pm, and by 11 am, the live-streaming channels were already congested and had even experienced several crashes, forcing the servers to be changed.


    When Qu Feitai got off the ne, it was already half past two. Song Yinzhang was there to pick him up. When he saw Qu Feitai standing before him, he almost burst outughing.


    Qu Feitai had really gone all out with his disguise this time, dressing up as a woman. To hide his physique, he¡¯d even wrapped a piece of clothing around his stomach to give off the impression of a hefty woman. Sporting a wig with floating curls, sunsses, mask, and hat, even his diehard fans would fail to recognize him.


    ¡°Xiao Fei¡­that¡¯s¡­kinda hard on the eyes.¡± Song Yinzhang couldn¡¯t help butment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t have time.¡± Qu Feitai urged, anxious not to miss a moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make it.¡± Song Yinzhang had arranged for a driver from his home that day to take them to the racecourse.<div>


    The racecourse was crowded that day, tickets were hard toe by. Song Yinzhang had pulled some strings to get the tickets as soon as he had heard about the event, otherwise, he might have had to resort to watching the live-stream.


    The eastern section of the racetrack had a stand that could amodate thirty thousand spectators, and right now, it was packed with people.


    Never before had a horse-ridingpetition received such attention, needless to say, everyone was here to see Ming Jing.


    Song Yinzhang¡¯s seat was in the VIP section, in the front row with an excellent view. As he and Qu Feitai found their seats, he saw that the girl in the seat ahead had turned around. Her gaze fell on the person next to him and narrowed, ¡°Song Yinzhang, is this your friend?¡±


    Coughing lightly, Song Yinzhang responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You sure do have unusual taste.¡± Zhao Qin snickered before she turned her head back.


    Feeling an unpleasant twitch at the corner of his lips, Song Yinzhang leaned in and told Qu Feitai, ¡°Her name is Zhao Qin. She¡¯s a friend of Ming Jing¡¯s, and she¡¯s got a temper. Try not to get on her bad side.¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded. He had met Zhao Qin before at Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant.


    It was a surprise that Zhao Qin didn¡¯t recognize him, Qu Feitai touched his wig, somewhat pleased.


    Suddenly, a sharp, piercing gazended on his face. Qu Feitai looked up and met the dark, intense gaze of a man who smirked as if seeing through his disguise. The man then turned away.


    Why was he here? Qu Feitai furrowed his brows.


    Noticing that Qu Feitai was still staring at the man who was now walking away, Song Yinzhang exined, ¡°He¡¯s Zhao Qin¡¯s cousin.¡±<div>


    The big electronic screen started disying the names of the participating contestants, along with their support ratings. The regtion of the horse race was still immature and incorporated certain gambling elements, drawing the attention of those who loved to take risks.


    Horse racing was quite popr overseas and several races were held domestically as well, but it was never too well-known.


    This year, however, Ming Jing¡¯s participation significantly boosted the influence of the race. Ticket sales were booming, the atmosphere was lively, and the online live stream was overcrowded.


    The hidden significant economic interests behind the horse race greatly benefited the local economy. Just the ie from ticket sales, gaming, broadcasting rights, hard and soft advertisements was staggering. It was reported that the total betting amount for the horse race had reached 3 billion yuan an hour before the race, a thousandfold increase from the same periodst year, contributing greatly to the local GDP. Given the massive promotional efforts by Jiangzhou City this year, it was clear that they intended to promote horse racing as a pir industry of Jiangzhou, which would also drive the development of rted industries, benefitting the development of Jiangzhou City in many ways.


    Before the race, the race administration had announced that they would be coborating with Ming Jing¡¯s Wishful Thinking Charitable Foundation to form the Violent Wind Charitable Foundation. Theymitted to dedicating 98% of the after-tax profits from this race to charity, earning wide acim.


    The sport of horse racing was an exhratingbination of the love for adventure and gambling, making it a haven for passionate men. Ming Jing, on the other hand, had always presented a gentle and elegant image to the public and was viewed as the nation¡¯s goddess. Always dressed in white, she was seen as a delicate and fragile woman. The contrast was stark if she was indeed an equestrian expert.


    Many of her fans had initiallye with doubts, fearing that the event had merely used her fame to promote the horse race. They didn¡¯t want to get their hopes up only to end up disappointed.


    The names of the one hundred and fifty contestants were shown on the big screen, with their support rates. Thanks to her poprity, Ming Jing had secured the highest support rate, but few really had any expectations.


    The hot favorite for winning the race was the second-ranked Ma Xiao, who had bagged numerous domestic and international awards. Compared to the delicate and frail Ming Jing, Ma Xiao seemed to be the surefire champion.


    In the backstage preparation room, Ming Jing was dressed in a red horse-riding uniform, with arge number ¡¯18¡¯ on a tag on her chest and back.


    She donned protective gear, knee pads, and long boots. After putting on her helmet and protective gloves, she stood in front of the mirror with a confident smile.


    Walking out of the prep room, Shen Zhou spoke softly, ¡°Take good care of yourself. Your safety is the most important thing, not your performance.¡±<div>


    Horse racing can be extremely dangerous, and any slight mishap could be disastrous. That¡¯s why participants were always asked to sign an ident liability waiver agreement before each race.


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big brother.¡±


    Seeing Ming Jing, Ma Xiao strode out of the room on the other side, sneered ¡°All show, no substance¡±, and left without looking back.


    Shen Zhou narrowed his eyes at the retreating figure of Ma Xiao.

 Chapter 429: 199 Night Hawk (First Watch)

    Chapter 429: 199 Night Hawk (First Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°That¡¯s Elder Theodore Shelby, I don¡¯t know the woman next to him, but I heard she¡¯s from Jingdu; those youngdies are Ming Jing¡¯s juniors; that¡¯s Madam Jiang; in the yellow dress is Ming Jing¡¯s close friend Tao Xingxing; the one in the gray dress is Granny Zhu; and then there are Madam Zhu and Mr. Zhu¡­.¡±


    Song Yinzhang whispered to Qu Feitai, introducing the people in the front row, who were basically Ming Jing¡¯s close friends and family.


    Qu Feitai nodded, making a mental note of each person.


    Ming Chen took a photo of the scene with his phone and posted it on Weibo, captioning it: Must win! [Go!]


    Now, the hottest topic online is the Jiangzhou Horse Race, and various forums are also cing bets. Although Ming Jing is famous, her winning the horse race is not convincing enough.


    Ming Chen often spent time on Weibo and had gained a small group of fans. Once he posted the photo, people recognized it as the VIP stands of the Jiangzhou West Suburb Racecourse and started praising it in thements section.


    Ming Chen curved his lips, turned his head to look at the sizeable audience behind him, and proudly thought that these people hade for his sister. He didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Suddenly, Ming Chen¡¯s gaze paused at someone in the second row, and the more he looked, the more familiar the person seemed.


    He turned his head, thought something was strange, then turned to look again.


    Unable to believe his eyes, he pointed at that person and muttered, ¡°You¡­ you are¡­¡±


    Qu Feitai immediately raised his index finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.


    He took off his sunsses, winked at her, then quickly put them back on.


    Ming Chen¡¯s face broke into a big smile, and he turned away, excited.


    Ming Ti nced at her: ¡°What are you so excited about?¡±


    Ming Chen shook her head with a smile: ¡°The secret cannot be revealed.¡±


    Ming Ti hummed: ¡°Pretentious.¡±


    There were quite a few people who came to watch the race today. Jiang Jinchen, Charles Gao, Gao Jia, Ye Lan, Li Qingyao, Li Jiaojiao, Sun Qingqing, Ran Tenghui, Liu Yaxin, Liu Yuerong, Peng Jie, Madam Shen, Madam Ye, Madam Li, and Madam Gao.


    ¡°I had no idea Ming Jing was so good at horse riding. It¡¯s really surprising,¡± Sun Qingqing eximed.


    Li Jiaojiao snorted, ¡°It¡¯s just hyped up. She is now a national goddess and Jiangzhou¡¯s number one socialite. Everyone gives in to Shen Zhou, so they can¡¯t help but support her.¡±


    The bitterness in her tone was apparent.


    Gao Jia said, ¡°The so-called horse race is just a game of capital. Ming Jing is nothing more than a tool being manipted by capital.¡±


    Charles Gao scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t use a term you¡¯ve just learned recklessly. Do you even know what capital means? Still talking about being manipted by capital. Just keep quiet, revealing your ignorance the moment you open your mouth.¡±


    Gao Jia angrily said, ¡°Charles, what do you mean?¡±


    Charles Gao spoke loudly, ¡°This year¡¯s horse race is jointly organized by the Jiangzhou government and the race club. In your eyes, it might be just an ordinary sport, but it¡¯s an important means to boost Jiangzhou¡¯s economy and improve its GDP, and even ys a significant role in promoting Jiangzhou¡¯s tourism industry. The charity fund jointlyunched by Ming Jing and the race club is beneficial to the country and the people. Forget it, exining all this to you won¡¯t help since you won¡¯t understand¡ªan wasted effort to try to enlighten you.¡±


    Gao Jia curled her lips, ¡°If Ming Jing can win the championship, I¡¯ll believe you. If she doesn¡¯t, all these spectators who came for her will be very disappointed. It¡¯s hard to live up to her great reputation, she is just using her fame to create a goddess persona, marketing herself online as a celebrity. I guess all the money went to hiring an online team.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen nced at Gao Jia, whose face stiffened before quickly turning away.


    ¡°The race is starting; let¡¯s focus on the race,¡± Jiang Jinchen said coldly, and no one spoke again.


    At this time, the race had officially begun.


    ording to international rules, both Ming Jing¡¯s and Violent Wind¡¯s ages do not meet the requirements to participate, but this race is just a local event in Jiangzhou for self-entertainment, and the rules are flexible.


    This is Ming Jing¡¯s first year participating in the horse race. Cross-country, showjumping, and dressage all require long-term practice and cooperation with the horse. Without experience, it¡¯s impossible to participate in these events. However, Ming Jing signed up for all of them, which is the main reason why people don¡¯t trust her.


    ording to reliable sources, Ming Jing and Violent Wind have only trained together for a month, which is not even enough for them to bond.

 Chapter 430: 199 Night Hawk (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 430: 199 Night Hawk (First Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    The horn sounded, and thepetitors rode their beloved horses down the track, acknowledging the audience.


    As Ming Jing appeared, wearing a red riding outfit and riding a white horse, the audience burst into excitement.


    On the big screen, a close-up of Ming Jing showed her wearing a helmet, her beautiful, pitch-ck eyes gazing ahead. Gone was her usual gentleness, reced with a determined spirit, like a young nt sprouting tenaciously from a rocky crevice, always reaching for the sun and never admitting defeat.


    This expression, paired with her stunning face that held a hint of innocence, left people irresistibly captivated.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­ Ming Jing¡­¡± The audience began to spontaneously chant her name, one shout ovepping the other, like a huge wave engulfing everything in its path.


    Some horses began to nervously paw at the ground, but Violent Wind alone remained calm, radiating the poise and confidence of a true king.


    Ming Jing closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, ignoring the thousands of people around her as the wind blew past her ears, and her memory took her back fifteen years.


    The scene was identical, except that it took ce abroad, and she had taken the money to race for someone else. In the end, she had won thatpetition, and the entire stadium had gone wild for her.


    Ming Jing looked up at the sky.


    Thin clouds obscured the zing sun as birds soared against the horizon, transforming into ck silhouettes fading into the sky¡¯s edge.


    She had once thought that in her next life, she would like to be a bird. Though ordinary, it enjoyed a freedom she could never attain in this lifetime.


    Later she realized that it wasn¡¯t a cage that confined her, but her heart.


    If the heart was free, even if trapped, it could still find peace.


    Qingqing, you and I will eventually gain our freedom and soar together across heaven and earth.


    Zheng Qing huffed, ¡°What am I supposed to say to you? You¡¯re not even famous, yet you still go around picking fights and causing trouble. If you ever get popr, this will all be a stain on your reputation. Do you still want to make it in this industry? And why did you have to hit them in the face? Don¡¯t you know how important a male actor¡¯s face is? If it happens again, just leave, I won- I won¡¯t take care of you anymore.¡±


    In front of herputer¡ªwhere a video of the horse race yed¡ªZheng Qing happened to nce at the screen but suddenly froze in ce.


    She knit her brows, her eyes locked on theputer monitor, her frown deepening.


    ¡°A Yu ¡­¡±


    Xu Yan, who had been looking down and epting his scolding, looked up when he heard his murmurs and nced at the man opposite him.


    Who was A Yu?


    He had heard about Ming Jing participating in the race, and knowing that Zheng Qing had aplicated rtionship, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he was paying attention to the horserace. But why call her A Yu?


    Zheng Qing waved a dismissive hand without looking up, saying, ¡°You can go now.¡±


    Xu Yan pursed his lips and looked at Zheng Qing one more time before turning to leave. As he closed the door, he nced back to see Zheng Qing slouched in his chair, staring intently at theputer screen, as though lost in a trance.


    Xu Yan furrowed his brow and thoughtfully closed the door.


    ¡°A Yu ¡­¡± Zheng Qing¡¯s fingers traced the cheek of the young girl on the screen.


    In Ming Jing, Zheng Qing saw the shadow of A Yu.


    Not only did she resemble A Yu in appearance, even her facial expressions and the longing she had shown for the sky and freedom were identical.


    He recalled a mission they had undertaken abroad fifteen years earlier. In order to obtain important intelligence, A Yu had raced under a false name and won the championship. While the entire stadium had cheered for her, she had felt inexplicably lost.


    A Yuter told him that she could be rain, Rain God, or any ordinary person, but she could never be Jiang Yu.


    An assassin could not have feelings or a sense of self. An assassin only needed to obey orders, serve as a knife in the hands of their superiors, and kill without emotion or desire.


    And yet, A Yu, you were so smart and knew that it was an abyss from which there was no return, but you still leapt headlong into it. Your desire for freedom had already surpassed everything else.


    So now, have you found the freedom you longed for?


    In a dark and airtight room, the faint glow of aputer screen was the only source of light.


    The screen was paused on the image of the young girl¡¯s face. A slender, sturdy hand trembled as it stroked the screen, brushing over the girl¡¯s eyes, lips, and nose, seeming to carry an infinite affection and love.¡±A Yu¡­ .¡± The man¡¯s hoarse voice echoed quietly in the dark room.


    It seemed like a call from afar, separated by the light-years between life and death.


    ¡°Are you A Yu?¡± Question.


    ¡°You are A Yu.¡± Affirmation.


    ¡°You are A Yu.¡± It¡¯s the unrepentant persistence after numerous brushes with death, the excitement and agitation of losing and regaining, the helplessness after going through vicissitudes.


    ¡°Boss, something happened to Eighteen.¡± Aunt Hong¡¯s anxious voice came from the phone.


    ¡°This time it was a small task, meant to be a trial for Eighteen. However, with over a month gone by, Eighteen has vanished without a trace, no signs of life or death.¡±


    Aunt Hong¡¯s voice trembled a bit. Eighteen was the boss¡¯s most valued sessor. Now that something happened, she didn¡¯t know if the boss would me her for it.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the target of the task?¡± He never inquired about these trivial matters, leaving everything to Aunt Hong. This time, things had gone too far, and Aunt Hong couldn¡¯t hide it anymore. So she finally decided to tell him.


    Aunt Hong hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°A Jiangzhou celebrity, Ming Jing. We thought she was just a powerless young girl, but after losing contact with Eighteen, I did some investigation. This girl is far from ordinary. Eighteen¡¯s task may have failed¡­¡± Her voice grew smaller towards the end.


    If the task failed, Eighteen¡¯s chances of survival were also slim.


    Aunt Hong didn¡¯t know that at the moment she spoke that name, the man on the other side of the phone gently curled the corner of his lip, his eyes brimming with infinite tenderness, no longer the decisive, cold-blooded Night Hawk.


    ¡°Who assigned the task?¡±


    Aunt Hong immediately replied, ¡°It was Zou Dawei.¡±


    ¡°Eighteen won¡¯t die. There¡¯s no need to deal with this matter anymore.¡± He hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.


    Aunt Hong was utterly puzzled. What did the boss mean? Why wouldn¡¯t Eighteen die?


    The man stroked the screen with his fingertips, whispering, ¡°A Yu, I will never let you get hurt in this life.¡±


    Gunshots pierced through the air, and a thousand horses galloped, creating an overwhelming force. The audience felt the ground trembling as if it was an earthquake. Some couldn¡¯t take it and gasped for breath, clutching their chests.


    That was thrilling.


    Zhao Qin looked at Eighteen, who was in the lead, and raised an eyebrow, ¡°She seems to have changed suddenly.¡±


    In the past, she was subtle and gentle, like a spring breeze bringing rain, moistening things silently.


    After the gunshot, she became like a sharp, unparalleled sword, awe-inspiring and revealing her edges.


    The contrast was so great that if they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought someone had swapped her out.


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, his fingers stroking the jade thumb ring. His gaze was fixed on Eighteen in the field.


    ¡°This is her true self, a sharp treasure sword. Even influenced by the Buddha¡¯s teachings, she can¡¯t change the fierceness in her bones.¡±


    ¡°It seems like my cousin knows her well.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips confidently, ¡°Because we are the same kind of people.¡±


    Zhao Qin sighed, ¡°Then people like you can¡¯t attract each other.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao neither agreed nor disagreed.


    Ming Jing single-handedly demonstrated an unstoppable momentum, leaving those who initially underestimated her in disbelief. As Ma Xiao was about to catch up, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but shout, the stands filled with cheers and waves of encouragement, one wave higher than thest.


    Charles Gao couldn¡¯t help but stand up, ¡°Ming Jing,e on.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s fists clenched on his knees, as his gaze remained fixed on a single point in the field.


    ¡°It¡¯s too hot-blooded.¡± Wen Yaru and Song Yinzhang couldn¡¯t help but feel their blood boil as well.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s lips curled up, his smile confident and mboyant. She was the champion, without a doubt.

 Chapter 431: 200 Name List (Second Update)

    Chapter 431: 200 Name List (Second Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    No one will ever forget this day.


    In red attire on a white horse, leading the pack, her grandeur was like an arrow drawn from a bow, fierce as a thunderstorm, swallowing up mountains and rivers.


    That tournament favorite Ma Xiao was trailing far behind, clearly starting to panic. The more frantic he got, the more mistakes he made. His position as runner-up was now hanging by a thread.


    In the finalp, all riders were giving it their all.


    Ming Jing nudged her horse¡¯s belly, and as the wind whooshed past her ears, the sound from her mouth became distant and blurred.


    ¡°Violent Wind, let¡¯s dash.¡±


    Violent Wind galloped ahead, his front hooves acting like a motor. The lines of muscle across his robust back were sleek and firm. Under the sunlight, his white coat gleamed like crystalline snow, unbelievably clean and beautiful.


    On horseback, the red-d girl sat upright, appearing fragile from a distance, as thin as a sheet of paper, but seemed to possess a limitless power. Underneath the gentle current was an unknown mystery and danger.


    Suddenly, a rider who was ap behind went berserk, crashing into Ming Jing¡¯s track. His front hooves knelt first before he fell heavily to the ground, the rider thrown off far away.


    The audience was shocked by this sudden mishap. Seeing the way blocked for Ming Jing, they all sweated for her.


    Why did the crash happen to obstruct Ming Jing¡¯s path? It seemed too coincidental.


    Ming Jing reined in her horse abruptly, the white steed leapt into the air, tracing a beautiful arc, jumping over the fallen horse andnding gracefully to continue the sprint.


    ¡°Beautiful! The two of them were in perfect sync. They¡¯ve stabilized.¡± Charles Gao couldn¡¯t help pping his thighs, excitedly praising.


    In the end, when Violent Wind¡¯s front hooves crossed the finish line, the whole crowd cheered. Some called for Ming Jing, others for Violent Wind.


    Violent Wind, through this game, became famous overnight, and his value skyrocketed, bing the top grade in horse racing.


    Ming Jing pulled her horse around, sitting upright on it. The camera zoomed in, the young girl¡¯s face was glowing, her temperament calm, her gaze firm and self-confident. There was no joy of victory visible, only a sense of calm certainty that she held a winning position.


    Her gentleness, beauty, and elegance captivated many, but at this moment, the girl¡¯s calm andposed personality in the face of victory was what truly touched the hearts of people.


    The whole field cheered for her, shouting Ming Jing¡¯s name. From then on, this name would be a symbol of an era.


    Ming Jing looked around, smiling faintly.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    This live broadcast also sparked a huge uproar online. No one could believe that the heroic girl on the horse was the gentle and virtuous Ming Jing they knew. It would be hard to believe if they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes.


    As everyone was cheering for the miracle girl online simultaneously, the CMO official website also released this year¡¯s list.


    CMO, the Chinese Math Olympiad, a national winter camp for high school students. Each province only has five ces, each one a math prodigy. More than thirty provinces and municipalities selected a total of 180 students to participate in the country¡¯s top event in Jingzhou. They wouldpete in a summit showdown of mathematics, eventually selecting 60 members to form the national training team for next year¡¯s IMO.


    Entrance to the national training team is a ticket to the country¡¯s top institutions.


    Originally, this event was not widely followed. Mathpetitions were typically low-key and unnoticed outside their circles. But this time, it suddenly became a trending topic. People were bewildered after clicking in and out.


    In the lengthy list released by CMO, someone spotted a familiar name.


    Ming Jing.


    Is it a namesake, or are they seeing things?


    Simply looking at the name brought images to mind, as the girl was truly unforgettable.


    Looking again at the appended origin, Shengde High School, Jiangzhou.


    Does Shengde High School have a second Ming Jing?


    The Ming Jing on the list was the same one who won the horse race today!


    Fans andizens went crazy, a double surprise hade their way today. How could someone be so outstanding?


    To get into CMO, one must be incredibly smart. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call them mathematical geniuses. Everyone unanimously agrees that math requires rational thinking and calm consideration. Individuals who excel in this field possess extremely intelligent brains. People naturally admire the strong, and Ming Jing is an all-around outstanding individual.


    When ites to the strong, the world can only look up.


    The official CMO blog was typically aloof and hardly posted anything non-academic. However, today they broke tradition and posted a photo of Ming Jing¡¯s horse race, captioned: Congrattions to this year¡¯s student Ming Jing on winning the horse race. We hope you create another miracle in the uing CMO. [Throw Flower Petals x3]


    Fans left messages and likes, which made it trending. For the first time, the official CMO blog experienced the taste of fame, thanks to a student. They were rather flustered but amused and moved at the same time.

 Chapter 432: 200 Name List (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 432: 200 Name List (Second Update)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Unaware of this, Ming Jing dismounted and removed her helmet, only to be immediately swarmed by a horde of media outlets to interview her.


    ¡°Miss Ming Jing, the CMO official website just released this yearpetition list, do you think you can make it?¡±


    The journalist who managed to ask first was met with his colleagues¡¯ disgruntled re.


    Ming Jing faced the camera, with a faint smile, her eyebrows resembling the autumn moon, eyes calm as still water, her fair skin and strong bone structureplemented by a gentle breeze.


    ¡°Since you ask, is it necessary for me to answer?¡±


    Her voice was soft, like pearls dropping onto a jade te. Herposed confidence was deeply ingrained in her.


    Stumped by her response, the reporter realised he¡¯d asked a foolish question.


    ¡°Miss Ming Jing, it¡¯s rumored that you and Violent Wind had only one month of concentrated training. How did you manage to achieve such harmony in such a short time?¡±


    ¡°Violent Wind is very smart and spiritual; we worked well together, hence the efficiency.¡±


    ¡°Miss Ming Jing, we¡¯ve heard that you counched a charity foundation with the Jockey Club this year, in addition to the Wishful Foundation that you¡¯ve established before, will you focus more on your charity work in the future?¡±


    ¡°In the spirit of Buddha¡¯s kindness andpassion to guide all beings from suffering to joy, my individual strength is not much, but if it can help someone, then it¡¯s a good deed. As the Infinite Life Sutra states: Good people doing good deeds will gain good oues, just as evil deeds will yield suffering, and ambiguity results in obscurity.¡±


    With a gentle smile, as softly as holding a flower, her eyes were full ofpassion and kindness. Her equestrian prowess, in an instant, seemed quite distant and unfamiliar.


    Silence fell around her, and even the cheers from the audience seemed blurred.


    Ming Jing turned to leave with a smile, still in her horse-riding suit, her silhouette exuded an aura of transcendent grace, like ethereal clouds and lonely geese.


    Charity work isn¡¯t a career. Using such words to describe it tarnishes the purity of a young girl¡¯s soul. Truepassion is a wisdom thates from one¡¯s heart, a love borne from pity for the suffering of all beings.


    The term ¡°kindness¡± feels too crass to describe this, her profound wisdom capable of breaking through all beings, manifests her greatpassion.


    There was a rumor that Ming Jing became a nun at an early age and waster brought back by the Zhus to re-enter the secr world. No one believed it until this moment, when they finally saw her other side.


    With a soft smile and a flower in her hand, her eyes were serene, eyebrows filled with kindness. She stood in the depth of time, the cheers around her didn¡¯t impact her at all. Material gain and desire were to her like morning dew and floating dust. Her clothes were neither dirty nor clean, nor increasing or decreasing.


    A pure soul can navigate freely in and out of the secr world.


    Liuxian Town.


    As the TV screen shifted to the cheering crowd, a young man sitting on the sofa was caught up in the image of the young girl¡¯s smiling face with a flower in her hand.


    Most people only judge by appearances and cannot understand the truth.


    Perhaps, in this world, I¡¯m the only one who can truly understand you.


    However he, far from being as powerful, was still struggling in the mud of secr life, tossing and turning day and night, unable to sleep peacefully.


    Life seemsplex at first, but it¡¯s actually simple; and seems simple yet is as knotted as a ball of yarn, only getting messier the more it¡¯s rolled.


    The only powerfulw is inner peace.


    But life is unpredictable, and people¡¯s hearts are fickle, so where can he find peace?


    His Master says he was born with wisdom, his fellow disciplesuded his natural intelligence, he always thought so, until he met Ming Jing and realised his own shallowness.


    Masters told him that he could not break the shell of worldly understanding, and his practice could hardly progress. He wasted his life toiling meaninglessly.


    ¡°Hey¡­ What are you looking at?¡± A young petite girl suddenly popped up, blocking the TV and hands on her hips, staring at him angrily.


    Liu Jingyun was lost in thoughts, and did not respond for a moment.


    The girl became angry seeing him ignoring her, she threw herself on him, grabbed his ear, leaned into his ear and yelled, ¡°Are you deaf? Didn¡¯t you hear when I¡¯m talking to you? Are you pretending not to hear me?¡±


    Liu Jingyun frowned, stood up and took a step back, ¡°Speak properly.¡±Liu Muxue red at him, her small face flushed. Her delicate face was like the most exquisite peony on a branch, a pair of apricot eyes wide open in anger, she resembled an angry little deer,cking dominance but full of adorability.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you, were you watching Ming Jing¡¯s horse race? You have known Ming Jing for a long time, don¡¯t assume I don¡¯t know. On the daily shows, you were seen on the camera when they ended up going to Hanshan Temple. You receivedpliments online as the most handsome monk. You were flirting with Ming Jing, you must like her.¡±


    Liu Jingyun¡¯s brows were as if wreathed in frost, his usually gentle voice echoing like winter¡¯s chill, ¡°I have behaved appropriately with Ming Jing, don¡¯t nder us.¡±


    It was the first time Liu Muxue had heard Liu Jingyun speak to her in such a cold tone. No matter how she had teased him or bullied him in the past, he had always ignored her, embodying the image of a gentleman.


    Enraged, Liu Muxue screamed like a madwoman, ¡°The moment her name is mentioned, you change into a different person, and you say you don¡¯t like her?¡±


    Liu Jingyun took a deep breath, ¡°A summer insect cannot understand ice.¡± He turned and left as his words fell.


    Liu Muxue immediately rushed out to stop him: ¡°Don¡¯t leave, exin to me what exactly is the rtionship between you and Ming Jing?¡±


    Liu Jingyun said coldly, ¡°Ming Jing and I are siblings who share the same master.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Whether you believe it or not is your business.¡± He stepped around her and left without another word.


    Liu Muxue watched as he walked away, furiously stomping her feet.


    ¡°Aargh, this is killing me.¡±


    ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t be angry, this is your medication for today. It¡¯s quickly cooling, please drink it quickly.¡±


    ¡°By the way, the prescription given to you by your friend is really good. Over the past month, you¡¯ve been ill less frequently. If there¡¯s a chance, invite your friend over to our home. Thedy of the house wants to thank her properly.¡±


    Liu Muxue stared at the ckish medicinal brew. Anger surged in her heart, she suddenly picked up the bowl and threw it, sttering the medicine all over the floor.


    Maid Liu eximed in surprise, ¡°Miss, why did you smash the bowl? It took over four hours to brew this medicine.¡±


    Liu Muxue said resentfully, ¡°I don¡¯t need her charity.¡±


    With those words, she turned and ran upstairs.


    Maid Liu pped her thigh, ¡°What a misfortune.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Muxue?¡± Yang Ruoshui asked as she approached.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what conflict rose between her and young master, she¡¯sshing out at the medicine. The young master¡¯s temperament is usually so pleasant. The time when Miss pushed him into the river as a prank, he almost drowned because he couldn¡¯t swim, but he didn¡¯t hold it against her. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on this time? Sigh, everyone has their bad moods, and the young master is no exception.¡±


    At first, Yang Ruoshui resisted Liu Jingyun, but after interacting for a while, she really liked this adopted son who was kind, filial, and good-tempered. However, Muxue was really spoiled, bullying Jingyun every day, and getting increasingly audacious because Jingyun never argued back with her.


    ¡°Jingyun is a good boy, Muxue, instead, has been spoiled by me and her father to the point where she behaves recklessly. Maid Liu, please prepare another bowl of medicine, I am going to see Jingyun.¡±


    Even after getting into the CMO, Liu Muxue wasn¡¯t happy at all.


    Because she also saw Ming Jing¡¯s name on the list.


    What a persistent ghost!


    Liu Muxue thought bitterly, biting her lip.


    Beating her pillow, she cursed viciously, ¡°Liu Jingyun, you idiot, I hate you so much.¡±


    Finally, she copsed crying onto therge bed, hugging her pillow.


    ¡°Why do you have to be my brother?¡±


    Liu Muxue turned pale, suddenly clutching her chest, the veins in her neck and back of her hand bulging. She reached out a hand to grab the inhaler from her bedside drawer, but her arm dropped weakly.


    It would be better if she died.


    The image of that young man she saw in the ancestral hall that day shed through her mind, a fierce will to live ignited in her eyes.


    No, she cannot die¡­

 Chapter 433: 201 Prajna (First Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 433: 201 Prajna (First Watch of the Night)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The horse racested for three days, followed by obstacle races and dressagepetitions held in full swing. During these three days, the streets of Jiangzhou were empty, and the online heat was unprecedented.


    When Ming Jing sessfully won the championships in the other twopetitions, her name resounded throughout Hua Country.


    Wielding her pen to ace the MCO exam and demonstrating impressive martial arts atop a horse, she had both the most steadfast gaze and the mostpassionate heart.


    She was the daughter of the Zhus and the sister of Shen Zhou.


    Her name, as befitting her character, was Ming Jing.<div>


    That night, Ming Jing declined the celebration banquet from her family and friends, the TV interview, and the newspaper headline interview. Apanied by two juniors, she returned to Tonghe Shengshi.


    As the nation cheered and celebrated for her, she remained serene in the depths of silence.


    The world was like a heavenly curtain, with people as stars. Ming Jing was the most brilliant moon in the dark firmament, surrounded by stars, with fame and fortune within easy reach.


    These worldly pursuits for fame and fortune were like the moon in the water, flowers in the mirror, ephemeral as mayflies and morning dew, transient shes of light.


    The Diamond Sutra says: All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and lightning; one should perceive them as such.


    When no thoughts arise and past and future are severed, the inherent essence shines through, and one bes like the Buddha.


    Standing devoutly before the statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Ming Jing smiled and uttered softly: ¡°In serene reflection, I awaken to the truth.¡±


    The moonlight was enchanting, and the room was filled with the faint fragrance of sandalwood.


    Qu Feitai paced back and forth at the door, hesitating to knock.


    Knocking on someone¡¯s doorte at night without any important matter seemed inappropriate.


    He just wanted to personally congratte her on winning the championship and entering the MCO.


    Qu Feitai eventually left, caught a flight to Jingzhou in the early morning, and regretted not being able to speak with her. However, witnessing herpetition made the trip worthwhile.<div>


    Next month, she would go to Jingzhou to participate in the MCO, where they could meet again.


    Ming Jing, see you again in Jingzhou.


    ¡°Master Xiao, this is the financial report of the horse race this year. Please take a look,¡± Ye Jian handed it over.


    Ran Tengxiao flipped through it casually: ¡°Not bad, better than expected.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s influence. Without her celebrity effect, this year¡¯s horse race wouldn¡¯t have been so popr. We¡¯ve already earned back our costs just from the advertising fees,¡± Ye Jian said, referring to the flurry of advertising contracts that followed Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s sess.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing donated all her prize money and share to the foundation. Her generosity is truly admirable,¡± Ye Jian couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    Ran Tengxiao nced at the report and tossed it aside, ¡°Since the horse race exceeded expectations, contact Ming Jing and invite her to dinner as a show of gratitude.¡±


    Ye Jian nodded, ¡°Also, Master Xiao, the venue for this year¡¯s martial artspetition is ready, and the event is scheduled for the 30th. The number of participants has doubledpared tost year at this time. Here¡¯s the list.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao flipped through it, ¡°No Xi Yu?¡±


    Ye Jian replied, ¡°He didn¡¯t register.¡±


    ¡°Add his name.¡±


    Ye Jian agreed, ¡°Master has already set out on his way here. Liehuo Hall and other martial arts seniors have already received invitations. The younger generation¡¯s best talents have responded to your invitation to participate. This year is full of talent, and you can select any to strengthen our Qinglong Association.¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips up, ¡°This is the Qinglong Association¡¯s annual event, initially created to recruit talent for our association. Although the founders are all gone, this tradition has been passed down through generations.¡±


    Ye Jian wisely remained silent on the matter.


    After a while, Ran Tengxiao asked, ¡°Who do you think will be the champion this year? Let¡¯s bet on A Hua.¡±


    Ye Jian¡¯s mouth twitched. A Hua was the daughter of the Ran family¡¯s butler, Ran Song, and the apple of Ye Jian¡¯s eye.


    Ye Jian furrowed his brow, carefully pondering his assessment, ¡°My junior brother Ye Feng is talented and has inherited our master¡¯s true teachings. His skills are far above mine. Also, Yan Shu from Liehuo Hall is a standout among the younger disciples and shouldn¡¯t be underestimated¡­¡±


    After some thought, Ye Jian resolutely said, ¡°My money is on Xi Yu. His martial arts are unpredictable, but in just one encounter with him, I found that he¡¯s incredibly fast, ruthless, and skilled at delivering decisive blows without leaving any trace. This kind of person never loses.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Ran Tengxiao nodded, ¡°This year should be quite interesting.¡±

 Chapter 434: 201 Prajna (First Watch of the Night)_2

    Chapter 434: 201 Prajna (First Watch of the Night)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Arrange my meeting with Ming Jing for the evening of the 30th.¡± Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips lightly, smiling like a fox.


    Ye Jian was dumbfounded for a moment, then thought and said, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing has declined all invitations, even from Madam Shen. She¡¯s not giving anyone face. I¡¯m not sure about your chances¡­¡± Ye Jian was somewhat uncertain.


    After all, Ming Jing was no ordinary socialite. She wasn¡¯t swayed by fame or fortune, nor was she tempted by beauty. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to impress her.


    ¡°She¡¯lle.¡±


    She would reject everyone else but never him.<div>


    If she really had something to do with Xi Yu.


    The train arrived at the station, and an old man in Tang attire got off the train with a young boy by his side. The boy was slim and of an athletic build, wearing a blue and white tracksuit with a backpack on his shoulders, looking like a junior high school student who had just left school.


    The boy looked around excitedly, ¡°This is Jiangzhou, there are so many people, it¡¯s even more prosperous than I imagined.¡±


    At this moment, a thin, short man suddenly darted past them, and a middle-aged woman¡¯s exaggerated screaming rang out behind him, ¡°Thief! Catch the thief!¡±


    The boy stared at the thin man who quickly disappeared in the crowd, yfully hooked his lips, ¡°Stealing right under this young master¡¯s watch.¡±


    He took a marble out of his pocket, aimed it at the man¡¯s retreating figure, and threw it with a ¡°whoosh.¡±


    Gaping crowds surrounded them, and the marble flew through the sea of people, urately hitting the man¡¯s knee. The man screamed in pain and crashed heavily to the ground.


    The boy pped his hands with a triumphant smile on his face and said to the old man, ¡°Master, I¡¯m off to do some heroic deeds.¡±


    He dashed out like an arrow, his speed as fast as lightning, and within the blink of an eye, he was next to the man, stepping on his back and coldly snorting, ¡°Hand over the stolen goods.¡±


    The old man, seeing this, shook his head with a smile.


    The thief red ferociously, suddenly pulled out a dagger, and tried to stab the boy in the chest. The boy coldly snorted, grabbed the thief¡¯s wrist, and gently twisted. A pig-ughtering scream could be heard, and the dagger fell to the ground, the man¡¯s face pale as paper.


    ¡°Trying to y tricks in front of this young master is courting death.¡± He twisted the thief¡¯s arm behind his back, and the man screamed continuously for mercy.<div>


    ¡°Where are the stolen goods?¡±


    The trembling thief handed them over, and the boy coldly snorted, ¡°Be a good person in the future and don¡¯t steal anything again.¡±


    At this moment, the security guards rushed over and caught the man on both sides, and the victim also caught up.


    ¡°Sister, quickly check if anything is missing?¡± The boy handed the wallet to the middle-aged woman with a yful smile.


    The woman checked and found that nothing had been lost, so she immediately said to the boy, ¡°Thank you so much! You¡¯ve done me a great favor. What¡¯s your name? Let me treat you to a meal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a trifle, no need to mention it.¡± The boy waved his hand and turned around with a casual swagger.


    After walking for two steps, he suddenly realized that he was lost.


    Uh, his previously impressive demeanor had definitely vanished.


    ¡°You¡¯re smart when ites to martial arts, but it¡¯s a pity you¡¯re directionally challenged.¡± The old man walked past him and sighed.


    ¡°Master, wait for me.¡± The boy caught up in a few strides and scratched his head, ¡°The ancients say that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. This is thew of all things. If someone were perfect in every way, that would actually be a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it good? People in the world all pursue perfection.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a perfect person in the world. Some people pursue fame, some pursue fortune. Even a pure-hearted person like you, Master, seeks the ultimate in martial arts. That too is foolishness.¡±<div>


    The old man was left speechless, shaking his head with a smile, ¡°What a bunch of skewed logic.¡±


    The boy huffed, ¡°Now you¡¯re resorting to sophistry since you can¡¯t beat me in an argument.¡±


    Walking out of the train station and seeing the city¡¯s tall buildings, the boy gasped, ¡°Wow, this is so beautiful! I love Jiangzhou! Master, I don¡¯t n to go back this time I visit Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°You can only stay in Jiangzhou if you win the championship in the martial artspetition.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master, I will definitely win the championship!¡± the boy said ambitiously.¡±I heard from your senior brother that there¡¯s a genius in Jiangzhou this year, young and unfathomable. You can talk about it after you beat him,¡± said the old man.


    ¡°I will definitely defeat him.¡± The youth clenched his fists and said confidently.


    On the evening of the thirtieth, Bojii Casino was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.


    Leaders from various halls of the Qinglong Association gathered together, even Ran Qing, who had retired from managing affairs, came to support the asion.


    Ran Qing looked at Lin Feng: ¡°Where¡¯s Master Xiao?¡±


    Lin Feng replied: ¡°Master Xiao has an appointment with someone.¡±


    ¡°Who has such a big face, even more important than tonight¡¯s martial artspetition?¡± Ran Qing was nomittal.


    Zhao Qin yed with her hair and smiled: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s his confidante.¡±<div>


    Ran Qing frowned: ¡°When did he get an extra confidante?¡±


    ¡°Mom, you haven¡¯t been out for a long time, youck updated information. Now everyone in Jiangzhou knows Ming Jing, for my cousin, she is much more important than the martial artspetition. There¡¯s apetition every year, but there¡¯s only one beauty like her. If he acts toote, she might be taken away by someone else.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing?¡± Ran Qing chewed on this name and had indeed heard it frequently recently. She also knew some news about her.


    ¡°She won first ce in the horse race this year, bringing huge benefits to the Horse Association. Her contribution is undeniable, and your cousin should really thank her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that, I want her to be my cousin¡¯s wife too.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Ran Qing¡¯s expression changed, and she coldly scolded: ¡°This is absolutely ridiculous! Your cousin¡¯s marriage isn¡¯t a joke.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? As long as my cousin likes her, that¡¯s enough. Besides, Ming Jing is a perfect match for my cousin. If anything, it¡¯s my cousin who would be at a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re being ridiculous too.¡± Ran Qing red at her.


    Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t stand Ran Qing¡¯s re and quickly got up. She looked around and found Ye Shuang asking: ¡°Have you seen Xi Yu?¡±


    Ye Shuang shook her head: ¡°Miss, Xi Yu hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡±


    Zhao Qin sighed. Suddenly, she felt a pain in her calf, and a marble rolled to her feet.


    Zhao Qin picked up the marble and suddenly turned her head to see a young boy approaching with a grin, palms open: ¡°Sister, can you give my marble back, please?¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin narrowed her eyes: ¡°So it¡¯s you, a little brat, who shot me with the marble?¡±


    The young boy giggled: ¡°Sister, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°If you say it wasn¡¯t on purpose, should I just believe you?¡±


    Ye Shuang quickly stepped in front of the boy, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. He is my junior brother, Ye Feng, who is young and naughty. Please forgive him this time.¡±


    She then red at the young boy and sternly said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you apologized to the Miss yet?¡±


    Zhao Qin examined the marble with a cold smile: ¡°So, this is the once-in-a-century genius from Xuanjing Sect ¨C your little brother Ye Feng?¡±


    Ye Shuang¡¯s heart tightened, realizing that the Miss was angry.


    Ye Feng jumped out from behind Ye Shuang, smiling brightly: ¡°That¡¯s right! The genius from Xuanjing Sect is me. Miss, can you return my marble?¡±


    ¡°A small punk like you, brimming with arrogance, is actually a genius? Has Xuanjing Sect run out of people?¡± Zhao Qin scoffed.


    Ye Shuang¡¯s face turned red, ¡°Miss, my little brother has been spoiled by our Master and me, so he¡¯s be very unruly. Please let him off the hook this time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you can win against Xi Yu, I¡¯ll return your marble. If not, you¡¯ll have to kneel down and kowtow three times to apologize to me.¡±


    Ye Feng grinned yfully. However, a hint of coldness shed through his pitch-ck eyes. At that moment, both Ye Shuang and Zhao Qin felt a shiver down their spines, as if a cold wind had blown by.<div>


    ¡°Xi Yu has arrived.¡± Someone shouted, and Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. She immediately spun around, no longer caring about the little punk.

 Chapter 435: 202 Ancient Martial Arts (Second Update)

    Chapter 435: 202 Ancient Martial Arts (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    In an instant, the entire Bojii Casino fell silent.


    At the main seat, Ye Song stroked his beard and smiled, looking towards the entrance.


    Ran Qing squinted, ¡°So this is Xi Yu, Ji Chang¡¯s son?¡±


    Lin Feng nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ran Qing sneered, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there would be a survivor.¡±<div>


    A thin young man dressed in ck walked in. He was as thin as a bamboo pole, wearing a ck duckbill hat with a low brim that covered most of his face and a mask that concealed the rest. He exuded an icy, mysterious, and dangerous aura.


    Zhao Qin greeted him with a smile, ¡°Xi Yu, you¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±


    The young man ignored her and sat down in his designated seat.


    In the crowd, Zhu Shaodan excitedly pumped his fists, hoping to catch his Master¡¯s attention.


    Unfortunately, his greeting was ignored, as if he was invisible.


    After all, Zhu Shaodan was merely a small fry and did not have the qualifications to sit with the higher-ups.


    Zhao Qin nced at the man sitting next to Xi Yu. He quickly realized what she wanted and immediately stood up to vacate the seat.


    Zhao Qin sat down next to Xi Yu, took a furtive look at him, then leaned in to whisper, ¡°You seem to have grown taller and gained a little weight since west met a few months ago. That¡¯s good to see¡ªit means you¡¯re eating well.¡±


    Zhao Qin discreetly sniffed the air, noticing the faint scent of Jin Fragrance. It was even more subtle than thest time they met.


    He shouldn¡¯t have met with Ming Jing recently.


    She recalled the strong Jin Fragrance she smelled on Ming Jing that day. He must have been lighting the incense daily.


    Zhao Qin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.<div>


    Zhao Qin took out her phone, snapped a sneaky side-profile photo of Xi Yu, and sent it to Ran Tengxiao.


    ¡°So this is Xi Yu?¡± Ye Feng crossed his arms and asked with a smile.


    Ye Shuang nodded, sternly admonishing, ¡°You nearly offended the Young Miss earlier. Things are different herepared to the mountains where your Senior Brother and Master spoil you. People here are ruthless, so mind your manners.¡±


    ¡°I know. As long as I defeat Xi Yu, I can stay in Jiangzhou forever.¡± Ye Feng said eagerly.


    Lin Feng stepped onto the ring and looked around at the countless eyes on him. He raised his voice, ¡°Good evening, my brothers! The annual Qinglong Association martial artspetition begins tonight. Let¡¯s follow the usual rules: who will be the first toe forward?¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces, hesitant. At that moment, a young man climbed onto the stage using both his hands and feet, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Lin Fengughed, ¡°Xiao Lin, you have some courage.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan grinned, clenching his fists as he looked at Xi Yu on the main seat, ¡°Master, I won¡¯t embarrass you.¡±


    Zhao Qin smiled, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Zhu Shaodan?¡± She nced at Xi Yu with a meaningful look.


    ¡°When did he be your disciple?¡±


    Xi Yu remained silent, not responding to Zhu Shaodan. He rubbed the ring on his pinky finger.


    Zhao Qin squinted. She had noticed something on Xi Yu¡¯s pinky before, and tonight she finally saw it was a snake head, its eyes adorned with two tiny green gems. The snake¡¯s face was menacing, its fangs exposed. The tail coiled around to the head, the tip sharp and deadly.<div>


    The ring was small and exquisite yet exuded a sinister aura, much like the person wearing it, Xi Yu.


    Zhu Shaodan looked around, ¡°Are you all cowards? Wang Quan,e on.¡±


    Wang Quan, who was called out, felt his legs trembling. He took a step back subconsciously and shook his head, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Wang Quan, go and don¡¯t disgrace our Baihu Hall.¡±


    Wang Quan looked at his big cousin brother, his legs trembling more. He would only be more embarrassed if he went up.


    But now that he was called, he had no choice. He would face the embarrassment, whatever it took.


    Wang Quan forced himself to climb up. His round body nearly tripped as he stepped onto the stage, promptingughter from everyone. Wang Quan¡¯s face turned beet red.


    Zhu Shaodan sneered, ¡°Wang Quan, let¡¯s settle our grudges today.¡±


    ¡°I warn you, my brother is the Heavenly Master of Baihu Hall. If you mess with me, he won¡¯t let you go.¡± Wang Quan whispered menacingly.


    ¡°Even if your brother came personally, I wouldn¡¯t be afraid. Life and death are determined by fate on this stage, so brace yourself.¡± Zhu Shaodan raised his fists and charged.


    ¡°I surrender!¡± Wang Quan immediately knelt down and begged for mercy.


    Zhu Shaodan was taken aback, and so was the entire audience.<div>


    He was such a coward.


    Lin Feng could not bear the disgrace, especially since this was someone under hismand. He red fiercely at Wang Quan and waved him off impatiently, ¡°Get off the stage. What a disgrace.¡±

 Chapter 436: 202 Ancient Martial Arts (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 436: 202 Ancient Martial Arts (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Wang Quan rolled away from the arena as if he had received amnesty.


    Zhao Qin smiled slightly, her eyes filled with flirtatious charm that attracted many gazes.


    ¡°Your apprentice is quite impressive, winning by mere intimidation. Did you teach him that?¡±


    ¡°That kid is too timid.¡± The young man¡¯s voice was hoarse and unusually sexy, causing Zhao Qin¡¯s heart to race. She realized his voice was changing, which was normal for boys his age.


    A man iming to be from Zhuque Hall jumped onto the arena. He had decent skills, but Zhu Shaodan won again with a do-or-die attitude.<div>


    Ye Feng stood in a corner, looking at the silly-looking boy on the stage with disdain. ¡°He¡¯s Xi Yu¡¯s apprentice?¡±


    Ye Shuang shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s what he says, but his skills have indeed improved a lot. Master Xiao thinks highly of him.¡±


    Ye Feng¡¯s gaze pierced through the crowd andnded on the ck-clothed young man in the main seat. His lips curled and his eyes turned wicked.


    The young man seemed to feel Ye Feng¡¯s gaze and looked up.


    Their eyes met, and the air around them seemed to thin for an instant. Ye Shuang rubbed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s getting colder as we approachte autumn.¡±


    At some point, two figures had appeared on the second floor.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, is tonight¡¯s show entertaining?¡± Ran Tengxiao asked with a smirk.


    The girl in a white dress was serene and otherworldly, adorned with embroidered silver lotus in her swaying hem. She moved as if lotuses bloomed beneath her feet.


    Her indifferent gaze swept across the first-floor stage, settling on the ck-clothed young man.


    ¡°Fascinating.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao followed her gaze and squinted. ¡°Does Ms. Zhu know that ck-clothed young man?¡±


    ¡°What difference does it make if I do or don¡¯t?¡± No one could best Ming Jing in riddles.<div>


    ¡°I just find it interesting that Ms. Zhu¡¯s gaze towards him is somewhat unusual. If he¡¯s an old acquaintance, things be interesting.¡±


    ¡°What does Mr. Ran want to say?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s gaze rested on the Buddhist beads on her fingertips, smiling. ¡°Ms. Zhu is a nun; you should have heard this Buddha verse, ¡®These foolish monkeys, led by ignorant masters, all fall into the well, trying to save the moon and drown!¡¯¡±


    Ming Jing smiled. ¡°Brave ones who enter meditation and observe their bodies and minds contaminate themselves with filth, just like a painted vase. Mr. Ran, don¡¯t do evil, do good, purify your intent; this is the Buddha¡¯s teaching.¡±


    ¡°Is Ms. Zhu scolding me?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ran has a benevolent face and is full of kindness. There¡¯s no need for me to teach, you can understand on your own.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Ran Tengxiao suddenlyughed. ¡°Ms. Zhu has been in Buddhism for sixteen years, and her cultivation is truly unfathomable. I admire you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ran is too kind. You have great wisdom, Mr. Ran; why not convert to Buddhism and attain the great path?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sneered. ¡°If I dare to enter, dare you to ept me?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my cousin.¡± Zhao Qin looked at the second floor. ¡°He¡¯s with Ming Jing.¡±


    Zhao Qin nced at the young man beside her, who remained motionless and unresponsive.<div>


    Zhao Qin rolled her eyes, grabbed the young man, and rushed towards the second floor. The young man broke free with a cold voice. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°My cousin is looking for you.¡± Zhao Qin waved at the second floor, and Ran Tengxiao nodded.


    ¡°See, my cousin is calling you up.¡±


    The young man nced at her coldly, walked upstairs, and Zhao Qin happily followed.


    Ran Qing watched Zhao Qin¡¯s retreating figure and ordered her subordinate, ¡°Follow them and see what¡¯s going on.¡±What intentions does this Xi Yu have, getting close to Zhen¡¯er?


    A tea table was set by the window, and the two sat opposite each other. Zhao Qin hopped over and said, ¡°Ming Jing, so you came too. Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance so I could save you a seat?¡±


    With a faint smile, Ming Jing elegantly held the tea pot: ¡°I heard from Mr. Ran that the martial artspetition of your Qinglong Association is quite exciting, so I came to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯vee to the right ce. This is our annual event at the Qinglong Association. You¡¯ll see many masters only seen in martial arts dramas. It¡¯s definitely worth the trip.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    The young man walked silently, his ck clothes almost blending in with the night.


    Zhao Qin pointed at the approaching young man andughed, ¡°Ming Jing, let me introduce someone to you, Xi Yu, the top fighter of our Qinglong Association.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up and gave a slight smile, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ming Jing.¡±<div>


    The young man snorted from his nostril, ¡°Xi Yu.¡± He leanedzily against the railing with his arms crossed. His thin silhouette carried a trace of unruliness.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between the two. Did she overthink it? Did the two really not know each other?


    Or was the Jin Fragrance just a coincidence?


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t seem to care, pouring a cup of tea and handing it to Zhao Qin.


    Zhao Qin took it and gulped it down. ¡°Not bad, your tea-making skills are even better than Uncle Lin Feng¡¯s.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao flicked her head with a finger, ¡°You silly girl, can you really taste it by gulping it down like that?¡±


    Zhao Qin touched her head and said unhappily, ¡°Cousin, who are you looking down on? I do have some discerning ability.¡±


    At this time, Zhu Shaodan was finally defeated in the arena, clenching his fists in frustration, ¡°Damn it.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Lin, to havested this long is already quite impressive. There are also descendants of the ancient martial arts sects up ahead. You wouldn¡¯t even be able to withstand a single move from them. At least tonight, you¡¯ve made an appearance, and Master Xiao will certainly remember you.¡±


    ¡°Ancient martial arts sects? Are there really such sects?¡± Zhu Shaodan asked curiously.


    The man pointed at the white-bearded old man sitting in the main seat, ¡°He is Ye Song, the head of the Xuanjing Sect, and the master of Ye Jian and Ye Shuang. I heard his little apprentice is a martial arts prodigy, and we should be able to see him tonight. The man in the red clothes is Yan Shu from the Liehuo Hall ¡­ This sect mainly focuses on practicing Qigong and is supplemented by internal martial arts methods. Of course, this is just hearsay, and we¡¯ll have to see their performance for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Since ancient times, this ancient martial arts sect has been hidden from the world, isted from it. The reason why it has a deep connection with our Qinglong Association is that fourteen years ago¡­.¡±<div>


    The man looked around, and Zhu Shaodan caught on, saying in lipnguage: ¡°Yu Jiang?¡±


    The man nodded, ¡°Yes, back then a disciple from Liehuo Hall offended her, so she attacked them. Since then, the ancient martial arts sect has be known. She used her iron-blooded methods to annihte Liehuo Hall, and since then, the ancient martial arts sect has followed Master Wen¡¯s orders. After Master Wen died, the ancient martial arts sect rose in rebellion, and Master Xiao subdued them. Ye Jian and Ye Shuang also joined Master Xiao at that time. You absolutely must not tell anyone about this, as it is the secret of our Qinglong Association.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan eximed, ¡°How amazing!¡± This was a world he could never have imagined before.


    Just how strong was this Yu Jiang?


    This was a question many people had, but she had been dead for twelve years, and there were hardly any people left who had seen her. This name had be a taboo in the Qinglong Association, one that no one dared to mention.


    Below, in the arena, they went back and forth, each punchnding on flesh, creating intense excitement.


    But this was just an appetizer; the real excitement had yet toe.


    Ming Jing calmly drank her tea, no matter how intense the fighting downstairs, she didn¡¯t furrow her brow.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on the arena below at all. Her eyes kept darting between Ming Jing and Xi Yu, determined to find proof of their secret affair.


    Unfortunately, she was disappointed. One leisurely sipped tea, while the other leaned against the railing. From beginning to end, there was no sign of the ¡®furtive nces and flirtatious looks¡¯ that Zhao Qin had imagined.


    When Yan Shu jumped onto the stage, the true excitement of the night began.


    Ming Jing nced at him and a corner of her lips curled up.<div>


    That little bean of the past has grown up.

 Chapter 437: 203 Ultimate Kill (First Update)

    Chapter 437: 203 Ultimate Kill (First Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Yan Shu appeared to be in his twenties, wearing a red short outfit, standing just over 5¡¯7¡±, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes that exuded a strong aura, enough to make anyone feel intimidated upon meeting his gaze.


    He coldly said, ¡°I want to challenge Xi Yu.¡±


    The scene suddenly erupted into chaos.


    What a thrill, challenging a master right from the start.


    When everyone looked towards the main seat, they noticed that Xi Yu had disappeared without anyone noticing.<div>


    ¡°Did Xi Yu run away?¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to yourself? You¡¯re just a coward. Xi Yu would never be like that.¡±


    ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t he shown up to face the challenge? He represents our Qinglong Association, and if he loses, it would be a huge embarrassment.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan red fiercely at the man who spoke, scaring him into silence.


    Yan Shu looked around and said, ¡°Xi Yu, I challenge you. If you don¡¯t appear after I count to three, it will be considered cowardice in the face of battle. One¡­¡±.


    As soon as his words left his mouth, a shadow descended from the sky,nding lightly on the arena.


    Ming Jing hooked her lips, saying casually to Ran Tengxiao, ¡°Mr. Ran was right, this is indeed very exciting.¡±


    Zhao Qin leaned on the railing, her eyes gleaming, ¡°That was so cool! Go, Xi Yu! Give that arrogant guy a good beating.¡±


    Everyone was stunned by the graceful figure of the young man in ck. His thin, solitary figure looked lofty and arrogant, the low brim of his hat adding a hint of mystery. Many people wondered what he would look like without the hat, but they could only imagine.


    ¡°Are you Xi Yu?¡± Yan Shu squinted and asked as he assessed the young man.


    He looked so young, still a minor, with a frail stature that seemed like it couldn¡¯t withstand a few punches.


    For such a person to be regarded as a master, the Qinglong Association must have run out of talent.<div>


    ¡°Enough talking, make your move,¡± the young man replied disdainfully.


    ¡°Arrogant brat, take this!¡± Yan Shu threw a few punches and kicks, apanied by a ¡°Yah-hey¡± shout, which somehow managed to look imposing.


    ¡°What kind of technique is this?¡± someone curiously asked.


    Everyone looked at each other, only able to watch themotion, not knowing the real techniques involved.


    ¡°The founder of Liehuo Hall, Yan Hong, hailed from the Shaolin Sect, which values short-range punches in the south and long-range kicks in the north. Hebined the Shaolin Arhat short-range punches with qigong, creating the unique Passing Arm Fist. Itbines the openness of long-range punches with the flexibility and subtleties of short-range punches. Compared to popr modernbat styles like Sanda and Taekwondo, the Passing Arm Fist is superior.¡± Ming Jing casually exined.


    Ran Tengxiao squinted at her, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Zhao Qin asked anxiously, ¡°Will Xi Yu be in danger?¡±


    Ming Jing yed with her Buddhist beads, casting a nce at the arena below.


    Yan Shu moved first,unching himself into the air and closing the distance in an instant. His punches were as fast as lightning, unleashing a torrent of attacks.


    Everyone was thrilled, marveling at Yan Shu¡¯s explosive power, and fearing for Xi Yu¡¯s safety.


    Zhao Qin rushed to the railing, gripping it in worry.


    The young man in ck stood unmoving like a mountain, unruffled despite the flurry of punches just before his face, showing no signs of panic, appearing somewhat aloof and beyond the ordinary.<div>


    As Yan Shu¡¯s fist came within a hair¡¯s breadth of the young man¡¯s nose, he suddenly pivoted, and Yan Shu¡¯s punch barely grazed his nose. With a subtle step, Xi Yu appeared behind Yan Shu before anyone could see clearly. Yan Shu was shocked, but it was toote as the young man grabbed his right shoulder. Yan Shu tried to exert his strength from below, but the young man used his shoulder as a pivot and nimbly leaped in front of him. Clutching Yan Shu¡¯s right shoulder, he slid his hand down his arm, causing a series of cracking sounds followed by Yan Shu¡¯s anguished groan, his face turning pale.


    Xi Yu withdrew a step and resumed his nonchnt demeanor.


    Ye Feng, who had beenzily leaning against a pir, suddenly straightened up.


    Ye Shuang¡¯s eyes sparkled as she noticed Ye Feng¡¯s reaction, chuckling, ¡°I told you long ago not to underestimate Xi Yu. He defeated your senior brother, and now Yan Shu has learned his lesson.¡±


    Yan Shu lost in just one move.


    Everyone shook their heads. Yan Shu had seemed so formidable at first, but in the face of a true master, he was nothing but a show-off.


    Yan Shu knelt on one knee, feeling his entire right arm numb and powerless. ring at the ck-clothed young man standing still opposite him, Yan Shu was horrified. His Liehuo Hall¡¯s Passing Arm Fist, augmented by qigong, should have been invincible. But there was a fatal weakness ¨C the blind spot on his right shoulder, which no one should have known.


    How could his opponent possibly know?


    ¡°Who are you exactly, and which sect do you hail from?¡± Yan Shu asked through gritted teeth.

 Chapter 438: 203 Ultimate Kill (Second Update)

    Chapter 438: 203 Ultimate Kill (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°A defeated opponent has no right to understand.¡± The youth stood with his hands behind his back, his tone arrogant and defiant.


    Yet, no one scoffed at his pride anymore. Instead, they admired and respected him even more. Only absolute power was worthy of such arrogance.


    The youth was exultant, vigorous and spirited.


    Zhao Zhen pped the railing,ughing heartily, ¡°Good. Very good.¡±


    She suddenly turned her head, looking at Ming Jing who was calmly sipping her tea. Dressed in brilliant white, she exuded grace and charm. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she observed the triumphant youth below.<div>


    ¡°Did you know all along?¡± Zhao Zhen was increasingly convinced that there was more to Ming Jing¡¯s rtionship with Xi Yu, considering her intimate knowledge about the history of Liehuo Hall.


    It probably wasn¡¯t just a simple romantic rtionship.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhao Zhen snorted coldly, ¡°You¡¯re pretending to be ignorant.¡±


    Ming Jing curled her lips, ignoring the inquisitive look from the man across her, and looked down at the stage below.


    Yan Shu was defeated. He had been hit in a vital point and would not recover for three days.


    After Yan Shu¡¯s defeat, Ye Feng leapt onto the stage. Unlike Yan Shu¡¯s serious demeanor, Ye Feng was a yful youth. When the crowd saw him, they all burst intoughter.


    ¡°Where did this kide from? He should go home and do his homework instead. There¡¯s no point in overreaching.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the junior of Ye Jian. A once-in-a-century prodigy of the Xuanjing Sect.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s him. Is the Xuanjing Sect running out of people?¡±


    Listening to the scornful remarks around him, the youth seemed unbothered. Crossing his arms, he stared at Xi Yu.


    ¡°My name is Ye Feng. As they said, I¡¯m the once-in-a-century prodigy from Xuanjing Sect and today, I¡¯m challenging you.¡± His threat sounded more like a mischief than an actual challenge.<div>


    Zhao Zhen barely regarded the young boy, sneered, ¡°Cousin, Ye Jian¡¯s junior is too arrogant. He offended me just now. Xi Yu, teach him a lesson for me. Make this ignorant brat leave Jiangzhou.¡±


    Ming Jing narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze resting on the young boy.


    Ye Feng giggled as he threw a punch ¨C quick footwork, strong fist wind. His attack was neutralized by Xi Yu, yet he didn¡¯t discouraged, he steadied his breath and threw another powerful punch,ughing carelessly, ¡°Look at my Tiger Fist.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes sparkled. This youngster was proving more troublesome than she thought. He was conserving his energy for a short, explosive attack. In a close-range fight, even a single short attack would be hard to execute, let alone a session of them. But this boy¡¯s short attacks were lightning-fast and relentless, his youthful strength was well refined, making him nearly invincible in closebat.


    As expected, his fist struck Xi Yu in the chest, forcing him to retreat several steps and kneel on one knee, clutching his chest.


    Amidst the crowd¡¯s disbelief, Ye Feng blew on his fist, boasting proudly, ¡°The so-called top martial artist is nothing more than this, he can¡¯t even stand against my Tiger Fist.¡±


    Ye Song smiled and nodded in approval, stroking his beard. Ran Qingughed, ¡°The reputation of the elder¡¯s disciple is well-deserved.¡±


    ¡°This kid should not be praised, it¡¯ll make him arrogant.¡± Ye Song said, yet his eyes were full of pride.


    ¡°Xi Yu¡­.¡± Zhao Zhen eximed, as if she was the one being punched.


    She quickly turned her head, looking at Ming Jing, ¡°Xi Yu was hit by that brat.¡±


    Ming Jing held her Buddhist beads, remained unmoved.


    Ran Tengxiao nced over, ¡°This kid is pretty good, but he¡¯s no match for Xi Yu.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing nced at Ran Tengxiao, he smiled, ¡°Am I right?¡±


    ¡°The Art of War¡¯s chapter on Nine Changes says: ¡®Those who are quick to anger are easily provoked.¡¯ Manipting inner strength is a temporary skill, but mindset is the real key to victory. This boy has an exceptional talent, but his biggest w is his arrogance.¡±


    He¡¯s destined to lose.


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, he finally saw a trace of the aura she exuded that day on the Marseilles.


    The so-called tenderness was only a facade for the world to see. This was the real her.


    An exceptional de that cut throats without spilling a drop of blood.Xi Yu touched the corner of his lips, and his mask was stained with blood.


    With a coldugh, Xi Yu stood up, tilted his neck, making a ¡°crack crack¡± sound.


    ¡°Very good, let¡¯s continue.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, he shot out like an arrow off its string.


    Ye Feng didn¡¯t hold back either. The two of them were intertwined, chasing and darting like wind and lightning. All anyone could see was their afterimages and all they could hear were the stifled thuds of fists breaking through the air and striking flesh, as well as the swiftness of the wind rushing past their ears.


    Zhu Shaodan clenched his hands in sweat. Master, you must win.


    Ye Jian walked over, ¡°Master Xiao, you wanted me.¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin rushed over in fury, ¡°Your junior brother is insufferable. Not only did he offend me, but he also dared to hit Xi Yu. He¡¯s too arrogant.¡±


    Ye Jian touched his nose, his face looking innocent, ¡°Miss, my junior brother is unruly. This is his first time in the big city. Please forgive him this once, for my and Junior Sister¡¯s sake. As for hitting Xi Yu, victory and defeat aremon in the ring. How can you me my junior brother? Of course, if Xi Yu hurts my junior brother, I would feel bad, but I would never me Xi Yu.¡±


    ¡°Quibbling, all quibbling.¡± Zhao Qin said angrily.


    Ye Jian muttered to himself, bragging about arrogance, who could be more arrogant than Miss. Before you, Junior Brother is merely a minor sorcerer facing a major one.


    Ye Jian shot a nce at Ming Jing, feeling somewhat perplexed.


    The suspicion that Miss has about Xi Yu and Ming Jing being connected is not unreasonable. If Xi Yu loses to Junior Brother today, who knows what Miss Zhu will do.


    Ye Jian looked down from upstairs, Junior Brother is holding the upper hand, Xi Yu is under pressure and has no power to retaliate.


    Ye Jian curling his lips. If Junior Brother can defeat Xi Yu, that would indeed make a name for himself.


    Zhao Qin red at Ye Jian angrily. Ye Jian coughed, ¡°Miss, this has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°How can it not be your fault? He is your junior brother, you bear the responsibility for failing to discipline him.¡±


    Ye Jian¡¯s face was full of grievance, Miss is just too good at browbeating.


    After several rounds, Ye Feng got punched in the side of his face, which turned bruised.<div>


    Ye Feng spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, didn¡¯t seem to be as rxed as at the beginning, his moves started to get hasty, just like dominoes. Once there¡¯s a crack, it¡¯s like rotten wood being uprooted, beyond redemption.


    Ran Qing furrowed her brows, ¡°This Xi Yu, he¡¯s not simple.¡±


    Ye Song¡¯s eyes were fixed on the shadow in the ring, murmuring, ¡°He reminds me of someone¡­¡±.


    ¡°Oh? Master, what did you find?¡± Ran Qing inquired.


    Ye Song shook his head, ¡°Maybe I am seeing things.¡± He couldn¡¯t just throw this out, after all, that person was a taboo for The Rans.


    Ran Qing sneered, ¡°You¡¯re referring to Yu Jiang, aren¡¯t you? His style does resemble Yu Jiang¡¯s.¡±


    This Xi Yu, and that woman, are cut from the same cloth.


    Ye Song sighed, ¡°The game is set.¡±


    Ran Qing hooked her lip¡¯s corner, ¡°Of course it is, your brilliant disciple, how could he¡­¡±.


    Before she could finish her sentence, the young man in the ck robe suddenly leapt up, sweeping his long legs like a heavy rain shower, dense and ruthless, soft yet hard, one kick followed by another, giving his opponent no chance to breathe, nimble as a swallow, yet formidable as a rainbow, sweeping across the battlefield.


    The spectators below the stage drew in a cold breath.


    Ye Song suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with disbelief.<div>


    The Rushing Waves.


    He had seen this horizontal kick in the air fourteen years ago. That woman was as light as a swallow, yet her momentum was extremely fierce. Her kick was as fast as lightning and dense as a rain of needles, leaving no opportunity to breathe.


    The true power of it, however,y in the final throat-lock, the killing blow.

 Chapter 439: 204 Misidentification (Second Revision)

    Chapter 439: 204 Misidentification (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Xi Yu¡¯s feet hovered around Ye Feng¡¯s throat, just a step away from snapping his neck.


    Ye Feng gritted his teeth, gripping the opponent¡¯s ankles as Xi Yu¡¯s body spun in mid-air like a twisted rope, shedding Ye¡¯s shackles.


    Flying behind Ye Feng¡¯s back, Xi Yu¡¯s knee pressed against his back, his fingers, boneless-like, slipping between Ye Feng¡¯s arms, sessfully locking Ye Feng¡¯s throat. The silver snake on his tail-ring was just a hair¡¯s breadth away from Ye Feng¡¯s neck artery.


    To onlookers, it was a victory decided in a sh.


    Ye Feng had incredible strength, agility and the ability to strike first. However, Xi Yu countered calmly, using softness to ovee strength, waiting to striketer.<div>


    Although Ye Feng had talent, hisck ofbat experience and unstable mentality were exploited as Xi Yu seized the opportunity to counter and defeat him soundly.


    Ye Feng gritted his teeth as he knelt, ¡°I¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Xi Yu released his hands and stepped back.


    Ye Feng looked up at him, ¡°Xi Yu, I¡¯ll remember you.¡±


    Xi Yu nced towards the second floor, his eyes squinting into a smile.


    Zhao Qin waved at Xi Yu, only to realize btedly that he wasn¡¯t looking at her, and couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at Ming Jing.


    She secretly ground her teeth.


    Ming Jing hooked her lips, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ran, for showing me such an exciting fight.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao smiled, ¡°As long as you enjoyed it.¡±


    Ye Jian sighed; his junior brother was still too impulsive.


    ¡°Xi Yu~ Xi Yu~¡± Zhu Shaodan led the cheers, and more and more people joined with fervor, filling the entire hall with Xi Yu¡¯s name.


    The atmosphere was so fiery it nearly blew the roof off.<div>


    ¡°Senior, are you sure?¡± Ran Qing stared at the young man in ck on the stage, her voice cold as ice.


    ¡°I won¡¯t mistake it. This is Yu Jiang¡¯s ¡®The Rushing Waves¡¯. It¡¯s a difficult technique to learn, and this young man probably hasn¡¯t been learning it for long. He hasn¡¯t even reached half of Yu Jiang¡¯s proficiency.¡±


    It was enough to imagine how formidable Yu Jiang was in his time.


    Ran Qing sneered, looking at Lin Feng, ¡°Master Lin, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°This ¡­ Yu Jiang has been dead for twelve years,¡± Lin Feng furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Have any of you seen his body?¡±


    Lin Feng was left speechless.


    ¡°As soon as this is over, let Ye Shuang, Ye Jian, and Ye Feng go together to take him down. I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t pry open his mouth.¡±


    Lin Feng said, ¡°Lady Qing, doing so would disrupt Master Xiao¡¯s n. Should we consult Master Xiao first?¡±


    ¡°What n does he have?¡±


    Regarding the matter of the mother and daughter, Lin Feng thought it was not appropriate to reveal it to outsiders, so he said, ¡°Master Xiao has been investigating Yu Jiang¡¯s whereabouts for the past six months. If this Xi Yu is truly rted to Yu Jiang, we must not expose ourselves and should instead patiently reel in the bigger fish. Otherwise, given this young man¡¯s stubborn temperament, even if we beat him to death, he wouldn¡¯t speak.¡±


    Ran Qing had a violent temper when she was young, but gradually backed off in recent years due to her health. However, when it came to Yu Jiang, she was like a cat whose tail was stepped on. The reason for this, Lin Feng was one of the few who knew the inside story.<div>


    Years ago, Ran Qing¡¯s husband had an emotional affair with Yu Jiang. Ran Qing nearly drove herself mad with fury, and if it weren¡¯t for Ran Bowen, she would have killed Yu Jiang on the spot. Since then, she had been constantly causing trouble for Yu Jiang, never relenting even after her supposed death, always being hellbent on seeing her corpse.


    Now that she had a lead on Yu Jiang, she pursued even more relentlessly. Lin Feng was quite worried and hoped that Ran Qing wouldn¡¯t disrupt Master Xiao¡¯s n.


    Ran Qing suppressed her anger, sneered, and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to Xiao¡¯er personally.¡±


    Xi Yu was undoubtedly the king of the night. When Lin Feng awarded the champion medal representing the strongest warriors to Xi Yu, the entire crowd chanted ¡°Xi Yu¡±, wave after wave, like a roar that shook the heavens.


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t be discouraged. You still need more experience,¡± Ye Shuang patted Ye Feng¡¯s shoulder in constion.


    Ye Feng crossed his arms, standing in the corner, looking at the young man on the high tform, ¡°Why does he not want to be seen, always wearing a hat and mask? Is he ugly?¡±


    Ye Shuang was speechless, worrying that her junior brother would be emotionally devastated after losing the match, only to find out that this was what he was thinking. The corner of her mouth twitched, ¡°Could someone who Missy was attracted to be ugly? You have to admit that her taste is quite discerning. Don¡¯t be upset, I¡¯ll ask Master Xiao to keep you in Jiangzhou.¡±


    Ye Feng did not seem happy about staying in Jiangzhou, but looked at Xi Yu thoughtfully.


    ¡°Ah Xiao.¡± Ran Qing rushed in impatiently, just to see a beautiful and dignified young woman sitting across from Ran Tengxiao. Her stunning appearance startled even Ran Qing for a moment.

 Chapter 440: 204 Misidentification (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 440: 204 Misidentification (Second Revision)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    This was Ming Jing, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s ¡°Red¡± referred to by Zhao Qin, who had recently be famous throughout the country.


    Her appearance was indeed as acimed.


    Beyond the disdain in Ran Qing¡¯s eyes was another woman trying to get close to Ran Tengxiao. She¡¯d seen many like that before.


    ¡°You all may leave. I need to speak privately with Xiao.¡±


    Zhao Qin swiftly left to find Xi Yu.<div>


    Ming Jing gracefully rose, the hem of her skirt remained undisturbed as she walked, every step perfect.


    When she passed Ran Qing, she smiled whereas Ran Qing gave her a cold face. Ming Jing wasn¡¯t annoyed though, her face still maintained a gentle smile, leisurely leaving.


    Ye Jian followed Ming Jing out.


    Once their silhouette disappeared from the doorway, Ran Qing asked unhappily, ¡°Why is she here?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao frowned; ¡°We are friends.¡±


    ¡°Friends? Someone like her? Don¡¯t be naive. She is targeting you for your status. y around if you want, but don¡¯t get too serious. You¡¯re engaged.¡±


    Ran Tengxiaoughed, shaking his head: ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re overthinking.¡±


    ¡°I know your male instincts all too well. She¡¯s smart, beautiful, and has ways. Be careful not to y with fire and get burned.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold: ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Ran Qing was reminded of the real issue, ncing at the floor below: ¡°Xi Yu¡¯s move, ¡®The Rushing Waves¡¯, was recognized by Master Ye as originating from Yu Jiang. This Xi Yu¡¯s identity is highly suspicious. I suspect he is colluding with Yu Jiang. I fear the disaster of the past will repeat itself. He should be arrested right away and questioned for Yu Jiang¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    Submerged in anger, Ran Qing failed to notice the turmoil in the young man¡¯s eyes across her. She continued, ¡°That bastard Yu Jiang killed my uncle and almost destroyed the Qinglong Association. We will never forget this grudge.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao soothingly had a sip of tea, ¡°If I remember correctly, one of the assassins who killed Uncle was sent by you, wasn¡¯t it? Now you¡¯re suddenly righteous, seeking to avenge Uncle? How funny.¡±<div>


    Ran Qing was furious and mmed her hand on the table, ¡°Ran Tengxiao, don¡¯t forget who put you in power. Are you going to betray me?¡±


    ¡°Even without your ¡®bridge¡¯, I would¡¯ve crossed the river. But, Auntie, take care of your health. Don¡¯t stress. I have my ns for Xi Yu. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao, you are bing defiant, disregarding my words, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time, Xi Yu, is untouchable.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao suddenly looked up, the coldness in his eyes startled Ran Qing, the young man before her had already evolved into a lurking beast beyond her control.


    ¡°Fine, have it your way. I¡¯m done with you.¡± She huffed angrily and left.


    As Ran Qing stepped out of the room, she saw the young girl in white not far away. Standing in the dim light, she was tranquil and beautiful, detached andposed. For a moment, she thought she saw Yu Jiang.


    Ran Qing was first stunned, then angry. She rushed over, shouting, ¡°You harlot, you finally show up.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Madam, could you have mistaken me for someone else?¡±


    Her eyes were dark and beautiful, clear as crystal, filled with a gentle smile.


    Jiangnan¡¯s spring rain in the apricot blossoms, the cool breeze over the lotus flowers, the dew wrapped in the smoke of the orchids, the cold moonlight reflecting off the clean streets, all gathered in these eyes.


    Ran Qing was dazed for a moment, feeling a rush in her head.<div>


    ¡°Yu Jiang¡­ Are you Yu Jiang?¡±


    A sh of cold light filled her eyes, the girl¡¯s smile grew even softer, ¡°Who is Yu Jiang?¡±


    Enraged, Ran Qing raised her hand for a p, ¡°You harlot, I¡¯ll tear your face apart.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s smile never left her lips as she stood there, not moving an inch.


    The p did not fall, for it was blocked by arge hand. Ran Tengxiao dismissed her, causing her to step back.


    ¡°Auntie what are you doing?¡± His voice cold as ice, he protected Ming Jing with his body, staring at Ran Qing with cold eyes.


    Ran Qing pointed at Ming Jing, ¡°She is Yu Jiang, you must kill her.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao ordered Ye Jian who was standing by his side, ¡°Bring a basin of water.¡±


    Ye Jian acted quickly, dashing the water onto Ran Qing¡¯s face. Ran Qing screamed, finally waking from her delusional state.


    ¡°Madam, I am Ming Jing, you must have mistaken me for someone else.¡± Ming Jing stepped out from behind Ran Tengxiao.


    ¡°I wonder what grievance this person named Yu Jiang has with Madam, that she has incited such hatred?¡± She lightly shook her head, her expression showing pity.


    Ran Qing gazed at the face right in front of her, beautiful as a goddess. Her eyes, however, were like spring waters that had melted millennia-old frozen pools, gentle yet chilling.<div>


    Such extreme contradiction Ran Qing had only ever seen in one person.


    She pointed at Ming Jing in disbelief, as if she had seen a ghost, ¡°What is your rtionship with Yu Jiang?¡±


    Ming Jing turned her head to look at Ran Tengxiao, cocking her little head slightly. She seemed a bit confused, which, coupled with her slightly childish face, made her seem quite adorable apart from her usual solemnity.


    ¡°Mr. Ran, who exactly is Yu Jiang?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao was taken aback, coughed, quickly lowering his head: ¡°An old acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you were frightened today, I will make it up to you another day, Ye Jian, take Ms. Zhu home.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Then, she turned around to leave.


    Ran Qing wanted vainly to catch up but was stopped by Ran Tengxiao, he coldly said, ¡°Auntie, save your strength.¡±


    Ran Qing grabbed Ran Tengxiao¡¯s arm in desperation, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me? No one knows Yu Jiang better than me, she must be disguised, she came back¡­.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao showed impatience and suppressed his anger, ¡°Enough already.¡±


    The moment Ming Jing turned around, the smile on her face vanished immediately, her brows furrowed into a cold frown, chilling to the touch.


    The depths of her dark eyes seemed to be steeped in a turbulent fog, brewing something mysterious and sinister.<div>


    Ming Jing was walking slower than usual. As she was walking down the stairs, every step was a struggle. The impatient Ye Jian who was following her wanted badly to carry her downstairs.


    The staircase led to the outside, the boisterous cheers from the main hall suddenly seemed very far away. The chilling wind from the basement blew towards them, then, the voice control lights suddenly went off, leaving the basement inplete darkness.


    Ye Jian only saw a vague white silhouette in the darkness, her skirt fluttering in the wind. Coupled with this eerie scene, it sent chills down his spine.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu?¡± Ye Jian called out.


    The voice control light came back on after sensing the noise, revealing the young girl in her fluttering white gown, like a lone, startled swan.


    Upon hearing, she stopped and turned her head, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Facing those calm and dark eyes, for some reason, Ye Jian felt a chill settling in his heart.


    He remembered what Ran Qing had said earlier. Is Ming Jing, Yu Jiang?


    How ridiculous, it¡¯s even more absurd than the sun rising from the west.


    However, now, looking at the young girl standing amidst the chilly wind, in her fluttering white robe, silently walking, like a ghost, he could notugh it off.


    He had never seen Yu Jiang, but had heard from his Master. Despite being a frail woman, anyone who underestimated her was seeking death.


    To gain the trust of the extremely paranoid Ran Bowen, bing his number one right-hand man, to single-handedly destroy an entire school of martial arts, incite internal strife within the Qinglong Association, and finally kill Ran Bowen, the depth of her scheming and strategy was terrifying.<div>


    She was dead, but legends about her persisted.


    Then, what about this young girl in front of him?


    Based on the information he had gathered, she was NOT Yu Jiang.


    But she was the second Yu Jiang!

 Chapter 441: 205 Relics (First Update)

    Chapter 441: 205 Relics (First Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Zhu Shaodan excitedly grabbed someone and said, ¡°My master won, my master is Xi Yu¡­!¡±


    ¡°My master is Xi Yu¡­he won the championship of the martial arts tournament.¡±


    He excitedly climbed onto the stage, wanting to share the joy with his master, and more and more people crowded onto the small stage, making it packed with no room to move.


    ¡°Where is my master?¡± Zhu Shaodan looked confused.


    More people came, Zhu Shaodan was caught in the middle with a look of confusion on his face.<div>


    Everyone was immersed in the excitement and didn¡¯t notice that the person they were shouting for had already disappeared from the stage.


    Zhao Qin chased after him, shouting, ¡°Xi Yu, you stop right there!¡±


    The young man paused for a moment, quickly disappearing into the cold night wind of the basement.


    Zhao Qin stomped her foot, ¡°Even if you hide at the ends of the earth, I¡¯ll still find you.¡±


    Echoes came again and again in the basement, Zhao Qin shivered suddenly, feeling cold.


    Fortunately, she was prepared, making a phone call out, ¡°If you guys lose him, don¡¯t bothering back.¡±


    Just as Zhao Qin was about to turn around, she saw Ye Shuang supporting Ran Qing walking out. Zhao Qin immediately rushed over, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Ran Qing¡¯s face and hair were wet, herplexion pale, and she was mumbling something in her mouth. Zhao Qin listened closely, it seemed like she was saying something like ¡°she¡¯s back¡±¡­ something incoherent like that.


    Zhao Qin looked at Ye Shuang and asked coldly, ¡°What happened to my mom?¡±


    Ye Shuang shook her head, ¡°Master Xiao asked me to take Auntie Qing back, I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±


    Zhao Qin thought for a moment, ¡°You take my mom to the car first, I¡¯ll go find my cousin.¡±


    Just as Zhao Qin was about to leave, Ran Qing suddenly grabbed her wrist and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin hesitated for a moment, nodded her head, and left with Ye Shuang, supporting Ran Qing on each side.


    After Ye Shuang left, Zhao Qin asked, ¡°Mom, what happened? Did you have a fight with my cousin?¡±


    A hint of gloom shed through Ran Qing¡¯s eyes, ¡°She¡¯s back.¡±


    Zhao Qin was utterly confused, ¡°What do you mean ¡®she¡¯s back¡¯?¡±


    Ran Qing looked at her daughter¡¯s beautiful face and raised her hand to touch her silky hair, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mom will protect you. Go back to your room and rest.¡±


    Zhao Qin could sense there was some unpleasantness between her mom and her cousin after she left.


    Zhao Qin returned to her room deep in thought.


    She saw the maid carrying a box from the storage room and hesitated, ¡°Isn¡¯t this my dad¡¯s legacy?¡±


    In Zhao Qin¡¯s memory, her parents often quarreled, sometimes even getting physical. Their unhappy marriage was no secret. When she was twelve years old, her father Zhao Yuan fell ill and died. After his death, her mother wanted to burn all his belongings, but she stopped her. Since then, the items were locked away in the storage room, never to see the light of day again.


    Later, she found out that her father did something unforgivable to her mother when he was young. She resented him and didn¡¯t want to touch his belongings. It seemed she and her mother had forgotten that their father¡¯s belongings still existed.


    The maid replied, ¡°Madam wanted it.¡±


    Her mom wanted it? Didn¡¯t she hate dad? Why would she suddenly think about his belongings?<div>


    Zhao Qin felt that something was off about tonight¡¯s events.


    Seeing the maid walking away, Zhao Qin thought for a moment and quietly followed her.


    The maid delivered the box and left. Zhao Qin sneaked over and cracked open the bedroom door.


    Ran Qing opened the wooden box, and dust apanied by the musty smell immediately hit her face. She covered her nose and coughed, fanning the air with her right hand.


    Ran Qing tremblingly took out the items from the box.


    It was a stack of drawings.


    Zhao Yuan was very talented in painting. When he was young, his artistic talent attracted Ran Qing. Ran Qing pursued him relentlessly until he agreed to marry her. She even used the power of the Ran family to force Zhao Yuan to marry her. However, a marriage forced like this ended up hurting both of them.


    Zhao Qin remembered that her dad loved to paint, especially good at painting people and was once quite famous.


    She watched as Ran Qing flipped through the paintings one by one. From a distance and with the re from the light, she couldn¡¯t see what was drawn on them, but she could tell they were the human portraits that her dad was best at painting.


    ¡°Zhao Yuan, oh Zhao Yuan, you couldn¡¯t forget her even in death. What is so special about an ordinary woman like her that made you miss her for so many years?¡± Zhao Qin heard Ran Qing¡¯s angry and unwilling voice. Suddenly she grabbed a painting, crumpled it into a ball and threw it into the trash bin.

 Chapter 442: 205 Relic (First Change)_2

    Chapter 442: 205 Relic (First Change)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°You two have already reunited in the underworld, so be it, fulfilling your heart¡¯s desire.¡± Ran Qing gave a miserable smile, suddenly getting angry, sweeping everything on the table to the ground, and the paintings in the box scattered all over the floor.


    The central air-conditioning outlet was blowing, and a piece of drawing paper floated gently to the door.


    Zhao Qin extended her hand through the door crack, quickly grabbing the painting.


    At this moment, she heard Ran Qing make a call: ¡°Zhu Mingjing, investigate for me, dig up the entire ancestry of her family.¡±


    Zhao Qin was shocked by the maliciousness in Ran Qing¡¯s tone, where had Ming Jing offended her mother?<div>


    Zhao Qin listened for a while, as there was no movement in the room, and she sneaked back to her own room.


    Zhao Qin turned on the light and unfolded the painting. It was a fine brush painting of a young woman, with misty rain. The woman held an umbre in one hand, wearing ck clothes with ck hair, appearing strong and decisive.


    Looking at the woman¡¯s face, Zhao Qin was startled.


    This woman was very ordinary looking, at most considered pretty. There was a one-inch-long scar on her left cheek, stretching from her eyebrow to the corner of her eye. But amazingly, this scar, which should have been terrifying, didn¡¯t look terrifying on the woman¡¯s face at all.


    The pair of eyes looking straight ahead were clean and beautiful, unlike her ordinary appearance. They were like the bright moon on a pine stream or the clear spring water in a mountain stream, both clean and gentle, making the scar on the left cheek appear more tender.


    This painting was executed with meticulous brushwork, delicate lines, elegant colors, and smooth, powerful lines. In particr, the woman¡¯s eyes in the painting were very realistic, lifelike, as if they were truly looking at you. Staring at these eyes for too long would subconsciously create a creeping feeling.


    Zhao Qin felt as if she had seen these eyes somewhere before¡­


    Is this woman the one her father liked? He betrayed her mother for this woman and abandoned her.


    For some reason, looking at the woman¡¯s eyes, Zhao Qin didn¡¯t dislike her.


    In a sh of inspiration, she suddenly remembered where she had seen her before.


    When she was young, her mother took her to visit her uncle¡¯s house, where she loved to y hide and seek with Butler Ran¡¯s daughter Xiao Hua. There were many empty rooms in the Rans¡¯ house, and she loved to crawl in and out of them, while Xiao Hua could never find her.


    Once, she ran into her uncle¡¯s study by ident, and Xiao Hua¡¯s face turned pale with fear.<div>


    Xiao Hua told her that the Rans¡¯ house had strict rules, and her uncle¡¯s study was strictly forbidden. Anyone who entered without permission would be punished.


    At that time, she was very young and afraid of her uncle. Hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s words, she was even more frightened and almost cried.


    She and Xiao Hua quickly prepared to sneak out, but they bumped into someone.


    Thinking it was her uncle, she was so scared that she fell on her bottom.


    A slender and fair hand helped her up, and a gentle voice rang in her ear, ¡°Did you hurt yourself when you fell?¡±


    She looked up in panic, only to see the woman¡¯s gentle and watery gaze, filled with spring ripples, almost drowning her inside. Shepletely ignored the scar on the woman¡¯s left cheek.


    ¡°You two are really naughty. Master Wen¡¯s study is forbidden, and no one can enter. If Master Wen finds out, he will definitely punish you.¡±


    Her mouth pouted, about to cry, but the woman shook her head andughed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m just teasing you. While Master Wen is still away, you¡¯d better leave quickly.¡±


    She trembled and asked, ¡°Are you really not going to tell Uncle?¡±


    The woman smiled mischievously, and gently rubbed her nose, ¡°Sister never lies.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make a vow.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Their fingers hooked together.<div>


    The little girl said sweetly, ¡°Hook your finger for a hundred years, no lying allowed, whoever lies is a dog.¡±


    ¡°Alright, whoever lies is a dog.¡±


    At this moment, footsteps sounded outside the living room. The woman immediately ran out of the study with a leap, her toes hooked and closed the study door, swiftly moving the two of them to a hidden corner.


    ¡°Shh, don¡¯t make a sound. Wait for a while beforeing out, understand?¡±


    Both little heads nodded obediently.


    As she hid behind the flower vase, she heard a series of hurried footsteps, and her heart raced anxiously.


    ¡°Yu Jiang, follow me.¡± It was the stern and majestic voice of her uncle, even listening from a distance made her shiver.


    ¡°Yes.¡± It was a very cold female voice, and she could hardly believe it belonged to the gentle woman she had just seen.


    In her narrow line of sight, she saw a pair of ck boots walking away along the floor. It felt like a long, long time ago, with the memories ck and white without any colors.¡±Xiao Hua, who is she?¡±


    Xiao Hua answered something, but she just couldn¡¯t remember it.


    Zhao Qin suddenly sat up from the bed. It was raining heavily outside the window. She sat nkly on the bed, her fingers trembling as she flipped through her contacts and dialed a number.


    The heavy rain poured outside the window, lightning shed and thunder roared. A sh of white light illuminated her cold sweat on her forehead and her swallowing throat.<div>


    After a long ring, the call finally connected at thest moment. A groggy and dissatisfied voice of a girl came from the phone: ¡°Who is it? What¡¯s wrong with you calling in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Hua. It¡¯s me.¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while, and the girl suddenly screamed, ¡°Miss ¡­ Miss? Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember when we were ying hide and seek at the Rans¡¯ ce when we were children, we bumped into a woman in the Master¡¯s study. She didn¡¯t me us and even concealed it for us. Yes, she had a scar on her left face.¡±


    Xiao Hua hesitated, ¡°Miss, why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking you, do you still remember?¡± Zhao Qin emphasized.


    ¡°Remember ¡­ remember, but¡­.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Miss, why do you want to ask her?¡± Xiao Hua lowered her voice, apanied by the sound of wind and rain, it was a bit blurred.


    ¡°This person is taboo in the Rans. No one can mention her. Miss, it¡¯s better not to ask.¡±


    ¡°Is her name Yu Jiang?¡±


    Xiao Hua was silent.<div>


    ¡°I finally know.¡±


    Zhao Qin had heard of Yu Jiang. After all, no matter how taboo, she couldn¡¯t stop the discussions of the servants below. But Zhao Qin had always thought that this Yu Jiang was just like Ji Chang, Shou Chang, and others, just a subordinate of the master.


    It turns out she was a woman.


    With the series of abnormalities her mother showed tonight, Zhao Qin finally deduced a rough idea.


    There must be some connection between Yu Jiang, Ming Jing, and Xi Yu.


    Zhao Qin suddenly threw off the quilt, got out of bed, found the painting, turned on the light, and looked at it carefully again.


    A sh of white light split the darkness of the room, and in the residual white light, Zhao Qin tightly gripped the edge of the paper.


    No wonder she always felt that the eyes of the person in the painting were familiar, as well as those of Yu Jiang and Ming Jing in her memory.


    That kind of gentleness like spring rain and the clean mncholy of autumn frost and winter snow were almost identical.


    A muffled thunder roared in the sky.


    Those eyes gradually merged with the eyes of the young man in ck, appearing more slender and colder¡­


    That was Xi Yu.<div>


    After applying the medicine to his wounds, Number Eighteen walked out, and the young girl stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The heavy rain outside the window was pouring down, and the storm was mming against the window.


    The strong wind roared, only highlighting the girl¡¯s cold and ethereal silhouette even more.


    Number Eighteen pursed his lips, walked over and said, ¡°I heard their conversation, that final move, The Rushing Waves, might bring you trouble.¡±


    Number Eighteen¡¯s greatest advantage was his excellent hearing.


    This also caused trouble for his sleep, especially in the mountains. The sound instion of houses in the city was better, allowing him to sleep well.


    He didn¡¯t want to use The Rushing Waves, but Ye Feng had forced his hand.


    ¡°I taught you to use it for a reason.¡± The girl¡¯s indifferent voice mixed with the sound of the wind and rain, making it somewhat unclear.


    Number Eighteen hesitated, ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡±

 Chapter 443: 206 Selection (Second Revision)

    Chapter 443: 206 Selection (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Twelve years had passed, but times had changed. The moon still shone, the old tree had sprouted new buds, and the old charm had given away to new clothes¡­


    Her life had forevere to a halt that fateful winter.


    Many people had forgotten how a woman named Yu Jiang once turned the Qinglong Association upside down.


    It was time to remind them.


    ¡°Get some rest early; there are many things left to doter.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing turned and left.


    Eighteen watched her leave, lips pursed, wanting to say something yet hesitating.


    As soon as she stepped out of the room, a cold wind hit her face.


    Deep autumn was fading as winter drew near.


    This winter wouldn¡¯t be any different from the past twelve winters.


    It would still be as cold.


    ¡°The weather forecast mentioned a cold fronting. Ming Chen, Ming Ti, bundle up when going to school today. Don¡¯t catch a cold. There¡¯s a terrible flu going around.¡± Han Suwen kindly advised them at the breakfast table.


    Ming Chen looked outside at the drizzling rain, in a terrible mood: ¡°I hate it when winteres.¡±


    During their time at the nunnery, winter was the most difficult season. It was damp, cold, and chilling to the bone. Without any heating or air conditioning, they could only huddle together around a fire to keep warm.


    They all loved sleeping with Ming Jing, but nobody wanted to touch her in winter.


    Because, once winter arrived, Ming Jing would be freezing cold ¨C it was no exaggeration to say she was colder than the weather.


    The vigers at the foot of the mountain would supply them with padded jackets. They felt warm enough once they put them on, but Ming Jing never wore them.<div>


    She wore the same thin robes from spring to winter, from warm to cold.


    That was also why they were afraid of Ming Jing ¨C how strong must she be inside to endure the cold winters without fear?


    Ming Ti looked towards the second floor, where, unusually, Ming Jing was absent from the table.


    Ming Ti thought for a moment, put down her chopsticks, and went, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Ti knocked on the door, and no sooner had she done so than they heard a cold voice from inside: ¡°Come in.¡±


    Although the central heating was on in the rest of the house, Ming Ti shivered involuntarily


    As she opened the door and entered, a cold breeze greeted her, contrasting sharply with the warmth outside.


    It was like the contrast between a warm and rainy spring day and a bone-chilling winter wind. The stark difference made Ming Ti¡¯s goosebumps rise on her arms.


    Ming Jing sat cross-legged on the bed in meditation, wearing a white robe, looking even more slender and frail.


    ¡°Ming Jing, it¡¯s time for breakfast,¡± Ming Ti said, her heart aching as she felt the howling, cold wind outside the window.


    Without enduring the bone-chilling winter, one cannot appreciate the fragrance of plum blossoms.


    The same is true for the path of Buddhism, with the required stillness and endurance beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.<div>


    Ming Jing, herself, Ming Chen, and Xiao Wu, were just ordinary beings, scared of heat in the summer and cold in the winter, prone toziness and shirking, fearful of hardship and exhaustion. They clung to things they desired, people and situations they could not let go, cries they had to suppress, and retaliated when beaten. Greed, hatred, love, and evil desires were spread out in their lives. They feared pain yet yearned for happiness, addicted to the intoxicating nectar it brought.


    But Ming Jing possessed things that others could never hope to attain in their lifetimes ¨C beauty, power, status, and intelligence ¨C and led a life of glory and grandeur.


    But Ming Jing never cared for these things. Though nobody would believe it, Ming Ti knew that Ming Jing had never cared for material possessions.


    A sudden sadness welled up in Ming Ti¡¯s heart. She yearned for the tender sister who had recited the scriptures to her, who had made her soups with her own hands, who had taken her to gather herbs on the mountain.


    Ever since they came to Jiangzhou, her sister had changed and be a stranger, barely recognizable.


    Their Master was right; the mortal world truly was the best test of one¡¯s character.


    ¡°You can go ahead and eat; don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Ming Jing said coldly, making the room feel even colder and chillier.


    Ming Ti pursed her lips, turned around, and left, carefully closing the door behind her.


    After breakfast, she and Ming Chen put on their backpacks and left for school. Their neighborhood was only a ten-minute walk from the school, a quick and easy journey.


    Ming Chen was ying with her doll the whole way, seeing Ming Ti looking worried and sullen. ¡°You seem tired every day, just like Ming Jing,¡± she said.


    Ming Ti nced at her. Ming Chen¡¯s delicate little face was filled with a bright smile, her whole heart focused on the doll in her hand.


    Ming Ti couldn¡¯t help but knock the doll to the ground.<div>


    Ming Chen paused for a moment, then red at Ming Ti and grabbed her by the cor. ¡°Why did you hit my doll? Did it do anything to you?¡±

 Chapter 444: 206 Selection (Revision 2)_2

    Chapter 444: 206 Selection (Revision 2)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ming Ti irritably shook off Ming Chen¡¯s hand and said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ming Chen, are you an idiot?¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Jiyue Temple¡­¡±


    Ming Ti snorted coldly, ¡°Good, you haven¡¯t forgotten. I thought the rich and luxurious life in Jiangzhou might have made you forget your identity.¡±<div>


    Ming Chen isn¡¯t stupid. She picked up the doll and dusted it off. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t forget my identity. An orphaned little nun, if it weren¡¯t for Ming Jing, we¡¯d still be starving and freezing on the mountain.¡±


    ¡°In Buddhism, we must restrain our greed, anger, and ignorance, don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    Ming Chen sneered, ¡°Are you out of your mind? We¡¯ve returned to secr life, so we don¡¯t need to abide by the rules and precepts of Buddhism anymore. If you want to make yourself miserable, don¡¯t drag me down with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ming Ti couldn¡¯t argue with her and coldly snorted, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡±


    ¡°No need, I know you¡¯re worried about Ming Jing, and I am too. But this is the path she chose. Everyone has their path to walk, and instead of worrying about others, why not think about yourself? We should make the best of our happy lives, and Ming Jing will be happy too.¡± Ming Chen carefullybed the doll¡¯s hair and spoke without looking up.


    Ming Ti nced at her, unable to believe that such words coulde from the smooth-talking,zy, and gluttonous Ming Chen. After thinking about it, her words made a lot of sense.


    ¡°You¡¯re really annoying, you know? If you can¡¯t learn Ming Jing¡¯spassion, then don¡¯t wear a long face all the time. We don¡¯t have the potential to be enlightened, and we¡¯re just nine-year-old girls. Can¡¯t we do what girls our age should do?¡± Ming Chen spoke with an impatient tone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of worrying so much? Does Ming Jing need your concern? You think too highly of yourself.¡± Ming Chen walked into the school without looking back.


    Ming Ti carried her schoolbag and trailed far behind Ming Chen.


    It seemed she misunderstood Ming Chen too deeply.


    She thought carefully about Ming Chen¡¯s words, which were like a timely wake-up call.


    Other students stared at Ming Chen and Ming Ti with a kind of gloating look.<div>


    Ming Chen squinted her eyes and stopped a boy with a smile, ¡°What happened? Why are they giving me that look?¡±


    The boy stared nkly at the cute little girl in front of him, who looked like a doll, and said subconsciously, ¡°Someone said¡­ said that you and Ming Chen have some strange illness that prevents your hair from growing. They said you both wear wigs and even called you¡­ called you baldies¡­ Ah, anyway, they said some really nasty stuff.¡±


    Ming Chen grinned, ¡°Ah, thank you, little brother, I got it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not mad?¡± The boy was surprised. Anyone would be mad if they heard someone talking about them like that, but she could still smile.


    Ming Chen tilted her head, her face innocent and adorable, ¡°Why should I be mad? She¡¯s the one who did something wrong.¡±


    Under the frightened gaze of the boy, Ming Chen walked away.


    As soon as she turned around, Ming Chen quickly changed her face and gritted her teeth, ¡°Li Yu, wait for me.¡±


    Ming Ti quickly came up and grabbed her, ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±


    Ming Chen sneered, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t be impulsive. I want to have some fun.¡±


    As Ming Chen walked into the ssroom, sure enough, everyone stared at her and Ming Ti with teasing and ill-intentioned looks.


    Since the beginning of school, Ming Ti and Ming Chen, the twin sisters, have been the focus of the entire school. They are beautiful, young, and have top grades. Ming Chen is lively and lovely, making friends everywhere, while Ming Ti is serious and responsible, favored by teachers in all subjects, and is the ss president.


    At this age, children are prone toparing and forming cliques. Among them, Li Yu has been a dominant presence since elementary school. Now that the spotlight has been stolen from her, she cannot stand it.<div>


    This time, she finally found an opportunity to discover the secret of these sisters and naturally wouldn¡¯t miss it.


    The power of gossip could be terrifying, especially for young girls in puberty who could hardly bear such mental abuse.


    Ming Chen walked in like it was nothing, not to mention Ming Ti.


    ¡°Hey Ming Chen, do you really have a strange illness that causes you not to grow hair?¡± A girl sitting beside her asked curiously, batting her big eyes.


    There was no malice, but this kind of curiosity was a fatal blow to a young girl.


    Ming Chen smiled and said, ¡°How could that be? Look at my beautiful hair.¡±


    ¡°But others said you were wearing a wig. If you let me touch it, I¡¯ll believe you.¡±


    ¡°You believe whatever others say? Don¡¯t you have your own thoughts?¡± Ming Chen nced toward Xu Tianyu¡¯s direction, and she was looking triumphant.


    ¡°Ah, I must be too outstanding and deserve to be envied.¡± Ming Chen deliberately raised her voice and touched her beautiful hair with a sense of regret, ¡°My grades are so good, I¡¯m so smart, and I¡¯m so beautiful. Some ugly people, with only a few hairs on their heads, are jealous that my hair is fake. How can people be so vicious? Sigh¡­¡±


    Ming Ti¡¯s mouth twitched as she saw Ming Chen¡¯s dramatic performance and tried not tough.


    At this age, most children have no discernment and follow the crowd. After hearing Ming Chen¡¯s words, they subconsciously looked at Li Yu.


    Li Yu indeed had thin hair, arge forehead, and looked a bit like the God of Longevity. She wasn¡¯t ugly but not pretty either.<div>


    Feeling the gazes from all directions, Li Yu thought they were mocking her and couldn¡¯t control her rage. She mmed the table, stood up, pointed at Ming Chen, and angrily said, ¡°You dare to curse me?¡±


    Ming Chen rolled her eyes, making the surrounding boys¡¯ eyes sparkle. How could someone look so good even when rolling their eyes?


    ¡°Which one of you heard me cursing?¡±


    The whole ss shook their heads.


    Ming Chen shrugged her shoulders and said innocently, ¡°The whole ss has witnessed it, so you can¡¯t falsely use me.¡±


    The boys felt Ming Chen was adorable and red angrily at Li Yu. How could they use people? Ming Chen was obviously so kind and cute, they were just jealous!


    Li Yu saw Ming Chen¡¯s radiant smile, rosy lips, and dazzling teeth, as beautiful and charming as a flower. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a mocking smile, provoking her.


    Surrounded by boys¡¯ whispers, ¡°Did Li Yu spread the rumors? She must be jealous of Ming Chen, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too vicious. If she can¡¯tpete with Ming Chen, she resorts to such cheap tricks. From now on, we won¡¯t y with her. Who knows if she¡¯ll backstab us?¡±


    ¡°Ming Chen is obviously so well-behaved and cute. Last time in the cafeteria, she even bought me lunch when I lost my meal card. How could Li Yu nder her?¡±


    As everyone was speaking for Ming Chen, Li Yu¡¯s anger surged to her head.


    ¡°Ah, some people just like to put the me on themselves. I can¡¯t help it.¡± Ming Chen sighed regretfully.<div>


    Ming Ti noticed Li Yu¡¯s mood was off and nudged Ming Chen secretly, ¡°That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t provoke her.¡±


    Ming Chen pouted her lips in dissatisfaction.


    For a while, everyone looked at Li Yu with even more disdain and anger.


    Furious, Li Yu threw caution to the wind and rushed at Ming Chen. ¡°You dare to oppose me? I¡¯ll strangle you¡­!¡±


    The ssroom in the early morning was filled with chaos and people tumbling over one another.

 Chapter 445: 207 Parents (Part One)

    Chapter 445: 207 Parents (Part One)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The ss teacher had a headache looking at the four girls in front of her.


    ¡°Youpletely ignored the school rules and regtions. What you did this time was way too much, especially in front of the whole ss. Do you know how bad the influence is?¡±


    Li Yu covered her face, pointed at Ming Chen, and cried loudly, ¡°Ms. Zhao, look at my face, it¡¯s scratched by her. You must punish her severely, and it¡¯s best to expel her from school.¡±


    There was a scratch on Li Yu¡¯s right cheek, oozing blood, which was indeed too harsh for a young girl.


    Zhao Xueying looked at Ming Chen, surprised that such a seemingly well-behaved and clever girl could be so ruthless.<div>


    Zhao Xueying couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Ming Chen, did you scratch her?¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s bright eyes darted around, and before she could speak, Ming Ti stepped forward and said, ¡°Teacher, I was the one who scratched her. It has nothing to do with Ming Chen.¡±


    Ming Chen said irritably, ¡°Good children don¡¯t lie. Teacher, I scratched Li Yu¡¯s face, but she started it. I did it in self-defense.¡±


    Zhao Xueying silently nodded, acknowledging that lying was wrong.


    She, along with other teachers, liked the intelligent and well-behaved twin sisters Ming Chen and Ming Ti. Zhao Xueying was no exception, especially Ming Ti, whom she had high hopes for. She believed that Li Yu was the one who started the conflict this time.


    Zhao Xueying nced at Li Yu and asked with a straight face, ¡°Were you the one who started it?¡±


    Li Yu denied it vehemently, ¡°Ming Chen cursed me first.¡±


    Zhao Xueying didn¡¯t listen to her exnation and asked her to apologize to Ming Chen. Li Yu didn¡¯t expect that the teacher would be so biased, just because Ming Chen had better academic performance than her. She was even scratched badly, but still had to apologize to Ming Chen.


    Li Yu refused adamantly, and said, ¡°I just called my mom. She wille soon. By then, none of you who have bullied me will get off easy.¡±


    Li Yu red fiercely at Ming Chen, proudly lifting her chin, ¡°You¡¯ll be scared to death if I tell you my uncle¡¯s name. If you apologize to me now, I might consider forgiving you, or else¡­¡±


    Zhao Xueying frowned, schools should be pure ces, but if students use their power to oppress others, they lose their innocence.


    Ming Chen said with a grin, ¡°Or else what? Will you expel me? I am so scared.¡±<div>


    Ming Chen rolled her eyes. Not being afraid of her was precisely why she was called Ming Chen.


    Ming Ti red at Ming Chen and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t cause trouble for Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Chen shuddered suddenly, realizing something, her face turning pale.


    But for her to apologize to Li Yu, Ming Chen couldn¡¯t stand Li Yu¡¯s arrogant attitude and wished she could p her.


    Li Yu thought she had scared Ming Chen and couldn¡¯t help butugh smugly. However, when sheughed, it affected the wounds on her face, making her expression look distorted.


    She harbored even more hatred for Ming Chen in her heart, and this time she was determined to kick her out of school and never see her again.


    Zhao Xueying looked at thest girl who had been hanging her head all the time, ¡°Zhang Yunfang, what do you think?¡±


    Zhang Yunfang said awkwardly, ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t know anything. I was just dragged into this¡­¡±


    At that time, when Ming Chen and Li Yu started fighting, she tried to intervene but was identally injured by Li Yu. Zhao Xueying walked in and saw her injured, thinking that she had also participated in the fight, so she took her away.


    Ming Chen said, ¡°Teacher, it has nothing to do with Zhang Yunfang. She is an innocent bystander.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang looked up gratefully at Ming Chen.


    She had always been friends with Li Yu, and had badmouthed Ming Chen many times, but she didn¡¯t expect Ming Chen to help her.<div>


    Ming Chen asked, ¡°Teacher, do you have any disinfectant items here?¡±


    Zhao Xueying opened the bottom drawer and took out a simple first-aid kit, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Ming Chen walked over, opened the kit, took out the antiseptic and band-aids, and walked over to Zhang Yunfang while pulling her right hand.


    Zhang Yunfang¡¯s hand was cut with a long gash, oozing blood, and was more serious than Li Yu¡¯s facial injury.


    Ming Chen said gently, ¡°It might hurt a little, so bear with it.¡±


    She took a cotton swab soaked with antiseptic to clean the wound first, her movements gentle and careful.


    Zhang Yunfang stared at her nkly, not feeling any pain at all.


    Zhao Xueying nodded in approval. She hadn¡¯t even noticed Zhang Yunfang was injured, but Ming Chen was thoughtful and kind-hearted, truly rare.


    She wondered what kind of family could raise such daughters.


    She had looked through Ming Chen and Ming Ti¡¯s files. The parents¡¯ column was nk, with only an emergency contact number and no name. The girls had no primary school records and were three years younger than their ssmates, yet their academic performance was excellent. Everything about these girls was unusual, even their manner of speaking and behavior wasn¡¯t like ordinary people. She wondered what kind of family they came from.

 Chapter 446: Parent 207 (Updated Once)_2

    Chapter 446: Parent 207 (Updated Once)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Li Yu snorted coldly, ¡°Buying people¡¯s favor.¡±


    At this moment, hurried footsteps could be heard from outside the office. Zhao Xueying turned her head to see the discipline master and the principal guiding a young woman into the room.


    The woman was decked out in branded attire and carried herself with an air of arrogance.


    Upon seeing the woman, Li Yu immediately burst into tears and threw herself at her, ¡°Mother, look at my face. She scratched it. I am disfigured, wu wu wu.¡±


    The woman lovingly wrapped her arms around her daughter and directed a wrathful re at Ming Chen, ¡°Was it you who scratched my daughter¡¯s face?¡±<div>


    Ming Chen met her gaze without fear, ¡°She attacked me first, I was only defending myself.¡±


    ¡°Mother, she insulted me first,¡± Li Yu stated, wronged.


    Seeing this, the woman¡¯s temper red even further. She turned to the old man on the side, ¡°Mr. Li, my daughter was so wronged at your school, aren¡¯t you going to give me an exnation?¡±


    The principal shuddered nervously and quickly replied, ¡°Madam Li, please calm down. We acknowledge our school¡¯s negligence in this matter, rest assured, we will give you a satisfactory exnation.¡±


    To Zhao Xueying, the principal said, ¡°Let¡¯s handle this ording to school regtions. Expel the involved student.¡±


    Zhao Xueying was taken aback. She quickly spoke up, ¡°Principal, isn¡¯t expulsion a bit too severe for children¡¯s quarrels?¡±


    The woman sneered coldly, maintaining an intimidating gaze at Zhao Xueying, ¡°Is this just a quarrel between children? You¡¯re quite harsh as a ss teacher. Look at my daughter¡¯s face. She may be disfigured. If you don¡¯t want to continue your job, there are surely many others who can rece you. I am more afraid of my daughter being led astray by you.¡±


    Zhao Xueying was visibly embarrassed. She had never met such a presumptuous parent before. Seeing the principal remain silent, she understood that Li Yu¡¯s family had considerable influence.


    Thinking for a moment, Zhao Xueying said, ¡°Expulsion is a serious matter that affects the student¡¯s future. I¡¯ll invite Ming Chen¡¯s parents over, so we can have a proper discussion.¡±


    The woman took a seat and scoffed, ¡°I¡¯d like to see just how capable the parents of such a malicious girl can be.¡±


    Zhao Xueying quickly found the student¡¯s information, turned to Ming Chen¡¯s page, and was about to make a call when Ming Chen and Ming Ti, one on each side, grabbed hold of her, looking pitiful, ¡°Teacher¡­¡±


    If Ming Jing knew she had caused trouble at school, she would definitely get mad.<div>


    Ming Chen finally understood the gravity of the situation, losing her initial satisfaction. She pulled a long face and furrowed her eyebrows.


    Upon seeing Ming Chen¡¯s fear, Li Yu could not help butugh triumphantly.


    Zhao Xueying sighed and reassured them in a gentle voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will do everything within my power to protect you.¡±


    Zhao Xueying dialed the number, which was answered after three rings.


    ¡°Hello, may I speak with the mother of Ming Chen and Ming Ti, please?¡±


    After a period of silence, a soft and ethereal voice came through the phone like harmonious music, ¡°This is she.¡±


    Zhao Xueying was stunned by the youthfulness of the voice.


    She instinctively looked at Ming Chen and Ming Ti, who lowered their heads guiltily.


    ¡°Hello, I am their ss teacher, Zhao Xueying. The thing is, your daughters got into a conflict with a ssmate at school¡­¡±, Zhao Xueying nced at the woman and the principal, then lowered her voice and moved away to talk.


    After briefing her sinctly, she asked, ¡°Do you have time toe to the school? The matter is a little tricky. The other parent is insistent on having the principal expel the two students.¡±


    This sentence was to remind her that the other party was not someone to be trifled with.


    ¡°Thank you, teacher, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± The voice promptly hung up.<div>


    Zhao Xueying¡¯s mind was filled with the echo of that soft and ethereal voice. She felt it was odd, the mother of Ming Ti and Ming Chen seemed too young.


    Ming Ti bit her lip and said, ¡°Teacher, I will go to the school gate to meet her.¡±


    Zhao Xueying nodded, ¡°Hurry.¡±


    Jessica Feng sat on the sofa, and gently touched Li Yu¡¯s face, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Li Yu pouted grievously, ¡°It hurts~.¡±


    Jessica Feng red at Ming Chen harshly, ¡°Young punk, at such a tender age, you¡¯re so cruel. I need to settle this ount with your parent. If you can raise such a daughter, she must be a bad piece of work too.¡±


    Ming Chen clenched her fists, and challenged, ¡°You can insult me, but you cannot insult my parents.¡±


    Jessica Feng stood up, walked over to Ming Chen, and gripped her chin tightly. The sharp manicure scratched the young girl¡¯s tender skin. Ming Chen flinched from the pain, hastily pped her hand away, and gave her a forceful push, ¡°Get lost, don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    The woman, wearing high heels, was caught off guard and stumbled by Ming Chen¡¯s shove, but Zhao Xueying swiftly caught her.


    If anything were to happen to this woman, she would only make things more difficult for Ming Chen and her family.


    True enough, after Jessica Feng regained her bnce, she shrugged off Zhao Xueying¡¯s hand, her eyebrows knitted in anger, pointing at Ming Chen, ¡°You¡­ you dare to push me?¡±


    Jessica Feng raised her hand to p Ming Chen. Just then, a soft, ethereal voice echoed through the room, as refreshing as the summer breeze, yet as chilling as the winter snow.<div>


    ¡°Ming Chen.¡±


    Everyone instinctively turned towards the door. Amid the damp chill, a young girl walked in, treading over the cold wind.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡± Ming Chen dashed over to hug the neer, sobbing with grievance.


    Regardless of the verbal abuse she had just received, she had not cried. Seeing their powerful young one crying so pitifully upon the arrival of her family made Li Yu feel insulted. She was, after all, the real victim.


    The neer seemed to be a young girl. Despite the harshte autumn, she was wearing a thin white dress, appearing ethereal and beautiful. But it also made people shiver in the cold.


    Ming Jing said in an indifferent tone, ¡°Stop crying.¡±


    Ming Chen immediately ceased her sobbing, her whimpering quieted.


    Ming Jing looked up at Jessica Feng. Jessica shivered upon meeting those cool, mesmerizing eyes. She realized her hand was still suspended in mid-air and hastily withdrew it.


    ¡°Are you her parent?¡± She spoke, her voice filled with disbelief.


    ¡°She¡¯s too young. Call the one in charge of your household.¡±


    Ming Jing gave a faint smile, ¡°I am.¡±


    Zhao Xueying knitted her eyebrows and looked at Ming Jing with doubting eyes.<div>


    ¡°Who are you to her?¡±


    ¡°Her sister.¡±


    Ming Chen tugged at Ming Jing¡¯s sleeve secretly, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡­¡±


    Ming Jing ran her hand through Ming Chen¡¯s hair, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s anxious heart calmed down with the emotionless words from Ming Jing.


    Jessica Feng sneered coldly, pulled Li Yu close, and pointed at her face, ¡°See my daughter¡¯s face? Your sister scratched it. I insist your sister be expelled for her malicious behavior at such a young age. The principal already agreed.¡±


    The principal stood nearby and looked a little embarrassed upon hearing her words.


    ¡°Considering the severity of this student¡¯s behavior creating a negative impact within the school, we suggest Ming Chen should voluntarily apply for a leave of absence,¡± he suggested, offering both sides a way out. After all, schools are ces to teach and nurture students, not to oppress them.


    Jessica Feng nced at the principal, ¡°Mr. Principal, you did not say that just now.¡±


    The principal looked a little embarrassed, ¡°Well¡­ Madam Li, considering the children¡¯s futures, let¡¯s not be too harsh.¡±


    ¡°I think this principal does not want to keep his job,¡± she replied.


    The principal, hiding his rage, had no choice but to say with regret, ¡°My apologies to the parent here¡­¡±<div>

 Chapter 447: 208 Lessons (Second Update)

    Chapter 447: 208 Lessons (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ming Jing looked at the principal, then at Jessica Feng, smiled, and nodded. ¡°Good, you have given me a lesson today.¡±


    ¡°When I came in through the school gate, I saw a couplet hanging there. It reads ¡®It takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred to make a difference in people.¡¯ I wonder, Principal, do you still remember these eight characters?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s clear and calm gaze made the principal almost unable to look directly at her. The meaning behind her words filled him with immense shame and he was silent.


    Many times, he felt helpless in his position.


    ¡°May I ask, Principal, what is your school¡¯s motto?¡±<div>


    Before the principal could respond, Ming Chen immediately voiced out, ¡°Upholding virtues and pursuing truth, honesty and love, forging the will to be strong, unity and progress.¡±


    The sweet, clear voice of the little girl echoed inside the office, leaving the room silent for a moment.


    ¡°Well then, Principal, please tell me, which rule or school motto was vited when my sister fought with her ssmate to warrant an expulsion? A school is a ce of education, the most pure and clean ce in the world. It is not a ce for those who have power to bully others. Principal, you have disgraced your lifelong learning, your uniform, and all the students in the school.¡±


    The cold voice of the young girl was powerful. Although it was very gentle, it was felt like a thunderp in everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°If the principal cannot give me an exnation today, I will have no choice but to report this to the education bureau.¡±


    The principal¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat. The parents of these students were surely not to be trifled with.


    Jessica Feng sneered, ¡°I advise you to take your sister and get out of the school. This is what happens when you cross my daughter.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, ¡°Oh? Madam, it was just a child¡¯s fight, but you escted it to such a serious level. What gave you such confidence? I¡¯m ignorant, please enlighten me.¡±


    Although she seemed young, her demeanor was not to be underestimated. She showed no fear from the beginning, but remained extraordinarily calm andposed.


    Jessica Feng couldn¡¯tpete with her confidence, which bordered on stupidity.


    Jessica Feng sneered, but it was Li Yu who red at Ming Chen and quickly said, ¡°My uncle is Gu Qingshan, if you offend my uncle, you are doomed.¡±


    Jessica Feng quickly covered her mouth, but it was toote to take back her words. She hit Li Yu on the shoulder in disappointment.<div>


    But the words had been spoken, and she had to deal with them as best she could. She assumed that the name would frighten the other party, that they would beg for mercy, and then take their sister and sheepishly leave. To her surprise, the young girl simplyughed lightly and looked at Li Yu.


    ¡°So, your father would be Li Yang?¡±


    Li Yu stared at the young girl in front of her in amazement. Why was Ming Chen¡¯s sister so beautiful, like a fairy descended from heaven?


    Li Yu nkly nodded her head.


    Jessica Feng didn¡¯t expect her to guess her identity, but she didn¡¯t deny it, ¡°Apologize to my daughter, and I might consider not having the school expel your sister. However, you will inevitably be punished.¡±


    ¡°What a high-handedness. Even if Gu Qingshan himself were here, he would not have the power to casually expel students. Madam Li, there are limits to your arrogance. This is a school, not a ce for you to bully.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a young whippersnapper talking big. Alright, you are bold. We shall see.¡± Jessica Feng couldn¡¯t swallow this. She wouldn¡¯t rest until she saw Ming Jing and her sister destroyed.


    Jessica, unable to get the best of Ming Jing, put pressure on the principal, threatening, ¡°Principal, you only have half a year left in your term, right?¡±


    The principal looked helplessly at Ming Jing, ¡°Madam Ming, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±.


    ¡°It seems the principal has made his choice.¡± Ming Jing nodded, took out her phone and dialed a number.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, right? Please connect me with the mayor¡¯s hotline. I want to report a case of abuse of power by Gu Qingshan. He has turned a blind eye to his rtives using his name to do evil in school¡­¡±


    Jessica Feng¡¯s heart jumped. She subconsciously tried to snatch the phone from Ming Jing¡¯s hand. Ming Jing spun around gracefully, her skirt lifting and forming a beautiful curve, her posture light as a feather.<div>


    Jessica Feng ended up missing and burst out angrily, ¡°Who are you trying to scare?¡±


    Ming Jing said casually, ¡°Everything we just discussed has been fully recorded as evidence.¡±


    The principal looked at Ming Jing in shock. This young girl was truly brave. She really dared to report the abuse of power. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of retaliation?


    Ordinary people were no match for the powerful and privileged.


    Jessica Feng stared at her incredulously, ¡°You¡­intentionally set a trap for me right from the start?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head slightly, ¡°The words were not forced out of you. You are an adult, and you must be responsible for your own actions and words.¡±

 Chapter 448: 208 Lessons (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 448: 208 Lessons (Second Revision)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Jessica Feng bit her lip, wondering how it was possible for the hotline to ept the call. They probably couldn¡¯t wait to hang up the moment they heard Gu Qingshan¡¯s name.


    Ming Jing turned on the speakerphone, and soon Mr. Zhou¡¯s voice came through, ¡°May I know if this is Ms. Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    She called herself Ming Jing? Jessica Feng felt this name sounded very familiar, where had she heard it before?


    ¡°The Mayor is in a meeting. If you have any troubles, you can tell me. I¡¯m not sure what happened between Ms. Ming Jing and Mr. Gu¡¯s family members. Do you want me to inform Mr. Gu¡¯s secretary immediately?¡± A calm and rational male voice came from the phone, clearly belonging to an elite professional.<div>


    Jessica Feng was surprised, it really was the mayor¡¯s secretary, and he was speaking to her so politely.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Soon, after two beeping noises, the call was reconnected. A powerful and majestic male voice came through, concealing a hint of barely detectable joy, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, what wind brings you here?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the instantly pale face of Jessica Feng on the other side, along with the shocked eyes of the principal, the dean of instruction, and Zhao Xueying when they heard the voice. She lowered her eyshes and let out a faint sigh.


    This vicious society was being slowly destroyed by these parasites.


    ¡°Mr. Gu, my younger sister and your Madame¡¯s niece are ssmates. They had a slight disagreement, which was nothing out of the ordinary. It would have been fine if the children apologized to each other, but your Madame¡¯s cousin-inw has used her power to pressure the principal into expelling my sister. She even threatened that her daughter¡¯s uncle is Gu Qingshan, and anyone who offends her will note to a good end. Mr. Gu, I believe you would not do such a thing. However, in the long run, this will undermine your reputation. I hope you can discipline your family members and uphold your integrity.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s tone was gentle and elegant, neither hurried nor slow. Every word made everyone¡¯s heart race, including Gu Qingshan¡¯s.


    This was an outright threat.


    Gu Qingshan mmed the table and roared, ¡°Jessica Feng, what have you done!¡±


    Jessica Feng¡¯s legs trembled, and she stammered, ¡°Sir¡­it¡¯s not what she said, she¡¯s framing me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I know exactly what kind of person Ms. Ming Jing is. You have no right to twist the truth here. Now, apologize to Ms. Ming Jing and her sister.¡±


    Jessica Feng¡¯s dignity waspletely shattered, her eyes filled with fear as she stared at the girl on the other side. Suddenly, her eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°Are you Ming Jing? Shen Zhou¡¯s little sister, Ming Jing?¡±<div>


    Apart from being the real daughter of the Zhus, she was better known for her identity as Shen Zhou¡¯s sister and her recent inte-famous appearance at the Jiangzhou Horse Race.


    At thest birthday banquet for Elder Theodore Shelby, Gu Qingshan and his wife were invited. Even Gu Qingshan had to give face to Shen Zhou, and now she had offended Ming Jing.


    Jessica Feng¡¯s face turned extremely pale, but it was even more humiliating for her to apologize to Ming Jing forcefully, especially with so many people watching.


    Her previous arrogance had now turned into a joke.


    Li Yu sensed that the situation seemed to be reversing and hid behind Jessica Feng in fear.


    Ming Jing, dressed in white, gave a faint smile and remained ethereal.


    ¡°At this moment, I am not someone¡¯s daughter, nor someone¡¯s sister. I am Ming Jing. All I want is justice.¡±


    On the phone, Gu Qingshan immediately said, ¡°We all know Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s integrity. This matter is a misunderstanding. Ms. Ming Jing, rest assured, I will personally bring Jessica and her daughter to apologize to you in the future. I hope you will be magnanimous and not bothered by my cousin-inw¡¯s shallow behavior. I will teach her a lesson.¡±


    Gu Qingshaning personally to apologize? How much face was that?


    Could being Shen Zhou¡¯s sister really be used so effectively?Jessica Feng¡¯splexion grew even paler, and she lowered her head, saying, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Each word seemed to be gritted through clenched teeth.


    Ming Jing looked at Li Yu hiding behind Jessica Feng: ¡°Ming Chen, why did you guys fight?¡±<div>


    Ming Chen bit her lip and said, ¡°Li Yu was spreading rumors about me and Ming Ti. I cleared things up with my ssmates, and they believed me. When Li Yu¡¯s lies turned out to be for nothing, she became furious and wanted to hit me. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why should I let her hit me? So I fought back. I didn¡¯t mean to scratch her face; it was all an ident.¡±


    Ming Chen pulled Zhang Yunfang, who was standing unnoticed in the corner, and showed her injured hand: ¡°Look at Zhang Yunfang¡¯s hand; it was hurt by Li Yu. What did Zhang Yunfang do wrong? Li Yu should apologize to her.¡±


    Zhao Xueying couldn¡¯t help but admire that the twin sisters were actually Ming Jing¡¯s younger sisters. Their words were eloquent,pletely putting their opponents in an embarrassing situation.


    Zhang Yunfang secretly nced at Ming Jing. She thought Ming Ti and Ming Chen were beautiful, but she never expected their elder sister to be even more beautiful, like a fairy. No, even more beautiful than a fairy.


    Li Yu¡¯s mother was so fierce at the beginning, but when this elder sister came, she made her apologize after just a few words. Zhang Yunfang¡¯s eyes were full of admiration and respect for her.


    Li Yu shook her head desperately: ¡°I don¡¯t want to apologize; I don¡¯t want to apologize. It¡¯s not my fault; why should I apologize?¡±


    Gu Qingshan had more important things to attend to and didn¡¯t have time to listen to a few kids¡¯ arguments. ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, this matter is my fault. I didn¡¯t discipline my family members properly, causing trouble for you. I apologize. I¡¯ll invite you for a mealter to make amends. Please grace me with your presence, Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    The other people¡¯s faces were beyond description.


    What could they call this? Losing the gains while trying to steal? No, it should be big water flooding the dragon king¡¯s temple? Also wrong. It was having eyes but failing to recognize gold, spinning a cocoon around oneself, and eventually harming oneself.


    ¡°Mr. Gu is too polite.¡± Ming Jing hung up the phone and didn¡¯t spare a nce at Jessica Feng. Instead, she looked at the principal.


    The principal¡¯s legs felt weak, and the dean of education quickly supported him.


    Approaching sixty, the principal trembled: ¡°Ms¡­Ms. Ming Jing, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t handle the matter properly. Ming Chen won¡¯t be expelled.¡±<div>


    ¡°It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate talent. I hope Principal keeps these eight words in mind. Education is the foundation of a nation. As the head of a school, you should lead by example and not let the corruption of society stain the purity of the school.¡±


    ¡°A single incident can greatly affect a child¡¯s life. School is a ce to learn knowledge as well as to learn character and morality. They are the pirs of the future. Principal, remember the responsibilities on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°No matter whether it¡¯s Ming Chen or any other student, I hope there won¡¯t be a next time for such incidents.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s clear and cold voice was earth-shattering, deafening, and deeply shocking everyone present.


    Zhao Xueying couldn¡¯t help but admire her. This young girl was indeed as extraordinary as the rumors said. Her perfectbination of resolute and gentle righteousness was unforgettable.


    The principal felt ashamed and lowered his head. He had lived for half his life and still didn¡¯t understand the principles as well as a girl in her teens.


    How shameful.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s teachings are right. I remember them all. There won¡¯t be a second time.¡±


    The principal took out his handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He had been wrong from the beginning.


    Ms. Ming Jing was right. School should be a purend. Children¡¯s thoughts should be pure and should not be tainted by the corruption of society prematurely.


    As the head of a school, he was intimidated by power, setting a bad example for his students. He had failed in his duties as a principal!


    <div>

 Chapter 449: 209 No Regrets (First Update)

    Chapter 449: 209 No Regrets (First Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Are you Ms. Zhao?¡± Ming Jing looked at Zhao Xueying, speaking softly and politely.


    Compared to her sharp andposed action in confronting Jessica Feng and the principal just now, the young girl was now filled with a gentle warmth like spring rain.


    Zhao Xueying was somewhat surprised and said, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of Ming Chen and Ming Ti at school. I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. The two children are very well-behaved and sensible. I¡¯ve always been curious about how extraordinary their parents must be to raise such outstanding children. Today, after meeting you, Ms. Ming Jing, my doubts have been dispelled; it¡¯s all thanks to your excellent teachings.¡±<div>


    The sincerity in Zhao Xueying¡¯s expression and tone made it impossible to sense any ttery.


    Ming Chen clung to Ming Jing¡¯s sleeve, and Ming Ti stood obediently beside her. Although the two children were young, they were more mature than their ssmates. They didn¡¯t seem like children of their age, but in the presence of Ming Jing, they were as timid as mice before a cat.


    It was astonishing that Ming Jing, who didn¡¯t look much older than them and should be in her second year of high school, had such authority.


    As Ming Jing left the office, Ming Ti and Ming Chen followed closely behind, and Zhang Yunfang secretly followed them.


    At an empty corridor, Ming Jing stopped without turning around.


    There was a drizzly rain and a gusty wind outside, casting a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere that made it difficult to breathe.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen felt their hearts jump at the same time. Ming Chen spoke in a low voice nervously, ¡°Ming Jing, I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± The cold voice was devoid of emotion.


    Ming Ti hesitated, ¡°You warned us to be cautious and patient, but Ming Chen and I failed to obey.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, we were wrong.¡± The two said in unison.


    After a long while, there was a deep sigh.


    Ming Jing turned around, her white garments fluttering in the wind.<div>


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen bowed their heads even lower.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong in this matter.¡±


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen looked up in surprise, and Ming Jing gazed back at them with a gentle expression, warming their hearts. The tears they had held back for so long finally welled up.


    They rushed to Ming Jing, one on each side, hugging her waist tightly and wiping their tears on her skirt.


    ¡°Ming Jing, it was Li Yu who started spreading rumors about us. I just wanted to clear our names, but she got angry and I identally scratched her face.¡± Ming Chen knew Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t like her ruthless means and quickly exined herself.


    ¡°When I told you to be patient, it didn¡¯t mean you should always endure. Sometimes you need to fight back, or else you¡¯d be no different than a coward. But before that, you need enough strength. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be like an egg hitting a rock, shattering yourself while leaving your opponent unscathed.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s gentle and patient tone was like a gentle stream, soothing their troubled hearts.


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen listened intently. Ming Chen suddenly clenched her fists, ¡°I understand, Ming Jing. I will be very powerful so that no one would dare to look down on me or bully me, just like you.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, ¡°At your age, you should focus on your studies because your current role is that of a student.¡±


    Ming Ti caught on immediately. ¡°Ming Jing, I understand. We can only secure our ce in the school with exceptional grades. But Li Yu manipted her power, and the principal feared her authority, rendering him powerless. If it weren¡¯t for you, Ming Chen and I would have been expelled.¡±


    Ming Ti frowned. Their exceptional grades couldn¡¯t protect them from being expelled without hesitation by the principal when confronted with power, which showed that even top grades were useless against authority.


    Despite their hard work in school and life, they hadn¡¯t earned the respect they deserved, which was disheartening.<div>


    Ming Jing patted Ming Ti¡¯s head and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what others do; just focus on ourselves. Live our lives without regrets, worthy of the world.¡±


    Ming Ti and Ming Chen stared nkly at the gentle and beautiful face before them. Her words were so soft yet deeply resonated within them.


    Live without regrets, worthy of the world.


    Ming Ti recalled, ¡°Ming Jing, you once told us the story of Hanshan and Shide. Hanshan asked Shide, ¡®People in this world nder me, deceive me, insult me, scorn me, belittle me, despise me, hate me, and trick me. How should I deal with it?¡¯ Shide replied, ¡®Just bear it, ignore it, and avoid it. Treat them with patience, respect, and let them be. Wait a few years, and you¡¯ll see.¡¯¡±

 Chapter 450: 209 No Regrets (First Update)_2

    Chapter 450: 209 No Regrets (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t understand why someone could be so foolish, especially a high monk. Now I know that I was naive.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, ¡°You are disciples of Buddhism, and I advised you to reduce your desires and avoid fighting to understand your true nature and attain enlightenment. But now you have returned to secr life and are no longer disciples of Buddhism. You can grow freely ording to your personality based on good moral character. In this way, your time in the human world is not wasted.¡±


    ¡°You are all good children, and Second Sister believes in you.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and went downstairs. Ming Ti and Ming Chen looked at each other, and they bothughed and cried at the same time.


    Second Sister was the best sister in the world. She had been like a mother since they were young, teaching them to read and write, teaching them about Buddhist scriptures and principles, and the principles of how to deal with people and affairs. Now she had provided them with a shelter, a luxurious house, and the best education. When they faced difficulties, Second Sister protected them from wind and rain. How could they ever repay such kindness?<div>


    Second Sister didn¡¯t suppress their true nature but let them grow freely, only because she believed they would not disappoint her.


    This kind of love and trust made both of them shed tears.


    But Second Sister, you are only a few years older than us. You should also be a carefree and innocent young girl.


    Zhang Yunfang came and asked, ¡°Why are you crying? I didn¡¯t hear your sister scolding you.¡±


    Ming Chen red at her: ¡°Did you eavesdrop on our conversation?¡±


    Zhang Yunfang hurriedly waved her hand, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll forgive you. After all, there¡¯s nothing shameful about what Second Sister said.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang cautiously said, ¡°Ming Chen, thank you for speaking up for me just now. I used to say nasty things about you with Li Yu, aren¡¯t you upset with me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be upset about. Second Sister says we should be magnanimous and broad-minded. Always getting angry will only hurt ourselves.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang looked envious, ¡°Your Second Sister is so great and powerful. Li Yu and her mother were so embarrassed by her.¡±


    Ming Chen proudly said, ¡°Of course, my Second Sister is the most beautiful, kind, and wonderful woman in the world, without a doubt.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang nodded in agreement, ¡°If only I had a sister like that too.¡±<div>


    Ming Chen snorted, ¡°Keep dreaming! Second Sister is mine, and no one can take her away.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang chuckled, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯tpete with you. Ming Chen, Ming Ti, can I be friends with you guys from now on? I swear I will never hang out with Li Yu again.¡±


    Ming Chen smiled, ¡°Sure, I love making friends.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang immediately happily held Ming Chen¡¯s arm and nced at Ming Ti, who had been silent the whole time. Laughing nervously, she looked somewhat guilty.


    Zhang Yunfang was actually scared of Ming Ti, who was the ss monitor and usually didn¡¯t smile or talk much.


    Ming Ti didn¡¯t look at Zhang Yunfang but turned to look downstairs instead.


    At that moment, the bell rang for the end of ss, and the students rushed out like birds freed from their cages.


    A figure dressed in white opened an umbre and walked into the rain.


    Raindrops sshed on the hem of the skirt, making the silver lotus appear even more ethereal and elegant.


    Amidst the misty rain, the figure seemed to be shrouded in fog, appearing otherworldly, as if not from the mortal world.


    Looking at the figure, the crowd started to discuss. The teenagers, who already had a preliminary notion of beauty, thought they had seen a celestial being.The figure gradually disappeared into the misty rain.


    Ming Ti, Ming Chen, and Zhang Yunfang returned to the ssroom, where all the students stared at them in surprise. Ming Ti¡¯s face showed a happy smile, not at all like someone who had just been expelled. Someone asked her, ¡°Weren¡¯t you expelled?¡±<div>


    Ming Ti blinked her eyes: ¡°Why would I be expelled?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You offended Li Yu, didn¡¯t you? I went to elementary school with her. Once, she had a fight with another girl who just scolded her a few times, and the girl was expelled from school. You even left scratches on Li Yu¡¯s face. How could she let you off so easily? I saw her mothering to the school earlier.¡±


    Her mother had warned her countless times not to provoke Li Yu since Li Yu¡¯s uncle was a powerful figure that she could not afford to offend.


    It seemed impossible for Ming Chen to have beaten Li Yu so severely and yet remain unscathed. Was she just pretending to be calm?


    All the students looked at her with suspicion.


    Ming Chenughed: ¡°It seems you have be ustomed to being oppressed by those in power. This is not good. Where there is resistance, there is oppression. I did nothing wrong, so the school has no reason to expel me.¡±


    Ming Chen returned to her seat, leaving everyone confused by her words. How could there be no reason to expel her when the powerful people didn¡¯t care about reason?


    Zhang Yunfang coughed and said, ¡°Ming Chen is right, it seems everyone has been bending the knee for so long that they¡¯ve forgotten how to stand up. Li Yu was the one who started it, Ming Chen was just defending herself. If the school were to expel her, it would mean they couldn¡¯t tell right from wrong. However, our school has a good reputation, so it¡¯s unlikely that they would do something like that, right?¡±


    The others remained half convinced, but then Li Yu walked into the ssroom. The noisy room went silent in an instant.


    Li Yu red at Ming Chen with resentment, but her expression quickly changed to one of fear. She walked to her seat, stuffed her textbooks into her school bag, and left the ssroom.


    Everyone looked at each other, wondering what was going on.


    Was it not Ming Chen who was expelled, but Li Yu instead?<div>


    For a moment, everyone looked at Ming Chen with admiration. She was truly amazing!


    Ming Chen smiled and waved her hands: ¡°Remember, everyone, if you ever encounter injustice in the future, stand up and resist. By indulging them, we would only encourage further bullying. We live in a society governed by the rule ofw, so we must seek to reason based on thew. Our headmaster is really a great person¡­¡±


    After hearing Ming Chen¡¯s words, everyone thought it made sense. Ming Chen¡¯s image in their hearts grew taller, and even the headmaster seemed less annoying.


    Ming Ti nced at Ming Chen, only to see a mischievous wink from her. Ming Ti shook her head andughed.


    In terms of social skills and winning people¡¯s hearts, she was no match for Ming Chen. Looking at the admiration in the eyes of the entire ss, it seemed that Ming Chen had masterfully exercised authority. By praising the headmaster so highly, Ming Chen had effectively made him feel both ashamed and, at the same time, more tolerant and fond of her and Ming Ti.


    Upon leaving the ssroom, Li Yu burst into tears.


    She and her mother had offended her uncle. Now, everything was ruined.


    Jessica Feng waited outside the school gate. When she saw Li Yue out, she couldn¡¯t help but scold her, ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long? Hurry up.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly jogged over. At this moment, Jessica Feng¡¯s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, her hand trembled slightly. After thinking about it, she had to strike first to gain the upper hand.


    Answering the call, she immediately sobbed, ¡°My dear, I¡¯ve been wronged¡­¡±


    Before she could say more, she was interrupted by the voice on the other end of the line, ¡°What are you talking about, wronged? I should have known that with your temperament, you would bring trouble to me sooner orter. I¡¯ve warned you countless times not to use Mr. Gu¡¯s name to bully others, but you never listen. Do you realize that Mr. Gu just called me, wanting to cut off all ties? You foolish woman, you¡¯ve ruined everything.¡±


    Jessica Feng was in a panic, quickly saying, ¡°She¡¯s just the daughter of a merchant, and she¡¯s not rted to Shen Zhou by blood. Why are you so afraid of her?¡±<div>


    ¡°You really are a fool. Do you not know that she¡¯s very close to Madam Shen, and Mr. Shen has always been watching him? Thest thing we need is to send them a gift like this. You¡¯re pushing Mr. Gu into the fire. Of all the people to offend, you had to offend Ming Jing. Now, besides the Rans, no one in Manjiangzhou dares to offend her.¡±

 Chapter 451: 210 Rescue (Second Update)

    Chapter 451: 210 Rescue (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Get your ass back here right away, and bring Li Yu to personally apologize to Ms. Ming Jing and her sister.¡± The person on the other end hung up.


    In her panic, Jessica Feng identally stepped on the elerator instead of the brake while driving. At that very moment, there was an intersection ahead with several pedestrians crossing the street. Jessica¡¯s car charged forward, hitting them¡­


    Only one thought filled Jessica Feng¡¯s mind at that moment: she was finished¡­


    Li Yu¡¯s screams of terror filled her ears. Jessica didn¡¯t dare to look back, her hands trembling like a drowning person, desperately gasping for air.


    More and more people gathered around, some dialing 120 for help, others running towards her. Subconsciously stepping on the gas pedal, Jessica¡¯s car shot out like an arrow released from its string.<div>


    Ming Jing strolled leisurely along the roadside sheltered by an umbre, when she heardmotions and screams in the distance.


    She quickened her pace and saw arge crowd gathered at the intersection, two bloody figures ¨C one old, one young ¨C lying on the zebra crossing. Not too far away, a middle-aged womany unconscious by the flower bed.


    The people formed a circle, taking photos and videos, but none dared to step forward and help.


    Amid the drizzling rain, the crowd saw a young girl in white with an umbre push her way through. She threw her umbre aside, hurried to the old man and the boy, and checked their pulses one by one.


    Thankfully, they were both still breathing. The old man had suffered a head injury, while the boy was luckier, only having a fractured rib.


    Not knowing the specifics of their injuries, Ming Jing couldn¡¯t move them recklessly. She moved to the middle-aged woman, checked her wounds, and asked without raising her head, ¡°Call 110 and ask the police to dispatch an ambnce from the nearest hospital.¡±


    At that moment, the misty rain sttered on her hair and clothes, wrapping her in a cloud of tiny droplets. Surrounded by an ethereal haze, her icy voice was like broken jade, giving off an otherworldly impression as if she were a celestial being who had wandered into the mortal world.


    A young man was the first to react, saying hastily, ¡°We¡¯ve already called 120, the ambnce should be here in five minutes.¡±


    Ming Jing frowned; the woman¡¯s injuries were severe, with ruptured organs and severe internal bleeding; she wouldn¡¯t make it if they waited for the ambnce.


    Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Ming Jing¡¯s jade-like fingertips pressed several acupoints on the woman¡¯s chest. The woman convulsed and vomited a mouthful of blood onto Ming Jing, staining her immacte skirt like red plum blossoms on snow.


    This was to clear the blood in the esophagus to prevent choking.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Someone screamed in fear.<div>


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to kill her?¡± a woman carrying a vegetable basket used.


    Ming Jing ignored the questions, and tore a strip from her skirt to press on the abdominal wound, as blood continued to flow out. Pressing her right hand down on the spot half an inch below the woman¡¯s heart, the woman convulsed again, grasped Ming Jing¡¯s hand tightly, and pleaded with bulging eyes, ¡°Save¡­ save my son¡­¡±.


    Ming Jing¡¯s face and body were covered in blood, but her dark eyes remained calm and restrained. Speaking slowly and deliberately, she said, ¡°Your son is fine.¡±


    The woman smiled and her arm slowly fell ck.


    ¡°Hold on a little longer, the ambnce is almost here. You won¡¯t die,¡± Ming Jing shouted loudly.


    All those present stared in shock at the scene: a young girl in white, drenched in blood, kneeling on the ground. This sight deeply shook everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Someone in the crowd suddenly said, ¡°She looks familiar¡­ Is that¡­ Ming Jing?¡±


    With just one sentence, the crowd was abuzz, and all eyes were instantly fixed on her.


    In Jiangzhou, Ming Jing was a name everyone knew, even more famous than some rising stars.


    It was her?


    It was indeed her!


    The rain suddenly poured harder, its rapid downpour drenching Ming Jing like a drowned rat.<div>


    Not minding the rain, Ming Jing pressed one hand on the wound and the other on the woman¡¯s blood vessels near the heart, but to no avail¡­


    At that moment, the sound of an ambnce echoed as the paramedics rushed through the rain. They pushed Ming Jing aside, lifted the woman onto a stretcher, and carried her into the ambnce.


    The other two injured individuals were also carried into another ambnce.


    Ming Jing wanted to board the ambnce, and the nurse, thinking she was a family member or eyewitness, let her inside, as she would be helpful for the police investigationter on.

 Chapter 452: 210 Rescue (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 452: 210 Rescue (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ming Jing sat in the corner, watching the professional doctors and nurses begin the rescue, putting the woman on a respirator, and performing emergency hemostasis.


    She looked at her trembling hands, suddenly clenching her left hand tightly with her right, and lowered her eyshes.


    The hospital was nearby, and it took less than five minutes to get there. When the ambnce doors opened, the medical team was waiting, and they quickly loaded the woman onto a stretcher, rushing her to the emergency room.


    Ming Jing got out of the ambnce, and the rain got heavier.


    At this time, another ambnce brought out a stretcher with a young man who had already woken up. He shouted, ¡°Are you Ming Jing?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing walked up to him: ¡°How are you?¡±


    The young man shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for saving my mother. I saw everything.¡±


    Ming Jing lowered her eyshes, looking indifferent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, I know you did your best.¡± The young man was pushed away by the nurse, and Ming Jing followed.


    Outside the emergency room, Ming Jing¡¯s bloodstained clothes were soaked through. She sat quietly on a stic chair, water dripping from her clothes, attracting surprised nces from passing nurses.


    ¡°Is she Ming Jing? She looks like her, but I can¡¯t believe it. Why is she here? Did she hit someone?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? The culprit ran away. She was the one who saved them.¡±


    A kind-hearted nurse handed her a cup of hot water. Ming Jing looked up, took it, and softly said, ¡°Thank you.¡± The nurse looked at the girl¡¯s fair face with a few specks of blood, which made her already beautiful face all the more stunning and tragically beautiful.


    At this time, the video of Ming Jing¡¯s rescue had already spread online, causing a sensation.


    In the video, the young girl knelt in the drizzle, calmly and quickly stopping the woman¡¯s bleeding. Blood sttered on her face, but she didn¡¯t even furrow her brow. The way she tore her skirt was beautiful and efficient, and her cry touched people¡¯s hearts.


    Some professionals pointed out that Ming Jing¡¯s hemostasis technique was quite standard. In such a critical moment, she saved a life. Moreover, her initial chestpressions were even more impressive, connecting the Hegu and Zhongwan points of the Stomach Meridian, inducing gastric reflux, and forcing out the obstructing blood to prevent choking and asphyxiation in a state of shock. She must be very knowledgeable about Chinese medicine and emergency treatment methods.


    However, the victim¡¯s injuries were too severe. Even with professional hemostatic techniques, it was not enough to stop the Grim Reaper.<div>


    Once again, Ming Jing broke people¡¯s perceptions of her. Her actions could no longer be simply described as kind-hearted.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since her interview with reporters after the Marseilles race.


    A person¡¯s nature is engraved in their bones; how long can they pretend?


    Ming Jing was truly a person with greatpassion, and no one would doubt it anymore.


    At the same time, her phone was almost blowing up with messages and calls.


    Ming Jing was unaware of the online storm she had caused. Looking at her hands, fair and slender, very beautiful, but now stained with fresh blood.


    It was all too reminiscent of the snowy scene years ago, with Red Plum Blossoms blooming in the snow.


    An icy wind blew in from somewhere, lifting Ming Jing¡¯s bloodstained skirt. She sat motionless, like an old monk in meditation.


    Seeing this, several nurses found the scene incredibly beautiful and heartbreakingly tragic, even more so than carefully crafted film visuals.


    They secretly took a photo of Ming Jing and uploaded it online, whichter became the most widely shared photo.


    The light in the emergency room went off, and the doctor came out. Ming Jing stood up and walked over.


    ¡°Doctor, how is she now?¡±<div>


    The doctor, who had followed from the scene, was surprised to see Ming Jing still there. Her bloodstained clothes and emotionless ck eyes staring at him made him feel suffocated.


    The doctor said, ¡°She¡¯s temporarily out of danger. She¡¯ll be in the ICU for a 24-hour observation. If she wakes up, she¡¯ll be fine. You saved her by buying her precious rescue time.¡±


    Ming Jing finally smiled, a very pure and warm smile. The doctor was stunned, staring at her as she walked away.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t say a word and left the hospital. The rain became heavier, and she had lost her umbre long ago.As she was about to step into the rain, an umbre suddenly appeared above her head, shielding her from the storm.


    Ming Jing turned her head, and under the umbre, a young man with handsome features and a gentle, smiling gaze met her eyes.


    ¡°Are you nning on catching a cold in such heavy rain?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ran, howe you¡¯re here?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°I came to the hospital for a visit, just happened to run into you. It seems we have quite the fate.¡±


    As they walked, Ming Jing said, ¡°Thank you for the umbre, Mr. Ran. I should go home now.¡±


    ¡°With such heavy rain, let me take you home.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°I want to walk alone.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao replied, ¡°I happen to have nothing to do as well. I¡¯ll apany you.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing did not say anything more, walking through the dreary rain. The damp mist rushed at her face, enveloping her in cold wind from every direction.


    Ye Jian trailed behind them in his car, while Ye Shuang sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, watching the two figures walking side by side up ahead, her chest heaving with agitation.


    ¡°When did Master Xiao get involved with this woman?¡±


    Ye Jian coldly said, ¡°Watch yournguage.¡±


    Ye Shuang¡¯s face showed her defiance, ¡°Master Xiao ignores important matters to follow a young girl around. Who would believe that if they heard it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not our ce to interfere with what Master Xiao wants to do. Just do your job well.¡±


    Ye Shuang snorted and turned her head away.


    What happened next left her even more shocked. A car drove by, and as its speed caused deep puddles on the road to ssh up, the man quickly turned around and held the girl in his arms, shielding her from the deluge.


    Ye Shuang clenched her fists, ¡°Senior Brother, I heard Master Xiao has a fianc¨¦e. What¡¯s up with that?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao felt the warm, soft body in his arms as an almost imperceptible faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils. It seemed to have a numbing effect on his nerves, causing him to feel weak and a rush of blood from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, so much so that the hand wrapping around the girl¡¯s waist trembled slightly.


    Was this the Jin Fragrance that his cousin mentioned?


    As expected, the unique fragrance made one forget the mundane world.<div>


    Just as his mind was about to drift away, the girl in his arms took a step back, standing in the rain and giving him a calm nce.


    That clear and cool gaze was like a basin of cold water being poured over him, instantly waking him up.


    ¡°Sorry, I was a bit abrupt.¡± Ran Tengxiao quickly collected his emotions, once again bing the gentle and charming young master.


    ¡°You can go. I¡¯ll go home by myself.¡± Ming Jing turned around and disappeared into the rain. Her slender figure grew more and more distant until it vanishedpletely.


    Ran Tengxiao stood there until the girl¡¯s figure was no longer visible, and then lowered his gaze to his hand.


    He raised his fingertips to his nose and gently sniffed.


    Hidden orchid scent, beautiful dream-like fragrance.


    Ming Jing, oh Ming Jing, which side of you is the real one?


    Let me uncover your disguise with my own hands.


    Ran Tengxiao smiled, got into the car, and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll pay our respects to Mr. Gu.¡±


    The rain seemed to be falling even heavier now.


    <div>

 Chapter 453: 211 Chaos in My Heart (First Update)

    Chapter 453: 211 Chaos in My Heart (First Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Mr. Ran, please excuse me, I have to take this call.¡± Gu Qingshan stepped aside with his cellphone.


    Ran Tengxiao poured himself a cup of tea, sipping it lightly while looking out at the rain.


    The teahouse had a nice view, quiet and elegant, with an old-world charm. It was easy to rx here.


    Despite the swirling tea mist and gentle tea fragrance, a faint strange aroma that would typically soothe the mind was somehow making him feel irritable.


    The porcin cup was somewhat heated, but his fingertips did not feel any warmth, only endless coldness.<div>


    Her body was as cold as ice, colder than the winter chill that had just started to set in.


    Lowering his gaze, Ran Tengxiao looked at his fingertips, lost in thought.


    From outside the door, he heard Gu Qingshan unable to suppress his furious roar, ¡°What did you just say? Li Yaru, you and your cousin¡¯s family are going to kill me. Not only did you oppress others under my name, but you also offended everyone. Now, you had an ident and fled, and you expect me to clean up your mess? Do you want to drive me into the ground? You¡¯d better pray no one was severely injured. Tell her to turn herself in as soon as possible. Thew might be lenient then. Otherwise, prepare to spend thetter half of her life delivering meals to her in prison.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes. Had the ident at the intersection involved Gu Qingshan?


    Gu Qingshan returned, looking worse than before, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ran, what were we talking about? Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao took a sip of his tea and gently asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, did you run into some trouble?¡±


    Gu Qingshan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as he merely replied, ¡°Nothing¡­ it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s enjoy our tea.¡±


    ¡°I heard your cousin is a famous painter, especially skilled inndscape painting and is regarded as a Master of Traditional Chinese Art. My aunt¡¯s birthday ising up and I wanted to gift her one of his masterpieces. Would it be possible for you to ask him, Mr. Gu? Naturally, we won¡¯t let the Master¡¯s hard work go unpaid.¡±


    Gu Qingshan¡¯s face stiffened. Whenever Li Yang¡¯s family was mentioned, bitter resentment filled his stomach. All the current troubles events were caused by Li Yaru, using his reputation to promote Li Yang, a master only in title, who had been umting wealth through unscrupulous means. They took all the benefits, while he, on the other hand, was left to bear the brunt of the negative consequences.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Is Mr. Gu unwilling to do me this favor?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Of course, we have to give Mr. Ran the face he deserves. It¡¯s just that Li Yang¡¯s hands are injured and he can¡¯t paint at the moment, so I¡¯m afraid we might let you down, Mr. Ran.¡±


    ¡°What a pity.¡± Ran Tengxiao sighed.<div>


    Wiping sweat from his forehead, Gu Qingshan asked, ¡°About the matter we discussed earlier, would Mr. Ran still agree?¡±


    ¡°You mean the shareholder of the horse racing club? I can¡¯t make that decision alone.¡±


    Gu Qingshan frowned. After this horse race, he realized that the horse club was extremely promising, even better than he had originally imagined.


    If Ran Tengxiao disagreed, he had plenty of ways to pressure him.


    ¡°What does Mr. Ran mean by that?¡±


    From what he knew, the horse club was a property of the Ran family. Ran Tengxiao was the person in charge of this generation. Would his words be disregarded?


    Could it be Ran Qing? This woman was not a concern either.


    In his eyes, the Rans were no different from themon folk. Could a snake everpare to a dragon?


    And he intended to be the soaring dragon.


    Although he feared the Rans, he also looked down on them. When Ran Bowen was alive, things were fine. But after Ran Bowen¡¯s death, each generation was worse than thest. This Ran Tengxiao was too young to hold such a huge responsibility.


    Ran Tengxiao could clearly see the disdain in Gu Qingshan¡¯s eyes. He lifted his teacup to hide the cold smirk on his lips, took a leisurely sip, and then spoke slowly, ¡°The other major shareholder of the horse club is Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    Gu Qingshan¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he looked up, ¡°Ming Jing?¡±<div>


    When did these two connect together? Why didn¡¯t he hear a single word about it?


    That Ming Jing really had extensive connections. Most of Jiangzhou¡¯s affluent and influential families had some rtions with her. He thought the Rans would be thest untouched territory, but it seems they couldn¡¯t escape either.


    ¡°Yes, thanks to Ms. Ming Jing, the sess of this year¡¯s horse race was possible. She is now the secondrgest shareholder of the horse club. My words don¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Gu Qingshan was secretly annoyed.


    Ming Jing had a good rtionship with Madam Shen, was an honored guest in Madam Jiang¡¯s house, and she was Shen Zhou¡¯s sister. With such aplicatedwork of rtions, it¡¯s a pity his kin offended her under his name.


    If he could win over her¡­ Gu Qingshan pondered for a moment and quietly made up his mind.

 Chapter 454: 211 Chaos in My Heart (First Update)_2

    Chapter 454: 211 Chaos in My Heart (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ran Tengxiao watched the man¡¯s expression across from him and sneered disdainfully.


    Gu Qingshan¡¯s car disappeared into the curtain of rain. Tengxiao stood under the eaves, looking at the pouring rain with his hands sped behind his back.


    Ye Jian quietly approached him: ¡°Master Xiao, we found out. The culprit is Mrs. Gu¡¯s sister-inw. She hit someone with her car and fled the scene.¡±


    Ye Jian paused before saying: ¡°Interestingly, the woman had just left the school. Her daughter had a conflict with Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s sister, and she used her influence to try to have the principal expel Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s sister¡­¡±


    Ye Jian then gave a brief synopsis, ¡°¡­.Jessica Feng hit someone and escaped, while Ms. Ming Jing, who was passing by, saved the person. A captivating tale of cause and effect.¡±<div>


    ¡°Mrs. Gu, Gu Qingshan¡¯s wife, is indeed skilled at causing trouble for her husband.¡± Ran Tengxiao sneered.


    ¡°More than that, the matter with Li Yang is already enough for Gu Qingshan to worry about. He¡¯s in over his head, yet still harboring ambitions for the horse association. Master Xiao, how do you n to handle this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for someone else to take that seat.¡± Ran Tengxiao sighed silently with his hands behind his back.


    Ye Jian felt a chill and quickly bowed his head.


    ¡°Keep a close watch on him these next few days. This old lecher is up to no good again.¡± Ran Tengxiao¡¯s cold and cruel tone, coupled with the ying of his jade ring behind his back, carried an intimidating ruthlessness.


    Ming Jing returned home drenched in rain and blood. Han Suwen was frightened when she opened the door.


    ¡°Miss, what happened to you? You scared me.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the blood is not mine.¡±


    Han Suwen was even more terrified.


    Ming Jing exined, ¡°Not what you¡¯re thinking. I happened upon a car ident and helped with the emergency rescue.¡±


    ¡°Amitabha, you scared me to death. It turned out to be a false rm.¡± Han Suwen folded her hands and prayed. Then she said, relieved, ¡°Saving a life outweighs building a seven-level pagoda. Miss, your kindness and good deeds must be seen by Buddha. Let me draw a hot bath for you. You must take a bath. Otherwise, you will definitely catch a cold¡­¡± Saying this, she hurried upstairs.


    Ming Jing nced at her phone. Theodore Shelby and Shen Zhou had called ¨C she slowly replied to them, speaking in aforting voice.<div>


    Tao Xingxing, Jiang Jinchen, and Charles Gao had all called. Ming Jing spent her time answering calls.


    ¡°Miss, your bath is ready.¡±


    Ming Jing hung up on Jiang Jinchen¡¯s call, then put down her phone and entered the bathroom.


    At the same time she closed the bathroom door, her phone rang again.


    Ming Jing paused briefly. All those who knew her number, family and friends, have almost all made the call.


    Except for Lin Qing and Zhu Wentao. But Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to deal with these two for the time being.


    Ming Jing undressed, took off her wig, and stepped into the bathtub.


    She submerges herself in the rising steam. After an unknown amount of time, she slowly raised her head from the water, and her eyshes were dripping water drops into the bathtub.


    She was breathtakingly beautiful with undecorated charm, the kind of pure beauty that couldn¡¯t be adequately captured in words. Her eyes twinkled with an enchanting light, reflecting the beauty of the universe¡ªso beautiful it was heartbreaking.


    Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Jingzhou, at the set of ¡°Girl Idol,¡± it was break time.


    The coaches were upied with their own activities¡ªdrinking water, using their phones, or chatting with their assistants. Only Qu Feitai looked anxious, engaged in a call, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°Who do you think Qu Feitai is talking to?¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Qugod so worried. Except for his love interest, who else could have such an effect on him?¡±


    ¡°Everyone, check the news. Something happened to Ming Jing. I bet Qu is worried.¡±


    News media are ruthless these days, disregarding facts for shy headlines just for attention, things like¡ª¡¯Ming Jing Covered In Blood Appears On The Street, What Did The Nation¡¯s Goddess Do?¡¯


    Or¡ª¡¯The Decline of Morality or The Distortion of Human Nature: See Our National Goddess.¡¯


    Or even¡ª¡¯Does The National Goddess Deserve Her Status?¡¯


    The headlines were designed to mislead and provoke, drawing people in with vague ims. This, coupled with the widely circted photo of Ming Jing sitting outside the emergency room in her bloody clothes, left everyone hanging on a cliff.The first reaction was that something had happened to Ms. Ming Jing. No media made it clear what exactly happened. I¡¯m not going to tell either, I¡¯m just teasing your curiosity.


    The spection heated up, but it led to great misunderstandings.


    At least, the first reaction of Qu Feitai upon seeing the news was panic and fear. After quickly calming down, he tried to call Ms. Ming Jing, but she didn¡¯t answer.


    The young man with sword eyebrows frowned, his thin lips tightly pressed together, he hated that he was thousands of miles away in Jingzhou and knew nothing.


    Qu Feitai made a swift decision and got up to leave. In front of everyone¡¯s gaze, he strode off. The assistant director hurried after him, ¡°Mr. Qu, the recording is about to start, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I have an urgent matter, please stop the recording. I¡¯ll take full responsibility for any consequences.¡± He said and left without turning his head. Judging by his hurried pace, it seemed he indeed had an emergency.


    The assistant director was dumbfounded, so were all the staff, mentors, and contestants.<div>


    Xu Lian¡¯er and her assistant were just discussing this matter. She couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Could the rumors be true? He and Ms. Ming Jing¡­?¡±


    The assistant coughed to signal her to be careful with her words.


    Not only Xu Lian¡¯er thought this, but everyone else did too.


    The contestants, young girls, were unable to resist a top star like Qu Feitai, who was tall, handsome and talented. They both admired him as an idol and had feelings for him.


    Now his reaction confirmed the rumors. No longer could they deceive themselves. Naturally, some were joyous, some were worried, some were jealously enraged, some were shipping the couple enthusiastically.


    ¡°The rumor is true. The person our male god likes is Ms. Ming Jing¡­¡±


    Everyone heard the sound of their hearts breaking. If it were someone else, it might have been fine. But Ms. Jing Ming¡­ This firstdy of Jiangzhou, her unparalleled elegance and beauty were something they couldn¡¯t catch up with even if they were on a rocket.


    When a person is so outstanding, even jealousy seems so pale and weak.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suppressed the wild jealousy in her eyes and secretly clenched her fists.


    No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t catch the eye of Qu Feitai, yet Ms. Ming Jing could easily unsettle him, causing him to leave everything behind.


    Ming Jing walked out of the bathroom, with semi-dry hair clinging down. She sat in front of the mirror, drying her hair with a towel.


    The mirror reflected a slim figure, her face blushing from the steam, her eyes misty. The cold eyebrows revealed a hint of coyness, stunningly beautiful.<div>


    Ms. Ming Jing touched her hair. In half a year, it had grown back behind her ears.


    The ck hair was thick like ink, making her skin seem even more fair and exquisite, her features extraordinarily beautiful.


    Ming Jing woke up at four in the afternoon, the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window was gloomy ck.


    It seemed that there was particrly a lot of rain this autumn.


    Ming Jing went downstairs for a drink of water, the entire house was dreadfully silent.


    At this time, Xiao Ying had gone to the market to buy groceries, and Wenwen had gone to pick up Xiao Wu from school.


    The day after tomorrow she was going to Jingzhou for the Winter Camp. The school had given her two days off to prepare.


    Ming Jing walked out of the kitchen with her cup of water, just about to go upstairs, when suddenly, the doorbell rang.


    The footsteps of Ming Jing paused. The fingerprint lock didn¡¯t need a key, so it wasn¡¯t Xiao Ying or Wenwen.


    Ming Jing walked over, looked through the peephole.


    Why was it him?


    The bell was still ringing, as if the person outside would keep pressing it if Ming Jing didn¡¯t open the door.<div>


    Reluctantly, Ming Jing opened the door. The young man, bringing with him a chill, embraced her. The palm that Ming Jing raised paused when she saw the deep worry in the young man¡¯s eyes.


    In the second she hesitated, she was tightly enveloped in his arms.


    Chill and damp rain,bined with a faint scent of a young man, came straight to her.


    Blinding her eyes, muddling her mind.

 Chapter 455: 212 Love (Second Revision)

    Chapter 455: 212 Love (Second Revision)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Time seemed to freeze at this moment.


    Ming Jing stared at the dense rain and dark clouds outside the corridor window, as the cold wind blew into the narrow hallway.


    The chill prated every nook and cranny, but the young man¡¯s body temperature felt scorching hot.


    ¡°Qu Feitai,¡± Ming Jing called out lightly.


    The young man held her tightly in his arms, like a drowning person clutching onto thest straw for survival.<div>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡± His tone carried hints ofint and grievances, as if Ming Jing had wronged him somehow.


    His voice was so deceptive, and his acting skills were so good that it would make anyone else feel guilty.


    However, the person he was facing was Ming Jing.


    There would be no cheap sentimentality.


    ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± Ming Jing¡¯s cold voice was chillier than the freezing wind, cooling the young man¡¯s burning heart in an instant.


    ¡°I¡­ I saw the news about your ident, and I was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Can you let me go now?¡±


    Sensing the softness of the girl in his arms, Qu Feitai sighed, reluctantly releasing his grip on her slowly.


    He was soaked through and had wetted Ming Jing¡¯s clothes as well. Scratching his head awkwardly, Qu Feitai said, ¡°Sorry, you should go change your clothes.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up to see water still dripping from his cap. His clothes werepletely drenched, and underneath the brim of his hat was a strikingly handsome face, a pair of deep ck eyes staring at her intently. They possessed a mix of turbulent waves, gentle streams, spring warmth, and autumn sorrow.


    Those were eyes that could speak.


    Ming Jing furrowed her eyebrows, thinking that the young man was just acting on impulse. With the glitz and mour of the entertainment circle, he should be able to move on quickly. It seemed that she had underestimated the situation.<div>


    ¡°Please go back and don¡¯te looking for me again,¡± Ming Jing said indifferently before closing the door, leaving a bewildered and soaked Qu Feitai standing outside.


    He had a bright future ahead of him; there was no need for him to waste time on her. She shouldn¡¯t give him any illusions or leave him with any misunderstandings.


    Ming Jing knelt in front of the Buddha statue, her fingertips fiddling with the Buddhist beads, her eyshes gently lowered.


    The room was tranquil, filled with the faint aroma of sandalwood.


    After an unknown passage of time, Ming Jing heard Ming Chen¡¯s excited voice from downstairs, ¡°Brother Qu, please take a seat. I¡¯ll get you a towel¡­.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any men¡¯s clothes at home, but I can ask Shiba¡­¡±.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s radar instantly beeped. He casually asked, ¡°Shiba?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let me ask Shiba to lend us some clothes. Brother Qu, just wait for me.¡± With that said, she darted out like an arrow, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Qu Feitai furrowed his brow, wondering what kind of person this Shiba was and why they seemed to be quite close to Ming Jing and her sisters.


    Feeling an unkind gaze on him, Qu Feitai looked up to see Ming Ti standing opposite, her face stern. When their eyes met, she awkwardly looked away.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ming Ti asked.


    She and Ming Chen had returned from school to find a drenched Qu Feitai standing at their doorstep.<div>


    It was a shock for her, but a pleasant surprise for Ming Chen.


    Ming Chen excitedly called him Brother Qu, even inviting him in, but she couldn¡¯t control her headstrong sister.


    Ming Jing was home, but she had left Qu Feitai outside. Wasn¡¯t the answer obvious? Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to see this man.


    How quickly Ming Chen had forgotten her previous lesson.


    Qu Feitai found it amusing to see the little girl trying to imitate Ming Jing with her stern face but failing due to her innocence.


    ¡°I came to see your sister.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a big star? Shouldn¡¯t you be busy? Besides, my sister doesn¡¯t want to see you, so you should just leave.¡±


    Ming Ti thought Qu Feitai would realize the situation and leave, but he stood unmoving, his face thick-skinned.


    Ming Ti frowned, never having met someone so shameless before.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily outside, and all flights are grounded. How can I leave?¡± The young man sighed, and with his current pitiful state, he appeared quite vulnerable.


    Ming Ti pursed her lips, ¡°Alright, just promise me you¡¯ll leave as soon as the rain stops.¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±<div>


    ¡°Brother Qu, I¡¯m back!¡± Ming Chen ran in carrying a pile of clothes. Handing them to Qu Feitai, she said, ¡°Go take a shower and change into some dry clothes. It¡¯s not good if you catch a cold.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at the girl¡¯s bright eyes and rosy cheeks from running, and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Ming Chen.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qu, hurry up and go.¡±

 Chapter 456: 212 Love (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 456: 212 Love (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    When Qu Feitai entered the restroom, Ming Ti pulled Ming Chen into the bedroom: ¡°Our sister doesn¡¯t want him toe, why are you so kindhearted?¡±


    ¡°Of course, because he is Brother Qu.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are a total fan girl. Aren¡¯t you afraid of sister getting angry?¡±


    ¡°I am, of course I am, but Brother Qu is so pitiful. He traveled such a long way to see my sister, how could I keep him outside? Besides, it¡¯s raining so heavily outside, where could he go? Heaven ispassionate, and the Buddha is merciful to all beings. They certainly wouldn¡¯t like to see Brother Qu suffer. As for my sister, she¡¯ll definitely agree.¡±


    ¡°Are you silly? That¡¯s not what our sister means. Forget it, you won¡¯t understand even if I exin it to you.¡± Ming Ti found it was talking to a brick wall, her mind full of fan girl fantasies and nothing productive.<div>


    Ming Chen secretly stuck out her tongue. She knew better, Ming Ti was the na?ve one.


    Qu Feitai returned in clean clothes. The mysterious person¡¯s outfit was entirely ck, with no logo, with slightly short sleeves and pant legs. In other aspects, it was perfect. It seemed like this so-called Shiba was around the same weight as Qu Feitai but at least ten centimeters shorter.


    ¡°Wow, Brother Qu looks so handsome in ck clothes,¡± Ming Chen eximed.


    Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow: ¡°Really? Ming Chen, Brother Qu has a question for you.¡±


    ¡°Ask, Brother Qu.¡±


    Qu Feitai nced around and lowered his voice: ¡°Who is this Shiba in your story?¡±


    Ming Chen rolled her eyes, cunning and clever: ¡°Shiba is just Shiba.¡±


    Qu Feitai touched his forehead: ¡°I know it¡¯s your Shiba, I mean, what¡¯s his rtionship with your sister?¡±


    Ming Chen giggled behind her hand: ¡°Is Brother Qu jealous?¡±


    Qu Feitai smiled helplessly: ¡°Do I have that privilege?¡±


    ¡°Of course you do. But never mind, Brother Qu. Shiba won¡¯tpete with you for my sister because Shiba is mine. He has promised me that once I grow up, he¡¯ll marry me.¡±


    Ming Chen stood on her tiptoes and patted Qu Feitai on the shoulder: ¡°Keep going, Brother Qu.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai¡¯s mouth twitched. Are all the kids these days so precocious?


    At this moment, Xiao Ying and Han Suwen returned with groceries, surprised to see a man in their house. Ming Yi ran up to him with an innocent smile: ¡°You must be Brother Qu, right? My sister talks about you all the time.¡±


    Qu Feitai smiled and patted the girl¡¯s head: ¡°You must be Xiao Wu?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Brother Qu knows me.¡± The little girl nodded as if pounding garlic, looking very cute.


    Xiao Ying suddenly screamed, her trembling finger pointing at Qu Feitai: ¡°You¡­ Are you the big star Qu Feitai?¡±


    How could such a big star from the entertainment industry, a top-tier celebrity, appear in their home? Was she dreaming?


    Han Suwen frowned slightly, seemingly recognizing who he was. She nced at the second floor, not losing herposure like Xiao Ying, and politely asked: ¡°Are you our youngdy¡¯s friend?¡±


    To save Qu Feitai from further embarrassment, Ming Chen jumped out and said: ¡°He¡¯s here to see my sister, but since it¡¯s raining heavily outside, he can¡¯t leave, so he might have to stay here for the night.¡±


    It was inappropriate for him to stay in a house full of girls. Qu Feitai quickly said: ¡°No need, my house is just across the street, but I forgot my keys. I can book a hotel nearby for the night.¡±


    Ming Chen excitedly said: ¡°So we¡¯re neighbors? We can see Brother Qu every day.¡±


    Xiao Ying blurted out: ¡°Mr. Qu, haven¡¯t you seen the news? A staff member from Girl Idol exposed that you walked out halfway through the shoot, leaving everyone behind. Many people online are calling you a diva. There¡¯s even a rumor that you did it because of our youngdy¡­¡±


    Xiao Ying had heard the rumor before but always thought it was a tall tale. She couldn¡¯t believe it was true.<div>


    Nothing can top the happiness of your shipped coupleing true.


    Han Suwen, Ming Chen, and Ming Ti all looked at Qu Feitai in amazement, faces full of surprise.


    So there was such a backstory.Ming Chen¡¯s eyes were sparkling with stars. Wasn¡¯t this the epitome of a man getting mad for a beauty? It was too romantic and moving.


    Qu Feitai frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t care so much at the time, and thinking back, he didn¡¯t regret it, even if it meant paying a higher price for this.


    He nced at his phone, which was still in airne mode. As soon as he switched it off, a series of calls from Huang Chao came in, but Qu Feitai turned the phone off altogether.


    It was about time to give a warning to those responsible for this variety show, as they exploited his reputation for their own gain.


    ¡°Xiao Ying, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go cook. We have guests tonight, so we should make more dishes,¡± Han Suwen broke the somewhat awkward atmosphere.


    Looking at Qu Feitai, she asked, ¡°Mr. Qu, do you prefer fish or meat?¡±


    Qu Feitai replied, ¡°I¡¯m vegetarian.¡±


    Han Suwen nced at him and nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Han Suwen dragged Xiao Ying, who was still daydreaming, into the kitchen.


    ¡°Brother Qu, can you sing a song for me?¡±<div>


    Who could refuse the request of a pretty and cute little girl? Qu Feitai asked, ¡°Do you have any musical instruments at home?¡±


    ¡°We have an electronic piano.¡± Ming Chen rushed to her bedroom and pulled out a half-human-sized electronic piano, while Qu Feitai hurried over to help her.


    ¡°Aunt Wen won this electronic piano in a raffle during a promotion at a shopping mall. But I don¡¯t know how to y, so it¡¯s been gathering dust in the corner.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at the electronic piano and smiled, touching the keys to turn it on.


    Qu Feitai asked, ¡°What song do you want to hear?¡±


    ¡°White Robe,¡± Ming Chen answered without hesitation.


    The young man sat in a chair, his slender and beautiful fingers dancing on the piano keys like a sprite. In an instant, a beautiful piano melody flowed out, filling the whole room.


    Xiao Ying peeked out from the kitchen and marveled at the young man, saying, ¡°Only Qu Feitai could make an electronic piano sound like a real piano.¡±


    Listening to Qu Feitai¡¯s live performance was an unforgettable experience.


    When the young man began singing the first line, even the stern-faced Ming Ti couldn¡¯t help but be momentarily stunned, quickly raising her head to look at him.


    In her eyes, the man who was fiercely pursuing Ming Jing was very annoying, even if he was handsome, wealthy, and had a high status. In her opinion, he could never be good enough for Ming Jing.


    Last time at the concert, she had experienced why this man attracted so many crazy fans for the first time. On the dazzling stage, he sang with deep emotions, as if he was a distant star admired by ordinary people in the audience. It was a love they could never catch up with in their lifetimes.<div>


    Now, the young man was sitting right in front of her, with no screaming fans, no fancy lighting or makeup, and no high-end audio equipment.


    Just a person and a cheap electronic piano, performing a concert-level performance.


    People said that the song White Robe was written for Ming Jing. She had scorned the idea before, but now as she listened to the young man¡¯s clear and pure voice, a beautiful painting unfolded before her eyes.


    This must be the extraordinary talent that made him truly praiseworthy. Deep affection wasn¡¯t found in expressions, gestures, or words.


    It was in the lines of lyrics, the soft and tangled singing, and the mellow and melodious sighs in between.


    Ming Ti was somewhat stunned.


    It seemed that she had been a little moved.


    From downstairs, the sound of singing and piano floated up faintly. Ming Jing opened her eyes and looked into Buddha¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Suffering is born from love, fear is born from love; away from love, there is no suffering or fear.¡±

 Chapter 457: 213 Talent (one more)

    Chapter 457: 213 Talent (one more)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Brother Qu, you sing so beautifully, even better than at the concertst time.¡±


    Qu Feitai nced in the direction of the second floor and smiled, ¡°Would you like to learn the electronic piano?¡±


    Ming Chen nodded like a chick pecking at rice: ¡°I want to learn.¡±


    ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qu is going to teach me piano personally.¡± Ming Chen excitedly jumped up from the sofa.


    Qu Feitai was serious in teaching, and Ming Chen was equally serious in learning. She was naturally smart; she remembered almost everything after Qu Feitai exined it once, and in no time, she could y a simple tune.


    Qu Feitai was surprised, ¡°You¡¯re learning faster than I did. You have a natural talent.¡±


    Ming Chenughed heartily, ¡°Thank you for yourpliment, Brother Qu, but I can¡¯tpare to you.¡±


    Qu Feitai patted her head softly, smiling gently, ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself, you are very talented. If you want to learn an instrument, I rmend you find a professional teacher. You are quite gifted in this aspect.¡±


    ¡°Really? But I only want Brother Qu to teach me.¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned slightly, ¡°Well ¡­¡±


    Ming Chen pulled at Qu Feitai¡¯s sleeve, coquettishly saying, ¡°Brother Qu, you are so talented. There¡¯s no better teacher in the world than you. Only you are worthy to teach me.¡±


    Qu Feitai, who had just told her not to belittle herself, couldn¡¯t help butugh at her exaggeration.


    But he still considered, ¡°Though I like you as my student, but for one, I am too busy, I don¡¯t have much time to teach you. Most importantly, Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t likely approve ¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important, you just say if you are willing to ept me.¡±


    Qu Feitai smiled, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re so smart, you¡¯ll do well in whatever you try. The music scene would be honored to have you.¡±


    Ming Chen prettily huffed, ¡°Brother Qu, as long as you¡¯re willing to teach me, I will definitely study hard. As for Ming Jing, I will talk to her.¡±


    Ming Chen secretly sneaked into Ming Jing¡¯s room, seeing Ming Jing kneeling on the meditation cushion, her back motionless, she carefully approached.


    ¡°Ming Jing ¡­¡±


    Without opening her eyes, Ming Jing responded with a faint ¡°Mmm¡±.


    ¡°Ming Jing, Brother Qu said that I have a musical talent and he wants to teach me music. He¡¯s so amazing, he would certainly be the world¡¯s best teacher. I really want to learn, could you please agree ¡­¡± Ming Chen finished speaking and then obediently lowered her head.


    After a long silence, Ming Chen was about to burst with anxiety when she heard Ming Jing¡¯s gentle voice, ¡°Are you really eager to learn?¡±


    Ming Chen pondered seriously and then stated decisively, ¡°Yes, Ming Jing, I really want to learn.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ming Chen looked up in surprise; she hadn¡¯t thought that Ming Jing would agree. She had prepared herself for crying, screaming, and threatening to hang herself. She had even readied some tear gas, and the urge to cry was welling up within her. The moment Ming Jing would refuse, she was ready to burst into tears.


    With Ming Jing¡¯s single word, all the emotions that Ming Chen had been holding back broke loose, just like a floodgate opening.


    ¡°Er¡­ Ming Jing, aren¡¯t you supposed not to like Brother Qu?¡± Ming Chen asked tentatively.


    Ming Jing responded calmly, ¡°That¡¯s a separate matter. He¡¯s extremely talented and responsible, he would make a good teacher. If you truly love music and hope to achieve something in this field, he is the obvious choice.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re the best. I love you.¡± Ming Chen excitedly threw herself into Ming Jing¡¯s embrace.


    Ming Jing remained unmoved, ¡°Remember what you have said today.¡±


    Ming Chen, as joyful as a bird freed from a cage, shot down from the second floor, ¡°Brother Qu, Ming Jing agreed! She agreed!¡±


    Qu Feitai raised his eyebrows in surprise before breaking into a smile.


    Qu Feitai knew himself well. Ming Jing was doing this not because of him, but for Ming Chen¡¯s hobby and future.


    But for Qu Feitai, it was still a positive sign.


    Ming Ti nced at the excited Ming Chen, snorted coldly: ¡°With your inconsistent nature, practicing music is hard. Let¡¯s see how many days you can hold on.¡±


    Ming Chen ced her hands on her hips and yfully stuck out her tongue, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous that I have Brother Qu as my teacher. It¡¯s not my fault you¡¯re not musically gifted, haha.¡±


    Ming Ti shot her a look before exiting.


    Han Suwen came out with a te: ¡°It¡¯s dinner time, Ming Ti, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating; I¡¯m already filled up with frustration. I¡¯m going to find Shiba.¡±


    ¡°Great, please deliver his meal as well, that¡¯ll save me the trouble.¡± Han Suwen handed arge insted food sk to Ming Ti from the kitchen.

 Chapter 458: 213 Talent (one more)_2

    Chapter 458: 213 Talent (one more)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I made extra food tonight, so you and Shiba can eat together.¡±


    Ming Ti left with the insted lunch box in hand.


    ¡°Brother Qu, don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s just a bit stubborn. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Ming Chen pulled Qu Feitai to sit at the dining table.


    Eight dishes and one soup, extremelyvish.


    Five people eating, including two children, quite extravagant indeed.


    ¡°Mr. Qu, time was limited, so I could only prepare these. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Qu Feitai spoke gently, ¡°Aunt Wen, from now on, I will be Ming Chen¡¯s music teacher. We will meet often, so please don¡¯t be too formal with me. Just call me Xiao Qu.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Ming Chen is really fortunate.¡± Han Suwen smiled.


    Xiao Ying secretly winked at Ming Chen. Not bad, keeping quiet and epting Qu Feitai as a teacher.


    Ming Chen proudly puffed out her chest. She must study diligently and not let Brother Qu down.


    ¡°Shiba, brother.¡± Ming Ti unlocked the door, ¡°I brought you food.¡±


    An empty rope hung from the ceiling in the empty living room, with a boy hanging upside down from it like a bat. Hearing the girl¡¯s voice, he twisted his body in mid-air andnded lightly.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Ming Ti couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°So amazing.¡±


    Shiba¡¯s eyes fell on the insted lunch box in Ming Ti¡¯s hand and he swallowed.


    Ming Ti immediately opened the lunch box, ¡°Aunt Wen made braised fish and lion¡¯s head meatballs tonight, your favorites.¡±


    Ming Ti propped her chin with both hands and watched the boy opposite her gobble up the food, muttering, ¡°Shiba, Ming Chen is learning music with Qu Feitai and has found her life¡¯s direction, but what should I learn?¡±


    Shiba continued eating with no sign of hearing her words.


    Ming Ti¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened, ¡°Shiba, brother, will you teach me martial arts? I want to learn to be very powerful, to protect Ming Jing.¡±


    Shiba paused while eating, nced at her, then continued eating without a word.


    ¡°Shiba, brother, if you teach me martial arts, you will be my master. I will bring you delicious food every day, and do whatever you want me to do. Please, Shiba, brother.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s coquetry was as effective as Ming Chen¡¯s, making Shiba¡¯s skin crawl. He continued eating while speaking, ¡°Learning kung fu is bitter and tiring.¡±


    Ming Ti raised her eyebrows proudly, ¡°I¡¯m not like Ming Chen, a delicate package. I want to learn martial arts and be a powerful person, so no one can bully me. I also want to protect Ming Jing, Ming Chen, and Xiao Wu.¡±


    Shiba looked at the determination in the little girl¡¯s eyes, swallowed a bite of the lion¡¯s head meatballs, and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Ming Jing teach you?¡±


    Ming Ti was puzzled, ¡°Ming Jing is frail, how could she know martial arts? She taught me Buddhist scriptures and theories. But now I have returned to secr life, and I no longer have to listen to her sermons. Shiba, brother, I only tell you this, but I don¡¯t actually like studying Buddhism at all. I especially hated memorizing Buddhist scriptures since I was a child, but I was afraid of being disrespectful to Buddha.¡±


    Since she was a child, she had a reticent personality and liked to keep things bottled up inside. But only to Shiba, the quiet boy with clean eyes, was she willing to openly share her thoughts. Talking to him was very rxing.


    Shiba frowned. How deeply did Ming Jing hide her true self that even Ming Ti, who grew up with her, did not know?


    Shiba nodded, ¡°You can learn kung fu with me, but let me be clear: you cannot give up halfway. This path is more exhausting and hard than you can imagine. It¡¯s not toote to back out now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of hardship or fatigue, Shiba, brother. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Shiba dropped his chopsticks, suddenly grabbed Ming Ti¡¯s hand and startled her. His gaze was clear and unpolluted by distracting thoughts, making her panic seem misced.


    Shiba¡¯s fingers followed her meridians upwards, reaching her shoulders and corbone. Ming Ti sat still, not daring to move.


    ¡°Shiba, brother, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Your tendons and bones are flexible, which makes you a good candidate for practicing martial arts. Besides teaching you Buddhist scriptures, what else has Ming Jing taught you?¡±


    Ming Ti thought for a moment and said, ¡°Since we were children, Ming Jing taught us the Eight-section Brocade. She said it could strengthen the body and prolong life. My sisters, Ming Chen, and Xiao Wu all practice it.¡±However, her elder sister Ming Chen loved to bezy, only practicing every few days. But she practiced on time every day.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, your second sister has alreadyid the foundation for you, so building the house will be much more manageable.¡±


    Ming Ti seemed to understand, ¡°So Shiba, is the Eight Section Brocade that my second sister taught me very powerful?¡±


    ¡°It should be good enough. Today, let¡¯s start with the Horse Stance. This is the basic skill for practicing the lower body, and you will practice it for two hours every day.¡±


    Ming Ti sighed and reluctantly began to pose. After Shiba corrected her posture, he flew up the rope like a swimming snake and wrapped himself around it easily. With his legs crossed, he hung upside down in a strange posture.


    Time passed quietly, and when Shiba opened his eyes, the girl was still maintaining her original posture. Her face was distorted in pain, but she hadn¡¯t moved at all.


    Shiba raised his eyebrows in surprise. This girl had a strong will and good physical fitness. She was indeed a martial arts prodigy.


    Shiba crossed his arms and said, ¡°Time¡¯s up, you can go back now, ande again tomorrow.¡±


    Ming Ti persisted for another thirty seconds before sitting down on her butt. She wiped the sweat off her foreheadboriously and asked curiously, seeing Shiba still hanging on the rope, ¡°Shiba, do you sleep like this at night?¡±


    Shiba didn¡¯t answer her and seemed to have fallen asleep.


    Ming Ti limped away.


    ¡°Ming Ti, did someone beat you up?¡± Seeing Ming Ti walking like a duck, Ming Chenughed and fell onto the sofa.


    ¡°Where is your Brother Qu?¡± Ming Ti looked around but didn¡¯t see Qu Feitai.


    She couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a ce to stay, so he went to stay in a hotel. You still haven¡¯t told me how you ended up like this. Did you be Shiba¡¯s punching bag?¡±


    Ming Ti gave her a white-eye nce and didn¡¯t bother to exin. She went upstairs to find Ming Jing.


    Ming Ti knocked on the door: ¡°Second sister¡­¡±.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Ming Ti pushed the door open and walked in. Ming Jing was reading and taking notes. Ming Ti went over and nced at the content, which was full of forms and symbols, making her feel dizzy.


    ¡°Second sister, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m learning kung fu from Shiba. Do¡­do you agree?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s hand holding the pen paused, and she looked at her: ¡°Does Shiba agree?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Shiba agrees. He said I have excellent aptitude and am very suitable for martial arts.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°If you like it, that¡¯s good. But remember not to give up halfway.¡±


    ¡°I know. By the way, Second Sister, are you going to Jingzhou the day after tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have a flight at eight in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­I wish you a smooth journey and sess in getting the Gold Medal and entering the national team.¡±


    She had already checked online that a CMO Gold Medal would qualify her for admission to a prestigious university. With her second sister¡¯s strength, it was definitely possible.


    ¡°When I¡¯m not at home, you, Ming Chen, and Xiao Wu should listen to Wenwen. If anything happens, call me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Sister, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡±


    Ming Ti hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask Ming Jing about Li Yu¡¯s situation. The rumor around the school was that Li Yu was nning to drop out. At first, Ming Chen was able to deceive everyone, but as they thought more about it, they understood the truth.


    Everyone guessed that she and Ming Chen had even more powerful connections at home, and they had forced Li Yu to drop out. She and Ming Chen neither confirmed nor denied the rumor, making them even more famous in school. Even the teachers in the third grade knew their names.

 Chapter 459: 214 A Windy Night (Second Watch)

    Chapter 459: 214 A Windy Night (Second Watch)


    Trantor: 549690339


    As soon as Ming Ti left, Ming Jing¡¯s phone rang.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s singing echoed in the silent room, as if it would continue until Ming Jing answered.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing¡­, I¡¯m Gu Qingshan, is it convenient for you to talk now?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the night view outside the window: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Gu, I need to rest now.¡±


    ¡°My apologies for disturbing you, Ms. Ming Jing. Please be sure toe to Ya Garden at eight o¡¯clock tomorrow evening. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    Ming Jing hung up and then received a call from Shen Zhou.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of the rumors on the inte, so you don¡¯t have to worry about Gu Qingshan. Mr. Shen has his own way to deal with it.¡± Shen Zhou¡¯s gentle voice came quietly from the phone, as if it could soothe all turbulence and anxiety.


    ¡°Thank you, big brother.¡±


    ¡°No need to be polite with your big brother. Get some rest early, and if you have time tomorrow,e back and see dad, he misses you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, big brother, get some rest as well.¡±


    As soon as the call ended, Shen Zhou¡¯s expression turned cold.


    Shen Ke said, ¡°Gu Qingshan has asked Ms. Ming Jing to meet him at Ya Garden tomorrow night at eight. By the way, this afternoon, Gu Qingshan met with Ran Tengxiao. I don¡¯t know what they conspired about, but I believe it could be rted to Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao? He¡¯s really overstepping.¡± The Rans has always been a thorn in their side, and Mr. Shen wanted to uproot thempletely, but Ran Tengxiao was slippery, and his power was deeply rooted, making it difficult.


    What were they trying to do by joining forces?


    From the outside, the Shens¡¯ Vi looked quite ordinary, it was hard to believe that someone of Shen Zhou¡¯s wealth would live in such an unassuming ce.


    All the open areas in the courtyard were turned into vegetable gardens, filled with fruits and vegetables. Upon entering the gate, Elder Theodore Shelby was busy building a greenhouse for his vegetables.


    Ming Jing put down her things and went over to help, and when Elder Theodore Shelby saw her, he smiled, ¡°You haven¡¯te to see your father for a few days now, you heartless girl.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Ie now? You should go rest, and I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    ¡°My body can¡¯t stand resting, I feel itchy all over. But doing chores makes me feelfortable, I¡¯m just not destined to enjoy luxury.¡±


    ¡°Whether you suffer or enjoy depends on your mindset. Some people find joy in hardship, while others have great wealth but are gued by illness. It all depends on your attitude.¡±


    ¡°You always make sense. This old man likes to listen to you. Haha, let¡¯s not work anymore, let¡¯s go inside and have some tea and chat. It¡¯s too cold outside, you¡¯re wearing too light clothes.¡± Elder Theodore Shelby pulled Ming Jing into the living room without asking more questions.


    The housekeeper brought in the things that Ming Jing had brought, and Elder Theodore Shelby nced at them, ¡°There¡¯s so much, I can¡¯t finish it all even with eight mouths. You spent too much again.¡±


    There were both cordyceps and snow ginseng, both extremely valuable Chinese medicinal ingredients.


    After taking Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s pulse, Ming Jing nodded and said, ¡°These are all warming tonics, I¡¯ll teach Madam Zhang to make medicinal meals. As long as you eat them regrly, I can guarantee you¡¯ll live a long life.¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± Elder Theodore Shelbyughed heartily, patting Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to ask for a long life. As long as I can see my grandson born and you get married, I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s smile faded slightly as she stood up and said, ¡°What would you like for lunch, Dad? I¡¯ll cook it myself.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby couldn¡¯t help but grin even wider, ¡°This old man is in for a treat.¡±


    While cooking, Ming Jing taught Madam Zhang how to pair the medicinal ingredients and how to make medicinal meals. Madam Zhang carefully memorized everything, and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Miss, you know so much. Since you came to our household, the old man has been smiling every day. He really likes you, his daughter, and brags about you to his old friends next door. Those old men always leave angrily.¡±


    Thinking of the scene, Ming Jing smiled.


    At noon, Shen Zhou and Shen Ke returned, and behind Shen Ke was a young man who immediately grinned happily upon seeing Elder Theodore Shelby, ¡°Grandpa Shen, I came to see you.¡±


    ¡°Little Heng, it¡¯s you, it¡¯s been a while since you came to our house. You¡¯ve grown taller and more energetic.¡±


    Zhao Hengughed, ¡°Is Ming Jing here too?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s cooking in the kitchen. How do you know Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°We are ssmates from the Olympiad ss. Tomorrow, Ming Jing and I are going to Jingzhou together to participate in the CMO. Out of the whole province, only five people were selected, and Ming Jing and I are among them.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelbyughed even more happily touching Zhao Heng¡¯s hand, ¡°What a talented child.¡±


    Looking at Shen Ke, he said, ¡°You have a good nephew.¡±

 Chapter 460: 214 A Windy Night (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 460: 214 A Windy Night (Second Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Keughed, ¡°You can¡¯t praise this kid too much. Look at him, acting so cocky with his tail in the air.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you really have a deep prejudice against me. I won¡¯t talk to you adults anymore. I¡¯m going to find Ming Jing.¡± Zhao Heng turned and ran into the kitchen.


    Elder Theodore Shelby stared at Zhao Heng¡¯s retreating figure with a grin, ¡°Ah Ke, how old is little Heng this year?¡±


    Shen Ke replied honestly, ¡°One year older than Ms. Ming Jing, almost eighteen.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby nodded, ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡±


    Seeing his father¡¯s meaningful smile, Shen Zhou knew what he was thinking and said unhappily, ¡°Dad, if you¡¯re really that bored, I can sign you up for a tour group, and you can go on vacation.¡±


    ¡°Nope, hmm, I won¡¯t go anywhere until I hold my grandson.¡±


    Shen Zhou had a headache and went to the study with Shen Ke.


    Elder Theodore Shelby went to the kitchen door and saw the two young people talking andughing. He nodded in satisfaction.


    He stepped aside, took out his mobile phone, put on his reading sses, and dialed a number.


    The call was quickly answered, and the other party said excitedly, ¡°Uncle Shen, this is the first time you¡¯ve called me.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby lowered his voice, ¡°Keep a low profile, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°Not just one, but ten or even a hundred. I¡¯ll get them done for you even through thick and thin.¡± The other party spoke very cheerfully.


    ¡°Well, Ming Jing is going to Jingzhou tomorrow to participate in that exam, something called CMO.¡±


    ¡°CMO, right? The Math Summer Camp, I saw it in the news. Uncle Shen, your daughter is amazing. Those who can get in are truly genius among geniuses. My niece goes to Gold Medal coaching sses every day, but she couldn¡¯t get in.¡±


    Now, Elder Theodore Shelby was ttered by Mao Nana¡¯spliments.


    ¡°Ming Jing doesn¡¯t know anyone in Jingzhou, and I don¡¯t feelfortable with her going alone. Since you¡¯re familiar with the area, can you help me take care of her when the timees? Make sure no one bullies her.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Shen, don¡¯t worry. Leave it to me. But since I¡¯m helping you, shouldn¡¯t you also help me?¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby chuckled, ¡°I know what you mean. Rest assured, I¡¯ll create opportunities for you. But whether you can grasp them depends on your abilities.¡±


    Mao Nana happily said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Shen. Trust me, I¡¯ll be calling you my dad soon. As long as I¡¯m around, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt Ming Jing.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelbyughed, ¡°This mouth of yours is your sharpest weapon. If you can use this skill to woo my Shen Zhou, I¡¯ll have no worries about holding my grandchild.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Shen Zhou just doesn¡¯t buy it. What type of woman does he like?¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby thought for a moment, ¡°He likes gentle, artistic women¡­¡±.


    His voice became nostalgic and a bit fuzzy, ¡°It would be great if she had willow eyebrows, phoenix eyes, an oval face, cherry lips, and dimples when she smiles¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I can only get stic surgery¡­¡±.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. There are millions of men in the world. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll move on. Why hang ourselves on a crooked tree?¡±


    Mao Nana muttered, ¡°Uncle Shen, do you still want a grandchild or not?¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby fell silent. For the sake of having a grandchild, he had no shame left.


    ¡°Uncle Shen, that woman you mentioned with dimples when she smiles, is she the one Shen Zhou can¡¯t forget? Is she dead or¡­¡±.


    ¡°Oh dear, my head hurts. Let¡¯s stop talking, I need to take some medicine.¡± He quickly hung up the phone.


    Mao Nana angrily mmed her phone onto the bed and looked at herself in the mirror.


    She couldn¡¯t help but cry.


    Willow eyebrows, phoenix eyes, an oval face, cherry lips, and dimples when she smiles ¨C she had none of these traits.


    No, she must capture Shen Zhou¡¯s heart.


    Mao Nana made a phone call, ¡°Book me the best stic surgeon.¡±It was because of Ming Jing that she could get such important information from Elder Theodore Shelby. It seemed that she had to get on this young girl¡¯s good side.


    The atmosphere at the lunch table was very harmonious, and Ming Jing¡¯s cooking skills were undoubtedly excellent.


    Zhao Heng didn¡¯t say a word but just kept eating. It looked like he was a starving ghost reborn, and Shen Ke couldn¡¯t bear to watch.


    He didn¡¯t want to recognize this embarrassing nephew of his.


    Zhao Heng thought to himself that this was the food cooked by Ming Jing personally. Many people would want to eat it but couldn¡¯t. Every bite meant one bite less.


    Elder Theodore Shelby happily added food to Zhao Heng¡¯s and Ming Jing¡¯s tes. Seeing Zhao Heng eat so desperately, he couldn¡¯t help butugh and say, ¡°Take your time, no one¡¯speting with you.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Shen, have you ever watched the two episodes of Ming Jing¡¯s One Day Three Meals? When I watched it, I craved her ramen so much that I went to all the ramen shops in Jiangzhou, but I didn¡¯t know the taste of Ming Jing¡¯s ramen until today.¡± Zhao Heng said contentedly, taking a sip of soup.


    ¡°This is simply the best ramen I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelbyughed, ¡°I¡¯ve watched it back and forth more than a dozen times. I¡¯m the one who ordered today¡¯s ramen.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Grandpa Shen¡¯s blessing.¡± Zhao Heng¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Grandpa Shen, can Ie over to eat more often?¡±


    Shen Ke scowled, ¡°Zhao Heng, don¡¯t push your luck.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby waved his hand, ¡°Stop scolding him, Little Heng, feel free toe whenever you want, treat the Shen¡¯s house like your own, the more people, the merrier.¡±


    With the golden words from Elder Theodore Shelby, Zhao Heng triumphantly nced at Shen Ke across the table.


    Throughout the meal, only Ming Jing and Shen Zhou didn¡¯t speak, as they adhered to the noble habits of not talking during meals and bedtime.


    After dinner, Shen Zhou asked, ¡°Ming Jing, do you know how to y chess?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not too bad.¡±


    Shen Zhou said, ¡°How about a game with your brother?¡±


    It rained all day yesterday, but today the sky was clear and the sun hungzily high in the sky.


    They ced a chessboard in the courtyard, with Ming Jing and Shen Zhou sitting across from each other. Elder Theodore Shelby, Shen Ke, and Zhao Heng watched from the sidelines.


    The warm sunlight bathed them, apanied by a gentle breeze that brought the scent of roses from a neighboring house.


    ¡°Shen Zhou, let me tell you, you better go easy on your sister. If you dare bully her, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Elder Theodore Shelby sat beside Ming Jing on a stool, clearly supporting her.


    Shen Zhou was caught betweenughter and tears.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t make things difficult for my brother. In a chess game like a battlefield, giving up is disrespectful to the opponent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit of a great general.¡± Shen Zhou nodded with a smile.


    Zhao Heng stood behind Ming Jing, while Shen Ke stood behind Shen Zhou. Three vs. two, but on the other side was Shen Zhou. Zhao Heng stroked his chin, having seen Shen Zhou and Shen Ke y chess before. With their veteran chess style, Ming Jing might not be a match.


    Zhao Heng, who had been admitted to CMO, must be intelligent. Two intelligent minds working together should increase the odds of winning against Shen Zhou, right?


    Ming Jing took the first move and ced a ck piece on the board. Shen Zhou followed closely.


    Elder Theodore Shelby liked Chinese chess and wasn¡¯t too interested in this ck-and-white Go game and dozed off after a while.


    As the game progressed, the two yers remained calm, but Zhao Heng and Shen Ke, who were watching from behind, became increasingly unsettled.


    ¡°This piece should go on Q7 at 14, no, the white piece would block it, better to ce it at Q7 at 18¡­¡±


    As Zhao Heng murmured, Ming Jing¡¯s fingertip held a ck piece and ced it in an inconspicuous position.


    Zhao Heng eximed, ¡°Oh no, how did you fall into his trap? I forgot to remind you.¡±


    Shen Zhou suddenly looked up at Ming Jing, his eyes filled with surprise

 Chapter 461: 215 Chess Encounter (First Update)

    Chapter 461: 215 Chess Encounter (First Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Elder Theodore Shelby was irritated by the noise, ¡°Zhao Heng, a true gentleman watches the chess game withoutment, understand?¡±


    Zhao Hengughed slyly.


    Shen Ke said in a low voice, ¡°Miss didn¡¯t fail to see the trap, did she? Or did she jump into it on purpose?¡±


    Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow and calmly made his move.


    As Ming Jing said, the game of chess is like a battlefield. It is only when the chess pieces are deployed from the starting point that the real battle begins.<div>


    The violent shes on the chessboard are invisible to the naked eye, but they have lethal power.


    Gradually, beads of sweat appeared on Shen Zhou¡¯s forehead. His brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and his pace of y slowed down, until he was only making a move every ten minutes.


    Meanwhile, Ming Jing was as light-hearted as the wind in the sky, even finding the time to sip tea with a smile.


    As if making a decision, Shen Zhou mmed down a chess piece.


    Ming Jingughed lightly, ¡°Brother¡¯s move to sacrifice a pawn to gain the upper hand is quite impressive. By decisively sacrificing one of his pieces, he has cleared his path and turned a losing game into a winning one.¡±


    This requires a clear mind. Many people at this point often can¡¯t escape the grip of their current interests, plunging deeper and deeper into trouble until it¡¯s beyond redemption.


    Well done, this feels like a real match between equals now.


    Shen Zhou looked at Ming Jing deeply. She must have thoroughly researched the art of war. She dominated the battlefield and fell into the trap on purpose at the beginning, seizing strategic spots with a masterstroke and causing him to lose several pieces. She was also very adept at deceit, setting one trap after another. He felt proud of himself for seeing through her traps, not realizing that he had fallen into the real trap. This was what truly scared him. He felt like a frog being boiled alive in warm water, and the sensation was far from pleasant.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been so greedy. Ming Jing, I admit defeat wholeheartedly.¡±


    Human nature is greedy, a lesson he learned from the game of chess. Someone who gains twenty points may be unwilling to see their opponent gain ten. Greed, the wolf that would eventually drag a man into an abyss.


    However, Ming Jing yed a clear and steady game, calm and unruffled, much like her nature. He lost, and he admitted it wholeheartedly.


    ¡°How did she win?¡± Zhao Heng was still bewildered.<div>


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Brother, shall we y another round?¡±


    Unfortunately, Shen Zhou had to leave quickly to attend to an urgent matter at hispany.


    Zhao Heng sat opposite Ming Jing, ¡°Let¡¯s y.¡±


    Before leaving, Shen Ke patted him on the shoulder, ¡°With your skills, even ten years of practice wouldn¡¯t be enough to catch up to Ming Jing¡¯s current level.¡±


    Zhao Heng didn¡¯t ept this, he yed very hard, and gradually his forehead began to sweat.


    Meanwhile, Ming Jing was leisurely sipping tea and chatting with Elder Theodore Shelby.


    Elder Theodore Shelby hummed, ¡°This kid isn¡¯t very smart, he¡¯s much worsepared to you,¡± he said with visible disappointment.


    Ming Jing stifled augh, ¡°He¡¯s not bad.¡± At least he¡¯s making progress.


    Zhao Heng eventually realized with hindsight that he had been made a fool of.


    ¡°Ming Jing, how¡­how could you do this? Are we not good friends?¡±


    ¡°Why would you say I fooled you? It¡¯s clear that you were outmatched, don¡¯t use others without reason,¡± Elder Theodore Shelby scoffed.


    Only at this point did Zhao Heng realize the truth in his uncle¡¯s words before he left. It wasn¡¯t a lie.<div>


    He was no match for Ming Jing, not yet.


    Ming Jing picked up a chess piece on the board and said, ¡°You¡¯re not bad, you must have attended Go sses when you were young.¡±


    Zhao Heng¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°You knew that too?¡±


    ¡°The teaching method in Go ss is too rigid and limiting. The game on the board is ever-changing. As the saying goes, talking about military strategy on paper is always superficial. The true knowledgees from practice,¡± she replied.


    ¡°But no one ys Go with me. Initially, my uncle made me learn Go. I found it dull at first but fell in love with itter. Do you know Xiao Chong? The champion of the International Go Tournament, a master-level figure, our idol. The championship game was so thrilling. With your skills, if youpete in a tournament, I think you could easily win a top three prize.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby hit him on the head with a stick, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? What top three? If Ming Jing participates, no one else will stand a chance at being the champion, it¡¯s hers to im.¡±


    Zhao Heng, rubbing his head,ughed foolishly, ¡°Grandpa Shen is right, the registration period ising up, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you.¡±

 Chapter 462: 215 Chess Encounter (First Update)_2

    Chapter 462: 215 Chess Encounter (First Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ming Jing ced the chess pieces one by one into the chess box, shaking her head at the words she heard.


    ¡°You must not waste your chess skills. When the timees for internationalpetitions, defeat thempletely and enhance our country¡¯s prestige. Especially since you¡¯re so beautiful, let those foreign devils see that Hua Country is full of talented and exceptional people. Blind their dog eyes, so they don¡¯t brag about how great their little piece ofnd is. I¡¯m fed up with it.¡±


    ¡°Remember: there is always someone better out there, and the way of chess is to be humble and calm. If you are aggressive andpetitive, you¡¯ve already lost the advantage.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, her movements elegant andposed. The nting sunlight fell on her body, apanied by the light clouds and gentle wind, making her look like an otherworldly beauty.


    Zhao Heng touched his head and muttered, ¡°Compared to you, I¡¯m just too dumb¡­¡±<div>


    Elder Theodore Shelby snorted, ¡°At least you know your own limits.¡±


    Ming Jing stayed at the Shen household until five in the afternoon. Before she left, Elder Theodore Shelby pulled her aside and chatted with her for a while before letting her go.


    ¡°This time, the CMOpetition is the real battlefield, with all the top yers from the country gathering together. It¡¯s going to be one big challenge. I don¡¯t expect anything special in terms of ranking; I just want to survive until the end.¡± Zhao Heng touched his hair, wondering if it would stay on his head due to overworking his brain recently.


    Zhao Heng nced at the young girl walking beside him, ¡°But as for you, I have great trust in you, haha. You will definitely make it to the national team.¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Who is on the list for this Jiang Province CMOpetition?¡±


    Zhao Heng counted on his fingers: ¡°You, me, Song Yinzhang, Xie Zhen, and that girl surnamed Liu.¡±


    Everyone had asting impression of Liu Muxue from the training camp. She was the epitome of arrogance and domineering.


    When he saw Liu Muxue¡¯s name on the CMO list, he knew their trip to Jingzhou wouldn¡¯t be smooth sailing.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t get along with you, but if she bullies you, Xiao Song and I will have your back. However, about this Liu surname, I asked my uncle, and he often runs around outside and is quite knowledgeable. The entire Liuxian Town belongs to the Liu family. This conservative family still maintains all kinds of feudal dregs and is quite stubborn. They¡¯re quite a headache for the government since they ignore thew and only follow their family rules. Since their n members hold significant positions in society, they¡¯ve managed to survive unscathed until now. Liu Muxue must be from this Liu family, which exins her arrogant behavior. Tsk tsk, the Lius¡­¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you talking about the Yuehui Paper-making Liu family?¡±


    ¡°You know them too? Yes, that¡¯s the one ¨C the Liu family that makes Yuehui Paper. Yuehui Paper is as thin as cicada¡¯s wings and glows under the moon. In ancient times, it was a rare, sought-after treasure that only royalty and aristocrats could afford to use. The Liu family made their fortune by monopolizing the production technique of Yuehui Paper. It¡¯s said that their family members are incredibly wealthy, but they prefer to keep to themselves, and no one knows the extent of their fortune. Anyway, the Lius tightly hold onto their paper-making technique, passing it down from generation to generation. When Mr. Shen visited them to propose a coboration for the Intangible Cultural Heritage project, do you know what happened? The Lius drove him out with a broom! Those foolish barbarians had no idea what they were rejecting. Just let them rot along with their useless paper in their coffins.¡±


    Zhao Heng became angrier as he spoke. Mr. Shen had approached them with a friendly attitude, only to be insulted in such a way. For Mr. Shen, it was a great humiliation.<div>


    ¡°Staying true to one¡¯s craft with a pure heart, not being swayed by fame or fortune, is both noble and great.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually praising them? In my opinion, they¡¯re a group of stubborn and foolish people.¡±


    Ming Jing gave a faint smile, ¡°The Buddhist saying goes that with hands sped together, one can concentrate a hundred thousand strengths. In today¡¯s restless and utilitarian world, what¡¯scking is a craftsman¡¯s heart. Society is like a big family; individuals are like small families. Those who sacrifice their small family for the greater good are great, and those who sacrifice the greater good for their small family are pure. Different perspectives lead to different choices and oues. If you were the son of the Liu family head, raised in their environment, you wouldn¡¯t think the way you do now.¡±


    Zhao Heng thought for a moment, ¡°You have a point as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard of the Liu n membersmitting murder, arson, or other crimes?¡±


    Zhao Heng shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point. The world won¡¯t allow you to stand out; mediocrity is the best way to protect oneself. A centuries-old family like theirs knows this societal rule well. Their family rules are likely far stricter than anyw.¡±


    Zhao Heng wasn¡¯t dumb and understood Ming Jing¡¯s point. ¡°But if they continue like this, they will eventually be ipatible with society. What will they do then?¡±


    As they walked along, Ming Jing said, ¡°They¡¯re like a tightly twisted rope whose thoughts have be deeply ingrained. They need a clear-headed person to revamp and reestablish everything. But for this person to appear, the right conditions of time, ce, and people need to be met, which is difficult. I think Liu Muxue would be a good candidate.¡±


    Ming Jing gave a slight smile.


    ¡°What? Liu Muxue? She¡¯s so domineering. It would be good enough if she didn¡¯t bully others, but you want her to reform? Are you joking?¡± Zhao Heng said incredulously.


    ¡°Judging from appearances, you cannot see their true nature. People often only wish to believe what their eyes can see.¡± Ming Jing smiled and shook her head.<div>


    Zhao Heng wanted to ask her more, but seeing that Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to borate, he didn¡¯t dare to ask further.


    Every conversation with Ming Jing was enlightening, offering a different perspective for reflection. It was very intriguing and broadened his horizons. At least after hearing Ming Jing¡¯s words, when he thought about Liu Muxue and the Liu family, he didn¡¯t feel as much resentment as he did initially.


    Both his mindset and his field of vision had expanded considerably, and he felt like he understood a little better.


    ¡°Seeing through appearances to their essence ¨C is this what Buddhism refers to when they say all is illusory like dreams and water bubbles, like dewdrops and lightning?¡± Zhao Heng asked, puzzled.


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head: ¡°The Diamond Sutra says, ¡®Subh¨±ti, those who vow to seek and achieve supreme perfect enlightenment should maintain this understanding, perception, deep trust, and non-doubt, without being bound by outward appearances or confused by them, for the truth we cling to is but our own stubborn perception of it.¡¯ Only a world without any discrimination or preconceptions is the world of recognizing reality.¡±


    Zhao Heng seemed to understand but still felt confused.


    Ming Jing nced at him, ¡°You do have quite a good disposition for wisdom¡­¡±


    Zhao Heng quickly covered his hair, ¡°I¡­I won¡¯t be a monk!¡±


    Ming Jingughed, looked at the distant clouds, and spoke in a melodious and graceful voice that gently floated in the air, ¡°With thousands of mountains sharing one moon, a myriad of households all bathed in spring; thousands of mountains with rivers and moons, endless skies with no clouds in sight.¡±


    Laughing and talking as they walked away, Zhao Heng stood there, watching the graceful figure disappear into the distance. Unconsciously, his lips curved into a smile.


    He stealthily took out his phone and turned off the recording; he had recorded the entire conversation. He nned to study it carefully when he returned home, as not everyone could receive the true wisdom and insight of Master Ming Jing.


    Now, even when he looked at the sky, the clouds, or even the trees along the roadside, everything seemed different.<div>


    Ming Jing received a call from the police station. The injured person she had saved the day before was out of danger and had been transferred from the ICU. The family insisted on thanking Ming Jing and said they would kneel outside the police station until they could meet her. Out of helplessness, the police contacted Ming Jing.

 Chapter 463: 216 Terrified Soul (Second Watch)

    Chapter 463: 216 Terrified Soul (Second Watch)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ming Jing had the driver go to the police station and parked across the street.


    There were quite a few people gathered outside the entrance of the police station. A middle-aged man and a young girl about five or six years old knelt at the door. The man was holding a banner with shocking red characters on it that read: Severely punish the hit-and-run driver and return my wife to good health.


    The banner held by the little girl said: The Bodhisattva lives among us; thank you for saving our lives, Ms. Ming Jing.


    It was the busy hour when people got off work, and more and more people gathered around. Many elderly men and women with baskets hanging on their arms also joined the crowd, as they couldn¡¯t bear to see such a scene.


    ¡°Ah, what a disaster from the sky. If it weren¡¯t for someone saving them, this family would be broken apart. How pitiful.¡±<div>


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing is really a Bodhisattva incarnate, such a good person.¡±


    ¡°Has the hit-and-run driver been caught?¡±


    ¡°I heard the police have found the person, but they have a strong background, so the police dare not make an arrest.¡±


    ¡°What? How could this happen in broad daylight? Is she some kind of immortal, so even if she kills someone, she won¡¯t have to pay for it?¡±


    Ordinary people couldn¡¯t stand this kind of protection for the privileged. Did they think that having a background could exempt them from paying for their actions? It was too hard for ordinary people to ept.


    Feeling empathetic, the crowd was enraged. They all stood with the father and daughter, demanding that the police give an exnation and severely punish the perpetrator.


    The more people gathered, the more anxious the station director became, as if sitting on a hot pot.


    At this moment, a car quietly parked on the side of the road. Jessica Feng saw the scene at the entrance of the police station and was terrified.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not going to turn myself in, I¡¯m not going.¡± Her hands clutched the seat tightly.


    Li Yang said coldly, ¡°Originally, you just had topensate the victim after hitting them. But you, stupid woman, insisted on fleeing the scene. Do you know how many years thew sentences hit-and-run drivers to? How dull-witted I was to fall for such a useless woman like you?¡±


    ¡°Husband, can you save me? I¡¯ve been with you for so many years, and I¡¯ve given birth to our lovely and obedient daughter Xiao Yu. Even if I haven¡¯t done any merits, I¡¯ve certainly made efforts. Can you ask your cousin to save me? I can¡¯t go to jail; what will happen to Xiao Yu without a mother?¡±


    ¡°How dare you mention Xiao Yu? You¡¯ve taught her no manners; she offends people at school and has even implicated Mr. Gu. You and your daughter are just¡­ just¡­¡± Li Yang pped her in anger, his hand trembling.<div>


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done to my cousin¡¯s life? You¡¯ve ruined all our years of hard work.¡±


    ¡°You expect my cousin to save you? She¡¯s in the hospital because she¡¯s so angry at your actions, and Mr. Gu wants a divorce.¡±


    Jessica Feng turned pale: ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was just scared, and I stepped on the wrong pedal. It¡¯s Ming Jing¡¯s fault. If it wasn¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have stepped on the wrong pedal, and I wouldn¡¯t have hit someone¡­¡±


    Li Yang shook his head: ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Ming Jing saving the person in time, they would have died. You should be grateful to Ming Jing, yet here you are, cing the me on her.¡±


    Jessica Feng gritted her teeth in hatred: ¡°If you all won¡¯t save me, don¡¯t you fear I¡¯ll expose all your secrets?¡±


    She knew she couldn¡¯t go to jail, or her life would be over. To avoid this, she was willing to pay any price.


    Li Yang narrowed his eyes: ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    Jessica Feng had always thought Li Yang was gentle and good-tempered. Only after going through this ordeal did she realize she had never truly understood him.


    Li Yang¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent, causing Jessica Feng¡¯s soul to shatter.


    ¡°What¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Either you turn yourself in obediently and keep your mouth shut, or¡­¡±


    A delicate hairpin appeared in Li Yang¡¯s hand.<div>


    Jessica Feng couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°She¡¯s your own daughter!¡±


    Li Yang grabbed Jessica Feng by the throat and sneered: ¡°If you behave, she¡¯ll be fine. Otherwise¡­I don¡¯t know what I might do.¡±


    Jessica Feng trembled with fear, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re simply a beast.¡±


    ¡°You brought this upon yourself.¡± The man sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault too for letting you be like this. I was too immersed in painting and never restrained your behavior. I thought you were at least a smart person. But fame and fortune can change anyone, even the purest person, once they dive in.¡±

 Chapter 464: 216 Terrified Soul (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 464: 216 Terrified Soul (Second Watch)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°You should turn yourself in, I will take care of Xiao Yu. Don¡¯t worry, once this public opinion storm passes, I will try to use my connections to reduce your sentence and prevent you from suffering. Xiao Yu and I will wait for you toe out.¡±


    Jessica Feng couldn¡¯t help but cry, terrified.


    ¡°You have to remember, we all rise and fall together. If Mr. Gu falls, we all perish. Now, if you go in, your daughter can continue to enjoy a wealthy life and receive a good education. You should be clear about which is more important. It¡¯s just a pity that you happened to provoke someone who Mr. Gu temporarily fears.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gu has someone he fears?¡± Jessica Feng had always thought that someone in Mr. Gu¡¯s position wouldn¡¯t be afraid of anyone.


    ¡°How can you be so naive?¡± The man shook his head.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s not fear, it¡¯s scruples. Are you familiar with the phrase ¡®corner a snake and it will bite back¡¯?.¡±


    Jessica Feng didn¡¯t understand; she only knew that she had to go to jail.


    ¡°You have to promise me one condition.¡±


    Seeing herpliance, Li Yang¡¯s face rxed a bit, and he nodded.


    Jessica Feng stared at him resentfully, her teeth clenched, ¡°Help me take revenge, I want that Ming Jing to die a horrible death.¡±


    Li Yang furrowed his brow, but in order to appease Jessica Feng, he could only temporarily agree.


    ¡°She has repeatedly challenged Mr. Gu¡¯s authority, displeasing his cousin. Naturally, she won¡¯t have a good end. You turning yourself in is just a temporary measure. Do you know how many people are watching Mr. Gu now? He can¡¯t have any ck marks, so you have to take the fall this time.¡±


    Li Yang¡¯s gentle voice calmed Jessica Feng. She was not foolish; initially, she was just scared, and now, having been enlightened by Li Yang, she could only ept her fate.


    ¡°You must get me out as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Yang nodded gently.


    Jessica Feng hugged Li Yang and cried for a while, then got out of the car and walked towards the police station.


    Li Yang said that she must turn herself in publicly, so everything would be out in the open and not give opportunists any chances.<div>


    As a result, she was pelted with eggs and vegetable leaves, all fresh, but the humiliation was simply devastating for someone like Jessica Feng.


    As Li Yang watched Jessica Feng being surrounded by the crowd, he was about to drive away when his eyes caught a ck car parked across the street. Inside the half-lowered window, the young girl¡¯s fair and beautiful face left a deep impression on him.


    Their eyes met, and Li Yang was startled. In the moment he hesitated, the car window closed, hiding the girl¡¯s face and merged into the traffic, disappearing in a blink of an eye.


    Li Yang was still in shock, it was Ming Jing!


    Li Yang didn¡¯t bother with Jessica Feng anymore, he went to the Gu residence to see Li Yaru first. He didn¡¯t lie to Jessica Feng; Gu Qingshan was indeed going to divorce Li Yaru. Li Yaru¡¯s crying and pleading were useless, and Gu Qingshan even used her and Li Yang¡¯s past deeds to threaten her. Li Yaru became so angry that she fell ill and was bedridden.


    When Li Yang arrived at the Gu residence, he asked the maid, ¡°Did your mastere homest night?¡±


    The maid nodded, ¡°He did, and he was in a terrible mood. He slept in the studyst night.¡±


    Li Yang nodded and sneaked into the study while the maid was cooking. The study room door was locked, but he found a key in a flowerpot outside the door and entered.


    The couple had grown increasingly suspicious of each other over the years. He had prepared for this day and had a backup n.


    Li Yang reached into a potted nt in the corner and retrieved a bug, reced it with a new one, and quickly left the study after a swift nce around.


    ¡°Yaru, this time it¡¯s my fault for getting you involved.¡± Li Yang looked at the frail woman lying in bed, full of pity.


    ¡°I knew your wife couldn¡¯t be trusted, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Sure enough, now there¡¯s trouble.¡± Li Yaru started coughing with a pale face as she spoke.<div>


    Li Yang patted her back and gently said, ¡°You just focus on recovering now. Leave the other matters to me, I won¡¯t let Gu Qingshan divorce you.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, do you have a n?¡± Li Yaru quickly asked.Li Yang said with a gloomy gaze: ¡°Gu Qingshan is meeting with Ming Jing at eight o¡¯clock tonight.¡±


    ¡°What? Zhu Mingjing, that little bitch, is behind all of this. I knew she was no good the first time I saw her, but somehow she managed topletely charm Madam Jiang. Just wait until I get better; I¡¯ll teach her a lesson.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not easy to deal with. Don¡¯t act recklessly,¡± Li Yang warned.


    Li Yaru, having been by Gu Qingshan¡¯s side for many years and mingling among various high-ranking officials¡¯ wives, understood this principle well.


    But she just couldn¡¯t swallow her anger.


    ¡°If she uses this incident to make a big deal, Gu Qingshan is done for. Don¡¯t forget, Shen Zhou and Shen Changjian are on the same side, and Zhu Mingjing has the people¡¯s support. A further disadvantage is that during the car ident, she saved a life. She has everything in her favor.¡±


    ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Li Yaru gritted her teeth in hatred.


    ¡°I have a rough idea of what Gu Qingshan is going to do. Although this move to drain the boiling pot from the bottom is poisonous, it¡¯s very clever¡­¡± Li Yang sneered.


    ¡°Will Qingshan still divorce me?¡± Li Yaru asked anxiously.


    Li Yang nced at her: ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to seed. We still need to keep a backup n, like this¡­¡±


    Ming Jing went home, changed her clothes, and left for the appointment at seven.<div>


    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Just as the elevator was about to close, a figure shed in.


    Ming Jing looked up. The young man was wearing casual ck clothes, a baseball cap, and a mask. His eyes, exposed outside, were as bright as the morning star.


    ¡°Are you going out thiste?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m free anyway. How about I be your bodyguard?¡±


    ¡°A big star being my bodyguard is a bit of an understatement.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m honored to do it,¡± Qu Feitai said hurriedly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Jingzhou.¡± The elevator went straight to the underground garage. Ming Jing got in the car without a nce at Qu Feitai and drove away directly.


    Qu Feitai sighed. He had waited at the door for a day, only to exchange two sentences when Ming Jing finally went out.


    The silence in the underground garage was broken by the ringing of a cell phone. As soon as Qu Feitai answered, Huang Chao¡¯s voice rushed out like a machine gun: ¡°I beg you, pleasee back as soon as possible. You just left, and I have to clean up the mess. You have such a big heart. I have to apologize to the director, the advertisers, and even Xu Lian¡¯er and Zhou Zhengru. I have lost all my dignity.¡±


    Online opinions about Qu Feitai¡¯s move varied, with some shipping him with Ming Jing and others berating him for getting arrogant since bing famous¡­ Huang Chao apologized to everyone during the day and fought against online trolls at night, grieving as his hair became increasingly thin.


    ¡°I think you have too much free time, so I found something for you to do.¡±<div>


    Huang Chao took out some quick-acting heart-relief pills and poured them into his mouth: ¡°You¡¯re going to be the death of me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t take the opportunity to tear a chunk of flesh from the production team.¡±


    ¡°Nothing can hide from your eyes, boy. The production team is too bullying, so of course, I had to strike first. Who would wait for them to pour dirty water on us first? Hmph¡­ If we don¡¯t fight back, they really think we¡¯re easy to bully. When are youing back? Have you seen your goddess yet?¡±


    ¡°I have an 8 am flight tomorrow. I have something to do first.¡±


    Qu Feitai got in his car and dialed a phone number before starting the car.


    ¡°Hello, Xiao Fei?¡±


    ¡°Come out and have a drink with me.¡± Qu Feitai stepped on the elerator, and the car shot out like an arrow.

 Chapter 465: 217 Swearing an Oath (First Update)

    Chapter 465: 217 Swearing an Oath (First Update)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ya Garden, as the name suggests, is a ce for elegant leisure and frequented by socialites for business and social gatherings.


    Ming Jing was led by the waiter to a private room on the second floor. Each private room was separate, with a corridor on one side and theke view on the other two sides, offering excellent privacy.


    As Ming Jing entered the room, Gu Qingshan immediately stood up.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, please take your seat.¡± Gu Qingshan immediately stood up and spoke enthusiastically.


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow as she caught the faint scent wafting through the air.


    Ming Jing sat down, ¡°Mr. Gu, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony, sit down.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, I know you don¡¯t drink alcohol, this is top-grade Biluochun Tea.¡± Gu Qingshan held up a cup of clear tea in front of Ming Jing.


    ¡°My cousin¡¯s wife has caused you quite a bit of trouble, and she knows she is in the wrong. She has already turned herself in at the police station. I am offering this tea instead of wine to apologize on her behalf. Please grant me this favor.¡± Gu Qingshan held the tiny wine cup, speaking sincerely.


    Ming Jing nced at the clear tea in the cup and smiled.


    Time seemed to freeze in an instant.


    ¡°Plop¡± ?a drop of Gu Qingshan¡¯s sweat from his forehead fell into his wine cup, creating slight ripples.


    ¡°Mr. Gu, are you feeling hot?¡± Ming Jing picked up the tea and swirled it gently.


    Gu Qingshan¡¯s gaze was fixed on the cup of tea, then drifted to the girl¡¯s beautiful fairplexion under the light. Her delicate features were serene and gentle.


    ¡°Gulp¡± Gu Qingshan swallowed, his eyes infatuated. He quickly sobered up, wiped the sweat off his forehead, ¡°I am afraid that Ms. Zhu wouldn¡¯t forgive me. I have severely taught my cousin¡¯s wife a lesson. I initially wanted her to apologize to Ms. Zhu in person, but since it¡¯s better to turn herself in sooner rather thanter, I am here to apologize on her behalf. Ms. Zhu, you wouldn¡¯t deny me this favor, would you?¡±


    Ming Jing swirled the tea cup, her lips hooked in a light smile, ¡°Of course not, here in Jiangzhou, who would refuse a request from Mr. Gu?¡±


    Gu Qingshan was embarrassed, ¡°Ms. Gu, please don¡¯t say that, it¡¯s my fault after all¡­¡±.


    He saw Ming Jing drink the tea, lifted the wine cup to his lips, concealing a cold smile, and drained the cup in one gulp.


    Gu Qingshan put down the wine cup, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I heard from Mr. Ran that you are also a shareholder of the horse racing club?¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows and smiled, ¡°What, Mr. Gu, are you also interested in the horse racing club?¡±


    ¡°If Ms. Zhu could convince Mr. Ran to let me also invest in the horse racing club, I would agree to all of Ms. Zhu¡¯s future requests.¡± Gu Qingshan¡¯s words were ambiguous as he suddenly reached out and grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand.


    Ming Jing flicked her sleeve, spun around, and took a step back. Her gentle expression instantly turned cold, ¡°Mr. Gu, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    With her cold face, the girl had an even more charming aura of ice and snow. Gu Qingshan stood up and sneered, ¡°Ms. Zhu, I suggest you justply with me, otherwise¡­hmm.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the tea cup, ¡°Did you drug me?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s toote for you to find out now. If you understand the situation andply, I will treat you well. If not, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°My elder brother is Shen Zhou, aren¡¯t you afraid he won¡¯t let you off the hook?¡± Ming Jing shouted coldly. Then she suddenly clutched her chest and swayed.


    Gu Qingshan saw this and thought that the drug had taken effect. He smirked even more smugly, ¡°Shen Zhou? What does he count for? It¡¯s not his turn to settle ounts with me yet. Do you think I don¡¯t know about his dealings with Shen Changjian? They¡¯ve been discussing how to get rid of me. If I threaten him with you, his adopted sister, I wonder how much he values you? Would he exchange all his wealth for you? Why don¡¯t we give it a try? Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°I, Gu Qingshan, have never been an upright gentleman. If you know where you stand, I won¡¯t mistreat you. Otherwise, hmm¡­¡±


    Gu Qingshan finished speaking, cracked his fingers, and walked toward Ming Jing.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, do you know how hard it has been for me to think about you? The first time I saw you, I was amazed by your beauty. You were so enchanting and pure that even thinking about you in my heart felt like sphemy. I have endured it for so long, and now you have be Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, and we are adversaries. If it weren¡¯t for this incident, I would not have had the courage to take this step. But now, even if I die under the peony flower, I shall be a happy ghost¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t restrain himself any longer and lunged toward her.


    Ming Jing spun around, her back against the wall, panting, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re so persistent, I have onest question for you. Was it you who sabotaged Zhou Ling in the first ce?¡±

 Chapter 466: 217 Taking an Oath (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 466: 217 Taking an Oath (First Watch)_2


    Trantor: 549690339


    Gu Qingshan shuddered a little, squinted at Ming Jing, and saw the girl¡¯s cheeks flushed and her eyes blurry, but she still tried to stay sober. He sneered, ¡°You want to seek justice for Zhu Wentao?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I might as well tell you that Zhou Ling was my woman. I just didn¡¯t expect her to lose to you. You¡¯re smart, but being my woman, you shouldn¡¯t be too smart¡ª being more foolish is better.¡±


    ¡°It was you who killed her.¡±


    ¡°Shhhh, you can¡¯t talk nonsense. Do you have evidence?¡± Gu Qingshan would never admit to such a thing; it was impossible for him to admit it even in death.


    ¡°I have a sound recording of Zhou Ling before she died.¡± Ming Jing suddenly straightened her back, dusted off her skirt, and there was no sign of embarrassment from before. She was calm, elegant, pure, and noble, and her eyes were cold and invulnerable.


    Gu Qingshan looked horrified: ¡°Impossible, how could you have¡­?¡±


    Ming Jing took out a recording pen and yed it. It was indeed Zhou Ling¡¯s voice.


    You, you, you¡­!¡± Gu Qingshan¡¯s finger trembled as he pointed at her: ¡°You set me up?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gu, those whomit evil will eventually meet their end.¡±


    ¡°I saw you drink the tea with my own eyes. Why didn¡¯t it affect you?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°I¡¯d advise Mr. Gu to use less of this vulgar aphrodisiac. Oh, you won¡¯t have the chance to use it again.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Gu Qingshan rushed over, but the girl stood still. At this moment, a shadow shed at the window, and a figure kicked Gu Qingshan¡¯s wrist. Gu Qingshan was kicked in the chest and fell to the ground in disgrace.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, are you alright?¡± The neer stood in front of Ming Jing and asked.


    Ming Jing squinted: ¡°Why is it you?¡±


    Gu Qingshan pointed at Ye Jian: ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re all in this together.¡±


    ¡°Help, help!¡± Gu Qingshan called out hoarsely.


    The door opened, and Ye Shuang pushed in two men. With one kick each, the two men rolled miserably toward Gu Qingshan.


    Ye Shuang nced at Ming Jing and clenched her fists secretly.


    A man walked in, his lips curled in a smile, graceful and dashing.


    Ming Jing frowned: ¡°Mr. Ran.¡±


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao,¡± Gu Qingshan gritted his teeth, ¡°you¡¯ve ruined my ns again.¡±


    ¡°Well, Mr. Gu, to say that is quite biased. What I¡¯m doing is saving the beauty. How can a pure and noble beauty like Ms. Zhu be tainted by you? When Shen Zhou seeks revenge, I won¡¯t be able to bear it.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao stepped to Ming Jing¡¯s side and whispered softly, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°Mr. Ran, your timing was perfect.¡±


    As if unable to hear the sarcasm in Ming Jing¡¯s words, Ran Tengxiao raised his eyebrows, walked over to Gu Qingshan, and said, ¡°Mr. Gu, did I not warn you not to harbor improper thoughts and not to mess with people you shouldn¡¯t mess with?¡±


    The man¡¯s tone was gentle, but his eyes held a fierce killing intent.


    It was as if Gu Qingshan was seeing the true face of this man for the first time. This was the real Ran Tengxiao.


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao, do you really want to be my enemy?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Gu Qingshan, do you still think you have any value? If I want you alive, you¡¯ll live; if I want you dead, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Jiangzhou isn¡¯t your ce to dictate.¡±


    Patting Gu Qingshan¡¯s face, Ran Tengxiao leisurely said, ¡°Human hearts are never satisfied, like the snake who wishes to swallow the elephant. You¡¯ve been greedy enough, but you¡¯re still not satisfied, so I have no choice but to apologize.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao didn¡¯t look at him again and ordered Ye Jian: ¡°Hand him over to Mr. Shen.¡±


    After Ye Jian took Gu Qingshan away, the room became quiet.


    Ran Tengxiao took off his coat and draped it over Ming Jing before suddenly picking her up by her waist.


    Ming Jing struggled, but heard the man¡¯sughing voice above her head: ¡°You didn¡¯t have to drink that cup of tea.¡±


    Ming Jing pursed her lips, ¡°Gu Qingshan is highly vignt. If I hadn¡¯t drunk it, he wouldn¡¯t have believed me, and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get the truth out of him.¡±¡±How great indeed.¡± The man scoffed coldly, his tone somewhat ironic.


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°Put me down, I can walk on my own.¡±


    Without saying anything further, Ran Tengxiao strode out, Ming Jing¡¯s eyes shed, her fingers pressed on the acupoint of Ran Tengxiao¡¯s left shoulder. Ran Tengxiao¡¯s arm went numb, but he still didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, or I¡¯ll throw you from the second floor.¡±


    Downstairs, the green water rippled, phosphorescence shimmering in the moonlight.


    ¡°Go ahead and throw me, it¡¯ll serve to wake me up.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s tone was not joking at all. Ran Tengxiao was stupefied for a moment before shaking his head andughing softly, ¡°Do you know how many women would love to throw themselves into my arms?¡±


    ¡°Then go find those women.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary and vulgar, they can¡¯tpare to the pure and refined Ms. Zhu.¡± Ran Tengxiao walked down the stairs withrge strides.


    Ming Jing squinted her eyes. In front of Ran Tengxiao, she couldn¡¯t reveal her martial arts skills, so she would have to swallow this loss in secret.


    Ye Shuang looked at the tall and straight figure of the man in front of her, with the young girl nestled against him like a little bird, creating a beautiful scene.


    She couldn¡¯t help but secretly clench her fists.


    ¡°Mr. Ran, I¡¯m telling you onest time, let me go.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s voice was like a melodious warbler, no longer cold and indifferent as before, but instead filled with a hint of frail coquettishness.


    Saying this, Ming Jing was immediately dumbfounded.


    ¡°I advise you not to speak for a while, or else I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to resist.¡±


    Ming Jing took a deep breath, her eyes frosty, ¡°Please show me some respect.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow and saw Shen Zhou standing by the car not far away. Shen Zhou strode over and said solemnly, ¡°Mr. Ran, please hand my sister over to me.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips, ¡°Mr. Shen, I can¡¯t do that. If I let her go, she¡¯ll frame me for bullying her, and not even jumping into the Yellow River could wash my innocence away.¡±


    Shen Zhou was infuriated by the man¡¯s shamelessness, and shouted angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡±


    Ran Tengxiao smiled and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s an honor for someone to be bullied by me, Ran Tengxiao.¡±


    With that, he walked past Shen Zhou and left.


    Shen Zhou was infuriated, ¡°Ran Tengxiao, stop right there! If you don¡¯t release my sister today, we¡¯ll be irreconcble.¡±


    ¡°You can give it a try.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao got into the car and drove away, leaving Shen Zhou in hot pursuit, choking on the exhaust fumes.


    ¡°This Ran Tengxiao, brazenly kidnapping someone in broad daylight, is there now left?¡±


    Shen Ke had never seen Shen Zhou so angry before, ¡°Sir, he wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to Miss.¡±


    ¡°In Jiangzhou, what is there that this madman doesn¡¯t dare to do?¡± Shen Zhou gritted his teeth, ¡°Follow him!¡±


    Inside the car, Ran Tengxiao put Ming Jing on the seat. He tried to touch her face, but she pped his hand away. Ming Jing took out a dagger and, under Ran Tengxiao¡¯s shocked gaze, stabbed it fiercely into her thigh, blood flowing in an instant.


    The tea contained a hallucinogen, and she needed to use pain to stimte herself to stay rational.


    Ran Tengxiao sneered and grabbed her wrist holding the dagger, ¡°Zhu Ming Jing, you¡¯re ruthless enough.¡±


    Ming Jing shook off his hand, coldly staring at him, her voice like icy shards, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    ¡°Fine, very well.¡± Ran Tengxiao withdrew his hand, ¡°I won¡¯t touch you, satisfied?¡±


    Ming Jing wiped the dagger on her skirt, the white hem already soaked with blood, a sight both beautiful and heartrending.


    ¡°Mr. Ran can get any woman he wants, why waste your energy on me? I swear in this life to cultivate Buddhism, and not indulge in love. I hope Mr. Ran will grant me this wish.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Ming Jing, have you tasted the vor of love? It¡¯s intoxicating and destructive, impossible to resist once experienced¡­¡± The man was like a suddenly enraged lion, fiercely grabbing Ming Jing¡¯s hands and pinning her down on the seat, looking down at her eyes from above.

 Chapter 467: 218 Backlash (Second Update)

    Chapter 467: 218 Bacsh (Second Update)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°The more virtuous you are, the more I¡¯m attracted to you. A perfect piece of art like you, everyone wants to possess. And the men of my family, the Rans, have a penchant for collecting precious items¡­.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao held Ming Jing¡¯s wrists with one hand and lifted them above her head, while the other gently caressed her beautiful, fair face. He murmured, ¡°This mask of yours is just too perfect. I really want to see you crying,ughing, and worrying for me with my own eyes. It must be more vivid, more lively¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao, you¡¯re a pervert.¡±


    ¡°You like to criticize. Go ahead, as long as it makes you happy.¡±


    Ming Jing suddenly bent her knee, but Ran Tengxiao seemed to anticipate her move and pressed down on her knee with his right leg. ¡°Behave, don¡¯t be so mischievous.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing took a deep breath, ¡°Ran Tengxiao, do you want to be enemies with the Shens?¡±


    ¡°How can this joyous asion be called as hostility? No man in Manjiangzhou is worthy of you.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao squinted, ¡°As for that little star, he¡¯s too naive, too innocent. He¡¯s not worthy of you.¡±


    Ming Jing fearlessly looked into his eyes, her voice as cold as jade: ¡°Desire can be dangerous. Like holding a torch against the wind, you might get burned.¡±


    ¡°Those principles of yours might deceive the masses, but they won¡¯t fool me. Save your breath.¡± Ran Tengxiao shook his head andughed.


    ¡°Making someone fall in love with you is such an aplishment. As for your Buddhist principles, to hell with them.¡± Ran Tengxiao let go of her and sat up, straightening his cor.


    Ming Jing slowly sat up, coldly looking at the man in front of her.


    It turns out that the seeds of certain things were nted long ago.


    Ran Tengxiao took a medical box out of a drawer, opened it, took out sterilizing tools, lifted Ming Jing¡¯s skirt without asking, and prepared to treat the wound on her thigh.


    The man¡¯s movements were gentle, with a hint of caution, as if he was afraid of hurting her.


    ¡°I remember when I was twelve, there was an upheaval at home, and I was sent to live with my granduncle temporarily. At that time, his grandson was also living there. We had a conflict, and then my granduncle lost a beloved toy. He used me of stealing it, so he searched my room and found the item under my pillow. I was beaten thirty times, and when I was barely alive, a woman told me that this was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. If I didn¡¯t be strong, I could only be hit passively. Such things would happen once, then twice, then three times. I¡¯ve always remembered her words. A monthter, my cousin fell down the stairs, broke his leg, and couldn¡¯t walk again.¡±


    The man¡¯s tone was gentle and patient, as if he were talking about the most ordinary thing. But to others, it was terrifying.<div>


    Ming Jing lowered her eyshes.


    Ran Tengxiao asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious who the woman in my story is?¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t look up because she knew, Ran Tengxiao had been watching her the whole time.


    Watching her panic, watching her slip up¡­


    Without her knowledge, she had raised a lion which then turned on her.


    Was this retribution?


    ¡°She meant well for you, but you¡¯ve let her down.¡±


    ¡°Let her down? What does that mean? Without her, there would be no me today. She would be relieved.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you trying to tell me with all this?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao finished tying the bandage into a neat bow. ¡°At first, she taught me that it¡¯s a survival of the fittest world. Then she died an unnatural death. That¡¯s when I realized that you have to fight for what you want. Even if it means giving everything, it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    The man suddenly looked up, his eyes fixed on Ming Jing, dominating and powerful, like a giant, trapping her tightly with no room to breathe.


    Long after, during one of his midnight dreams, the memory suddenly invaded his mind, and he finally understood what that vague longing was back then.<div>


    What was lost was lost. What he saw now was the person in front of him.


    Ming Jing¡¯s heart quivered, but her face showed no emotion: ¡°All living beings live in illusion, there is boundless suffering in this world. Turning back leads to salvation; don¡¯t get deeper into the abyss.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s illusion or attachment, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    When they arrived at the hospital, Ran Tengxiao carried Ming Jing inside without asking.


    The dean brought the best doctors to greet them, an impressive scene.


    As Ming Jing had her wounds treated inside, Ran Tengxiao waited outside.

 Chapter 468: 218 Backlash (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 468: 218 Bacsh (Second Update)_2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    He was tall, cold-faced, and elegant, which attracted the attention of several nurses on duty who kept stealing nces at him.


    However, after waiting for twenty minutes without seeing anyoneing out, Ran Tengxiao stopped a nurse who came out, ¡°Has the check-up not finished yet?¡±


    The small nurse was frightened by his cold air and started shivering, ¡°She¡­ She¡­ ¡±


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes, suddenly pushed the door open, and strode in.


    The doctor stood trembling at one side, Ming Jing was nowhere to be seen.<div>


    Ran Tengxiao walked to the window, sneered coldly, ¡°Run away? I want to see where you can escape.¡±


    She would rather jump out of the window from the second floor than have anything to do with him. Very well.


    Ming Jing touched her wound and frowned.


    She didn¡¯t expect that she had trained a fierce lion herself, which now backfired. She deserved this.


    It seems that he would never give up.


    Ming Jing hooked her lips.


    This road is no turning back. Ran Tengxiao, I hope that one day, you can still smile.


    ¡°My ancestor, please stop, don¡¯t miss the flight tomorrow morning.¡± Song Yinzhang snatched the wine ss from Qu Feitai¡¯s hand.


    Qu Feitai simply picked up the wine bottle on the table and drank heavily.


    Song Yinzhang watched with his heart pounding.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you unhappy?¡±


    Qu Feitai put down the wine bottle, grabbed the microphone, and directly started singing the familiar song ¡°White Coat¡± without any apaniment.<div>


    Drunk Qu Feitai sang with special affection. His sexy voice gave this well-known song a unique charm.


    Song Yinzhang stared at the somewhat mad young man. When he sang ¡°Who in the world deserves a white coat,¡± Song Yinzhang suddenly understood the charm of music, which could touch people¡¯s hearts the most.


    After finishing singing, Qu Feitai continued to sing again and again until his voice became hoarse and he was exhausted¡­


    Song Yinzhang quickly went to support him, ¡°Xiao Fei, drowning your sorrows in alcohol will only make you more miserable. Don¡¯t be discouraged. You are still young and have plenty of time. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    Qu Feitai shook his head, ¡°Do you know? When I was at Hanshan Temple, I saw her copying Buddhist scriptures day after day. She devoted everything to Buddha, her youth, her feelings, her everything¡­ I¡¯m scared, do you know how scared I am? That old monk said I¡­¡±


    He shook his head, covered his face, and squatted on the ground.


    ¡°Yesterday, I came here regardless of everything, worried that something might happen to her, but when I saw her eyes, so cold and so strange, I¡­ My heart suddenly got cold. I had prepared myself psychologically before, but when she looked at me, all my defenses copsed instantly. I suddenly found that I¡¯m not even qualified to enter her life.¡±


    Song Yinzhang sighed with him, ¡°She won¡¯t like you, nor anyone else. Life is so long, anything is possible.¡±


    Qu Feitai fell asleep on the sofa, still muttering ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡±


    Song Yinzhang shook his head and chuckled, lifting him up, ¡°Don¡¯t sleep here, let me take you home.¡±


    Qu Feitai was taller than him, and it was really hard to carry him, especially when he was sleeping like a dead pig.


    After a few steps, they bumped into someone familiar.<div>


    The girl had wavy hair and a swaying red skirt. She was walking andughing with several young men and women.


    Song Yinzhang could sense trouble and tried to turn around with Qu Feitai still in his arms.


    ¡°Stop.¡± The girl suddenly spoke, causing everyone else to freeze, looking at Song Yinzhang.


    ¡°Does Zhao Qin know him? Let¡¯s y together, the more people, the more fun.¡±


    Zhao Qin ignored them, walked up to Song Yinzhang, and looked at the young man leaning on his shoulder, who seemed to be drunk. He was wearing all ck, with a baseball cap and a mask.


    Zhao Qin found him somewhat familiar and narrowed her eyes, ¡°Is this¡­ Qu Feitai?¡±


    Instantly, the group of young people behind her erupted, fumbling with their phones.


    ¡°Qu Feitai? It¡¯s really Qu Feitai!¡±¡±Am I dreaming? How could Qu Feitai be here?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the entertainment gossip? He left right in the middle of recording a show yesterday, and there were rumors that he came to Jiangzhou. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s easy to understand considering the Ming Jing affair?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, are they really together? I always thought it was justizens making up random CPs.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be more real¡­¡±.


    Song Yinzhang frowned: ¡°Ms. Zhao, please give us some space.¡±<div>


    ¡°Where is Ming Jing? Isn¡¯t Ming Jing here?¡± Zhao Qin looked around and didn¡¯t find Ming Jing. She couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Zhao Qin flicked her long hair: ¡°This is a rare opportunity.¡±


    Zhao Qin waved: ¡°Xiao Hoo, Dandan,e, take the big star away for me.¡±


    The two immediately walked over with excitement, rubbing their hands together.


    Song Yinzhang retreated a step while holding Qu Feitai, coldly saying: ¡°Zhao Qin, don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know my reputation in Jiangzhou? There¡¯s never been a person I can¡¯t get my hands on.¡±


    Song Yinzhang took out his phone and secretly sent a message to Jiang Jinchen.


    ¡°He is Qu Feitai, and also Qu Feitai. You should go ask your cousin if the Rans dare to provoke Master Qu.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your Qu family. This is Jiangzhou, my territory. Even a dragon would have to coil around me.¡±


    The group of young men and women cheered excitedly.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Song Yinzhang had never been so angry in his life, Zhao Qin was indeed notorious.<div>


    Zhao Qin suddenly smiled brilliantly as her eyes turned seductive: ¡°He likes Ming Jing, right? Why don¡¯t we y a game to see how much weight the big star has in Ming Jing¡¯s heart? If she¡¯s indifferent, he might as well switch to embracing me.¡±


    Song Yinzhang angrily said: ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you.¡± Zhao Qin waved her hand, and immediately two young men came forward¡ªone to subdue Song Yinzhang and the other to approach Qu Feitai.


    Song Yinzhang was quickly subdued, while Qu Feitai, although drunk, instinctively countered the stranger, pinning his hands down and pressing him to the ground.


    ¡°Wow, so handsome¡­¡± A chorus of adoring voices sounded.


    ¡°Ouch, ouch¡­¡± The young man knelt on the ground, gasping in pain.


    Zhao Qin sneered: ¡°Qu Feitai, you¡¯re not drunk, are you?¡±


    Qu Feitai kicked the young man in the buttocks, and he rolled on the ground until he reached Zhao Qin¡¯s feet.


    He patted his buttocks and cried out grievously: ¡°Zhao Qin.¡±


    Zhao Qin scolded: ¡°Useless thing!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Qu Feitai leaned against the wall with one hand and massaged his forehead with the other.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already forgotten about our encounter at Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant not too long ago! How heartbreaking.¡± Zhao Qin pretended to be shy, cheeks blushing, truly enchanting and seductive.<div>


    Unfortunately, the other party said without hesitation: ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s been too long. I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    ¡°How about I help you remember?¡± Zhao Qin approached with bewitching steps, trying to put her hand on Qu Feitai¡¯s shoulder. However, before she could even touch the fabric, he avoided her touch, his eyes full of disgust: ¡°Get lost, don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    Zhao Qin clucked disapprovingly: ¡°Qu Feitai, do you know where the person you¡¯re longing for is right now? She¡¯s with my cousin.¡±


    As Qu Feitai was momentarily stunned, Zhao Qin suddenly flung white powder at his face. Startled and furious, Qu Feitai pointed at her: ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±


    After choking out the words, hepletely passed out.


    Dandan and Xiao Hoo immediately caught Qu Feitai, their eyes full of excitement.


    This was the famous Qu Feitai, now unconscious like a dead pig.


    ¡°Zhao Qin, you are too amazing.¡±


    Zhao Qin looked at Song Yinzhang: ¡°Do you want to walk yourself, or do you want me to find someone to carry you?¡±

 Chapter 469: 219 Retribution (Midnight)

    Chapter 469: 219 Retribution (Midnight)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Song Yinzhang gritted his teeth and said: ¡°Zhao Qin, you¡¯re using this despicable method on Xiao Fei, aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    Zhao Qin sneered. ¡°Retribution? What is that rubbish? You talk too much. Take him away.¡±


    Song Yinzhang was no match for these young people and was quickly taken away, overwhelmed with anger.


    He angrily thought that Zhao Qin was utterly hateful, hoping that Jiang Jinchen would see the news and rush over immediately.


    Zhao Qin entered a private room with her group and let go of Song Yinzhang. Qu Feitai was thrown onto the sofa.<div>


    ¡°Song Yinzhang, did Qu Feitaie here to drown his sorrows in alcohol?¡±


    Song Yinzhang snorted coldly and said nothing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, I know it. Failing in love and drowning sorrows in drink, truly the Prince of Love Songs. Why don¡¯t we help him today?¡± Zhao Qin sat on the sofa, gently shaking a cup of champagne.


    Song Yinzhang was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhao Qin took out her phone and found Ming Jing¡¯s number: ¡°If I find someone dressed as a kidnapper and kidnap you and Qu Feitai, will Ming Jinge to save you?¡±


    Song Yinzhangughed at her idea: ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll call the police?¡±


    Zhao Qin shrugged indifferently: ¡°Let her call the police then, what do I have to fear?¡±


    ¡°You are not worthy to be Ming Jing¡¯s friend if you make fun of her like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m helping her. Our superstar Qu Feitai is such a great young man that it¡¯s hard to find him even with antern. If she misses this chance, there won¡¯t be another opportunity. In fact, I feel sorry for him¡­¡±


    Zhao Qin touched Qu Feitai¡¯s face with her finger, eximing in admiration.


    Song Yinzhang angrily said: ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡±


    ¡°His skin is so smooth, it¡¯s just that the stubble on his chin is a bit rough.¡± Zhao Qin withdrew her hand and told Dandan: ¡°Come, I¡¯ll teach you how to be a proper kidnapper. Ming Jing is very smart. If the act isn¡¯t good, she will easily find out, and then this game will be meaningless.¡±<div>


    Dandan immediately said: ¡°Zhao Qin, don¡¯t worry, I have experience in this.¡±


    Seeing that she was serious, Song Yinzhang couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°Ming Jing is supposed to catch a ne to Jingzhou for CMO tomorrow morning. Your prank might ruin her ns. We¡¯ll apany you in whatever fun you want after we return from Jingzhou.¡±


    Zhao Qin shook her head: ¡°No, it¡¯s fate that we can meet here tonight.¡±


    At that moment, Li Jiaojiao entered the room, shouting: ¡°Zhao Qin, what¡¯s fun tonight¡­?¡±


    Seeing the scene in the private room, she was stunned. ¡°Song Yinzhang? What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Yinzhang was furious and silent, his eyes ring fiercely at Zhao Qin.


    Li Jiaojiao looked at the young man lying on the sofa. Zhao Qin had already taken off his hat and mask, exposing his handsome face to the air.


    Li Jiaojiao suddenly pointed at the young man in disbelief: ¡°This¡­ Is this Qu Feitai?¡±


    Sun Qingqing, who was behind Li Jiaojiao, screamed suddenly, ¡°Qu Feitai?¡±


    Zhao Qin frowned: ¡°What¡¯s the big fuss?¡±


    Sun Qingqing hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes filled with excitement.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that she was actually seeing Qu Feitai in person. However, why did he appear to be asleep?<div>


    Falling into Zhao Qin¡¯s hands, Sun Qingqing worried for her idol.


    ¡°Zhao Qin, is this really Qu Feitai? How did you get him?¡± Li Jiaojiao walked over and asked, her eyes fixed on Qu Feitai¡¯s face.


    Zhao Qin leisurely replied: ¡°Met him at the door, what about it, do you like him?¡±


    Her eyes sizing up Li Jiaojiao as she spoke.


    Li Jiaojiao waved her hands hurriedly: ¡°Just average, I only like his songs, nothing else.¡±


    She joked, who would dare topete with Zhao Qin?


    Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes turned to Sun Qingqing, who lowered her head with a pale face.


    She didn¡¯t dare to admit her liking, her heart filled with sadness. Would her idol be ruined by Zhao Qin?


    Zhao Qin looked at Dandan: ¡°How is it going?¡±


    Dandan made an OK gesture: ¡°Zhao Qin, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Zhao Qin nodded, her gaze falling on Song Yinzhang: ¡°Gag him, so he won¡¯t say anything stupid and ruin my n.¡±


    Xiao Hoo immediately stuffed a cloth into Song Yinzhang¡¯s mouth. Song Yinzhang struggled a few times in vain, ring at Zhao Qin with anger.<div>


    Zhao Qin looked at Li Jiaojiao and Sun Qingqing, ¡°Both of you, don¡¯t talk.¡±


    At the same time, while Li Jiaojiao and Sun Qingqing were confused, Zhao Qin snapped her fingers: ¡°Start.¡±


    Dandan cleared his throat and dialed the number. As the busy tone ¡°doo-doo-doo¡± sounded, everyone waited anxiously.

 Chapter 470: 219 Retribution (Midnight) _2

    Chapter 470: 219 Retribution (Midnight) _2<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    However, the awkward part was that no one answered the call¡­


    Dandan didn¡¯t give up and tried again, but still, no one answered¡­


    ¡°Zhao Qin, could they be already asleep?¡±


    It was already 10 o¡¯clock at night, and they were probably resting by now.


    Zhao Qin said, ¡°Keep calling.¡±<div>


    Finally, on the fifth try, the call was answered.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The phone was on speaker. The girl¡¯s cold voice was very invigorating.


    Li Jiaojiao and Sun Qingqing exchanged nces. Wasn¡¯t this Ming Jing? What was Zhao Qin up to?


    ¡°Ming Jing, right? I have Qu Feitai and Song Yinzhang in my hands. If you want them to live,e to the karaoke ce immediately. You have 30 minutes to get here. If you¡¯re one minutete, I¡¯ll chop off one of their fingers. If you¡¯re two minuteste, I¡¯ll chop off two fingers. If you dare call the police, I¡¯ll cut off their heads. I mean what I say.¡± Dandan sounded quite intimidating when dressed up as a bad guy, at least enough to scare everyone present.


    He hung up the phone without giving the other party a chance to question.


    ¡°Zhao Qin, how do you think I did?¡± Dandan immediately asked with a ttering smile.


    ¡°Not bad. Keep an eye on the time and start counting now.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Qin, it¡¯s 10:05 now.¡±


    Zhao Qin called Li Jiaojiao over, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s y cards. There will be a good showter.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the disconnected call with a frown.


    The cold night wind blew the girl¡¯s clothes as she stood on the empty street.


    Someone had specifically sought her out, not for money or trouble, but simply aiming at her.<div>


    Though they tried to sound fierce, their tone still revealed their immaturity and unease.


    It seemed to be someone¡¯s prank.


    Ming Jing initially wanted to ignore it, but on second thought, there were no absolutes in anything. If it were indeed one of her enemies, she couldn¡¯t let two innocent lives be burdened for her sake.


    Ming Jing hailed a taxi and headed straight for the karaoke ce.


    It wasn¡¯t far from there. Ming Jing got out of the taxi and looked at the luxurious building in front of her, where the neon lights were filled with debauchery and disillusionment.


    ¡°Ming Jing? What are you doing here?¡±


    Ming Jing turned her head, and a young man stepped through the neon lights towards her. His features were exquisitely deep, and his eyes cold and extraordinary. As soon as he saw Ming Jing, the frost in his eyes melted like spring water, revealing a touch of warmth.


    Ming Jing hesitated for a moment: ¡°Jiang Jinchen.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time. He had gone abroad for a summer program and then went to Jiangzhou University. Now he was a freshman at Jiangzhou University, and they no longer had any connection in their lives.


    ¡°Ming Jing, haha, what a coincidence to run into you here,¡± Jiang Jinchen said, and another figure emerged from behind him, speaking bluntly.


    ¡°Charles Gao?¡±


    ¡°You still remember my name, not easy, not easy.¡± Charles Gao slicked back his hair. If he had known he would bump into Ming Jing, he would have put more wax on his hair ¨C couldn¡¯t lose his image in front of his goddess.<div>


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold, his eyes falling on the hem of Ming Jing¡¯s skirt. ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡±


    A patch of bright red on the white skirt was very eye-catching.


    Charles Gao said angrily, ¡°Who bullied you?¡±


    Ming Jing brushed her skirt calmly, ¡°It¡¯s someone else¡¯s blood.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen looked at her seriously, and Charles Gao let out a sigh of relief. ¡°You scared me.¡±


    Compared to Charles Gao¡¯s yful grin, Jiang Jinchen was much more serious and reserved. He frowned and asked, ¡°Are you here for Xiao Fei?¡±Ming Jing nodded: ¡°Someone called me saying they kidnapped Song Yinzhang and Qu Feitai, and I have thirty minutes to get there. If I¡¯mte by even a minute, they¡¯ll cut off one of their fingers.¡±


    Charles Gao gasped in horror, ¡°That¡¯s so vicious, who could be behind this?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen narrowed his eyes: ¡°Yinzhang sent me a location for help, but didn¡¯t say much else, probably didn¡¯t have time to send more.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Jinchen and I were about to sleep when we received the message for help. We rushed over immediately, but the school is a bit far from here, so we were dyed. By the way, you didn¡¯t call the police, right?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°I suspect it¡¯s a prank.¡±


    ¡°A prank? Who has the guts to prank Qu Feitai?¡± Charles Gao rubbed his chin, ¡°I can only think of one person in Jiangzhou who fears nothing and no one, and they have the courage to do this.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say it explicitly, but Jiang Jinchen and Ming Jing understood immediately.<div>


    Jiang Jinchen said coldly: ¡°This is nonsense.¡±


    Just then, a slim-faced young man peeked at them nervously. Charles Gao went over, subdued him in a few moves, and grabbed his cor: ¡°Tell me, is it Zhao Qin?¡±


    Xiao Hoo¡¯s eyes darted around: ¡°If you want to save Qu Feitai, let me go first.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking for death?¡± Charles Gao shook his fist menacingly.


    Jiang Jinchen interrupted him, speaking to Xiao Hoo: ¡°Lead us there.¡±


    Xiao Hoo immediately followed, sneaking nces at Ming Jing as they passed her. The woman who could enchant Qu Feitai and drowned his sorrows in alcohol was indeed very beautiful.


    Ming Jing, Jiang Jinchen, and Charles Gao followed Xiao Hoo.


    Xiao Hoo led them to Room 666, ¡°They¡¯re inside, hurry up and go in.¡±


    Charles Gao narrowed his eyes, suddenly grabbed Xiao Hoo¡¯s cor, kicked open the door, and threw him inside.


    Xiao Hoo screamed, and inside there was a burst of chaotic noise. Charles Gao shook his head and nced at Ming Jing, ¡°So vicious, a woman¡¯s jealousy is truly terrifying.¡±


    Ming Jing went in, and the room was pitch dark, so dark you couldn¡¯t see your hand in front of your face. Xiao Hoo was groaning on the floor.


    Jiang Jinchen immediately stepped in front of her and said coldly, ¡°Zhao Qin, get the hell out of here.¡±<div>


    The door behind them suddenly closed, and Charles Gao, who hadn¡¯t had time toe in, was locked out. Ming Jing heard Charles Gao angrily shout, ¡°Fuck, Zhao Qin, get out here.¡±


    From the sounds of it, Charles Gao was fighting someone, cursing while doing so.


    Ming Jing turned to open the door, but it was locked from the outside.


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s usually cold voice carried a hint of warmth: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, she can only y tricks on us, she won¡¯t really hurt us.¡±


    Xiao Hoo crawled painfully in the darkness, trying not to make a sound.


    Ming Jing¡¯s ears perked up, and she suddenly said, ¡°Go east.¡±


    Xiao Hoo¡¯s body stiffened, wondering how he¡¯d been found.


    Ming Jing moved through the darkness as if on t ground, touched something, and was about to step on it when a cold male voice came from behind her, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Ming Jing stepped back, and Jiang Jinchen gave a powerful kick, breaking the door as light flooded in. They both squinted their eyes instinctively.


    Ming Jing and Jiang Jinchen exchanged nces and walked out briskly.


    This was the secret door inside the private room, and they found themselves in the corridor. Ming Jing walked around and saw Charles Gao in the corridor ahead, surrounded by four young men. He¡¯d only practiced Taekwondo, and could fight one person easily, but two people would be tough, and four people would mean being attacked from all sides.


    After being punched in the face by a sneak attack, Charles Gao cursed loudly, ¡°Damn it, Zhao Qin you bastard, I will never let this go in my life.¡±<div>


    Jiang Jinchen went over and kicked one of the men down, and subdued two more in a few moves. Charles Gao barely pinned thest one down, throwing punch after punch, ¡°The rules of the martial world say not to hit the face, do you think my face is something you can touch? Fuck, I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen said coldly, ¡°If you hit him again, he¡¯ll die.¡±


    Charles Gao finally stopped, spitting viciously, ¡°Zhao Qin, you just wait.¡±


    Ming Jing walked over and looked at Room 888 on the opposite side, saying indifferently, ¡°Zhao Qin, open the door.¡±

 Chapter 471: 220 Absurd (Fourth Watch)

    Chapter 471: 220 Absurd (Fourth Watch)


    ¡°Zhao Qin, what should we do? Jiang Jinchen is here too.¡± Inside the private room, Li Jiaojiao swallowed.


    In Manjiangzhou, she was most afraid of only two people, one was Zhao Qin, and the other was Jiang Jinchen.


    This former school hunk of Shengde High School, whoter became the school hunk of Jiangzhou University, was more popr and well-liked. It was said that the girls who liked him could circle Jiangzhou University several times.


    He had a cold personality, rarely smiled or spoke, and his mother was the well-feared Madam Jiang in Jiangzhou. Apart from Zhao Qin, who relied on the Rans and was fearless, no one in Jiangzhou dared to offend Jiang Jinchen.


    Song Yinzhang¡¯s eyes lit up, and he spat out the cloth from his mouth and shouted, ¡°Jinchen, Jinchene and save me and Xiao Fei!¡±


    Zhao Qin rolled her eyes at Li Jiaojiao: ¡°What are you panicking about?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao muttered in her heart, of course you¡¯re not afraid, I don¡¯t have the Rans as my backing.


    Zhao Qin squinted her eyes: ¡°Jiang Jinchen and Ming Jing, what are these two up to together?¡±


    ncing at the drowsy Qu Feitai, Zhao Qin said, ¡°Get a basin of water.¡±


    Immediately, someone brought a basin of clear water.


    ¡°Ssh it on his face.¡±


    A basin of cold water sshed down, and Qu Feitai gradually woke up. His hands were tied with ropes, and after a quick scan of his surroundings, he quickly epted everything before him.


    He looked coldly at Zhao Qin: ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Your goddess is outside the door, and she still came for you. Aren¡¯t you a little bit happy?¡±


    Qu Feitai snorted coldly: ¡°You¡¯d better let me go as soon as possible, otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hostile to me. I¡¯m helping you. Ming Jing has been studying Buddhism since she was a child and stays away from worldly affairs. She doesn¡¯t understand what love is, but you do. As Ming Jing¡¯s good friend, I couldn¡¯t bear to see the two of you perfect for each other miss each other, so I¡¯m helping you today. You should be thanking me.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous! I, Qu Feitai, would never stoop so low to love someone. Are you insulting me or Ming Jing?¡±


    For the first time, Li Jiaojiao and Sun Qingqing were so close to seeing the real Qu Feitai. He looked even more handsome than on television. At this moment, he was stern and righteous, making people¡¯s hearts beat like drums.


    The love for someone should be pure, and a goddess should not be tarnished. It really was too much for Zhao Qin to force someone like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s so touching, but do you know how many flies are hovering around Ming Jing? There are many better than you, like my cousin, and Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao outside the door. Ming Jing is like a beautiful jade that everyone wants. Today, by giving you a helping hand, you should be grateful to me.¡±


    Qu Feitai snorted coldly: ¡°I will pursue her openly and honestly. I don¡¯t need your fake kindness.¡±


    ¡°Ha, I don¡¯t want to belittle you, but even if you chase her until you¡¯re old and gray, Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t give you a nce.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face stiffened: ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Stubborn dead duck.¡± Zhao Qin said to Sun Qingqing: ¡°Open the door.¡±


    Before Sun Qingqing could open the door, it was kicked open. Ming Jing walked in first.


    Everyone was amazed at the sight of Ming Jing walking in.


    Qu Feitai stared at her nkly, feeling an uncontroble joy inside. She still came; did that mean he was unique in her heart?


    ¡°Zhao Qin, is there any point in doing all this?¡± The girl¡¯s voice was cold and icy, like snow in June, freezing people¡¯s hearts.¡±


    Zhao Qin smiled: ¡°I¡¯m so bored, and you won¡¯t y with me, so I have to find fun myself. How about it, is tonight¡¯s big gift satisfactory?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao entered the room after her. Jiang Jinchen looked at Song Yinzhang and Qu Feitai, ¡°Are you guys alright?¡±


    Qu Feitai shook his head, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Zhao Qin hooked her lips: ¡°So everyone knows each other, this will be even more fun.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Qin, you crazy girl, you went too far. My face was broken by your people. How are you going topensate me?¡± Charles Gao pointed at Zhao Qin and scolded.


    ¡°Did I ask you to join thismotion? It¡¯s you who insisted oning, why me me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ let them go quickly, or I¡¯ll report you for kidnapping!¡±


    ¡°If you have the guts, go ahead and sue me. See if you can win.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous, simply outrageous!¡± Charles Gao took off his shoes and threw them at Zhao Qin. She dodged and said, ¡°Charles Gao, get out of my way, this is none of your business today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to eliminate this menace today!¡± Charles Gao rolled up his sleeves and was about to attack when Ming Jing calmly said, ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Charles Gao turned his head to look at Ming Jing.

 Chapter 472: 220 Absurd (Fourth Watch)_2

    Chapter 472: 220 Absurd (Fourth Watch)_2


    Ming Jing took a few steps forward, and Zhao Qin said, ¡°Release Qu Feitai and Song Yinzhang, and I won¡¯t hold today¡¯s events against you.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for fun. If you were indifferent, you wouldn¡¯te here. Since you¡¯re here, you must be interested. So tell me, is it our superstar Qu or our academic god Song?¡±


    Ming Jing coldly said, ¡°Are you going to release them or not?¡±


    ¡°Not unless you say who you like.¡± Zhao Qin said with a punchable face.


    Charles Gao clenched his fist, unable to bear it any longer.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ming Jing turned and left, ¡°Then have fun by yourself. I won¡¯t be staying.¡±


    ¡°Stay right there! Tell me where he is, and I¡¯ll release them.¡± Zhao Qin shouted at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure.


    Everyone else looked at Zhao Qin in surprise, realizing that after all this, she was just trying to find someone.


    But who could Miss Zhao possibly be looking for that she couldn¡¯t find and had to ask Ming Jing?


    Ming Jing paused, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending. You know exactly who I¡¯m talking about. Just tell me where he is, and I¡¯ll release both of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. As for those people, release them or not, it¡¯s up to you. I don¡¯t have time to mess around with you here.¡± Ming Jing left without looking back.


    Zhao Qin rushed out, leaving everyone behind, and stood in front of Ming Jing.


    ¡°You have so many men around you already. One more or one less doesn¡¯t matter. Why are you still holding on to him?¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Ming Jing left with a flick of her sleeve.


    Zhao Qin suddenly grabbed her hand, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for him for a long time, but he seems to have vanished into thin air. I can¡¯t find him anywhere. Only you know where he is. Tell me.¡± Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes were filled with obsession, as if she were a drowning person, and Ming Jing was her only lifeline.


    Ming Jing stared at her in astonishment, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter.


    She never thought that Zhao Qin would fall in love with ¡°Xi Yu.¡±


    This was too absurd.


    ¡°Zhao Qin, why do you want to find him?¡±


    Zhao Qin pursed her lips, standing tall and confidently, ¡°Because I like him, and I must find him.¡±


    ¡°But he will never like you. Never.¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s face changed, and she angrily said, ¡°How do you know he won¡¯t like me? How can you be so confident? Does he like you?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°In this world, you can like anyone, but not him.¡±


    ¡°Why? Make it clear to me.¡± Zhao Qin had never been so angry. The other party¡¯s decisive tone made her feel just like Xi Yu himself. What gave her the right to say that?


    ¡°You, who don¡¯t even know what love is, what gives you the right to say something like that?¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to argue further. ¡°I¡¯m saying this for your own good. Why waste your prime years on someone who¡¯s not worth it?¡±


    At this point, Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao had already rescued Song Yinzhang and Qu Feitai, and the four of them watched the standoff in the corridor, the atmosphere tense and uneasy.


    Could there really be another man hidden in the shadows, causing these two girls to be jealous of each other?


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s worth it or not isn¡¯t up to you. Tell me, where is he?¡± Zhao Qin demanded.


    Ming Jing sighed, ¡°What a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re not leaving today. Once I catch you, he¡¯ll definitely show up to save you.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the angry girl in front of her, originally not interested, but if she hurt someone because of this, it would be a sin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± Those eyes so simr to Xi Yu¡¯s looked at her with pity, and it was extremely irksome for Zhao Qin.


    When did Zhao Qin ever need someone else¡¯s pity?


    ¡°Fine, I agree.¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes lit up.¡±But he¡¯s not in Jiangzhou now. I¡¯ll let you know when he¡¯s back.¡±


    After saying this, she didn¡¯t look at Zhao Qin again and walked away.


    This time, Zhao Qin didn¡¯t try to stop her.


    Seeing that Qu Feitai was saved, she didn¡¯t react and just smiled, urging the others to leave quickly.


    As Qu Feitai walked past Zhao Qin, he nced at her from the corner of his eye, his gaze cold to the bone.


    Smiling, Zhao Qin said, ¡°I apologize for offending you today. I hope the big star can be generous and not hold it against me.¡±


    ¡°What the hell were you whispering with Ming Jing just now? Who is this ¡®he¡¯?¡± Charles Gao asked.


    Not only him, but everyone else was also curious, but only he dared to ask.


    Zhao Qin sneered and gave Charles Gao a disdainful look. ¡°Who the hell are you? Why do I have to tell you? Get lost.¡±


    Charles Gao clenched his fists: ¡°Hmph, just you wait.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen helped Qu Feitai walk out: ¡°Xiao Fei, should I take you to the hospital?¡±


    Qu Feitai shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m fine. Howe you came with Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°I sent Jinchen a distress message, and he probably met Ming Jing at the door,¡± Song Yinzhang quickly exined.


    ¡°I see,¡± Qu Feitai nodded. ¡°Sorry for the trouble tonight.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all brothers. There¡¯s no need for apologies,¡± Jiang Jinchen said.


    Charles Gao said irritably, ¡°Zhao Qin bullied us like this, and we¡¯re just going to let her off? That¡¯s too easy for her.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen said solemnly, ¡°What can you do about her?¡±


    Charles Gao was speechless. Behind Zhao Qin was Ran Tengxiao and the entire Ran family. That was her capital for acting recklessly. Just like Jiang Jinchen said, what could be done about her?


    ¡°She¡¯s just a spoiled brat who loves to y tricks on people. She wouldn¡¯t dare to really hurt anyone,¡± Jiang Jinchen pointed out precisely.


    The group walked out of the club. Not far away, Ming Jing was standing by the roadside, her white dress fluttering in the wind.


    Qu Feitai pursed his lips and went over: ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I caused you tonight.¡±


    The young man looked like a well-behaved child who had done something wrong, with his head hanging low.


    Qu Feitai suddenly noticed the blood on Ming Jing¡¯s dress and eximed, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    The dim lighting in the private room had made it impossible to see clearly. Now, under the streetlights, the red blood on the white dress spread like a blooming red plum blossom, startlingly eye-catching.


    Ming Jing said lightly, ¡°This is someone else¡¯s blood.¡±


    Qu Feitai pursed his lips: ¡°My car is nearby. Let me give you a ride home.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°No need, I can go by myself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to deliberately distance yourself from me. Let¡¯s just be normal friends. What happened yesterday won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused you before.¡±


    Ming Jing turned to look at him, and the sincerity in the young man¡¯s bright eyes was touching.


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Qu Feitai smiled, ¡°Then wait for me here.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen and Qu Feitai exchanged a few words and then walked towards Ming Jing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hang out with Xiao Fei some other time. It¡¯s gettingte tonight. Charles Gao and I should head back to school. By the way, congrattions on making it into the CMO. I wish you sess in winning the Gold Medal and entering the national team,¡± Jiang Jinchen said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ming Jing nodded and smiled.


    Charles Gao squeezed past Jiang Jinchen and asked Ming Jing with a cheeky grin, ¡°Ming Jing, are you and Qu Feitai for real or just pretending?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen frowned at him.


    Charles Gao felt chills down his spine andughed awkwardly: ¡°Qu Feitai isn¡¯t that great, his private life is a mess. Look at Jinchen and me, we¡¯re not worse than him at all. If you want to start dating, we¡¯re ready any time¡­¡±


    Jiang Jinchen yanked him away by the back of his cor, and Charles Gao shouted, ¡°Jiang Jinchen, what are you doing¡­?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head andughed. At this moment, a sports car stopped in front of her.

 Chapter 473: 221 Refining Heart (Fifth Watch)

    Chapter 473: 221 Refining Heart (Fifth Watch)


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk-driving.¡± Ming Jing stood outside the car door, quietly looking at Qu Feitai in the driver¡¯s seat.


    The air of casualness Qu Feitai was maintaining disappeared in an instant, leaving him looking embarrassed.


    Song Yinzhang shook his head: ¡°We can only call a substitute driver.¡±


    The three of them sat in the car, waiting for the substitute driver to arrive.


    Qu Feitai, fearful of being recognized, put on a hat and a mask. Song Yinzhang sat in the passenger seat, while Ming Jing and Qu Feitai sat in the backseat.


    The substitute driver was a young man in his twenties. At the sight of this limited edition sports car, he realized he was dealing with a rich second-generation kid and became very chatty as soon as he got in the car.


    He babbled endlessly while he drove, but no one paid him any attention. The car¡¯s interior lights were off, leaving the backseat inplete darkness and making it impossible to see anything clearly. Naturally, the substitute driver had no idea who was sitting in the back.


    They first dropped off Song Yinzhang. Before getting out of the car, he turned to the other two and said, ¡°See you at the airport tomorrow morning.¡±


    Li Shi heard a deep ¡°hmm¡± from the backseat. It must havee from a very young man, whose voice brimmed with a sexy allure.


    The car started off again. Li Shi, desperate for conversation, started, ¡°You¡¯re going to Tonghe Shengshi, right? As far as I know, the houses there are hundreds of thousands per square meter. All the rich people in Jiangzhou live there. Even if I drive for a lifetime, I couldn¡¯t afford a single bathroom there¡­ah¡­¡±


    No one responded to him, so he just went on talking to himself, his words filled with covetous longing for the wealth of the rich and a cynical view of the world.


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and concentrate on driving.¡± Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and interjected coldly.


    His grip on the steering wheel shivered, and he obediently drove quietly.


    The car drove into the underground garage, and Li Shi got out and left. After walking a few steps, he thought better of it and sneaked back, hiding behind a pir.


    The car door opened and two figures, one in ck and one in white, stepped out. They stood out starkly in the gloomy underground garage.


    The figure in ck was a tall man, and the figure in white was a girl whose skirt swished delicately in her walk, flowing like the wind.


    He suddenly realized he recognized the girl in white. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­Isn¡¯t that Ming Jing?¡±


    She was even more beautiful than a star. But while stars only had their faces, their mindscked substance and they were just empty flower vases. Ming Jing was different. She was a proper elitedy, a real academic genius. You couldn¡¯t find a second face like hers in the entertainment circle. At their university, she was even more popr than Xiao Hua, the currently famous star.


    Li Shi quickly took out his phone and began to sneakily photograph the two figures walking away.


    The so-called pure national goddessing out of the nightclub with a man in the middle of the night and heading home together. So much for her purity.


    Ming Jing paused in her steps and suddenly looked in a certain direction. Li Shi¡¯s heart jumped, thinking he had been discovered, and he turned and ran.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qu Feitai squinted at the dark garage, unable to see anything clearly.


    Ming Jing shook her head. As she walked, she made a call. Her voice was calm as she directed, ¡°Within half a kilometer of the residential area, a young man in his twenties in substitute driver clothes. Delete the photos on his phone.¡±


    Qu Feitai was stunned, his eyebrows furrowing. ¡°He was secretly photographing us?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t noticed at all.


    Ming Jing pressed the elevator button. ¡°Someone is on their way to handle it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems that I am always bringing you trouble.¡± Ming Jing had noticed, yet he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Ming Jing did not respond to him. When the elevator arrived, she walked out without hesitation and headed home.


    Qu Feitai stood at the doorway for a while, feeling the cold breeze, before he opened the door and entered the room.


    Li Shi was giddy with excitement, thinking about which media outlet he could sell the photos to. Ming Jing was very popr right now. He could definitely get a good price for those photos.


    Once he had the money, he would finally be able to buy the car he¡¯d always desired. And then, no one would dare to look down on him again.


    Just as he walked out of the residential area, someone suddenly kicked him from behind. He screamed and tumbled forward awkwardly, losing a front tooth in the fall. His phone slipped out of his grasp and the screen shattered upon hitting the ground.


    Li Shi turned around in fright, only to see a young man in ck crossing his arms and quietly looking at him.


    ¡°Who¡­who are you? What do you want?¡±


    The young man snorted, then with a flick of his foot, sent the phone skidding into a nearby sewer, where it disappeared into the filth.


    Li Shi hastily rushed over, trying to reach through the bars and retrieve his phone, but his arm was too thick. It got stuck and the pain made him yell.


    ¡°Why? What did I do to you? Why are you doing this to me?¡±


    The young man walked over and put his foot on Li Shi¡¯s chest. The pressure felt like a huge rock was pressing down. Li Shi was getting breathless and hisplexion grew whiter and whiter.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    But the boy simply raised his chin, giving Li Shi a glimpse of his clear eyes, which seemed to shine in the darkness of the night.

 Chapter 474: 221 Refining Heart (Fifth Watch)_2

    Chapter 474: 221 Refining Heart (Fifth Watch)_2


    A gust of wind blew from an unknown source, stirring up dust that blinded the eyes.


    Li Shi squinted his eyes, and in just a fleeting moment, when he opened them again, the teen¡¯s figure had vanished into the vast night.


    Li Shi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.


    He must have seen a ghost!


    Ming Jing closed the door, her body suddenly swaying, her back leaning tightly against the door.


    She had drunk the tea, never expecting Gu Qingshan would dare to poison her with a hallucinogenic drug.


    She couldn¡¯t reveal her vulnerability in front of Ran Tengxiao, so she forced herself to maintainposure. The cut on her leg was already troubling her, but she thankfully managed to hold on until she got home.


    Han Suwen, hearing the noise, put on her clothes and came out. Seeing Ming Jing, she eximed, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Miss, let me help you to your room first, okay?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Ming Jing brushed away Han Suwen¡¯s helping hand and, step by step, made her way upstairs.


    After taking a cold shower, Ming Jing felt much better.


    She had taken an antidote at the hospital, which was supposed to counteract the hallucinogen, but the drug was so potent that the antidote barely worked. Ming Jing had been relying on her strong willpower to resist its effects.


    Now, without facing anyone, Ming Jing no longer needed to maintain herposure.


    She copsed on the bed, her veins bulging on the back of her hands and neck, her entire body curled up. Soft moans escaped her lips.


    ¡°Form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form.¡±


    Ming Jing climbed up, sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and muttered some words.


    ¡°Form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself is form¡­¡±


    ¡°Perception¡­ thoughts¡­ actions¡­ consciousness are also like this.¡±


    ¡°Buddha, this disciple knows her mistake.¡± Under themplight, the young girl¡¯s face was pale, and cold sweat rolled down her delicate forehead.


    Her facial expression seemed to be struggling, trapped in a painful memory that she wanted to detach from. She wanted to forget, yet an invisible hand tightly grasped her, dragging her into the bottomless abyss.


    ¡°A Yu¡­ A Yu¡­¡± A gentle call came from the distant memory, stirring her soul.


    Who was calling her?


    No, she wasn¡¯t A Yu. She was Ming Jing, Ming Jing of the Jiyue Temple.


    The young girl shook her head desperately, ¡°Leave¡­ leave, get out of my world.¡±


    ¡°The human body is hard to obtain, and the Buddha¡¯s teachings are difficult to hear. If this body is not liberated in this life, in which life will it be liberated?¡± She recited with difficulty.


    ¡°I am not A Yu. I am Ming Jing¡­¡±


    The young girly on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a hazy gaze. ¡°¡®Emotions¡¯ are illusory, not real, born out of sentient beings¡¯ karmic energy¡­¡±


    So it is said that what is near is dear, what is far is indifferent; when gained, there is joy; when lost, there is sorrow.


    If something is good to me, I like it; if it is bad to me, I despise it. What benefits me is good, and what harms me is evil. Therefore, the birth of emotions is illusory!


    Never have there been gains or losses.


    Unknown origins, no destinations¡­


    The young girl murmured and fell asleep.


    Han Suwen entered the room and saw the girl lying in bed, soaked in sweat. Startled, she hurriedly brought ginger soup over.


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    Ming Jing was unconscious; her wet hair stered to her forehead, her delicate face sickly pale and vulnerable.


    To her, Miss had always been gentle and strong, seemingly unaffected by the world¡¯s hardships. All difficulties were dissolved with herposed smile.


    In her heart, Miss could do anything.


    But right now, she saw the young girl lying weak on the bed, her expression seemingly struggling in pain, her heart clenched.


    It turned out that Miss was just an ordinary girl.


    She could feel pain, get sick, and be sad¡­


    Han Suwen reached out to feel Ming Jing¡¯s forehead, which seemed somewhat feverish.


    Han Suwen hurriedly wrapped an ice pack in a towel and ced it on Ming Jing¡¯s forehead.


    Ming Jing walked into a void filled with golden light, so bright that it was almost impossible to open her eyes.


    In the golden light, Buddha appeared solemn and majestic, showingpassion for all beings.


    ¡°Buddha, please enlighten your disciple.¡±


    ¡°All things are subject to reincarnation, cause and effect, and have their fate; being attached to the heartless is just attachment.¡±


    ¡°In the secr arena and trials of the world, only by breaking through the word ¡¯emotion¡¯ can one escape the cycle of reincarnation, achieve liberation, and finally attain Bodhi.¡±


    ¡°All forms are illusory; if one sees all forms as non-forms, one sees the Tathagata.¡±


    ¡°Amitofo.¡±


    Ming Jing slowly opened her eyes, and Han Suwen had fallen asleep at the bedside.


    The soft morning sunlight at six o¡¯clock was gently blowing the gauze curtain with a light breeze.


    Ming Jing was startled for a moment. Han Suwen woke up rubbing her eyes and, upon seeing Ming Jing, immediately asked, ¡°Miss, do you still feel difort anywhere on your body? You had a feverst night and scared me to death.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Wenwen¡¯s care, I¡¯m fine now.¡± Ming Jing got out of bed. Although her face was still pale, she was no longer seriously ill.


    After tidying up, Ming Jing took her packed luggage and went downstairs for breakfast.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti knew she was going to Jiangzhou today and obediently sat at the dining table, waiting for her early in the morning.


    Ming Ti frowned and looked at Ming Jing, ¡°Second sister, are you sick?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ll be away for a week. You two listen to Wenwen while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    They obediently nodded their heads.


    Ming Jing carried her luggage and walked out of the door. Qu Feitai was leaning by the window lost in thought, with earphones dangling from his ears. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he immediately straightened up.


    Ming Jing looked at the young man standing in the morning light and was startled for a moment.


    The youth stepped through the sunlight covering the floor, walked over, casually took the luggage from Ming Jing¡¯s hand, and said lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at him, ¡°Did you eat breakfast?¡±


    Qu Feitai was taken aback and shook his head.


    Ming Jing turned and went back inside, returning with a food box containing two red bean buns, a boiled egg, and a bottle of warm milk.


    Qu Feitai was even more stunned. A small head peeked out from behind the door, and Ming Chen smiled and said, ¡°Brother Qu, good luck.¡±


    Qu Feitai nced at the breakfast in his hand, then at Ming Jing who had already entered the elevator. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he walked in.


    This feeling of being friends made him morefortable and rxed.


    Anyway, Ming Jing didn¡¯t like him and wouldn¡¯t like anyone else.


    He had nothing to worry about; there was plenty of time in this life.


    Taking a bite of the red bean bun, Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes narrowed into a sweet smile. It was the most delicious red bean bun he had ever had in his life.


    Du Ze drove them to the airport, reporting on the recent situation of the Zhu Group to Ming Jing on the way.


    Meanwhile, a Rolls-Royce was parked at the entrance of the airport. The driver hurriedly opened the door, attracting the attention of passers-by who were curious to see the wealthy youngdy alighting from the car.


    A petite and exquisite young girl stepped out of the car, exuding an aura of wealth from her head-to-toe luxury essories. The girl, wearing sunsses, looked up at the impressive airport building and said with a click of her tongue, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been on such a long trip from childhood to adulthood.¡±


    Her nanny, Xiao Fang, carried tworge suitcases behind her andughed, ¡°Thanks to Miss¡¯s fortune, I can also visit Jingzhou.¡±


    Madam was worried that her daughter would not be able to take care of herself, so she specifically sent Xiao Fang along.


    Liu Muxue murmured, ¡°I¡¯m leaving; with nobody bothering him anymore, he should be very happy. Maybe he¡¯s even celebrating with champagne at home now.¡±


    Xiao Fang kept silent about this.


    Ming Jing saw Liu Muxue¡¯s figure from a distance as she walked into the airport lobby. She took her luggage from Qu Feitai, ¡°Your identity isn¡¯t convenient. Let¡¯s go in separately.¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded, ¡°Alright, see you in Jingzhou. If you encounter any difficulties, remember to call me. Jingzhou is my territory.¡±


    The young man smiled proudly, exuding confidence and vigor under the sunlight.


    Ming Jing pursed her lips and turned to leave.

 Chapter 475 222 Appearances (Sixth Watch)

    Chapter 475 222 Appearances (Sixth Watch)


    Zhao Heng immediately waved excitedly when she saw her: "Ming Jing, here!"


    His voice attracted many people''s attention.


    Zhao Heng quickly covered his mouth.


    But Ming Jing was still noticed, not surprisingly, as Ming Jing was always the most eye-catching sight wherever she went.


    However, everyone was in a hurry to catch their flights, so they didn''t have time to chase after stars. They just had a quick nce, marveled for a moment, and then went their separate ways.


    Ming Jing was not part of the entertainment industry. Although she had participated in a variety show, she didn''t continue to pursue a career in the entertainment field. People''s impression of her was that she was famous, but not a star. These two ideas were quite different.


    Famous people did not have fan circles chasing after them like stars. They generally held a certain status and influence in society, but stars, regardless of how popr they were, were merelymercial products after being turned into inte sensations.


    Ming Jing''s appearance did not cause muchmotion. Song Yinzhang, Zhao Heng, and Xie Zhen were waiting for her at the entrance. Xie Zhen was looking at Ming Jing now, not knowing where to look.


    She thought about Tang Wan inviting her out yesterday, mentioning her admission to CMO, and feeling happy for her, while also revealing some bitterness in her words.


    She and Tang Wan had grown further apart, and she was no longer the straightforward, cheerful Tang Wan she had met before.


    Speaking cynically, she heard people at the next table discussing Ming Jing and deliberately went over to make trouble, leaving them confused and cursing her as mad.


    She was confused. If it was for Song Yinzhang, why harbour such hatred for Ming Jing?


    Not that she wanted to belittle herself, but Ming Jing was like the moon in the sky, while they were mere fishes and shrimp in the pond. Why should fireflies contend with the sun and the moon? Wouldn''t that be asking for trouble?


    What did Tang Wan mean by reminding her to pay attention to Ming Jing''s every move? Did she want her to be a spy?


    Xie Zhen didn''t have the heart to tell her that she could only get into CMO because of Ming Jing''s help.


    Ming Jing had generously lent her the notes summarizing the key points of the exam. She still kept that notebook. Without it, she would not have been able to get into CMO with her level of ability.


    One should know one''s own worth, not harm others, but appreciate the help received. To repay kindness with resentment was despicable and contemptible.


    Yesterday, she told Tang Wan that from now on, they would not be friends and would go their separate ways.


    She still vividly remembered Tang Wan''s face turning pale with anger, using her of forgetting her friends when it suited her interests.


    Xie Zhen ignored her words and walked away. Their values were too different now.


    More than two months had passed since the exam, and a lot had happened to Ming Jing during this time. She became Shen Zhou''s sister, won the spectacr Jiangzhou Horse Race...and so on. She also grew more beautiful andposed, evoking deep feelings of inferiority in others.


    Any woman in this world would feel inferior in front of her, right?


    Xie Zhen realized this thought and immediately snapped out of it, trying to greet her naturally: "Ming Jing, hello, do you still remember me?"


    Ming Jing smiled slightly and replied gently, "Xie Zhen." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Xie Zhen was somewhat surprised and said, "You actually remember me, thank you for lending me your notes, otherwise, I wouldn''t have made it into CMO."


    "The person you should be most grateful to is yourself. Without your efforts, even the notes would have been useless."


    These words made the previously unconfident Xie Zhen''s eyes light up, looking at Ming Jing intently: "Really?"


    Ming Jing nodded, "I saw your exam paper that day. Your calction of the final numerical integration used Gaussian integration. Although the result was wrong, your problem-solving approach was correct. You have a solid foundation and must have worked hard to learn college-level calculus on your own. Diligent people should not be ignored."


    Xie Zhen was greatly shocked and stared deeply at Ming Jing.


    The girl''s smile was gentle, her eyes bright and admiring.


    She had always been unremarkable in ss, no matter how good her academic performance was, she was stillbeled as a bookworm. Tang Wan yed with her only as a foil, and she had grown ustomed to it over time.


    Now that someone acknowledged her, she felt indescribably excited and moved.


    "I...I..." Xie Zhen''s lips quivered violently, and her eyes filled with tears behind her thick sses.


    Zhao Heng muttered, "We''re still missing one person, but let''s go through the boarding process first."


    The few of them had little luggage and didn''t need to check it in. They changed their boarding passes, went through security, and then found their way to the waiting area.


    The ne tickets were purchased by the authorities with the information collected. Students who needed to upgrade their cabins could make special arrangements. As Xie Zhen''s family was not well off, Song Yinzhang had bought economy ss tickets to take care of her. Ming Jing and Zhao Heng had no objections to this.

 Chapter 476: 222 Appearances (Sixth Watch)_2

    Chapter 476: 222 Appearances (Sixth Watch)_2<div>


    Xie Zhen felt the warmth of being cared for and was very content. Tang Wan always said that rich people looked down upon the poor, but Xie Zhen felt that it depended on their upbringing. Take Ming Jing, Song Yinzhang, and Zhao Heng, for example; they were all born into rich families but were very kind and considerate to others.


    Zhao Heng sighed as he looked in a certain direction: ¡°Such a disy of arrogance.¡±


    Everyone followed his gaze and saw a petite woman wearing sunsses and high heels walking towards them. A maid followed behind her, carrying a bag and trying to catch up with her in a hurry, creating aical scene.


    As the woman passed by their group, she suddenly stopped, and everyone looked at her eagerly.


    She lowered her head, her sunsses slipping down a bit, and her eyes quickly locked onto Ming Jing. She red at Ming Jing, humphed, pushed up her sunsses, and walked away with a proud and delicate figure.


    Everyone exchanged looks, and Zhao Heng muttered: ¡°She¡¯s sick. Ming Jing didn¡¯t do anything to provoke her. She¡¯s just jealous of Ming Jing.¡±<div>


    Xie Zhen whispered: ¡°I think she is¡­ Liu Muxue.¡±


    This was the image of the rich second-generation that Tang Wan had described ¨C someone who looked down upon others with disdain.


    Zhao Heng jumped up: ¡°What? Liu Muxue?¡±


    With such a dressing, she was still in high school. It was a sign of the decline of social morality.


    Liu Muxue walked straight into the VIP waiting room.


    Zhao Heng rolled his eyes: ¡°She¡¯s so over-the-top just because she has some money. Who is she trying to show off to?¡±


    Song Yinzhang smiled and looked at Ming Jing: ¡°How did you offend her?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head. She remembered that when she had leftst time, she had given Liu Muxue a good prescription for asthma. Although Liu Muxue was willful, she seemed to have understood at that moment and softened her attitude.


    But now, after just two months, she had reverted to her old ways.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t think much about it, took out a book, and began to read.


    All of them were top students, so their environment didn¡¯t affect their focus. The others also started to read and practice problems as soon as they saw Ming Jing doing so.


    A passerby took a photo of this scene: in the morning light, four young people sitting in the noisy airport terminal, focusing on their books and answering questions. It was a rare sight in today¡¯s impetuous society.<div>


    When the photo circted on the inte, someone recognized Ming Jing and knew she was going to Jingzhou for the CMO. That set off another wave of discussion online.


    Liu Muxue tried several phone calls but no one answered. She couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°You¡¯re pissing me off by not answering my calls!¡±


    Miss, would you like some water?¡± Xiao Fang unscrewed the thermos cup and handed it to Liu Muxue.


    Liu Muxue took a sip and spat it out: ¡°You¡¯re trying to scald me to death?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss.¡± Xiao Fang quickly took it back. ¡°I¡¯m going to the beverage room to get you some lukewarm water.¡±


    Liu Muxue gave her a disdainful nce: ¡°I¡¯m not drinking the airport¡¯s water. It¡¯s filthy.¡±


    Xiao Fang felt helpless. Serving Miss was indeed a tough job.


    The boarding announcement came, and Liu Muxue, carrying her bag, prepared to board the ne. She had purchased a first-ss seat for the best service and ultimate enjoyment.


    ¡°Did Zhu Mingjing buy an economy ss ticket?¡± Liu Muxue asked.


    Xiao Fang replied: ¡°I think so.¡±


    Liu Muxue, leaning back in her seat, arms around a bag of chips, snorted at this: ¡°Isn¡¯t her brother Shen Zhou? So, he can¡¯t even afford to upgrade her seat? Just as I thought.¡±


    Xiao Fang looked around nervously: ¡°Miss, please lower your voice.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue pursed her lips: ¡°Shen Zhou is nothing special. Back then, when he groveled at my house, he was chased out by Uncle Liu with a broom. Nothing to be proud of.¡±


    Xiao Fang saw a man wearing ck clothes and an eye mask lying opposite them. Heughed contemptuously and disdainfully.


    Immediately, Liu Muxue sat up and stared at him: ¡°What are youughing at?¡±The man turned over, seemingly not wanting to deal with her.


    Liu Muxue was infuriated, ¡°Hey, exin yourself! What¡¯s so funny? Is it hrious?¡±


    An elegant and beautiful flight attendant came over and gently said, ¡°Excuse me, can you please lower your voice? Please don¡¯t disturb others¡¯ rest.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s face turned red, seeing that everyone was looking at her, she angrilyy back down and red at the man in ck across from her.


    As the ne took off, Ming Jing gazed at the fleeting clouds outside the window, which seemed within reach.


    Her eyes were fixated for a moment.


    ¡°Attachment to emotionlessness is attachment.¡±


    It was the guidance Buddha gave her in her dream.


    The clouds in the sky changed, twisting and turning, real and illusory, tangible and intangible.


    These things were just like this world, fleeting dreams and three lifetimes of love and detachment.<div>


    In the world, everything is naturally ordained. Deliberation renders one inferior, while going with the natural flow and the cycle of cause and effect determines one¡¯s destiny.


    Understood this, the burden on Ming Jing¡¯s mind was instantly released and she felt much lighter.


    The three-hour journey was just a nap for others. Several people were still fighting for every second to study, and Xie Zhen saw Ming Jing doing problems for a while before pulling out a book to read. She always thought that Ming Jing read professional books. When Ming Jing went to the bathroom, she could not help but curiously look at the cover.


    It turned out to be a ssic wuxia novel.


    Ming Jing actually had the leisure to read wuxia novels?


    When Ming Jing came back and saw Xie Zhen staring at the cover of the novel in a daze, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You ¡­ you¡¯re reading a wuxia novel. I thought you were reading a professional book.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°It¡¯s important to bnce work and rxation. Reading wuxia novels helps me rx. Do you want to read one? I can lend you a book.¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head immediately: ¡°I¡¯m not as smart as you. Reading novels would distract me, so I¡¯d better not.¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°This novel is excellent, and it would be even better if made into a TV show. Images are more intuitive and shocking than words.¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°It has been adapted into a TV series, several versions in fact. The more recent ones have be worse with each adaptation. The current investors only want to make quick money and produce garbage TV shows to fool the audience. The TV industry is being ruined by these parasites.¡±


    Ming Jing thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea.<div>


    Touching the cover of the novel, with chivalry and tenderness amid the shes of swords, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I really like this novel. It¡¯s a pity if it¡¯s not adapted for wider audiences.¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°If you have the money, you can make the TV show yourself. You can recruit your own team and choose the actors. I remember that Shenzhou Group has an entertainment industry chain, which has a ce in the entertainment circle.¡±


    With the backing of Shenzhou Group, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise for the smart Ming Jing to do anything.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Do you usually enjoy watching TV shows?¡±


    Xie Zhen scratched her head: ¡°Of course I do. However, my family is not well-off, so I can only study hard to change my life. I have no time to watch TV.¡±


    The two chatted a lot. Xie Zhen found itforting talking with Ming Jing. She spoke at a gentle pace, was very considerate, and had deep knowledge and wit. She would subtly enlighten you more than reading a hundred books could.


    Thus, she didn¡¯t realize she had unknowingly sold her entire family without even realizing it, and was even deeply grateful to the other party.


    As they were talking, the broadcast reminded them that they had arrived at Jingzhou.


    Liu Muxue was woken up by Xiao Fang, and she hummed unhappily with a sleepy face. Then, she saw a sh of a shadow in the corner of her eye and immediately straightened up. Without even putting on her shoes, she chased after him.


    ¡°Hey, stop right there!¡±


    The man in ck continued walking without hesitation and exited the cabin without looking back.


    <div>

 Chapter 477: 223 Paparazzi (Seventh Watch)

    Chapter 477: 223 Paparazzi (Seventh Watch)<div>


    Jingzhou is colder than Jiangzhou; the wind in Jiangzhou is gentle and delicate, like a refined young girl.


    On the contrary, the wind in Jingzhou is wild and unrestrained, suddenly sweeping across t grounds, with an imposing momentum.


    Stepping out of the airport terminal, Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t help but wrap her coat tighter around her, shivering a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold.¡±


    Only Ming Jing seemed unaffected by the cold, wearing a white long skirt and a cream-colored trench coat, tall and elegant, exquisitely beautiful.


    Finally stepping on this familiarnd once again!<div>


    At this moment, a tsunami-like scream sounded from behind them, almost taking off the roof of the airport.


    They were all shouting a name, and many people ran past Ming Jing, rushing urgently and fiercely, their excitement almost spilling over.


    Qu Feitai!


    This was the influence of a top-notch singer and entertainment industry superstar.


    Ming Jing furrowed her brows, wasn¡¯t Qu Feitai¡¯s itinerary supposed to be top secret? How could the fans know?


    Xie Zhen excitedly said, ¡°It¡¯s Qu Feitai, he¡¯s on the same flight with us.¡±


    As if she had thought of something, she subconsciously looked at Ming Jing; rumors on the inte said that there was something going on between Qu Feitai and Ming Jing. Even though she didn¡¯t spend much time online, she had heard about it.


    Song Yinzhang let out a sigh, ¡°Xiao Fei¡¯s itinerary has been leaked, I guess¡­ not good, Ming Jing let¡¯s go.¡± Song Yinzhang¡¯s face changed, and he turned around to take Ming Jing away, but it was already toote.


    A group of gossipy reporters with cameras in hand somehow squeezed through the cracks and surrounded Ming Jing and herpany. Someone in the crowd shouted, ¡°Ming Jing is over here¡­!¡±


    Instantly, the whole airport terminal erupted in chaos.


    Xie Zhen was dumbstruck at the sight, never having experienced anything like this before.


    Surrounded by a group of gossipy reporters, the young girl didn¡¯t show the slightest panic as she pulled her friend behind her.<div>


    These reporters had anticipated the news and had been waiting at Jingzhou airport, determined to make a big story today and not rest until they did so; they wouldn¡¯t easily leave.


    More and more people poured towards them, the entire airport terminal seemed split into two whirlpools, one centered around Qu Feitai and the other around Ming Jing.


    A thin and monkey-faced reporter asked, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, you and Qu Feitai took the same flight back to Jingzhou, this can¡¯t just be a coincidence, are you two already together?¡±


    ¡°The rumors say that Qu Feitai dropped everything, even a half-filmed show, to return to Jiangzhou for you. Have you two been together all this time?¡±


    ¡°How far along are you two?¡±


    Reporters¡¯ questions rained down on them like a hail of bullets, overwhelming and relentless. Song Yinzhang and Zhao Heng blocked Ming Jing¡¯s front, ¡°Please step back, we are not taking interviews.¡±


    Ming Jing calmly said, ¡°You all should leave.¡±


    Song Yinzhang looked back at her; Ming Jing¡¯s gaze was gentle and calm, as if nothing could ever bring her down.


    Song Yinzhang pursed his lips, and he and Zhao Heng stepped back a little, standing on either side of Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing looked at the reporters and the encroaching crowd, her gazending on the first man who spoke. The man involuntarily shuddered under her calm, gentle stare.


    ¡°You, the reporter, your question is logically wed. By your logic, isn¡¯t it also not a coincidence for the other passengers who took the same flight as me? Please don¡¯t spread baseless rumors.¡±


    Ming Jing then looked at the second person who spoke, ¡°You also mentioned rumors. Did you see it with your own eyes? Is there any evidence? In the eyes of thew, nder and defamation are the same crime.¡±<div>


    ¡°How far along are we? Your phrasing is interesting. Qu Feitai and I have been friends all along ¨C past, present, and future. What you fabricate based on this, it¡¯s none of my business. But if it affects me and my friend¡¯s life, then I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The young girl spoke gently, slowly, and calmly, her voice an exquisite pleasure to the listeners¡¯ ears. Particrly with thatst sentence, she seemed to be smiling, but it sent a chill down the spines of those who heard it.


    Ming Jing¡¯s words were clear, reasonable, and justified, leaving her opponents speechless and in no position to argue.


    The reporters were about to ask more questions but were quickly pulled back by their colleagues.


    They whispered a reminder, ¡°She¡¯s Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, you know how powerful Shenzhou Group¡¯s legal team is; there¡¯s no need for me to remind you. The information we have today is enough, don¡¯t offend people.¡±


    The other person could only back down.


    The crowd parted, creating a pathway, and Qu Feitai stood in the center, gazing over.


    Across a sea of heads, Ming Jing saw the guilt in the young man¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 478: 223 Paparazzi (Seventh Watch)_2

    Chapter 478: 223 Paparazzi (Seventh Watch)_2<div>


    Ming Jing hooked up the corners of her mouth, with a warm and clean smile.


    As Qu Feitai was stunned, Ming Jing and Xie Zhen left the airport under the protection of Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang on their left and right, this time the paparazzi didn¡¯t stop her. Ming Jing was not a famous celebrity, so ordinary people wouldn¡¯t rush over for autographs and photos. They just watched from a distance and secretly took pictures of her.


    Ming Jing and the others smoothly got into amercial vehicle on the side of the road, ¡°Mydy, my name is Shen Hui, Mr. Shen assigned me to be in charge of your itinerary in Jingzhou. The hotel where you will stay has also been arranged for you. It is opposite the Foreign Language High School. I will take you to the hotel for a rest now.¡±


    Thepetition was held at Jingzhou Foreign Language High School, which represents the highest level of teaching conditions in Jingzhou and even the whole country. It is also a major supply unit forpetitions among middle school students in the country, especially with outstanding achievements in mathematicspetitions. Therefore, in recent years, the school has been hosting the Winter Camp.


    Shen Zhou had already arranged everything in Jingzhou in advance. This Shen Hui was the representative of Shenzhou Group¡¯s Jingzhou branch, but now he was more than happy to be a driver for a high school student.


    Ming Jing smiled calmly, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Shen, for your hard work.¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard work, taking care of you is my responsibility.¡±


    Ming Jing looked toward the airport exit as Qu Feitai was protected by airport security and quickly walked out of the airport, got into a sedan, and soon sped away.


    Ming Jing retracted her gaze, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Miss, we came outte and missed the excitement. It seems there was a big star on the same ne as us, but I don¡¯t know which big star it was?¡± Xiao Fang, dragging two big suitcases, said excitedly.


    She had grown up in Liuxian Town since she was young, and this was her first experience in such a big city. To her, celebrities were like the distant moon.


    ¡°A big star?¡± Liu Muxue frowned. The crowd hadn¡¯t dispersed yet, and she heard the young girls chattering excitedly with disdain.


    Suddenly, she heard a strange and somewhat familiar name, ¡°Qu Feitai?¡±


    Liu Muxue didn¡¯t care much about celebrities, flirty actors and actresses, but this Qu Feitai had left a deep impression on her, because he and Ming Jing had a ¡°close rtionship.¡±


    She grabbed a person and asked, ¡°Where is Qu Feitai?¡±


    The other person flinched from her unfriendly face, shook off her hand, and replied, ¡°Are you crazy? Of course he left a long time ago, did you expect him to stay behind for a photo with you?¡± Then rolled their eyes and walked away.


    In Jingzhou, wealthy people were everywhere, but true wealth was actually low-key. Liu Muxue¡¯s dazzling designer clothes were seen as a sign of a nouveau riche lifestyle,cking taste and refinement.


    Liu Muxue took a deep breath, trying to control her anger.<div>


    The airport lobby crowd dispersed quickly, and Liu Muxue stepped out. The cold wind blowing made her feel weak.


    ¡°I hate Jingzhou.¡± Liu Muxue grimaced,ining angrily.


    Xiao Fang took out a coat and draped it over Liu Muxue, ¡°Miss, put on your clothes quickly. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    The two took a taxi to the hotel, and Xiao Fang said, ¡°Beforeing out, Uncle Liu gave me a contact number, saying that it was for Miss¡¯ cousin in Jingzhou, who is very capable. If you need anything, just contact him.¡±


    Xiao Fang took out the paper slip Uncle Liu gave her, ¡°Right, his name is Liu Xiangyue.¡±


    Liu Muxue sneered, ¡°A grown man with such a sissy name.¡±


    ¡°Miss! You can¡¯t say that!¡± Liu Xiangyue is said to be very powerful. He was an Exam Topper in Jingzhou and graduated from the Foreign Language University. He won the gold medal on behalf of Hua Country in the International Olympics Competition, defeating teams from other countries. He must be very experienced¡­¡±


    Liu Muxue red at her, ¡°If he¡¯s so great, am I not good enough?¡±¡±Of course, Miss is even more amazing. After all, she¡¯s a prodigy and has always had great grades without studying, hehe.¡±


    The offspring of the Liu family have exceptionally good genes, exhibiting a great deal of talent in their studies.


    Only then did Liu Muxue feel that her breathing had eased a little. Upon arriving at the hotel, Xiao Fang went to the front desk to check in.


    Although it was her first time in a big city, she was well-acquainted with worldly affairs since childhood in the Liu family and was not shy, always behaving confidently andfortably.


    She frowned and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t there any presidential suites avable?¡±<div>


    The receptionist smiled apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, our hotel¡¯s presidential suite has been fully booked in advance, and only standard rooms are left.¡±


    Xiao Fang turned to look at Liu Muxue, who took off her sunsses and walked over with a click. With a p, she put the sunsses on the marble counter, her eyebrows furrowed: ¡°I¡¯ll pay extra, as long as you make the presidential suite avable, just name the price.¡±


    The receptionist¡¯s mouth twitched. Those who could afford the presidential suite wouldn¡¯t care for your money.


    Seeing that the young girl was of a certain age but still domineering and arrogant, the receptionist apologized with a smile and said, ¡°Miss, that¡¯s not quite appropriate, is it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so inappropriate about it? Just give me the guest¡¯s phone number, and I¡¯ll talk to them.¡±


    That would be even more against the rules, and the receptionist was too afraid to do that, finding himself in a difficult situation.


    ¡°Are you going to give it to me or not? Do you want me to file aint against you?!¡± Liu Muxue pped the counter again, this time using too much force, hurting her palm, she gasped in pain and red at the receptionist.


    The receptionist was at his wits¡¯ end and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but our hotel has its rules and cannot disclose guest¡¯s information. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡±


    In fact, theycked experience and should have booked a hotel online in advance to avoid this situation.


    However, Liu Zhangshen didn¡¯t think that far ahead and thought that as long as he had money, any problem could be solved. He gave his daughter an unlimited ck card and left her to her own devices.


    Because the hotel was adjacent to the Foreign Language High School, candidates from all over the country stayed at this hotel, including hotels within a kilometer radius, leaving Liu Muxue with no rooms at other hotels.


    When people are under someone else¡¯s roof, they have to bow their heads. Liu Muxue had no choice but to stay in a standard room and share it with Xiao Fang.<div>


    Liu Muxue had been spoiled since childhood. In Jiangzhou, she would only stay in a presidential suite. She asked Xiao Fang to take their luggage back to the room first, then took the elevator to the top floor.


    Upon finding the presidential suite numbered 888, a girl just happened to walk out.


    The girl wore a washed-out white jacket and jeans, with thick sses on her nose, having a shabby and poorly-dressed appearance. Anger rushed to Liu Muxue¡¯s head, and she stormed over.


    Bluntly asking, ¡°Xie Zhen? So it¡¯s you who¡¯s staying here? Looking at your shabby attire, can you afford it?¡±


    Seeing Liu Muxue, Xie Zhen was so frightened that she nearly lost her soul.


    The fear of being dominated by Liu Muxue was still vivid in her memory. She had never seen such a domineering and arrogant girl before; it was beyond imagination.


    With her legs trembling involuntarily, Xie Zhen stuttered in exnation, ¡°I¡­ I am not, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    However, Liu Muxue didn¡¯t give her a chance to exin, chin raised in a haughty manner, she said, ¡°Give the room to me, and I¡¯ll pay you double the original price.¡±


    Her face appeared as if she were graciously bestowing a favor to the other party that they should be grateful for.

 Chapter 479: 224 Bait (Eighth Watch)

    Chapter 479: 224 Bait (Eighth Watch)<div>


    Xie Zhen was stunned and quickly shook her head.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyebrows raised: ¡°You don¡¯t agree? Who are you to disagree?¡±


    Xie Zhen felt insulted. Even if she was poor, she had dignity. No one could tolerate being insulted so openly.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my room. What right do I have to give it to you?¡± Xie Zhen gathered her courage and said.


    This time it was Liu Muxue¡¯s turn to be stunned. She suddenly pped her forehead: ¡°How silly of me, how could someone as poor as you possibly stay in a presidential suite? It must be Zhu Mingjing, right? Tell her toe out, I have something to say to her.¡±


    Xie Zhen thought to herself, What an arrogant tone. Who does she think she is? She¡¯s overestimating herself.<div>


    Seeing that Xie Zhen didn¡¯t move, Liu Muxue questioned her: ¡°Are you deaf or mute? Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    Xie Zhen took a deep breath: ¡°Ming Jing is resting. It¡¯s better not to disturb her.¡±


    Without a word, Liu Muxue walked over to knock on the door. ¡°Zhu Mingjing, get the hell out.¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked by her reckless behavior and quickly tried to stop her, ¡°Don¡¯t knock on the door¡­¡±


    Liu Muxue pushed her away: ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Instead of pushing Xie Zhen, she ended up pushing herself to the ground.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s face suddenly turned green.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s face instantly turned white¡­


    At this moment, the door opened and Ming Jing appeared, ncing at Liu Muxue who was on the ground: ¡°Did you need me for something?¡±


    Liu Muxue said, ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll deal with her first.¡± She then angrily moved toward Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen was terrified, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, don¡¯te over.¡±


    ¡°You dare push me? Since I was a child, no one has dared to do that.¡± As she spoke, she reached out to push Xie Zhen, just like a mischievous child. Ming Jing couldn¡¯t help butugh.<div>


    Hearing Ming Jing¡¯sughter, Liu Muxue hesitated, then turned her head towards Ming Jing: ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    ¡°She already said it wasn¡¯t intentional, but you still want to take revenge. You push her, then she retaliates, this endless cycle of vengeance¡­ Do you think it¡¯s fun?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, she pushed me first.¡±


    It was impossible to reason with this stubborn youngdy.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t feel obligated to correct her twisted values, so she asked: ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    As Ming Jing diverted the topic, Liu Muxue immediately forgot about Xie Zhen pushing her and approached Ming Jing: ¡°Give me the room. I¡¯llpensate you at five times the market price. How about that?¡±


    The triumphant look on her face made it seem like Ming Jing was taking a huge advantage.


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°I didn¡¯t book the room.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    At this moment, a woman wearing a professional suit walked over quickly, followed by a chef pushing a food cart. Seeing Ming Jing, the woman smiled and greeted respectfully: ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I am the General Manager of this hotel, Hu Qing. I apologize for being unable to greet you personally this morning as I had a meeting in the city. I hope you can forgive me. Is the roomfortable? If you need anything, just call me. This is my business card.¡±


    She respectfully handed over a business card with both hands.


    Ming Jing epted it with a smile: ¡°Manager Hu is too polite.¡±<div>


    ¡°Not at all, Mr. Shen instructed us to take good care of you. This is our hotel¡¯s head chef. He prepared lunch ording to your taste. He used to work at Dechang Building and is excellent in vegetarian cuisine.¡±


    The food cart was filled with tes covered uniformly with lids.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s face turned green once again.


    Xie Zhen nced at Liu Muxue and secretly rolled her eyes.


    The hotel manager personally brought lunch to Ming Jing, and you still want her to give up her room? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed by this scene?


    ¡°Miss will have exams these days, so we prepared brain-nourishing dishes for her, to make sure she eatsfortably and with peace of mind.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Manager Hu.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, not at all¡­¡± Hu Qing quickly waved her hand, her gaze turning to Xie Zhen and Liu Muxue. She smiled, ¡°These two must be Miss¡¯s ssmates, right? With your student IDs, you can get a 70% discount at our hotel¡¯s restaurant.¡±


    This discount only applied to students from Jiang Province, and only because of Ming Jing¡¯s presence. As for students from other provinces, they could only wish for such a discount.


    Liu Muxue snorted, ¡°As if I care about your discounts.¡±


    Hu Qing¡¯s smile remained unchanged. She had heard about the situation from the front desk on her way back, so she knew that the girl in front of her was undoubtedly the one who had caused trouble.


    <div>

 Chapter 480: 224 Bait (Eighth Watch)_2

    Chapter 480: 224 Bait (Eighth Watch)_2<div>


    ¡°This ssmate is right, we meant well, but if the ssmate doesn¡¯t appreciate it, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    Liu Muxue choked and snorted.


    ¡°Just because you have a rich brother, who isn¡¯t even a real sibling, what¡¯s there to show off?¡±


    Hu Qing frowned, this ssmate of Miss was really impolite, her words were very unpleasant.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Xie Zhen, have lunch with me.¡±


    Xie Zhen pointed to himself, with a face of surprise, ¡°Can I join too?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Ming Jing turned around and asked the head chef to push the meal cart inside. They all went in, Ming Jing closed the door, and never looked at Liu Muxue from beginning to end.


    Liu Muxue was so angry that she stomped her feet. What was she trying to show off?


    Was it so great to have the hotel manager personally deliver the meal?


    Still relying on being Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, an unrted sister at that.


    Who knows if it¡¯s just a cover-up?


    ¡°Manager Hu, you don¡¯t need to specifically send meals to me in the future. I can go downstairs to the restaurant myself.¡±


    Hu Qing quickly agreed.


    ¡°Miss, is that your ssmate just now? She just¡­¡± Hu Qing told her about what happened at the front desk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, you guys go on with your work.¡±


    Hu Qing and the head chef left the room together and closed the door. Hu Qing took a deep breath, ¡°The little Missy is much easier to get along with than I thought.¡±


    The head chefughed, ¡°You must have some misunderstandings about Missy, hasn¡¯t her good reputation already spread throughout the country?¡±<div>


    Hu Qing replied, ¡°I¡¯m so busy with work, where would I find the time to pay attention to all these messy news? It was only a few days ago that I received the notice that the Missy was going to stay in our hotel. The presidential suite had been booked a month in advance. In order to solve this problem, I had to use a lot of effort. But after all, who can deny that Mr. Shen is the major shareholder of our hotel? His sister must be treated as a little Missy. I thought she would be a haughty Missy, but today¡¯s encounter was quite a surprise.¡±


    Heughed and said, ¡°To be recognized as Mr. Shen¡¯s sister, she must be decent. I was really foolish.¡±


    As Hu Qing just came downstairs, a colleague hurriedly approached, ¡°Manager Hu, the guest in room 302 has been causing a scene. Sheins about the mattress being too hard, then says there are rats in the room, and just nowined that our front desk is too fierce¡­¡± She¡¯s almost crying from anger.


    Hu Qing held her forehead, the guest in room 302 was the girl who was sour and sarcastic just now.


    Both are girls, but the difference is so big.


    Hu Qing said, ¡°Let her make a fuss. It¡¯s just a few days anyway. Everyone should avoid her during these days.¡±


    The lunch was very sumptuous, and both of them had small stomachs, so they couldn¡¯t eat much. Ming Jing called Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang to join them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard in advance that tomorrow is the opening ceremony, the second and third days are the exams, the fourth day is academic reports, the fifth and sixth days are sightseeing tours, and the seventh day is the closing ceremony, with the announcement of the results and awards.¡± Zhao Heng quickly shared all the information he had gathered while eating.


    ¡°The exam will be held in the style of the IMO, with three questions each day and a time limit of four and a half hours toplete them¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen listened attentively, even took out a small notebook to take notes.


    ¡°This year, in addition to the winners from various provinces and cities, there are also representative teams from various countries. There are more than 300 participants, which is the preliminary estimate. It¡¯s simply a golden age of mathematics. I¡¯ve learned from a special channel that¡­¡±


    Zhao Heng lowered his voice and said mysteriously, ¡°I heard that this year¡¯s questions werepiled by Master You himself, and the difficulty is beyond imagination. I¡¯ve got some past CMO questions and Master You¡¯s real question set, which can serve as a reference. Let¡¯s start right after dinner, we can¡¯t lose face for our Jiangzhou.¡±<div>


    Xie Zhen quickly finished eating, wiped his mouth, and took out his notebook to sit down obediently.


    Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang finished eating soon after and joined the study group.This was an upward journey, the more one climbed, the more difficult it was, but like passing a level, it was very fulfilling.


    Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang had reached the stage of harmony and understanding, Xie Zhen¡¯s foundation and thinking were worse than theirs, so she dared not ask. Ming Jing took the initiative to exin to her.


    ¡°Am I too stupid? Don¡¯t bother with me, just review your own, this will dy your time.¡± Xie Zhen said with shame.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, the process of helping you to exin is also deepening my own impression.¡±


    Xie Zhen knew that Ming Jing was taking care of her and was grateful in her heart.


    In fact, she was already very happy to be admitted to CMO. As for medals and such, she had never thought about it.


    Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the sun set in the west, stars reced the evening glow, and moonlight spread across the earth.


    Ming Jing, immersed in the sea of books and questions, had no idea that her words at the airport at noon caused another uproar on the Inte.


    Her calm andposed demeanor and unhurried answers were deeply etched in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    She said ¨C I was friends with Qu Feitai before, I am friends now, and I will be friends in the future.


    Her gaze was bright and clean, like the clearest mountain stream, and even a little bit of evil thoughts seemed to be a great stain on her.<div>


    She said it openly and no one would question it.


    She defined her rtionship with Qu Feitai as friends. Can there be pure friendship between the opposite sexes?


    But if Ming Jing says yes, then it must be.


    If it was Qu Feitai¡¯s unrequited love, even his fans felt it was his wishful thinking.


    Two dayster, at the recording site of ¡°Girl Idol¡±, Qu Feitai finally arrived.


    The students and the director¡¯s team were fine, but the schedules of the other three tutors werepletely disrupted by Qu Feitai¡¯s whimsical departure, especially Xu Lian¡¯er, who had to give up an important movie audition. When she saw Qu Feitai, she wished she could pounce n him and strangle him.


    After this incident, the program team cherished Qu Feitai even more, fearing that he would make another whimsical escape. To that end, they specially set up a signal blocker. When the tutors were recording, they would turn it on, block the mobile phone signal, and had no way to go online. Qu Feitai naturally couldn¡¯t see Ming Jing¡¯s information, and he shouldn¡¯t be so impulsive for her sake.


    ¡°Did you see the news? Qu Feitai and Ming Jing took the same flight to Jingzhou this morning. I heard from someone online who shared a cabin with Ming Jing said, Ming Jing likes to read martial arts novels. She¡¯s so gentle, how can she like all that violence? So unexpected¡­¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is in Jingzhou? What is she doing here?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for the Math Winter Camppetition. She¡¯s a super top student, an excellent representative of Jiang Province. If she can win a medal at the Winter Camp, she can directly win admission to Huaqing University.¡±


    ¡°Winter Camp attracts outstanding students from all over the country and even the world. It¡¯s not that easy to get a medal. Maybe she just got into the Winter Camp through some channels. Isn¡¯t it the wealthy people that are best at this kind of thing?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang listened to the various discussions around her, and her heart skipped a beat.<div>


    Ming Jing is in Jingzhou?


    Yes, she had almost forgotten that Ming Jing had been admitted to the Winter Camp.


    Zhu Xiangxiang listened to the words of envy and jealousy from the people around her, pursed her lips, and walked to the corner with her cell phone.


    ¡°Honghong, Zhu Mingjing is in Jingzhou.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known for a long time. This is my territory. Once she¡¯s here, she won¡¯t leave unscathed. I haven¡¯t settled the score with her fromst time.¡±


    ¡°The n still needs a bait, and it can only be you. What do you think?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her teeth, ¡°Honghong, just tell me what you want me to do.¡±

 Chapter 481: 225 Defeated General (Nine More)

    Chapter 481: 225 Defeated General (Nine More)<div>


    Today, the sun is shining, and a cool breeze is blowing. It¡¯s a beautiful day.


    Outstanding high school representatives from across the country and around the world have gathered at the Jingzhou Foreign Language High School auditorium, where the Winter Camp opening ceremony will be held today.


    The students, wearing their respective school uniforms, enter the auditorium in small groups.


    Xie Zhen looks enviously at Ming Jing¡¯s school uniform, ¡°Your school¡¯s uniform is so beautiful¡­¡±


    Not just her, the others are also attracted by Ming Jing¡¯s uniform when they see her.


    Shengde High School is the only prestigious high school in Jiangzhou, and its uniforms are different from those of ordinary public high schools, with no repetitive styles throughout the year and colors that change with the seasons.<div>


    Over the white shirt is a slimming blue jacket with the school emblem and name tag on the chest, the cor and cuffs embroidered with pink magnolias. Magnolias are the school flower of Shengde High School, representing the noble and pure, courageous and generous aspects of life. The look is unique and splendid, with a gray pleated skirt below, a matching necktie, ck knee-high socks outlining a pair of long, straight legs, like those of a character from a manga, and a pair of ck British-style leather shoes.


    The young girl is tall and slender, and wearing such a refined and beautiful uniform only entuates her youthful charm, exuding beauty and elegance. Her long ck hair cascades down her back, and a silver butterfly hairpin falls with her tresses. A breeze blows through, causing the hairpin to flutter, making her silhouette even more graceful and delicate, ethereal and untainted, touching one¡¯s heart like a soft ribbon, undting up and down.


    Among the in, baggy uniforms around her, the delicate and beautiful look of her uniform is truly eye-catching, even Song Yinzhang, d in a suit, looks much more upright and dashing than other boys.


    Zhao Heng sighs, ¡°Just for this uniform, back then, I insisted on getting into Shengde, but s, I miscalcted.¡±


    Ming Jing ignores the attention and walks towards the auditorium with Xie Zhen, Zhao Heng, and the others.


    Someone behind them asks, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Ming Jing?¡±


    The others, upon hearing this, are stunned for a moment.


    Ming Jing? So she is Ming Jing?


    Ming Jing¡¯s name is now well-known, almost as popr as young celebrity Xiao Hua.


    ¡°I heard she got the highest score in Jiang Province during thepetition and is the dark horse of this Winter Camp. She¡¯s so pretty, Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, and so smart! She¡¯s really a winner in life¡­¡± A girl, wearing sses on her nose, says enviously.


    ¡°Heh, she¡¯s a dark horse? Who knows if it¡¯s not just because of her family¡¯s connections. If she¡¯s really that amazing, she should go be a star instead ofpeting with us for gold medals. I think she¡¯s too greedy, wanting everything, and in the end, she might not get anything.¡±


    Everyone looks at the girl who just spoke. She¡¯s wearing a Foreign Language High School uniform and looks arrogant and disdainful. Standing next to her is a thin girl, also wearing a Foreign Language High School uniform, with a fair and delicate appearance that catches people¡¯s eyes.<div>


    The fair-skinned girl frowns and whispers, ¡°A Wen, don¡¯t say things like that.¡±


    A Wen snorts, ¡°Yezi, why are you defending her? If you ask me, she can¡¯tpare to you at all. You¡¯ve won so many awards since you were little; she¡¯s just lucky this time and is no match for you.¡±


    Someone points to the fair-skinned girl and says, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Bo Lianye?¡±


    At once, the crowd bes noisy. Bo Lianye¡¯s name is also well-known in the circle, a nightmare to those who have been inpetitions since childhood. She started participating in children¡¯s mathpetitions at the age of seven and has never failed, earning a reputation as a math prodigy.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Zhu Mingjing just scored well once, which doesn¡¯t really prove anything, but Bo Lianye is a well-known math prodigy. She has won gold medals in everypetition since she was a child and has never failed.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Bo Lianye was so beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard her family background is also very good. She has a very unique surname in Jingzhou ¡ª Bo. Compared to Zhu Mingjing, an absolute loss in terms of family background¡­¡±}

 Chapter 482: 225 Defeated General (Nine More)_2

    Chapter 482: 225 Defeated General (Nine More)_2<div>


    Bo Lianye¡¯s delicate eyebrows frowned slightly, making anyone who saw her want to smooth them for her.


    Everyone turned their heads to see a petite and exquisite young girl walking over. Everyone was in school uniforms except for her; she wore a seductive red skirt and put on heavy makeup at such a young age. She had big wavy hair, which was quite exquisite, but too mature for her age. The girl couldn¡¯t support the makeup and appeared somewhat ill-matched.


    ¡°Are you a contestant? Do you know that you¡¯re supposed to wear your school uniform during the summer camp?¡± Su Wen said.


    The young girl rolled her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t like to wear it, so what? Are they not going to let me in if I don¡¯t wear it? I didn¡¯t know there was such a rule.¡±


    Su Wen choked a bit, the rule only mentioned school uniforms but didn¡¯t explicitly say what would happen if one didn¡¯t wear them, as the organizers had never thought someone would disrespect the rules and not wear a uniform.


    This was infuriating; they¡¯d never seen such an arrogant student before.<div>


    ¡°Where is she from? She¡¯s so ill-mannered¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly, everyone is wearing their school uniform but her, does that make her special?¡±


    ¡°What did she just say? Bo Lianye is her defeated opponent? She must be sleepwalking¡­¡±¡®


    The young girl smirked at the surrounding taunts, ¡°Calling you ignorant, you really are ignorant. Bo Lianye is indeed my defeated opponent. My name is Liu Muxue, and if you¡¯ve forgotten, Bo Lianye, let me remind you.¡±


    Liu Muxue?


    Everyone looked at each other, who was she? Where did this lunatice from?


    Su Wen sneered, ¡°Brazen, Bo Lianye has been participating inpetitions since she was a child and has some fame in the circle. But sorry, I¡¯ve never heard of Liu Muxue.¡±


    Upon hearing this name, Bo Lianye was momentarily stunned. She raised her head and took a closer look at Liu Muxue.


    Liu Muxue crossed her arms and smiled at Bo Lianye, ¡°Remember now?¡±


    Su Wen looked at Bo Lianye, ¡°Bo Lianye, I think she¡¯s just crazy. Ignore her; let¡¯s go.¡±


    Bo Lianye suddenlyughed, ¡°So it¡¯s you, I remember now. You¡¯re right. I was once defeated by you.¡±


    As soon as Bo Lianye¡¯s words left her mouth, there was an instantaneous uproar around them.<div>


    It turned out to be true.


    Su Wen stared at Liu Muxue in disbelief, ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡±


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows smugly, ¡°Ask Bo Lianye.¡±


    Everyone looked at Bo Lianye, who was a bit embarrassed. She pursed her lips, her fair skin appearing sickly pale under the sunlight.


    ¡°When I was seven years old, I participated in The Math Cup for the first time and won the silver medal, while Liu Muxue won the gold medal.¡±


    Bo Lianye looked at Liu Muxue, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen you since then?¡±


    The Math Cup is a national mathpetition for children with great authority in the industry. Bo Lianye started to make a name for herself in thepetition.


    Unexpectedly, Bo Lianye won the silver medal that year, while the gold medal went to the extremely arrogant girl in front of her.


    No wonder she was so boastful; in fact, Bo Lianye was indeed her defeated opponent.


    Liu Muxue snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t like to participate inpetitions. It¡¯s a waste of time. I could just have fun with the extra time. I casually took the exam and got into CMO. I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ve always been a prodigy since I was a child.¡±


    Actually, her health had not been good when she was younger, and exams consumed her energy. She fainted after finishing the Math Cup exam, after which Liu Zhangshen no longer allowed her to participate in anypetitions.


    Her words were infuriating, but winning the gold medal in The Math Cup indeed indicated that she was undoubtedly a prodigy.<div>


    Bo Lianye shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡±


    ¡°Pity? I bet you¡¯re secretlyughing inside. With me here, you¡¯ll never have a chance to shine.¡± Liu Muxue walked past Bo Lianye and swaggered towards the auditorium.


    Bo Lianye¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.¡±Why is she so arrogant? What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± Su Wen said disdainfully.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Bo Lianye quickened her steps toward the auditorium.


    Xie Zhen saw what happened at the entrance and sneaked back to her seat to tell Ming Jing in a hushed voice, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that Bo Lianye, she¡¯s the school belle of this Foreign Language High School, very famous in thepetition circle. She has won countless awards since she was a child, truly an unparalleled honored child. I can¡¯t believe she actually lost to Liu Muxue, it¡¯s unbelievable.¡±


    The audience was filling up gradually, and the two of them sat in a corner of the back row without attracting anyone¡¯s attention.


    Xie Zhen suddenly pointed at the entering girl and said, ¡°That¡¯s her, that¡¯s Bo Lianye.¡±


    Ming Jing nced sideways, the auditorium had stepped seating that went down deep.


    The girl was wearing a blue and white school uniform, slender and tall, with fair and delicate features, and a gentle and elegant temperament. She walked in unhurriedly, and her appearance attracted the gaze of many students around her, who began to whisper quietly.


    Upon learning that she was Bo Lianye, their gazes were filled with admiration and fanaticism.


    Sitting here, every one of them had participated inpetitions since their childhood. Bo Lianye was their nightmare, but they also admired her sincerely.


    Ming Jing watched quietly.<div>


    Xie Zhen looked at Bo Lianye, then at Ming Jing, and whispered, ¡°You two look kind of alike, but she¡¯s not as pretty as you.¡±


    Both were tall and slender with fair skin and elegant temperament, but in terms of facial features, Bo Lianye was far behind her. At a nce, there was indeed a hint of Ming Jing¡¯s shadow, but upon closer inspection, the difference was significant.


    The whole auditorium was in chaos with loud voices. When the representatives from other countries, blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigners, appeared, the atmosphere became even more chaotic.


    At exactly nine o¡¯clock, the opening ceremony officially began. Various leaders took the stage to give speeches, which were boring and tedious for an hour.


    Ming Jing took out a martial arts novel from her bag and continued reading.


    Xie Zhen took out a notebook, listened carefully, and took notes diligently.


    Others were either dozing off or seizing every minute to do problems.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s wee the outstanding student representative, Bo Lianye from Jingzhou Foreign Language High School, to give a speech.¡±


    In the thunderous apuse, Bo Lianye, sitting in the front row, stood up and calmly walked towards the podium under countless gazes.


    ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m a sophomore from Jingzhou Foreign Language High School, my name is Bo Lianye¡­¡± The girl¡¯s gentle and pleasant voice was broadcasted through the microphone to every corner of the auditorium.


    Ming Jing looked up from her book and toward the stage.


    Under the dazzling stage lights, the girl had a clean and fair face, gentle eyebrows and eyes, and afortable and clean beauty.<div>


    ¡°Bo Lianye¡­¡± Ming Jing whispered the name, her lips gently curving upward.


    Everyone filed out, heading to the dining hall.


    After most people had left, Ming Jing, Xie Zhen, Song Yinzhang, and Zhao Heng got up to leave the auditorium.


    As Ming Jing looked up, she saw Liu Muxue blocking her way.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, I recognize you here, let¡¯s be partners,¡± Liu Muxue said, lifting her chin as if bestowing a favor on the other party.


    Xie Zhen hadn¡¯t seen such a shameless person before, and she was about to retort when Ming Jing readily agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liu Muxue was taken aback, not expecting Ming Jing to ept so readily, and she was left embarrassed.


    Liu Muxue snorted and turned away, walking a few steps before realizing no one was following her, and involuntarily stopped and turned around.


    She saw Ming Jing still standing there, smiling at her, and Liu Muxue couldn¡¯t help but snort, ¡°What are you looking at? Do you want to starve if you keep dawdling?¡±

 Chapter 483: 226 Moonlight (tenth watch)

    Chapter 483: 226 Moonlight (tenth watch)<div>


    The group of people headed toward the dining hall, which was so packed at the moment that Liu Muxue grimaced with disgust the moment she stepped inside.


    But she hadn¡¯t had breakfast, and now she was so hungry her stomach was practically hitting her back, so she paid no heed to the crowd and forced her way through with Ming Jing.


    When she tried to skip the line, Ming Jing pulled her to the back, forcing her to queue properly.


    Liu Muxue grumbled audibly, ¡°I¡¯m starving to death.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t give you the right to cut in line,¡± Ming Jing corrected her gently.


    Liu Muxue took a deep breath, I will endure it.<div>


    She was a stranger in Jingzhou, knowing only Ming Jing. For now, she would tolerate her, certainly not out of fear.


    As soon as the few of them fetched their meals and were about to leave, a quarrel broke out in the neighboring queue.


    It turns out that two foreigners had a conflict with a male student, almosting to blows. At this moment, Bo Lianye stepped in andmunicated with the foreigners in fluent British english, quickly defusing the situation, and both sides shook hands and made peace.


    With this move, Bo Lianye once again won everyone¡¯s unanimous approval.


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes, ¡°What a show-off.¡±


    Looking at Ming Jing, she added, ¡°But your ¡®performance¡¯ still beats hers by a long shot.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile and left with Liu Muxue and Xie Zhen, who were carrying trays of food.


    Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s departing figure, Bo Lianye paused momentarily.


    ¡°Leaf, what are you dazing about? Come and eat,¡± Su Wen called from behind the dining table.


    Bo Lianye pursed her lips and walked over.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice the admiring gazes from the surrounding boys? Haha,pared to that so-called ¡®national goddess¡¯ who made her fame through inte campaigning, you¡¯re the real deal, and we don¡¯t care for empty titles like that.¡±


    Bo Lianye ignored her, appearing rather distracted.<div>


    ¡°Leaf, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bo Lianye pulled herself together and said with a smile, ¡°My aunt¡¯s birthday ising up, I¡¯m thinking about what birthday gift to give her.¡±


    As soon as Bo Lianye¡¯s aunt was mentioned, Su Wen¡¯s face filled with envy, ¡°Your aunt¡¯s life is so good. She¡¯s married to the dream man of every girl in Jingzhou! If your aunt¡¯s having a birthday, then Uncle Bo must be having one too, he should being back from abroad soon, right? Your ce is going to be real lively.¡±


    Uncle Bo and Aunt Bo are twins, so if it¡¯s Aunt Bo¡¯s birthday, naturally it¡¯s Uncle Bo¡¯s birthday too.


    Speaking of Leaf¡¯s aunt, her life story was absolutely extraordinary, even stranger than a novel. But at least now, she¡¯s had her share of ups and downs.


    Mentioning Uncle Bo, Bo Lianye¡¯s smile broadened, ¡°Yes, Uncle Bo called me yesterday, he¡¯ll be back next week. I¡¯ve been missing him a lot since he¡¯s been away.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Uncle Bo spoils you so much, more than even your own father, we all know. We used to dream of having an uncle like him. By the way, does Uncle Bo have a girlfriend?¡± Su Wen¡¯s eyes were darting around.


    Bo Lianye shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think about my second sister? She¡¯s a top talent from Jingzhou University, beautiful and intellectual.¡±


    Bo Lianye shot her a look, ¡°Then you¡¯d outrank me by a whole generation! That¡¯s not happening. Besides, my uncle is a yboy, nobody in our family can control him. When grandma set him up for a blind date once, he just up and left the country for several years! We wouldn¡¯t dare to meddle in his love life anymore.¡±


    Su Wen sighed. What kind of woman did Uncle Bo like? As long as he didn¡¯t settle down, the hearts of the fine youngdies throughout Jingzhou would be forever hung on him.


    Bo Lianye nced toward the distance, where a young girl sat among her ssmates. Her gentleness was engraved in her bones, and her every frown, smile, gesture, and movement were incredibly beautiful and moving.<div>


    Quietly, she had be the focus of the entire scene.


    Bo Lianye pursed her lips and lowered her head to scoop at the rice and dishes on her te, eating without tasting.


    ¡°Xie Zhen, who do you think is prettier, me or Ming Jing?¡± Liu Muxue turned to Xie Zhen, posing a perplexing question.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heart gave a lurch, on the verge of tears.


    Liu Muxue scoffed coldly, her eyes forcefully staring at him.


    Mustering courage, Xie Zhen stammered, ¡°You¡­ you are the most beautiful in the world, no one canpare to you.¡±


    Of course, in her heart, Ming Jing was the fairest of them all, not just in looks, but also in kindness, something Liu Muxue could never match. But to save her skin, she could only whisper such thoughts to herself.


    Liu Muxue broke into a smug smile, but noticing Ming Jing¡¯s expressionless face, which made her feel like a preening fool, her face darkened a few shades.

 Chapter 484: 226 Moonlight (tenth watch)_2

    Chapter 484: 226 Moonlight (tenth watch)_2<div>


    ¡°This tastes terrible, even worse than pig food.¡± Liu Muxue mmed her chopsticks on the table.


    Chewing on a piece of chicken, Xie Zhen curiously asked, ¡°How do you know what pig food tastes like?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª!¡± Liu Muxue red at her. ¡°Even eating doesn¡¯t shut your mouth.¡±


    Xie Zhen shrank her neck and concentrated on eating.


    In the afternoon, they had another boring speech by a leader. Liu Muxue seemed to stick to Ming Jing, following her wherever she went.


    At the auditorium, she squeezed herself between Ming Jing and Xie Zhen, making Xie Zhen angry but unable to say anything.<div>


    ¡°Now let¡¯s wee Professor Liu Xiangyue from the Department of Mathematics at Huaqing University, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the National Mathematics Association and the Head of the Review Committee of this National High School Mathematics Winter Camp to give a speech¡­¡±


    As the apuse rolled in like waves, there was a moment ofmotion on the scene.


    This top professor from a leading domestic university was surprisingly young and handsome. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed sses on his high-bridged nose and looked cultured and gentle, a true young talent.


    Xie Zhen whispered, ¡°You both have the samest name? Are you rted?¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes and stuffed a lollipop into her mouth. ¡°There are so many people with thest name Liu. Are all Liu¡¯s in the world my rtives?¡±


    Xie Zhen quietly responded with an ¡°Oh¡±.


    Liu Muxue turned to look at Ming Jing and saw her listening intently to Liu Xiangyue¡¯s speech. Unlike those rigid old schrs, Liu Xiangyue spoke with humor and wit, full of personal charm. All the students in the audience were paying attention to him, asionally mixing inughter, making the atmosphere very harmonious.


    Su Wen looked at the man on stage with admiration and whispered to Bo Lianye, ¡°Your aunt is very fortunate.¡±


    Even after three marriages, she was able to marry such an outstanding young talent, which made people envious and jealous.


    Bo Lianye raised the corner of her lips slightly, ¡°My aunt is also very talented. It¡¯s my future uncle who is fortunate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Mr. Liu is lucky to marry your aunt, haha.¡±


    ¡°Have they set a wedding date?¡±<div>


    Bo Lianye shook her head, ¡°My grandma trusts Master Kumu from Xiangguo Temple very much. All our family events depend on the Master to find the right date. Unfortunately, Master Kumu is currently in retreat, so my aunt¡¯s wedding date can¡¯t be set until hees out.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Su Wen had heard that those big families were very devout to religion. Xiangguo Temple had always been a royal temple, the number one ancient temple in the North, enjoying incense offerings and countless devotees.


    Master Kumu of Xiangguo Temple was a highly respected monk and a guest of honor for Jingzhou¡¯s major families. However, meeting this Master wasn¡¯t easy. Only people like Granny Bo could see him, while others shouldn¡¯t even bother thinking about it.


    Liu Muxue stretchedzily. When most people had left, she got up carelessly. ¡°Sanctimonious and utterly boring.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at her curiously, ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    Liu Muxue gave her a nce, ¡°I¡¯m talking about you.¡±


    Xie Zhen choked, she couldn¡¯t have a conversation with Liu Muxue without being choked by her words.


    The few of them were thest to leave. When they went outside the auditorium, there was hardly anyone around, and the entire campus was quiet.


    Xie Zhen had sharp eyes and suddenly pointed to the north, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mr. Liu?¡±


    Under the cover of a por tree, the man¡¯s back was upright, just like the tree next to him.


    He seemed to be talking to someone.


    Liu Muxue squinted her eyes, tiptoed, and sneaked over, hiding behind a tree.Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t help butugh, looking at Ming Jing, who was staring at the honor roll by the roadside.<div>


    The honor roll disyed excellent graduates from the school over the years, each of whom had be the top talent in various industries.


    ¡°This one named Bai Ziyu is so handsome, even more handsome than a celebrity.¡± Xie Zhen pointed to a young man wearing a white shirt, who had a serious expression on his face.


    ¡°This Bo Yuxun also has the same surname as Bo Lianye. Are they rted? Actually, he does look a bit like Bo Lianye.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes fell on Bo Yuxun¡¯s photo. The young man was also wearing a white shirt, andpared to Bai Zijin¡¯s serious expression, his smile was much brighter, revealing his perfect eight teeth. He seemed to be a cheerful and smiling young man at first nce.


    Ming Jing looked steadily at the young man¡¯s smile, with his handsome and sunny appearance, as if she could see his youthful and energetic demeanor through the years in the photo.


    She looked at the introduction below the photo: Bo Yuxun, born on November 15, 1987. He was admitted to Jingzhou Medical University as the top-ranked student in science in Jingzhou that year andter studied abroad. He obtained a double master¡¯s degree in clinical medicine and cardiovascr surgery, and was hired by a top domestic hospital in the department of cardiovascr surgery. At a young age, he became the deputy director medical doctor,ter went abroad for further studies and is now the head of the cardiovascr department in a top private hospital overseas.


    Xie Zhen calcted, ¡°He¡¯s only thirty-six years old this year, and he became the deputy director of a national medical university when he was just twenty-four? That¡¯s so amazing; he¡¯s a medical genius!¡± She looked at the young man in the photo with even greater admiration.


    Turning her head to look at Ming Jing, Xie Zhen found Ming Jing staring at the photo of Bo Yuxun with her eyes fixed and her ck pupils deep and unfathomable, like a pool of water shrouded in dense fog, making Xie Zhen feel a chill down her spine for no reason.


    Ming Jing looked quietly for a while, then suddenly turned and left.


    Xie Zhen was baffled and didn¡¯t dare to ask any questions. She just silently followed her.


    Liu Muxue didn¡¯t hear what the two were saying as they were too far away. From her angle, she saw Liu Xiangyue¡¯s gentle smile on his face.


    Then Bo Lianye left.<div>


    Liu Xiangyue looked in Liu Muxue¡¯s direction, and Liu Muxue turned to run, but at that moment she heard the man¡¯s smiling voice from behind her.


    ¡°Are you Little Muxue?¡±


    Liu Muxue felt a chill in her body, stopped running, and turned around to let him take a good look at her.


    Liu Xiangyue came closer and said with a smile, ¡°Little Muxue, I even held you in my arms when you were little. You don¡¯t even greet your brother when you see him?¡±


    Liu Muxue pinched her voice and sweetly called out, ¡°Brother Xiangyue¡­¡±


    Liu Xiangyueughed, ¡°You¡¯re still as cute as when you were a child.¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes secretly, thinking that she knew she was cute and didn¡¯t need his reminder.


    ¡°Brother Xiangyue, I want to ask you, what were you and Bo Lianye whispering about just now? Are you nning to leak the exam questions to her?¡±


    Liu Xiangyue frowned slightly but soon rxed and shook his head with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. We were talking about some private matters.¡±


    ¡°Private matters? What kind of private matters can you have with her? Are you and her¡­.?¡± Liu Muxue¡¯s gaze hinted at something ambiguous.¡±


    Liu Xiangyue helplessly touched his forehead, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, I and her¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be married to her aunt soon, so she¡¯s technically my future niece.¡±<div>


    ¡°What?¡± Liu Muxue suddenly jumped up, ¡°You¡¯re about to be Bo Lianye¡¯s uncle?¡±


    Liu Xiangyue hushed her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else, this is our secret. Muxue, my uncle called me earlier to tell me that you were admitted to Winter Camp. I¡¯m very happy for you. You¡¯re very talented in this area, so don¡¯t give up. If you have any difficulties, just message me. Let¡¯s add each other on WeChat so we can keep in touch.¡±


    After the two added each other on WeChat, Liu Xiangyue took a phone call and left in a hurry.


    Liu Muxue muttered, ¡°Seeing himugh so ambiguously, it must be Bo Lianye¡¯s aunt who called him. It must be such good luck¡­¡±

 Chapter 485: 227 Illusion (eleven)

    Chapter 485: 227 Illusion (eleven)


    Liu Muxue walked out of the school gate and saw Ming Jing and Xie Zhen waiting for her under a por tree. The setting sun cast a golden glow over their figures, making the scene appear soft and dreamlike.


    Liu Muxue stared for a moment, then furrowed her eyebrows and muttered as she walked over.


    Upon seeing her, Xie Zhen immediately asked, ¡°Who was Mr. Liu talking to?¡±


    By now, Xie Zhen had figured out how to get along with Liu Muxue: to coax and appease her, making her less intimidating.


    Liu Muxue gave her a nce, ¡°Do you think I have superhuman hearing? I couldn¡¯t hear from that far away.¡±


    Xie Zhen choked on her words, wanting to p herself for her loose tongue.


    Liu Muxue and Xie Zhen walked a few steps and suddenly realized that Ming Jing hadn¡¯t followed them. Turning back, they saw Ming Jing standing under the tree, gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Her usually rxed eyebrows were slightly furrowed.


    Liu Muxue found this curious and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? All you do is giggle foolishly all day, just like an idiot,¡± Liu Muxue said irritably.


    Xie Zhen: ¡­


    Personal attacks were too much.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, are you thinking about men?¡± Liu Muxue called out leisurely, her arms folded.


    Xie Zhen looked at her in horror.


    These words sessfully pulled Ming Jing back from her thoughts. She looked up at Liu Muxue, her eyes deep as the ocean. The golden glow of the setting sun cascaded over her brows and hair, making her appear ethereal.


    Xie Zhen and Liu Muxue both felt a tremor in their hearts.


    Ming Jing lowered her gaze, walked over, and past the two, leaving without another word.


    Liu Muxue and Xie Zhen exchanged nces.


    ¡°Did I guess right?¡± Liu Muxue murmured.


    As the three left, Bo Lianye appeared at the school gate.


    After some thought, Bo Lianye made a phone call.


    ¡°Auntie, I saw Mr. Liu today. He¡¯s the head of the gradingmittee for this year¡¯s Winter Camp.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll talk to Xiang Yue and ask him to take extra care of you. You¡¯re not like the others; you¡¯re his niece. It¡¯s only right that he looks after you,¡± a gentle, melodious female voice came from the phone.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want any special treatment. Otherwise, people might think my grades are thanks to Mr. Liu¡¯s help. That wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a clever one. Hasn¡¯t Xiang Yue been tutoring you privately? If he heard you say this¡­.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, you won¡¯t tell him, will you? Mr. Liu won¡¯t know if you don¡¯t tell him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say anything¡­.¡± The womanughed indulgently.


    ¡°A Jiang¡­ look at my new non-surgical nose job¡­¡±


    ¡°Lianye, I can¡¯t talk now. I¡¯m meeting Aunt Mao. I¡¯ll hang up and we can talk more when I get home,¡± the woman said before hanging up.


    A non-surgical nose job? Was Aunt Mao getting stic surgery?


    Bo Lianye shook her head with a smile. Aunt Mao was always up to something.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back.¡± Nanny Cui came over with a smile and took Bo Lianye¡¯s backpack.


    In the Bo family, Bo Lianye was considered the younger mistress because there was a real young mistress in the family.


    That young mistress was the apple of the olddy¡¯s eye and the pearl of the entire Bo family.


    Bo Lianye nodded, ¡°Where are my parents?¡±


    ¡°Your father is at a meeting in the city, and Madam is ying cards. They should be back soon, judging by the time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see grandma then.¡± Bo Lianye pushed open the door to the first-floor bedroom and walked in with a smile.


    ¡°Is A Jiang back?¡± The olddy was sitting on a rocking chair on the balcony, gently rocking back and forth as she asked.


    ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re too biased. You always think about Aunt Jiang. Hmph, Lianye is going to be upset.¡±


    The young girl pretended to be offended, causing the olddy to smile broadly.


    ¡°It¡¯s my little Lianye. I miss you too.¡±


    The olddy was quite old, her hair gone white, but still neatlybed and gathered into a bun at the back of her head, secured with a wooden hairpin.


    Although her skin had loosened with age, it was still fair and smooth. Her kind eyes and graceful movements brought to mind the saying, ¡°Age cannot wither a true beauty.¡±


    While years can elerate metabolism and speed up aging from a physiological perspective, only someone who remains elegant in defiance of time can truly be considered beautiful.


    Unfortunately, the olddy¡¯s eyes were cloudy and unfocused, for she was blind, evoking great pity.


    The olddy hugged the young girl, gently patting her back.


    Bo Lianye inhaled slightly; the olddy smelled of age, just like Su Wen¡¯s grandmother who lived at her house. Su Wen mentioned that her grandmother¡¯s smell was unbearable, and she didn¡¯t like being close to her.

 Chapter 486: 227 Illusion (Eleven)_2

    Chapter 486: 227 Illusion (Eleven)_2


    But grandma was different, she always smelled nice, very nice. It wasn¡¯t the smell of perfume but more like the scent ofundry detergent mixed with a hint of sandalwood. It was clean and pleasant.


    Bo Lianye loved to be close to her grandma because she was not only gentle and wise, but also very knowledgeable and talented. In Jingzhou, when mentioning Granny Bo, everyone showed admiration and respect.


    The only regret was that grandma had gone blind from crying, which had something to do with her little aunt¡­ The little aunt returned, but grandma¡¯s eyes would never recover.


    Thinking of something, Bo Lianye¡¯s eyes brightened: ¡°Grandma, uncle said that he has consulted eye specialists in a research institute abroad. Your condition could be cured considering the advanced medical technology we have today.¡±


    Granny Bo, however, exhibited no signs of excitement. Sheughed and patted Bo Lianye¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to the darkness when my eyes open. Tell your uncle not to bother anymore.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s also a demonstration of uncle¡¯s filial piety. Tell me, if you recover your eyesight, what would you want to see first?¡±


    Granny Bo was taken aback, and unconsciously touched the Buddhist beads on her wrist,ughed and said: ¡°I would like to see your little aunt¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Ha, you said you didn¡¯t y favorites, you don¡¯t even look at me. You don¡¯t even know what I look like since I was born.¡±


    Granny Bo touched Bo Lianye¡¯s face with her fingers andughed, ¡°I have felt you since you were a baby, and have engraved your appearance in my heart. As the little princess of the Bo family, you must be very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Grandma is lying, in her heart, the little aunt is certainly the prettiest.¡±


    Granny Bo smiled, ¡°You, you are just jealous of your little aunt.¡±


    After Bo Lianye left, the room quieted down instantly.


    Thest glimpse of twilight disappeared, the sky was filled with stars like a chessboard, the moon was clear and bright.


    A soft sigh rippled through the silent room, the elder touched her Buddhist beads and murmured: ¡°Fantasy is reality and blessing is disaster, one must bear the burden oneself, there is no substitute¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Kumu, I have been pondering this phrase for twelve years, and I still have no clue¡­¡±


    The two-day examination passed quickly. Ming Jing walked out of the examination hall, looked at the setting sun on the horizon and let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Finally done, let¡¯s go, I am treating you all. We¡¯re noting back until we¡¯re drunk.¡± Liu Muxue swung her hand magnanimously.


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°You guys go, I¡¯ll go back to the hotel.¡±


    ¡°I graciously invited you and you dare to refuse? No way, you¡¯reing with me whether you like it or not!¡± Liu Muxue pulled Ming Jing without hesitation and set off.


    Xie Zhen hurriedly followed.


    Song Yinzhang and Zhao Heng looked at each other, sighed and resignedly followed.


    They first returned to the hotel to change clothes, then headed straight to Huangguan Club.


    Liu Muxue had heard that the most famous ce in Jingzhou was Huangguan Club. It was the frequent haunt of all the rich kids in Jingzhou. As a capable young master, Liu Muxue could not miss the fun.


    Ming Jing frowned and shook off her hand: ¡°You go with them; I¡¯m a little tired and I¡¯m going back to the hotel to rest.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Liu Muxue put her hands on her hips and red at her: ¡°If you dare to leave today, I. . . I¡¯ll stop being your friend, we¡¯re finished.¡±


    Ming Jing did not stop, and walked away directly.


    Suddenly, Liu Muxue clutched her chest and copsed onto the ground.


    Xie Zhen eximed: ¡°Liu Muxue, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Ming Jing paused, turned around and took a look. She saw Liu Muxue lying on the ground, pale with blue-purple lips, her chest rising and falling heavily.


    Ming Jing walked back reluctantly, squatted down, and Liu Muxue suddenly grabbed her wrist,ughing: ¡°Caught you! Now, you can¡¯t leave.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at her still blue-purple lips and frowned: ¡°Didn¡¯t you take the medicine ording to the prescription I gave you?¡±


    Liu Muxue puckered her mouth: ¡°I did, of course, I did.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡± Ming Jing grabbed her wrist and felt her pulse.


    She furrowed her brows even harder.


    Xie Zhen, Song Yinzhang, and Zhao Heng were all shocked by her serious expression. Liu Muxue kept joking, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m in good health. I just pretended to trick you.¡±


    As she spoke, she shook off Ming Jing¡¯s hand, patted her buttocks and stood up.


    Ming Jing frowned and nced at her. This time she didn¡¯t refuse anymore and followed Liu Muxue into the club.


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows triumphantly. She knew that Zhu Mingjing had a soft heart, and she could always manipte her effectively.

 Chapter 487: 227 Illusion (Eleven)_3

    Chapter 487: 227 Illusion (Eleven)_3<div>


    A group of people walked in grandly, and immediately a waiter came over and respectfully asked, ¡°Are you ck Card or Gold Card members?¡±


    Liu Muxue furrowed her brow, ¡°What¡¯s this ck Card Gold Card thing?¡±


    A small crack appeared in the waiter¡¯s smiling face. ¡°I apologize, but our club only epts ck Card and Gold Card members.¡±


    Liu Muxue ced her hands on her hips with augh of exasperation, ¡°Blinded by your dog eyes, daring to reject this youngdy.¡±


    The waiter had seen his fair share of arrogant and domineering rich second-generation people, so he did not find this odd. He continued to smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but these are the rules of our club.¡±


    Song Yinzhang came to Liu Muxue¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°This ce is a membership-based club. If you don¡¯t have a ck or Gold Card, you can¡¯t enter. We should leave.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue scoffed, ¡°How can one be a member here?¡±


    The waiter said, ¡°You can be a Gold Card member by spending one million in one visit.¡±


    ¡°And what about a ck Card?¡±


    The waiter hesitated, ¡°The ck Card membership requires a certain status. Our club has only had five ck Card members since its establishment.¡±


    In short, a ck Card membership is beyond your reach.


    Liu Muxue chuckled sarcastically, ¡°Do you look down on people? This youngdy has money to spare.¡± She then pped a ck card against the waiter¡¯s face.


    The waiter was shocked when he saw the ck Card. Working here, he has met all kinds of people and his horizons have broadened. This ck Card was much more impressive than the usual ones. The waiter immediately bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Please follow me, Miss.¡±


    Liu Muxue pointed at Ming Jing and her friends, ¡°They are my friends. Make sure to take good care of them.¡±


    The waiter immediatelyplied.


    Xie Zhen was shocked by Liu Muxue¡¯s extravagance.


    The waiter led Ming Jing and her friends into the elevator. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a group of people entered through the front door.


    Seeing this group, the waiter felt a headacheing on and stiffly approached them, ¡°Young Master Song, Young Master Lin, what would you like to do tonight?¡±<div>


    Song Hanqing¡¯s gaze suddenly fixed on the closing elevator doors, ¡°Who was the woman in white?¡±


    The waiter nced back at the already closed elevator doors but knew who their target was.


    This young master Song was a well-known little tyrant in Jingzhou, bullying men and women alike, doing all kinds of evil. The poor girl he had taken fancy to was in for a hard time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is either. She must be here at the club for the first time; I haven¡¯t seen her before,¡± the waiter answered honestly.


    ¡°Which private room is she in?¡± Song Hanqing asked with a lustful face, stroking his chin.


    ¡°This¡­ uh¡­,¡± the waiter hesitated.


    ¡°If Young Master Song wants to know something, do you think you can hide it? It¡¯s better to please him than to offend him. If you provoke him, you¡¯ll lose your job.¡±


    The waiter gritted his teeth, ¡°She¡¯s in¡­¡±


    The dim yellow light in the corridor was dim and mysterious, with a soft Persian carpet covering the floor. Stepping on it felt like stepping into clouds.


    Suddenly, a door to a room opened, and a naked woman crawled out, crying. As soon as her head appeared, she was dragged back into the room. The woman desperately grabbed the carpet, but her struggles were in vain.


    In the instant the door closed, Ming Jing seemed to hear the wildughter and lustful jeers of men, the desperate crying of women, mixed together. This was the underside of the club¡¯s luxurious facade, filled with debauchery and excess.


    It was like a ferocious beast with sharp fangs, baring its teeth and ws, sneering evilly. It was both greedy and lustful, tearing apart beauty, shattering illusions, dragging people into an eternal abyss of suffering.<div>


    ¡°Ah!¡± Xie Zhen screamed, subconsciously hiding behind Ming Jing.

 Chapter 488: 228 Don’t Be Afraid (Twelve)

    Chapter 488: 228 Don¡¯t Be Afraid (Twelve)<div>


    Zhao Heng immediately stood in front of Ming Jing, frowning and asking, ¡°What kind of ce is this?¡±


    Song Yinzhang shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s toote for us to leave now¡­¡±


    Looking back, Song Yinzhang saw several men swaggering towards them and sighed.


    Zhao Heng sensed something was wrong, turned his head, and the waiter who had guided them earlier had disappeared at some point.


    The young girl stood quietly in ce. The dim light fell on her skirt, the silver lotus shimmering with waves of light, as pure as a sacred radiance, making one dare not have any sphemous thoughts.


    Song Hanqing watched from a distance, his heart pounding ¡°thump, thump.¡±<div>


    He had lingered among flowers for years but had never seen such a style before. As pure and sacred as the Snow Lotus on the Peak of Tianshan, it only made people want to possess and tear her calmness in the eyes.


    Lin Chu was also dumbfounded, this girl¡¯s temperament was very special and hard to forget.


    ¡°Little sister, what¡¯s your name?¡± Song Hanqing grinned as he approached, asking with what he thought was the gentlest tone.


    Zhao Heng stood in front of Ming Jing and frowned, ¡°Who are you? What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, what are you? Worthy of talking to this young master? Get out of my way.¡± Song Hanqing said somewhat annoyed, as they were blocking his view of the beauty.


    Zhao Heng clenched his fists, staring fearlessly at the other party, ¡°You want to fight? I¡¯ll apany you to the end.¡±


    Song Hanqing sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, boy. We¡¯ll see how you cry and beg for mercyter.¡± He waved his hand to signal his followers.


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Song Yinzhang blocked Zhao Heng and sighed, ¡°Brother Hanqing, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    Song Hanqing squinted at him, suddenly said, ¡°Song Yinzhang? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to Jingzhou for the exam, Brother Hanqing, these are my friends¡­¡±


    Song Hanqing raised an eyebrow, then suddenlyughed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier? If they¡¯re Yinzhang¡¯s friends, they are Song Hanqing¡¯s friends too. Come on, let¡¯s talk in the private room.¡±


    With that, the waiter opened the door to the private room next to them. Song Hanqing looked at Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang, who were still standing in ce.<div>


    Song Hanqing smiled, ¡°Yinzhang, your friends don¡¯t give face, huh?¡±


    ¡°Brother Hanqing, we are still students. We don¡¯t want to be a part of this. Have fun, and we¡¯ll leave first¡­¡±


    As he finished speaking, he signaled Zhao Heng and Xie Zhen to leave quickly.


    However, it was toote. Several big men had blocked their way, surrounding them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave in such a hurry, Yinzhang! We haven¡¯t seen each other for years. Let this brother catch up with you, and your friends, let¡¯s all be together.¡± His gaze swept over the skirt behind Zhao Heng, smiling ambiguously.


    Song Yinzhang frowned, ¡°Brother Hanqing, have you seen Bai Ziyan recently?¡±


    When Song Hanqing heard this name, his face immediately darkened, and he snorted, ¡°Why bring him up?¡±


    ¡°My friend here is also good friends with Bai Ziyan, as well as someone from the Qus, so Brother Hanqing¡­¡± Song Yinzhang¡¯s low voice carried a hint of threat.


    But Song Hanqing seemed not to understand his insinuation, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. We¡¯re all friends, more people, more fun. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°Brother Hanqing, I¡¯m not joking with you.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m joking with you?¡± Song Hanqing said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s Bai Ziyan? Am I supposed to be afraid of him?¡± With that, he tried to grab Ming Jing, bypassing Zhao Heng.


    Ming Jing stepped back, avoiding Song Hanqing¡¯s grasp. Heughed, ¡°The beauty has a temper, I like it.¡±<div>


    Zhao Heng swung a punch at his face, ¡°Keep your lecherous hands off her!¡±


    Lin Chu had been keeping an eye on him, and as he swung his fist, two others held him back and pinned him to the wall.


    Song Hanqing spat at him and turned to look at Ming Jing. He had seen many women fawning, shy, or pretending to refuse when faced with his advances. However, this girl was so different. She just stood there quietly, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, calm andposed, not showing any awareness of her impending fate.


    This girl¡¯s detached and indifferent attitude was especially attractive, making it difficult for anyone to let go.


    Even if she was pretending, her acting skills were worthy of an Oscar.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what the pretty little sister¡¯s name is,¡± Song Hanqing asked with a smile.


    Ming Jing looked up, her beautiful and cold eyes seemed to be filled with thousands of spring waters, making him willingly indulge himself in them.

 Chapter 489: 228 Don’t Be Afraid (Twelve)_2

    Chapter 489: 228 Don¡¯t Be Afraid (Twelve)_2


    Song Hanqing gazed foolishly before he suddenly saw Ming Jing kick open the door of the room opposite. She looked so fragile, yet somehow she disyed immense strength in her kick. As everyone was shocked by her sudden outburst, the door shattered along with the mixed noises of crying andughter. It was as if the inside and outside of the room were two different worlds.


    Without giving anyone time to react, Ming Jing kicked Song Hanqing in the stomach. The tall man stumbled into the room like a broken kite. As Lin Chu stared in disbelief, the young girl nced over at him. Involuntarily, shivers ran down Lin Chu¡¯s spine. The next moment, he too was kicked into the room.


    Followed by screams of chaos inside the private room.


    The two men who had pinned down Zhao Heng released him and charged at Ming Jing with great ferocity. Yet she seemed to float gracefully around the room, avoiding their every move.


    Ming Jing suddenly appeared behind the two like a specter, kicking them both with a swift leg motion. They screamed in pain as they rolled into the room.


    Zhao Heng, Song Yinzhang, and Xie Zhen all gawked incredulously.


    Was this incredibly powerful, yet light-footed girl they knew really their Ming Jing?


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Ming Jing said as she stepped into the room.


    The heavy door closed, hiding the delicate figure of the girl.


    Song Yinzhang and Zhao Heng exchanged nces.


    Zhao Heng took out his cell phone, ¡°I¡¯m calling the police right now¡­¡±


    Song Yinzhang interrupted him, ¡°No need for that, leave it to me.¡±


    Inside the room, colorful lights shed in a dizzying pattern, making the luxurious d¨¦cor even more decadent. The nauseating smell of alcohol and smoke permeated the air.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ Who spoiled my fun?¡± A furious man cursed.


    ¡°Calm down, Mr. Cheng. Let me see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Half a minuteter, the lights in the room were turned up, revealing all the filthy and rotten depravity.


    The private room wasrge and empty, and on the giant soft sofa¡­


    Ming Jing furrowed her brows and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you? Are you here to deliberately spoil my fun?¡± A fat-faced man swore angrily as he grabbed someone by the cor.


    A woman screamed, hurrying to dress herself.


    Song Hanqing gritted his teeth in pain and shook off the man¡¯s hand, looking towards the door.


    The man followed his gaze.


    The girl, dressed in white, was untainted amidst the filthy surroundings, like an immortal who had mistakenly entered the mortal realm.


    The man¡¯s attention was immediately captivated, and he no longer cared about Song Hanqing or Lin Chu.


    ¡°You¡­ Who are you? Are you here to apany me?¡± The man walked towards her and asked foolishly.


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze fell on the weeping girl on the sofa and spoke calmly, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The manughed heartily, ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m the president of Xinghui Entertainment. Now you know who I am, right? I think you look good. Are you interested in bing a star? As long as I¡¯m willing to support you, you¡¯ll be even more popr than Zhao Ninghan. How about it?¡±


    The girl gently shook her head, ¡°Not interested.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression hardened, and he reached out to grab Ming Jing. She spun around gracefully, slipping away from him. In a few quick steps, Ming Jing approached the girl on the sofa, asking softly, ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±


    The girl looked up dazedly, bathed in the golden light of the room. Ming Jing stood in the light, both holy and gentle.


    She had endured the filthiest insult in this world, yet she suddenly experienced the gentlest and most tender concern.


    The girl covered her face and burst into tears.


    Ming Jing sighed, picked up a towel from the corner and draped it over the girl, ¡°follow me.¡±


    ¡°You want to leave? It won¡¯t be that easy.¡± The man sneered as he blocked the door.Song Hanqing climbed up with a gnashing grin. That previous hit was ruthless, and he felt as if all his bones were falling apart.


    He red at Ming Jing hatefully, but his eyes betrayed a hint of fear.


    Ming Jing nced at him indifferently. Song Hanqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously took a step back.


    Realizing his reaction, his face turned pale, and he roared at the three guys lying on the floor: ¡°Get up! I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t deal with an unarmed girl.¡±


    The girl tugged at Ming Jing¡¯s sleeve and said palely, ¡°Leave me alone; you should go. They are powerful and influential people; we can¡¯t afford to mess with them.¡±


    When she rushed out of the room just now, she saw the girl in white standing in the corridor. She thought she had fallen into hell, and nobody would step in to help her, especially in a ce like Huangguan Club. She was doomed today.


    Just when she felt desperate, the girl in golden light appeared. However, she couldn¡¯t drag this girl into the darkness with her.


    Ming Jing gently patted her back,forting her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid; I will take you away from here.¡±


    The girl¡¯s dried up heart seemed to be replenished with sweet rainfall, sprouting the seeds of hope.


    She stared nkly at the young girl¡¯s gentle and beautiful face, her heart filled with gratitude.


    ¡°Leave? None of you are going anywhere.¡± Song Hanqing sneered sinisterly.


    Ming Jing spoke to the girl, ¡°Go to the corner, cover your eyes, and don¡¯t look.¡±


    The girl obediently did as she was told, squatting in the corner and covering her eyes.


    Ming Jing flicked her immacte dress, looking indifferent and gentle. Her every movement possessed an indescribable grace and elegance. The white color gathered all the splendors of the world, shining brilliantly and resplendent to the eye.


    ¡°Are youing at me one by one, or all at once?¡±


    Ten minutester, the door to the room opened, and Ming Jing, supporting a young girl, walked out.


    Xie Zhen immediately went over to help the girl and took the opportunity to peek into the room. However, the door quickly closed, and she saw nothing.


    Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang approached worriedly, examining Ming Jing up and down, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s take her to the hospital first.¡±


    Song Yinzhang looked at Ming Jing deeply, while Zhao Heng had already gotten used to Ming Jing¡¯s extraordinary abilities, not as surprised as Song Yinzhang.


    She was a Master, after all, persuading evil-doers to put down their weapons and be Buddhas on the spot, which was very effective.


    Song Yinzhang shook his head, ¡°You guys go ahead; I¡¯m waiting for a friend here.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t ask any further questions. She and Xie Zhen supported the girl from both sides and headed for the elevator.


    When the elevator door opened, Liu Muxue saw Ming Jing supporting a pale-faced girl and was taken aback, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zhao Heng gave her a re, ¡°You still have the nerve to ask? You insisted oning to this damn ce. Do you know you almost got Ming Jing killed?¡±


    Not giving Liu Muxue a chance to react, Zhao Heng exined the incident in a few words. Liu Muxue nced at Ming Jing and, for the first time, did not refute and honestly shut her mouth.


    When the elevator reached the ground floor, the group left. Liu Muxue angrily went to the reception desk, mmed the newly acquired Gold Card on the counter, ¡°I want to cancel the card. What a terrible ce this is, it¡¯s far worse than our Jiangzhou.¡±


    As soon as Ming Jing and the others left, a yellow sports car pulled up at the entrance of the club. A young man jumped out and quickly ran inside.


    The doorman who saw him immediately greeted respectfully, ¡°Mr. Bai¡­ Your esteemed presence¡­¡±


    Bai Ziyan cut him off, demanding, ¡°Where¡¯s that bastard Song Hanqing?¡±


    The doorman hesitated for a moment.


    Bai Ziyan grabbed his cor and interrogated, ¡°The Song rascal? Where is he?¡±


    Terrified, the doorman pointed upstairs, ¡°At the¡­third floor.¡±

 Chapter 490: 229 Hairband (13)

    Chapter 490: 229 Hairband (13)


    Bai Ziyan didn¡¯t take the elevator and went straight up the stairs.


    ¡°Xiao Bai, you finally made it.¡± Song Yinzhang saw Bai Ziyan running up and said with a smile.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ming Jing?¡± Bai Ziyan panted.


    Song Yinzhang raised his eyebrows: ¡°You¡¯re toote, she¡¯s left.¡±


    ¡°Left?¡± Bai Ziyan frowned.


    ¡°What about that bastard Song Hanqing? Did he bully Ming Jing?¡±


    As he spoke, he clenched his fists, making a cracking sound.


    Song Yinzhang pointed at the door of the private room: ¡°He¡¯s in there.¡±


    Bai Ziyan, puzzled by his antics, prepared to open the door. He pushed it, found it very heavy, used some force to open it, and the door suddenly closed itself.


    And the sight in front of him nearly blew Bai Ziyan¡¯s eyes out.


    Inside the private room, several people were lying sprawled on the floor. One was fat and big-eared, whom he didn¡¯t know; another had a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, obviously not a good guy. These two men had their hands tied together with a necktie, lying on the floor like dead pigs, grunting in pain.


    He recognized the other three people from Song Hanqing¡¯s side, but as for Song Hanqing, Bai Ziyan looked around and didn¡¯t see him. Hearing a pained moaning from behind, he suddenly turned around.


    Song Hanqing¡¯s hands were tied together with a rope, and the rope looped around the door frame like a simple pulley system. As soon as the door was opened, Song Hanqing would be hoisted by the rope, and when the door closed, he would be thrown to the ground. The length of the rope was just right, so the pain from the fall was most intense.


    Bai Ziyan opened and closed the door, causing Song Hanqing to be hoisted up and mmed down, screaming in pain.


    Bai Ziyanughed heartily: ¡°This is so much fun, it must be Ming Jing¡¯s idea. What a great prank!¡±


    Bai Ziyan was having a great time, apanied by Song Hanqing¡¯s screams, andughed even more heartily.


    After having enough fun, Bai Ziyan walked over and stepped on Song Hanqing¡¯s chest, leaning over and saying sinisterly: ¡°You dare to mess with my friend? Are you tired of living?¡±


    With his butt numb from the falls, Song Hanqing woodenly said, ¡°Mr. Bai, I didn¡¯t know she was your friend. If you give me ten more guts, I would never dare to provoke your friends¡­ cough, cough.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s not my friend, you can bully others? Who gave you the guts?¡± Bai Ziyan pped him twice.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be a good person? Always acting like a lecher. Seeing you makes me want to hit you, doing people a favor.¡±


    Song Hanqing¡¯s mouth was bloody, and his face quickly swelled up as he cried and begged for mercy.


    Bai Ziyan telling him to be a good person? Doing people a favor? Where¡¯s his shame?


    In front of Bai Ziyan, this young tyrant was nothingpared to the great devil Bai Ziyan.


    Bai Ziyan spat on his face, ¡°Remember, her name is Ming Jing, and she¡¯s under my protection. If you dare to have any untoward thoughts again, I¡¯ll feed your balls to a dog. Got it?¡±


    Song Hanqing nodded like a pecking garlic.


    Bai Ziyan snorted coldly, looked at the fat and big-eared man, and asked Song Yinzhang, ¡°What¡¯s his story?¡±


    Song Yinzhang whispered a few words in Bai Ziyan¡¯s ear, and Bai Ziyan frowned in disgust: ¡°Ugh, how filthy.¡±


    ¡°A bunch of pigs with brains full of lust, thinking about all that crap all day, a disgrace to us men.¡± Bai Ziyan cursed a few more times and left the clubhouse.


    Bai Ziyan jumped into his car and beckoned Song Yinzhang: ¡°Let¡¯s go see our old friend.¡±


    Song Yinzhang sat in the passenger seat and was about to buckle his seatbelt when he suddenly realized something and looked at Bai Ziyan, ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re not even 17 this year, are you?¡±


    You need to be 18 to have a driver¡¯s license.


    As Song Yinzhang looked on in horror, the young man stepped on the gas, and the sports car shot out like a rocket, apanied by his arrogantughter, ¡°You don¡¯t trust my driving skills? Inherited divine driver, sit tight you.¡±


    As expected, they were stopped at an intersection by a traffic cop who asked to see his driver¡¯s license. Bai Ziyan made a phone call, fixed it, and left arrogantly.


    Song Yinzhang shook his head: ¡°Mr. Bai will be furious with you.¡±


    Bai Ziyan rolled his eyes: ¡°Don¡¯t mention him, ruining the mood of a great day.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Bai, slow down, my heart can¡¯t take it.¡± Song Yinzhang covered his heart with one hand, and his life was in Bai Ziyan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Look at you, so pathetic.¡±


    Song Yinzhang dared not talk to him, fearing to distract him. He swore never to ride in Bai Ziyan¡¯s car again. It was simply a test of his heart¡¯s endurance.


    Arriving at the hotel, Bai Ziyan swaggered in, and Song Yinzhang said, ¡°Xiao Bai, it seems Ming Jing went to the hospital.¡±

 Chapter 491: 229 Hairband (Thirteen) _2

    Chapter 491: 229 Hairband (Thirteen) _2<div>


    Bai Ziyan spoke, ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll wait for her toe back. We can catch up.¡±


    Sensing something off, Song Yinzhang tried to walk away but was gently blocked by Bai Ziyan wrapping his arm around his shoulder.


    ¡°Yinzhang, can you tell me what¡¯s going on between Ming Jing and Xiao Qu¡¯er? Howe I saw online that something fishy is going on between them? I haven¡¯t been gone for long, and Xiao Qu¡¯er already stole my girl?¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s tone was very gentle, but it echoed in Song Yinzhang¡¯s ears like a threatening whisper.


    ¡°You should ask Xiao Fei. How would I know?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re Ming Jing¡¯s desk-mate. If I don¡¯t ask you, who should I ask, huh?¡±<div>


    At this moment, Liu Muxue walked in, casting an odd look at the tussling Song Yinzhang and Bai Ziyan.


    ¡°Song Yinzhang, you¡¯ve got quite an interesting taste.¡±


    Song Yinzhang immediately pushed Bai Ziyan away and said firmly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? He is my friend, not what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows, her face a picture of smugprehension.


    Bai Ziyan stroked his chin, ¡°Little girl, it seems like your vision is rotten. Maybe you need to go to the ophthalmologist.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyebrows shed down and she sneered, ¡°Little boy, trying to exin means you¡¯re trying to cover up, and covering up means you can¡¯t hide the truth. Don¡¯t pretend. It¡¯s not shameful.¡±


    Bai Ziyan sniggered, ¡°You¡¯re quite an interesting girl. Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?¡±


    Liu Muxue tossed her chin up, snorted haughtily and said, ¡°See, you¡¯ve got a guilty conscience.¡±


    Bai Ziyan rolled up his sleeves, ¡°Are you asking for a punch?¡±


    ¡°Assaulting someone in broad daylight?¡± Liu Muxue yelled at the top of her lungs.


    Bai Ziyan had never met such an annoying girl. Holding back his anger, he retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t hit women, but I¡¯ll remember you.¡±


    Liu Muxue huffed, ¡°Just try me.¡±<div>


    Song Yinzhang felt helpless. When a small devil provokes a big devil, those around them suffer.


    Song Yinzhang asked, ¡°Why did youe back alone? Where is Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°She found someone injured and took them to the hospital without a second thought. I dislike hospitals, so I came back alone. Is this your boyfriend?¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s fists clenched angrily as he shot Liu Muxue a deadly re.


    If stares could hurt, Liu Muxue would¡¯ve been pierced all over.


    Song Yinzhang reluctantly introduced, ¡°His name is Bai Ziyan, a friend of both me and Ming Jing. This here is Liu Muxue. She also came to Jingzhou for the CMO exams. I guess you could say she¡¯s a friend too.¡±


    Liu Muxue and Bai Ziyan both snorted and turned away in unison.


    The nearest hospital was the State Medical College. Ming Jing took her there. The girl needed dressing for multiple external injuries and an X-ray to check for any internal ones.


    Xie Zhen stayed with the girl throughout the exam.


    Ming Jing sat outside the ER. Zhao Heng had gone to buy water. Ming Jing watched the peopleing and going. The ER was the busiest department, but it was also where you could witness all aspects of life.


    A little girl¡¯s piercing and sharp cries echoed around the room, but everyone was too busy to pay attention to her.


    The girl cried helplessly and heartbrokenly. Only a child who couldn¡¯t find her mom and dad would cry so unrestrainedly.<div>


    In a child¡¯s world, the parents were the pirs of their spirit, of everything in their universe.


    Ming Jing walked over, crouched down, and gently ruffled the little girl¡¯s hair. Smiling, she asked, ¡°Little sister, can¡¯t you find your mom and dad?¡±


    This gentle and soothing voice sounded like heavenly music.


    The little girl looked up nkly, her face covered in snot bubbles, ¡°Sister, are you an angel?¡±


    Children¡¯s thoughts are pure. They say what they see.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°Yes, an angel can grant a wish for an obedient child. What¡¯s your wish?¡±


    The little girl was first overjoyed to meet an real angel, then excited that her wish could be granted. But then she remembered something and her little face quickly fell.


    ¡°Angel sister, my daddy¡­ my daddy is dying. I don¡¯t want daddy to die.¡±


    Ming Jing gently wiped away the tears and snot from the little girl¡¯s face. Her voice was as gentle as her actions.


    ¡°In life, everyone¡¯s destination is ultimately the grave. Some people go early, and some gote. It¡¯s all fate. Death is not scary. He will always live on in your heart.¡±


    The angel sister¡¯s voice was so gentle and moving, it made her feel that death was not that scary after all. It soothed the fears lurking in her heart.


    ¡°Angel sister, didn¡¯t you say you could grant me a wish? Then I wish daddy wouldn¡¯t die. Is that possible?¡± She looked at Ming Jing apprehensively, afraid Ming Jing would refuse.<div>

 Chapter 492: 229 Hairband (Thirteen) _3

    Chapter 492: 229 Hairband (Thirteen) _3<div>


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°First we need to see your dad, and then I can tell you.¡±


    The little girl excitedly ran around the emergency room, holding Ming Jing¡¯s hand.


    Suddenly, she pointed at a pair of blue and white sneakers sticking out from the end of a bed and eximed, ¡°I found my dad! These are his shoes, and I drew the little flower on them.¡±


    The white shoe had a cute little pink flower drawn on it. It looked very harmonious on this fashionable pair of sneakers.


    Raising her head, Ming Jing saw a nurse straddling a man¡¯s body, performing CPR. The nurse was already drenched in sweat with numb arms, but she persisted until she waspletely exhausted.


    The emergency room was overcrowded at the moment. Every nurse and doctor was busy. The nurse, alone, was struggling to perform CPR, which required very strong arm power and at least 100pressions per minute. She had already reached her breaking point and finally copsed, her arms hanging limply.<div>


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯ve brought an angel sister to save you,¡± the little girl said with a crisp voice, holding her father¡¯s dangling hand.


    The nurse¡¯s heart ached when she saw the girl¡¯s innocent face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she was pulled down by a force and almost stumbled to the ground. When she looked back, she saw a very young girl kneeling beside the man, her hands stacked on the junction between the middle and lower third of his sternum, and beganpressing without any hesitation.


    The nurse paled in shock and shouted, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    But when she saw the girl¡¯s rapid, storm-likepressions, with just the right mixture of force and gentleness, and a consistent pace, her mouth hung open in surprise.


    The girl pressed down hundreds of times without a pause, her ck hair hanging down on both sides. The nurse saw the silver hairband gently lifted, the girl¡¯s hair like ink, her side profile as white as snow, and breathtakingly beautiful.


    Suddenly, the monitor beside the bed emitted a sharp ¡°beep,¡± and the straight line representing life began to show slight fluctuations.


    The nurse cupped her mouth in disbelief.


    The girl stoppedpressing, her strength depleted, and stepped down from the bed. The nurse quickly helped her, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    The girl shook her head. Only then did the nurse clearly see her face, amazed by the pure, gentle and clean beauty. She felt it was familiar, but under the tense situation, she didn¡¯t have time to think about it. She quickly let go of the girl and went to put a respirator on the patient.


    When the man¡¯s heart stabilized, the nurse turned around only to find that the girl¡¯s figure had already disappeared.


    At that moment, a male doctor came over and said, ¡°I was called for a consultation in the emergency room. Is it this patient?¡±<div>


    Upon recognizing the doctor, the nurse eximed, ¡°Dr. Xu, you are personally attending the consultation.¡±


    Xu Shuhua said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m on duty tonight.¡±


    He quickly examined the patient and said solemnly, ¡°The situation is not optimistic. He needs surgery immediately. Send him to the cardiac surgery department¡­ By the way, do you know who that girl was just now?¡±


    The nurse shook her head, ¡°So, even you saw her, Dr. Xu. She was amazing, but she left without giving her name.¡±


    She looked at the little girl sitting by the bedside and asked, ¡°Little friend, do you know the youngdy from earlier?¡±


    The little girl beamed with a bright smile and innocently replied, ¡°She¡¯s an angel sister! She said she¡¯d help save my dad, so she¡¯ll definitely save him. She must have returned to heaven now.¡±


    Xu Shuhua¡¯s gaze suddenly sharpened, and he crouched down to pick up a silver ribbon.


    The ribbon was very delicate. Upon closer inspection, one could see the silver lotus patterns shimmering under the light, exuding an indescribable sense of elegance and refinement.


    A subtle fragrance wafted through the air, reminiscent of a distant beauty in a secluded valley.


    The nurse eximed in surprise, ¡°This is that girl¡¯s hairband.¡±

 Chapter 493: 230 Fingertip (14)

    Chapter 493: 230 Fingertip (14)<div>


    ¡°Miss Zhu, thank you for saving my life today. I don¡¯t know how to express my gratitude, and I¡¯ll never be able to repay you. If I could, I would do so in the next life too.¡±


    As soon as the girl came out, she knelt in front of Ming Jing.


    She had already learned from Xie Zhen that the girl who saved her tonight was the renowned Ming Jing.


    Rumors about herpassionate nature and her being the embodiment of a Bodhisattva were true.


    In the night breeze, her white skirt fluttered, and her silver lotus looked pure and holy, highlighting the girl¡¯s otherworldly elegance.


    Ming Jing bent down and helped her up, ¡°You should thank your own courage.¡±<div>


    Only because she had the courage to open the door could people outside see her.


    The girl looked at the young woman in front of her with great emotion, and a tear formed in the corner of her eye.


    ¡°My name is Lan Huixin, I¡¯m 20 years old and a sophomore at the Film Academy. After a family tragedy, I wanted to earn money to support my family. A ssmate introduced me to an audition, but it turned out to be a trap that brought me here¡­¡±


    Thinking about that scene, the girl¡¯s face turned pale and humiliated. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have the face to live.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    Lan Huixin realized who Ming Jing was referring to and said angrily, ¡°His name is Cheng Peng, the president of Xinghui Entertainment. Xinghui has produced many popr celebrities and has strong financial backing, giving them significant influence in the entertainment industry. Many artists dare not offend him, which is why he¡¯s so brazen. Heaven knows how many disgusting things he¡¯s done behind the scenes.¡±


    Ming Jing furrowed her brows, ¡°Liang Xiaohong¡­¡±


    ¡°Liang Xiaohong is Xinghui Entertainment¡¯s gold medal agent! Do you know her too? She¡¯s no different from Cheng Peng. I¡¯ve heard about their deeds from friends in the industry. Liang Xiaohong specializes in luring young girls and offering them to others to gain favors and benefits in return. I didn¡¯t believe it before, but now I realize I was too naive.¡±


    Ming Jing curled her lips, it seemed like things hade full circle.


    ¡°This issue cannot be simply brushed aside, or more girls like you will be hurt.¡± The young girl¡¯s cold voice was filled with unwavering determination.


    Lan Huixin¡¯s eyes filled with tears, ¡°You¡¯re right. The girls who were hurt before weren¡¯t as lucky as me to meet you. But doing this might offend the powerful backing they have. It could be very difficult and cause trouble for you.¡±


    ¡°I only hope that women in this world will no longer be oppressed and persecuted.¡± Ming Jing murmured.<div>


    Lan Huixin looked at her in a daze, ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone as good as you¡­¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°You can try to contact the ssmate who introduced you to the audition, and see if you can find any clues.¡±


    Lan Huixin walked to the side with her phone to make a call, while Ming Jing thought for a moment and dialed Zheng Qing¡¯s number.


    ¡°Hello, little miss. It¡¯s been a while you finally remembered me¡±


    ¡°Liang Xiaohong and Cheng Peng, how is the investigation going?¡±


    ¡°Ye Zhen has been following this matter. Hasn¡¯t she reported to you? I haven¡¯t been able to contact her for several days.¡± Zheng Qing yawned, ¡°Is Jingzhou fun?¡±


    Ming Jing frowned, ¡°I can¡¯t get in touch with Ye Zhen either.¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s casual tone suddenly turned serious, ¡°Did something happen to Ye Zhen?¡±


    Realizing something was wrong, Zheng Qing said, ¡°I¡¯ll look into it right away.¡±


    It was unbelievable for Lan Huixin¡¯s ssmate to receive a call at this time, ¡°Huixin? Weren¡¯t you auditioning? How did it go?¡±


    Lan Huixin sneered, how could she be so foolish? An audition with a director at night, in an entertainment club, was obviously suspicious.


    Ultimately, it was a mix of blind trust and the desire for money that drove her to overlook these crucial details.<div>


    Lan Huixin choked back a sob, tears welling up, ¡°Tingting, how could you deceive me? Do you know what I¡­ what I went through?¡± In the end, she covered her mouth and cried in pain.


    The other party paused, their tone somewhat hesitant, ¡°Huixin, what happened?¡±


    ¡°You know exactly what happened. I can¡¯t believe I have a friend like you!¡±


    The other party stopped pretending, ¡°Huixin, I did this for your sake. Think about it, he¡¯s the president of Xinghui Entertainment. If he takes a liking to you and invests some resources, you¡¯ll be a huge star, saving you decades of struggle. If I didn¡¯t have a boyfriend, I would¡¯ve taken this opportunity myself.¡±


    Lan Huixin couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted, ¡°Do you know how old and ugly he is? I almost felt sick.¡±


    ¡°Just endure it, and it¡¯ll be over soon. Don¡¯t you want to make money? Once you be famous, you can find someone better. Huixin, please don¡¯t me me. I just wanted to help you, seeing you struggle with money every day. I really wanted to help.¡±


    Listening to the other party¡¯s insincere tone, Lan Huixin almost threw up. How could she have such a disgusting friend?


    ¡°Where did you meet President Cheng? He¡¯s the president of Xinghui Entertainment, and he¡¯s not from our world at all?¡±¡±It was Han Yue who introduced me to it¡­¡± Realizing that she had let something slip, she quickly added, ¡°I have something going on here, so I¡¯ll hang up now and talk to youter.¡±


    Lan Huixin looked at her disconnected phone and let out a coldugh.


    Han Yue¡­


    Upon returning to the hotel, Ming Jing received a big hug.


    ¡°Hahaha, guess who I am?¡± A boyish, arrogantughter echoed in the corridor.<div>


    ¡°Bai Ziyan, let go.¡±


    Bai Ziyan released her and looked up in boredom. Upon seeing her, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.


    ¡°How long has it been since west met? You¡¯ve grown more beautiful. Are you interested in falling into my arms?¡±


    Ming Jing brushed off his hand, ¡°Stop touching me, behave.¡±


    As she walked into the room, Bai Ziyan followed her with a cheeky grin, ¡°You¡¯re staying alone in the presidential suite, huh? Feeling lonely? Do you want me to stay with you tonight?¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow: ¡°Bai Ziyan, are you free?¡±


    Bai Ziyan rummaged through the liquor cab and made a face of disdain, ¡°I have plenty of time to apany you, but unfortunately, your eyes are blind to me.¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°If you¡¯re free, I actually have a job for you that¡¯s quite suitable.¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Tell me quickly. I¡¯ve been growing restlesstely.¡±


    Ten minutester, Bai Ziyan left the hotel in high spirits.


    Before going to bed, Ming Jing received a call from Zhu Xiangxiang.


    This was the first time Zhu Xiangxiang had contacted her since the incident at Yunmeng Vi.<div>


    The conversation began with reminiscing about the past and then shifted to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s current participation in a talent show in Jingzhou. With no friends or connections there, Zhu Xiangxiang wanted to see Ming Jing and tell her a secret about her origin.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was confident thisst point would capture Ming Jing¡¯s interest, and indeed it did.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at Huangguan Club tomorrow night at eight.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang hung up the phone, her mouth curving smugly.


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t help but smile, wondering why it had to be Huangguan Club again.


    ¡°Xiao Fei,e out for a drink.¡± Bai Ziyan roamed around the streetste at night, taking in the cool air.


    Qu Feitai, immersed in his songwriting, had no interest in joining him; ¡°Get lost, don¡¯t disturb my creative process.¡±


    Not long after, ¡°Bang bang bang.¡± The sound of knocking was deafening.


    Qu Feitai took a deep breath. If he didn¡¯t open the door, the knocking would continue. ¡°Thud thud thud¡± in an unending loop that irritated him beyond measure.


    Qu Feitai angrily opened the door, and Bai Ziyan, carrying a crate of beer, walked in. ¡°Let¡¯s see what our talented singer Qu is working on at home!¡±


    ¡°Bai Ziyan, what are you up to?¡± Qu Feitai looked at the empty cans near the door helplessly.


    Bai Ziyan pointed at him, ¡°Hmph¡­ This face of yours has deceived thousands of girls. I¡¯m going to tell your fans that you and I are engaged from birth and that in this life, you¡¯ll never¡­ escape from the palm of my hand.¡±


    Qu Feitai held back his anger: ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡±<div>


    ¡°Drunk, my ass! Qu Feitai, I ask you, do you like Ming Jing?¡± Bai Ziyan held Qu Feitai¡¯s face in both hands, asking with a smile.


    Qu Feitai shook off his hands in disgust: ¡°Bai Ziyan, wake up.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you admit it, you like Ming Jing. I should¡¯ve known sooner¡­¡± Bai Ziyany down on the sofa, mumbling to himself and slipping into a deep slumber.


    Qu Feitai clenched and then released his fist, reminding himself not to argue with a fool.


    Disgustedly, he removed Bai Ziyan¡¯s shoes, covered him with a nket, and kicked him: ¡°Get the hell out of here tomorrow morning, or I¡¯ll call your brother.¡±


    In response, thunderous snoring from the young man kept Qu Feitai awake all night.

 Chapter 494: 231 Opportunity (Updated once)

    Chapter 494: 231 Opportunity (Updated once)<div>


    At the break of dawn, Bai Ziyan stirred awake, still drowsy.


    Suddenly, he leapt up from the sofa.


    ¡°Qu Feitai, get the hell out¡­!¡±


    Qu Feitai walked out of the kitchen, te in hand, and gave him a disdainful look, ¡°You¡¯re awake; scram.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what did you do to mest night?¡± Bai Ziyan wrapped himself in a nket, ring at Qu Feitai as if he¡¯d done something unforgivable.


    Qu Feitai rolled his eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try acting? Even the best actors would be put to shame by your performance.¡±<div>


    Bai Ziyan snorted, hopped off the sofa, and plucked a piece of ham from the te, tossing it in his mouth. ¡°If you introduce me to a director, I¡¯ll act. Perhaps I¡¯ll be snatching a Grand m in three years and an Oscar in five.¡±


    Seeing this, Qu Feitai frowned in disgust and swatted his hand away. ¡°Go brush your teeth.¡±


    Bai Ziyan grumbled as he walked into the bathroom. On the washstand, Qu Feitai had already prepared a toothbrush and towel for him.


    He quickly finished his morning routine and dashed out, eager to take a bite of his sandwich.


    ¡°Your ce is frigid; it feels like an icehouse.¡±


    Central heating doesn¡¯t start until the 15th, and it¡¯s still a few days to go. Most people use air conditioning in the meantime.


    After sneezing, Bai Ziyan rubbed his nose. ¡°If I catch a cold, I¡¯m ming you.¡±


    ¡°Is everything my fault now? What do I owe you?¡±


    ¡°Of course you owe me! You owe me a wife.¡± Bai Ziyan stated this with a righteous tone.


    ¡°Without a wife, you gain a brother¡ªaha! The saying goes, a wife is as crucial as a hand or a foot, and a brother is like clothing. Clothes can be changed daily, but you can¡¯t cope without a wife.¡±


    Qu Feitai darkened. ¡°Finish eating and get out.¡± He didn¡¯t feel like saying another word.


    ¡°If I leave, at least Ming Jing will take me in.¡± Bai Ziyan shrugged and stood up, ready to walk out.<div>


    ¡°Come back here.¡±


    Bai Ziyan huffed defiantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pester Ming Jing, got it?¡±


    ¡°So if you tell me not to cling onto her, I should just stop? Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Bai Ziyan¡¯s obstinate and argumentative nature could infuriate people to the point of death, but Qu Feitai was immune to it.


    ¡°I might not be able to control you, but your big brother sure can, right?¡±


    Bai Ziyan was startled at first but then broke into a fit ofughter. ¡°You and me both, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen big brother Qu. I¡¯ve been meaning to give him a call. Last time I saw him, he said it was a pity that I wasn¡¯t a woman, or he¡¯d be d to have me as his sister-inw. Haha! His rebellious little brother needs someone to rein him in.¡±


    Qu Feitai threw the fork in his hand at Bai Ziyan, who dodged to one side whileughing heartily. ¡°Angry because I hit a sore spot?¡±


    Qu Feitai took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. This little punk only gets more annoying the more you engage with him. The moment you stop paying attention to him, he leaves because he gets bored.


    Qu Feitai focused on his meal, ignoring any provocations.


    Bai Ziyan sat down opposite him, pretending to sigh. ¡°s, Ming Jing gave me a mission. I thought I could create an opportunity for you to y the hero, but forget it, seeing you like this.¡±


    Qu Feitai froze momentarily, then looked at him. ¡°Speak.¡±


    The single word carried limitless authority, enough to make those of weaker willpower kneel.<div>


    Bai Ziyan grumbled, ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded. ¡°It has been quite a while since I¡¯ve seen big brother Bai, I miss him¡­¡±


    He then pulled out his phone to make a call.


    Bai Ziyan jumped up like a rooster whose feathers had been ruffled. ¡°You¡­ I won¡¯t sumb to your threats.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll still have the same guts when you see big brother Bai.¡±


    Once he heard the dialing tone, Bai Ziyan panicked and tried to run out, only to find the door had been locked. A double-sided fingerprint lock like that can¡¯t be unlocked without the other person¡¯s fingerprint.


    Bai Ziyan spun around in anger. ¡°Qu Feitai, threatening me won¡¯t work. Even if you kill me, you won¡¯t humiliate me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so hostile; did I say I was going to kill you?¡± Qu Feitai continued eating leisurely.


    Bai Ziyan stormed over, leaning over the table and stared at Qu Feitai: ¡°I knew it! Every time Ming Jing is involved, you¡¯re not normal. Your true colors are showing, huh?¡±


    ¡°Speak or don¡¯t speak. I¡¯ve got all day to sit around.¡±


    Bai Ziyan sat down, legs crossed, and smiled. ¡°Fine by me; if things go wrong, it won¡¯t be on me.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 495: 231 Opportunity (Updated twice)

    Chapter 495: 231 Opportunity (Updated twice)


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes turned cold, and he stood up, striding over to Bai Ziyan and grabbing him by the cor, his oppressive aura demanding, ¡°Speak.¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s heart unknowingly thumped in fear, wanting to retort a few words, but then Qu Feitai held up a fist and waved it, ¡°Speak or not?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t as tall as Qu Feitai, who held him up like a hawk holding a chick, and in addition, Qu Feitai had been practicing martial arts since he was a child, capable of crushing him with a flick of his little finger.


    Bai Ziyan immediately backed down: ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll talk, just let go of me first.¡±


    On the fourth day of the academic report, the day was utterly dull. After the exams, everyone rxed and listened to the lectures from the experts and professors on stage. Some dozed off, while others yawned incessantly. The day passed by in boredom.


    In the evening, while a few people were having dinner at the hotel restaurant, Ming Jing stayed in her room and didn¡¯te down.


    Liu Muxue picked at the pasta on her te and asked Xie Zhen across the table, ¡°What happenedter? Did Ming Jing beat up those guys after she went in? Did you see it with your own eyes?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head, ¡°The door was closed. None of us saw anything. In about ten minutes, Ming Jing came out with Lan Huixin, then we met you, and you know what happened after that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Liu Muxue looked at Song Yinzhang, ¡°You didn¡¯t leave at that time, did you know what was going on? Speak.¡±


    Song Yinzhang, who was cued, smiled helplessly, ¡°I was waiting for Ziyan. I originally wanted him to help, but I didn¡¯t expect Ming Jing to handle it by herself. She¡¯s even more amazing than we thought.¡±


    Zhao Heng waved her fist, ¡°Does Ming Jing know martial arts, too?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t something that anyone could do to bring down five or six tall, burly men in such a short time.


    Liu Muxue asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of the person who bullied Ming Jing?¡±


    Zhao Hengughed, ¡°What, are you going to seek revenge for Ming Jing? You¡¯d better take care of yourself first.¡±


    Liu Muxue asked Song Yinzhang, ¡°You tell me.¡±


    Song Yinzhang touched his nose, ¡°He¡¯s my cousin from the same family. His name is Song Hanqing and he¡¯s from the Songs, one of the Four Great Families of Jingzhou.¡±


    Thinking that saying this would make Liu Muxue give up, he didn¡¯t expect her to be more audacious than he thought. She snorted, ¡°You Song, wait and see. Whoever dares to bully this youngdy, I¡¯ll make him regret evering into this world.¡±


    Zhao Heng already knew that Song Yinzhang was from the Songs. However, Xie Zhen, although she didn¡¯t know what the Four Great Families did, but from the sound of it, it seemed quite impressive, reminiscent of the aristocrats in the Imperial City in novels.


    Unexpectedly, Song Yinzhang, who she thought was from an ordinary intellectual family in Jiangzhou, turned out to be from a top-ranking noble family in Jingzhou. The ss leap was astonishing, but his low-key behavior and humble, gentle character was a world apart from his cousin.


    For a moment, Xie Zhen¡¯s gaze towards him was filled with shock and admiration.


    No wonder Tang Wan liked him so much.


    In a top-ranking noble family, there were extravagant, ignorant yboys, as well as humble and well-cultured gentlemen.


    And Song Yinzhang was worthy of being called a well-cultured gentleman, gentle and elegant as jade.


    Xie Zhen gazed at him in a trance. When Song Yinzhang realized her gaze and looked back, Xie Zhen hurriedly lowered her eyes.


    Her hand gripping the fork tightened slightly.


    Song Yinzhang didn¡¯t notice Xie Zhen¡¯s unusual behavior. He saw that Liu Muxue still had the fearless look and said helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t act recklessly. Ziyan already warned Song Hanqing, and he won¡¯t do such foolish things again.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he believed Song Hanqing, but he was afraid that Liu Muxue would do something rash. He knew very well the methods of these big families.


    Liu Muxue sneered, ¡°You¡¯re a man yourself, and you should know the lowly nature of those scumbags. If a few verbal warnings were enough, would prisons be doing charity?¡±


    Song Yinzhang frowned, ¡°But what can you do?¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyes turned cunning and lively, ¡°Song Yinzhang, are you Ming Jing¡¯s good friend?¡±


    Song Yinzhang nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, then. Let¡¯s teach this guy a lesson he¡¯ll never forget in his life. Otherwise, he¡¯ll bully other women in the future.¡±


    Song Yinzhang helplessly said, ¡°You don¡¯t know the methods of these big families¡­ ¡±


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows in challenge: ¡°Are you scared? Then I won¡¯t trouble Young Master Song anymore. What about you, Zhao Heng?¡±


    Zhao Heng promptly raised his hand: ¡°I¡¯m in with you.¡±


    Liu Muxue smiled and nodded, then turned to look at Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen softly voiced her confusion: ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Ming Jing at odds? Why would you actively help her?¡±


    This girl is so strange.


    Liu Muxue huffed: ¡°When beating a dog, one must consider its master. Only I can bully my own dog.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked incredulous: ¡°You¡­ You actually insulted Ming Jing by calling her a dog?¡±


    Zhao Heng angrily retorted: ¡°Liu Muxue, you¡¯re the dog. Watch your mouth.¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes: ¡°Can¡¯t you understand a metaphor? Look at how agitated you all are. What kind of love potion has Zhu Mingjing given you to be so protective of her?¡±


    Zhao Heng had thought she was reliable, but it turned out he was just too naive. He snorted coldly, got up, and left.


    Xie Zhen was also full of anger and left without finishing her meal.


    Liu Muxue narrowed her eyes at Song Yinzhang: ¡°Are you leaving too?¡±


    Song Yinzhangughed and shook his head: ¡°You know, if you could just change your foul-mouthed habit, you¡¯d have many friends.¡±


    Having said that, he got up and left.


    Liu Muxue fumed, ¡°Thisdy prefers to be alone. What can you do about it? If you don¡¯t want to help me, fine. I can do it by myself.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m a little scared.¡±


    Two young girls were standing at the entrance of the Huangguan Club. The taller girl had long hair draped over her shoulders, a beautiful face, and an imposing aura of purity, especially with her furrowed brows, which made one¡¯s heart melt.


    The other girl had a shrewd-looking face. Hesitant, she held the taller girl¡¯s hand and softly said: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Today, we just meet the agent. If she takes a liking to you, your future will be limitless, and you¡¯ll be the next Liang Yanran¡­¡±.


    Suddenly realizing it was inauspicious to mention a dead person, she changed the subject: ¡°You¡¯ll be the next Zhao Ninghan. Besides, I think you¡¯re much prettier than Zhao Ninghan. You¡¯ll be even more famous in the future. What youck is the opportunity, and you must seize it.¡±


    After finishing her sentence, she meaningfully patted the girl¡¯s hand.


    The taller girl, who was Lan Huixin, bit her lip: ¡°But President Cheng already promised me yesterday that he would make me famous¡­¡±.


    Han Yue rolled her eyes: ¡°President Cheng says that to every girl. You¡¯ll be a fool if you believe him. The agent is the one you need to cozy up to in the future. She can make anyone famous with just a word. When you meet her, be sweet, obedient, and sensible, alright?¡±


    Lan Huixin nodded obediently like a well-behaved child.


    Seeing herpliance, a smug smile crept across Han Yue¡¯s face.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    At the same time, a taxi stopped in front of the club, and a girl in white got out.


    It was already deep autumn, and especially at night, the deep autumn in the north felt no different from winter. People were already wrapped in down jackets, but this girl wore a thin white dress, beautiful yet involuntarily chilling to the bone.


    Han Yue squinted and nced at her. In the dense darkness, with neon lights flickering, she couldn¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face clearly, but her graceful andposed figure was unforgettable.


    A young girl who could enter the Huangguan Club couldn¡¯t be a good person¡ªjust another one looking for shortcuts.


    Disdain curled Han Yue¡¯s lips as she turned and pulled Lan Huixin inside.


    Lan Huixin looked back at Ming Jing. Under the dim night, their eyes met and quickly averted, as if nothing had urred.


    Ming Jing brushed her skirt, gazed at the opulent building before her, hooked her lips, and calmly entered.

 Chapter 496: 232 Good and Evil (Second Update)

    As the door of the room opened, the odor of tobo and alcohol confronted them.


    Lan Huixin frowned reflexively.


    Huangguan Club spanned nine floors, each having its own level of prestige.


    The higher the floor, the greater the prestige.


    Yesterday, they were on the third floor, today, the fifth floor.


    Looking up, she could spot every corner of the room.


    An overweight middle-aged woman sat on the sofa, puffing on ady¡¯s cigar. Sparkling diamonds embedded in her finely manicured nails gleamed under the lights.


    Next to her sat two men, each apanied by a girl serving drinks, creating an exotic and captivating scene.


    ¡°Honghong, I¡¯ve brought her over,¡± stated Han Yue with utmost respect.


    The woman exhaled a puff of smoke and looked up.


    Her sharp and shrewd eyes made Lan Huixin feel extremely ufortable, as if she were amodity being examined.<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The sight of her made the other two men lose interest in their courtesans. They began to appraise Lan Huixin from head to toe with intrigue.


    Suppressing her difort, Lan Huixin said, ¡°My name is Lan Huixin.¡±


    ¡°Nice name. You¡¯re a student at the Film Academy, aren¡¯t you? Is your teacher Mr. Zhang Yun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a sophomore. Mr. Zhang was promoted to department headst year and now only teaches senior sses.¡±


    ¡°That boy sure climbed up quickly.¡± The woman muttered then motioned for Lan Huixin toe closer.


    With an obedient look on her face, Lan Huixin approached.


    The woman pulled her down to sit by her side and asked, ¡°Want to be famous?¡±


    Lan Huixin hesitated, seemingly struggling with her thoughts while the woman took a puff from her cigar, gracefully blowing out a cloud of smoke.


    Amidst the hazy smoke, Lan Huixin finally made her decision, ¡°I want to be famous.¡±


    ¡°Good, very good. Those who have been chosen by Mr. Cheng are no ordinary people. The future of the entertainment industry belongs to you,¡± the woman¡¯s impassioned words inspired a longing in those who heard them.


    Lan Huixin lowered her eyes, her gaze clear and pure, yet her mouth chose to say, ¡°I will listen to you, Honghong.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong was even more satisfied now. She turned to the two men, ¡°Mr. Zhao, Mr. Zhou, I trust this lily hasn¡¯t disappointed?¡±


    The two nodded in approval, ¡°Excellent, absolutely excellent.¡±


    The somewhat chubbier of the two proactively sat beside Lan Huixin, cing his hand on her shoulder, ¡°Miss Lan is pure and well-behaved, I¡¯m quite fond of her.¡±


    Lan Huixin nearly retched, she was a performing arts student after all, she¡¯d learnt how to act.


    Lan Huixin responded with a coy smile, dropping her gaze as if she was bashful. Well, these affluent men certainly fell for it.


    The man¡¯s smile broadened with satisfaction.<div>


    The other man interjected, ¡°Mr. Zhou, that¡¯s not fair. I had my eyes on her first.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhao, let¡¯s not make a fuss over it. It¡¯s not like Miss Lan is branded with Mr. Zhou¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Guys, let¡¯s not fight. Mr. Zhou, rest assured, Miss Lan is yours. As for you, Mr Zhao¡­¡±


    Liang Xiaohong moved closer to Mr. Zhao, swiping a finger softly across his chest, a hint of seduction in her actions. She then whispered in his ear, ¡°Mr. Zhao, I have an even more premium product here, guaranteed to make your evening worthwhile.¡± Winking at him as she finished speaking.<div>


    Mr. Zhao erupted into loudughter, looking at Lan Huixin¡¯s exquisite white neck under the light, ¡°Is it even more premium than this?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s noparison. My heart has always belonged to you, Mr Zhao. So, about this investment¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s really as you say, and I¡¯m satisfied, we can discuss it further.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong began tough, ¡°Mr. Zhao, you better get your wallet ready.¡±


    Zhao Heqiang took a sip of his drink, pushing away the woman who was trying to get closer to him.


    He was nowpletely engrossed in the ¡®premium product¡¯ that Liang Xiaohong mentioned. If she was even more beautiful than Lan Huixin, just how stunning would she be?


    He was starting to feel impatient.


    Liang Xiaohong calmed Zhao Heqiang and blinked at Han Yue. Han Yue nodded and left the room.


    Lan Huixin narrowed her eyes, took a step back and covered her pale lips, ¡°Mr. Zhou, don¡¯t do this, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Mr. Zhou, on seeing the coy and bashful girl, was itching to get closer. However, he didn¡¯t want to scare her off so he grabbed a ss of wine from the table and offered it to her fondly, ¡°Come, have a drink with me.¡±


    Lan Huixin shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? Let me teach you¡­¡±


    In the next room, Zhu Xiangxiang was restless.


    <div>

 Chapter 497: 232 Good and Evil (Second Update)_2

    ¡°Will Ming Jinge?


    She¡¯s so smart, will she see through her n?


    No, this is Jingzhou, not Jiangzhou. Here, no one can help her.


    As long as she steps in here tonight, she will never be able to walk out with a clean conscience.


    You im to be pure and noble, how can you maintain that calm demeanor once you¡¯ve been dragged through the mud? Let¡¯s see.


    As Zhu Xiangxiang thought this, someone pushed the door and walked in, and she immediately stood up.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I thought you wouldn¡¯te.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the girl who walked in, her white skirt as dazzling as ever.


    Ming Jing walked in and asked, ¡°Why choose this ce for our meeting?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled, ¡°A friend of mine is a senior member here. The service is good, private, and perfect for discussing business.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, walked over, and sat down after brushing her skirt.


    ¡°You said you were going to tell me about my background. There¡¯s no one else here, so just say whatever you have to.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang squinted her eyes, ¡°Zhu Mingjing, no, you¡¯re not even a Zhu. You can deceive others but not me. You¡¯re not the real heiress of the Zhus.¡±


    She stared intently at Ming Jing, only to see that the girl sat with her back straight, a calm smile on her face. Despite being exposed, she showed no panic, even making Zhu Xiangxiang feel slightly uneasy at the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°People use me of stealing your life, but you¡¯re the one who is fake. Do you dare to admit it?¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, looking at her with a smile.


    That clear and bright gaze made Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Why can she still be so calm? What is she relying on?


    Is it because she¡¯s sure no one will ever find out?


    This is just an appetizer. One day, she¡¯ll expose her disguise in front of the whole world.


    Ming Jing neither denied nor confirmed it.


    She smiled and nodded, ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered, ¡°Evidence? You already knew about the private detective¡¯s secret investigation at Jiyue Temple. Both you and Ming Xin fit the profile, so the detective stole strands of hair from both of you for testing. You cleverly swapped your hairs in advance. A masterful move.¡±


    ¡°Your reasoning is good, but it¡¯s still just a guess. There¡¯s no evidence.¡±


    ¡°What about Ming Xin? Where did you hide her? If I¡¯m not mistaken, she¡¯s the real heiress of the Zhus. All your juniors have gone down the mountain, but no one has ever seen Ming Xin. Did you hide her out of fear, or have you already silenced her for good?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared fiercely at her.


    ¡°Did you ask me toe here tonight just to talk about this?¡± Ming Jing asked with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, even if you¡¯re a fake heiress it won¡¯t affect anything. I¡¯m not stupid, exposing your identity doesn¡¯t benefit me; on the contrary, it might lead to a real heiress showing up topete for motherly affection.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, let¡¯s cooperate.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang extended an olive branch.


    To gain somebody¡¯s favor, one must offer something first.<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes sparkled, mysterious and brilliant.


    Zhu Xiangxiang continued, ¡°I won¡¯t expose your identity; we¡¯ll maintain a peaceful facade and stay out of each other¡¯s way. I know you¡¯re not interested in the Zhus¡¯ affairs. As long as you let me settle down in the Zhu family, the secret will remain known only by us. If a third person finds out, may I never rest in peace.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang poured two sses of water, ¡°I know you don¡¯t drink, so we can use water as a substitute. Let¡¯s swear with a toast.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang handed one ss to Ming Jing.<div>


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t take it, just looking at her quietly.


    Those deep, dark eyes seemed to see through everything, leaving nowhere to hide.Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand gripping the water cup tightened, and she said insincerely, ¡°Ming Jing, are you still afraid that I¡¯ll drug your water? Fine, let me change it.¡±


    She exchanged the two water cups and asked, ¡°Is it okay now?¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows and took the water cup.


    The smile on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face deepened, ¡°Ming Jing, actually, we can be good friends. It¡¯s just that we are in different positions, bound to be adversaries. But now, I think we have the possibility of bing friends.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for my past wrongs, and I want to thank you for saving my brother. I was too scared and too cowardly. I wasn¡¯t a good daughter, nor a good sister. Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done.¡±


    There seemed to be a glimmer of tears in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes, a mixture of guilt and gratitude on her face.


    A tear drop fell into the water, disappearing without causing a ripple.


    ¡°Buddha teachespassion. I know you are very kind-hearted and soft-hearted. I used to be too selfish and frightened, and I did a lot of things that hurt you. I don¡¯t dare to ask for your forgiveness. As long as we can live peacefully together in the future, I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±


    Her emotions built upyer byyer, tears flowing at will. Her acting was really good.


    Ming Jing held the water cup, the transparent ss reflected the girl¡¯s delicate, slender fingers. The refraction of the water made her bones look slightly deformed, yet even more elegant and graceful.


    ¡°The Infinite Life Sutra says: Good and evil are repaid, and fortune follows misfortune; one¡¯s fate is determined by oneself, and no one can rece it.¡±


    The girl¡¯s ethereal voice seemed to echo in the empty room, each word like a heavy mountain, weighing down on her heart.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand holding the water cup paused, almost spilling the water.


    Feeling inexplicably panicked, her heart raced with unease.


    ¡°What¡­what are you talking about?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang asked, confused.


    The girl opposite her wore a white dress, and the lotus flowers on its hem seemed toe to life, shining with an unattainable, sacred beauty.


    The girl smiled faintly, ¡°You have no Buddha nature.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered in her heart, not caring about bing a nun. Always acting mysterious and unpredictable, who was she trying to scare?


    Ming Jing shook her head helplessly, ¡°This is yourst chance.¡±


    Unfortunately, she had no Buddha nature, and everything had already been determined.


    Ming Jing lifted the water cup and took a small sip.


    Zhu Xiangxiang smirked and lifted her water cup.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go back.¡± Ming Jing put down the water cup and stood up.


    As soon as she stood up, her body swayed suddenly. She frowned at Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiled, ¡°I know you¡¯re always on guard. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nothing in this water cup. Just have a good sleep. When you wake up, everything will be fine¡­haha.¡±<div>


    Seeing Ming Jing faint on the sofa, Zhu Xiangxiangughed and pped her face. Her eyes were crazy and vicious, ¡°You¡¯re finally in my hands. I¡¯ve waited for this day for too long.¡±


    Han Yue knocked on the door from outside and opened a crack, ¡°Is it done?¡±


    Han Yue entered and saw the unconscious girl on the sofa, astonished.


    ¡°No wonder Honghong has been thinking about her for so long. She¡¯s truly stunning. It¡¯s worth taking some risks.¡± Han Yue eximed.


    She had never seen a girl who was still so beautiful when asleep.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    The two carried Ming Jing, one on each side, and opened a hidden door nearby. Inside was a bedroom with an enormous waterbed, exuding a seductive atmosphere under the dim, ambiguous lighting.


    Zhu Xiangxiang threw Ming Jing on the waterbed and sneered, ¡°Enjoy the gift I¡¯ve prepared for you, Zhu Mingjing.¡±


    Han Yue said, ¡°You watch her. I¡¯ll go find Honghong.¡± She then left hurriedly.

 Chapter 498: 233 Lingering Disaster (First Watch)

    Han Yue had just walked out of the room when she was stopped by a young man, ¡°Beauty, drink with me.¡±


    The young man seemed to be somewhat drunk, slurring his words and reaching out to touch Han Yue¡¯s face.


    Han Yue hurriedly backed away, noticing that although the young man was young, his features were very delicate, with a flirtatious and luxurious temperament, clearly not an ordinary person.


    Han Yue thought,pared to thepany of bald, pot-bellied old men, this charming young man was far better.


    ¡°Who¡­who are you? Asking someone to drink with you as soon as youe up, I¡¯m not ady to apany drinks, what kind of person do you take me for?¡±


    Bai Ziyan almost vomited.


    That¡¯s right, this young man who appeared drunk and slurred was none other than Bai Ziyan.


    He looked at the woman in front of him, her face full of coquettish anger and extreme pretentiousness, and he almost threw up hisst meal.


    Ming Jing, the task you gave me is just too difficult toplete.


    Whatever, seed or die trying.


    ¡°I am your benefactor¡­¡± The young man said, gently stroking Han Yue¡¯s face, causing her to blush and feel awkward.<div>


    Her dream had always been to be an actress. She had tried to audition for the Film Academy¡¯s performance department, but her face was not up to standards, so she ended up identally enrolling in the directing department instead. Compared to the beautiful women in the performance department, she looked really ordinary, so Liang Xiaohong never had any intentions regarding her.


    Now being ¡°teased¡± by such a handsome and flirtatious young man, she couldn¡¯t describe how happy she was.


    This proved that she must be attractive, right?


    Before she could be happy for a few seconds, the young man across from her shook his head, as if finally seeing her clearly, and his face suddenly darkened: ¡°You¡¯re really fucking ugly; get away from me.¡±


    Han Yue¡¯s face turned pale in an instant.


    The word ¡®ugly¡¯ pierced the sore spot in her heart. She bit her lip, trying to use her vulnerability and tears to move the other person, but she forgot that this tactic only worked if she had a pure and beautiful appearance. With an ordinary face like hers, it was just annoying to others.


    The young man¡¯s frown could have killed a fly. ¡°Damn it, can¡¯t there be someone better looking? A bunch of ugly fruits, hurting my eyes¡­¡±


    At this moment, the young man¡¯s phone rang urgently. Annoyed, he answered, ¡°Why the hell are you calling me sote? What? Actor? Where am I supposed to find an actor for you? Don¡¯t bother me, go find Yu Dawei. He¡¯s the big director, what he says goes. As for my father, I dere from now on that I¡¯m severing my rtionship with Yu Dawei. We won¡¯t have anything to do with each other from now on, so don¡¯t call me again, hmph¡­¡±


    The young man hung up the phone in a huff.


    Yu Dawei!


    Han Yue looked at the young man in disbelief. He was actually Yu Dawei¡¯s son?


    The young man seemed to be drunk. People say that the truthes out when you¡¯re drunk, so his words must have been true. Besides, Yu Dawei was a famously handsome director in the entertainment industry, so his son definitely wouldn¡¯t be unattractive.


    As for who Yu Dawei was, as a director, his name was known to every household. He brought fame to countless film emperors and empresses, winning numerous awards, with a legendary status. Many actors would fight for a supporting role in his movies, and for a neer chosen by him to y a leading role, their career would soar overnight ¨C a star falling from the sky.


    Seven years ago, Yu Dawei started preparing for a new project, an epic war film with a huge IP, with an initial investment of 1 billion. Many male actors in the industry had their eyes on this movie, and the entertainment industry was in shambles with people using all sorts of tactics to discredit each other.


    However, not long after, Yu Dawei was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and the project was suspended. He withdrew from the entertainment circle to seek treatment. The surgery was sessful, and after a few years of rest, his health gradually improved. But in the rapidly changing entertainment industry, this IP has always been closely watched.


    Recently, there were rumors that Yu Dawei was nning to make aeback and continue the project, actively seeking funding. After all, the original investors had gone bankrupt or were in debt, so it was difficult for them to keep investing.


    However, considering Yu Dawei¡¯s influence, with just a wave, there would be countless investorspeting to provide funding, so there was no need to worry about this aspect.


    Moreover, it was rumored that Yu Dawei had a distinguished background,ing from a prominent family in Jingzhou. He had given up inheriting the family business to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, almost angering his parents to death. Although the truth was unknown, Yu Dawei¡¯s worth was indeed extraordinary.<div>

 Chapter 499: 233 Lingering Disaster (First Watch)_2

    Now that the project has restarted, more male actors in the entertainment industry are eyeing it, and Liang Xiaohong is also paying attention. Although Han Yue doesn¡¯t know which male actor Liang Xiaohong wants to snatch the opportunity for, she knows that Liang Xiaohong values this project very much.


    She is from the directing department and is very familiar with Yu Dawei. She has thoroughly studied his life as a typical character.


    Yu Dawei and his wife have been childhood sweethearts. After many years of marriage without children, they still remain as loving as ever. Later, Madam Yu gave birth to a son named Yu Hang at the age of thirty-eight. ording to his age, he should be eighteen years old this year. It is said that he has been studying abroad all these years. Yu Dawei has been protecting his son very well, and no one has ever seen him until now.


    Han Yue never expected that the young man in front of her would actually be the son of Director Yu. Looking carefully, he resembled Yu Dawei quite a bit, and she had no doubt about it.


    It really is like finding something without looking for it, effortlessly aplished.


    Han Yue pretended not to understand and said sorrowfully, ¡°If you don¡¯t like me, that¡¯s fine. I know my ce. But my sister, she is way more beautiful than Liang Yanran. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re interested?¡±


    This sentence indeed aroused the young man¡¯s interest, ¡°More beautiful than Liang Yanran? If you¡¯re lying to me, I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± The young man threatened fiercely.


    This young man appeared fierce on the outside but weak on the inside. It¡¯s inevitable that he would develop such a character as a spoiled only child of Director Yu and his wife. Han Yue thought she shouldn¡¯t stoop to the level of a kid like him.


    Liang Xiaohong had been waiting for news for a long time but couldn¡¯t sit still, so she came out. She saw Han Yue entangled with a young man in the corridor and immediately frowned.


    She knew that anyone here could have an extraordinary background. After rolling in the cunning circles for years, she had developed a keen sense for such things, and this young man was evidently no ordinary person.


    When she heard the young man¡¯s words, her eyebrows furrowed even deeper.<div>


    People die like amp extinguished, so why would anyone mention Liang Yanran?


    But in context, she could roughly guess what Han Yue and this young man were talking about.


    Liang Xiaohong immediately put on a smiling face and walked over, ¡°What happened? Young Master, I don¡¯t know where my sister offended you, but I hope you can be magnanimous and not hold it against her.¡±


    Han Yue whispered a few words in her ear.


    Liang Xiaohong looked surprised but remainedposed as she measured up the young man in front of her.


    How could it be such a coincidence, finding a pillow while feeling sleepy?


    She carefully observed him and saw that the young man was dressed in a low-key and luxurious outfit, with delicate and handsome features. He carried an air of elegance and nobility, like a rich young master from a wealthy family.


    Liang Xiaohong nodded in satisfaction, confirming that he was indeed Yu Dawei¡¯s son.


    ¡°She said there¡¯s a woman even more beautiful than Liang Yanran? Where is she? Howe I haven¡¯t seen her?¡± The young man seemed a bit drunk, mumbling with unfocused eyes.


    Han Yue pursed her lips, not daring to look at Liang Xiaohong.


    Liang Xiaohong hated it when people mentioned Liang Yanran in front of her. It was one of her taboos.


    Liang Yanran was once a symbol of beauty in the entertainment industry. Liang Xiaohong mentioned her casually without any deeper meaning.


    Liang Xiaohongughed and said, ¡°Young Master, there are many people more beautiful than Liang Yanran. Tell me what type you like, and I¡¯ll guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± As she spoke, Liang Xiaohong took the young man¡¯s arm. Although he initially resisted, he seemed to give up upon thinking of the beautiful woman.


    ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go inside the private room and I¡¯ll tell you slowly¡­¡± Liang Xiaohong smirked coldly as she led the young man. Men ruled by lust could hardly resist the temptation of a beautiful woman, whether young or old, pretty or ugly.


    This young master Yu already had such a debauched side at a young age. It¡¯s hard to tell whom he learned it from. But this was good, as having his weaknesses allowed her to control him better.


    As Liang Xiaohong passed Han Yue, she gave her a signal. Han Yue understood and entered the next private room as soon as Liang Xiaohong and the young man were inside.


    When she walked into the darkroom and saw the scene, she instinctively screamed, but before she could make a sound, she was knocked unconscious by a hand chop.Ming Jing furrowed her brows and looked over.


    After Han Yue fell to the ground, a tall and straight young man appeared in the dim and hazy light, his handsome features seeming like a god descended from the heavens.<div>


    Ming Jing squinted her eyes: ¡°Howe you are here?¡±


    She understood once she gave it a thought.


    Qu Feitai took a step forward, observing the surroundings, his eyebrows furrowing enough to kill a fly.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡±<div>


    His fists tightened secretly; it was hard to imagine she faced such a dangerous situation unless he witnessed it himself.


    If she hadn¡¯t taken precautions, she would have fallen into someone¡¯s meticulously designed trap today, the opponent¡¯s scheming too malicious.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm¡­¡± At this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang on the waterbed had her hands tied and a towel stuffed in her mouth. She red at Ming Jing with rage. When she saw Qu Feitai suddenly appear, she struggled violently, her eyes revealing a plea for help.


    She thought she had everything under control, but she was too careless and ended up being counterattacked by Ming Jing.


    A cautious person like Ming Jing would never havee alone.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was surprised, angry, and regretful, repeatedly losing to Ming Jing, never learning her lesson.


    Overwhelmed by the surprise, Zhu Xiangxiang forgot that Qu Feitai¡¯s presence here was no ident, at least not for her sake.


    So¡­


    Seeing the young man¡¯s cold eyes with a hint of murderous intent, it was like she got doused with a bucket of cold water, chilling Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart to the core.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her with pleading eyes, the most beautiful part of her body being these eyes that seemed as if they could speak.


    Ming Jing understood her plea and shook her head, showing pity.


    ¡°I gave you onest chance just now, but s, you didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°There is no door to fortune or misfortune; it¡¯s called upon ourselves. The consequences of good and evil follow us like shadows. Everyone has to bear the consequences of their own actions; no one can rece them. Understand?¡±<div>


    ¡°Doing good brings rewards, doing evil brings disasters, harming others is harming oneself. Thew of nature goes in cycles, and the retribution never fails.¡±


    ¡°Suffer the consequences of your own sins.¡±


    Ming Jing no longer paid her any attention, turning around and walking to Han Yue¡¯s side. She squatted down and pressed her fingers on Han Yue¡¯s philtrum, slowly rousing her from unconsciousness.


    A pocket watch suddenly dangled between Ming Jing¡¯s fingers, falling right in front of Han Yue¡¯s eyes. The watch swayed back and forth, and Han Yue¡¯s eyes unconsciously followed its movement. Ming Jing¡¯s voice chanted low incantations, starting off creepy and gradually bing drowsy¡­


    Qu Feitai suddenly snapped back to his senses, looking at Ming Jing in amazement. Was this hypnosis?


    Han Yue looked at Ming Jing, her gaze respectful and her voice t and straightforward, devoid of any emotion.


    Ming Jing put away the pocket watch and gently patted her shoulder: ¡°Go.¡±


    Han Yue stood up and walked out.


    From the outside, she looked like a normal person. However, upon closer examination, one could see that her eyes had more ck than white in them, which was terrifying. But in this luxury ce ofvish indulgence, there was no normal lighting.


    Qu Feitai looked at her deeply: ¡°Is this¡­ hypnotism?¡±

 Chapter 500: 234 Admitting a Mistake (Second Revision)

    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, pondering for a moment before saying, ¡°It should be probably.¡±


    In her master¡¯s collection of precious scriptures, she found a copy of the Brahma Fire Luo Jiuyao Scripture, which was iplete as thest three chapters were missing.


    The Nine Fires technique is divided into nine techniques: Bodhi, Vajra, Demon Suppression, Prajna, Soul Absorption, Brahma Mantra, Flower Plucking, Longevity, and Compassion.


    Each one ranks from low to high, and also represents one¡¯s level of cultivation.


    When the Soul Absorption technique isbined with the Brahma Mantra, it can achieve the purpose of controlling a person¡¯s mind, simr to the hypnosis techniques found in modern psychology. However, the difference is that the Soul Absorption technique requires the user to exert powerful mental force to control through a medium. This medium can be anything, such as a leaf or a pen. If the person being controlled has stronger mental power than the user, the user will suffer bacsh.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was shocked and terrified to see Ming Jing easily controlling Han Yue.


    What kind of devil was she that could use such sinister and crooked techniques?


    Footsteps outside the door were heard, Ming Jing immediately pulled Qu Feitai behind the curtains, and when they entered behind the curtains, it was apletely different world.


    The window was extended outward in a fan shape, with a soft bed iid in the center. Outside the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, the neon lights and bustling streets below can be seen from the fifth floor, with the moonlight flowing like water and the noise drifting about.


    In a small box next to them were various ¡°little toys¡± and a stack of small umbres, with the dim overhead lights casting an ambiguous glow¡­


    These people would go to any lengths in pursuit of excitement.<div>


    The youth was close by, their breaths intertwining, causing a flurry of erratic heartbeats and rapid breathing¡­


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t look up, her gaze lowered, stepping back to put some distance between them.


    As the footsteps outside grew closer, Ming Jing¡¯s eyes narrowed, but she didn¡¯t notice the profound, ink-like depths in the eyes of the young man above her.


    A ¡°gulping¡± sound echoed in the tiny, cramped space, the subtle noise unusually apparent.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face suddenly turned red, but it was not visible in the dim light.


    He was inwardly annoyed, feeling like a jerk for having such obscene thoughts about Ming Jing, considering it a stain on her.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s thoughts raced in a matter of seconds, unknown to anyone, while the man outside had already entered.


    ¡°Beautifuldy, I¡¯ve been missing you so much¡­¡± The man couldn¡¯t wait to pounce on her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang struggled desperately, her heart sinking to the depths of despair, cursing Ming Jing.


    However, her struggle was futile in front of the man. When his thick hand touched the delicate skin of the young girl, she felt a chill run through her entire body as goosebumps erupted.


    Roll away¡­


    The sound of her wailing heart could not be heard by anyone, her eyes filled with anger and bloodshot, she eventually lost her strength and closed her eyes in despair.


    ¡°Young master, I have some pictures here, you can see if you like anyone. There are all kinds of beauties here. If you want, I can even invite the goddess Chang¡¯e from the moon pce for you.¡± Liang Xiaohong flipped through several pictures on her phone to show him.


    As the young man¡¯s finger slid across each picture, he paused on one of them.


    Liang Xiaohong noticed the anomaly, and her gaze fell on the picture.


    It was a candid picture of a sleeping young girl. Her features were not particrly stunning, but she had an indescribable extraordinary temperament despite her young age. Her slightly mature,zy beauty coupled with her innocent face created a contradictory, fatal attraction.


    Liang Xiaohong frowned slightly, realizing that she had forgotten about this person.


    She hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Young master, she¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you just say I could choose anyone?¡± The young man asked with a yful smirk, his mocking gaze clouded with confusion.


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s possible, but there¡¯s a problem I¡¯d like to ask the young master first. I heard that Director Yu¡¯s new movie is about to start shooting, do you know if the male lead has been decided?¡±


    The young man¡¯s face darkened instantly: ¡°Don¡¯t mention Yu Dawei to me, I have nothing to do with him.¡±


    The young man¡¯s reaction was like that of a rebellious child, deliberately reacting to the mention of Yu Dawei.<div>


    ¡°All right, I won¡¯t mention it.¡± Liang Xiaohong immediately cated him. If he had directly admitted it, it would have aroused her suspicion, but this reaction made her feel relieved.


    Earlier, she had found a moment to ask an industry acquaintance, who was friends with one of Yu Dawei¡¯s assistants, if Yu Dawei¡¯s son had returned to the country. The person had not yet responded.

 Chapter 501: 234 Admitting a Mistake (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 501: 234 Admitting a Mistake (Second Revision)_2


    She must secure a role in Yu Dawei¡¯s new movie.


    She had to.


    This time, she would take a gamble.


    Even if she failed, there would be no loss.


    Liang Xiaohong was skilled in such matters. She made a call and instructed her assistant to bring someone over immediately.


    After everything was set, she poured a ss of wine and personally handed it to Bai Ziyan; ¡°Young Master, please wait patiently. The person you want is on their way.¡±


    Bai Ziyan raised an eyebrow without taking the ss,zily leaning back in the sofa chair with his legs crossed over the coffee table, fully embodying the air of a rich young heir.


    He looked up and down at Liang Xiaohong, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Liang Xiaohong stered a smile onto her face, ¡°Liang Xiaohong, an agent from Xinghui Entertainment. Young Master might not know my name, but you must have heard of Xinghui Entertainment, right?¡±


    Bai Ziyan nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, ¡°Liang Yanran was brought up by you, right?¡±<div>


    Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face stiffened briefly before she put on a smile again, as if nothing had happened, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a pity¡­sigh.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong sighed and shook her head.


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s eyes flickered, clucking disapprovingly, ¡°It is indeed a pity, we originally wanted Liang Yanran to y the female lead.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong was taken aback, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What did I say?¡± Bai Ziyan shrugged, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong was filled with doubts, could it be that Yu Dawei wanted Liang Yanran to y the female lead?


    It was possible. Among the younger generation of actresses, Liang Yanran was indeed the best, whether in terms of acting, looks, or poprity. It would be normal for Yu Dawei to have his eyes on her.


    Liang Xiaohong also felt it was a missed opportunity, such a good chance wasted.


    ¡°Young Master, has the male lead been decided yet? If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯d like to rmend a male actor to you. I wonder if he¡¯s fortunate enough¡­¡± Liang Xiaohong asked tentatively.


    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Xue An, you must know him. He¡¯s the youngest Golden Deer¡¯s Best Actor, diligently working in the industry for many years without any scandals¡­¡± Liang Xiaohong used her eloquent tongue to praise Xue An as a rare gem in the entertainment industry.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she and Yu Dawei¡¯s backing had no ovep, she wouldn¡¯t be so ingratiating towards this young kid. It took years of painstaking effort to establish connections in Jingzhou¡¯splex power dynamics. It wasn¡¯t easy to integrate into a circle.


    ¡°Xue An? Isn¡¯t he Liang Yanran¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Bai Ziyan raised his eyebrows, asking.


    Liang Xiaohong hesitated, then lowered her eyes, ¡°Yes, it is a pity that good things don¡¯tst. After Yanran¡¯s death, Xue An was devastated. He admires Director Yu the most, so if he could act in Director Yu¡¯s new movie, I believe he would regain his spirits.¡±


    Bai Ziyan looked at her meaningfully, ¡°You seem to care about him a lot.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong smiled, ¡°He and Yanran shared a deep bond, so I have to take care of him on her behalf so that Yanran can rest in peace in heaven.¡±


    Bai Ziyan nodded, ¡°Not bad, you¡¯re quite sentimental. Xue An, right? I¡¯ll remember him, and if there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll rmend him.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong said gratefully, ¡°I¡¯ll thank Young Master on behalf of Xue An.¡±


    The young man waved his hand impatiently, ¡°What I want is not your thanks¡­¡±<div>


    Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face was full of smiles, ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll call and urge them right away.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong walked to one side with her phone. Her ally had already sent a message.


    Director Yu¡¯s son returned to the countryst month. I heard he¡¯s going to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps. This movie project has his name attached, but this young master is said to have a bad temper. Why are you suddenly asking about him? Are you interested in this movie too?


    Liang Xiaohong¡¯s suspicions were further confirmed by the message. She quickly typed a response Thank you, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time!<div>


    Liang Yanran¡­ Xue An¡­ Bai Ziyan chewed on these two names, looking at Liang Xiaohong across the room, his eyes slightly narrowed.


    What exactly was the enmity between these people and Ming Jing?


    Ming Jing was content and had no ambition; although many women were jealous of her, few would dare to use such underhanded means to harm her. In Jiangzhou and Jingzhou, this was the only exception.


    It was just a small agent, yet she acted so arrogantly. What exactly did she have as backup?


    Bai Ziyan had initially intended to help Ming Jing a little, but now it seemed that the issue was not so simple.


    It was even more fun this way. Bai Ziyan smirked at the corners of his lips.


    ¡°Young Master, please wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll go out to greet the person and be right back,¡± Liang Xiaohong said as she prepared to leave.

 Chapter 502: 234 Admitting Mistakes (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 502: 234 Admitting Mistakes (Second Update)_3


    She was still worried about Lan Huixin and Ming Jing, afraid something might go wrong.


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s the hurry? Come over and have a drink with me¡­¡± The young man called out to stop her.


    Liang Xiaohong didn¡¯t dare to offend him for now. Reluctantly, she turned around and walked over to him. Her n was foolproof, there should be no problems. Her urgent task at the moment was to please this young master.


    Lan Huixin looked at the man lying on the ground like a dead pig, gave a cold snort, and kicked him hard.


    Feeling unsatisfied, she kicked him several more times.


    She took her sleeve and wiped her face, disgusted. ¡°Pah, shameless old pervert, makes me sick.¡±


    The man gave a hum, fast asleep, heavier than a dead pig.


    Lan Huixin touched the whistle in her palm ¨C this useful little thing had been given to her by Ming Jing. She only had to blow it, and the man in front of her immediately passed out. It was satisfying.


    She touched the diamond earring in her ear ¨C it should have recorded the way this old pervert behaved. His petty tricks wouldn¡¯t cause trouble, but they had led him to reveal some key information ¨C enough to get him into serious trouble.


    Ming Jing¡¯s ability to find out this man¡¯s background and business dealings was impressive. On one hand, it showed Ming Jing¡¯s strong connections, and on the other hand that Ming Jing had been investigating Liang Xiaohong in secret for a while.<div>


    Regardless of the reason, this filled Lan Huixin with confidence.


    Zhu Xiangxiang closed her eyes in despair.


    However, after waiting for a while, nothing happened as she had imagined.


    The air seemed to fall into stagnant silence, it was extremely quiet, she could even clearly hear her own heartbeat.


    Zhu Xiangxiang cautiously opened her eyes.


    Under the dim, ambiguous light, the girl was bathed in a faint golden glow. Despite the high position she held over Zhu Xiangxiang, she exuded no pressure. Her dark, calm eyes were filled with a gentleness like spring rain and thepassion of Buddha¡¯s light.


    In that instant, she was so moved that she could have prostrated herself immediately to bow and worship.


    When Zhu Xiangxiang saw the girl¡¯s face clearly, she shuddered and snapped back to reality.


    Ming Jing removed something from Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mouth, then asked softly, ¡°Do you realize your mistake?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face showed a mix of emotions. After such a rollercoaster of events, she was mentally and physically exhausted, too tired to hold any hatred.


    ¡°Kill or cut, I¡¯m at your mercy. No need to put on a show.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said brusquely.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile. ¡°Do you remember Zhou Ling?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned, wondering why she was suddenly bringing up this woman.


    ¡°She was a member of an international financial fraud gang who was ordered to return to China, infiltrate Zhu Group and orchestrate a fraudulent scheme internally. This is the con team¡¯s usual tactic, offering her a powerful backup n.¡±


    ¡°If she had seeded, Zhu Group would have gone bankrupt, Zhu Wentao would have been scapegoated and jailed, thousands of employees would have lost their jobs, countless investors would have lost their money, and shareholders would have lost everything. At that point, Zhu Group¡¯s reputation would have been ruined, public resentment in Jiangzhou would have boiled over, and the money, onceundered, would end up in some people¡¯s pockets. The fastest and easiest ce in the world tounder money is the entertainment industry¡­¡±


    Ming Jing curled her lips and continued speaking. ¡°Zhou Ling made a fatal mistake ¨C she ran into me. All her plots were broken up and copsed. She was jailed andmitted suicide in prison a few dayster.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was taken aback. Zhou Lingmitted suicide?


    Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t tell a story for no reason; what exactly was she trying to say?


    <div>

 Chapter 503: 235 Spinning a Cocoon (First Update)

    Chapter 503: 235 Spinning a Cocoon (First Update)


    ¡°She never would have imagined that the fallback n she arranged for herself was actually sealing her own fate. Zhu Xiangxiang, are you really any smarter than Zhou Ling?¡±


    Ming Jing was warning her not to get herself entangled in her own web.


    Even a smart person like Zhou Ling had capsized her boat in the gutter and died unclearly. As for Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s intelligence, coborating with Liang Xiaohong was nothing short of conspiring with a tiger for its skin, and the oue couldn¡¯t be much better.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was shocked to hear that Zhou Ling was already dead. As a high school student, she was only used to ying mind games with her friends and arguing with Ming Jing. International fraud rings and business frauds were too far from her life, something she couldn¡¯t imagine.


    If what Ming Jing said was true, even if Zhou Ling seeded in bringing down the Zhus and regardless of their real or fake identities, they would end up homeless, making their titles meaningless.


    ¡°Is¡­ is what you said true?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang felt a wave of fear and regret. She had trusted Zhou Ling so much, but this woman was the true wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.


    ¡°The embezzled money they got couldn¡¯t circte in the market. So they had tounder the money through legal means, and the entertainment industry, with its fast money, chaos, and various capitalpetitions, was the perfect ce to do that.¡±


    Ming Jing stared at Zhu Xiangxiang intently after she finished speaking.


    ¡°When plotting with a tiger for its skin, if you¡¯re a lion, you may survive through natural selection. But you¡¯re just a rabbit. Do you think you can escape unscathed against a tiger?¡±


    Facing Ming Jing¡¯s question, Zhu Xiangxiang turned pale.<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Liang Xiaohong, she¡­.¡±


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s justice is clear, and retribution is inevitable. Vengeance is simply biding its time.¡± With Ming Jing¡¯s ethereal voice, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯sst flicker of hope was extinguished.


    ¡°No¡­ You must be lying to me. Liang Xiaohong is just an agent! She can¡¯t be as powerful as you say!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang still refused to believe it. She wasn¡¯t foolish; if what Ming Jing said was true, then Liang Xiaohong was a criminal¡­


    Following Liang Xiaohong would do her no good.


    ¡°Do you remember Liang Yanran?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    Zhu Xiangxiang paused and thought for a moment, her eyes widened in disbelief: ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ Didn¡¯t shemit suicide?¡±


    Ming Jing stopped there, but the effect was already achieved.


    ¡°In the morous entertainment industry, one can be sent to heaven or forced to hell overnight. Only by staying true to oneself can onee out on top.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed and cried. What had she been doing during all this time?


    Ming Jing looked at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s struggling pale face and shook her head in pity.


    ¡°When a person is caught up in greed, they cannot pull themselves out. Only by clearing the clouds can you see the bright moon.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared nkly for a moment and suddenly looked at Ming Jing, lunging forward to grab her clothes: ¡°Ming Jing, I was wrong. Please save me, okay?¡±


    Just now, Ming Jing could have watched her suffer the consequences, but she chose to save her instead.


    ¡°You said the same thingst time.¡± Ming Jing stared at her coldly with clear eyes,pletely unswayed.


    Last time, when she had conspired with Zhou Ling to trap Ming Jing, Zhu Xiangxiang had been caught in her own snare and was hospitalized. She had looked at Ming Jing with the same eyes and begged back then.


    Some people just don¡¯t learn their lessons.


    ¡°No, Ming Jing, I really know I was wrong this time. I¡­ I promise to behave in the future and not make things difficult for you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang swore to the heavens.<div>


    ¡°The person you should apologize to isn¡¯t me, but yourself.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang covered her face and wept. By now, she didn¡¯t care whether Ming Jing was the real or fake heir. Ming Jing¡¯s determined actions meant she must have a backup n, and if even Zhou Ling had been defeated by her, Liang Xiaohong was no match.


    Now, she had no choice but to apologize and beg for mercy.


    She didn¡¯t want tomit a crime, nor did she want to be caught in a scandal. She no longer cared about fame and fortune; she just wanted to live a quiet life.<div>


    ¡°If apologies were useful, what would the police be for?¡± A cold voice suddenly cut in, causing Zhu Xiangxiang to shudder from its chill.


    She didn¡¯t dare to look up. Qu Feitai must know everything by now, and he probably despised her more than ever.


    Zhu Xiangxiang wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it.


    Qu Feitai kicked the man lying on the ground like a dead pig, coldness shing in his eyes.


    If not for Ming Jing¡¯s early preparations, what kind of consequences would she have faced tonight? Just thinking about it made Qu Feitai tremble with anger.The one who¡¯s calcting against Ming Jing: he won¡¯t let any of them go.


    Feeling the cold, bone-chilling gaze from above, Zhu Xiangxiang unconsciously shrank her shoulders.


    ¡°One should know shame and right from wrong, how is repaying kindness with enmity any different from an animal?¡± The teenager¡¯s suddenly heavier voice caused Zhu Xiangxiang to shudder unconsciously.


    Ming Jing hooked her lips, turned around, and walked out.


    Qu Feitai immediately followed: ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Your identity is inconvenient, so go back. I will handle it.¡±


    Qu Feitai stopped in front of Ming Jing, looking straight at her; ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends? Friends should stick together through thick and thin. You¡¯re sending me away, which means you don¡¯t treat me as a friend.¡±


    ¡°Did Bai Ziyan tell you?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    ¡°I forced him to say it.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°This matter is not as simple as you think. You are the young master of the Qus, and it¡¯s not convenient for you to interfere with this. I have already made arrangements in advance, so there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy to get Ming Jing to exin so much, Qu Feitai smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll disguise myself as your bodyguard and stay by your side.¡± As soon as the words fell, he skillfully took out a hat and mask and put them on, his eyes shining like stars under the brim of the hat, turning into crescent moons.


    Ming Jing ignored him and walked out of the box.


    At the same time, a young woman in a blue skirt walked out of the neighboring box, her eyes immediately brightened when she saw Ming Jing and quickly walked over, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯ve done it as you told me, what should we do next?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at her: ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Lan Huixinughed and patted her chest, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine. The whistle you gave me is so useful, as soon as I blew it, the person fell down.¡±


    ¡°The whistle has a mechanism inside that holds a hidden smoke, twice as powerful as alcohol, you should keep it to protect yourself.¡±


    ¡°Really? Ming Jing, you¡¯re giving me the whistle.¡± The whistle was made of pure silver, exquisitely crafted, and served as a decoration hanging around the neck as well as a means of self-defense.


    Lan Huixin yed with it with love, but when her eyes shifted to a tall, young man in ck clothing following Ming Jing, wearing a duck tongue hat and mask, she couldn¡¯t help but look a few more times.


    At the same time, an elevator door opened, and a slightly chubby girl carried a frail-looking girl out. The chubby girl muttered in her mouth, ¡°She looks so skinny, but she¡¯s so heavy, my back is about to break.¡±


    The frail-looking girl was lying on the chubby girl¡¯s back, her long hair covering her face, unable to see her features, and seemed to be unconscious.


    The girl looked up, saw people blocking her way, and said without raising her head, ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±.<div>


    No one paid her any attention, Wu Xiaoju looked up and was almost blinded by the sight.


    The lead girl in white was gentle and dust-free, like Banished Immortal descending to the mortal world.


    Wu Xiaoju¡¯s mind turned quickly, and she soon realized, carrying the girl on her back, she spun around and ran.


    This was Ming Jing, the target of Xiaohong tonight, her unharmed appearance here only meant one thing.


    What are you waiting for, run!


    However, a man in ck blocked her way with a few steps, and Wu Xiaoju was on guard, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    A very gentle voice came from behind her, ¡°Let go of the girl on your back.¡±


    Wu Xiaoju¡¯s hand holding the girl¡¯s thigh tightened, and she turned her head to look at Ming Jing, ¡°What is your rtionship with her?¡±


    It was astonishing that the girl had something to do with Ming Jing¡­


    ¡°If you want to know the rtionship, thene with me.¡±


    Upon finishing the sentence, Ming Jing kicked open the door of the opposite box. This sudden kick scared Lan Huixin, Ming Jing seemed weak, but unexpectedly, she easily kicked open the heavy box door with a slight effort.


    With a pair of starry eyes, Lan Huixin admired Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure.


    Liang Xiaohong inside the box was startled and suddenly turned her head to look at the door. When she saw the white-clothed girl walking in, she was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe it. She pointed at Ming Jing, ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±.<div>


    After a long pause, she failed to say a proper sentence.


    Ming Jing walked in with a smile, ¡°Manager Liang, you seem quite surprised to see me?¡±

 Chapter 504: 236 Returning (Second Update)

    Chapter 504: 236 Returning (Second Update)


    When she saw Lan Huixin following Ming Jing, she understood everything.


    She suddenly turned her head to look at the young man lounging on the sofa. The young man raised his eyebrows, slowly sat up, and looked at Ming Jing dissatisfied: ¡°Next time, please find a beautiful woman for me, this old woman really TM nauseates, I have suffered a great grievance this time, you better think about how topensate me.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong pointed at Bai Ziyan in anger and shock: ¡°Aren¡¯t you Yu Dawei¡¯s son?¡±


    Bai Ziyan leisurely picked at his fingernails, ¡°When did I say I was Yu Dawei¡¯s son? You stupid woman.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong pointed at Ming Jing: ¡°You¡­ you set me up?¡±


    Ming Jing shook his head: ¡°I never use such despicable means, let¡¯s get things clear today.¡±


    ¡°Honghong sister¡­ .¡± Wu Xiaoju walked in, trembling, carrying a girl.


    In an instant, Liang Xiaohong seemed to understand something, she pointed at the girl on Wu Xiaoju¡¯s back and sneered, ¡°Going around such a big circle, all for her. She¡¯s actually your person? I should have thought of it.¡±


    Wu Xiaoju looked at Liang Xiaohong, Liang Xiaohong nodded, and only then did Wu Xiaoju put the girl down.


    Lan Huixin immediately went over to help the girl.<div>


    Ming Jing went over and checked the girl¡¯s pulse, then put her down without any reaction.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, I admit defeat today, let¡¯s just mind our own business, let us go, alright?¡±


    ¡°Let you go? How can I exin to those innocent girls who have been harmed by you?¡± Ming Jing smiled faintly and elegantly in his white clothes.


    Liang Xiaohong sneered: ¡°I advise you not to overdo it. The person behind me is not someone you can handle. Fighting with me is no different from hitting a stone with an egg.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s like hitting a stone with an egg, we¡¯ll know after trying.¡±


    At this moment, Ye Zhen woke up from a faint, and upon seeing Ming Jing, she immediately grabbed her hand and said urgently, ¡°Ming Jing, Liang Yanran was killed by Liang Xiaohong and Xue An, I found the evidence¡­¡±


    As soon as these words fell, the entire private room was so silent that a pin drop could be heard.


    An oppressive silence spread quietly in the room.


    Lan Huixin looked incredulously with her eyes wide open, thinking she was hallucinating.


    Bai Ziyan raised his eyebrows, with a face full of interest, changed to a morefortable sitting position, and prepared to watch the drama unfold.


    Wu Xiaoju subconsciously looked at Liang Xiaohong with shock.


    A cold, poisonous light shed in the depths of Liang Xiaohong¡¯s eyes, staring dead at Ye Zhen.


    Only then did Ye Zhen see Liang Xiaohong, and she suddenly rushed towards her like a madwoman, cursing: ¡°Liang Xiaohong, you killed Liang Yanran, you and Xue An, you dog couple, deceived her so miserably, she owed you nothing, yet you used such a vicious hand, the world has been deceived by you, this dog couple!¡±


    Ye Zhen charged over and grabbed Liang Xiaohong¡¯s hair, pped her twice in the face, Liang Xiaohong screamed, when she reacted, she fought back unwillingly, and the two quickly tangled into a heated fight, neither yielding an inch.


    Lan Huixin reacted and took a step forward, ¡°Should we help her?¡±


    Ming Jing shook his head, she was just venting, even if she was battered, this hatred and enmity could only be resolved personally.


    Bai Ziyan sighed: ¡°When women fight, besides pulling hair and pping faces, are there any other tricks?¡±


    He suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his scalp, better not to mess with women.


    Lan Huixin stared in shock, she was even more shocked by what Ye Zhen just said.<div>


    More than four months ago, the news of Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide set off the entertainment circle. For a whole month, the circle seemed to be shrouded in gloom, but the beauty was gone, and people could only remember her forever. Now, more than four months have passed, and Liang Yanran¡¯s name has gradually been forgotten in the ever-changing entertainment circle.


    But every time Liang Yanran was mentioned, it was apanied by endless regrets and pity. What did she say now? Liang Yanranmitted suicide, or was she murdered by her manager and boyfriend?


    Liang Xiaohong was expected, as she wasn¡¯t a good person, but Xue An, the famous actor, the rare loyal lover, the long-standing gossip-free king, the clean-living good man in the entertainment industry¡­ was involved with Liang Yanran¡¯s agent? And then plotted against Liang Yanran? Deceiving the world with suicide as a cover?


    This was simply shocking!<div>


    Jingzhou Airport.


    At the exit, a man in a ck coat walked out with his head down, unnoticed, and got into a business car by the roadside.

 Chapter 505: 236 Return (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 505: 236 Return (Second Update)_2


    The man removed his mask, exposing a handsome face. His skin was void of any signs of aging, making him look as young as a man in his twenties. Yet, the depth in his eyes told many stories, emphasizing his maturity and offering an air of mncholy to his demeanor.


    The man rubbed his forehead, revealing a hint of fatigue on his face.


    ¡°Brother An, Sister Honghong called. She wants you to meet her at Huangguan Club. She said she has a surprise for you.¡±


    The man¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, a glimmer of coldness shed in his eyes, before he calmly responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The ck business car joined the stream of traffic. The evening rush hour in Jingzhou made the roads exceptionally congested. Neon signs from stores on both sides of the street started to light up one by one. Up ahead was an inclining road, the stream of tail lights in the traffic resembling a sea ofnterns bobbing in the night, adding a sense of mystique.


    ¡°¡­As we approach midnight, we are entering the 19th sr term in the Chinese calendar, ¡®Winter Begins¡¯. This marks the arrival of winter, a time when all things are preserved,¡± the soft voice of a female radio host broke the prolonged silence in the car.


    ¡°As per updates from the Meteorological Department, the temperature will drop dramatically from tonight till the next couple of days due to the Siberian cold front. Some regions might experience snowfall. Please make sure you are well equipped for the cold weather when you step out¡­¡±


    The man lowered the car window. Thest remnants of the fall wind, filled with a bone-chilling coldness, brushed past him. He rested his elbow on the window frame, staring out into the night in a trance.


    Another winter had arrived.


    Ever since she left, he hadn¡¯t seen snow anymore.<div>


    Pitch-ck sky carried no stars or moon, heavy as a bottomless abyss.


    Upon arrival at the Huangguan Club, the man stepped out of the car, paused suddenly, and then reached to touch his face. The cold sensation¡­ could it be snow?


    He stretched out his hand, and saw tiny snowkesnding gently on his palm. The delicate six-petalled snowkes melted and evaporated upon contact with the warmth of his hand.


    The beauty of the world was often fleeting, disappearing without a trace.


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing¡­¡± He looked up at the ck sky, where the snowkes fluttered down, covering his face and body, bringing a piercing coldness that seeped into his heart.


    ¡°Are you back?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Liang Yanranmitted suicide. What does it have to do with me? Don¡¯t you dare use me without evidence!¡± Liang Xiaohong was clenching Ye Zhen¡¯s hair when, in a surprising turn of events, Ye Zhen¡¯s hair was torn off sprouting an aggressive counter attack with a swift punch to Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face.


    All the pent-up energy was released in this punch, sending Liang Xiaohong flying, with her nose bleeding and teeth knocked out.


    Upon hearing Liang Xiaohong¡¯s shriek, Ye Zhen promptly discarded the hair.


    Turns out, Ye Zhen was wearing a wig!


    While Ye Zhen¡¯s real hair had grown out quite a bit, she had developed the habit of wearing a wig. The bald-looking Ye Zhen¡¯s real hair was neatly bundled under a cap.


    Ye Zhen touched her head, chuckled coldly and said, ¡°You use me of nder? Let me remind you, on the evening of June 29, after Liang Yanran finished shooting her advertisement, she returned home to Futian Garden. It was drizzling that night. You and Wu Xiaoju were with her when she received a case of facial masks from the advertiser. She had said she couldn¡¯t finish using them all and decided to share some with you and Wu Xiaoju.¡±


    Wu Xiaoju turned pale looking at Ye Zhen, shocked about how she knew the events of the night so well. None of these details had been shared with the public by Liang Xiaohong after Liang Yanran¡¯s death.


    Liang Xiaohong quickly looked at Wu Xiaoju, but Wu Xiaoju shook her head vigorously, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who told her¡­.¡±


    ¡°At 7:35, Liang Yanran received a call from her parents demanding money. She lost her temper after hanging up. You hadforted her saying that she shouldn¡¯t get emotional but just give them the money. When Liang Yanran told you that she nned to marry Xue An as his support was her only sce against the damage done by her natal family, it seemed to have provoked you into murderous intent.¡±


    As Ye Zhen continued speaking, Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face drained of color. Thoroughly terrified, her bulging eyes and trembling lips gave her fear away.


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you really?¡±


    Such details were known only to Wu Xiaoju and Liang Yanran. There wasn¡¯t supposed to be a fourth person who knew it all.


    <div>

 Chapter 506: 236 Return (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 506: 236 Return (Second Update)_3


    Ye Zhen did not directly respond to her words but continued on her own: ¡°After you and Wu Xiaoju left the residential area, you sent Wu Xiaoju back home and hid by yourself in a car opposite theplex. At eleven o¡¯clock, when Xue An finished work and returned, you met briefly inside the car. No one knows what you talked about¡­¡±.


    The color drained inch by inch from Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face.


    ¡°By the time Xue An returned home, Liang Yanran was already asleep. She had been filming for three consecutive nights, and even on her only day off, she had been busy shootingmercials. The moment her head hit the pillow, she fell deep into slumber. She even dreamt of a romantic getaway with Xue An, but little did she know that her beloved man was leading her to the Grim Reaper¡­¡±.


    Ye Zhen choked up, her eyes filled with hatred.


    Liang Xiaohong trembled, pointing her finger at Ye Zhen: ¡°You¡­you¡¯re spouting nonsense, Zhu Mingjing. So it turns out you were waiting here for me. You want to pin Liang Yanran¡¯s suicide on me, but your calctions are wrong. I have nothing to do with Liang Yanran¡¯s death!¡±


    ¡°Shameless, you¡¯re still trying to argue your innocence. Xue An told the media that he was going to return the next day at noon. That was just a lie. On the night when the storm raged, the surveince cameras around the residential area broke down. You saw a chance to do your dirty work, but Heaven was watching. A paparazzo braved the rain and set up camp at the entrance of theplex. Everything was captured by his camera. Save your lies for the judge in court!¡± Ye Zhen dered resolutely.


    Liang Xiaohong was startled; she did not expect Ye Zhen to have real evidence. On second thought, it seemed impossible. If the paparazzo had really photographed it, there¡¯s no way it would have remained quiet for so long. Perhaps they were just trying to bluff her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. What do you gain from ndering me? You and Zhu Mingjing plotted to use Liang Yanran¡¯s death to make a scene and stter mud on me. You¡¯re so spiteful at such a young age.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong would never admit it.


    However, it would be tricky if the matter escted in the end. She didn¡¯t expect Zhu Mingjing to be such a nuisance and used this matter against her. Her heart was filled with killing intent.<div>


    Even if she were Shen Zhou¡¯s younger sister or even the daughter of the Emperor, if she offended Liang Xiaohong, she would not live peacefully.


    Ming Jing smiled, her gaze shifting from the phone screen to the door.


    ¡°Mr. Xue, are you satisfied with this surprising gift?¡±


    As Ming Jing finished speaking, Liang Xiaohong and Ye Zhen simultaneously turned to look at the door.


    Liang Xiaohong¡¯s expression went from delight to disbelief in the blink of an eye, while Ye Zhen¡¯s face showed a mix of emotions, hate and shock¡­


    Bai Ziyan raised his eyebrows, the protagonist had entered the scene.


    Qu Feitai was not interested in these affairs of love and hatred; his gaze always remained fixed on Ming Jing.


    The thick door of the private room was pushed open from the outside, and a man walked in. Everyone¡¯s eyes in the room fell on him, but Ming Jing didn¡¯t turn her head.


    Her back was perfectly straight, her slender neck elegantly erect, her face calm and gentle, still maintaining her usual demeanor. However, for some reason, Qu Feitai noticed something slightly off about her.


    Qu Feitai furrowed his brows, wondering why he had a bad feeling. He subconsciously looked at the man who had just entered.


    ¡°Xue An? What are you doing here?¡± Liang Xiaohong was shocked.


    Xue An nced at her, his gaze moving past Ye Zhen and finally, resting on Ming Jing.


    ¡°Miss Zhu, the show tonight is undeniably impressive. I wonder what role I, Xue, have the honor to y in it?¡± The man¡¯s voice was full of rhythm, his tone more measured than that of Qu Feitai¡¯s youthful voice, resembling the sound of a grand and understated cello, in line with his customary style.


    Xue An nced at the white-d girl across from him, his eyes inquisitive yet unobtrusive.


    Who on earth is she?


    Ming Jing smiled lightly, ¡°The stage has been set, and yet you, the protagonist, arete to the scene.¡±


    Xue An raised the corner of his lips. His eyes were a rare light blue that he usually covered with colored contacts while acting. Though the contactscked a natural look, they made his eyes appear intriguingly dark and sinister when he looked at someone.


    ¡°Had I known in advance that Miss Zhu invited me, I would have arrived early, so she wouldn¡¯t have had to wait so long.¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned, feeling that there was something off about Xue An¡¯s tone when he talked to Ming Jing.<div>


    It was as if they were very familiar with each other; but wasn¡¯t this their first meeting?


    Noticing Qu Feitai¡¯s curious gaze, Xue An smiled faintly: ¡°The prodigy of the music industry has be Miss Zhu¡¯s bodyguard and assistant. It seems the rumors are true.¡±


    Qu Feitai immediately moved in front of Ming Jing, his broad frame shielding her delicate figure. He looked coldly at Xue An in front of him.


    Lan Huixin looked incredulously at Qu Feitai. Was he really Qu Feitai? She felt like she must be dreaming.<div>


    Liang Xiaohong sneered, ¡°You are really good at flirting.¡±


    Xue An frowned imperceptibly.


    Qu Feitai scoffed: Liang Xiaohong flinched under his icy gaze. Although they were both in the entertainment business, there was no connection between her artists¡¯ and the music scene. Although they were once in the same event, they had never met before, so it was her first time seeing Qu Feitai in person.


    Despite his youthful appearance, he possessed an extraordinary temperament. The icy light in his eyes was enough to put any onlookers in awe.


    ¡°Now that the truth is out, give Liang Xiaohong, Xue An, and thete Liang Yanran justice.¡±


    Ye Zhen looked confusedly at Xue An and murmured, ¡°My name is Ye Zhen.¡±


    Liang Xiaohong jumped up immediately, saying incredulously, ¡°You¡¯re Ye Zhen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Ye Zhen. One night, Liang Yanran appeared in my dreams. She told me she couldn¡¯t rest in peace and asked me to find out the truth and avenge her. Otherwise, she would haunt me for the rest of my life¡­¡±.


    Ye Zhen stared unblinkingly at Xue An: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the truth to be so cruel.¡±


    Unable to bear the look, she suddenly swayed and closed her eyes.

 Chapter 507: 237 Red Snow (First Update)

    Chapter 507: 237 Red Snow (First Update)


    Liang Xiaohong had a ghostly expression on her face, ¡°Why do you call her Ye Zhen? Has she reallye back?¡±


    Xue An¡¯s gaze fell on Ye Zhen¡¯s face. Ye Zhen stared back without showing any fear, afraid that he would see through her, so she didn¡¯t dare to reveal too much hatred in her eyes.


    She died in her sleep, thinking she had just had a nightmare. When she woke up, she became Ming Xin.


    She didn¡¯t understand why she had suddenly died. The world hadbeled her death a suicide. This was ridiculous, as she had merely fallen asleep.


    Although there were many disappointments in life, she still lived with hope. Even when tormented by depression, she had never thought of giving up on life.


    Now, with a single suicide, her traces in the world were wiped away. The murderer had deprived her of the hard-won life she had maintained while still enjoying the world¡¯s pursuit.


    ¡°Xue An, Liang Yanran only wants to ask you one question: have you ever truly loved her?¡± Ye Zhen asked softly, like a feather floating in the air.


    Xue An didn¡¯t reply, his gaze was deep and strange, as if he was looking through her at someone else.


    During their two years together, she had never seen through the man in front of her. He seemed to wear a thick mask, the expression behind which was always a mystery.


    Ye Zhen chuckled bitterly. Did she still need an answer from the person who had strangled her?<div>


    ¡°Liang Yanran was just a substitute. The woman you loved was called A Yu¡­¡±


    As her words fell, the man who had always been gentle and elegant suddenly had a cold and murderous look in his eyes. A crack appeared on his perfect mask.


    Ye Zhen took a step back, shaking her head bitterly.


    So it was true¡­ She had never thought about it before. He had disguised himself so well. But the truth was a hundred times more brutal than she could have imagined.


    Ming Jing¡¯s fingertips trembled slightly, gently lowering her eyelids.


    There was a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth.


    Utterly absurd, utterly ridiculous.


    ¡°Liang Yanran?¡± The man narrowed his eyes, his gaze deep and dangerous.


    Liang Yanran was killed by you, wasn¡¯t she? My name is Ye Zhen. She came to me in a dream to ask for revenge. It¡¯s only fair that one life is repaid with another,¡± Ye Zhen said decisively.


    ¡°Ye Zhen?¡± Xue An smirked. ¡°A coincidence?¡±


    Liang Xiaohong suddenly screamed in horror, looking at Ye Zhen, ¡°Who¡­Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I told you, my name is Ye Zhen. I¡¯m here to avenge Liang Yanran.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. Liang Yanran was her stage name. Her real name is Ye Zhen.¡± Liang Xiaohong swallowed nervously, carefully sizing up the girl in front of her.


    The girl had a youthful appearance and her features were not extraordinary, at most, she could be considered pretty. But what really attracted her was the girl¡¯s mature and charming temperament. When she first discovered the girl sneaking around following her, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. However, when she caught the girl and she refused to speak, her striking resemnce to someone else made her decide to keep her around.


    Now, she suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. From the beginning, she came for Liang Yanran.


    ¡°Is that so? Maybe that¡¯s why she came to me in a dream so that your plot wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Those who are innocent have nothing to fear. Liang Yanran¡¯s death has nothing to do with me and Xue An. Even if the policee, I¡¯ll still say the same thing¡­¡±


    Speak of the devil, and the devil appears. As Liang Xiaohong¡¯s words fell, two uniformed policemen walked in and took out their badges, saying expressionlessly, ¡°We are police officers from Chao¡¯an District Police Station. We received a report that Xue An and Liang Xiaohong are suspected of intentional homicide. Which of you two are Xue An and Liang Xiaohong?¡±


    With an authoritative look, the police surveyed the room. Ye Zhen pointed to Xue An and Liang Xiaohong, ¡°It¡¯s these two.¡±<div>


    The policeman nodded and walked over to Xue An and Liang Xiaohong, saying, ¡°Please cooperate ande with us to the police station.¡±


    Even at this point, Xue An remained indifferent, as if he wasn¡¯t being used of murder but was being invited for tea. He smiled and said, ¡°Officer, I am a public figure. In order not to cause unnecessary disputes, could I not wear handcuffs and be allowed to wear a hat and mask instead?¡±


    He spoke with grace, making it seem like refusing his request would be extremely rude. The policeman turned and whispered to a colleague behind him. After a brief exchange, he nodded in agreement.


    <div>

 Chapter 508: 237 Red Snow (First Update)_2

    Chapter 508: 237 Red Snow (First Update)_2


    Considering the other party¡¯s influence in society, his proposal could be epted, not to mention that it is just a report now, and the suspect is to be interrogated ording to the procedure, and they cannot enforce thew violently without an arrest warrant.


    Only when the other party refuses to cooperate can the police use their privileges. Now the other party is extremely polite, and the police have no reason to embarrass them.


    Liang Xiaohong was shocked for a moment and shouted, ¡°Xue An, how could you let the police take you away obediently? If you were photographed by the media, your reputation would be ruined.¡±


    Xue An smiled gently, ¡°Groundless allegations will be proved false. I believe that the police will clear my name.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Liang Xiaohong wanted to say more, but Xue An nced at her indifferently. Liang Xiaohong subconsciously shrank her neck and swallowed what she wanted to say.


    The two were taken away by the police. As Xue An passed by Ming Jing, he smiled and nced at her: ¡°Ms. Zhu, I learned something today.¡±


    Ming Jing did not look at him, her eyes fixed on the ground, as if lost in thought.


    Xue An narrowed his eyes and left with the police.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, you wait for me!¡± Liang Xiaohong left with a vicious threat, very unwillingly.


    As the informant, Ming Jing had to go to the police station with the police to make a statement, and Ye Zhen also went there. In addition to the murder charge, she also used Liang Xiaohong of kidnapping and trafficking¡­ She had collected evidence for such a long time and would not let the two go this time.<div>


    Wu Xiaoju and Lan Huixin were taken back as witnesses.


    Qu Feitai frowned, looked at Bai Ziyan, and Bai Ziyan said, ¡°You are not in a suitable position to get involved. I will ask my cousin for help.¡± His cousin from his aunt¡¯s family worked in the police system.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Bai Ziyan nced at him: ¡°Do you have no shame? Ming Jing is my friend, why would you thank me?¡±


    Qu Feitai ignored him and walked away.


    Bai Ziyan caught up with a light jog: ¡°Hey, hey¡­ Why are you so angry? What a petty fellow¡­¡±


    The two walked out of the private room and saw the police dragging Zhao Heqiang and Mr. Zhou out. Bai Ziyan went up and kicked each of them: ¡°Fuck your mother, you dare toy hands on my people? Sending you to meet the king of hell.¡±


    The policeman reprimanded, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Hitting people in front of the police is simply outrageous.


    Bai Ziyan snorted, ¡°These two people are scum of society, damaging underage girls. As a good youth of society, shouldn¡¯t I punish the wicked and uphold justice?¡±


    ¡°Once theymit crimes, thew will punish them, but you cannot hit them.¡±


    Bai Ziyan immediately said, ¡°Uncle police, you are right. Let thew punish them, and it¡¯s better for them to be in prison for a lifetime and not continue to harm innocent girls.¡±


    Being called uncle by a young man not much older than himself, the young male policeman¡¯s face was a bit unnatural. Although he felt his words made sense, thew has its own set of evaluation criteria and does not allow outsiders to make arbitrary judgments.


    ¡°I apologize, officer. We didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble for you.¡± Qu Feitai pulled Bai Ziyan back, and the police left with the people.


    Bai Ziyan saw Zhu Xiangxiang being taken out by the police and sneered: ¡°How many times has this happened? There should be a limit to repaying kindness with ingratitude. Ming Jing is really too kind, letting the people who hurt her go over and over again. If it were up to me, I would beat them up until they were picking up teeth from the ground first.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened, and she buried her head deep, not daring to look at Bai Ziyan and Qu Feitai.


    When Zhu Xiangxiang saw the police rushing in, she knew it was over.


    This time Ming Jing was really serious. Although she had let her go, thew would not.


    Only now did she really realize that what she had done was illegal. If she had been sessful, she would not have realized it was a crime, and would have only sunk deeper and deeper into it, eventually leading to grave mistakes.<div>


    Ming Jing walked out of the Huangguan Club and suddenly stopped.


    It was snowing.


    The snowkes were fluttering like a celestial goddess scattering flowers under the pitch-ck sky.


    She stared at the sky, reaching out her palm to catch the snowkes.Snowkes were chilly, falling onto her fair palm, shining and transparent like crystals.<div>


    She couldn¡¯t tell whether her hand was colder, or if the snowkes were even colder, as the snowkes in her palm didn¡¯t melt for quite a while.


    Ming Jing closed her palm, the snowkes melted into her hand, and the coldness prated her bones and reached her heart and lungs.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was the wind that was colder or the heart that was colder.


    Before climbing into the police car, Xue An looked back at her.


    The girl stood on the steps and reached out to catch the snowkes. Her facial features were tender and gentle like a painting, appearing dim and graceful amid the fluttering snowkes.


    She said snowkes were free and pure, fluttering and falling between the heavens and the earth, feather-light and crystal-clear without weight, but melted into water, and water nourishes everything without contention, enriching everything as it rushed toward the vast ocean.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move to Switzend, where there are year-round snow-capped mountains and free ski slopes. Let¡¯s build a small wooden house under the snowy mountains, raise a few horses, enjoy fishing and horseback riding, and have a carefree life.¡±


    The tender and joyful sound of her voice still lingered in his ear. Snow was not white, but bright red, dyed by her blood.


    At this moment, the figure of the woman and the girl in white on the steps gradually ovepped. The girl sensed his gaze and looked over.


    Through the fluttering snowkes, he saw the deep irony and coldness in her eyes.


    Xue An was stunned for a moment, but in the next instant, he was pushed unceremoniously into the police car by the officer.


    He hurriedly mbered to the window, where a thin mist had formed on the ss from the cold air. The girl¡¯s figure was obscured by the mist and blurred, just like the hazy figure in his dreams that had persisted for more than a decade.


    He raised his sleeve to wipe away the mist from the window, but the car started, and the girl¡¯s figure disappeared.<div>


    He crazily pressed his face against the window, his expression anxious and desperate.


    His sudden action startled the police officer who grabbed his shoulder and coldly said, ¡°Behave yourself, don¡¯t try to be slick.¡±


    Xue An burst intoughter. He was handcuffed by the police and his face pressed against the seat, but he didn¡¯t care and continued to smile bitterly, his expression mad.


    ¡°It¡¯s her; she¡¯s back.¡±


    Afterpleting the record, Ming Jing came out. The snow had stopped.


    She stood under the eaves outside the police station, the Buddhist beads slipping quickly between her fingers.


    A coatnded on her shoulders, blocking the cold wind and bringing her some warmth.


    Qu Feitai stared at her fingertips, slightly frowning. He didn¡¯t say anything but silently apanied Ming Jing.


    ¡°Do you like snow?¡± Ming Jing suddenly asked. Her voice was even colder than the chilly night wind.


    Qu Feitai was startled. Ming Jing rarely initiated conversations with him. Hearing her ask this, Qu Feitai felt a slight happiness in his heart but remained calm, saying, ¡°I like the purity and freedom of snowkes. The vast expanse of white can wash away all the filth and dirt in this world.¡±


    Ming Jing turned to look at him, her eyes somewhat lost and misty in the dim night.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s palms began to sweat nervously, but he didn¡¯t dare to look back, afraid that he would expose himself inadvertently. So he forced himself to maintain his aloof demeanor.


    ¡°There was once someone who said the same thing.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai really wanted to ask who that person was, but he knew that even if he asked, Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t tell him.


    ¡°Have you ever seen red snow?¡± The girl¡¯s distant voice seemed toe from another world, ethereal and elusive, carrying the coldness of snow.


    Red snow?


    Qu Feitai shook his head, ¡°How could there be red snow?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before.¡±

 Chapter 509: 238 Substitute (Second Update)

    Chapter 509: 238 Substitute (Second Update)


    Qu Feitai turned to look, and the girl had already shifted her gaze to the open courtyard.


    She was entirely hidden in the shadows of the lights, her expression unclear. Her skirt, whiter than snow, gently fluttered in the night wind.


    Qu Feitai slightly furrowed his brow, recalling her words just now.


    The heart-wrenching mncholy seemed toe from a time-worn old man who had experienced the hardships, betrayals, and pain of the world and finally reached reconciliation and let go of everything.


    Qu Feitai looked at her calm andposed face, his heart suddenly ached.


    She was still a young girl, at the most carefree age, yet she seemed like an old person who had gone through a thousand sails. Rather than letting go, it was more like suppressing it all along.


    Even if she had been worshipping Buddha since childhood, it would be impossible topletely let go of everything. Even Buddha, could he truly transcend the world?


    Qu Feitai raised his hand and hesitated above her shoulder before ultimately lowering it, feeling helpless.


    Ye Zhen leaned on Lan Huixin¡¯s shoulder, looking distraught as she walked out.


    Ming Jing nced at her indifferently and walked away.<div>


    Qu Feitai took a few long strides to catch up.


    Lan Huixin supported Ye Zhen and quickly followed.


    ¡°Considering you are a minor, and the other party will not pursue your actions, the police will not file a case against you, and you can leave now.¡±


    After she exined her rtionship with Liang Xiaohong and what Liang Xiaohong had asked her to do, the police lectured her for a bit and then let her go.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was stunned, ¡°Not pursue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Ming Jing considered your youth and that you were instigated by others. Thinking of your reputation and future, she decided not to pursue the matter. You must be a good person after leaving and never do such unscrupulous things again,¡± the policewoman advised earnestly.


    ¡°At Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s request, this incident will not be included in your record. You must be grateful and never repay kindness with enmity.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked out of the police station in a daze, shivering from the cold wind. She couldn¡¯t help but rub her arms to keep warm.


    At the Crown Club, she was just wearing a dress, and the heating was turned up in the private room. When she was taken away by the police, they didn¡¯t treat her gently. She entered the police station in her thin dress. When she came out, the kind-hearted policewoman gave her a coat, but due to the snow tonight, the thick coat couldn¡¯t ward off the biting cold wind.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneezed, tightened her coat, and saw a ck sedan parked in front of the police station. As someone who grew up in a wealthy family, she could tell at a nce that it was an extremely low-profile luxury car.


    The more wealthy and capable someone is, the more low-key they usually are. In contrast, those who always wear designer clothes and drive limited edition sports cars have a shy, upstart air without depth or taste. The Zhus were just like that.


    Even if they were rich, they couldn¡¯t change their inherent tackiness.


    Zhu Xiangxiang saw the driver get out, walk over, and open the rear door. She instinctively moved to the side of the road, grasping her coat nervously.


    A man in a suit bent down to get out of the car. Wearing gold-rimmed sses, he looked refined and schrly.


    After standing up, the man looked at the police station emblem and smiled. He went inside, briskly carrying his briefcase.


    All Zhu Xiangxiang could do is watch the man walk by her and disappear into the doorway. Suddenly, she realized who he was.


    He¡­ he was Li Qingzhuo, the most famouswyer in the country, who never lost a case.


    Last time Zhu Shaodan got into trouble, the Zhus hired a whole team ofwyers, but they couldn¡¯tpete with him alone.


    In the legal circle, there¡¯s a saying: Li Qingzhuo alone can defeat a thousand enemies. The saying was not an exaggeration.<div>


    Why would he appear here? Was he here for Liang Xiaohong?


    If he was Liang Xiaohong¡¯swyer, it would be dangerous. Liang Xiaohong would definitely be released on bail.


    How could she, just an agent, be able to get Li Qingzhuo to help her?


    Then she realized something wasn¡¯t right. She remembered Ming Jing mentioning deeper capital behind Liang Xiaohong, which was the real source of her fearlessness.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt her body and realized she had lost her phone at the Crown Club. How could she inform Ming Jing?


    After thinking for a moment, Zhu Xiangxiang mustered her courage and walked back into the police station.


    She held her breath and tiptoed in, and saw that the bustling hall was as quiet as a pin drop. The police officers were busy at their posts, but their eyes unconsciously nced in the same direction.

 Chapter 510: 238 Body Double (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 510: 238 Body Double (Second Update)_2


    Director¡¯s office.


    Soon, the Director, apanied by Li Qingzhuo, came out with a bow of respect and carefulness. He said to the male officer who had juste out of the interrogation room, ¡°Release Mr. Xue, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. How are you conducting your investigation?¡±


    ¡°Director¡­¡± The male officer frowned, only to receive a warning re from the Director. ¡°Get to it.¡±


    The male officer nced at Li Qingzhuo, gritted his teeth, and walked back into the interrogation room.


    Soon, the male officer returned, escorting a man. The man was elegant and handsome, his visage bright like a clear moon, glowing radiantly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly covered her mouth. Wasn¡¯t this Xue An?


    Things were getting more and moreplicated.


    ¡°Mr. Xue, my deepest apologies indeed, my subordinates arrested the wrong person and caused you trouble¡± said the short and stout Director, apologising carefully.


    Xue An dusted off his sleeves, looked at the male officer with a smile and said, ¡°You have an efficient team under yourmand, Director. Good job.¡±


    The man standing opposite immediately bowed his head in fear, saying it was his mistake.<div>


    Xue An walked past Zhu Xiangxiang, giving her a nce that sent chills down her spine. She instinctively ducked her head, by the time she regain her senses, he was already far away, disappearing into the night.


    Xue An was quite unique in the entertainment industry. He had always flown under the radar. He had won the Golden Deer¡¯s Best Actor award at a record young age. People thought him to be full of promise, but over the years, he has been unable to escape the Best Actorbel, making one bad movie after another, and was often used of taking roles in moneyundering films. He had a clean personal life, and only regained public eptance after he announced his rtionship with Liang Yanran. The public loved the couple, although they were not particrly demonstrative of their affection. Most of it was implied, and Xue An stayed relevant in the entertainment industry due to the massive discussions surrounding him and Liang Yanran.


    ¡°Why are you back? Are you alright?¡± a policewoman asked Zhu Xiangxiang with concern.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head, licked her lips and asked, ¡°Officer sister, was that Xue An earlier? Is he involved with the case of Liang Xiaohong?¡±


    The policewoman immediately looked around to see if anyone was paying attention before whispering to Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be involved in this anymore. Go home. You should be grateful to Ms. Ming Jing for getting you out of this. Otherwise, you being a young girl¡­ it¡¯s hard to tell how you might end up. Go back now, study properly and stop being involved in the entertainment industry.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Xue, your ne ticket has been prepared. Consider leaving the country for a while to avoid any potential fallout,¡± suggested Li Qingzhuo.


    Xue An paused in his steps, turned around, and looked at Li Qingzhuo.


    ¡°Is that his idea?¡±


    Li Qingzhuo shook his head, ¡°This country is no longer suitable for you.¡±


    Xue An chuckled coldly, ¡°Why?¡±


    With a disappointed shake of his head, Li Qingzhuo replied, ¡°The death of Liang Yanran is a ticking time bomb. If you don¡¯ty low, and your opponentstch onto this scandal, even Mr. Ye won¡¯t be able to save you.¡±


    Xue An, his gaze cold and intense, stepped into a ck sedan parked at the roadside. Li Qingzhuo got in after him.


    ¡°Take me to Mr. Ye.¡±


    Li Qingzhuo shook his head, ¡°Mr. Ye is not in Jingzhou at the moment, and the young master of the Bai family is involved as well. This matter is far from over. Someone needs to take the fall and Liang Xiaohong seems like an appropriate scapegoat. What do you think?¡±


    Xue An replied indifferently, ¡°She is the one whomitted the murder. I have nothing to do with this.¡±


    Li Qingzhuo raised an eyebrow, ¡°However, you could be used of harboring a criminal. That¡¯s always going to be a problem. Mr. Ye only means to protect you. Your ne ticket has been prepared.¡±


    Li Qingzhuo handed over the documents and ticket to Xue An.


    ¡°Go abroad and keep a low profile until things here clear up. Then you can return.¡±


    Xue An initially nced casually at the tickets, but his gaze suddenly froze. He stared at the destination on the ticket.<div>


    Switzend ¡ª Lucerne.


    There was the perpetual Tielishi Mountain, the charming Lake Lucerne at its foot, and the town of Lucerne bathed in sunlight, secluded from the world, tranquil, and serene.


    That was her dream once.


    Xue An held the ticket, ¡°Do I have to leave now?¡±<div>


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way to the airport right now, Mr. Xue. This is what Mr. Ye has arranged. Please cooperate.¡±


    Xue An stared at the ticket nkly, ¡°What is he trying to do?¡±


    Li Qingzhuo lowered his eyes and did not respond.


    Upon arriving at the airport, Li Qingzhuo assigned two bodyguards to Xue An, instructing them to make sure he boarded the ne.


    However, in the few minutes it took him to smoke a cigarette leaning against the car, the bodyguards came rushing back, ¡°Bad news, Xue An has disappeared.¡±

 Chapter 511: 238 Body Double (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 511: 238 Body Double (Second Update)_3


    The cigarette burnt his fingers, and Li Qingzhuo hurriedly threw it to the ground, grinding it fiercely with his leather shoe, his brow furrowed.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t go missing; he ran off on his own.¡±


    Li Qingzhuo waved his hand: ¡°No need to look for him. Go back.¡±


    It was his own choice to run, not Mr. Ye¡¯s neglect. Whatever happens, he¡¯ll face the consequences himself.


    Suffocation, a long suffocation¡­


    Her neck was strangled by the rope, desperately struggling, but in vain. The Grim Reaper¡¯s scythe firmly hooked her neck.


    At thest blurry moment of consciousness, in the half-light of her vision, she seemed to see a face twisted by madness.


    ¡°Dare to fight with me for Xue An, go die, bitch.¡±


    ¡°Xue An is mine, mine¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the woman he loves the most.¡±<div>


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±. Ye Zhen woke up from the nightmare, covering her neck with both hands, gasping for breath like a drowning person.


    Before she knew it, tears had already covered her face.


    A white shadow stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, with the moonlight like a sharp de, not as bright as the white dress, shimmering like waves.


    ¡°So it was Liang Xiaohong who killed me¡­¡±. Ye Zhen cried andughed, bewildered for so long. When she found out the truth, she was not too happy.


    ¡°She always liked Xue An, but she never told me¡­¡±


    She murmured to herself: ¡°She killed me for Xue An, but she doesn¡¯t know that the person Xue An loves is not me either.¡±


    Ye Zhen covered her face and cried bitterly.


    Since her resurrection after death, despite her fear and confusion, she had never shed a tear. She had to find the truth of her death.


    But when faced with the truth, she copsed.


    ¡°Two years ago, I saw him at a ball. He was sitting in the corner, looking so mncholic and lonely, out of ce with the lively crowd. The moment he looked up, I saw the gxies in his eyes, bright, charming, and yet mncholic.¡±


    ¡°I never believed in love at first sight, but the moment I saw him, I fell in love with him uncontrobly. I took the initiative to strike up a conversation, inviting him to dance in a very old-fashioned way. He agreed. I stepped on his feet many times and made mistakes, but he was surprisingly patient and taught me. He was such a good teacher, but he didn¡¯t know I was making mistakes on purpose.¡±


    ¡°At the end of the dance, I was about to leave, and he offered to escort me. Under the camphor tree at the entrance of the residential area, we kissed naturally. At that moment, I was thrilled to think I had found my Prince Charming. That night, we naturally ended up together.¡±


    As Ye Zhen¡¯s emotions fluctuated, the girl in front of the floor-to-ceiling window never turned her head back, indifferent as someone outside this world.


    ¡°He was so clear-headed and restrained, and I could never see any love in his eyes. I thought it was okay. Even if he was an iceberg, I had the confidence to melt him with a lifetime¡¯s effort.¡±


    ¡°Once, during a passionate moment, he couldn¡¯t help but call out A Yu¡¯s name. I thought it was an illusion and didn¡¯t care. But I can never forget his eyes at that time, so gentle that they almost melted me. I had never seen that look in his eyes before. I was overjoyed, thinking he had finally fallen in love with me.¡±


    Ye Zhenughed as she spoke.


    ¡°I have been deceiving myself. It¡¯s ridiculous that he has always treated me as a substitute.¡±


    Ye Zhen touched her face: ¡°I suppose when he first saw me at the ball, the stars in his eyes that made my heart flutter were probably because my features were somewhat simr to the woman he loved.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 512: 239 Astonishing the World (first update)

    Chapter 512: 239 Astonishing the World (first update)


    Her sincere devotion was met with deception and betrayal, and she even lost her life.


    Perhaps it was the heavens who pitied her unjust death and allowed her to be reborn into Ming Xin¡¯s body to uncover the truth.


    Ye Zhen held her head in pain as her whole body curled up.


    Xue An didn¡¯t kill her personally, but he had hinted at Liang Xiaohong.


    Using another to carry out his dirty deed.


    How heartless!


    For two years, he had been pretending well. Why would he suddenly harbor the intent to kill? Ye Zhen couldn¡¯tprehend.


    Perhaps he got tired.


    ¡°I will definitely make this shameless couple suffer a fate worse than death,¡± Ye Zhen said through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.


    Ming Jing answered a phone call and said indifferently, ¡°Just now, Xue An has been taken away by awyer.¡±<div>


    Ye Zhen was stunned and said incredulously, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Hiswyer is Li Qingzhuo, a famous criminalwyer in the country. Also, your evidence can only prove that Liang Xiaohong entered your home before your death. The two of them lied and are suspected, but there is no direct evidence of the murder. The only way to prove it is through a forensic examination and autopsy, but the two of them must have prepared everything.¡±


    Ye Zhen said unwillingly, ¡°So, do I just watch this shameless couple escape justice?¡±


    Ming Jing smirked, ¡°But the body has already been switched by me.¡±


    Ye Zhen suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at Ming Jing.


    ¡°What¡­what did you say?¡±


    As the two of them openly discussed her own corpse, it felt quite bizarre. Ye Zhen was even more astonished that Ming Jing had already reced her body.


    When did that happen? Before she was reborn into Ming Xin¡¯s body, did Ming Jing already suspect Liang Xiaohong?


    She knew that Ming Jing and Liang Xiaohong had be enemies, but she didn¡¯t expect Ming Jing to have prepared a backup n.


    And that backup n saved her in advance.


    ¡°Get a good night¡¯s sleep. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll go to the police station to apply for an autopsy,¡± Ming Jing said and left.


    ¡°Ming Jing,¡± Ye Zhen suddenly called out to her.


    Ming Jing stopped but didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. This is what I owe you,¡± Ming Jing left without looking back.


    Ye Zhen paused, puzzled by her words.


    Thinking Ming Jing was referring to Ming Xin, Ye Zhen didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    The hotel corridor was covered in soft carpets, and at two in the morning, everything was in deep sleep.


    Ming Jing walked soundlessly, her flickering shadow cast on the walls like a ghost.<div>


    Early the next morning, Liu Muxue yawned and went downstairs for breakfast. She saw Ming Jing and the two girls entering the elevator and subconsciously followed them.


    ¡°Wait for me¡­¡±


    The elevator door closed, cutting off all traces of Ming Jing.


    Liu Muxue sighed and asked Xie Zhen in the restaurant, ¡°Why are you here? Where is Ming Jing?¡±<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing sent me a text message. She has something to do today and won¡¯t attend the academic conference. She asked us to help her take a leave,¡± Xie Zhen said.


    ¡°Who are the two girls with her?¡± Liu Muxue frowned, feeling that something was wrong.


    ¡°Maybe they are Ming Jing¡¯s friends,¡± Xie Zhen rubbed his nose. He had a slight cold aftering to Jingzhou for a few days.


    ¡°Friends? Does she have friends in Jingzhou?¡± Liu Muxue didn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°She barely has any friends in Jiangzhou, let alone in Jingzhou. Besides, this is her first time here, right?¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Atchoo!¡±


    Liu Muxue wrinkled her nose in disgust and moved farther away with her food.


    Zhao Heng and Song Yinzhang sat down with their breakfast and greeted the others before digging in.


    Suddenly, a girl at the next table screamed, ¡°Oh my god, look at the news! Liang Yanran didn¡¯t die by suicide, she was murdered by her manager and Xue An!¡±


    Her words immediately caused amotion in the restaurant.


    With a ¡°plop,¡± Liu Muxue dropped the half-eaten sandwich on her te, her eyes wide, ¡°What? Am I hallucinating?¡±


    Xie Zhen hesitated, ¡°It must¡­probably¡­maybe¡­be fake.¡±


    Otherwise, it would be too shocking.<div>


    Zhao Heng quickly took out his phone and checked the trending topics¡ª the news had exploded at the top of the list.


    Famous media personality Jiu Zhen revealed that Liang Yanran didn¡¯t die by suicide but was killed by her lover. The police are now involved, hoping to bring the real culprits to justice.


    This Weibo post was released at three in the morning, and now it was seven o¡¯clock. After four hours of fermentation, it had caused a huge uproar online.

 Chapter 513: 239 Astonishing the World (first update)_2

    Chapter 513: 239 Astonishing the World (first update)_2


    The other party did not mention names, but the two words ¡°love killing¡± had already spoken a thousand words.


    It has been a long time since some of Liang Yanran¡¯s fans questioned the simplicity of her death, but at that time public opinions were tightly controlled, so they were immediately banned and silenced for posting little doubts online. That was when he realized how deep the water was.


    Now that the media people have exposed it, fans have taken the opportunity to post doubts on the inte, listing them clearly. The so-called love killing made the true suspect crystal clear.


    Only Xue An¡¯s name was left out, while Liang Yanran¡¯s agent Liang Xiaohong appeared in the public view for the first time, but in such a way.


    Xue An¡¯s fame was tepid, and only after the announcement of his rtionship with Liang Yanran in recent years did he gain some attention. He had no fan base, but the number of their CP fans was quite terrifying. After Liang Yanran¡¯s death, the CP fans were deeply moved by Xue An¡¯s devotion and became his hardcore fans.


    As this news broke, amidst the public uproar, these fans were the most resistant, with denials of rumors written all over their faces: I don¡¯t believe, I don¡¯t believe, I don¡¯t believe¡­


    They were lost in their own fantasies, and anyone who shattered their illusions was a rumor-monger, a malicious viin, a bad person trying to bring down Xue An.


    No matter what, they would never admit that they had misjudged and worshipped the wrong person.


    As if to confirm the public¡¯s spection, sharp at 8 o¡¯clock, Chao¡¯an District Public Security Bureau issued an announcement, in which Liangxiaohong was used of murder and has been approved for arrest. The police were investigating, and any progress would be announced immediately.


    Now it was conclusive, but there was no mention of Xue An in the announcement, which left the public a bit confused for a moment.<div>


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I used to like his movies, it turns out he¡¯s a real piece of work.¡± Liu Muxue said with disdain.


    ¡°There¡¯s no mention of Xue An in the announcement, so he might not be the murderer, right? He doesn¡¯t look like a bad person either.¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes at Xie Zhen: ¡°True to your name, so innocent. Can a bad person have ¡®I am a bad person¡¯ written on his face? The worse a person is, the more they look like a good person, just like someone who believes in Buddha. They probably did a lot of evil deeds and sought God and worshiped Buddha for peace of mind.¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°Are you implying something about Ming Jing?¡±


    Liu Muxue snorted coldly, ¡°When did your ears hear me say anything about Ming Jing?¡±


    Xie Zhen pursed his lips and stopped talking.


    The grand lecture hall was a mess, everyone discussing the matter. There were believers, non-believers, those who cursed and those who sighed. The once-popr leading actress¡¯s suicide had turned into a murder case, with the suspects being her agent and actor boyfriend ¨C an unprecedented explosive news in the entertainment industry.


    And the waves that rose from the inte only revealed the tip of the iceberg.


    Ten minutes after Chao¡¯an District Public Security Bureau issued the announcement, Jiu Zhen released another message: a live autopsy for Liang Yanran would be performed at Jingzhou State Medical College at nine in the morning. After the forensic autopsy, the truth would be revealed.


    This news was even more shocking.


    Weren¡¯t Liang Yanran¡¯s remains already cremated and buried?


    The funeral was quite grand at the time, so where had these remainse from?


    Those who saw this news inexplicably felt cold sweat on their backs.


    ¡°Ye Zhen, have you seen the news online? They¡¯re conducting an autopsy on Liang Yanranter at the State Medical College. Do you want to ask your Uncle Xu for some inside information?¡±


    Bo Lianye shook her head: ¡°Let¡¯s not bother Uncle Xu, he¡¯s quite busy with work.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but I really want to know the result, whether Xue An really killed her or not?¡±


    Bo Lianye straightened herself, nced around and paused when her gazended on Liu Muxue and Xie Zhen, then discreetly withdrew her eyes.


    ¡°What does it have to do with us? Today¡¯s academic report has invited Master You, let¡¯s just concentrate on listening. It¡¯s very helpful for us.¡±


    However, Su Wen¡¯s heart was itching like being scratched by cat¡¯s ws, unable to quiet down. She would asionally take out her phone to check the trending searches and see if there were any new developments.<div>


    This was the charm of entertainment gossip, it was addictive.


    State Medical College Hospital


    Police cars were lined up at the entrance, making for an impressive scene.


    Ming Jing and Ye Zhen consecutively got out of the police cars, while Bai Ziyan jumped down from the one behind, came over and patted Ming Jing on the shoulder: ¡°I¡¯ll introduce someone to you.¡±<div>


    Afterward, a tall, young man in police uniform stepped out of the same car Bai Ziyan jumped from. He had a strong, square face with thick eyebrows and big eyes, giving off a righteous and imposing appearance.

 Chapter 514: 239 Astonishing the World (first update)_3

    Chapter 514: 239 Astonishing the World (first update)_3


    ¡°This is my cousin Xi Tao. Cousin, this is Ming Jing whom I mentioned to you before.¡±


    The man gazed deeply at Ming Jing, his face solemn, and said, ¡°Miss Ming Jing, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Xi Tao. Thank you for providing the clues. This case has a huge social impact, and we are determined to find the real culprit and bring the dead justice.¡±


    Ming Jing looked down, her eyes passing over the man¡¯s epaulet, ¡°Thank you, Chief Xi.¡±


    ¡°This is Ye Zhen, who discovered the clue. I¡¯m just passing it along.¡±


    Xi Tao¡¯s gaze fell on Ye Zhen¡¯s face. Ordinary people would find it hard to bear the gaze of an experienced police officer, but Ye Zhen hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, so she had nothing to fear.


    The girl¡¯s clear and open eyes seemed to make Xi Tao secretly nod in approval. He walked side by side with Ming Jing into the hospital.


    ¡°The forensic expert we invited today is the top expert in our judicial field. He was supposed to retire, but after hearing about this case, he volunteered, saying that it would make a great reference case with multiple warnings.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Miss Ming Jing, I¡¯m curious how you managed to secretly bring Liang Yanran¡¯s body to State Medical College?¡±


    Liang Yanran¡¯s body was supposed to have been cremated and buried long ago, with grass already growing tall on her grave. Therefore, the case couldn¡¯t go anywhere when they received the report. However, they wereter informed that the body had never been cremated, which was baffling.


    Xi Tao narrowed his eyes slightly and nced at the white-d girl at his side.<div>


    On the first day of winter, after a snowy night, the sky was clouded over, and a biting cold wind blew. Even a strong and robust man like him had to wear a thermal jacket under his uniform. The winter in Jingzhou could be described as bitterly cold. Many people were still not used to the sudden temperature change, leaving the whole city enveloped in a dim and chilly haze.


    Only this girl stood out. She wore a white dress under a beige coat, as delicate and ethereal as a fairy. It made people shudder just looking at her.


    Facing the question, the girl smiled calmly and said unhurriedly, ¡°To be honest, Ye Zhen is my senior fellow apprentice. On the night of Liang Yanran¡¯s death, she appeared in a dream to my senior. My senior has had a peculiar constitution since childhood and can see many strange things in her dreams. When she told me, I was convinced. If the dead are asking for help in a dream, there must be a grievance that they can¡¯t let go of. To help her resolve the grudge, fulfill her wish, and guide her into the cycle of reincarnation is thepassion of Buddha.¡±


    The girl¡¯s voice was ethereal, and her beautiful serene face was both solemn and sacred.


    Xi Tao was taken aback and should have scoffed at such metaphysical things. However, seeing her gentle and merciful face made him feel as if questioning her would be tantamount to spheming the gods and Buddha. Realizing his thoughts, Xi Tao suddenly snapped out of it.


    He felt a slight chill in his heart and newfound respect for the girl that he couldn¡¯t quite express.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what happened.¡± Xi Tao nced at Ye Zhen, who walked behind them. The girl was about Ming Jing¡¯s age, with a delicate face, downturned eyebrows, and an air of maturity that seemed out of ce for her age.


    Xi Tao did not ask any more questions. With her identity, it should be easy for her to carry out such schemes. But possessing such extraordinary capabilities at her age was truly remarkable.


    Based on the current investigation, the case was not as simple as a crime of passion, whether it involved Xue An or Liang Xiaohong. A massive dark force controlled everything behind the scenes.


    Xi Tao thought about the case, his brow furrowed.


    The hospital director and chief came out to meet them, followed by a gentle andposed young male doctor on the director¡¯s left side.


    After exchanging pleasantries, the director led the group toward a newly constructed white building to the west. The autopsy room was on the third floor of that building.


    Xu Shuhua¡¯s gaze flicked over the girl¡¯s white dress, then met Xi Tao¡¯s probing eyes.


    Xu Shuhua curled his lips, ncing over Xi Tao¡¯s epaulet, ¡°Old Xi, long time no see. When will you treat us to a celebratory dinner for your promotion?¡±


    Xi Tao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Bo Yuxun will be back soon, and it¡¯ll be his turn to treat us then.¡±


    Xu Shuhua chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s true. Once back, he¡¯ll be directly appointed as chief, the youngest in our hospital¡¯s history. It¡¯s only right he treats us.¡±


    They acted with practiced familiarity, clearly old acquaintances. Bai Ziyan chimed in, ¡°Is Bo Yuxuning back? That¡¯s great, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen him.¡±


    Ming Jing walked in silence alongside, her presence barely noticeable.


    Upon hearing Bo Yuxun¡¯s name, the Buddhist beads on her hidden sleeve paused for a moment.<div>


    The group chatted as they arrived at the autopsy room.


    No outsiders were allowed to enter during a post-mortem examination. Ye Zhen looked at the shrouded body inside the autopsy room, her face pale, her teeth clenched tightly, her body swaying unsteadily.


    Ming Jing supported her with a sigh, plucking a flower with one hand, her expression solemn and sorrowful.


    ¡°Amitofo¡­¡±<div>


    The faint sound seemed to carry immense power, drawing the attention of everyone present.


    Unable to hold back, Ye Zhen burrowed into Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, sobbing.


    To onlookers, she seemed deeply distraught, causing others to feel a pang of sorrow as well.


    Ming Jing gently patted her back, ¡°There is retribution for good and evil deeds; everything will eventuallye to light.¡±


    Bai Ziyan found the situation inexplicable, but Ming Jing had mentioned that Ye Zhen could see strange things since childhood and that Liang Yanran had appeared in her dream. If Liang Yanran had indeed suffered a tragic and unjust death, Ye Zhen might empathize so much that she would feel such overwhelming grief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. We will soon find out if Liang Yanran was murdered or not. Once we know, we will bring the killer to justice and sentence them to death to avenge Liang Yanran,¡± Bai Ziyan dered righteously.


    Just then, an old couple rushed over, disregarding the police¡¯s attempts to stop them. The old woman shouted, ¡°Who dares to touch my daughter¡¯s body? I will fight them!¡±


    Hearing the voice, Ye Zhen¡¯s body stiffened, her lips trembling, and hatred surged in her eyes.


    With her back to the old couple, Ming Jing lowered her head. Ye Zhen had clenched her hand so hard that it had broken her skin.

 Chapter 515: 240 Results (Updated once more)

    Chapter 515: 240 Results (Updated once more)


    ¡°You can¡¯t touch my daughter¡¯s body, or I¡¯ll file aint at the procuratorate,¡± the old woman charged over and berated Xi Tao.


    Out of everyone, his uniform was the most conspicuous, looking the most intimidating.


    Xi Tao furrowed his brows and coldly asked, ¡°Are you Liang Yanran¡¯s parents?¡±


    The old woman pounded her chest, ¡°That¡¯s correct, I am Liang Yanran¡¯s biological mother, and he is her biological father. Without our permission, you guys have no rights to autopsy my daughter¡¯s body. If you do, it¡¯s illegal, and I will sue you.¡±


    The old man came over to pull his wife back, but she brushed him off instantly.


    Xi Tao seriously said, ¡°ording to our country¡¯s legal provisions, for a body with unknown cause of death, the judicial authorities have the right to conduct an autopsy without the consent of the family, but they need to notify the family to be present. You received a call from the public security bureau this morning, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The uniform on his body, his stern and dignified face, his ringing and resonant voice, he was filled with righteousness, causing the elderly couple to retreat in fear.


    ¡°You¡­ you are talking nonsense. How could the cause of my daughter¡¯s death be unknown? Didn¡¯t shemit suicide? Besides, hasn¡¯t my daughter been cremated long ago? Where did you get this body to impersonate my daughter? What are you guys trying to pull? Can¡¯t you let my daughter rest in peace even in death?¡±


    The old woman started crying as she spoke. Her tirade was remarkable.


    Xi Tao coldly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to go in and see for yourself whether it is your daughter or not?¡±<div>


    As soon as he finished speaking, he opened the door of the autopsy room, making an inviting gesture towards the couple, which was quite polite.


    The couple looked at each other, and the old woman muttered curses under her breath as she walked in.


    When she walked past Ye Zhen, Ye Zhen stared at her retreating figure, her eyes bleeding tears.


    Ming Jing held her hand and entered.


    Ye Zhen was stunned, looking at the hand that was holding hers. The hand was really cold, as cold as snow.


    Yet it gave her an iparable warmth and reassurance.


    She followed them in.


    The autopsy room wasrge, with a huge human anatomy chart hanging on the opposite wall. A life-sized skeleton was ced on the floor by the window, and a gurney was situated in the middle of the room, covered with a white cloth. Under the clothy a body.


    The people who entered felt an unconscious shiver, experiencing a sense of coldness that they couldn¡¯t quite put into words.


    Bai Ziyan, who feared nothing in heaven and earth, couldn¡¯t help but shudder. He sneaked behind Ming Jing, hoping for the Buddha¡¯s light to banish evil spirits.


    A man wearing a white coat, mask, and rubber gloves walked over. He was the legal field¡¯s top medical examiner, Qiao Song.


    Qiao Song looked at Xi Tao and calmly said, ¡°The DNAparison results will be ready soon.¡±


    Xi Tao nodded, ¡°She is a family member of the deceased. Let her identify the body.¡±


    Qiao Song nodded and said to everyone, ¡°Those who are not family members, please wait outside.¡±


    Xi Tao looked at Ming Jing and Ye Zhen, and after a thought, said, ¡°Let these two stay.¡±


    Qiao Song nced at the two of them. The girl in the white dress looked indifferent, which intrigued him. The other girl looked much more grief-stricken, and it seemed like they both had a deep rtionship with the deceased.


    After the unnecessary people left, Qiao Song spoke up, ¡°Prepare yourselves.¡±


    The old woman grumbled, ¡°Just hurry up, will ya? I have other things to do. Don¡¯t waste time.¡±


    Qiao Song lifted the white cloth to reveal the face of the body.<div>


    The body was preserved using the best freezing technology. Even after more than four months, her face was still vivid and lifelike, as if she was merely sleeping.


    The old woman suddenly screamed, shaking her head muttering, ¡°How is it possible? How can it be?¡±


    The old man wiped his tears, ¡°That really is our daughter. It seems that she did notmit suicide, but was killed. My poor daughter.¡±


    Ye Zhen stared at the face, rushed forward, looked at the face close up. Suddenly, she burst into maniacalughter. Theughter was hysterical yet mournful, raising goosebumps in everyone listening.<div>


    What does it feel like to see your own dead body?


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Suddenly Ye Zhen rushed towards the trashcan and started to vomit violently.


    Ming Jing squatted down and gently patted her back, ¡°Let¡¯s go outside.¡±Ming Jing supported her and slowly led her out of the dissection room.


    After the two had identified the body, they had made a scene around it, crying and causing amotion, and were taken out by the police.


    Afterwards, Qiao Song closed therge doors of the dissection room, and began to concentrate on the post-mortem examination.


    Leaning against Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, Ye Zhen murmured, ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    It was only when she saw the body that she intensely realized that she was truly dead.


    The one living now by using her body was Ming Xin, not her, she was just a solitary ghost.


    Ming Jing stood on the third floor, not far away from the busy inpatient department ¡ª it was as if they were in two separate worlds.


    ¡°Officer, I don¡¯t agree to an autopsy for my daughter,¡± the old woman suddenly said.


    Ye Zhen was taken aback, she turned to look at her and said, ¡°Your daughter was murdered. If you don¡¯t seek justice for her and instead hinder the police investigation, what are your intentions?¡±


    The old woman looked her up and down, jumped in surprise at the familiar hatred in her eyes, and snapped back, ¡°Who are you to involve yourself in my daughter¡¯s business? If I say there will be no autopsy, there will be no autopsy.¡±


    ¡°You, your family has never treated Liang Yanran well and treated her like an ATM. Now that she¡¯s dead, do you want her to die with regrets?¡± Ye Zhen angrily questioned, pressuring them back step by step.<div>


    ¡°Who are you really?¡± the old woman always felt that her gaze was somewhat familiar, but no matter what, she would never think that the soul of the person in front of her actually belonged to the body inside.


    She couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard she thought about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m someone who takes action on behalf of heaven. If you still have a conscience and remember all the years of Liang Yanran¡¯s sacrifices for you, you should respect herst wish. Don¡¯t let her remain a confused ghost in the underworld. If the killer walks free, you are aplices,¡± she said.


    She emphasized thest sentence, like a drum beating heavily in their hearts ¡ª they were rendered speechless.


    Ye Zhen gritted her teeth in hatred.


    Her parents had always favored their son since childhood. When Ye Zhen scolded Ye Huan a few times and he ran squealing to their mother, she would punish Ye Zhen without even investigating the matter first.


    This was how Ye Zhen¡¯s childhood memories were formed.


    With her natural beauty and a stroke of luck, she entered the entertainment industry, relying on her tenacity and perseverance to establish a foothold. The more morous she appeared in the media, the harder she worked behind the scenes.


    Later, her parents started asking her for money and houses every day. To avoid their harassment, she gave them what they wanted, but their greed knew no limits. When Ye Huan got a girlfriend, they even demanded a vi from her. Otherwise, they threatened to expose her ungratefulness to her parents and tarnish her reputation in the media.


    Her depression worsened, and all of it was seen by Liang Xiaohong.


    She loathed her biological family and didn¡¯t want to face them. Every time a problem arose, it was Liang Xiaohong who picked up the pieces for her. She was extremely grateful to her for this.


    Eventually, shepletely cut off contact with her parents. She didn¡¯t know how Liang Xiaohong managed to keep their mouths shut, but for the two years following that, she didn¡¯t have to see them again. It was also during these two years that she met Xue An.


    The time she spent with Xue An eventually eased the pain of her childhood traumas and family hardships. However, apart from herself, no one else could truly save her.<div>


    If her parents had led her to the edge of the cliff, then Xue An was the one who personally pushed her off.


    Before she knew it, time had passed. Qiao Song opened the door and came out with the results.


    ¡°The autopsy results prove that the deceased did notmit suicide, but was murdered.¡±


    Xi Tao looked at the autopsy report, his face growing more serious.


    Ye Zhen forced a bitter smile.


    At the same moment, a colleague from forensics delivered the DNAparison results.


    ¡°The DNAparison results show that the deceased was 29 years old, originally from Long Mountain, Yunzhou. She worked under the stage name Liang Yanran, real name Ye Zhen, born on May 13, 1994¡­¡±


    A cold wind blew through the room,ing and going with a howl.


    The sky was covered with dark clouds, as if bad weather was brewing again, casting a gloom over all of Jingzhou.


    In the suffocating silence that followed, the girl¡¯s ethereal voice stood out.


    ¡°Chief Xi, please do justice for the deceased and bring the murderer to ount.¡±


    With a heavy expression, Xi Tao replied, ¡°Rest assured. The societal impact of this case is considerable. The police will not show any leniency to the perpetrator. We won¡¯t miss a good person, but we definitely won¡¯t let a bad one go.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 516: 241 Purgatory (First Update)

    Chapter 516: 241 Purgatory (First Update)


    Xi Tao walked out of the hospital and was immediately surrounded by media who had hastily arrived at the scene.


    These included not only entertainment reporters, but also those covering people¡¯s livelihood, legal affairs and many others ¨C almost the entire fleet of Jingzhou journalists had gathered here, crowding the hospital entrance.


    This was no longer just simple entertainment news. It had the momentum of a sensational headline dominating the front page for three days and nights.


    Xi Tao turned his head and found that Ming Jing and Ye Zhen had disappeared at some point.


    ¡°Chief Xi, is it true that Liang Yanran was murdered? Have her autopsy resultse out yet?¡±


    ¡°Have the police found evidence of Liang Xiaohong and Xue An conspiring to murder Liang Yanran?¡±


    ¡°The police announcement did not include Xue An¡¯s name; did Xue Anmit a crime and flee?¡±


    With everyone speaking so fast and anxiously, it was like a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around him. Xi Tao was suffering from a terrible headache.


    ¡°Everyone, stop for a moment and let me say something.¡±


    However, no one listened; they continued shouting over one another.<div>


    ¡°Stop¡­!¡± Xi Tao let out a loud, forceful roar, and instantly, the world went quiet.


    Xi Tao¡¯s imposing gaze swept across everyone. His police uniform and eyes were awe-inspiring, causing everyone to involuntarily take a step back.


    ¡°This case has had a major social impact. Please trust the police; we will enforce thew impartially and seek justice for the deceased. We will release information about any progress in the case as soon as possible. Before the police officially announce the details, please do not spread or believe rumors. Otherwise, thew will not let you off lightly.¡±


    His words were righteous and powerful, striking fear into everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Xi Tao left the encirclement under the escort of two police officers. This time, none of the reporters dared to follow him like a swarm of flies. Everyone looked at each other, quickly analyzing how to write an eye-catching piece within the vast amount of news.


    Although they did not obtain Liang Yanran¡¯s autopsy results, the fact that the ¡°rising star¡± of Jingzhou¡¯s police force, Xi Tao, was personally on the scene must mean that this case had rmed the higher-ups and was no longer as simple as an ordinary case.


    With a n in mind, some continued to stand guard, while others hurried back to work on their articles.


    Xi Tao got into the police car and said, ¡°Summon everyone for a meeting at the station.¡±


    ¡°Chief, there¡¯s a blogger named Jiu Zhen who¡¯s spreading information online, and these reporters were attracted by him. Should we investigate him?¡±


    Xi Tao nced at the surging crowd at the hospital entrance through the car window and narrowed his eyes slightly.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    With Jiu Zhen knowing so many insider details and leading the media by the nose, Xi Tao probably guessed who he was.


    Public opinion can be terrifying. But sometimes, it can also be the key to victory.


    Behind this case, the waters were very deep. The murkier the waters were stirred by public opinion, the easier it would be to fish.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go! What¡¯s your rtionship with my daughter, Zhen?¡± Ye¡¯s mother stopped Ye Zhen from leaving.


    Ye Zhen sneered, ¡°She came to me in a dream, asking me to donate all her inheritance to charity, not leaving a dime for anyone else.¡±


    Ye¡¯s mother, like a cat with its tail stepped on, jumped up, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m her real mother; if she doesn¡¯t leave her estate to me, who else should she leave it to?¡±


    ¡°She can leave it to anyone but you bloodsuckers. You haven¡¯t got your hands on her estate yet, have you? That should tell you something.¡±


    Ye Zhen was deceived by those around her, but she was cautious when it came to her wealth. Perhaps foreseeing her fate, she had already written her will, leaving her entire estate to a charity foundation upon her death.<div>


    After her death, her will went into effect. However, Ye¡¯s mother could not bear watching the wealth slip through her fingers, and she caused amotion at thew firm. Thewyers hadn¡¯t dared to announce the will, fearing the old woman¡¯s wrath.


    During this time, Ye¡¯s mother caused many problems. For example, she tried to prove that Ye Zhen was incapable of civil conduct when she made the will, or that she made it under duress or fraud. In such cases, the Civil Code would allow the will to be revoked and the inheritance re-assigned. However, thewyers simply ignored her, considering it all senseless troublemaking.


    Meanwhile, Liang Xiaohong had been constantly erasing the public¡¯s familiarity with Liang Yanran. As a result, when Ye¡¯s mother tried to use the media to expose her plight and gain public sympathy, Liang Xiaohong quietly resolved the situation in the background. To date, not even a whisper about Liang Yanran¡¯s will had surfaced online.


    As the matter of the inheritance remained at a stalemate, Ye¡¯s mother continued to make regr scenes at thew firm, which had be the norm. Nobody was surprised anymore.<div>

 Chapter 517: 241 Purgatory (First Update)_2

    Chapter 517: 241 Purgatory (First Update)_2


    Ye¡¯s mother had a furious look on her face and went forward to p Ye Zhen twice. Just as she raised her hand, someone held her wrist.


    In pain, Ye¡¯s mother turned her head to see the white-d, silent girl looking at her with a cold gaze. Somehow, it sent chills down her spine.


    ¡°What¡­ what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I ask you, what do you want to do?¡± The girl¡¯s voice had no warmth, it was colder than the winter wind.


    Ye¡¯s mother¡¯s teeth chattered, and her entire arm went numb.


    ¡°You¡­ let go of me first.¡±


    Ming Jing let go of her and Ye¡¯s mother took a step back due to inertia, but was supported by Ye¡¯s father.


    While massaging her wrist, Ye¡¯s mother secretly nced at the white-d girl and felt quite afraid.


    ¡°What exactly is your rtionship with Ye Zhen?¡±


    Ye Zhenughed: ¡°We know her bank card password, what do you think our rtionship is?¡±<div>


    Ye¡¯s mother widened her eyes: ¡°Can you change Ye Zhen¡¯s will?¡±


    Ye Zhen sneered: ¡°Don¡¯t you have any legal sense? Once the will is notarized and the testator is dead, nobody can change the will.¡±


    Ye¡¯s mother looked disappointed: ¡°What to do? We raised this ungrateful girl, and she didn¡¯t leave a single penny for us when she died. She donated it all. It¡¯s a sin! How will her father and I live?¡±


    Ye Zhen shook her head: ¡°She has set up a pension fund for you. You can receive pocket money every month. The money inside is enough for you to livefortably until the age of 100. Why aren¡¯t you satisfied?¡±


    Ye¡¯s mother was surprised that she knew so much and scolded: ¡°What do you know? 5000 yuan a month, is that enough? It is barely enough to give to beggars. We are her biological parents, yet she¡¯s keeping us at arm¡¯s length. If this isn¡¯t an ungrateful girl, what is?¡±


    Ye Zhen had nothing more to say to them. Her duty and responsibility were fulfilled with Liang Yanran¡¯s death.


    Ye Zhen said tiredly to Ming Jing: ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, and the two of them left along the small path of the hospital.


    ¡°You stop!¡± Ye¡¯s mother chased after them, but the two were already out of sight among the various flowers and bushes with peopleing and going.


    The garden path was paved with pebbles, making it a bit ufortable to step on.


    Not far away in a pavilion, several patients were sitting and ying chess. From time to time, noises ofpetition could be heard.


    The two walked out of the path and met a nurse pushing a patient head on. She nced at Ming Jing and suddenly widened her eyes, pointing at her and said: ¡°It¡¯s you¡­it¡¯s you! I¡¯ve finally found you!¡±


    Ming Jing smiled gently: ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    The nurse nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Two nights ago in our hospital¡¯s emergency department, you saved a heart attack patient. Do you remember?¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°How is that heart attack patient now?¡±


    The girl spoke in the interval of dialing on her phone: ¡°Dr. Xu is the best doctor in the cardiothoracic surgery department. With his help, the patient is sure to seed. However, it is also thanks to your timely rescue, otherwise, the patient would have not made it.¡±


    No one answered the phone, and the nurse anxiously said: ¡°I have to take the patient to Radiology for an X-ray. Do you want to wait here for me? I will go to find Dr. Xu after I take the patient there.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head: ¡°You go ahead and get busy.¡±<div>


    The nurse thought she agreed and quickly pushed the patient away.


    As Ming Jing left, Ye Zhen asked: ¡°Won¡¯t you wait for Dr. Xu?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°I saw him just now.¡±


    If he wanted to return it to her, he wouldn¡¯t wait until now.<div>


    It seemed that Dr. Xu didn¡¯t want to return the hairband to her after all.


    The little nurse rushed back, only to see that Ming Jing¡¯s figure was already gone. She sighed.


    She looked up and saw a man standing in the pavilion and immediately asked: ¡°Dr. Xu, the girl who saved someone that night was here just now. I asked her to wait for me. Did you see her?¡±


    Xu Shuhua shook his head: ¡°I didn¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The little nurse sighed in disappointment, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to leave.¡± She muttered and walked away.


    The cold wind blew from all directions, lifting a corner of the white coat.


    Xu Shuhua looked down at the silver ribbon in his palm. The fluttering ribbon, as graceful as the girl, flew with the wind.

 Chapter 518: 241 Purgatory (First update)_3

    Chapter 518: 241 Purgatory (First update)_3


    ¡°Are there people in the world who look that identical?¡±


    Ye Zhen fainted as she stepped out of the hospital.


    Ming Jing took her back to the hotel, she was not severely ill. It was just that her body couldn¡¯t handle the emotional highs and lows. A few days of rest would be enough.


    Ming Jing looked at the young girl sleeping soundly on the bed, her face was exactly like her senior¡¯s, but it somehow felt different.


    In this world, which is a training ground of humanity, everyone is practicing from the moment of birth.


    Life is full of suffering, each level more painful than thest.


    Buddha leads the world away from suffering to happiness, but where in the world is a truly purend?


    Some people are greedy for fame and wealth, and stop at nothing, sinking deeper and deeper into the mire.


    Some people are full of hatred and jealousy, with the devil in their hearts controlling their emotions.


    Some people are foolishly obsessed, upside down in three lives, fiercely pursuing the moon in the water and flowers in the mirror, in the end, it¡¯s all in vain.<div>


    Greed, hatred, and delusion, these are the three poisons, seeds sown in the soul at birth, gradually taking root and growing into enormous trees with experience and growth. People can¡¯t escape these three poisons in their lives, they are infatuated, crazy, trapped in them, and can¡¯t extricate themselves.


    That tree, it merges into your soul and body, its roots deeply embedded in your flesh, using it as nourishment. You are inseparable.


    The so-called escape from suffering to happiness, is to take a knife to your flesh, brutally dislodging the roots, removing your blood bone, the pain of cutting the heart and breaking the bone, Av¨©ci, is nothing more than this.


    If so, what¡¯s the difference between the human world and hell?


    This mortal purgatory,cking a fire, would burn the dirty and sinful karma into ashes¡­then it would be pure.


    The young girl gently curled up the corners of her mouth. Her smile was gentle andpassionate, like a Bodhisattva on the lotus altar, solemn and holy.


    However, those ck pupils suddenly became as dark as thick ink, bing increasingly obscure and deep, exuding a chilling evil aura.


    However, it was only for a moment, the young girl sat quietly, her gentleness was unbelievable.


    The young girl raised her sleeve to gently sweep her dress, smiled faintly: ¡°A debt owed, ultimately has to be paid, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±


    Outside the window, the sky was heavily clouded, in the howling wind, a light rain fell on the world, cleansing everything, but also bringing the seeds of evil.


    ¡°This Xue An is really wicked, Liang Yanran treated him so well, and he hooked up with the old woman who is his agent to harm Liang Yanran. If it weren¡¯t for someone reporting them, their cunning tactics would have seeded. The more I think about it, the more terrified I be.¡±


    ¡°Who is the person who reported it? They are simply a great hero, otherwise we would have all been deceived by Xue An.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange that Liang Yanran¡¯s body suddenly appeared? Wasn¡¯t she cremated long ago? I always feel this case is very strange¡­¡±


    ¡°The police announcement did not include Xue An¡¯s name, he probably didn¡¯t participate in the murder, it was all done by the agent out of hatred.¡±


    ¡°Xue An didn¡¯t do it himself, but he definitely PUAed the agent. Men are crueler ying with these tricks. If they don¡¯t like it, they can let go of it, but he doesn¡¯t, he wants her life.¡±


    No matter where you go, you can always hear the condemnation and insults towards Xue An, this case became a national hot topic, even toddlers and octogenarians could talk about it.


    The first thing people say when they meet now is not ¡®have you eaten,¡¯ but ¡®have you scolded Xue An today?¡¯


    Xue An is unanimously regarded as the top of the scum men¡¯s list for returning good with evil, deceitful, heartless, and insane. He tops the list without having any substantial evidence, but as if the public had witnessed Xue An murdering Liang Yanran, they nailed him firmly on the pir of shame, daily throwing rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs at him, plus spittle star.


    Some old details of Xue An and Liang Yanran¡¯s public interaction have also been dug out online. The candies that were clicked by the fans have all turned into knives now, deadly ones. Those strong CP fans couldn¡¯t stand it and died from blood vomiting.<div>


    Xue An is now infamous, bing an object of public ridicule. However, surprisingly, he just disappeared from the world.


    Xue An, after all, is a best actor, dating a current popr star, but his presence has never been very strong. He doesn¡¯t participate in variety shows, doesn¡¯t ept interviews, and gives people a very mysterious feeling.


    All his Weibo posts are advertisements, presumably taken care of by the staff, and have not been updated since Liang Yanran¡¯s death. At this moment, everyone realized there¡¯s not a single piece of content rted to Liang Yanran on his Weibo.


    So, when everyone was digging for his old dirt, they couldn¡¯t find much material. Fortunately, the inte is full of talented people, and some finally dug up Xue An¡¯s dark history through tremendous effort.<div>


    ¡°Xue An is thirty-five now, and he entered the entertainment industry fifteen years ago. He won the Golden Deer¡¯s Best Actor for his very first movie. His acting is indeed terrific, full of spiritual energy. Under the guidance of Director Yu, he¡¯s even more outstanding. The same year, he won the Golden Deer¡¯s Best Actor due to this movie, bing the youngest best actor in the history of the Golden Deer Award. I stayed up all night reading the press release from that year. I admit his acting was good, but who were the nominees with him? Each and every one of them was far better than him.¡±


    Nowes the key point. Who was the director of this movie? It was Yu Dawei. At that time, Yu Dawei was already quite famous, favored by many investors. Being the male lead in a Yu Dawei film, especially for a newbie without any acting experience, carrying the big responsibility right from the start, who would believe there were no backers? Look at the photos from the celebration party back then. As the male lead and the director, they should have been triumphant, but the two of them kept their distance. If you didn¡¯t know better, you would think they were enemies. The interview with Yu Dawei was also interesting. The reporter asked him why he chose Xue An as the male lead. Yu Dawei gave a bitter smile and said something thought-provoking ¡ª He may not be the male lead I imagined, but he is the most suitable male lead.


    Listen, aren¡¯t Yu¡¯s words clearly saying he wasn¡¯t the male lead he favored, but the investor insisted him on it? Even if it is forced, he couldn¡¯t refuse it. Look at the bunch of bad movies Xue An made over the years, nullifying his reputation of the Golden Deer¡¯s Best Actor. I¡¯ve carefully examined these bad movies, they¡¯re all moneyundering ones. The capital behind him umted for years finally yed a role. Xue An lived up to expectations,pleting the task sessfully. Speaking of his rtionship with Liang Yanran, it¡¯s even more of a mystery. The more I analyzed, the more absorbed I got. Everyone, Xue An truly didn¡¯t love Liang Yanran, but this despicable man, Xue An, does have a white moonlight.¡±


    Scumbag standard, white moonlight.


    As soon as this was said, it shook up the inte.


    What? Xue An has a white moonlight?


    Does he deserve it?


    Whoever is regarded highly by Xue An, this so-called white moonlight, is probably not a good person either.

 Chapter 519: 242 Once (Second Revision)

    Chapter 519: 242 Once (Second Revision)


    After this entertainment blogger, nicknamed Qingqing Zijin, posted this text, it immediately exploded on the trending search list.


    ¡ª¡ªXue An¡¯s ¡°White Moonlight¡±!


    The story abruptly stopped here, like taking a half-finished shit and no matter how hard you try, you can¡¯t squeeze it out, leaving people itching to scratch their heads.


    Numerous people in thements urged the blogger to hurry up and post an update, asking who Xue An¡¯s ¡°White Moonlight¡± was, how Xue An and Liang Yanran actually got to this point, and what mysterious capital was behind Xue An, all questions swirling around in their minds.


    In an office in a high-rise building in Jiangzhou, a male student typing on hisputer took off his ck-framed sses and looked up at the man on the sofa opposite him.


    The mannguidly nestled in the sofa, his legs crossed and resting on a ck marble coffee table. The exposed ankle looked particrly slender and white against the ck marble, exuding an unspeakable temptation and sexiness.


    The man sipped his cup of tea leisurely, the corners of his eyes rxed, ¡°The show has begun.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qing,izens are urging for an update, and their appetites have been whetted.¡±


    ¡°NONONO, it¡¯s not enough. Do you understand the concept of starvation marketing? We not only need to trample on Xue An and Liang Xiaohong, this pair of assholes, but also make our marketing ount bigger and stronger. This is a two-in-one strategy, ingenious and perfect.¡±


    The male student nodded: ¡°Brother Qing is so smart and capable.¡±


    Zheng Qingughed exaggeratedly at the tant ass-kissing, ¡°You¡¯re getting a bonus this month, a total bonus.¡±


    The male student¡¯s teeth were bared inughter: ¡°Thank you, Brother Qing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the amazing one. Xue An managed to delete all the dirt from more than a decade ago, but as they say, where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. My little Hui Hui is a super hacker, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s really impressive.¡±


    The male student bowed his head shyly, stealing a nce at him before saying, ¡°Brother Qing, since he deleted it back then, he definitely didn¡¯t want anyone to know. Will exposing it now bring about his revenge? The capital behind him is not simple.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Zheng Qing sneered disdainfully, ¡°Fuck¡­I have never been afraid of anyone. Anyone who messes with me is asking for death.¡±


    Zheng Qing thought for a moment before calling Ming Jing: ¡°Xue An is basically finished, and Liang Xiaohong, even more so. She¡¯s just a pawn to be discarded. So our revenge is aplished. When will youe back so we can celebrate properly?¡±


    A long silence came from the phone.


    ¡°Qingqing¡­


    Zheng Qing subconsciously straightened up: ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Damn, who bullied you? Tell me, I¡­uh¡­¡± ncing at the male student who was secretly looking over with perked ears, Zheng Qing immediately changed his tone: ¡°Brother Qing will avenge you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve found enough about Xue An, no need to dig further.¡±


    Zheng Qing didn¡¯t ask why because they both understood.


    It¡¯s quite fascinating; there seems to be a magical tacit understanding between the two, which Zheng Qing attributes to the protection of A Yu from Heaven.


    Enough is enough. Anymore, and they¡¯ll have to weigh the capital in their hands.


    The current loss isn¡¯t significant, and the opponent may abandon their chariot to save the yer. If they dig too deep, both sides may be severely hurt, destroying everything.


    After all, their initial target was merely Liang Xiaohong. Xue An was just an unexpected bonus.


    ¡°But Xue An, as a despicable man, needs to be tormented to my heart¡¯s content. I wish all the scum men in the world would die.¡± Zheng Qing spat out venomously.


    The more they looked into Xue An, the more disgusting he was. He was the worst kind of scumbag.


    Her sympathy for Liang Yanran surged, and with their past heated rivalry in mind, she decided to avenge the deceased Liang Yanran against this awful man on her behalf.On the other end of the phone was a long silence. Zheng Qing couldn¡¯t even hear Ming Jing¡¯s breath and couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Ming Jing? What¡¯s wrong with you? Every time Xue An is mentioned, you act so strange. Did he bully you or something?¡± There was a touch of anger in Zheng Qing¡¯s voice, as if he wanted to crush Xue An¡¯s head immediately.


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°The article about Xue An¡¯s first love, you posted it, right?¡±


    Zheng Qing burst outughing and patted his chest, ¡°How about that? It took me a lot of effort to dig it up as a hacker. No one in the world would probably know about it. He wants to get rid of this trace, but I want the world to know that he has hurt more than just Liang Yanran.¡±


    Ming Jing remained silent for a moment, ¡°Fine, I have things to do, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡±


    Zheng Qing looked at the phone that was hung up immediately and frowned, Ming Jing seemed a bit off.


    If it weren¡¯t for certain reasons that prevented her from going to the capital, she would have flown to Ming Jing¡¯s side a long time ago.


    Sighing mournfully, Zheng Qing raised her head and noticed a guy trying to sneak a look at her.


    Raising her eyebrows, Zheng Qing said, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    The guy immediately lowered his head in submission.


    Zheng Qing looked at the sky and snapped her fingers, ¡°Release it.¡±


    As Qingqing Zi Jin updated, the news spread like wildfire and the inte went wild.


    Xue An¡¯s first love became the hottest topic of the moment, even leading to the long-standing discussion about first loves and love at first sight.


    If Xue An had an unforgettable first love, what was Liang Yanran to him?


    It was not even love at first sight; she was merely a mosquito that he personally swatted to death.


    How ironic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back fifteen years when our Xue An was still a naive young man, preupied with either football or car racing on Weibo. He was a passionate youth, but one day, our handsome Xue An changed his style and began to post sentimental writings on Weibo during the wee hours, transforming into a sensitive and literary youth. Look at the heart-wrenching text he penned ¨C I always thought life was lonely and meaningless until I met her. Suddenly, I realized that the whole purpose of my existence was to meet her.¡±


    Folks, look at the atmosphere he created. It must have been love at first sight, right? What must that girl look like to make our handsome Xue An so smitten? At least ten times more beautiful than Liang Yanran? (No disrespect to Miss Liang Yanran). Then our handsome Xue An embarked on a journey of secret love. Posting things like, ¡®I¡¯ve been waiting at the bookstore where we first met for three days. On the fourth day, she finally appeared. She was wearing a white dress and looked like a fallen fairy¡­¡¯ This kind of old-fashioned romance is indeed cringeworthy, but it shows that at the time, our handsome Xue An was still a pure-hearted young man. With unwavering persistence and unyielding shamelessness, he finally won over the fairy. They made ns to go skiing in the Swiss Alps. At this time, our handsome Xue An was still very normal, always praising the beauty and divinity of his goddess¡­¡±


    Twenty-year-old Xue An had a habit of posting on Weibo, so much so that even after deleting everything, hackers could still dig it up.


    In the photos posted by Qingqing Zi Jin, there were screenshots of Xue An¡¯s Weibo posts from back then, definitely not photoshopped.


    At that time, Xue An was already an actor with real name verification on Weibo, so it couldn¡¯t have been an impersonation.


    People couldn¡¯t believe it ¨C Xue An was once a fawning admirer.


    Everyone was shocked because Xue An had always appeared genteel and refined. However, he wasn¡¯t much of a talker, and there was always a sense of aloofness about him. So, when he and Liang Yanran were in a rtionship without much physical interaction, no one found it odd as it was just Xue An¡¯s personality.


    Therefore, when Qingqing Zi Jin exposed that Xue An was once a fawning admirer, and a most devoted one at that, everyone was stunned.


    Although one could argue that he was just young and reckless, it also proved that the woman in question was incredibly charming. At the very least, she had Xue An absolutely smitten back then. After all, no one could deny Xue An¡¯s personal charm, or Liang Yanran wouldn¡¯t have loved him so desperately.


    Everyone savored this juicy gossip, urging Qingqing Zi Jin to reveal more about Xue An¡¯s first love.


    A fairy and her admirer ¨C this was too tempting for the audience.


    As they smelled the scent of drama, everyone became increasingly excited.


    Strip away Liang Yanran, the innocent victim, and under the influence of the text, the fifteen-year-old history, and Xue An¡¯s contrasting appeal, the ancient couple actually exuded an endless charm, making them more captivating with every bite.


    ¡°Damn¡­ how did they even start shipping a couple? Aren¡¯t they afraid of getting cavities?¡± Zheng Qing was left speechless by theizens¡¯ train of thought.


    It was supposed to be about exposing a scumbag, but everyone was shipping a couple instead. Just how bitter were their lives to find sweetness amidst broken ss?

 Chapter 520: 243 Ajang (late night update)

    Chapter 520: 243 Ajang te night update)


    What happenedter?


    It seems that they broke up, otherwise there wouldn¡¯t be any Liang Yanran issue.


    ¡°At first, everything was sweet. Our very own Handsome Xue was not only a heartthrob but also a culinary master, inventing a variety of delicious dishes every day. They say to win a person¡¯s heart, you must first win their stomach, Xue An understood thispletely. Every day he wrote a poem confessing his love. Not to mention Xue An¡¯s literary talent is indeed exceptional. With his tender and touching poems, even the most heartless fairy would be moved¡­¡±


    Qingqing Zijin clearly described the timeline: fifteen years ago, Xue An fell for his first love. He was the embodiment of an innocent straight man, who could write poems and make delicious food. Being knowledgeable, eloquent, he pursued her for a whole year before the goddess disappeared, leaving Xue An in depression for a long time.


    Two yearster, the goddess returned, and Xue An gave three exmation marks to express his inner excitement. After that, Xue An reduced the frequency of his Weibo postings and asionally shared meals made for his goddess. ording to the few photos avable, the background was in a hospital. It was spected that the goddess was ill and hospitalized at the time, and Xue An had been looking after her.


    Half a yearter, Xue An suddenly posted three words ¨C I¡¯m sorry.


    He deleted it one minute after posting, and also cleared all his Weibo posts. From that moment on, Xue An never posted on Weibo again.


    ording to the report of twelve years ago, during the time the goddess was hospitalized, Xue An rejected all the advertisement and movie contracts, entirely took care of the goddess, and for this, he missed a blockbuster film, giving Zhou Zhengru an opportunity to be famous. Consequently, Xue An missed the best opportunity for development.


    Twelve years passed, the entertainment industry has changed numerous times, fans have graduated, started work, got married, had children, but Xue An remains the same. However, whatever may have happened to him in the past and under his deliberate low profile, no one remembers anymore.


    The only impression people had of him was being the youngest winner of the Golden Deer¡¯s Best Actor and being Liang Yanran¡¯s boyfriend.


    The conjectures of Qingqing Zijin were based on the pictures and texts of Xue An¡¯s deleted Weibo posts. All her spections were subjective but gave a glimpse into the fact that Xue An indeed had a first love more than a decade ago. The end of their rtionship, apart from Xue An and the goddess herself, was probably a secret forever.


    After Qingqing Zijin finished, a discussion storm aroused on the inte about who Xue An¡¯s first love exactly was. If she is still alive, she probably breathed a sigh of relief because otherwise, it could have been her who died.


    ¡°It turns out to be true.¡± said Ye Zhen, seeing the pictures and text posted by Qingqing Zijin, she shed bitter tears.


    The whole world knew that Xue An didn¡¯t love her, only she was still deceiving herself. How sad it was.


    Deception, betrayal, murder, how could this hatred be resolved?


    However, Xue An vanished. She went to Xue An¡¯s house looking for him. He owned three properties in Jingzhou, but he was not at any of them.


    ¡°Even if you flee to the remotest corners of the earth, I will find you and personally avenge my death.¡±


    ¡°Ye Zhen.¡± Ming Jing called her.


    Ye Zhen turned around, seeing Ming Jing¡¯s gentleness andpassion made the hatred in her heart diminish many times. She took a deep breath,posed herself, walked over to him and said, ¡°Thank you for helping me avenge my death. However, the death of Liang Xiaohong is not enough for my life. I want to find Xue An and kill him personally.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± Ming Jing asked softly.


    Ye Zhen was stunned, her face suddenly turned pale.


    Yes, she is not Liang Yanran, neither Ye Zhen but Ming Xin. In her impulsive state, she had harmed Ming Xin.


    Ye Zhen bowed her head, feeling guilty, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was too impulsive.¡±


    Ming Jing walked into the room, followed by Ye Zhen who closed the door.


    Ming Jing walked to the French windows, holding Buddhist beads in his hand, he said lightly, ¡°In the era of the Buddha, King Vajra thought he should practice Buddhism after reading the Twelve Causes. So he gave away the throne to the prince and joined a monastery. Buddha knew that Vajra was to be killed by a bull the next day due to his Karmic debts. Therefore, Buddha told Vajra about the intricate meanings of Buddhism, and Vajra entered the state of spiritual concentration and attained the fruits of an anagami. The next day, Vajra was killed by a bull and he was reborn in the heavenly world after his death¡­¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s ethereal and gentle voice floated in the room. Ye Zhen didn¡¯t understand why Ming Jing suddenly started narrating a story, but she listened seriously.


    ¡°The bull¡¯s owner, out of fear, sold the bull that had killed a person. The person who bought this cow, while leading the cow to drink water, was again killed by this bull from behind. The son of the buyer was very angry, so he killed the cow. The beef was taken to the market to be sold. A man who bought a cow¡¯s head, while on his way home, hung the cow¡¯s head on a tree branch and sat under the tree to rest for a while. Unfortunately, the branch broke, the cow¡¯s head fell off, the bull¡¯s horn pierced the man and he died immediately.¡±

 Chapter 521: 243 Ajang (late night update)_2

    Chapter 521: 243 Ajang te night update)_2


    So someone went to ask the Buddha, what was the reason for it? Why did one cow take the lives of three men in such a short time?


    The Buddha answered: The retribution for sins has a cause and cannot be exined by the events of this life. In a past life, there were three merchants who stayed at the home of an old woman during their journey. Seeing that the old woman was helpless and alone, they nned to evade paying for their room and board. They all imed they had already paid, and no matter how the old woman presented evidence, they insisted they had paid. The old woman was furious and said: I¡¯m so poor, and you still try to deceive me! I swear! If I encounter you in my next life, I will not rest until I have killed you!


    That old woman in the past is now the cow in this life, and those three merchants are the three people killed by the cow.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s words fell, and there was silence in the room for a long time.


    ¡°All beings in the world of illusion turn with their respective karmas, and their causes, conditions, and retributions cannot be escaped.¡±


    Ye Zhen pondered for a while, ¡°So I owed him from my past life? This is my retribution?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not living in the past or the future, I¡¯m living in the present, at this moment.¡± Ye Zhen said decisively.


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t have the roots of the Buddha, but I only know one thing, if someone owes me, I must get it back, and live this life mboyantly and without regret, regardless of the past life or the next life. But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be impulsive, and I won¡¯t cause any trouble for Ming Xin.¡± Ye Zhen said.


    She was already a dead person. The fact that she could be alive now was already a mercy from the heavens. She would have no regrets once she had avenged this grievance.


    Ming Jing looked at her and slowly smiled.<div>


    Ye Zhen was confused: ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re doing well. Buddhism teaches people to put down their butcher knives and be a Buddha on the spot. But when the wicked put down their knives and be a Buddha, what about the killed? Do they deserve to die? Buddha seeks rebirth, using a lifetime of bitter cultivation to gain a life of good fortune. Yet, every bite of food you eat, every cloud you see, every breath you take, is for this moment.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her hand to touch the corner of the room, where the lush and vibrant green vines grew. Her slender, jade-like fingers set off the white snow and green as fei.


    The mix of snow and fei colors created a more beautiful hue than the rarest jade.


    ¡°What a beautiful life¡­¡±


    After a day of rain, the sky cleared up in the evening, with a fiery cloud appearing at the horizon. The vibrant red, like a burst of life, burned intensely.


    ¡°Not for the past life or the future life, but for this moment.¡±


    So, seek revenge for grievances, and seek retribution for enmities.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Liang Xiaohong, as a discarded pawn, was utterly hysterical, Xinghui Entertainment¡¯s share price fell to the lowest point, evaporating billions of dors overnight.


    Xinghui Entertainment, as the leader of the industry with a monopoly for many years, made people within the industry dare to be angry but not to speak out. This time, when the wall fell, many people helped to push it, and the entertainment circle was shaken, affecting many artists, including top stars, actors, and popr young talents. For a while, the entertainment circle became silent, and everyone was afraid of being targeted by the police. After all, no one is clean if one is investigated.


    Those artists who had been involved with Liang Xiaohong now avoided her as if fleeing from a gue, wishing they had never known her.


    ¡°The autopsy results are out. Liang Yanran was strangled to death from behind with a rope. Hair tissues have been found in her fingernails and have been sent for DNAparison. The results will be avable soon.¡±


    In the interrogation room, the chief interrogator spoke expressionlessly with a cold, stern voice that created a soundless pressure.


    Liang Xiaohong sat in the interrogation chair, handcuffed, with a beam of light shining on her, revealing her disheveled, feeble appearance.


    Her voice was hoarse, ¡°I¡¯ve said it many times, I had nothing to do with Liang Yanran¡¯s death, and the answer will be the same even if you ask me a hundred more times.¡±


    The police officer ignored her and continued to ask, ¡°Did Xue An order you to kill? The police have already gathered enough evidence, and if you confess honestly, thew may be lenient with you because of your good attitude. Otherwise, thew will show no mercy.¡±


    As soon as Xue An¡¯s name was mentioned, Liang Xiaohong¡¯s fists clenched tightly, pounding the table hatefully. However, her hands were handcuffed to the interrogation chair, and she couldn¡¯t make any major movements, causing the chair to emit a scraping sound as it moved violently.


    Liang Xiaohong¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and she said viciously, ¡°It has nothing to do with Xue An! How dare you frame him?¡±<div>

 Chapter 522: 243 Ajang (late night update)_3

    Chapter 522: 243 Ajang te night update)_3


    The police officer said expressionlessly, ¡°Be honest, how did you kill Liang Yanran?¡±


    Liang Xiaohong fell silent.


    When the interrogation time was up, Liang Xiaohong was taken away by a female police officer and sent to the detention center, where she was locked up alone.


    At noon, the prison guard came to deliver lunch. Liang Xiaohong sat nkly in the corner until the door was gently knocked, and she suddenly woke up, rushing to the small hole in the door.


    Outside the door stood a male prison guard with a square face, his gloomy eyes staring at her, his mouth open.


    Liang Xiaohong understood his lipnguage.


    The man put down the lunch and turned away.


    As his footsteps gradually disappeared, Liang Xiaohong¡¯s face turned pale, and she copsed to the ground in despair.


    After a while, she looked at the lunch te on the ground, shredded potato and scrambled eggs with tomatoes, emitting a tempting aroma.


    Liang Xiaohong trembled as she reached out her hand¡­<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    A ck Jaguar was parked under the big elm tree opposite the detention center, its smooth and powerful body lines revealing the owner¡¯s low-key ambition.


    In the back seat, a man had a ckptop on hisp, and on the screen was the gentle and beautiful face of a girl in a white dress.


    The car window was half rolled down, and the ashes of the cigarette butt at the man¡¯s fingertips fell gently, disappearing with the wind.


    The man¡¯s fingers were full of callouses, and a scar on the back of his hand was startling.


    The ambnce roared in, making an emergency stop at the entrance of the detention center. The paramedics rushed in pushing a stretcher, and quickly wheeled an unconscious woman onto the ambnce, which sped away, followed by a police car.


    In the blink of an eye, both the ambnce and the police car disappeared onto the road, leaving no trace.


    The man threw away the cigarette butt and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The wheels rolled over the fallen leaves, sshing water from the roadside, and slowly drove into the driveway.


    ¡°Boss, Madam is calling.¡±


    The man frowned slightly, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m in Yunzhou, on a mission.¡± His maic voice was extremely cold, much colder than the winter cold.


    ¡°But, Madam¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts.¡± The man took off his headset and threw it directly into the drawer.


    He reached into his pocket and touched a cigarette box, but ultimately took out a lighter from his other pocket instead.


    The lighter was made of pure silver, square in shape, with a woman¡¯s relief on it. It seemed to have been caressed often, the woman¡¯s face had be a bit blurred, but her mysterious charm had grown even more attractive.


    The man gently stroked the relief with his finger, and with a ¡°snap¡± the me ignited.


    In the man¡¯s eyes, a cluster of ice-blue mes burned, surrounded by a dense ck pupil like thick ink. As the blue fire scorched and devoured his heart and bones, it seemed to possess the power to destroy everything in the world.


    The car drove into the Foreign Language High School gate and stopped in the parking lot.


    The man got out of the car and looked towards the direction of the auditorium. He squinted his eyes and walked in.<div>


    At this time, the award ceremony had already begun.


    It was being announced by Liu Xiangyue step by step.


    The gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded in a ratio of 1:2:3. This year, there were 88 bronze medals, 66 silver medals, and 32 gold medals.


    Among them, 60 of the top performers would be selected to join the national training team in preparation for next year¡¯s IMO.<div>


    First, they announced the bronze medal winners, and then the winners went on stage to receive their awards, with the medals being presented by the leaders, followed by group photos.


    All the bronze medal winners were announced, but Xie Zhen didn¡¯t hear her name, and she couldn¡¯t help but sigh in disappointment.


    There was no hope.


    She had never really held out much hope to begin with, she was already satisfied just participating, so Xie Zhen took a deep breath and put on a smile.


    Ming Jing, Liu Muxue and Zhao Heng, Song Yinzhang didn¡¯t hear their names either, but all four remained calm.


    Liu Muxue patted Xie Zhen¡¯s shoulder: ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s already a miracle that you were able to make it here. Be content.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know whether Liu Muxue was praising or belittling her, and she smiled, ¡°Thank you for yourfort.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Liu Muxue nced at Ming Jing who was sitting quietly and raised her eyebrows: ¡°How about we make a bet? Both of us will make the national team.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t say anything, Xie Zhen intervened: ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Do we still need to bet?¡±


    Liu Muxue snorted: ¡°Of course, we need to. My strength is undeniable, but Ming Jing suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Who knows if it¡¯s just like a blind cat catching a dead rat?¡±


    ¡°You bet on yourself.¡± Ming Jing said.


    ¡°No, you must bet with me. If I win¡­¡± Liu Muxue¡¯s eyes rolled around; ¡°you will call me sister.¡±<div>


    So petty, clearly just wanting Ming Jing to call her sister.


    Ming Jing ignored her, Liu Muxue chuckled and leaned closer to Ming Jing: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with having a powerful sister? You should be grateful. Not everyone has the fortune to be my little sister.¡±


    Xie Zhen muttered that it was only because Ming Jing was good-tempered; if her temper was worse, she would have turned her face on the spot.


    Every word of Liu Muxue¡¯s urately trampled on other people¡¯s sore spots, which was also a skill.


    As they whispered to each other, the bronze medal winners who heard their names went on stage to receive their awards. For a moment, the whole auditorium was chaotic, so no one noticed a man entering and sitting in an inconspicuous corner in thest row.


    In the row in front, with two seats in between, sat two delicately dressed women. One of them, with long wavy hair, looked at the young man on the stage with admiration and sighed, ¡°Ah Jiang, you¡¯re so lucky to have such a good husband-to-be. It¡¯s hard to find one even with antern.¡±


    The woman casually brushed a strand of hair from her temples. Her slim, delicate wrist was entuated by a green jade bracelet, making her appear exceptionally soft and frail.


    Her nails were neatly rounded and clean, coated with a transparent nail polish. They looked like smooth, wless jade.


    Her simple hair-flipping gesture exuded endless tenderness, which made people feelfortable at heart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about me, your Shen Zhou is also not bad.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was even gentler, like Peach Blossom Wine, intoxicating the listener.


    Upon hearing this voice, the man in the back row narrowed his eyes slightly, casting his gaze inconspicuously.


    As though sensing his stare, the woman subtly nced back.


    The next moment, her pupils trembled with fear, clearly recognizing the man behind her.<div>

 Chapter 523: 244 Daughter of Wealth (Second Revision)

    Chapter 523: 244 Daughter of Wealth (Second Revision)


    ¡°A Jiang, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Mao Nana saw the woman next to her maintain a twisted head position, not moving for a while, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, subconsciously turning her head to look.


    It was a middle-aged man, wearing a suit with a ck coat over it and a top hat. His deep, three-dimensional facial features resemble a sculpture, each inch perfectly measured and proportioned by the creator.


    This face was so handsome that it was excessive, but it seemed somewhat unrealistic due to its perfection, like a¡­ how to describe it? Like a perfectly crafted mask.


    The man¡¯s eyes were gentle, without any aggression, like any other kind and silent middle-aged uncle on the street. What made him better than those uncles was that this man had a mature and dominating aura of an old ruler in every movement, but it was like a sheathed sword, hiding its sharpness and leaving only a gentle appearance.


    Mao Nana felt that this man had an inexplicable eerie aura about him and couldn¡¯t help but speak out, ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Do you know who she is? How dare you disrespect her; are you looking for death?¡±


    The woman suddenly grabbed her hand, her thin nails digging into her flesh. Mao Nana cried out in pain, ¡°Why are you pinching me?¡±


    The woman slowly turned her head, took a deep breath, and retracted her hand, gripping the handle of her bag tightly.


    Mao Nana waspletely baffled by her inexplicable reaction and couldn¡¯t help but nce back at the man. He raised an eyebrow at her, and those gentle eyes hid a dangerously hawkish light. Mao Nana sensed it, but she was not afraid, and snorted coldly.


    ¡°You scared my friend, do you know who she is?¡± She spoke with a spoilt youngdy¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Nana, stop talking.¡± The woman said in a low voice, her tone filled with warning.<div>


    The man raised an eyebrow, his maic, deep voice like an aged wine that intoxicated people.


    ¡°Miss Bo, everyone knows who you are, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Mao Nana smirked in satisfaction at first, but then frowned, sensing something off in his tone. Who was he mocking?


    ¡°Hey you¡­¡±


    ¡°Nana.¡± Bo Yujiang tightly held her hand, red at her with a warning look, and gently shook her head.


    Bo Yujiang had always been gentle, and Mao Nana had never seen her with such a look before. She couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    Mao Nana leaned over and whispered in her ear, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re so scared of him? Do you know him?¡±


    Bo Yujiang bit her lower lip lightly and shook her head gently.


    ¡°Then why are you afraid of him? You are Miss Bo, who would dare to offend you in Jingzhou? Unless they don¡¯t want to live.¡±


    Bo Yujiang just shook her head and didn¡¯t answer her anymore.


    At this moment, her heart was a mess.


    Why was he here?


    Was it for a mission? Or was he here to settle ounts with her¡­?


    Bo Yujiang furrowed her eyebrows, subconsciously gripping her bag tightly,pletely oblivious to the beloved limited-edition crocodile skin bag being torn by her fingers.


    After the bronze medals were awarded, it was time for the silver medals.


    Zhao Heng and Xie Zhen received silver medals. Zhao Heng was disappointed, while Xie Zhen was so excited she nearly jumped.


    She hugged Ming Jing, happily saying, ¡°Thank you, Ming Jing. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten the silver medal.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°It was your own hard work.¡±


    Xie Zhen happily went to the stage to receive her award. Zhao Heng, feeling dejected, looked at Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to join you for the IMO.¡±


    Liu Muxueughed and waved her hand, ¡°That¡¯s perfect, one less burden, so we won¡¯t be held back during the teampetition.¡±


    Zhao Heng¡¯s chest heaved in anger, had she not been a girl, he would¡¯ve punched her already.


    Song Yinzhang consoled, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged; there¡¯s still a chance.¡±<div>


    When Xie Zhen returned, she excitedly looked at her trophy and certificate, touching and kissing them. Liu Muxue rolled her eyes at her from the side.


    Next up were the gold medal winners, a long list of names.


    Without any surprises, Liu Muxue, Ming Jing, and Song Yinzhang were among them.


    There was also another familiar name¡ªBo Lianye.


    Liu Muxue snorted, ¡°Her presence just won¡¯t go away.¡±


    They were destined to meet again in the national team.


    For Bo Lianye, who had been ustomed to winning awards since childhood, a CMO gold medal wouldn¡¯t make her lose herposure. She maintained a properly reserved smile on her face, gracefully walking to the awarding stage under the envious gaze of the audience.As Bo Lianye stood on stage, the apuse from the audience seemed to be even more enthusiastic.


    Bo Lianye curled her lips, revealing a confident and proud smile.


    At this moment, she caught sight of the gaze of the leader in the first row, seemingly lingering on her.


    Bo Lianye subtly furrowed her brows and nced sidelong.


    As wless as white jade, she radiated a gentle and unparalleled glow, neither as zing as the sun nor purer than the moonlight; she hung high in the sky, spreading warmth and brightness across the earth, naturally receiving the adoration and attention of the world.


    It all seemed so natural.


    Bo Lianye¡¯s eyebrows creased slightly, and her hand beneath her school uniform sleeve clenched into a fist.<div>


    Ming Jing.


    In thest row of the audience, a pair of eyes always followed the slender figure; rough fingers gently stroked the stubble on his chin; another hand slipped into the pocket, caressing the embossed lighter with tenderness like water.


    ¡°Yezi is so amazing, she won the Gold Medal again, and there¡¯s Ming Jing, the beautiful girl beside Yezi, let me tell you, she¡¯s my future sister-inw, and she won the Gold Medal too,¡± Mao Nana chattered on.


    Bo Yujiang had no interest in finding out what sort of appearance Mao Nana¡¯s future sister-inw had; she found every moment on the edge of her seat, wishing she could bolt and flee.


    Finally, the awards ceremony was over, and Bo Yujiang said, ¡°Nana, I¡¯m not feeling well. I have to go.¡±


    She grabbed her backpack and left without giving Mao Nana time to react.


    Mao Nana turned her head, and the person was already gone.


    Even the strange man behind her had disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll greet Ming Jingter. The old man asked me to take care of her, so I must cozy up to my future sister-inw.¡±


    The woman¡¯s footsteps hurried, and after taking just two steps, a pair of ck boots appeared in front of her.


    She swallowed nervously and took a step back.


    ¡°Miss Bo, how have these years of wealth andfort treated you?¡± The man picked a heliconia flower and held it to his nose with a sniff.


    ¡°Boss, what are you doing here?¡± Bo Yujiang asked calmly, clenching her bag strap.<div>


    The man chuckled, ¡°Guess?¡±


    The simple response made her heart skip a beat. Sheughed, ¡°How can I fathom your thoughts, Boss?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you always love to guess people¡¯s intentions back then? That was your unique skill. It helped you escape the quagmire and be an aristocrat¡¯s daughter. It seems all those years of luxury have dulled your senses?¡±


    Bo Yujiang bowed her head gracefully, revealing an elegant and fair nape.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t congratted you on finding another perfect husband. This is your third marriage, I hope this one has a longer life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, Boss.¡±


    With no response, Bo Yujiang couldn¡¯t help but look up, only to meet the man¡¯s eyes, filled with murderous intent. She involuntarily took a step back.


    The man smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, the real person who wants to settle the debt with you isn¡¯t me.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s breath hitched, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The man raised an eyebrow, twirling the heliconia flower in his hand,ughing coldly and mockingly, ¡°You know very well what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Bo Yujiang said, ¡°Boss, it was Madam who, back then, ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention her to me.¡± The man¡¯s face turned icy, casting a dark shadow, causing Bo Yujiang to tremble and unconsciously shrink her neck.


    The man pped Bo Yujiang¡¯s face with the heliconia flower, ¡°You¡¯ve enjoyed enough years of wealth and luxury.¡±<div>


    Bo Yujiang dared not breathe.


    Cold sweat formed in her palm.


    The man stepped back and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you are now Miss Bo, Granny Bo¡¯s cherished jewel. Who in Jingzhou would darey a finger on you?¡±


    Bo Yujiang discreetly let out a sigh of relief, lowered her head, and a faint curve appeared on her lips.


    At this moment, voices came from behind; the students poured out as the award ceremony ended.


    ¡°A Jiang¡± came the voice of Liu Xiangyue from behind her.


    When Bo Yujiang looked up, the man had long vanished from sight, leaving only a wilted heliconia flower trembling in the cold wind on the ground.

 Chapter 524: 245 Harvest (first update)

    Chapter 524: 245 Harvest (first update)


    ¡°A Jiang, why didn¡¯t you let me know in advance that you wereing? I would have arranged a good seat for you,¡± Liu Xiangyue said adoringly with a smile.


    Bo Yujiang raised his hand to lightly brush away the hair that had fallen by his ear and said softly, ¡°Nana and I just happened to be passing by, so we dropped in to take a look. Knowing you¡¯re so busy, we didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite with me. It makes us seem distant. Let me take you home, and then I¡¯ll pay a visit to the olddy.¡±


    ¡°Auntie,¡± Bo Lianye happily ran over.


    Following her, Su Wen approached and respectfully greeted, ¡°Hello, Auntie Bo, Mr. Liu.¡±


    Bo Yujiang nodded with a smile, looking at the certificate and medals in Bo Lianye¡¯s hands, ¡°Congrattions, Lianye.¡±


    Bo Lianye¡¯s lips curled up in a slightly smug smile. Su Wen had seen Bo Lianye as a dignified andposed girl most of the time, but now she was showing her yful side, only in the presence of her family.


    Su Wen was extremely envious.


    The Bos had such a close bond, especially the twin aunts and uncle who doted on Lianye.


    Not only did Su Wen envy Lianye¡¯s doting aunts and uncle, but she also envied her for having such outstanding ones.<div>


    Uncle Bo was a medical prodigy, and at the age of twenty, his paper was published in the world¡¯s top medical journal, The Lancet. He was not only the youngest author but also the only Hua Country medical student to win an academic award for his paper, which sparked a wave of interest at the international level. Later, Uncle Bo conducted several major surgeries abroad and became world-renowned.


    He was soon to return to Hua Country and had already epted a position as the director of cardiothoracic surgery at the State Medical College, making him the youngest director there. Even Jingzhou Medical University was actively inviting him to be a distinguished professor, but Uncle Bo had not yet responded. Bncing his research and clinical practice abroad, he made remarkable contributions to Hua Country¡¯s international reputation in the medical field. His return was considered a triumphant one.


    Auntie Bo was also a legendary figure, having written several award-winning books. Her most famous work, Wind on the Clouds, set a publication record in the declining publishing industry and was hailed as the pinnacle of martial arts fiction. Moreover, she made the list of Forbes¡¯ richest authors multiple times thanks to her copyrights.


    Due to her family background, she didn¡¯t like to appear in the public eye because the identity of being a daughter of the Bos was too showy. Even more popr was her pen name, Xiang Kui, which was a household name in the literary world.


    Su Wen had read Wind on the Clouds over and over, admiring Auntie Bo more and more, and feeling increasingly envious of Bo Lianye.


    ¡°Is the gold medal made of pure gold?¡± Xie Zhen bit down on it and almost chipped her teeth, grimacing in pain.


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes, speechless at her uncouth behavior.


    ¡°Idiot, if it was all made of pure gold, the organizers would go bankrupt,¡± he said.


    ¡°Ah? It¡¯s fake.¡±


    ¡°Even an Olympic gold medal isn¡¯t made of pure gold.¡±


    Xie Zhen returned the gold medal to Ming Jing and touched her silver one. ¡°Mr. Liu has already announced the IMO team, and among us five, Ming Jing, you, and Song Yinzhang made it. I¡¯m so happy for you; you can now gain admission to Huaqing University without examination, right?¡±


    Those sixty students who made it to the national training team were guaranteed admission to the top universities of Hua Country. As for the students ranked second and third, it wasn¡¯t possible to gain admission directly. They also had to participate in the college entrance examination and get a score-based discount based on their prior achievements and rankings in variouspetitions. Generally, though, they would also receive preferential treatment in terms of score reductions from several top provincial universities, such as Jiangzhou University.


    This trip to Jingzhou had yielded quite a few rewards.


    Everyone had been studying hard for over a decade for that one college entrance exam. Now, with Ming Jing, Liu Muxue, and Song Yinzhang scoring high and bowing out of that contest, it felt like a relief.


    Although envious, Su Wen could only study harder and strive to enter the same university as them the following year.


    ¡°Ming Jing!¡±


    Someone called Ming Jing¡¯s name from behind. Ming Jing stopped and Liu Muxue and Xie Zhen instinctively looked back.


    A woman in a red coat approached them. She had wavy, curly hair and looked quite sexy and attractive. Despite the cold winter weather, she wore a ck, hollow knit dress that was very revealing. The bright red coat was eye-catching, and even at first nce, she left a deep impression.


    As the woman got closer, Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t help but frown. Expecting a beautiful woman, she was disappointed to see a face that clearly had undergone stic surgery. The double eyelid sutures seemed fresh, as there was still some swelling on the eyelids, and the chin was sharp enough to poke someone. The woman¡¯s face perfectly embodied the essence of the term ¡°snake face.¡±<div>

 Chapter 525: 245 Harvest (first update)_2

    Chapter 525: 245 Harvest (first update)_2


    However, as the woman walked over there, her demeanor exuded a strong, headstrong air that made her look difficult to deal with.


    Xie Zhen sneaked a nce at Liu Muxue and wondered if the two were sisters.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Sister Nana.¡±


    With a warm smile on her face, Mao Nana casually took Ming Jing¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ming Jing, congrattions! I knew you¡¯d definitely win the gold medal. I¡¯ve never met a smarter girl than you.¡±


    ¡°Are all these people your ssmates? Jiangzhou truly has a lot of talented people. Everyone looks so pretty. I¡¯ll treat you all to lunch today to celebrate Ming Jing¡¯s gold medal.¡± Mao Nana waved her hand and said generously.


    Liu Muxue raised an eyebrow, ¡°Sister Nana?¡±


    After looking at her, Mao Nanaughed and said, ¡°What a cute little sister! What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Liu Muxue lightly pursed her lips, ¡°Liu Muxue.¡±


    ¡°Nice name, your family name is Liu? As in the Liu tree?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be?¡±<div>


    Mao Nana, in a good mood these past few days, didn¡¯t want to argue with a child and called out, ¡°Mr. Liu, A Jiang.¡±


    Upon hearing her voice, Bo Yujiang, Liu Xiangyue, Su Wen, and Bo Lianye all turned their heads.


    During the winter afternoon at five o¡¯clock, the thin sunlight nted westward, casting a chilling white light on them that felt like transparent snowkes floating in the air, chilling them to the bone as they breathed.


    The small garden outside the auditorium was filled with beautiful banana flowers, their rich fragrance wafting through the cold air.


    Beautiful women and flowers were like the perfect match for heroes and horses.


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s gaze inadvertently fell on the tallest and most outstanding girl. There was a magical allure about her. Suddenly, Bo Yujiang felt even colder and wrapped her coat tighter around herself unconsciously.


    ¡°I am treating everyone tonight to celebrate Ming Jing¡¯s gold medal win and, of course, Lianye¡¯s as well. Let¡¯s go to Dechang Building!¡±


    Su Wen opened her eyes wide and quietly approached Bo Lianye, whispering, ¡°Howe Nana seems so familiar with Ming Jing? What¡¯s up with that?¡±


    Bo Lianye gently shook her head, just as puzzled.


    Bo Yujiang shook her head, ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯m not feeling well. I¡¯d like to go home and rest first.¡±


    Bo Yujiang nodded gracefully to Ming Jing and the others and then turned and left.


    Liu Xiangyue looked at Liu Muxue apologetically and said, ¡°You guys have fun. I have to take A Jiang home.¡±


    Without dy, he hurried off to catch up with Bo Yujiang.


    With a polite smile, Bo Lianye said, ¡°Nana, I won¡¯t take part in this celebration. Enjoy your time.¡±


    After saying that, she left with Su Wen.


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes and sneered, ¡°They didn¡¯t take us seriously anyway. I mean, we¡¯re just nouveau riche from Jiangzhou, unlike those finedies from Jingzhou.¡±


    Her sarcastic tone was undoubtedly infuriating.


    Not far away, Bo Lianye stopped for a moment, and Su Wen cursed, ¡°Who does she think she is? How dare she talk like that?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Bo Lianye brushed it off and walked away with a magnanimous expression.<div>


    In the blink of an eye, they were all gone, leaving Mao Nana disheveled in the wind.


    Touching her slightly red, cold nose, Mao Nana said, ¡°Forget it, if they don¡¯t want to go, we will!¡±Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Nana, is that Sister A Jiang a good friend of yours?¡±


    Mao Nana quickly replied upon hearing Ming Jing take the initiative to talk to her, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been friends for over a decade. A Jiang is a really nice person, and she¡¯s very talented, too. She¡¯s the¡­.¡± Mao Nana paused, remembering that A Jiang didn¡¯t like others knowing about her identity as a writer, and immediately stopped talking.


    ¡°She¡¯s the what?¡± Ming Jing asked with her clear and wide eyes.<div>


    Mao Nanaughed, ¡°She¡¯s a genuine talent, a top graduate from Jingzhou University. She writes articles and has columns in many magazines and newspapers. Though talented girls often have a bit of arrogance, A Jiang is different. She¡¯s very gentle and never loses her temper. Other than you, she¡¯s the person with the best temperament I know.¡±


    ¡°That Sister Jiang seems to be a gentle and intellectual big sister,¡± Ming Jing praised.


    ¡°Haha, her surname is not Jiang, she¡¯s Bo Lianye¡¯s aunt, so her surname is Bo. She¡¯s the youngdy of the Bo family.¡±


    Song Yinzhang, who was next to them, raised his eyebrows in surprise. So the woman they met earlier was the youngdy of the Bo family.


    It was indeed worth meeting her in person after hearing her name for so long.


    ¡°So she¡¯s Bo Lianye¡¯s aunt, but they don¡¯t look alike at all.¡± Xie Zhen interrupted, only to realize he said the wrong thing, and quickly covered his mouth.


    A glimmer of light flew by in Ming Jing¡¯s eyes, quickly fading into calm.


    Mao Nana was stunned for a moment, thenughed, ¡°You know, I never noticed until you mentioned it. They indeed don¡¯t look much alike, but she¡¯s truly the youngdy of the Bo family.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising, though. Granny Bo had been married for many years without children, so she adopted a boy from the Bo family¡¯s side branch. That boy was Bo Lianye¡¯s father, Bo Yujian. Granny Bo took care of him as if he was her own and taught him well. Later, at the age of 42, Granny Bo gave birth to a pair of twins, which was big news at the time. It wasn¡¯t a secret in Jingzhou.


    So, Bo Lianye didn¡¯t share any blood rtionship with Granny Bo. It wasn¡¯t strange for her to not look like Bo Yujiang.


    ¡°True or not? Don¡¯t speak too soon. Nowadays, there are many news stories about babies being switched at birth.¡± He nced at Ming Jing with a meaningful look.


    In this aspect, Ming Jing indeed had the most authority to speak.


    Mao Nanaughed, ¡°Such a dramatic thing, apart from ys and Ming Jing in real life, there couldn¡¯t possibly be another case.¡±<div>


    ¡°You can¡¯t be so sure about that.¡± Anyway, Liu Muxue always had to argue in order to feelfortable, making her a walking argument factory.


    Mao Nana didn¡¯t take her words to heart, and the group went towards the school gate. Mao Nana called Dechang Building to reserve a private room and had the driver bring the van to pick them up.


    There was a convenience store across the street from the school. The cold weather didn¡¯t bring many pedestrians, so business was not booming. Some studentsing out of the school entered the store to buy snacks, and the shopkeeper behind the cashier desk cracked sunflower seeds with a smile: ¡°You guys are students from the Winter Camp, right? It ended today?¡±


    ¡°Yep, the north is too cold for us. I¡¯ve caught a cold already. The southern region is much nicer. Give me a Kanto Stew.¡±


    The store owner stood up and started preparing the food. While making the Kanto Stew, she said, ¡°This year, the cold wave is affecting even the southern region, causing temperatures to drop. The weather has be strange. It hasn¡¯t been so cold this early in previous years. The heavens sure know how to make life difficult for us¡­.¡±


    Several young people lined up to buy Kanto Stew. Even with the heater on in the shop, they were still rubbing their cold hands.


    A girl pointed to the long dining table in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and said, ¡°Look at that man over there, isn¡¯t he weird?¡±


    Several girls looked over simultaneously, seeing a man sitting at the table with his back to them. He was wearing a ck padded coat, making his figure look quite obese. He also had a military green Lei Feng hat on his head. It was an out-of-date style, yet somehow, it gave him a sense of uniqueness.


    The man¡¯s back was perfectly straight, he looked like he was frozen in ce, almost like a statue at first nce.


    ¡°With such an old-fashioned look, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still handsome. Want to bet?¡±


    Across the street, a group of people walked out of Foreign Language High School through the gates.


    From a distance, one of them pointed at the crowd and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ming Jing?¡±


    Nobody noticed, but the man with his back to them had his stiff eyes moving slightly under his sunsses, his gaze prating the ss and falling on the tall figure outdoors.<div>


    With a ¡°click,¡± the chair made a light sound, which went unnoticed by everyone.

 Chapter 526: 246 Torment (Second Revision)

    Chapter 526: 246 Torment (Second Revision)


    ¡°Ming Jing?¡± The bossdy, a gossip enthusiast, was no stranger to this name.


    ¡°She won the gold medal, joined the national team, and now she¡¯s going to be all over the hot search again. Ah, heaven is really biased, giving all the good fortune to her. Is there any way for ordinary people like us to survive.¡±


    The bossdy clucked her tongue in amazement: ¡°A gold medal, wow! That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it! This year¡¯s questions were much harder than before, and the proportion of gold medals was much smaller than before. The gold content is very high.¡±


    ¡°Out of the 32 gold medals in the country, Jiangzhou alone took three golds and two silvers. Foreign Language High School, thepetition¡¯s main camp, only had five gold. This Jiangzhou is really a ce of outstanding talent. Let¡¯s not mention the five Ming Jings, the other few are also handsome boys and beautiful girls. The one wearing sses makes my heart beat faster.¡±


    ¡°I think hisst name is Song, right? He also made it to the national team. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t make it to the national team, so we can¡¯t continue our previous rtionship with the handsome bookworm.¡±


    The few of them sighed together.


    The air conditioning in the convenience store was on full st, but there was still a cold breeze sneaking through the door.


    The man took off his sunsses and stared intently at the tall figure, as if trying to see through the skin and into her soul.


    Soon a van stopped in front of the group, and as it drove off, only the howling cold wind remained in its ce. The beautiful figure was gone.<div>


    The man rushed out in a hurry, only for a ck sedan to suddenly stop in front of him. The car door opened, and arge hand reached out from it, easily pulling the man in. The door closed, and the car sped off, leaving no trace. Everything happened in the blink of an eye.


    As the girl was talking, she turned her head and suddenly eximed, ¡°Where did that weird man go? He was just at the entrance?¡±


    The sudden disappearance of a stranger would not attract anyone¡¯s attention.


    The girl soon forgot about it and continued chatting andughing with her friends about the current gossip.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The ck sedan drove smoothly through traffic.


    Xue An was held down in the back seat, his hands tied. The heating in the car was on, but the leather seat was cold to the touch.


    He breathed rapidly, looking at therge hand resting on the seat.


    It was a man¡¯s hand, with a wide palm and thick, years-old calluses on the fingers. There was a striking one-inch-long scar on the back of the hand.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± the man said coldly.


    The pressure on his back released, and Xue An slowly sat up, straightening his clothes and looking up.


    The man leaned back in his seatzily, nonchntly, his handsome features seemingly sculpted by the hand of God. The sights outside the car window flitted past, and in the fleeting light and shadow, his jaw seemed even more strikingly beautiful and cold-hearted.


    Xue An clenched his fists secretly, the fierceness in his eyes vanished in an instant, as if it had never appeared.


    ¡°Why did you kill Liang Yanran?¡± He had just learned that this man was bold enough. He had underestimated him all along.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her,¡± Xue An said calmly.


    ¡°Heh¡­.¡± The manughed sarcastically.


    Xue An pursed his lips, saying, ¡°Either kill me or let me go.¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes, and the temperature in the car dropped to freezing point. Xue An shuddered, and in a sh, the dark muzzle of a gun was pressed to his forehead.


    Xue An froze, his pupils contracting.<div>


    ¡°I really want her to see with her own eyes the man she loves so much¡ªwhat he really is like.¡±


    These words provoked Xue An, and he suddenlyughed coldly, staring straight at him: ¡°Where are you any better? That shot to her chest back then, wasn¡¯t it you who added the extra bullet? Twenty shots, and you were the twenty-first.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You shut up!¡± The man roared like an enraged lion, his eyes blood-red, exuding a dangerous chill. He suddenly grabbed Xue An by the cor, pinning him down to the seat, his knee pressed into Xue An¡¯s chest and the gun¡¯s muzzle pressed against Xue An¡¯s carotid artery.


    The man gritted his teeth and said word by word: ¡°Don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t dare to kill you.¡±<div>


    Xue An gave a bitter smile: ¡°Since her death, my heart has also died. For years, I have lived like a walking corpse. Just shoot.¡±


    ¡°You want to die, but it¡¯s not that easy. You owe her more than just a life.¡±


    The light in Xue An¡¯s eyes was slowly extinguished.


    ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve had countless opportunities to kill me. Why didn¡¯t you do it?¡±


    The man loosened his grip, snorting coldly. ¡°Because staying alive is the greatest torture.¡±


    Xue An suddenly looked at him.


    ¡°Why?¡±

 Chapter 527: 246 Torment (Second Revision) _2

    Chapter 527: 246 Torment (Second Revision) _2


    He didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know, the only value of your life now is to avenge her.¡±


    Xue An¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank. ¡°If I¡¯m to avenge her, the first person I¡¯ll kill is you.¡±


    The man frowned in disgust. ¡°Stupid, how did she ever see anything in you?¡±


    Xue An gritted his teeth. ¡°What, are you jealous?¡±


    The man turned his head away.


    ¡°If you truly love her, let her die in peace¡­¡±.


    As the car wheels went over him, Xue An rolled onto the ground and awkwardly got up.


    Looking at the disappearing tail of the car, Xue An touched the business card in his hand, his eyes gradually deepened.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    It was Xie Zhen¡¯s first time at Dechang Building. She had always heard of its great reputation but had never stepped inside. It was said that any one of the dishes inside was unimaginable in luxury for ordinary people.


    Unlike the splendor she had imagined, Dechang Building¡¯s antique decoration style was very elegant and tasteful.


    Xie Zhen followed Ming Jing closely, fearing her rustic ways would embarrass Ming Jing.


    A few people entered the private room, Mao Nana greeted everyone to sit down, and the waiter came in to pour tea for the guests one by one.


    Xie Zhen saw that even the tea-pouring waiter wore a cheongsam, tall and elegant, even better looking than a supermodel.


    She suddenly dared not drink the tea in her hand.


    Looking at Ming Jing and Liu Muxue, and the opposite Song Yinzhang and Zhao Heng, they were all calm andposed,paring their ease with her own uneasiness¡­ Xie Zhen felt a little inferior and lowered her head.


    ¡°What do you like to eat?¡± Ming Jing asked softly, her unhurried tone dissolving Xie Zhen¡¯s unease without a trace.


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°This gold wire siu mai should be good, and this lotus tofu¡­¡±


    As Ming Jing spoke, the waiter noted it down.


    Xie Zhen gratefully nced at Ming Jing, who ordered what she usually liked to eat. Ming Jing was just too good.


    Ming Jing considered everyone¡¯s taste, without wastefulness, and just right. Ming Jing closed the menu: ¡°That¡¯s all, thank you.¡±


    The waiter had never seen such a polite customer and immediately took it with both hands.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you don¡¯t know, when I usually treat people to dinner, the ordering process always annoys me. You¡¯re the only one who knows my taste. How did you get to know my taste even though we haven¡¯t had many meals together?¡± Mao Nana asked curiously.


    Ming Jing¡¯s approach made her veryfortable, making the ordering process less irritating. Ming Jing¡¯s gentle and natural attitude did not appear overly domineering, everything fitting just right.


    Ming Jing smiled slightly: ¡°It¡¯s very simple, just watch with your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Awesome, I admire you, sis!¡± Mao Nana gave a thumbs up.


    Xie Zhen suddenly covered her stomach, her face showing a hint of embarrassment.<div>


    Ming Jing gave her a nce and said softly, ¡°Ah Zhen,e with me to the restroom.¡±


    Wuuu~ Xie Zhen was about to cry, how could there be such a good person like Ming Jing in the world?


    Mao Nana said, ¡°Shall I apany you both?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, ¡°No need, Nana, we¡¯ll be right back.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing and Xie Zhen left one after the other. Mao Nana looked at Song Yinzhang and suddenly said, ¡°Are you the son of Song GAP and Jiao Mei?¡±


    Song Yinzhang nodded with a smile, ¡°Hello, Aunt Mao.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I knew it! I was saying, since you have the surname Song and you look just like your father, calling me Aunt puts me a whole generation ahead of Ming Jing. It makes me feel old. Just call me sister, so that old fox Song GAP doesn¡¯t get one over on me.¡±


    Song Yinzhang smiled, ¡°Sister Nana.¡±


    Only then did Mao Nana feelfortable. As for Zhao Heng, he was an even older acquaintance, calling Mao Nana ¡®sister¡¯ so warmly that it made Mao Nana tremble with delight.Liu Muxue rolled her eyes: ¡°Bootlicker.¡±


    Xie Zhen lowered her voice and said pitifully, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡­ I got my period.¡±


    Ming Jing was stunned, ¡°What?¡±


    Ming Jing was usually quite smart. Why did she suddenly turn dumb?


    Xie Zhen struggled to say, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ sigh, Aunt Flo is here.¡±


    Ming Jing fell silent for a moment before saying softly, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Xie Zhen cried out fearfully, ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡±


    Ming Jing spoke softly, ¡°Wait a while, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Ming Jing walked out of the bathroom. Dechang Building was packed with guests tonight, and there was not a single idle waitress in sight.<div>


    She left Dechang Building and found a convenience store right after passing a coffee shop.


    Ming Jing walked past the floor-to-ceiling window of the coffee shop, brightly lit, with a girl in a white coat walking in the light and shadow, like a blooming night lily in the quiet time.


    The man rested his head on his hand, quietly watching the girl separated by a pane of ss pass him by.


    Suddenly, a shadow fell across from him. A young woman dressed in sexy attire with delicate makeup greeted him naturally, ¡°Hey, handsome, are you alone? Mind sharing a table?¡±


    She had noticed this man from the beginning. From top to bottom, he exuded an understated elegance and poise, and his every move was filled with the calm demeanor of someone in a higher position. An elite single man like him was indeed very attractive.


    Upon closer inspection, the man¡¯s facial features were stunningly handsome, his deep-set features somewhat resembling a mixed-race person. His amber eyes swirled with a mysterious and icy sheen, instinctively capturing one¡¯s soul.


    The woman held her breath, marveling that he was a masterpiece.


    The man gently stirred his coffee with his fingers. The sound of the spoon striking the rim of the cup was crisp and clear, harmonious with the wind chime hanging from the eave. Ding-ding-ling-ling, it was the sound of freedom borne by the wind.


    At this moment, Qu Feitai¡¯s song ¡°White Coat¡± yed in the shop, apanied by the soothing piano melody, casting an ambiguous hue over the night.


    The man¡¯s gaze suddenly grew somber, and an icy re shot out, shocking the woman across from him.


    ¡°Get lost.¡± He spoke in a maic, low voice, which sounded like a deadly scythe gently resting on the woman¡¯s neck.


    She ran away in panic.


    The man snorted, pped a hundred-yuan bill on the table, and walked out.<div>


    ¡°Wee.¡± The ss door of the convenience store was opened from outside, and the loudspeaker hanging on the door made a mechanical female sound.


    Cold wind poured in. The cashier was a young girl who frowned impatiently. She looked up and suddenly widened her eyes in amazement, staring at the man who walked in.


    The man entered the store. He was very tall, and the shelves in the convenience store were generally low. He saw a girl in a white coat standing in front of a row of shelves, carefullyparing and selecting products.


    He furrowed his eyebrows, his face unnaturally contorted. He looked down and slid his fingers into his pocket, inadvertently touching the embossed lighter.


    All the products on that row of shelves were sanitary napkins.


    Had the little girl grown up?


    The young girl finally picked a product and brought it to the cashier to pay. The cashier nced at Ming Jing repeatedly, her soul somewhat drifting away.


    Ming Jing subconsciously turned her head to look back, but there was nothing there.


    ¡°Twelve yuan.¡±


    Ming Jing paid with her phone, took her things, and left.


    As soon as her front foot stepped out, the man¡¯s back foot pushed the door and walked out.


    In the cloak of darkness, the man lowered his hat brim, his gaze fixated on the swaying hem of the girl¡¯s white coat, embroidered with a silver pattern that shimmered in the moonlight, each step producing a lotus blossom.


    When she reached the entrance of Dechang Building, Ming Jing suddenly stopped and looked back.<div>


    The night was dark, the cold wind howled, the streetlights cast a dreary, pale glow, and dust danced in the shadows.


    Ming Jing squinted her eyes and curved her lips in a light smile before stepping inside.

 Chapter 528: 247 Essence (One More)

    Chapter 528: 247 Essence (One More)


    ¡°Ming Jing, thank you so much. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve made a big fool of myself today.¡± Xie Zhen clutched her stomach with one hand and leaned against the wall as she exited the restroom.


    Ming Jing moved to her side to prop her up, ¡°Are you okay? Do you want me to send you back to the hotel to rest?¡±


    ¡°If I left now, that would be so impolite. It¡¯s okay, I can handle it. Which girl doesn¡¯t have to endure difort once a month? I¡¯m used to it by now.¡± Xie Zhen brushed it off nonchntly.


    The two returned to their private room where the food had already been served. Mao Nana was sitting arm in arm with Liu Muxue, acting as close as sisters.


    ¡°Muxue, your personality really matches mine. From now on, consider yourself my younger sister. In Jingzhou, if you mention my name, all doors will open for you.¡±


    ¡°Sister Nana,e, let me toast you a drink. From now on, you are my own sister.¡±


    Xie Zhen watched, dumbfounded. Was this what they called powerworking?


    Two rocks colliding might not lead to mutual destruction, but instead forge a powerful alliance.


    If anyone offended these two, it would be an epic disaster.


    ¡°Why did you leave for so long?¡± Mao Nana saw them return and quickly signaled for them to sit down.<div>


    Liu Muxue said, ¡°Sister Nana, where did you get your double eyelid and nose surgery? Your surgeon did a poor job and ruined your look.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was the sisterly love going to end?


    Mao Nana got angry when this was mentioned, ¡°It was rmended by an old high school friend. I suspect she did it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to a stic surgeon. He¡¯s my cousin and he has performed surgery on many celebrities. Do you know Luo Ziyin? Her nose job was done by him, as well as her eye corner surgery. And Zhao Ninghan¡­ Before her debut, she was so in. Her double eyelid surgery was done by my cousin. And also Mo Ning¡­ she underwent full face surgery¡­¡±


    As Xie Zhen listened, she became more and more astounded. Were these true? How could she not tell at all? Was Liu Muxue¡¯s cousin really that good at stic surgery?


    Mao Nana eximed, ¡°Are you serious? Isn¡¯t Luo Ziyin touted as a natural beauty? Even she had stic surgery?¡±


    Liu Muxue looked unimpressed, ¡°If she is natural, then there is no such thing as ¡®natural¡¯ in this world. Nowadays, she visits my cousin¡¯s studio every month for beauty injections. She¡¯s the most diligent one I¡¯ve ever seen in maintaining her beauty.¡±


    Mao Nana knew all the actresses that Liu Muxue had mentioned. The key point was that they were all said to be natural beauties in the entertainment industry, especially Luo Ziyin, known as the most beautiful woman in the entertainment industry. Turned out she¡¯d had stic surgery?


    No one had noticed until now. This stic surgeon¡¯s skills were truly heavenly.


    Mao Nana excitedly grabbed Liu Muxue¡¯s hand, ¡°Dear sister, you must introduce your cousin to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send you his contact card via WeChat.¡± Liu Muxue opened her phone. The two had already exchanged WeChat contacts earlier. After searching her contacts for a while, she finally found a card titled ¡ª Angel stic Surgery: Liu Suifeng and sent it to Mao Nana.


    Mao Nana opened it only to see a profile picture of a debonair man. At first nce, he looked like a pop idol, but he didn¡¯t seem very dependable.


    Mao Nana felt a bit skeptical and gave Liu Muxue a dubious look. Liu Muxue said, ¡°Every female entertainer that had stic surgery done by my cousin turned into his ex-girlfriend. Let me think, who was hisst ex-girlfriend again? I think it was Duan Xiaoxiao.¡±


    Xie Zhen nearly spit out her tea.


    Duan Xiaoxiao was a hot beginner in the entertainment industry, with a spirited figure and stunning looks. She was known as the Goddess among indoor enthusiasts and was very popr.


    The point wasn¡¯t that Duan Xiaoxiao was Liu Muxue¡¯s cousin¡¯s ex-girlfriend. The point was, had Duan Xiaoxiao had stic surgery?


    OMG! This would be headline news if it got out.


    Touching her own face, Mao Nana said, ¡°Is your cousin a phtelist? I don¡¯t mind being his girlfriend. But I already have someone I like.¡± She seemed a bit embarrassed as she finished, lowering her head.


    Liu Muxue burst outughing, ¡°Sister Nana, don¡¯t worry. My cousin has principles when ites to dating. Stay calm, okay?¡±<div>


    Mao Nana scrunched up her eyebrows with a look of displeasure, ¡°What do you mean? Does your cousin think I¡¯m not good enough?¡±


    ¡°Sister Nana, you¡¯re over thinking it. He only dates women younger than him.¡±


    This made Mao Nana even more upset. Was this implying she was old?


    Xie Zhen was almost dying ofughter on the side. This stic friendship.<div>

 Chapter 529: 247 Essence (One More)_2

    Chapter 529: 247 Essence (One More)_2


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t help but curve her lips into a smile.


    Thinking of Luo Ziyin¡¯s stunning beauty, Zhao Ninghan¡¯s wless double eyelids, and Mo Ning and Duan Xiaoxiao, she held back.


    ¡°Oh, Nana, my cousin has a strange quirk, he doesn¡¯t like the same old stic surgery temtes and prefers to be creative. He won¡¯t ept any suggestions,¡± Ming Jing said.


    Mao Nana snorted to herself, eager to see if this stic surgeon named Liu Suifeng was as good as Liu Muxue imed.


    Liu Muxue had given her cousin a free advertisement, and she was in a surprisingly good mood. She looked up at Ming Jing, and under the light, the girl¡¯s facial features were perfect. Perfection sometimes seemed unreal, but not for Ming Jing. The gentlepassion in her brows and eyes perfectly dissolves the cold and distant beauty of mountaintop flowers, which could neverpare to the warmth and appeal of worldly fireworks.


    ¡°Ming Jing, just don¡¯t let my cousin see you, or he¡¯ll shamelessly pester you.¡± Liu Muxue was deeply touched by this.


    Ming Jing shook her head and smiled.


    ¡°So, you guys have joined the national training team. Are you going to have exams next?¡± Mao Nana was not very familiar with this aspect. She was a poor student when she was in school, and now she was sitting among the top learners. Mao Nana thought she would feel anxious if she was over a decade younger and sitting among this bunch of people.


    Ming Jing nodded: ¡°The students who enter the national training team will participate in the next three rounds of IMO selection, which willst for three days.¡±


    Today was November 10th, they would rest for two days, and the exam would start on the 13th and end on the 15th.<div>


    ¡°There were 60 of you in the training team, right? How many will be chosen in the end?¡±


    ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡°Six?¡± Mao Nana eximed in shock, ¡°That¡¯s a 10-to-1 ratio! That¡¯s too cruel!¡±


    The six students selected will represent the country in internationalpetition next July.


    ¡°Do well on the exam, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make it. I¡¯ll throw a big party for you when that happens,¡± Mao Nana said.


    Those who entered the training team were all one in a million talents, and even Ming Jing was not absolutely sure she would make it. All she could do was give it her best shot.


    All along the way, her mentality had been stable. If she was always focused on the result, her mindset would be imbnced. In the end, there will always be a result, either good or bad. She would let it be and focus on the present, taking each step along the way well.


    Mao Nana knew better than to drag them into her world of food, drink, and y. These were all top students who needed to focus on exams. After dinner, Mao Nana had the driver take everyone back to the hotel.


    Xie Zhen and Zhao Heng had their flight back to Jiangzhou the next morning. Xie Zhen looked at Ming Jing with some reluctance.


    This trip to Jingzhou was an unforgettable memory for her.


    With trepidation, Xie Zhen asked, ¡°Ming Jing¡­ Are we friends?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled gently and said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we be friends?¡±


    Xie Zhenughed, tears in her eyes, and resolved herself.


    She would try her best to catch up with Ming Jing and hopefully reunite with her in a top university next year.


    Good friends would inspire her to move forward, while bad friends would only drag her back into the mire.


    Having seen the vast expanse of the outside world, she finally realized how shallow she had been before.¡¯


    ¡°Well, if I have questions and want to ask you, you¡­ won¡¯t think I¡¯m bothering you?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Under the light, the girl smiled gently.


    ¡°You cane to me anytime.¡±<div>


    Xie Zhen rubbed her nose, ¡°But, am I really worthy¡­?¡±


    Ming Jing patted her shoulder and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself. You are you, the one and only.¡±


    Xie Zhen left with teary eyes.


    Ming Jing stood in the doorway for a while, about to turn back into her room when Hu Qing came over and said, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, a girl named Zhu Xiangxiang in the hall says she¡¯s your friend and wants to see you.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Bring her over.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked into the presidential suite and saw Ming Jing sitting on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, a book spread out on her knees. The dim yellow light emitted a peaceful and soft glow. The girl sitting under the light seemed as delicate as an exquisite painting.


    Zhu Xiangxiang approached cautiously, ¡°Ming Jing, I have something to tell you. That night when I left the police station, I saw Li Qingzhuo taking Xue An away. Later, I realized that Xue An was also involved in Liang Yanran¡¯s death. Just now, news came out about Liang Xiaohongmitting suicide in the detention center out of fear. I¡¯m worried that these two incidents may be rted and might harm you.¡±

 Chapter 530: 247 Essence (One More)_3

    Chapter 530: 247 Essence (One More)_3


    When Zhu Xiangxiang saw the news of Liang Xiaohong¡¯s suicide due to fear of punishment, she was truly terrified.


    Just like Ming Jing had said, the situation was too deep for a sixteen-year-old girl to handle. If Ming Jing hadn¡¯t reminded her to back out in time, Han Yue¡¯s oue would have been her fate as well.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt grateful for her narrow escape.


    Ming Jing had no reaction to Liang Xiaohong¡¯s suicide and continued reading quietly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang wasn¡¯t sure if Ming Jing had heard the news and didn¡¯t dare to disturb her.


    Time passed quietly in this way.


    Ming Jing closed the book.


    With a ¡°snap¡±, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart jumped unconsciously.


    ¡°Did you quit the idol show?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang replied, ¡°After Liang Xiaohong¡¯s incident, the production team removed me from the show immediately. They didn¡¯t want to be associated with Liang Xiaohong at all.¡±<div>


    She, a rtive who was brought in through Liang Xiaohong¡¯s connections, was naturally a prime target for the production team¡¯s elimination.


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°Go back and study well. Life¡¯s wisdom can be found in books. Be modest and prudent, down-to-earth, and time will give you what you want.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Ming Jing, ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± She asked the question that had been buried in her heart for a long time.


    Ming Jing asked indifferently, ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked, hate?


    The word ¡°hate¡± was too heavy for their young lives to bear. There was no hatred that would cause them to be enemies, so why should they hate each other?


    From the very beginning, they had opposing positions, which seemed to destine them to not be able to get along peacefully.


    But that was only her one-sided thought. From the start, she had been wrong.


    People are selfish creatures. Everything starts from their own interests. The reasons for her hatred towards Ming Jing stemmed from Ming Jing being a threat to her interests.


    She used to like an animated show in which a ssical line said that prejudice in people¡¯s hearts is a huge mountain that cannot be moved no matter how hard you try.


    Her prejudice against Ming Jing was no different. If she could let go of her prejudice, Ming Jing would be a great person.


    And if it weren¡¯t for their current position, she might not even have the qualification to stand beside Ming Jing.


    Prejudice is just a beautified adjective; ultimately, it¡¯s only jealousy.


    For the past few days, she stood in front of the mirror and looked at her face in the mirror, feeling hideous and ugly.


    Ming Jing¡¯s excellence made her jealousy seem so pale and ridiculous.


    She thought back to when Ming Jing hadn¡¯t returned to the Zhus. Although she was a bit aloof, she was basically a normal person. However, ever since Ming Jing returned, Zhu Xiangxiang felt as if she was under a spell¡­


    Living like this, she was tired too.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had thought a lot in these past few days. When she thought that Ming Jing wasn¡¯t the real daughter of the Zhus, she once cursed Ming Jing as a bastard. Now, with a change of perspective, the Zhu family wasn¡¯t a big shot in Jiangzhou, so their upbringing and education paled inparison with other affluent families, let alone the powerful and influential ones. Ming Jing¡¯s true identity might be even more formidable than the real daughter of the Zhus.


    With her looks and temperament, it wasn¡¯t impossible.<div>


    Thinking this way, she felt much more rxed and at ease.


    ¡°I apologize to you for my previous ignorance and shallowness,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said sincerely.


    ¡°The person you should apologize to is not me, but your mother.¡±


    Neither Zhu Xiangxiang nor Ming Jing spoke of which mother Ming Jing was referring to, but Zhu Xiangxiang knew that she had let down Lin Qing.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to Jiangzhou tomorrow morning. Congrattions on being epted into the national team. I hope you can continue to pass the IMO. I believe you will make it,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang finished and left.


    Ming Jing sat quietly on the sofa, overlooking the bustling city from the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    Ye Zhen came out of the bedroom and draped a coat over Ming Jing¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I knew you were kind-hearted, but I didn¡¯t expect you to forgive her so easily,¡± Ye Zhen said.


    Ye Zhen didn¡¯t appreciate the things Zhu Xiangxiang had done. Now, Zhu Xiangxiang said she had repented. Who knew if she was just nning something evil behind the scenes? As the old saying goes, a dog can¡¯t change its eating habits.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°When a person does something wrong, the one they owe isn¡¯t someone else, but themselves. What she needs isn¡¯t my forgiveness.¡±


    It¡¯s her own forgiveness.


    ¡°Anyway, you let her off so easily. She got away too easily,¡± Ye Zhen said, rolling up her sleeves with indignation.


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have gotten far. You can still catch up with her if you go after her now,¡± Ming Jing said casually.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m afraid of getting my hands dirty. Let her be. As long as she doesn¡¯t target you, I won¡¯t even bother with her.¡±


    Ye Zhen sat down next to Ming Jing and looked at the book in her hands, ¡°Wind on the Clouds? I¡¯ve heard online that you like martial arts novels, but I didn¡¯t believe it. So it¡¯s true.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled. For some reason, the smile seemed particrly cold under the light.


    Ye Zhen frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve read this Wind on the Clouds before. The author is definitely a pervert. He had to kill the protagonist for no reason. I don¡¯t know how many tears I shed during the finale.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life. He was not just the protagonist but also a person. There was an unresolvable deep hatred between the two characters. Only through death could they both be liberated.¡±


    ¡°What? He chose to die?¡±


    Ye Zhen carefully recalled the details of the book, which was published ten years ago. It was very popr, dominating the market. Everyone had a copy during that time. She was still in college back then, reading under the nkets with a shlight every night. The intricate details and plot of the story were still fresh in her mind.


    In the book, during a pce banquet, the female antagonist, in alliance with the second male lead, nned a coup to overthrow the dynasty of the male lead Zhu Che. At that time, the female lead Yun Cheng, who was already the queen, previously was the martial arts supreme with unparalleled martial arts skills. The female antagonist, fearing that Yun Cheng would take action, bribed a servant to spike Yun Cheng¡¯s wine with a colorless, tasteless poison. However, Zhu Che identally drank it instead, and consequently, died in Yun Cheng¡¯s arms.


    In the plot, Yun Cheng and Zhu Che had a deep, irreconcble enmity. Yun Cheng married Zhu Che only to exact her revenge. Although the two loved each other deeply, the internal struggle between them caused them great pain and suffering. After Zhu Che¡¯s death, it was revealed that the female antagonist was just a pawn. The actual mastermind behind the coup was Yun Cheng herself. But after Zhu Che¡¯s death, Yun Cheng was filled with regret and fell into the dark side, suffering from mental and physical pain¡­


    The book was agonizingly heartbreaking, and the more tragic it got, the more popr it became, creating a martial arts myth of that era.


    But now Ming Jing was saying that Zhu Che chose to die?


    As an avid reader who had read the book several times, Ye Zhen didn¡¯t see this point.


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, ¡°Some people can¡¯t even grasp the essence when they giarize.¡±

 Chapter 531: 248 Wish Fulfilled (Second Update)

    Chapter 531: 248 Wish Fulfilled (Second Update)


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s low murmur, but Ye Zhen couldn¡¯t hear clearly.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ming Jing closed the book.


    ¡°I heard that Xinghui Entertainment bought the copyright for this novel. Before, the original author refused to sell it, but somehow they got itter. Xinghui nned to make a movie, but now that they are in trouble, this IP will be shelved.¡±


    Last year, the news had alreadye out. At that time, she told Liang Xiaohong that if they were to choose a female actress, they should definitely consider her because she is a diehard fan of this book and no one understands the female lead better than her.


    Liang Xiaohong vowed at that time that the role would be hers.


    Speaking of Liang Xiaohong, Ye Zhen¡¯s mood dropped.


    The inte was filled with news that Liang Xiaohong had attempted suicide because of fear of crime in the detention center, and she was still in critical condition.


    Considering Liang Xiaohong¡¯s character,mitting suicide out of fear just didn¡¯t make sense.


    Ming Jing seemed to guess what she was thinking, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Go to sleep early.¡±<div>


    ¡ª-


    Ming Jing¡¯s name was on the hot search again ¡ª Ming Jing got into the national Olympic training team.


    Many people said that Ming Jing¡¯s CMO Gold Medal cement was just a fluke, a one-time super-level performance, and it couldn¡¯t be counted as her true skill.


    Now that she has entered the national training team, won the CMO Gold Medal, and is directly rmended to enter Huaqing University.


    This is no longer just a super-level performance.


    Clicking on the hot search, there are manyizens who don¡¯t understand, but fans are eagerly introducing Ming Jing¡¯s achievements. The more they know, the more amazed they be.


    It involves aspects that everyone has never known before. At this moment, everyone deeply realizes that thispassionate girl will continue to create more miracles.


    Right under this hot search is the hot search on Liang Xiaohong¡¯s suicidal incident. Thements are all scathing.


    The contrast is ironic.


    At the same time, the poprity of the uing idol girl reality show soars to a high position.


    Last year, this talent show brought out ST, a girl group sensation. Will it create another legend this year? The public is looking forward to it.


    Meanwhile, the official Weibo ount announced the four mentors of the show. Thest mentor revealed caused a frenzy across the inte.


    Because he is ¡ª Qu Feitai.


    Since the show A Day of Three Meals, Qu Feitai has not made a public appearance. Rumor has it, he has been working quietly on a new album. Now, three monthster, he finally has news, and his fans can¡¯t wait to spread the word.


    Apple Video will premiere the show tomorrow night at 8 o¡¯clock.


    ¡ª-


    That night, the Bo family¡¯s house was brightly lit.


    Bo Lianye excitedly ran over with her phone, ¡°Granny, Aunt, Uncle will be back on a ne the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Granny Bo was so excited she wanted to stand up. Bo Yujiang quickly supported her, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t get so worked up. I¡¯ll pick him up at the airport myself.¡±<div>


    ¡°Madam Zhang, go buy some fish. Axun loves eating fish. Oh, and his room, Rou¡¯en, clean it yourself tomorrow. Air the quilts too. He loves cleanliness and can¡¯t stand musty smells.¡±


    Ji Rou¡¯en smiled, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll arrange everything.¡±


    Indeed, in Granny Bo¡¯s heart, her youngest son was her treasure. Even Bo Yujiang had to stand aside.


    Her youngest son had been away for over a decade. Why did he suddenly think ofing back?<div>


    Ji Rou¡¯en pondered then mentioned the matter to Bo Yujian that night, ¡°Yuxun will be back the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Bo Yujian, leaning against the bed and reading a newspaper, casually responded with a ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Yuxun should be 36 this year, right? No matter how sessful he is, it¡¯s not good for him to be alone without someone to care for him. How about Qingxing?¡±Bo Yujian frowned a bit and looked up at her. After decades of marriage, how could he not see through the idea she had in mind?


    ¡°Your cousin Qingxing from your mother¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence that she also happens to work at the State Medical College, although she¡¯s in the gynecology department. Qingxing has a lot of men chasing her in the hospital, and her background and appearance are a good match with Yujian. If they get married, it would really be like adding a new branch to the family tree.¡±


    ¡°What kind of a match? Don¡¯t me me for speaking inly, but you should give up this idea as soon as possible. Have you forgotten why Yujian went abroad in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than ten years since then, and he should have let it go by now. How can it be that your brother will never get married? I don¡¯t believe he stayed pure abroad for more than ten years. With his face wreaking havoc, he must have had countless girlfriends. My cousin is smart and beautiful, so she wouldn¡¯t be underselling herself.¡±


    Bo Yujian put down the newspaper, his face turning dark in an instant: ¡°I¡¯ll say it for thest time, don¡¯t meddle in Yujian¡¯s marriage. If you upset Yujian and make a scene, I won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    It seemed to remind Ji Rou¡¯en of something, and she couldn¡¯t help but mutter: ¡°Back then, it was all Granny Bo¡¯s fault, who insisted on breaking up the lovers for no reason¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± Bo Yujian interrupted her sternly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that kind of talk again.¡±


    Ji Rou¡¯en grumbled andy down.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s not talk about your brother, let¡¯s talk about your sister. She¡¯s quite something too, married twice, and both husbands died in idents. Do you know what people are saying behind her back? That she¡¯s cursed, it¡¯s so weird. I don¡¯t know how long her current boyfriend willst either. Granny Bo¡¯s twins are all freaks, as if they came back to seek revenge¡­¡±


    Listening to the footsteps behind her, Ji Rou¡¯en turned her head and saw Bo Yujian walking out with a pillow under his arm.<div>


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping in the study tonight.¡± He left without looking back, mming the door behind him.


    ¡°Bastard.¡± Ji Rou¡¯en threw a pillow at him.


    After soothing Granny Bo to sleep, Bo Yujiang carefully closed the bedroom door. As he returned to his room, he collided with Bo Yujian, who looked surprised at the pillow tucked under his arm. ¡°Big brother, did you have an argument with my sister-inw again?¡±


    Bo Yujian¡¯s attitude towards Bo Yujiang seemed much warmer, like that of a good older brother. ¡°I still have some business to deal with. You look a bit off today, are you tiredtely?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, big brother. You can go ahead with your work.¡±


    Bo Yujian reached out to ruffle Bo Yujiang¡¯s hair, smiling, ¡°Your second brother ising back. When you came back, he had an ident and had to go abroad, so you haven¡¯t really spent any time together all these years. Now you¡¯ll finally be reunited.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but he smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really happy to hear that my second brother ising back. The most important thing is that my mother is overjoyed. She misses him so much, and now her wish is finally fulfilled. By the way, big brother, what exactly happened to my second brother back then?¡±


    Bo Yujian sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be exined in a sentence or two. I¡¯ll tell you about itter when we have time. It¡¯ste now, so go back to your room and rest.¡± With that, he left for the study.


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s brows furrowed, and when he went back to his room, his phone on the table rang.


    ¡°Xiang Kui, Xinghui Entertainment went under, and the rights to ¡®Wind on the Clouds¡¯ were bought at a high price by an unknown small entertainmentpany.¡± The assistant called to inform her.


    ¡°An unknown entertainmentpany?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s called ¡®Unspeakable¡¯¨Cwhat a weird name. They¡¯re headquartered in Jiangzhou and only have a history of less than half a year. They agreed to sell it to Xinghui before because Xinghui promised to invest heavily to build up the IP. Now that Xinghui is gone, the rights have fallen into the hands of an unknownpany. Will it ruin the IP? This is your life¡¯s work.¡±<div>


    Bo Yujiang pinched her brow, feeling agitated, ¡°Why are you only telling me now?¡±


    ¡°Xiang Kui, I only just found out too. The other party paid more than five times the market price for it. The executives at Xinghui were only looking out for themselves, and they wanted to take the money and run while they could. No one else even had time to react, and this smallpany moved very quickly.¡±


    Nobody could have predicted that Xinghui Entertainment would copse so fast, crumbling almost overnight.


    The once glorious Xinghui Entertainment hadpletely turned into a thing of the past.


    Bo Yujiang thought for a moment and said, ¡°Forget it, if they were willing to buy it at such a high price, they must take it seriously.¡±


    After hanging up, Bo Yujiangy in bed. In a half-asleep state, a hazy face appeared amidst the misty light.


    The person was covered in blood, and two lines of blood-tainted tears flowed from his empty eyes¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bo Yujiang screamed and suddenly woke up from the nightmare.


    A beautiful and gentle girl¡¯s face shed in her mind, and Bo Yujiang suddenly felt a cold shiver run up from the soles of her feet.


    It was the girl she saw outside the auditorium this afternoon.


    The moment she saw her, Bo Yujiang had a very ufortable feeling.

 Chapter 532: 249 Settling Accounts (First Update)

    Chapter 532: 249 Settling ounts (First Update)


    The sweet and pleasant voice of the airport announcer echoed through the hall, reminding passengers of flight J2508 to Jiangzhou that it was time to board.


    Xie Zhen stood up with his carry-on bag, suddenly pointing to a girl nearby and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zhu Xiangxiang?¡±


    Zhao Heng, who was listening to music, lifted her eyelids at the mention of this familiar name, and a cold smirk appeared on her lips.


    If it isn¡¯t Zhu Xiangxiang, who else could it be?


    Zhao Heng scoffed disdainfully and turned away.


    Xie Zhen muttered, ¡°It really is her. What is she doing in Jingzhou?¡±


    Before Ming Jing returned to Jiangzhou, Zhu Xiangxiang was already famous. She was the school beauty of Shengde High School, the pearl of the Zhu family, and the number onedy of Jiangzhou. Her school, Yi High School, was not far from Shengde High School. At that time, several handsome basketball yers from Yi High School had pursued Zhu Xiangxiang for a while. Although they didn¡¯t seed in the end, the name Zhu Xiangxiang was well known within Yi High School.


    Of course, this all changed after Ming Jing returned to the Zhu family.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s glory was gone. Xie Zhen stared at her for a few moments, sneering at what used to be the number onedy of Jiangzhou. Self-proimed, huh? She couldn¡¯t evenpare to one of Ming Jing¡¯s hair strands.


    Zhu Xiangxiang also noticed Xie Zhen. She had only attended the training camp for a day, and all the attention was on her and Ming Jing, so she hadn¡¯t paid attention to anyone else. However, she recognized Zhao Heng, who was a big shot at Yi High School.<div>


    It seemed that these two must be the students who apanied Ming Jing to Jingzhou for the Winter Camp.


    The other three made it into the national training team, while these two stopped here and returned to Jiangzhou.


    Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips and followed them with her luggage in tow.


    At that moment, her phone rang in her bag. She let go of the suitcase handle to fish out her phone, and in that instant, her suitcase slid away.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly chased after it.


    Catching up to her suitcase, she quickly answered the call, ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m about to board.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is also in Jingzhou. Did you see her?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment, ¡°I did. She made it into the national training team, and she still has to take exams for three more days.¡±


    ¡°I saw it on the news. She¡¯s incredible. They say she can be directly admitted to Huaqing University now. Our family has produced a prodigy.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s tone was full of pride, and Zhu Xiangxiang gave a self-mocking smile.


    There was no point in dwelling on it, she could neverpare to Ming Jing anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go, they¡¯re announcing boarding now.¡±


    She hung up the call immediately.


    Although she was prepared, when faced with the reality, she still felt ufortable deep down.


    Outside therge floor-to-ceiling windows was the vast tarmac, with airnes leaving the ground slowly, flying towards the blue sky and the wide-open world.


    After getting off the ne, Xie Zhen and Zhao Heng each returned to their homes, while the Zhu family¡¯s driver picked Zhu Xiangxiang up.


    ¡ª-


    Although Jiangzhou was also cold, it was much morefortable than Jingzhou.


    Jingzhou¡¯s cold was bone-chilling, while Jiangzhou¡¯s was merely cool.<div>


    Nothing had happened to the Zhu family during her absence, and everything was going ording to n in Jiangzhou¡¯s peaceful days.


    When she insisted on going to Jingzhou to be on a show and enter the entertainment industry, Lin Qing couldn¡¯t stop her and just let her go.


    Now that she had voluntarily quit and obediently returned to school, Lin Qing thought she had been bullied in Jingzhou and was outraged, saying she¡¯d avenge her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sniffed and threw herself into Lin Qing¡¯s arms, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t apologize to your mother. It¡¯s your mother who didn¡¯t protect you well.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes turned red with emotion, and she asked, ¡°Where are dad and Shaodan?¡±


    Lin Qing became angry as soon as she mentioned them, so Zhu Xiangxiang guessed their rtionship hadn¡¯t improved and quickly changed the subject, ¡°Is Shaodan out messing around again? I¡¯ll go find him.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang called Shaodan¡¯s henchmen, Ji Dagui and Zhou Xiang, to ask where Shaodan was. They hesitated and stammered at first, but with some threats and bribes, the honest Ji Dagui finally spilled the beans.


    Bojii Casino.


    The notorious den of extravagance in Jingzhou.


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t believe Shaodan was so reckless. Not only had he squandered his own life, but he also dragged two ssmates into the mess. If Lin Qing found out, she¡¯d break Shaodan¡¯s legs in fury.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t tell Lin Qing, changed her clothes, went out, and took a taxi to the Bojii Casino.


    Truthfully, despite its fame, Zhu Xiangxiang had never been to Bojii Casino, and she didn¡¯t even know which way the entrance faced.


    But as soon as she mentioned it to the driver, the experienced driver chuckled and gave her an intrigued look.

 Chapter 533: 249 Calculating Accounts (First Update)_2

    Chapter 533: 249 Calcting ounts (First Update)_2


    ¡°That¡¯s a man¡¯s paradise, what business does a youngdy like you have there?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt ufortable from the gaze, furrowed her brows, and said coldly, ¡°Looking for someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your boyfriend? Let me tell you, if it¡¯s your boyfriend, you can dump him early. It¡¯s fine to have fun, but if he¡¯s addicted to it, many people lose everything overnight. Such men are not reliable.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t make a sound because she thought what the other person said was true.


    She never expected that Zhu Shaodan would be obsessed with gambling. It was absurd.


    ¡°Let me tell you,st year, I had a ssmate from elementary school who lost his wife¡¯s money in Bojii Casino. He lost everything, even his underwear, and still owed the casino a huge amount of high-interest loans. The interest rates were astronomical. His wife couldn¡¯t take it, divorced him, remarried with their son, and the debt collectors would threaten to chop off one of his fingers for every day without repayment. Tsk tsk¡­ In the end, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore andmitted suicide by jumping off a building. That was horrible. That¡¯s why you should never get involved in gambling, drugs, and such; once you¡¯re involved, you¡¯re done for.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she blurted out, ¡°How dare they force someone to die in broad daylight? Isn¡¯t there anyw?¡±


    The driverughed, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re too naive. Do you know who the boss behind Bojii Casino is? If you knew, you wouldn¡¯t be saying such naive things.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang really didn¡¯t know; this was a realm she had never been exposed to before.


    She asked subconsciously, ¡°Who is it?¡±<div>


    ¡°Master Xiao of the Qinglong Association, have you heard of him?¡±


    Master Xiao?


    Zhu Xiangxiang thought of the young man she saw on the night of Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s birthday banquet, a gentle and handsome gentleman who was nothing like the ruthless and cold kingpin described in the rumors.


    Because of this contradiction, the man became even more mysterious and alluring to her. The man¡¯s image floated into Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mind.


    After all this time, she still clearly remembered the man¡¯s eyebrows, eyes, and smile.


    Her heart suddenly raced uncontrobly, and her cheeks flushed without her realizing it.


    ¡°Of course I know him, I¡¯ve even met him,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said with a touch of pride in her voice.


    The driver nced at her in surprise, ¡°Master Xiao is not someone ordinary people like us can meet¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang asked, ¡°So, you mean Bojii Casino is Master Xiao¡¯s property? Will he be there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I heard Bojii Casino is a ce he frequents. If you¡¯re lucky, you might see him there.¡±


    As they were talking, they arrived at Tongluo Lane. Zhu Xiangxiang frowned at the shabby, low factory buildings in front of her, ¡°Are you ying with me?¡±


    ¡°Little girl, I¡¯m not ying with you. Go into the alley, turn left at the third intersection, and go through the second door. Go down to the basement, walk through a parking lot for about five minutes, and you¡¯ll see the entrance to Jin Bi.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitantly followed the driver¡¯s directions and walked in, pushing open a wooden door to reveal a staircase leading underground. A cold wind blew up from below, making Zhu Xiangxiang shiver involuntarily.


    She coughed, and her voice was immediately swallowed by the darkness, without even an echo.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a little scared and took a step back. After a moment of thought, she turned on her phone¡¯s shlight and braced herself to go downstairs.


    The underground parking lot wasrge and dark, with no end in sight and not a single person to be seen.


    She stepped on something by ident, making a rustling noise. Zhu Xiangxiang shrieked like a frightened bird, her voice echoing in the empty space.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked down at the shlight, relieved to see it was just a stic bottle.


    After walking several hundred meters, she finally saw lights.<div>


    A few men leaned against the pirs, chatting and smoking, speaking vulgarities.


    Zhu Xiangxiang cautiously approached, and one man with yellow hair noticed her, raising an eyebrow to one of hispanions. That man stepped in front of Zhu Xiangxiang, teasing her, ¡°This isn¡¯t a ce for a youngdy like you. Why don¡¯t youe and y with us?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was both frightened and scared, forcing herself to remain calm, she said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m here to find someone, please get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Looking for someone? Looking for a romantic partner? You can just find me.¡± The manughed lewdly, prompting hispanions to join in theughter.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned bright red as she clenched her teeth, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t go too far, you won¡¯t be able to handle my brother.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was good at fighting, so he should have no problem dealing with these men.

 Chapter 534: 249 Calculating Accounts (First Update)_3

    Chapter 534: 249 Calcting ounts (First Update)_3


    ¡°Hahaha, who¡¯s your little brother? Tell us so we can see, you little calf, quite the big mouth you¡¯ve got.¡±


    As he finished speaking, the grabby hands reached towards Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was full of regret in her heart. If she knew it would be like this, she wouldn¡¯t havee. The people here were disgusting.


    ¡°Get away from me, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly retreated, which only fueled the man¡¯s interest, and he chuckled as he approached.


    At this moment, a man walked out from within. Zhu Xiangxiang heard the footsteps, and desperately looked up to see who it was. When she saw the man, her heart shattered.


    It was actually Deng Kun.


    Enemies on a narrow road!


    Previously, because Zhao Xiaohui had begged her every day, she let Lin Qing withdraw thewsuit, so Deng Kun was only detained for fifteen days before being released.


    She thought she would never see Deng Kun again in this life, but she didn¡¯t expect to meet him under these circumstances.


    ¡°What a lively scene,¡± Deng Kun said, taking out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth. He lit the lighter with a ¡°snap.¡±<div>


    Taking a drag, he slowly walked over.


    ¡°Old Deng, we¡¯ve got a fresh one here. Come and take a look,¡± Huang Mao called out to him.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t care anymore and just turned to run, but the man had been watching her. Almost in the moment she turned around, he grabbed her cor and spun her around, pushing her into the middle of the group of men.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stumbled and fell to the ground. She didn¡¯t dare to lift her head, and crouched on the floor, hugging her knees pitifully. With one hand, however, she managed to reach into her pocket and dialed her emergency contact number 1, Zhu Shaodan, praying that he would see the call.


    She prayed in her heart that Zhu Shaodan would see the call.


    Deng Kun walked over, nced, and said, ¡°Cheng Zi, you¡¯re really something. You still want to go in? I just got out, and I don¡¯t dare mess around anymore. It¡¯s not a ce for humans in there. I advise you all to behave.¡±


    The one called Cheng Ziughed, ¡°Old Deng, I heard youmitted attempted murder, isn¡¯t that a minimum of three years? How did you get out after just fifteen days?¡±


    Mentioning this, Deng Kun couldn¡¯t help getting angry. Taking an angry drag, he cursed, ¡°That little bitch, if I ever see her again, I¡¯ll have to kill her. I won¡¯t carry this ck pot for no reason!¡±


    In the detention center, the more he thought about it, the more something seemed wrong. How did it happen that Madam Zhu came at such a coincidence? Combined with Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s nonsensical speech at the time, it was clear that she was deliberately provoking him.


    He got set up!


    Crouching on the ground, Zhu Xiangxiang heard Deng Kun¡¯s words and shuddered even more, wanting to flee desperately.


    ¡°Alright, let her go. We should all behave recently. Xie Ge hates this kind of stuff. If he finds out, we won¡¯t have good days.¡± Basically, Deng Kun was afraid of going back to the detention center. It was truly not a ce for humans. He hadn¡¯t gotten revenge on that little bitch yet, so he couldn¡¯t go back there.


    Cheng Zi sighed with some regret, ¡°Did you hear that? You better thank Brother Kun.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nodded quickly, grabbed her bag, and turned to run.


    As she turned around, Deng Kun caught a glimpse of her face.


    Deng Kun squinted his eyes. ¡°Stop!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang ran even faster.


    Deng Kun furiously threw his cigarette on the ground, pointed at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s retreating figure, and cursed, ¡°That little bitch, it¡¯s you! Catch her!¡±


    With that, he started chasing after her.<div>


    Huang Mao and Cheng Zi looked at each other, baffled. What was going on?


    Zhu Xiangxiang hadn¡¯t run two steps before she stepped on the stic bottle from before, causing her to fall hard to the ground. For the sake of looking pretty, she had only worn a flesh-colored stocking underneath, which now had a hole in it. Her knee hurt like hell, and Zhu Xiangxiang gasped.


    ¡°Run, go on, keep running!¡± Deng Kun caught up to her, circled around to her front, and squatted down, grabbing Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s chin and forcing her to lift her head.


    It was this delicate little face that caused him so much trouble.<div>


    At this moment, seeing the frantic fear in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes, Deng Kun started tough smugly.


    ¡°I was just wondering how to find you, and you delivered yourself to my doorstep. It seems even Heaven is helping me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face was pale, and her lips trembled as she spoke, ¡°You¡­you better not mess with me. My mom won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    As soon as she mentioned Lin Qing, Deng Kun¡¯s face grew even darker. With his fingers around Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s chin, he said menacingly, ¡°You and your mother got me fired, you fucking set me up, and I even got locked up. Do you know what life is like in there? I want to kill you and your little brother, who happens to be your own flesh and blood. You¡¯re heartless enough to not save him. What kind of person are you?¡±


    ¡°Wuuu~ Let me go! If you dare toy a finger on me, I¡¯ll make sure you rot in prison!¡±


    ¡°Threatening me? Fine, I¡¯ll show you if I dare.¡± Deng Kunughed savagely, grabbed Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s cor, and dragged her away. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s terrified screams echoed throughout the cold underground parking lot.


    Huang Mao and Cheng Zi caught up and exchanged nces, ¡°Old Deng, aren¡¯t you afraid of going back to jail?¡±


    Deng Kun gave a cold smile, ¡°For this little bitch, I¡¯m willing to go back. She¡¯s got such tender skin, you guys have been eyeing her for a while, right? Let¡¯s go, today we¡¯ll have some fun.¡±


    Cheng Zi and Huang Mao shook their heads, ¡°No, we¡¯ll pass on this opportunity for you, Brother Kun.¡±


    Just now, the two of them were only ying around. They really didn¡¯t have the guts to take it seriously.


    ¡°A bunch of cowards. If something happens, I¡¯ll take the me! What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    Huang Mao still shook his head, but Cheng Zi clenched his teeth and followed.


    ¡°No¡­Deng Kun let go of me! My mom won¡¯t let you go, think about your son! I¡¯m your son¡¯s biological sister, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Seeing Deng Kun really getting serious, Zhu Xiangxiang became terrified and started screaming frantically.<div>


    At the mention of Deng Yang, Deng Kun grew even angrier, ¡°You have the nerve to mention him? If it wasn¡¯t for you, his sister, he¡¯d live longer. I knew you were no good from the start, a treacherous bitch. Does donating bone marrow cost you your life? So you¡¯ll just watch him die as his sister?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was at a loss for words, but she couldn¡¯t just give up. Just as she was about to speak, Deng Kun seemed to sense her intention and quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from calling for help.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to settle the old and new scores with you today!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang struggled with all her might, but it was all in vain against a strong adult man who was several times stronger than her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang closed her eyes in despair, filled with regret and hatred.


    At this moment, footsteps came from the darkness, ¡°taptaptap,¡± neither light nor heavy, but they happened to reach Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 535: More than 250 Love Stories (Second Update)

    Chapter 535: More than 250 Love Stories (Second Update)


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes lit up, and she suddenly bit down hard on Deng Kun¡¯s hand.


    As pain forced Deng Kun to let go, Zhu Xiangxiang seized the chance to scream at the top of her lungs, ¡°Help¡­ Someone wants to kill me.¡±


    Deng Kun¡¯s fingers closed in on her throat, and he yelled angrily, ¡°So you want to die?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s back pressed against a pir. Her face turned from red to pale blue, and she struggled to breathe.


    In these suffocatingly desperate moments, she saw a man moving towards her, his figure illuminated against the darkness.


    Like a god descended into her world.


    From then on, she lost sight of any other colors in her eyes.


    Ye Shuang flew in with a kick, sending Deng Kun flying. He stepped on Deng Kun and said, ¡°Old man, daring to be imprudent in front of Master Xiao, wanting to die, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Deng Kun, ignoring the intense pain in his chest, quickly begs for mercy.


    Unfortunate must havee to find him, for he had encountered Master Xiao.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang slid down against the pir to the ground, staring nkly at the man who was slowly approaching.


    Even though her throat felt like it was burning, about to explode.


    ¡°Get lost,¡± Ye Shuang kicked him hard again.


    Deng Kun immediately got up and ran away clumsily.


    Ye Shuang walked over to Zhu Xiangxiang, who was fixated on Ran Tengxiao. He blocked her view of Ran Tengxiao and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head: ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    But when she opened her mouth to speak, her face turned even paler, her voice husky and pained.


    When she saw Ran Tengxiao passing by and leaving without ncing at her, Zhu Xiangxiang mustered up the courage to step in front of him, sessfully stopping him.


    Zhu Xiangxiang dares not lift her head; she must look pretty disheveled now.


    Looking at the pair of ck boots in her line of sight, her heart races. She says softly, ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡±


    A cold, aloof voice sounds from above her, ¡°It¡¯s her who saved you.¡±


    With that, the man in the ck boots walks away.


    Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively turns. The tall figure of the man is bathed in a soft glow from the dimly litmplight.


    ¡°Master Xiao,¡± she calls out with all her strength.


    She chases after him and said, ¡°Master Xiao, we met before in the parking lot of Yunmeng Vi. Do you remember?¡±


    Ye Shuang frowned, looking coldly at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s back.


    Another woman stuck on Master Xiao, naive and vain, she had seen many such women before.


    Their fate would not be any different.


    Ran Tengxiao finally stopped and nced at her.<div>


    The man¡¯s eyes are rather apathetic, just like the winter in Jiangzhou, frost-biting cold.


    Zhu Xiangxiang feels intimidated, but she still straightens up, revealing a gentle smile just right.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu Wentao¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang replied happily, ¡°So Master Xiao remembers me! My name is Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao gave a nonchnt nod and continued walking past her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed him, saying, ¡°Master Xiao, thank you so much, I could have been in big trouble.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t stop and casually said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a ce for a woman like you. Go home.¡±


    Was he worried about her?


    The Master Xiao who people fear even at the mention of his name, seems quite gentle. He¡¯s not nearly as scary as the rumors make him sound.


    Zhu Xiangxiang found her courage, ¡°I came here looking for my brother. Who knew I would run into such trouble? Master Xiao, you¡¯re my life-saver. They say that when someone saves your life, you owe them a river of gratitude in return. So, I¡­¡±


    How about offering herself to him?


    In the end, Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t dare to be too bold, and she quickly changed her tune, ¡°I was thinking, how about I treat you to a meal? I know it¡¯s nothingpared to you saving my life, but that¡¯s all I can do right now.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao calmly replied, ¡°Not necessary.¡±


    And to Ye Shuang he said, ¡°Take her to find Zhu Shaodan, then escort them out.¡±


    He paused for a moment, an icy tone entering his voice, ¡°As for that man just now, cut off one of his fingers and ban him from here.¡±


    With that, he walked away without looking back.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood there stunned, entranced by the back figure of Ran Tengxiao, she suddenly found him incredibly tall and handsome.<div>


    The words he had just spoken were so manly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart was pounding. Any woman who was loved by such a man must be the luckiest and felt the most secured in the world.


    There was a flicker of disdain in Ye Shuang¡¯s eyes as she walked over and said, ¡°Miss Zhu, don¡¯t think too much. Master Xiao hates men who bully women the most. Regardless of who the woman was, if Master Xiao had met her, that man¡¯s finger would be gone.¡±


    Meaning, Zhu Xiangxiang shouldn¡¯t read too much into it. Anyone in her position would have been treated the same by Master Xiao.


    She was just kindly reminding her¡ªnot to harbor futile hopes.


    Zhu Xiangxiang smiles, ¡°Really? Master Xiao is really a hero. I admire him even more now.¡±Ye Shuang gave a coldugh,pletely unaware of her imminent demise.


    Zhu Xiangxiang did not go in. She waited for a while, as Zhu Shaodan walked out.


    Zhu Xiangxiang went up and grabbed his ear, ¡°You¡¯re still a minor, and you¡¯re gambling? Wait till mom knows about this. She¡¯ll break your legs.¡±


    Feeling agitated, Zhu Shaodan shook off Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Can you be more annoying? I¡¯m just here to have fun. Why are you overreacting? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be gone for three months to try your luck in the entertainment industry? Why are you back, looking so defeated?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan studied Zhu Xiangxiang from head to toe, ¡°Have you lost weight? Having a hard time in the entertainment industry, huh?¡±


    Suddenly, his gaze fell upon her neck. There was a distinctive bruise, a mark suggesting that someone had strangled her. ¡°Who did this?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my call just now? Do you know I nearly got harassed to death by that old man, Deng Kun? If it hadn¡¯t been for Master Xiao who rescued me, you wouldn¡¯t see your sister anymore.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice choked with fear as she spoke and she started crying.


    ¡°Deng Kun?¡± Zhu Shaodan was furious, ¡°That shameless old bastard. I¡¯ll make sure I kill him.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly stopped him, ¡°Don¡¯t go, Master Xiao has already chopped off one of his fingers. He won¡¯t recover from that.¡±


    Only then did Zhu Shaodan notice the mention of Master Xiao and said in surprise, ¡°Master Xiao saved you?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shyly responded, ¡°Yes, he is a good man.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan stared at her, then chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re falling for him.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of liking Master Xiao. In fact, if you plead with me, I might be able to help you since I carry some weight in front of Master Xiao.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was shocked this time, ¡°What are you bragging about?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Xi Yu?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s a favorite of Master Xiao, and I¡­¡± Zhu Shaodan patted his chest proudly.


    ¡°I, Zhu Shaodan, am Xi Yu¡¯s apprentice, no doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang found this difficult to believe, ¡°Who is this Xi Yu?¡±


    She was now desperate to know everything about Ran Tengxiao.<div>


    ¡°He is a very influential person¡­¡±


    The two walked further away, their voices growing fainter until they werepletely swallowed by the vast, cold underground parking lot.


    ¡°Master Xiao, here¡¯s the financial report for this month.¡± Xie Zi respectfully handed it over.


    Ran Tengxiao flipped through it, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°How can it be hard when it¡¯s for Master Xiao?¡± Xie Zi lowered his head respectfully.


    Ran Tengxiao paused for a moment while flipping through the report, ¡°What¡¯s the date today?¡±


    ¡°November 11th. Why, Master Xiao?¡±


    Today was Singles¡¯ Day for men and Women¡¯s Shopping Spree Day.


    Ny percent of Qinglong Association¡¯s members were single. It was indeed challenging.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week¡­¡± Ran Tengxiao muttered.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing had days off recently and didn¡¯t n to stay in the hotel reading. She nned to go out for a walk.


    Although she was familiar with the bustling city of Jingzhou, much has changed over the years.


    ¡®Times changes and people change too.¡¯ The phrase was indeed urate.


    Liu Muxue was still sleeping at this time. She had difficulty waking up, and Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to look after such a princess.


    As for Song Yinzhang, he had left for The Songs¡¯ house early in the morning to visit his grandparents, uncles, aunts.


    Ming Jing decided to venture out alone.


    Just as she walked out of the hotel, a van stopped in front of her. The door opened, revealing Mao Nana¡¯s warm smile.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I know you¡¯re free today. Why not keep mepany?¡±


    Without a further word, Mao Nana pulled Ming Jing onto the van.


    ¡°Nana, where are we going?¡±


    Mao Nana applied some lipstick while looking into thepact mirror. Her wide mouth truly was a startling sight.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡±


    When Ming Jing saw the sign ¡°Tianshi stic Surgery Studio¡±, she couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile.


    Mao Nana was indeed efficient. It was onlyst night that they added each other on WeChat, and Mao Nana is already making a visit.


    A slender figure stood behind a vine as tall as a man, quietly looking towards the entrance.


    ¡°Mr. Xue? Dr. Liu invites you inside.¡± A respectful voice came from the nurse behind him.


    The man pursed his lips, took onest look, and then turned and strode away.

 Chapter 536: 251 Autumn Dawn (First Watch)

    Chapter 536: 251 Autumn Dawn (First Watch)


    After going through numerous cups of water, Mao Nana couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and burst out, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Dr. Liu? I have been waiting for two hours. I need to see him right now, immediately.¡±


    Expecting her domineering outburst to cow the younger girls, Mao Nana was surprised they seemed unfazed by her anger and didn¡¯t react at all.


    The girls in pink nurse uniforms all looked so delicate and attractive, with skin so tender it could be squeezed for water, it was like a feast for the eyes. Together, they could form a girl group and debut.


    If someone didn¡¯t know this was a cosmetic surgery hospital, they might think it was a beauty contest.


    Imagine how happy Dr. Liu must be, surrounded by these beautiful girls every day.


    Then, a young girl in the same pink nurse uniform stepped out from behind, her exceptional beauty made her stand out, giving off a strong aura of spiritual energy.


    ¡°Susu, thisdy is here and making a fuss to see Dr. Liu,¡± said a round-faced nurse to the girl who had just walked out of the room.


    This girl named Susu approached, her attitude neither cold nor overly enthusiastic but perfectly bnced, making people feel her warmth like a spring breeze.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Mao, I am Li Susu, Dr. Liu¡¯s assistant. You were introduced by Ms. Liu, right? Dr. Liu mentioned it to me before.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was very gentle and pleasant.


    ¡°I have been waiting for two hours, is he deliberately ignoring me? I don¡¯t have to stick with him. Humph.¡± She turned and was about to leave.<div>


    Li Susu didn¡¯t seem annoyed, instead, she smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Mao, you misunderstood. The staff may have not exined it clearly to you. Dr. Liu only epts appointments, and his schedule is booked up to three months ahead. However, since you were introduced by Ms. Liu, Dr. Liu made an exception and arranged for you. But the appointment this morning was quite urgent, so he couldn¡¯t find time to attend to you. I apologize for making you wait so long.¡±


    With the other party¡¯s gentle attitude and justified exnation, it was hard for Mao Nana to give her a hard time, so she said stiffly, ¡°How much longer do I have to wait?¡±


    Li Susu nced at her watch and said, ¡°There has been an unexpected situation, so it might take longer. If you are getting impatient, there¡¯s a shopping mall next door. You can go shopping with your friend, and I¡¯ll notify you as soon as Dr. Liu is free.¡±


    Alright, if the doctor¡¯s skill is particrly good, she¡¯ll endure it.


    Lesley stared at Li Susu¡¯s face, who then touched her face andughed, ¡°What are you looking at, Ms. Mao?¡±


    ¡°Your face¡­ Did Dr. Liu do it?¡± Mao Nana thought, if this was his work, the technique would be incredible, as there were no traces visible.


    Li Susu was stunned for a moment, then smiled.


    She neither denied nor confirmed it, so Mao Nana assumed it was true, which made her more confident in Liu Suifeng¡¯s skills.


    Ming Jing had been quietly sitting on the sofa in the rest area, looking down at a fashion magazine and ignoring the antics of this side.


    Mao Nana walked over and said, ¡°Ming Jing, let¡¯s go shopping.¡±


    Ming Jing closed the magazine, returned it to its original ce, picked up her backpack, and left with Mao Nana.


    Watching Ming Jing go, Li Susu¡¯s eyes shed with surprise, and then she witnessed the two walk out together.


    As soon as the two left, the nurses crowded around Susu, ¡°Is the person who came to see Dr. Liu this morning Xue An? He¡¯s notorious now, could it be that he wants stic surgery?¡±


    ¡°Xue An, is it really him? Isn¡¯t it rumored online that he¡¯s involved in the death of Liang Yanran?¡±


    These young nurses were in contact with celebrities and inte influencers every day and were long used to seeing scandals. They were even ustomed to seeing the real faces behind the morous celebrities beyond the limelight. To them, the star filters didn¡¯t matter at all.


    Li Susu looked at everyone, and their heads lowered when her gaze passed them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the first rule of the employee code?¡±


    ¡°We cannot reveal customer privacy, can¡¯t gossip about the customer¡¯s private lives.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not Xue An, just someone who looks a little like him, a friend of Dr. Liu. Remember that?¡± Li Susu¡¯s gentle tone was filled with an unspoken pressure, and everyone nodded in agreement, remembering it.<div>


    Li Susu softly said, ¡°Get back to work.¡±


    Everyone returned to their positions.


    Looking at the direction of the entrance, Li Susu frowned, then turned and walked back in.


    ¡ª<div>


    With sunsses on and wearing ten-centimeter high heels, Mao Nana, carrying a limited edition bag, walked confidently into the mall under the watchful eyes of passers-by.

 Chapter 537: 251 Autumn Dawn (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 537: 251 Autumn Dawn (Second Watch)_2


    Mao Nana waved her hand grandly: ¡°Ming Jing, pick anything you like. Big sister will pay.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head and smiled.


    Next, Ming Jing finally saw how extravagant women¡¯s spending power could be. Today was Double Eleven, a shopping festival created by major merchants, who were using all kinds of tricks to empty women¡¯s wallets. It happened to be Saturday, and everywhere was full of promotional advertisements, with crowds thronging the shops.


    The shopping mall was huge, with supermarkets and food streets in the basement, jewelry on the first floor, cosmetics on the second floor, shoes and bags on the third floor, and clothing on the fourth floor and above. Various luxury brands were dazzling. From the eighth to the fourteenth floor were various specialty restaurants, and the fifteenth floor was a gym.


    Mao Nana took Ming Jing and started sweeping through the mall one floor at a time. Ming Jing became Nana¡¯s bag carrier, with both left and right hands full of bags, and more bags being added.


    In general, as long as Mao Nana liked something, she didn¡¯t care about the price and would just have the salesperson pack it up.


    ¡°This dress is nice.¡± Mao Nana was attracted to an evening gown in the window as she passed by a store.


    Without any hesitation, Mao Nana went in.


    Ming Jing looked up at the sign: C Moon Xi Yue Er.


    This was a brand founded by Dai Xi, which had already entered the luxury market, developed offline stores, and done well in marketing. It targeted high-end customers, including celebrities, socialites, and white-cor workers.<div>


    Mao Nana pointed to the window-disyed gown and asked to try it on.


    The saleswoman was a bit hesitant.


    ¡°Sorry, but I saw the dress first,¡± a sweet voice chimed in.


    Upon hearing this, Nana¡¯s radar was instinctively set off.


    She red at the woman sitting cross-legged in the lounge chair, sipping coffee, almost grinding her teeth: ¡°Qin Qiuxi.¡±


    The saleswoman felt a chill down her spine. So the two women knew each other.


    Qin Qiuxiughed, ¡°Look at how angry you are! Where did you get your nose done? The doctor¡¯s skills werecking. Oh well, at least it didn¡¯t ruin that pretty face of yours.¡±


    Her words wereced with sarcasm, but her voice was sweet and her face was youthful. Her smile revealed a cunning, yet innocent expression, which was very deceptive.


    These words hit a sore spot for Mao Nana. She wanted tosh out, but Ming Jing gently patted her shoulder, her ethereal voice as soft as a spring breeze. ¡°Nana, don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±


    Mao Nana regained her reason as she clenched her fists. ¡°Qin Qiuxi, you slut! How many green hats have you given your husband, huh? Are you immortal or something? Get lost!¡±


    Mao Nana had a bad temper, but she could usually control it and would be reasonable. However, one person could make her lose all reason, and that was the woman in front of her ¨C Qin Qiuxi.


    There was a lot of history between these two women, which began when they were young and living in the samepound. They would alwayspete and rarely got along. In high school, the two fell for the same guy, and after a big fight, they had a falling out. Since then, they had be sworn enemies.


    Many years had passed since, and Nana had long moved on from her past crush, but her hatred for Qiuxi remained.


    Qin Qiuxiughed and said, ¡°But my husband doesn¡¯t mind. Now, some people in their thirties are still single, and all they do is chase around Bo Yujiang. Everyone knows what you¡¯re up to.¡±


    The saleswoman handed over the dress to Qiuxi, who said, smiling, ¡°No need to try it on. I have a supermodel figure; anything looks good on me. Package it up and send it to Huating New Residence.¡±


    Qiuxi ran her fingers through her wavy hair and said coyly, ¡°I¡¯ll wear this gown to Bo Yuxun¡¯s banquet in a few days. I wonder if he¡¯ll remember me, his ex-girlfriend, after all these years.¡±


    Mao Nana snapped, ¡°Shameless! You¡¯re a married woman yet unt yourself all day. Ex-girlfriend? Wasn¡¯t that just your own title? He never liked you.¡±


    Qiuxi yed with the rhinestones on her nails and smiled sweetly, ¡°Whether he liked me or not, I know. But he never liked you, and you should know that too. Remember when you confessed and made a fool of yourself in front of the whole school? It¡¯s been 20 years. Poor thing.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 538: 251 Autumn Dawn (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 538: 251 Autumn Dawn (First Watch)_3


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Mao Nana¡¯s fist clenched with a crackling sound.


    Every time the two met, they couldn¡¯t help but expose each other¡¯s dark secrets like a spinning wheel.


    ¡°I have an appointment with someone, so I¡¯m not sticking around to y with you. See youter.¡± Qin Qiuxi picked up her bag, grabbed her coat, and stood up from the sofa.


    She had a delicate baby face but was tall, with a stunning figure, perfect curves, and wore a tight, red hip-hugging skirt that left little to the imagination. One nce at her was enough to make one¡¯s blood boil.


    Her wavy hair added a touch of flirtatious allure, yet her doll-like face with its fairplexion seemed innocent. Her slightly upturned, fox-like eyes revealed a yful cunning, making her the pinnacle of both purity and allure.


    As Qin Qiuxi came up to Ming Jing, she looked at her meaningfully: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Ming Jing replied indifferently, ¡°Ming Jing.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi examined her face while stroking her chin, ¡°You look a bit like someone I used to know. How old are you this year?¡±


    Mao Nana immediately pulled Ming Jing behind her, ring at Qin Qiuxi, ¡°She¡¯s my sister, and you better not have any ideas about her.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi raised an eyebrow, nced at Ming Jing¡¯s face, smiled, and turned to leave.<div>


    ¡°No way your family¡¯s genes could produce such a stunning beauty. Stop ttering yourself.¡± With a sarcastic sneer, she sashayed away, swaggering her slim waist.


    Mao Nana cursed, ¡°Pah, what a nuisance. I must have picked an unlucky day to go out and encountered such misfortune.¡±


    Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s gaze fixed on Qin Qiuxi¡¯s retreating figure, unsure of what she was thinking, Nana said, ¡°Ignore her; she¡¯s just crazy. It¡¯s lunchtime, let me treat you.¡±


    After searching for a while without finding anything appealing to eat, they settled on hot pot.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t eat spicy food, so Mao Nana ordered a two-vor hot pot with various high-quality ingredients such as tripe, duck throat, goose liver,mb, and fatty beef. She sought to make up for the anger brought upon her by Qin Qiuxi with delightful food.


    Ming Jing only ordered a few vegetarian dishes, which looked so nd that it took away Mao Nana¡¯s appetite. It was impressive how Ming Jing managed to eat them every day for the past ten years.


    In the mist created by the bubbling hot pot, the young girl¡¯s face appeared a bit blurred. Delicately holding a slice of watermelon, she took gentle bites. Mao Nana had never known that someone could make eating watermelon look so appealing.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about my rtionship with Qin Qiuxi?¡±


    Ming Jing threw the watermelon rind into the small tabletop trash can and pulled out a wet wipe to slowly clean her fingers.


    ¡°Would you tell me if I¡¯m curious?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone else, but you¡¯re different. I really enjoy being with you and talking to you; it feels especiallyfortable.¡±


    Ming Jing was quiet and tender, yet delicate, and knew how to care for others¡¯ emotions. Although she was much younger and could have easily called Nana ¡°Auntie,¡± she took on the leading role of taking care of others.


    Talking to her was both rxing and soothing.


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Everyone has a past. Once it¡¯s passed, it¡¯s passed. You must have already let it go, so why bring it up again and cause unnecessary trouble?¡±


    ¡°I like that saying. It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯ve let it go that I can speak so carelessly about it. Let me tell you a bit about it¡­


    Mao Nana took a sip of water to moisten her throat, ¡°Back when I was in high school, I was considered the school belle, even more so than Qin Qiuxi.¡± This sentence had a touch of insecurity since Qin Qiuxi was the true school belle at that time, with countless admirers. Nana, on the other hand, had an immature, wealthy-girl temperament and was not well-liked then.


    ¡°Both of us fell for the same guy. You know how childish little girls can be when they¡¯re fighting over a boy. We divided into two factions, constantly provoking and attacking each other. That guy ignored us, and we spent our entire three years of high school like that. He was a genius in his studies, even winning a national gold medal in a biologypetition. He was admitted to a top medical school, while Qin Qiuxi and I merely kept fighting. In retrospect, it¡¯s justughable.¡±


    Mao Nana shook her head, ¡°He really was outstanding, the most unique amongst all the guys I¡¯ve ever met. He had not a hint of a spoiled rich kid in him, always sunny and cheerful. His smile was like the warmth of the sun in the wintertime.¡±


    Mao Nana¡¯s gaze filled with memories of her youth.<div>


    ¡°But he was blind and ended up falling for Qin Qiuxi. Other than looking pretty, what does she have that¡¯s better than me? After they got together, I was so angry that I decided to study abroad. It wasn¡¯t until I returned several yearster that I found out they had already broken up, and that Qin Qiuxi had been swept away by someone else. It was simply poetic justice.¡±


    Mao Nana took a fierce gulp of water.


    ¡°As for him, his family supposedly didn¡¯t approve of his subsequent girlfriend, and it fell apart. He then went abroad to study for a master¡¯s degree. Actually, if he had truly loved her, I would have blessed him. I had already let go during those years abroad, changing boyfriends like one changes clothes; there was no need to hang myself on one tree. Butter, I discovered that Qin Qiuxi had been the one to break them up. Do you know what¡¯s despicable about her? She had lied to me, iming that he had never liked her in the first ce. She did it on purpose to annoy me, causing me to leave for years and miss my chancepletely.¡±


    ¡°Even though I never really had a chance.¡± Mao Nanaughed at herself.<div>


    ¡°All these years, he¡¯s never returned, and I can hardly remember what he looks like. At first, I would think of him asionally, but now I have no feelings left. He must truly love that woman for him to have been away for so many years, even disregarding his family.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I met Shen Zhou that I realized he was my true love. The drama of my youth was nothing but a petty squabble with Qin Qiuxi. If I had to say what I liked about him, it might have been admiration for a stronger person. Back then, I was young and na?ve, thinking that everyone must like what¡¯s best. But it also depends on whether that person likes you and if you¡¯re a good match.¡±


    Ming Jing listened quietly, then suddenly asked, ¡°Do you think big brother Shen Zhou is suitable for you?¡±


    Mao Nana was taken aback, ¡°Maybe from your perspective, me stubbornly chasing after Shen Zhou is immodest and annoying. But the moment Iid my eyes on him, I knew that I was done for in this lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Emotions are hard to exin; who would have thought that such a distinguished man, back then, would remain unmarried for a woman even now?¡±

 Chapter 539: 252 Touching Bones (Second Watch)

    Chapter 539: 252 Touching Bones (Second Watch)


    Nana had always been carefree, but for the first time, she showed a mncholic side in front of Ming Jing.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about it. Let¡¯s eat, so we have the energy to continue shopping.¡±


    Ming Jing took a slice of potato without dipping it in any sauce and ate it in.


    Nana was dumbfounded, looking at the red soup next to her with variousrge pieces of fish and meat emanating a mouth-watering aroma, but Ming Jing remained unmoved.


    Inwardly, her admiration for Ming Jing grew a bit more.


    ¡°Qin Qiuxi just mentioned that there¡¯s a party for Bo Yuxun in a few days? Howe I didn¡¯t hear about it? I¡¯ll call and ask.¡± Nana suddenly remembered, took out her phone, and called Bo Yujiang.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Bo Yuxun¡¯s party? Do you know about it?¡±


    A gentle female voice came over the phone, ¡°That day happens to be my second brother¡¯s and my birthday. So, White Brother and the others decided to organize a joint birthday party for us, and it also serves as a wee party for my second brother. He doesn¡¯t like crowded ces, so it¡¯s just a few of his friends, ssmates, and our family, a simple celebration. If you have time that day, you shoulde.¡±


    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t miss this. After all, all thedies in Jingzhou want to marry the second young master of the Bo family. I want to see him too.¡±


    Nana nced at Ming Jing, ¡°Would you mind if I bring someone along?¡±<div>


    ¡°Of course not, the more the merrier. I have to go now, but if you decide toe, contact me in advance, and I will have someone pick you both up.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll drive.¡±


    Nana hung up the phone, and after some thought, she asked, ¡°You¡¯ll be done with your exam on the 15th, right?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, took out a napkin, and slowly wiped her mouth before taking a sip of water.


    She had finished everything she ordered, but her te was still clean and spotless.


    ¡°Perfect timing. I¡¯ll take you that night to broaden your horizons. I guarantee you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°Is it at the Bo¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°You know Yujaing, Bo Lianye¡¯s aunt, whom we met outside the auditorium. Her second brother ising back from abroad. Speaking of him, he¡¯s quite aplished¡­¡± Nana started to praise him non-stop.


    She praised him for a full three minutes.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Bo Yuxun?¡±


    Nana was surprised, ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°I saw his name on the honor board at Foreign Language High School that day. Thest name Bo is quite umon, so it must be him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s him¡­¡± Nana realized something and stealthily nced at Ming Jing, who didn¡¯t seem to make any other associations. Nana sighed in relief.


    ¡°He and A Jiang are twins, and the 15th is their birthday. The party also serves as his wee event. We can go and join the fun together.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Should I really go¡­? Is that appropriate?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate? A Jiang is my best friend, so my friends are naturally her friends too. There¡¯s no need to be so formal. I¡¯ll take you shoppingter and pick out a dress for you. I may not be able to upstage everyone, but with you there, Qin Qiuxi won¡¯t stand a chance of taking the limelight either.¡±


    The two continued shopping after their meal. Ming Jing didn¡¯t ept the dress Nana wanted to buy for her. Nana noticed that Ming Jing¡¯s clothes seemed to be custom-made, so she didn¡¯t insist on buying her anything from ordinary brands.


    When they grew tired, they went into a milk tea shop to rest.


    Finally, Li Susu called her, saying that Dr. Liu had finished with a client and now had time.<div>


    Nana sneered, ¡°I want to see what Dr. Liu can do to make me wait this long. If he can¡¯t satisfy me, I¡¯ll trash his store.¡± After saying so, she stormed off angrily.


    The driver came to take away the items Nana bought, and Ming Jing followed her.


    As they exited the elevator, a man walked into another elevator nearby. They brushed past each other.


    Ming Jing hesitated for a moment and turned back to look.<div>


    The elevator door slowly closed.


    Caught off-guard by Ming Jing suddenly looking back, the man lowered his head and hid his face under the brim of his cap.


    Ming Jing narrowed her eyes, and the elevator door finally sealed, blocking the man¡¯s figure from view.


    She turned back thoughtfully, and Li Susu greeted them with a sweet smile.


    It seemed that she had just sent off her previous client and was directly receiving them now.¡±Two guests, pleasee in. Dr. Liu has been waiting for you for a long time.¡±


    Li Susu pushed open the office door, and Nana walked in with her high heels, only to see a huge desk by the floor-to-ceiling window covered in various facial models. At first nce, it was quite startling.


    There seemed to be someone sitting in a chair with their back to the door.


    Nana tentatively asked, ¡°Dr. Liu?¡±


    The chair turned around, and a pair of slender legs were propped on the table. The young girl grinned and said, ¡°Surprise or not, I bet you didn¡¯t expect this!¡±


    It turned out to be Liu Muxue.


    Nanaughed, ¡°Howe you are here?¡±


    Liu Muxue snorted, red at Ming Jing, and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t call me when you went out, but I figured you guys woulde here, so I decided to wait.¡±


    Nana asked, ¡°Where is your cousin, Dr. Liu?¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue nced at the door to the left, ¡°He went to change clothes.¡±


    Seemingly remembering something, Liu Muxue suddenly jumped up, grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly, it¡¯ll be terrible if my brother sees us.¡±


    Li Susuughed from the sideline.


    Liu Muxue red at her, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    Li Susu said, ¡°Miss Liu, do you have some misunderstandings about Dr. Liu?¡±


    Liu Muxue put her hands on her waist and snorted, ¡°What misunderstandings could I have? He¡¯s an old lecher, and you all treat him like a treasure.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s calling me an old lecher?¡± A yful and amused voice came from inside the door, carrying a hint of flirtation with it.


    The door opened, and a tall, thin figure walked out.


    Scum with a tin foil perm, a flirtatious red suit, and a pale face ¨C all the right ingredients were there.


    Nana sized up Liu Suifeng. In real life, he was tall and thin, dressed in a casual suit with a white T-shirt inside. What was even more flirtatious was the deep neckline of the white T-shirt, which couldn¡¯t cover his toned muscles ¨C clearly a fitness-loving pretty boy.


    The real person looked much more lively than in the photos and seemed very young ¨C barely over twenty.


    Could he be reliable at such a young age?


    Liu Suifeng¡¯s gaze was like an X-ray, first checking out Nana¡¯s face and then shaking his head, ¡°My goodness, who did this to you? What a perfectly good face they¡¯ve ruined.¡±<div>


    Liu Suifeng walked over, grabbed Nana¡¯s face with both hands, looked left and right. His fascinated and enthusiastic eyes made Nana¡¯s skin crawl.


    ¡°The double eyelids they put in are like a car ident scene. The material used in the nose is wrong -it¡¯s transparent but not breathable. In the long run, the imnt will die and have to be removed¡­¡±


    Nana¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°Don¡¯t scare me.¡±


    Li Susu handed over a stack of photos very timely, ¡°Dr. Liu didn¡¯t lie to you. Now many unqualified doctors perform surgeries for money, causing a lot of harm to women. Take a look at these failed surgery photos, and while it¡¯s natural for women to want beauty, it¡¯s not worth turning into a lifelong nightmare.¡±


    The photos were all examples of failed stic surgery, and the faces could no longer be described as a car ident scene.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The thought of bing like that nearly made Nana vomit.


    Liu Suifeng snapped his fingers, ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have met me. I¡¯ll make you more and more beautiful ¨C believe me.¡±


    Without hesitation, Nana chose to trust him, ¡°Dr. Liu, please perform the surgery for me, no matter how much it costs.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush¡­¡± Liu Suifeng¡¯s gaze fell on Ming Jing, his eyes suddenly brightened.


    ¡°This face¡­it¡¯s too perfect.¡± Liu Suifeng eximed.


    He strode over in three steps, his gaze fixed on Ming Jing¡¯s face, from her hairline to her eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and jawline. His eyes were like X-rays, not missing any inch of her face.


    Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s elbow. Ming Jing¡¯s eyes narrowed, but his hand was fast, sliding from her elbow to her shoulders in an instant, then quickly retreated, his eyes flickered and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, though, that she¡¯s too young, like a budding flower, waiting to bloom. On that day, she will be impossibly beautiful and alluring.¡±


    Liu Muxue and Nana were both dumbfounded by Liu Suifeng¡¯s sudden move. Was this harassment?<div>


    Only Li Susu remained calm, as if she was used to it.


    Ming Jing squinted, ¡°Dr. Liu, what are you doing?¡±


    It turned out that Liu Suifeng was extraordinary, he could even sense the bones, and probably had figured out her age.

 Chapter 540: 253 Secret (First Revision)

    Chapter 540: 253 Secret (First Revision)


    A person¡¯s physical growth develops with age, and the age of twelve is the best time for bones to grow, with the average number of wrist bones calcifying increasing by one every year during this period.


    The best way to determine bone age is to use X-rays to take pictures of the child¡¯s wrist bones, measure the appearance, number, and morphological changes of the bone marrow centers, and standardize them.


    Besides X-rays, there are two other kinds of people who can determine bone age.


    One is a forensic doctor who examines dead bodies.


    The other is Liu Suifeng, who looks at living people.


    The core of stic surgery is bone relocation, and thorough research on the bones of the human body is essential. His eyesight is almost as good as an X-ray; he can spot something wrong at a nce, and with a touch, he can confirm if something is wrong.


    Not only does this require talent, but it also takes years of umtion and practice to reach this level of expertise.


    With his right hand on his chin, Liu Suifeng circled Ming Jing 360¡ã while clicking his tongue in admiration, ¡°I know you, the real daughter of the Zhus from Jiangzhou. You participated in that variety show with Qu Feitai for three meals a day, right? I watched it and have known of your fame for a long time. Finally, I see you in person today, and you¡¯re really impressive.¡±


    Liu Suifeng knew her thanks to the poprity of that variety show. A young girl brought Ming Jing¡¯s photo to him, wanting to have stic surgery to look like her. As an aesthetic master, Liu Suifeng naturally loved researching various beauties. The first time he saw her face in a photo, he was captivated.


    She was beautiful, but it seemed that she hadn¡¯t yet fully blossomed and appeared a bit childish.


    Upon searching the inte, he found out that she was only sixteen or seventeen years old.


    He, who never followed variety shows, unexpectedly researched the episodes featuring Ming Jing many times. The growth and development of a person¡¯s bones leave traces, and even if one takes great care of themselves, it cannot stop the passage of time from etching lines and wrinkles into the skin, leaving marks even when smoothed over.


    The entertainment industry¡¯s most beautiful woman was created by his hands. No one knew better than him the incredibly advantageous conditions a naturally stunning woman required.


    Luo Ziyin¡¯s foundation was already excellent, but a slight imperfection was enough to make her fade into the background. With his subtle adjustments, she gained a unique recognition and relied on her beauty to dominate the entertainment industry. The gic lottery was even harder to win than actual lotteries.


    Beauty lies in the bones, not the skin. The skin, like a flower, may blossom brightly but will eventually wither as time passes.


    However, for a woman with beautiful bone structure, even after decades have passed and their beauty has faded, they can still defy time with theirughter.


    The beauty before him had a perfect skull, hairline, facial features, face shape, and body proportions. Even the prominent vein on her neck was incredibly elegant and distinctive.


    With both beauty in the bones and the skin, and the extraordinary conditions bestowed by nature,bined with the demeanor of elegance and the so-called temperament, this was a truly timeless beauty.


    He had always been puzzled that her appearance seemed youthful yet her temperament mature, these two contradictory aspects mixed together often made people overlook her childish features. Her height also had a deceptive effect; it shoulde from her genes, and thus naturally lent itself to the perfect disguise.


    She might deceive others, but she could not fool him.


    Looking at the girl in white before him, who was calm and elegant, his eyes were full of interest.


    She was the only one among the beauties he had seen whose temperament surpassed her appearance.


    Most beautiful women in the entertainment industry know that they are beautiful from a young age. Their beauty often grants them special treatment in society. They use their beauty skillfully to achieve certain goals, relying on their beauty, ultimately falling short of true elegance. Beautiful as they are, theyck a special vor.


    However, the girl before him was like a dusty pearl, which would emit a remarkable splendor when the dust was wiped away and could not bepared to anything else.


    And that supposed dust was nothing more than time.


    A hint of interest shed in Liu Suifeng¡¯s eyes. This girl must be hiding many secrets.


    But who doesn¡¯t have secrets?


    ¡°However, this face gives me a familiar feeling¡­¡± Liu Suifeng closed his eyes, trying to recall.


    ¡°Alright, brother, we know you¡¯re an expert. But Ming Jing¡¯s face doesn¡¯t need your de, does it?¡±


    Liu Suifeng¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by Liu Muxue¡¯s words. He put it to the back of his mind and nodded, ¡°Indeed, it doesn¡¯t need my de, because time is the best knife.¡±

 Chapter 541: 253 Secret (First Update)_2

    Chapter 541: 253 Secret (First Update)_2


    Only Ming Jing could understand the metaphor in his words.


    ¡°Dr. Liu, I¡¯m here for your help today, so why are you constantly staring at Ming Jing?¡± Mao Nana said discontentedly.


    Liu Suifeng raised his eyebrows and gently reassured her: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s discuss a concrete n for your face.¡±


    Liu Muxue took Ming Jing out and said, ¡°Ignore my brother. He just can¡¯t help himself whenever he sees a beauty. Look at his studio, it¡¯s practically a beauty¡¯sir.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°He¡¯s more incredible than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Not only does he do stic surgery, but he also does gender reassignment surgeries, ugh~ just thinking about it makes me feel sick.¡±


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°How many years has Dr. Liu been in this profession?¡±


    ¡°More than a decade. My uncle wanted him to continue the family business, but he refused. He secretly ran off to study in H Country, insisting on learning about stic surgery. He made my uncle so angry that he was disowned and barred from ever setting foot in the house again. Even now, it¡¯s a source of shame for our family, because what my brother is doing is something the old conservatives just can¡¯t ept.¡± Liu Muxue sarcastically curled her lips.


    ¡°Is Dr. Liu in his thirties?¡± Ming Jing asked in surprise.


    ¡°You really can¡¯t tell.¡±<div>


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because he takes good care of himself. For a man, he has enough skincare products to open a store.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Liu, Ms. Ming Jing, pleasee this way.¡± Li Susu led them to the lounge and served them fruits, snacks, and freshly brewed flower tea and coffee.


    The lounge had a TV, a massage chair, a big bookshelf, and a game console, making it a great ce to pass the time.


    At that moment, a shrill female voice came from outside, ¡°Liu Suifeng, get out here¡­.¡±


    Li Susu immediately frowned.


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows andughed, ¡°Has another one of my brother¡¯s romantic troublese knocking? This drama shouldn¡¯t be missed!¡±


    Without waiting for Li Susu to speak, she darted out the door.


    Li Susu apologetically looked at Ming Jing. ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, please wait here a moment while I go handle this.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded, ¡°Go ahead, don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    ¡°Liu Suifeng, you better exin yourself. What do you mean by this? Don¡¯t hide like a coward,e out and rify!¡±


    ¡°Miss Duan, Dr. Liu is not here. Could you please refrain from behaving like this?¡±


    ¡°Move aside. What right do you have to talk to me? Tell Liu Suifeng toe out. If he doesn¡¯te out today, I won¡¯t be leaving.¡±


    A young and beautiful girl with long white legs appeared. She was a stunning beauty with a seductive aura hanging over her.


    Just by looking at her posture while swearing, it was clear that she was a little hot pepper with a savage temper.


    ¡°Who let this barking dog loose at my door? It stinks.¡±


    A voice filled withughter suddenly came. The beauty turned her head and saw a petite, delicate, and gorgeous young girl walking out.


    ¡°Who.. who did you just call a dog? I¡¯ll rip your mouth apart.¡± The beauty¡¯s eyebrows knitted in anger and she was about to lunge forward without a second thought.


    A few nurses rushed over to keep her back; this girl was Dr. Liu¡¯s sister. They couldn¡¯t let anything happen to her.


    Liu Muxue crossed her arms over her chest, stood in front of the beauty with a smug face, purposely tilting her chin up: ¡°Here, I¡¯ll offer you my face. Try ripping it apart, let¡¯s see if Suifeng rips your mouth apart to take revenge for me.¡±<div>


    Her smug expression was seriously asking for a punch. The beauty was about to lose it,shing out: ¡°Who the hell are you? What do you have to do with Liu Suifeng?¡±


    Liu Muxue twirled a strand of her hair, deliberately showing off the ring on her ring finger, she said with a mischievous smile: ¡°What do you think our rtionship is?¡±


    The beauty was fuming, shocked, she eximed: ¡°This is impossible, you¡¯re lying to me. Liu Suifeng wouldn¡¯t get engaged to anyone else. He promised he would only love me forever¡­.¡±


    Li Susu, who had caught up to them, was somewhat stunned by the scene. The other nurses who were holding back Duan Xiaoxiao also stood there puzzled.<div>


    What on earth is Ms. Liu up to?


    With a click of her tongue, Liu Muxue shook her head, ¡°Such a pitiful girl. You actually believe in a man¡¯s sweet words? Should I say you¡¯re naive or just downright stupid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Let Liu Suifenge out. I want to confront him face to face.¡±


    ¡°Duan Xiaoxiao, is it? You¡¯re still a female celebrity. Should your fans see you in this state, don¡¯t you think it would be inappropriate?¡± Saying these, Liu Muxue took out her phone and quickly snapped a photo of the other girl. Duan Xiaoxiao had no time to cover her face, and her hysterically dishevelled appearance was captured in the photo.

 Chapter 542: 253 Secret (First Update)_3

    Chapter 542: 253 Secret (First Update)_3


    Duan Xiaoxiao struggled to break free from the others and tried to snatch Liu Muxue¡¯s phone. Naturally, Liu Muxue wouldn¡¯t let her, but Liu Muxue was no match for Duan Xiaoxiao in terms of height.


    Duan Xiaoxiao red fiercely and reached out to grab Liu Muxue¡¯s phone, but her sharp fingernails aimed clearly at Liu Muxue¡¯s tender face.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Li Susu suddenly rushed over and pushed Liu Muxue away. The next moment, Duan Xiaoxiao¡¯s nails scratched Li Susu¡¯s face.


    Li Susu let out a muffled groan and squatted on the ground covering her face.


    Duan Xiaoxiao glowered at Liu Muxue, her eyes deranged, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­!¡±


    Not caring about anything else, she charged towards Liu Muxue.


    Liu Muxue darted around the room, shouting, ¡°So you¡¯re insane! No wonder Liu Suifeng wants to break up with you! What man would like a crazy woman like you¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you¡­!¡± Liu Muxue¡¯s words deeply provoked her, and she chased after her with a vicious re.


    Liu Muxue hadn¡¯t expected this woman to be so brutal. She shouted at the bewildered nurses standing aside, ¡°What are you waiting for? Call the police and arrest this madwoman!¡±


    Ming Jing heard Liu Muxue¡¯s shout and came out. She frowned when she saw the scene in the living room and picked up a goose egg-sized stone from a flowerpot by the door. She pinched the stone between two fingers and threw it.<div>


    Just as Duan Xiaoxiao was about to catch Liu Muxue, she suddenly felt pain in her right knee and her face paled. She ¡°plop¡± fell to the ground,nding face-first.


    In her struggling pain, she saw a pair of white embroidered shoes walk in front of her.


    The shoes were embroidered with green clouds and fairy cranes, elegant and unique.


    The white skirt fluttered without wind, with silver hidden patterns like shining lotus flowers, pure and graceful.


    Duan Xiaoxiao struggled to raise her head and could only see a slender figure bending down to help Li Susu up.


    The girl¡¯s ethereal voice was gentle and moving, ¡°Is your face alright?¡±


    Li Susu shook her head, covering her face. Her pale lips seemed to conceal some emotions, ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡±


    Liu Muxue walked over and kicked Duan Xiaoxiao hard, scolding her, ¡°You bitch, how dare you be so ruthless? If my face gets scratched, I¡¯ll tear yours to pieces.¡±


    Although Li Susu had saved her, it didn¡¯t mean Duan Xiaoxiao was innocent.


    Liu Muxue saw a fruit knife on the coffee table and swung it towards Duan Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. Happening in haste, Duan Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t dodge, and her reflection in the knife¡¯s edge revealed her fear.


    However, the knife stopped just a few millimeters away from her skin. Duan Xiaoxiao was sweating.


    Liu Muxue turned to look at Ming Jing, who was holding her wrist with the knife.


    ¡°Why are you stopping me? Let this venomous-hearted woman taste what it¡¯s like to have a ruined face.¡±


    Ming Jing flipped her fingers, and before anyone could see clearly, she had taken the knife away from Liu Muxue.


    Liu Muxue stomped her foot in anger, ¡°Are you helping her instead of me? Are we still friends?¡±


    Ming Jing looked down at Duan Xiaoxiao, ¡°Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.¡±


    Duan Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t quitee back to her senses, but she nodded anyway.


    The security guard had been watching from the side, but no one dared to offend Duan Xiaoxiao back when she was Dr. Liu¡¯s girlfriend. They had all suffered from her before, so they didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. In case they got back together, what if she took revenge?


    They didn¡¯t expect her to cut Li Susu¡¯s face.<div>


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°If you want an exnation from Dr. Liu, just wait for him. If you scar his sister¡¯s face, do you think he will have the patience to talk to you?¡±


    Duan Xiaoxiao looked up in shock at Liu Muxue, ¡°She¡¯s Liu Suifeng¡¯s sister?¡±


    Liu Muxue twirled the ring on her little finger, sneering, ¡°Wanna be my sister-inw? Maybe in your next life.¡±


    Duan Xiaoxiao choked, retorting, ¡°Who let you impersonate Liu Suifeng¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Would I be so ruthless otherwise?¡±¡±So it¡¯s my fault now? Let me tell you, if Susu¡¯s face ends up with a scar, I¡¯ll cut a matching one on your face to even it out.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing looked at Li Susu and calmly said, ¡°She¡¯s the most innocent person in this farce you two created. Apologize to her.¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, Duan Xiaoxiao reluctantly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Liu Muxue.


    Liu Muxue pointed to herself, ¡°Should I apologize too?¡±


    ¡°You started this, and she got hurt trying to save you. Doesn¡¯t she deserve an apology?¡±


    Liu Muxue pursed her lips, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Li Susu hurriedly spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s no need, Ms. Liu. It was my duty to save you.¡±


    Liu Muxue said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite with me. I¡¯ll consider this a work-rted injury. I¡¯ll ask my brother to give you a month off to recover and to use the best materials to repair your skin. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have a scar.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Liu, and thank you, Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Jing spoke to a nurse, ¡°Take her to the rest room.¡±


    The nurse carefully helped Duan Xiaoxiao to her feet, ¡°Youe with me.¡±


    Duan Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t dare to act out again. She stole a nce at Ming Jing and asked the young nurse, ¡°Who is that girl in the white dress?¡±


    The nurse looked surprised, ¡°You don¡¯t know who she is?¡±<div>


    Duan Xiaoxiao frowned, ¡°What, should I know her?¡±


    The nurse pursed her lips, ¡°Nothing, she¡¯s just Ms. Liu¡¯s friend.¡±


    Duan Xiaoxiao nced back again, suddenly feeling her knee hurting even more. She gasped and gritted her teeth bitterly.


    Li Susu hurriedly took out disinfectant tools to sterilize the wound. Liu Muxue saw the cut on her face was quite deep and clenched her fists angrily.


    ¡°How could my brother be attracted to such a vulgar and vicious woman? His taste is getting worse and worse.¡±


    Li Susu held the tweezers with an iodine-soaked cotton ball, and just as she was about to wipe the wound, Ming Jing took over and gently said, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Li Susu looked at her nkly, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I can do it myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just sit still and don¡¯t move.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s slender fingers held the tweezers with an indescribable elegance and grace. Her movements were extremely gentle, and Li Susu didn¡¯t feel any pain at all.


    ¡°Thankfully, it¡¯s just a small tear in the skin and not too deep. It shouldn¡¯t leave a scar,¡± Ming Jing said gently.


    Li Susu secretly sighed with relief.


    Liu Muxue nced at her and her eyes rolled all over the ce, ¡°Susu, let me ask you, how long have you been with my brother?¡±


    Li Susu answered without hesitation, ¡°Nine years.¡±<div>


    Ever since he returned from studying abroad and opened his studio, she had been with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re much prettier and gentler than Duan Xiaoxiao. Why didn¡¯t my brother notice you? Is it because a rabbit doesn¡¯t eat the grass beside its burrow?¡±


    Li Susu¡¯s face stiffened, and she lowered her gaze unnaturally.


    Ming Jing nced at Liu Muxue casually, and Liu Muxue felt a chill down her spine under her gaze, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. Go get me a ss of water.¡±


    ¡°All you do is boss me around.¡± Liu Muxue reluctantly got up and left.

 Chapter 543: 254 Audition (Second Update)

    Chapter 543: 254 Audition (Second Update)


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I truly appreciate your help today,¡±


    Dr. Liu¡¯s office is well soundproofed, and he absolutely hates being disturbed while discussing cosmetic surgery ns with his clients. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t an emergency, she wouldn¡¯t have disturbed him with such matters.


    ¡°It was nothing,¡±


    Ming Jing discarded the used cotton swab into the trash bin and put away her tools.


    Li Susu gazed at the young girl¡¯s quiet beautiful profile, murmuring, ¡°Dr. Liu has a beauty catalog thatpiles all the top beauties in the world. I was once fortunate enough to flip through it. There¡¯s a beauty that resembles you¡­but I haven¡¯t seen her in person, so I¡¯m not really sure, there are many people in the world that look simr.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Really? Given Dr. Liu¡¯s profession, it¡¯s not surprising.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people who don¡¯t understand him would say he¡¯s ascivious rogue, but that¡¯s not true. He was just born with a sincere love and respect for beauty. He¡¯s actually a very pure person.¡±


    Talking about Dr. Liu makes Li Susu¡¯s eyes shone like stars.


    Ming Jing nced at her and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re also a very pure person.¡±


    Who could follow someone for nine years without resentments?<div>


    Li Susu was taken aback,prehending what Ming Jing meant by ¡®pure¡¯, and she chuckled sardonically.


    Just then, the nurse station¡¯s bell rang. Li Susu quickly stood up, shaking off any hint of her soft demeanor and briskly said, ¡°Dr. Liu is calling for me, Ms. Ming Jing, please wait.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and quickly left.


    Mao Nana¡¯s cosmetic surgery n was finalized, and she couldn¡¯t wait for Dr. Liu to perform the surgery immediately.


    Li Susu returned to ry Mao Nana¡¯s demand, saying the operation would take a long time, probably till midnight. She suggested Ming Jing return home and not wait for her.


    It was currently around four in the afternoon, Ming Jing and Liu Muxue left together.


    Duan Xiaoxiao, who didn¡¯t have a chance to meet Dr. Liu, also left in disappointment.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± As they left the building, Liu Muxue stretchedzily and asked casually.


    Liu Muxue saw Duan Xiaoxiao trailing behind, gave a delicate huff, and made a show of balling her fist.


    Duan Xiaoxiao considered for a moment before approaching with a smile, ¡°Ms. Liu, I sincerely apologize for my previous actions. I didn¡¯t know you were Dr. Liu¡¯s sister, and I almost hurt you. How about I make it up to you and treat you and your friend to dinner since it¡¯s still early?¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes, ¡°Who wants your dinner? Don¡¯t ever let me see you again.¡±


    Thick-skinned as she was, Duan Xiaoxiao kept her smile intact even when rebuffed, ¡°Ms. Liu, I¡¯m truly upset with your brother. One day everything was great between us and we were even discussing about going on a trip abroad. But the next day, he shut me out and even blocked me on phone and WeChat. He refused to see me no matter how many times I caused a scene. He¡¯s deliberately avoiding me without even saying ¡®we¡¯re breaking up¡¯. It¡¯s so difficult for a girl to have a good rtionship¡­ ¡± As she spoke, she began to cry in grievance.


    Liu Muxue knew her cousin was no good, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so bad. She coughed and said, ¡°Just dump this kind of scumbag. Why persist like a dogged ster? Do you want to disgrace us women? There are plenty of men out there. Why insist on hanging by this crooked tree? Whose fault is that?¡±


    Duan Xiaoxiao was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect the other party to cruelly criticise her own brother, leaving her speechless.


    ¡°What do you want? For my brother to break up with you face to face? Or do you intend to cling on until he changes his mind? All this is just a charade he¡¯s putting on to save face. The more seriously you take it, the more you lose. At least now, by letting go, you¡¯re leaving a good impression. Persist further and it won¡¯t just be a simple blocking, consider your actions carefully.¡± Liu Muxue patted her shoulder and quickly left with Ming Jing.


    Duan Xiaoxiao, despite her reluctance, knew that Liu Muxue had the right of it.


    Just then her phone rang. When she saw the call was from her agent, she picked up.


    ¡°Where have you been, my little troublemaker? I managed to get us invited to a dinner tonight just so you could make a good impression on Mr. Wu. We might get a chance at the role then. Don¡¯t mess this up. Come back immediately.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a minor role with few lines to boot. Is it necessary to go to such lengths?¡±


    ¡°What do you know? That is Director Yu. Even a minor role is highly coveted by female stars in the entertainment circle. If you get his approval, you¡¯re set to soar. Never let any opportunity slip by. Get back here now.¡±<div>


    Duan Xiaoxiao grumbled, ¡°I hate drinking. If there¡¯s alcohol involved, I¡¯m not going.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, you won¡¯t be expected to drink. Just chat and show your face to Mr. Wu. You¡¯ll be more confident for the audition tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    As soon as Ming Jing walked into the hotel, Lan Huixin hurried over, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯ve been waiting for you all day.¡±Ming Jing nced at her phone, realizing it was turned off at some point.<div>


    She said to Liu Muxue, ¡°You go ahead, I want to talk with her for a bit.¡±


    Liu Muxue looked at Lan Huixin with suspicion, then turned and left.


    The two of them sat down in the rest area. When Hu Qing saw this from a distance, she immediately ordered someone to prepare tea.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I haven¡¯t formally thanked you for what happened that night. Liang Xiaohong, Han Yue, Zhao Heqiang, and Mr. Zhou all got the punishment they deserved. Youck for nothing, and I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡±


    Lan Huixin pushed an exquisite bag toward Ming Jing. ¡°This is a special product from my hometown that my mother brought when she came to visit me a few days ago. It¡¯s a unique flower cake from there. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve tried it before. I specially brought it to you.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at it andughed, ¡°You¡¯re from Yunzhou?¡±


    Lan Huixin nodded, ¡°Yes, I moved to Jingzhou to attend the Film Academy. I haven¡¯t been home in two years.¡±


    Her family wasn¡¯t very well off and the tuition for the Film Academy was expensive. Her parents had struggled to support her and she couldn¡¯t burden them further. She hadn¡¯t been home for winter or summer breaks, worked to earn tuition and living expenses, and, with schrships, managed to be self-sufficient.


    The school had rules that freshmen and sophomores couldn¡¯t act in films. Now in her junior year, her ssmates either had connections or resources, but she had neither. She could only study hard. A ssmate had introduced a resource, but she almost got scammed.


    Even so, she didn¡¯t lose heart. She had chosen this path and she wouldn¡¯t give up at the first sign of difficulty.


    Ming Jing took a bite of the flower cake. It was crisp and refreshing, with a pleasant floral aroma. She couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°It¡¯s very delicious.¡±


    Lan Huixin gave a shy smile, ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±


    Ming Jing seemed to think of something, ¡°With your qualifications, there should be many talent agencies wanting to sign you, right?¡±<div>


    Lan Huixin shook her head ¨C that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Before, while filming groups dide to the school to pick actors, any time a director was interested in her someone else always got in the way. Later, she realized that it was normal given she had no connections and no ability towork.


    Later, talent agencies did show interest in her, but she didn¡¯t trust them and didn¡¯t dare to sign.


    In truth, sometimes she questioned whether or not she was suited to this profession.


    Ming Jing said, ¡°I can rmend a talent agency for you, you can give it a try.¡±


    Lan Huixin¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Really?¡±


    She believedpletely in any rmendation that Ming Jing would make.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, it¡¯s a newpany that hasn¡¯t built up its credentials yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I trust you.¡± Lan Huixin¡¯s eyes were bright, as if she had found hope in an instant.


    Ming Jing took a business card out of her bag and slid it towards her, ¡°Go to see him. He¡¯ll help you achieve your dream.¡±


    Lan Huixin picked up the card and mumbled to herself, ¡°Unspeakable Entertainment Company, Chief CEO, Qing Zheng.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°This flower cake is even more authentic than the ones I had in Yunzhou, where did you get it?¡± Ye Zhen took a bite, the taste lingered in her mouth.<div>


    Ming Jing poured a cup of water for her, ¡°Lan Huixin gave it to me. I rmended her to Qing Zheng.¡±


    Ye Zhen nodded, ¡°She really is a good seedling, pragmatic and striving hard. The key is her great conditions and the spiritual energy she possesses. As long as she has an opportunity, she will definitely shine.¡±


    After all, Ye Zhen has been in the entertainment industry for a while and has reached a top position. She has a discerning eye.


    Ye Zhen nearly choked and quickly took the water and drank heavily.


    ¡°Director Yu Dawei is holding an audition tomorrow morning for his new film. Practically everyone in the entertainment industry, famous or not, has signed up. I¡¯ve read the original IP, and there is a role perfect for Lan. Do you think Qing Zheng can try to secure an audition opportunity for her?¡±

 Chapter 544: 255 Assault (first update)

    Chapter 544: 255 Assault (first update)


    Lan Huixin walked out of the hotel and immediately dialed Qing Zheng¡¯s phone number.


    During the few seconds of waiting with the ¡°beep-beep¡± sound, Lan Huixin swallowed nervously. The cars on the road were rushing past, and the noise was endless, but she could clearly hear her own heartbeat.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Azy and deep voice came from the phone, ambiguous and mysterious. Lan Huixin unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone.


    ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Qing? My name is Lan Huixin. Ming Jing introduced me to you.¡±


    Just a few words made her break out in a sweat.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Little Lan, Ming Jing mentioned you. You¡¯re a third-year student at the Film Academy, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lan Huixin was slightly excited, knowing Ming Jing had mentioned her.


    ¡°Are you in Jingzhou now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you an email address. Later, send your resume to this email. Ming Jing¡¯s rmendation won¡¯t be wrong. I have a meeting now, and we can talkter.¡± The person on the phone hung up after he finished speaking.<div>


    From the voice, this was a decisive and determined person, with a pleasant voice.


    Not wanting to dy, Lan Huixin rushed back to her dormitory.


    Li Tingting was doing a live stream. When she saw Lan Huixine back, she smiled at her phone and said, ¡°That¡¯s it for today, everyone. See you tomorrow at the same time. Bye-bye, love you all.¡± She blew a greasy kiss and then turned off the live stream.


    Lan Huixin didn¡¯t pay attention to her and went straight to her own seat, opened herputer, and started to polish her resume.


    Li Tingting nced at her, ¡°Huixin, you¡¯re not still mad at me, are you? Actually, I was also deceived by Senior Han. If I had known, I definitely would not have let you go.¡±


    From beginning to end, the whole thing was mysterious. How did Lan Huixin escape? Han Yue was arrested, and Li Tingting didn¡¯t dare to ask the police. This case wasn¡¯t that serious at first, but somehow it got connected to Liang Yanran¡¯s death, causing panic. She was on pins and needles every day, fearing that the police woulde to her door.


    Fortunately, she was cautious and chose an isted ce to meet with Senior Han. In the past few days, she had been nervous, afraid that Han Yue would betray her. Later, she figured that what she did was nothingpared to what Han Yue had done. Even if the police came for her, she had a reason to get away with it.


    Lan Huixin, without looking up, said, ¡°Your line deliverycks emotion, and it¡¯s way too artificial. Our acting teacher has mentioned this problem of yours several times, but you never change. When acting, you must immerse yourself in the role and focus solely on it to be able to resonate with the audience.¡±


    As acting students, who could deceive whom?


    Li Tingting¡¯s face stiffened, but she quickly covered it up with augh, ¡°Huixin, today the police came to the school again to investigate Senior Han Yue. There are rumors all over the school now. You¡­ haven¡¯t told the police anything about me, right?¡±


    ¡°Told the police you colluded with Han Yue to set me up? Trapped me in an unjust situation? Or said that you two were pimps, specializing in deceiving innocent young girls?¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Li Tingting¡¯s face turned green and white, sneering, ¡°I don¡¯t know when you became so glib. You have no money or connections. Dreaming is faster if you want to make it in this circle.¡±


    Li Tingting shook the gold bracelet on her wrist, her face smug, ¡°Do you know who Yu Dawei is? He¡¯s holding an audition for his new movie tomorrow morning at Zhonglou Building. I know a producer in charge of actor selection for this movie. He said I¡¯m quite suitable for one of the roles and rmended me to go for the audition. If I get selected, I¡¯ll be Lady Yu in the future.¡±


    Li Tingting became more and more proud as she spoke. Out of the four roommates in the dorm, the other two had already signed contracts withpanies, had steady acting jobs, and would eventually make something of themselves.


    On the other hand, Lan Huixin, who excelled in both professional and cultural courses, was ignored by everyone, and they were all waiting to see her make a fool of herself.


    Being beautiful but having no influence or connections, and not being smart in dealing with matters, such a person was more suitable to go back to her hometown and farm.


    Lan Huixin didn¡¯t bother with her, concentrating on working on her resume. She decided not to include many awards, as too many would distract from the main points. Instead, she only listed her grades during her college years. Unlike other people¡¯s fancy achievements, she hadn¡¯t done any advertising or modeling during her first two years of college, focusing instead on her sses.

 Chapter 545: 255 Assault (First Update)_2

    Chapter 545: 255 Assault (First Update)_2


    Li Tingting saw that Lan Huixin ignored her, making her feel like her punchnded on cotton, causing her anger to rebound on herself. Her face turned into an ugly purple hue.


    Li Tingting nced at Lan Huixin¡¯sputer. She saw that Lan had listed all her college achievements and instantly knew that she was writing a resume. She scoffed, ¡°There are so many shampanies nowadays, especially in the entertainment industry. It¡¯s full of all sorts. Just wait to be cheated.¡±


    Lan Huixin didn¡¯t pay any attention to Li Tingting. After checking for errors, she attached a photo and sent it to the email address provided.


    After sending the email, Lan Huixin let out a long sigh of relief.


    Li Tingting stared at her. ¡°Lan Huixin, just wait to be cheated.¡±


    Lan Huixin sneered, ¡°As if I haven¡¯t been cheated before? I don¡¯t care about it this time. But you¡­¡±


    Lan Huixin stared at the shining gold bracelet on Li Tingting¡¯s wrist. ¡°Be careful not to capsize in a ditch.¡±


    Li Tingting rolled her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s just see how things go.¡±


    Li Tingting looked at the time. ¡°It¡¯s almost 8 o¡¯clock. The ¡®Teen Idol¡¯ show is about to start.¡±


    She immediately rushed to theputer and opened Apple Video. ¡°My Feifei, I¡¯ming!¡±<div>


    Lan Huixin sneered, almost forgetting that Li Tingting was a diehard fan of Qu Feitai, dreaming of marrying him someday. When the ¡®Teen Idol¡¯ announced that Qu Feitai would be a mentor, the auditions had already ended, or else Li Tingting would have been the first to sign up.


    Two girls from their ss had participated in the ¡®Teen Idol¡¯ show and were criticized by their teacher. Although everyone has a personal choice, it¡¯s undoubtedly taking a shortcut. The idol market and the acting market are severely divided. Real actors with aspirations would never choose topete in talent shows. Once in the industry, it¡¯s hard to leave.


    Li Tingting hesitated for a while, wanting fame but not willing to give up her acting identity. Idols can only be popr for a short period and have a limited career. As she hesitated, the registration deadline passed.


    When it was announced that Qu Feitai would be a mentor for this season, Li Tingting regretted it deeply and stomped her feet in frustration.


    ¡°This Xu Lian¡¯er is such a hypocritical white lotus, deliberately provoking Feifei. She did it on purpose for attention, such a scheming old woman,¡± Li Tingtingined while eating chips.


    ¡°Feifei is so sharp-tongued, but what he said is true. I also think the singingcks emotion¡­¡±


    ¡°Feifei is so handsome, 360 degrees of perfection. How can there be such a handsome man in the world¡­¡±


    Lan Huixin had been waiting for a call from Qing Zheng, feeling uneasy and barely paying attention to what Li Tingting was saying.


    ¡°Damn, Xu Lian¡¯er, you white lotus bitch! How dare you m the table and yell at my Feifei! Who gave you the courage?¡± Li Tingting angrily pped her table.


    The episode soon ended, and Li Tingting, still wanting more, prepared to switch to her alt ount on Weibo and start ranting. Her target, of course, was Xu Lian¡¯er, who had dared to m the table at Qu Feitai. But when she logged in, it was toote as Xu Lian¡¯er was already the top trending topic.


    Everyone thought Qu Feitai¡¯s sharp tongue would attract arge number of haters, and his fans had prepared for battle. Unexpectedly, it brought in lots of praise instead.


    His sharp tongue wasn¡¯t for the sake of being nasty; every word had substance and professional advice.


    The other three mentors were all too amodating, only saying ttering words. This wouldn¡¯t help the contestants grow. The show needed professional mentors like Qu Feitai to provide professional opinions.


    Xu Lian¡¯er, who blindly defended the students and tried to create a warm image, got caught by the sharp-eyed audience. Her questioning of Qu Feitai was seen as a way to gain exposure by using him to elevate her status, her only reward being the audience¡¯s mockery, pushing her into the top trending position ¨C her wish hade true.


    As the hour hand pointed to 10 o¡¯clock, Lan Huixin put on her headphones to listen to English Radio Broadcast to try to calm herself.


    When her phone rang, she was slow to react. Just as it was about to hang up, she quickly answered it.


    Without waiting for her to speak, the caller said, ¡°Tomorrow morning at 8, Zhonglou Building 2508, audition for Yu Dawei¡¯s new film. Just give them your name when you arrive. Grasp this opportunity on your own.¡±


    After saying this, the caller hung up.


    Lan Huixin stared at her phone, which was emitting a busy signal, as she tried to process what just happened.<div>


    Soon, a glimmer of determination shed in her eyes and she stood up abruptly. She had to seize this opportunity and not let down those who had expectations for her.


    Li Tingting was startled by Lan Huixin¡¯s sudden movement and frowned, muttering, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? If you¡¯re sick, take some medicine.¡±

 Chapter 546: 255 Assault (First Update)_3

    Chapter 546: 255 Assault (First Update)_3


    Li Tingting switched from Weibo to WeChat, found Mr. Wu¡¯s WeChat, and sent him a message that was both ambiguous and flirtatious.


    However, the other party didn¡¯t reply to her message until midnight, which made her feel frustrated. Thinking about tomorrow¡¯s audition, her mood wasn¡¯t very good.


    On the other hand, Lan Huixin went to bed early, ready to conserve energy for tomorrow¡¯s audition.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°The wind has changed suddenly this time, and there¡¯s no bacsh. No room for the water army I hired. Hey, the audience¡¯s tastes have be more and more peculiar.¡± Huang Chaoughed as he browsed the Weiboments, not even needing any maniption.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Huang Chao suddenly remembered something important, straightened up, and looked at the man lifting weights on the balcony.


    ¡°Director Yu¡¯s team contacted me and wants to invite you to be the music director for their new film. I didn¡¯t agree directly, but will you do it? ¡±


    It¡¯smon for singers to be a music director for films in the entertainment industry. After all, Director Yu was a top 3 most famous and innovative director in China. Many singers had been eager to work with him in the past. However, Qu Feitai has always turned all the offers down, as most of them just want to exploit his poprity to gain exposure.


    But this time, Director Yu¡¯s team directly reaching out to Qu Feitai was quite unexpected.


    ¡°Could it be because of Master Lin Huan¡¯s rtionship? His disciple is part of Yu Dawei¡¯s indispensable team, but since Yu Dawei took a break for seven years, his people had to make a living as well. Since this time Master Lin Huan couldn¡¯t make it, he rmended you to Yu Dawei after your coboration?¡± Huang Chao merely spected, as Qu Feitai and Yu Dawei had no connection at all¡ªYu Dawei had already retired from the industry when Qu Feitai had not even debuted yet.<div>


    Qu Feitai put down the barbell and picked up a towel to wipe the sweat off his face.


    Huang Chao swallowed involuntarily, his eyes fixed on that perfect figure.


    The young man was wearing a ck tank top, revealing his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Toned muscles glistened under the light, and beads of sweat looked like droplets of dew on a peach, tempting and enticing.


    The broad and tight shoulders gave a sense of security. Following the contour of the chest downward, the waistline appeared fluid and beautiful with faintly visible abs, which aroused adrenaline.


    Huang Chao covered his nose, wondering if the young man was nning to outdo fitness coaches with his fantastic physique and continue working out. Was he aiming for the sky?


    With long strides, Qu Feitai walked inside, pouring a ss of water and gulping down a few mouthfuls.


    His Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down as he swallowed, and a few droplets of water rolled down from his chin, down his neck and chest, looking very tempting.


    Huang Chao coughed and quickly looked away, feeling that this was a test of his self-control.


    ¡°Form is emptiness, emptiness is form¡­,¡± Huang Chao muttered in his heart.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Qu Feitai agreed after finishing his water.


    ¡°I knew you would say yes. Director Yu¡¯s films always have quality assurance, and it¡¯s a win-win coboration,¡± Huang Chao said, dispelling the notion of one party chasing the other¡¯s poprity. Both of them had their own fan base and influence.


    ¡°But, you have no experience in film music production, and you are also preparing your new album. Will you have enough time?¡±


    ¡°We only need the music video for the new album¡­,¡± Qu Feitai mentioned, his grip on the cup tightening while his pupils slightly constricted.


    Huang Chao asked: ¡°Have you picked the actors for the music video?¡±


    Qu Feitai remained silent.


    Huang Chao called Director Yu¡¯s team back, stepped onto the balcony to speak briefly, and then returned. ¡°There¡¯s an audition tomorrow morning, and Director Yu¡¯s team invited you to go. Film music is different from singles¡ªit must be closely rted to the background, characters, and fate of the film, so you need an in-depth understanding of the core theme. Go to the audition tomorrow to get a feel for it, and see if you can find the female lead for the music video. After all, the ones auditioning tomorrow are the top actors and rising stars in the entertainment circle.¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t want to go, Huang Chao reluctantly persuaded, ¡°My dear young master, as a musician, we mustn¡¯t be too self-constrained. Bymunicating with filmmakers, you might be inspired by some unique ideas. If you¡¯re always immersed in writing music at home, your creativity will dry up sooner orter.¡±


    At this moment, the phone charging on the table rang. Qu Feitai walked over and took a look.<div>


    Group name¡ªSudden Strike Squad.


    Who says Bai Kaishui has no taste: @Xiao Qu¡¯er @Mr. Song @Jiang shui Biyutian, I just watched Xiao Qu¡¯er¡¯s new variety show out of boredom, and I fucking exploded. How could you bear that Ms. Xu? She¡¯s just dragging you down.


    Mr. Song: Little Bai, aren¡¯t you someone who never watches Xiao Fei¡¯s variety shows? Could it be that our Xiao Fei is just that charming?


    Jiang shui Biyutiain: ¡­<div>


    Qu Feitai: Hehe.


    Who says Bai Kaishui has no taste: @Xiao Qu¡¯er I will hehe your head! Only I can bully my brother; whoever dares to bully him is my enemy.


    He posted a screenshot of a Weibo ID spewing insults, Ms. Xu was trending on Weibo, and this ID gained a lot of attention from fans, as well as a huge wave of new followers.


    Mr. Song: Forget it, she just wants poprity, stop paying attention to her, Little Bai. My grandma was still talking about you this afternoon. She made your favorite spring rolls. Won¡¯t youe over tomorrow? She misses you.


    Who says Bai Kaishui has no taste: Sigh, being so popr since childhood has always been a puzzle to me.


    Mr. Song: Err¡­


    Xiao Qu¡¯er: Chunxi Court¡¯s reputation is well deserved.


    Jiang shui Biyutian: Laughing emoticon.


    Who says Bai Kaishui has no taste: @Xiao Qu¡¯er Are you itching for a fight again? Let¡¯s settle it over at the Songs¡¯ ce tomorrow!


    Mr. Song: We all know who¡¯s the hen and who¡¯s the rooster (giggles).


    Jiang shui Biyutian: Hehe.


    Xiao Qu¡¯er: I¡¯m busy tomorrow. I¡¯ve epted a movie¡­


    !!!<div>


    Exmations followed!


    A top singer is going to transition into films? This is definitely explosive news.


    Xiao Qu¡¯er: I¡¯ll be working as a music director. Tomorrow is my first day on the job.


    Mr. Song: Little Fei, you¡¯re amazing (thumbs up), your career is thriving.


    Jiang shui Biyutian: Your career is getting better and better; I¡¯m happy for you, brother.


    Bai Kaishui took a while to react, and Qu Feitai hurried Huang Chao away to take a shower.


    After the shower, Bai Kaishui @ him: Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Yu Dawei¡¯s movie.


    Mr. Song: What? Yu Dawei? Isn¡¯t he your cousin, little Bai?


    Jiang shui Biyutian: Director Yu¡¯s films are of good quality; you¡¯re really flying high, Little Fei.


    Xiao Qu¡¯er: @Bai Kaishui It is indeed your cousin.

 Chapter 547: 256 Rebirth (Second Update)

    Chapter 547: 256 Rebirth (Second Update)


    Today is a rare beautiful day.


    Ye Zhen, with her mouth full of toothpaste foam, mumbled, ¡°Why are we getting up so early?¡±


    Ming Jing put the filled water bottle into her backpack, ¡°To attend an audition.¡±


    Ye Zhen¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Yu Dawei¡¯s audition? You¡¯re going to audition?¡±


    ¡°Not me, you.¡±


    Ye Zhen leaned back, almost spraining her ankle, and eximed incredulously, ¡°Me?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at the time, ¡°You only have five minutes.¡±


    Ye Zhen quickly got ready and rushed out. Ming Jing had already prepared her bag, including her water bottle, tissues, and phone.


    Ming Jing handed her a packed sandwich and a bottle of warm milk.


    Ye Zhen took it, the warmth of the milk seeping into her heart.<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ming Jing turned and left.


    Ye Zhen followed her, still trying to process what was happening.


    While waiting for the elevator, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ming Jing, you¡­ you want me to audition? But¡­ but I¡­¡±


    This was Ming Xin¡¯s body after all.


    Ming Jing looked at a moth struggling to climb the wall. It was winter, and some creatures perished, while others hibernated. This moth was probably searching for food after starvation had weakened it.


    Just when it was about to fall, its body formed an arc in midair¡­


    Ming Jing opened her palm, and the moth gentlynded on it. Its wings fluttered a few times before it could struggle no more.


    ¡°Senior was a kind person. If she knew that you could achieve your dreams, she would be happy for you.¡±


    Being reborn in her senior¡¯s body might not be an ident. Buddhism speaks of cause and effect. Whose cause and whose consequence might be unclear, but in doing so, both Ye Zhen and her senior would be happy.


    Becausest night, she dreamt of her senior.


    Ming Jing sighed and brought the moth to the edge of a flower pot, leaving some water for it.


    ¡°Even the coldest winters will pass. Everyone has their own path to walk and their own convictions to uphold.¡±


    Ming Jing entered the elevator, and Ye Zhen followed, suddenly hugging Ming Jing.


    ¡°Ming Jing, thank you.¡±


    A warm sensation dripped onto Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder. Through the thick fabric, she could feel Ye Zhen¡¯s burning heart.


    ¡°Yesterday¡¯s matters are like yesterday¡¯s deaths. Today¡¯s matters are like new life. Do not waste this second chance, not everyone has this opportunity. Pursue your dreams, fulfill your regrets.¡±


    The young girl softly whispered to Ye Zhen, but also to herself.


    Walking out of the hotel entrance, the first rays of sunlight bathed them in warmth. Ye Zhen looked up and took a deep breath.


    Her past life was spent struggling in the depths of a bog. Her world had no sunlight, no warmth, no kindness, and was filled with endless darkness and deceit from so-called friends and family.<div>


    Dying once and exacting her revenge had finally eased her restless, tormented heart. These past sleepless nights seemed to dissipate under the young girl¡¯s gentle touch.


    For the past two days, lying beside Ming Jing, she slept the mostfortable and safe slumber of her life. The overflowingfort and warmth from deep within her heart made her wake up smiling every day.


    The sky was bluer, the clouds whiter, and the birdsong more melodious.


    Even the cold wind didn¡¯t feel as bone-chilling.<div>


    It turns out that when you meet a gentle person, the world bes gentler too.


    Ye Zhen stroked the Buddhist beads on her wrist, ncing at the young girl beside her.


    A slow smile spread across her lips, sunlight dancing on her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth, making her as captivating as spring water.


    Yesterday¡¯s matters are like yesterday¡¯s death.


    Today¡¯s matters are like new life.


    True rebirth is not just regaining a heartbeat, a healthy and free body. It is thend beneath one¡¯s feet, thendscapes seen with one¡¯s eyes, and the liberation and sublimation of the soul¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to be alive!¡± she softly eximed.Fingers covering her eyes, the yful sunlight filtered through the gaps and shone into her eyes, illuminating her world like a beam of light.


    In front of her appeared a tall and elegant girl, her swaying skirt adorned with lotus flowers, resembling a lotus pedestal.


    Pure, ethereal, and unattainable.


    Supporting the weak, saving all sentient beings ¨C she had aplished it all.


    Ye Zhen lowered her eyes, gently stroking the Buddhist beads on her wrist.


    ¡°Can I selfishly ask for something?¡±


    You saved others, but I only wanted you as Ming Jing.<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    Having been a producer for many years, Wu Chao felt like he¡¯d really lucked out getting to work with Yu Dawei this time.


    People inside the circle all praised his achievements with envy, and he didn¡¯t mind it at all.


    He arrived early and waited at the entrance of the building, watching numerous young, pretty, and fashionable youngdiesing in, nodding frequently. It seemed like half the actresses in the entertainment industry had shown up.


    He even saw several familiar faces.


    Most of the important roles were already settled, but the main female lead and some young supporting roles were still open. The director required young faces, and after much deliberation, Yu Dawei was still unsatisfied. The investors also tried to force their choices in, so in defiance, Yu Dawei decided to hold an audition. As long as you had the ability, you could participate, effectively shutting the investors up. It was the most fair method avable at the moment.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Wu,¡± said Duan Xiaoxiao, her face heavily made up, smiling as she greeted him.


    Wu Chao was left with a headache. Had this girl been so drunkst night that she lost her memory? He had repeatedly reminded her to appear with a natural look, and yet here she was, her face painted like a monkey¡¯s butt.


    However, with so many people around, it was not convenient for Wu Chao to speak up. He pointed to his own face, hoping she would be smart enough to understand.


    Instead, Duan Xiaoxiao thought Wu Chao was praising her makeup and smiled even more proudly, striding confidently into the room.


    A young girl in a white dress caught his eye, and Wu Chao stared intently at her. She walked right past him without a nce, and even after she had disappeared from sight, he still hadn¡¯t quite processed it.


    The girl who had been walking next to her waspletely overshadowed, and he couldn¡¯t even remember her face; his mind was filled with the image of the girl in white.


    When had the entertainment circle produced such an incredibly beautiful woman?<div>


    Compared with this girl, the so-called number one beauty Luo Ziyin seemed rather vulgar.


    Wu Chao sighed in admiration. There were many hidden gems in the entertainment industry. The key was whether anyone had the capital to promote them. This girl might not be the type that Yu Dawei liked. Yu Dawei was fond of actresses with spiritual energy. The Lady Yu actresses he had promoted earlier were not top beauties in the entertainment industry; at most, they were considered elegant and charming. But once they acted, their performances were full of spirit and charisma, earning high praise for Yu Dawei¡¯s talent in selecting actresses.


    A pearl that everyone loves is nice, but picking a gem when it¡¯s buried in the dust is an absolute skill.


    Wu Chao sighed again, wondering which Lady Yu would emerge from the audition and secure her ce at the top of the entertainment circle for the next decade.


    At this moment, a car stopped at the entrance. Seeing the license te, Wu Chao immediately walked up respectfully.


    ¡°Master Yu, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    A white-haired man in his sixties stepped out of the car. This was the legendary Yu Dawei.


    He was tall and slim, with silver hair but exceptionally white skin. His eyes were warm yet sharp, and his movements exuded an air of elegance, revealing that in his youth he must have been a very handsome and elegant gentleman.


    A young man in a white tracksuit then jumped out of the car. Wearing a headband and sunsses, he appeared to be quite a cool and handsome character with a mischievous, stubborn charm.


    Wu Chao¡¯s eyes brightened, and he ttered him: ¡°This must be Young Master Yu, indeed, like father like son. Seeing Young Master Yu¡¯s demeanor reminds me of Master Yu¡¯s youthful aura.¡±


    The young man rolled his eyes behind his sunsses, chomping on his gum and retorted, ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the eyesight. When my uncle was young, you were probably still in diapers.¡±


    Wu Chao was taken aback, a little embarrassed: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were Young Master Yu. I didn¡¯t realize you were Master Yu¡¯s nephew.¡±


    The young man snorted and lowered his head to type furiously on his phone. He was probably sending someone a message, but suddenly he burst intoughter.<div>


    Wu Chao took a quick look; the young man¡¯sughter had a mischievous charm that was very attractive to thedies.


    Yu Dawei furrowed his brow and said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He took the lead and walked inside.


    The young man followed in ackadaisical manner, texting on his phone as he walked.


    Surprise assault team ¨C


    Bai Kaishui: @Xiao Qu¡¯er, I¡¯m here. Where are you?

 Chapter 548: 257 Beauty (First Update)

    Chapter 548: 257 Beauty (First Update)


    Yet another car pulled over, and Bai Ziyan walked over with a smirk, ¡°You¡¯rete¡­¡±


    The door opened, and Bai Ziyan was slightly stunned.


    The person who arrived wasn¡¯t Qu Feitai, but a handsome man in his thirties.


    This face looked familiar, as he had just seen it in the idolpetitionst night.


    It was none other than one of the judges, Zhou Zhengru.


    Zhou Zhengru looked at Bai Ziyan, raised his eyebrows, and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    Bai Ziyan scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± and walked away.


    Zhou Zhengru walked over with a smile, ¡°Mr. Wu, Teacher Yu, sorry I¡¯mte.¡±


    Yu Dawei saw him and nodded, ¡°Not too early, not toote. Let¡¯s go in together.¡±


    The male lead for this film had been decided long ago, it was Zhou Zhengru.


    When he first made his debut, his acting skills were doubted due to his overwhelmingly handsome appearance. However, Zhou Zhengru was down-to-earth, diligent, and made progress step by step. He won the first Best Actor award at the age of thirty and became unstoppable. Before Xue An¡¯s scandal, he could slightly rival Xue An in terms of public reputation and resources, but after that, Zhou Zhengru had nopetitors among his peers.


    In fact, Yu Dawei was a very smart director. The significance of this movie, after a seven-year break, was extraordinary, with a strong cast of award-winning actors, fresh faces, and established veterans. Zhou Zhengru yed the risk-taker role, a neer to assure Yu Dawei¡¯s eye for talent, and veterans to guarantee word-of-mouth reputation. Like a tripod, it was a very stable arrangement.


    As futurerades-in-arms for the next six months, Zhou Zhengru had a say in the casting. After all, the two would have the most interactions, and having chemistry was important. Besides Yu Dawei, Zhou Zhengru also attended the audition as a judge.


    Zhou Zhengru¡¯s gaze fell on the back of a young man in the distance and asked with a smile, ¡°Is that Teacher Yu¡¯s son?¡±


    Yu Dawei¡¯s smile on his face deepened, ¡°He¡¯s my nephew. The kid has never seen a film set before and insisted oning to y. He¡¯s a bit mischievous, so if he rubs you the wrong way, please bear with him.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s Teacher Yu¡¯s nephew. He has the potential to be an actor. With Teacher Yu¡¯s introduction, will he develop in this direction?¡±


    Yu Dawei shook his head with a smile, ¡°This kid is too naive and can¡¯t stand hardships. Better forget it.¡±


    The Qus¡¯ third son nearly died trying to break into the entertainment industry, so it was even more impossible for the Bais to let their young master show his face in the circle. In the eyes of those prestigious families, no matter how many stars support you or how high your status, they all think you¡¯re unfit for the stage as an actor.


    The third son of the Qus family could only be an exception.


    Today¡¯s audition was a big event, with all the neers with a bit of fame in the entertainment industry attending.


    A row of benches at the entrance was filled with beautiful women, each like a delicate high-quality product in a store window, dazzling and unique.


    From the expressions of these beautiful women, you could tell a lot. Those with a hint of arrogance had some fame in the industry already, those with disdainful eyes were backed by strong capital, and those with nervous expressions were students without much background.


    Among them, there were two people who stood out, with everyone¡¯s eyes falling on the girl in white, their gazes filled with hidden hostility.


    She stood straight like a pine tree, her beautiful face shrouded in a faint morning haze, making her even more mysterious and illusory. Her beauty was not shy or ostentatious, but rather gently flowing like a stream or the warm sun in winter, pure and evesting.


    Of all the beauties present, there were those as gorgeous as peonies, elegant like orchids, innocent like gardenias, and fresh like lilies. However, each of these outstanding beauties only represented a single form of beauty, ultimately pale inparison to the girl with her deeply engraved beauty that was unforgettable, leaving ripples in one¡¯s heart that were hard to calm.


    Herposure and gentleness stood out among the crowd, making even the girl with, at most, a delicate appearance next to her be a mere foil.


    The crowd regarded her as a strong rival, all wondering where this neer came from, without any prior information on her.


    Duan Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrow, recognized her, and walked over to greet her with a smile, ¡°What a coincidence, we meet again.¡±


    Everyone listened carefully as Duan Xiaoxiao seemed to know her.


    Ming Jing merely nodded in response without speaking.


    Duan Xiaoxiao felt a bit awkward, thinking she was a friend of Liu Suifeng¡¯s sister and decided to give her some face.


    But she was determined to win the role of the female lead this time, and could only apologize to Ming Jing in her heart.


    Ye Zhen showed a hint of a smile and nced at Duan Xiaoxiao without care, her eyes filled with disdain.She appeared to be just an innocent-faced girl, but her eyes looked down on others like a high and mighty queen. This extreme contrast made Duan Xiaoxiao subconsciously skip a beat and stare at her with suspicion.


    Ye Zhen took a sip of water to moisten her throat and raised her eyebrows slightly.


    Nowadays, neers were bing more and more mediocre. Those who came for Yu Dawei¡¯s audition wore heavy makeup, vying to outdo each other in oddity and mboyance. Were they simply not thinking straight?


    Of course, she had no obligation to remind them.


    Doing one¡¯s homework beforehand was something an aplished actor should always do.


    A pair of malicious eyes stared at her like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, silently hissing and waiting for the right opportunity to bite her.


    Ming Jing nced at the other girl, who was caught off guard by Ming Jing¡¯s sudden look. As a result, she awkwardly lowered her head in embarrassment.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows.


    Xiao Wenwen, with whom she had had a brief interaction during ¡®A Day in Three Meals.¡¯


    After the show aired, Xiao Wenwen¡¯s stinginess and underhanded tactics had drawn widespread criticism online. The stark contrast between her and Ming Jing had left the audience with no patience for her antics.


    Later, when a scandal regarding her being the third party in a rtionship surfaced, she was heavily criticized and forced to leave the half-recorded ¡®A Day in Three Meals.¡¯ It had been three months since then, and the fickleizens had long since forgotten her, blurring her out of memory.


    After being dumped by Zhou Nan, Xiao Wenwen couldn¡¯t let go and somehow managed to attach herself to a wealthy businessman, who happened to be one of the investors in Yu Dawei¡¯s new film. The film had five investors, all vying to push their people into the project. As a result, Xiao Wenwen ended up attending the audition, supported by the businessman.


    It was a game of capital, and only the best woulde out on top.


    Xiao Wenwen hadn¡¯t expected Ming Jing to be there as well, which further unsettled her confidence.


    She remembered that thergest investor in the film was Zhoufan Film Industry, which was well known internally as thergest cultural enterprise under the Shenzhou Group. Along with Apple Video and Hutou Film, they formed the triumvirate of Shenzhou¡¯s entertainment industry, upying half of the entertainment world.


    Ming Jing was Shen Zhou¡¯s god-sister, so if she wanted to make it in the entertainment industry, she could easily do so.


    She already had everything, yet she still wanted topete for resources with her. Why?


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the elevator entrance, Li Tingting saw Lan Huixin waiting for the elevator and couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Lan Huixin calmly stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 25th floor. As the doors were about to close, Li Tingting quickly slipped in.


    Li Tingting looked at her suspiciously. Lan Huixin¡¯s clean and innocent face had always been outstanding, even in the Film Academy, which was brimming with beauties.


    Wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, she was simple and neat, with no other adornments on her body apart from a wristwatch. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing a fair and full forehead. Herrge and lively eyes were crystal clear, exuding a pure and captivating charm.


    Li Tingting noticed that Lan Huixin had no makeup on, which only revealed a few barely noticeable freckles that didn¡¯t detract from her attractiveness but rather added a unique vor to her looks.


    ¡°You¡¯re here for the audition? How is that possible?¡± Auditions had standards, and being a film academy student didn¡¯t guarantee a spot at the audition.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here for the audition,¡± said Lan Huixin with an innocent smile.


    The more brightly she smiled, the more uneasy Li Tingting felt. She asked suspiciously, ¡°Did you¡­ Did you hook up with some rich guy?¡±


    A cold smirk appeared on Lan Huixin¡¯s lips: ¡°Do you think everyone is like you?¡±


    They arrived on the 25th floor. Lan Huixin left without waiting for Li Tingting, who was turning red with anger.


    At that moment, a staff member was reading out the name list for those who had been called. Each person took a form, filled it out, and then entered the audition room in order.


    ¡°Duan Xiaoxiao¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Wenwen¡­¡±


    ¡°Ye Zhen¡­¡± Ye Zhen was a bit lost until Ming Jing nudged her, jolting her back to reality. She took the form and walked over.


    The thin sheet of paper seemed to turn into a heavyweight treasure in her hands.

 Chapter 549: 258 Change of Ownership (Second Update)

    Chapter 549: 258 Change of Ownership (Second Update)


    Ye Zhen picked up the pen and began to fill out the form seriously.


    ¡°Lan Huixin¡­¡± The staff member read out thest name on the list.


    ¡°Is Lan Huixin here?¡± The staff member picked up the pen, ready to cross off the name.


    A good actor puts great importance on basic qualities, and punctuality is the most important.


    What a pity to miss such a good opportunity, the staff member sighed in their heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Lan Huixin hurriedly came over. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lan Huixin. Sorry, there was a traffic jam on the road, and it dyed me.¡±


    The school was quite far from here. She had left at five o¡¯clock in the morning, only to bete.


    Seeing her flushed cheeks and slight sweat on her forehead, the staff member could tell she was in a rush on this cold winter morning.


    The staff handed her the form and pen: ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Any of these girls could be the future movie queen.


    Lan Huixin quickly thanked the staff member and went to the side with the pen.


    Li Tingting rushed over anxiously: ¡°What about me?¡±


    The staff member looked at her suspiciously: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Li Tingting, and I was introduced by Mr. Wu.¡±


    The staff member nced over the list again and shook their head: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your name isn¡¯t on the audition list. Unauthorized people cannot stay here, so you¡¯d better leave as soon as possible.¡± The staff member turned and walked away.


    Li Tingting was stunned. How could her name not be on the list? She rushed in front of the staff member and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Mr. Wu introduced me. How could my name not be here? You can ask Mr. Wu if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    The staff member looked at her determined eyes, unsure what to do. Since there were various behind-the-scenes interests for these actresses, he decided to make a call: ¡°Please wait, I¡¯ll call and ask.¡±


    The staff member walked to the side with his phone to make a call. Li Tingting nced at Lan Huixin, who was filling out the form with her back against the wall.


    She suddenly remembered the form Lan Huixin filled out on theputerst night. She was already preparing then. Li Tingting had never seen such a scheming woman.


    Wu Chao was close by and overheard the conversation. ¡°Li Tingting? I don¡¯t know her. Tell her clearly¡­ never mind, I¡¯ll go out and handle it myself.¡±


    Wu Chao saw Li Tingting and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Wu. You said I introduced you here? Sorry, but I don¡¯t know you. Taking shortcuts won¡¯t work. Please leave as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Tingting¡¯s face turned pale. She knew she had been deceived, but she didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    ¡°No¡­ Mr. Wu, please give me a chance, please? I will perform well.¡±


    Wu Chao frowned, waved his hand impatiently, ¡°Security, take this troublemaker away.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Wu, please give me a chance. I won¡¯t let you down¡­¡± Li Tingting was dragged away by two security guards, each holding one of her arms.


    Li Tingting saw Lan Huixin¡¯s silhouette and shouted: ¡°Lan Huixin, don¡¯t be so smug! Just you wait!¡±


    Lan Huixin¡¯s hand holding the pen paused for a moment, then she continued writing without hesitation.


    The others, who had witnessed the scene, were deeply moved.


    As long as they auditioned, there was a chance to soar high today.


    Wu Chao snorted, ¡°Now anyone can impersonate me and ruin my reputation. If I find out who it is, I¡¯ll skin them alive.¡±


    Wu Chao turned around and suddenly noticed a girl in white. Everyone else was busy filling out forms, but she just sat there quietly.


    Wu Chao asked the staff member, ¡°Isn¡¯t she here to audition?¡±


    The staff member shook their head: ¡°Everyone on the list is here, but not her.¡±


    Wu Chao touched his chin, not here to audition?


    He approached her and asked in a gentle tone, ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you here to audition?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Ye Zhen beside her and smiled, ¡°I came with my sister.¡±


    Ye Zhen¡¯s hand holding the pen quivered slightly.


    Sister¡­


    Wu Chao asked the staff member for a form and handed it to Ming Jing. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why not give it a try? With your appearance, it¡¯d be a waste not to join the entertainment industry.¡±


    The others who had been eavesdropping instantly became anxious again upon hearing this.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t take the form, shaking her head: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Wu Chao shook his head, ¡°What a pity.¡±


    If she entered the entertainment industry, Luo Ziyin¡¯s title of the first beauty would be taken away.


    But it seemed that her ambition was elsewhere.


    After all, the entertainment circle was like a dye vat. A gentle and clean girl like her better stay out of it.Wu Chao left with his hands behind his back.


    Lan Huixin finished filling out the form and finally noticed Ming Jing, her eyes widening in surprise.


    Ming Jing raised his index finger to his lips and grinned, shaking his head.


    Lan Huixin¡¯s gaze fell on Ye Zhen and recognized her.


    She was Ming Jing¡¯s senior.


    That night at the Huangguan Club, the impression that Ye Zhen left on her was too deep.


    At this moment, the staff began to call people in for the audition, and the air instantly became tense.


    Lan Huixin walked over to Ming Jing and said sincerely, ¡°Ming Jing, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely perform well.¡±


    Ye Zhen nced at her, took a wet wipe from her bag, and handed it to her: ¡°Wipe off your eyebrows and lipstick.¡±


    Lan Huixin was stunned.


    Li Tingting only saw the freckles on her face and thought she was bare-faced. She had drawn her eyebrows and used light-colored lipstick to enhance herplexion, which she didn¡¯t expect would be found out.


    ¡°Director Yu is a master of aesthetics, and an important criterion for selecting actors is naturalness. You can be less strikingly beautiful, but you must be natural. Any trace of refinement destroys the beauty,¡± Ye Zhen exined.


    As if to corroborate Ye Zhen¡¯s words, the door opened and a female actress ran out in tears.


    Someone stopped her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡±


    The actress sobbed, ¡°Director Yu asked me to remove my makeup on the spot. I refused and was scolded by him. I have lost my chancepletely.¡±


    Everyone exchange nces. Her makeup was already very light, and they were all taken aback when Director Yu still scolded her. Everyone suddenly felt threatened.


    Duan Xiaoxiao was touching up her makeup, and her face stiffened. She stared at her delicate makeup in the mirror, feeling annoyed.


    Lan Huixin immediately took the wet wipe from Ye Zhen¡¯s hand and began wiping her face without hesitation.


    Everyone else also took out their mirrors to remove their makeup.


    ¡°Who are the judges?¡± someone asked the crying girl.


    The girl, too straightforward for her own good, answered, ¡°Director Yu, Mr. Wu, and Zhou Zhengru.¡±


    There was a collective gasp of surprise, ¡°Is he the male lead?¡±


    It was almost a foregone conclusion.


    Who wouldn¡¯t dream of making a movie with Zhou Zhengru as the male and female leads?


    The girl continued, ¡°And Qu Feitai.¡±


    There was a moment of dead silence, like the calm before the storm.


    ¡°Is he going to make a movie too? God, a film emperor and a top singer, I¡¯d be satisfied with just one of them on my side.¡±


    ¡°No way, Qu Feitai never makes movies.¡±


    ¡°Who knows, this is Yu Dawei¡¯s movie after all¡­¡±


    Lan Huixin and Ye Zhen looked at Ming Jing at the same time, but Ming Jing¡¯s eyes were half-closed, ignoring the lively discussions around him.


    ¡°There¡¯s also a young man, I don¡¯t know who he is, but he¡¯s so annoying and venomous,¡± said the girl, her fists clenched and her face full of indignation.


    This made everyone even more uncertain.


    Time silently slipped away, and almost everyone came out in tears.


    Gradually, no one spoke, and all were immersed in the tense atmosphere, like soldiers about to go to battle.


    Duan Xiaoxiao walked out with a pale face. She didn¡¯t believe the warnings and refused to remove her makeup, but today, Yu Dawei taught her an unforgettable lesson.


    Arrogancees with a price.


    ¡°Next, Ye Zhen,¡± the staff read out the name.


    Ye Zhen took a deep breath and nced at Ming Jing.


    ¡°Do your best,¡± Ming Jing said softly.


    Ye Zhen nodded, subconsciously touching the Buddhist beads on her wrist before getting up and leaving.


    Standing in front of the door, she closed her eyes, and the life of Liang Yanran shed through her mind like a rapidly flipping book.


    She had once been unknown, then reached her peak, only to end up in the mud. Her brief life abruptly ended on that rainy night.


    All the regrets and resentments disappeared along with Liang Yanran¡¯s death.


    The door opened, and she saw the light.

 Chapter 550: 259 Flame (First Update)

    Chapter 550: 259 me (First Update)


    The staff ced her information in front of Yu Dawei.


    Ye Zhen, 17 years old, from Jiangzhou, with no education or acting experience.


    Yu Dawei frowned immediately, and at that moment, a crisp and decisive voice fell into his ears, like morning dew, clean and transparent, exuding a refreshing coolness.


    Yu Dawei looked up, and a beautiful young girl stood in the middle of the open space, her eyes clear and bright, clean and mature beyond her age. Her skin was a bit rough, but her features were more real and vivid.


    The girl confidently said, ¡°Hello, teachers, my name is Ye Zhen, and I¡¯m 17 years old this year.¡±


    Yu Dawei stared at her carefully. She was the youngest girl among the auditionees, but she didn¡¯t show any fear or apprehension in the face of his gaze, and instead appeared calm andposed.


    It was this aura alone that made her stand out, even if she wasn¡¯t exceptionally beautiful.


    Without saying a word, Yu Dawei searched underneath his hand, picked up a piece of paper and handed it to the staff, gesturing for them to pass it to her.


    For auditions, the most important thing was to see if the person¡¯s appearance and temperament matched the character, and secondly, to test their acting skills. It didn¡¯t matter if a neer had no acting skills, Yu Dawei could teach them step by step, but the key was that they had to have spiritual energy.


    This spiritual energy was an elusive concept, and couldn¡¯t be clearly defined in words, but it was Yu Dawei¡¯s standard for selecting actors. In the history of Lady Yu¡¯s achievements, Yu Dawei¡¯s keen eye had never been wrong.<div>


    Ye Zhen had passed the appearance test, otherwise Yu Dawei wouldn¡¯t have given her the opportunity to act.


    Ye Zhen received the paper from the staff, a thin sheet with only one scene written on it.


    Not far away, five people sat behind a table, with Yu Dawei in the center, Zhou Zhengru and Wu Chao on either side, Qu Feitai next to Zhou Zhengru, and a young man in white sitting beside Wu Chao.


    Ye Zhen surreptitiously observed them from the corner of her eye, and when her gaze fell on the script, she closed her senses and immersed herselfpletely in it.


    The staff¡¯s cold reminder sounded in her ears, ¡°You have five minutes to prepare.¡±


    At a nce, the scene was only a few hundred words long and seemed uneventful and t like in water, making it very easy for inexperienced neers to act like a dull recital.


    Ye Zhen raised her eyebrows, looked up confidently, and said decisively, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Just in time.


    Yu Dawei looked at her deeply, and Zhou Zhengru smiled. ¡°Her appearance is not bad. Her eyes are clear and full of vitality, like a me that has been rekindled from ashes. It¡¯s very consistent with Dong Wa¡¯s inner journey. I suspect she¡¯s already peeked at the script.¡±


    Of course, thest sentence was a joke.


    Dong Wa was the name of the female lead in the movie ¡°me¡±, a ¡°primitive¡± who lived on a snowy mountain. She had skin as white as snow, the clearest eyes, and a burning passion in her heart. The male lead, Xiao Hang, was a pilot who was saved by Dong Wa after his ne crashed during an extreme weather mission. During their time together, Xiao Hang was gradually attracted to Dong Wa¡¯s pure and straightforward personality. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her on the snowy mountain, but his sense of duty was so deeply ingrained that he couldn¡¯t abandon hisrades and loved ones. After a fierce inner struggle, he resolutely decided to leave the mountain and enter the battlefield.


    The story was set in a post-apocalyptic world, invaded by zombies and facing a massive test of human civilization and technology. Xiao Hang¡¯s team was sent to the frontlines to save vigers, and he was bitten by a zombie while saving a child during a fierce battle. To prevent harming hispanions, he pointed the gun at his own head, his eyes filled with tears as he looked towards the city he was protecting.


    As global warming and various human actions raised Earth¡¯s temperature, the bnce of the seasons was broken, and the surface temperature exceeded the average, turning the into a fiery ball. Humans living on Earth had to endure not only the invasion of zombies but also the suffering brought on by the scorching heat.


    Xiao Hang took onest look at the fireball in the sky, knowing that the me in his heart would never be extinguished. It was his belief, his determination to protect the people, his country, and the Earth. That me would never die out.


    At this point, he was surrounded by zombies with no way out. Just when he was desperate, a dark shadow came from the sky, shooting ice arrows from a longbow. The undead zombies were hit by the ice arrows, and like snowkes under the sunlight, they slowly evaporated¡­


    Xiao Hang could hardly believe the person who had arrived, a beautiful and innocent face, yet with eyes as cold as ice, harboring a hidden killing intent.


    She was the only descendant of the mysterious Snow Tribe, the natural nemesis of zombies, and the legendary Snow Tribe had appeared in the world.


    The story was simple. The male and female leads faced adversity together, protected the people, and fought bravely against the zombies. Zombies appeared because of the Snow Tribe, and they eventually disappeared because of them too, but the cost of this victory was sacrificing Dong Wa.


    It was toote when Xiao Hang knew about it, as Dong Wa had already set off on that path.<div>


    The audition scene was set on the eve of the decisive battle, when Dong Wa had already made her choice. She made a bowl of noodles for Xiao Hang, and they chatted while eating, a warm and intimate scene that seemed like a return to their initial encounter on the snowy mountain. Xiao Hang was immersed in happiness, fantasizing about proposing to Dong Wa after defeating the zombies.However, Dong Wa simply spoke casually about the shorings in his life, and although Xiao Hang found her nagging, he was still happy to listen. Yet, for Dong Wa, this scene was incrediblyplicated. She had to convey a sense of restraint and reluctance under a deep sense of love, which required a great level of depth. For a neer, this is extremely difficult.


    She must restrain her acting, but not overly so. Her exterior is cold, but her heart is as hot as fire, and this night, the fire reached its peak.


    There were not many lines, and everything relied on expressing through their eyes.


    Ye Zhen¡¯s rapid change of expression was astonishing.<div>


    Yu Dawei stared intently at the young girl in the scene, his eyes not missing a single detail on her face.


    Zhou Zhengru raised an eyebrow in surprise. Just one look, and the girl had drawn him in. At such a young age, she already possessed an emphatic presence.


    Qu Feitai lightly tapped his finger on the table while watching the young girl perform.


    Bai Ziyan, initially nonchnt, gradually straightened up and stared at her without blinking.


    As a producer, Wu Chao had discerning taste and nced at Yu Dawei and Zhou Zhengru. The previous female actresses couldn¡¯tpare with this girl, who demonstrated effortless transformation in her acting skills. At her age, she truly had exceptional talent.


    The reactions of Yu Dawei and Zhou Zhengru spoke for themselves.


    She seemed to be the older sister of the girl in white?


    Lan Huixin¡¯s palms were sweating in anxiety. Ming Jing, who had been sitting quietly, softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself; just do your best.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s gentle voice seemed to have a magical calming effect. Gradually, she steadied herself and took a deep breath.


    If she didn¡¯t seed, she would be benevolent.


    Others came in and out quickly, but Ye Zhen had been inside for twenty minutes.


    The longer it took, the more hopeful it seemed.


    Just as she thought this, the door opened and Ye Zhen walked out.<div>


    She walked at a leisurely pace, appearing calm and collected. Others stared at her warily, seeing her as their primary rival.


    She didn¡¯t look extraordinary, so what did Yu Dawei see in her?


    Or did she have some connections behind her?


    Thinking about this, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Ming Jing. At first, no one recognized her, but now, everybody knew her as the famous Ming Jing.


    No one in the entertainment circle was unaware of this name.


    Shen Zhou¡¯s younger sister, Qu Feitai¡¯s¡­ unclear rtionship: rumored girlfriend? Secret crush? Unrequited love or a love token?


    Zhoufan Film Industry and Hutou Film, which were under the Shenzhou Group, were thergest investors and producers of this movie respectively. Qu Feitai was also suspected to have a deep rtionship with the film. In terms of capital, everyone else was insignificant.


    If she were to promote her sister, what would anyone here have to say?


    So this was why Ye Zhen could be so calm since she had already been chosen.


    Immediately after, a staff member read out Lan Huixin¡¯s name, and she took a deep breath.


    Ye Zhen patted her on the shoulder and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, it¡¯s not as scary as you think. Just show your truest self.¡±


    Lan Huixin looked at her gratefully.


    <div>

 Chapter 551: 260 Capital (Second update)

    Chapter 551: 260 Capital (Second update)


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t ask her how it went, instead, she unscrewed the lid of the water bottle and handed it to her.


    Ye Zhen took it and took a sip to moisten her throat. Her eyes sparkled with confidence and mischief.


    She blinked at Ming Jing, leaning in to whisper, ¡°I saw Qu Feitai inside.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯sshes remained still as she looked down and replied indifferently, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°ording to my analysis, he can¡¯t possibly act. The most likely possibility is he¡¯s in charge of the movie¡¯s music, which makes him part of the main creative team.¡±


    Apart from the actors, the director, editors, post-production staff, special effects team, prop department, music team, all are part of the main creative team for a movie.


    Ming Jing nced at her watch. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Xiao Lan toe out and have lunch together.¡±


    Ye Zhen nodded. ¡°Xiao Lan should be fine. She is Director Yu¡¯s type.¡±


    And it¡¯s not just one leading actress in a movie, there¡¯s also the role of the femalerade who secretly loves Xiao Hang and the role of the little sister, both of which have quite a few scenes and opportunities for development in the film.


    After sizing them all up, she concluded that none of the others auditioning seemed good enough.<div>


    The only realpetition should be Lan Huixin.


    Lan Huixin is an artist Qing Zheng wants to sign and is also a friend of Ming Jing¡¯s. If she got the lead role, Ye Zhen would genuinely be happy for her.


    After all, in terms of ¡°spiritual energy,¡±pared to Lan Huixin, she falls a bit short.


    Spiritual energy is the wind of nature, the clouds floating in the sky, every visible flower¡ªit¡¯s real and free, naturally perfect.


    Having experienced a lifetime of ups and downs, her mindset is no longer that of a young girl, no matter how hard she tries, she can¡¯t act that natural vibrancy.


    Fortunately, the age of Ming Xin helps to make up for this deficiency, but Lan Huixin is more distinguished in terms of appearance and bone structure. As an aesthetic master, Yu Dawei¡¯s primary consideration is the three-dimensional sense of the actor on the big screen, and in this regard, Lan Huixin has a very prominent advantage.


    The wait for Lan Huixin had been longer than Ye Zhen¡¯s. Many people had already left and the entrance was quiet.


    Only Xiao Wenwen was still waiting.


    At that moment, a young boy in white came out through the door, yawningzily and stretching opulently.


    ¡°So boring, I knew I wouldn¡¯t havee,¡± the boy murmured.


    ¡°Ming Jing?¡± Seeing Ming Jing, the boy instantly perked up, excitedly running over.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for my sister¡¯s audition.¡±


    ¡°Your sister?¡± Bai Ziyan¡¯s gaze fell on Ye Zhen.


    ¡°So she¡¯s your sister.¡± Bai Ziyan looked at Ye Zhen curiously.


    ¡°Have you acted before?¡±


    Ye Zhen didn¡¯t want to lie, but admitting that she had never acted was more than her thick skin could bear.


    So she remained silent.


    Bai Ziyan assumed she didn¡¯t want to talk to him, he raised his eyebrow, ¡°Want to know the audition result?¡±<div>


    Ye Zhen nced at him, this little punk was really annoying, intentionally keeping her in suspense.


    At his age, appearing here, he must be Yu Dawei¡¯s son.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you really are stubborn,¡± Bai Ziyan thrived on opposition. The more someone ignored him, the more he became interested.<div>


    His eyes darted around, and he suddenly smiled, ¡°Thest one who went in, what¡¯s her name, Lan something¡­seems like Director Yu is quite pleased with her, if there are no surprises, she may get the lead role. What a pity.¡±


    Pity what?


    He carried a peculiar tone with his words, but Ye Zhen took a deep breath, reminding herself she didn¡¯t have to engage in petty squabbles with a child.


    Seeing her bottling up her annoyance, Bai Ziyan burst outughing, appearingpletely provocative.


    Seeing their bickering, Ming Jing smilingly shook her head.


    Suddenly, Bai Ziyan leaned in close to her, ¡°Ming Jing, let¡¯s have lunch togetherter. Xiao Fei will be there too. He helped out a lotst time, we should thank him properly.¡±


    His words were hard to refuse.


    As his n seeded, Bai Ziyan broke into a sly smile.


    He lowered his head, typing a message in the group and tagged @ Qu Feitai: I got your goddess, how are you going to thank me?


    Mr. Song: Ming Jing??? What did I miss?


    Jiang Jinchen must be in ss as there was no response from him in the group.


    Qu Feitai nced at the message from Bai Ziyan on his cellphone and paused for a moment.Ming Jing?


    Upon finishing the audition, Lan Huixin seemed to rx, allowing herself to quietly breathe a sigh of relief.<div>


    Yu Dawei asked her some more questions, and she honestly answered. He then let her go.


    Thest one to audition was Xiao Wenwen, who was out in five minutes.


    Zhou Zhengru took a sip of water and asked, ¡°Master, have you made a decision yet?¡±


    Yu Dawei nced at him, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Zhengru drummed his fingers on the desk, taking a moment before saying, ¡°Both Lan Huixin and Ye Zhen are worth considering. They are both talented. Lan Huixin might be more in line with your expectations. She¡¯s like a nk canvas, capable of portraying the world as you see it.¡±


    Here, Zhou Zhengru paused and looked at Yu Dawei.


    Yu Dawei nodded thoughtfully, gesturing for him to continue.


    ¡°If Lan Huixin is a raw gemstone waiting to be carved, then Ye Zhen is a dusty pearl. Her acting is naturally superb, and she¡¯s extremely talented. Her demeanor is a restrained and restrained as Dong Wa¡¯s. I believe that she would make the perfect Dong Wa.¡±


    Mr. Wu said, ¡°Lan Huixin is more beautiful than Ye Zhen. She will shine on the big screen. As for acting skills, Director Yu, you can guide her step by step. That shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    ¡°Inparison to acting skills, an actor¡¯s talent is far more important. Ye Zhen has characteristics simr to Dong Wa¡¯s, something Lan Huixin painfullycks. Lan Huixin would be better suited for the role of Xiao Heng.¡±


    Out of the blue, Qu Feitai said, ¡°I agree with him.¡±


    Zhou Zhengru nced at Qu Feitai, raising his eyebrows in surprise.


    At this moment, Wu Chao stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the castingter. We¡¯ve worked hard all morning; allow me to treat everyone to a meal.¡±<div>


    Zhou Zhengru and Qu Feitai, two giants in their industry, only agreed toe out of respect for Yu Dawei. Otherwise, an established artist to guide a novice? A leading musician in the music industry to serve as musical director?


    No other film crew would have such a luxury.


    Of course, it¡¯s a significant gamble. In any case, Yu Dawei has the guts.


    The group left through the back door, when Yu Dawei suddenly thought of something and stopped, ¡°Where is Ziyan?¡±


    Qu Feitai said, ¡°Mr. Bai bumped into a friend.¡± He looked at Wu Chao, ¡°Mr. Wu, would you mind if we added a few more to our party?¡±


    Wu Chao hurriedly replied, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind. Mr. Bai¡¯s friends are my friends. The more people, the more lively, right?¡±


    A friend of Mr. Bai¡¯s would undoubtedly be no ordinary person. In this industry,working is crucial, and expanding one¡¯swork is typically done over various dining tables.


    Yu Dawei frowned and looked at Qu Feitai.


    What decent friends could this kid have made?


    However, seeing Qu Feitai¡¯s nonchnt look, Yu Dawei knew he had his own ns and said nothing more.


    At this time, Mr. Wu received a call and came over to say, ¡°Director Yu, the representatives from the investors and the productionpanies have arrived. I think they¡¯re nning to join us for lunch.¡±


    Yu Dawei, who was unamused by these capitalists, appeared impatient, ¡°Are they not giving up?¡±


    Yu Dawei was referring to them trying to cram people into the film.<div>


    Wu Chao was embarrassed: ¡°If all the roles are set, the investors should have nothing to say.¡±


    Yu Dawei frowned, ¡°Dealing with investors is your job. I am only responsible for creating a good film, don¡¯t let these trivial matters affect me.¡±


    Since Yu Dawei fell ill, his personality had softened significantly. It seemed like everyone had almost forgotten about the explosive person he was in his youth.


    He was known to berate actors until they shut down.


    Mr. Wu hurriedly nodded agreement, feeling sandwiched between the two sides.


    Qu Feitai heard the mention of investors and frowned, ¡°Uncle Yu, I think we¡¯re going to sit this one out.¡±


    Yu Dawei waved his hand.


    Wu Chao, seeing Qu Feitai about to leave, appeared anxious. Qu Feitai was a major asset amongst the investors- he could not leave.


    Yu Dawei seemed to see through his thoughts, giving him a cold nce, ¡°What? Are you nning to have Qu Feitai apany the investors for a drink? Continue to help you raise funds?¡±


    Having caught a glimpse of the unique rtionship between Qu Feitai and Yu Dawei, Wu Chao quickly responded, ¡°Director, you don¡¯t understand. This film uses a lot of special effects that burn through money. No one wouldin about having too much money.¡±


    Yu Dawei snorted, ¡°Asking Qu Feitai to raise funds, you certainly have some wild ideas.¡± He walked away, shaking his head.


    Zhou Zhengru watched Qu Feitai leave with a thoughtful look.


    Wu Chao looked at Zhou Zhengru, hisst hope.


    Zhou Zhengru smiled gently, ¡°Feitai is certainly not suitable for this, I will do it.¡±


    He learned a crucial lesson from Xue An.


    Stars or actors are nothing more than chess pieces in the hands of capitalists, ready to be discarded at any moment, unless you be one of the capitalists.

 Chapter 552: 261 Female Lead (One more )

    Chapter 552: 261 Female Lead (One more chapter)


    Two representatives from the productionpanies arrived, one was Mr. Lu from Zhoufan Film Industry and the other was Mr. Gong from Yamei Media.


    A beauty stood next to Mr. Gong, a familiar face indeed. It was none other than Xiao Wenwen, who had just finished herst audition.


    Xiao Wenwen was hanging onto Gong Qiang¡¯s arm and coyly said, ¡°I don¡¯t care, you promised me that you would let me y the female lead. You need to keep your word¡±.


    Her coquettish voice was really endearing. Gong Qiang who fell for it, assuringly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promised you and I certainly won¡¯t go back on my word¡±.


    Xiao Wenwen nced at Mr. Lu who stood next to her, ignoring everything with a nonchnt expression.


    ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Lu and Mr. Gong.¡± Wu Chao warmly greeted them.


    ¡°This is Director Yu and here¡¯s Zhou Yingdi.¡±


    They exchanged pleasantries and then walked into the private room.


    Once everyone was seated and formalities done, Xiao Wenwen secretly pinched Gong Qiang¡¯s thigh under the table. Mr. Gong cleared his throat and said, ¡°Thisdy next to me, Xiao Wenwen, is very promising. I think she would be perfect for the female lead. What do you think, Mr. Wu?¡±


    It was time to begin the hard sell.<div>


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Wu Chao looked at Yu Dawei, who remained silent. He found himself in a predicament.


    ¡°Mr. Gong, Ms. Xiao just finished her audition, and she indeed performed very well. You have great taste.¡±


    Being a producer, the ability to tter and cater to major investors is a necessary skill.


    If the conditions didn¡¯t exist, he¡¯d create them just to tter.


    Not giving anyone else a chance to speak, Wu Chao continued, ¡°Mr. Gong, Mr. Lu, our movie has the best director, actors, screeny team, special effects team, and we¡¯ve even invited Qu Feitai as the music director for the movie. Qu Feitai usually doesn¡¯t ept film and TV songs, but this time it was because of Director Yu. I doubt there has ever been a must-explode team like ours in film history.¡±


    Gong Qiang was naturally moved by his words, after all, who would say no to more money.


    Yu Dawei, Zhou Zhengru, and now adding Qu Feitai, it¡¯s practically a no-failbination.


    ¡°You know, the background of our movie is set in the end of the world, which requires a lot of special effects. Every frame costs money, plus we will be shooting on location at Yulong Snow Mountain. This will require a considerable amount of manpower, resources, and money. ording to our initial budget, we still need this much¡­¡±


    Wu Chao showed two fingers.


    Yu Dawei was nonchntly drinking tea.


    Zhou Zhengru was smiling.


    Producing indeed wasn¡¯t for everyone.


    ¡°Two hundred million?¡± Gong Qiang was surprised.


    ¡°What if we lose¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Gong, you¡¯re also in investor. High risk always apanies high profit. Plus, with our current team, how could there be any flop? You can rest assured.¡±


    As someone who often did film and TV investments, Gong Qiang wasn¡¯t ignorant, this configuration was indeed setting up for a big box office hit. In his moment of hesitation, he felt a small hand pinch his thigh. Xiao Wenwen whined, ¡°Mr. Gong~¡±


    Gong Qiang grabbed her meddling hand, cleared his throat, and said seriously, ¡°The investment is no problem, but Wenwen, she has to be the female lead, otherwise there¡¯s no deal.¡±


    A smug look shed behind Xiao Wenwen¡¯s eyes.


    Wu Chao instinctively looked at Yu Dawei.<div>


    From his perspective, it didn¡¯t matter who yed the female lead. Xiao Wenwen was not so bad that it would ruin the movie. With Yu Dawei¡¯s personal instruction, it couldn¡¯t go too wrong. The key was the investment, it was enough to dispel all concerns about the budget. But these old artists wouldn¡¯t consider such practical problems.


    Yu Dawei leisurely sipped his tea. All eyes were on him, waiting for his answer.


    Gong Qiang said, ¡°Director Yu, Mr. Wu just said that Wenwen¡¯s audition performance was not bad. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to y the female lead. I will add another 100 million afterwards, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°The female lead and the second female lead have already been determined, there¡¯s a role left for the third female lead. I wonder if Miss Xiao is interested?¡± Said Yu Dawei casually.<div>


    The third female lead?


    Xiao Wenwen¡¯s face changed instantly, they were just palming her off!


    Gong Qiang got up from the table with anger, ¡°The third female lead? That won¡¯t work, she must be the female lead. Otherwise, forget about the investment. I will withdraw all the investments I made before.¡±


    This was a tant threat, but Yu Dawei would not be known as Yu Dawei if he was afraid of him.


    ¡°Oh, so you think the third female lead role is beneath you. Well, I guess my little temple can¡¯t enshrine your big Buddha.¡±


    Everyone at the scene was stunned, except for Yu Dawei himself.


    Gong Qiang¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°Yu Dawei, don¡¯t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, what are you getting cocky about? If I withdraw my investment, you¡¯ll be left with a hole in the sky, and it¡¯ll be toote for you to beg me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the door hit you on your way out.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±. Gong Qiang, finding Yu unable to be coaxed or persuaded and feeling that he could no longer save face, stormed out in anger.Xiao Wenwen hurriedly followed him, assuming that Yu Dawei would eventually admit defeat, and that his obstinance was only temporary. The filming was about to start; the investors withdrawing their money was no trifling matter.


    ¡°Director Yu¡­ what should we do?¡± Wu Chao was so on edge that he was breaking into a sweat. He wanted to chase after Gong Qiang, but nced at Yu Dawei¡¯s expression and feared he would make him angry.


    The famed director was indeed a quirky character, not afraid to offend investors.


    Yu Dawei picked up his chopsticks, ¡°Why the rush, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Across from him, Lu Ze looked at Yu Dawei andughed, ¡°Director Yu, I admire your firm and straightforward attitude, and your resistance to being manipted by capital firms. I have even more faith in this film now. In fact, on behalf of Zhoufan Film Industry, I will add an extra 50 million to our investment.¡±<div>


    Wu Chao hastily replied: ¡°Mr. Lu, you¡¯re straightforward indeed. Rest assured, we won¡¯t let you suffer a loss.¡±


    Lu Ze smiled: ¡°Director Yu mentioned earlier that the lead actress has been decided. Is she a promising neer?¡±


    Zhoufan Film Industry also had a new talent they wanted to promote. Lu Ze hade with an agenda today, but after witnessing the earlier scene, he hesitated.


    Dealing with a hot-tempered director wasn¡¯t easy.


    ¡°Aplete novice,¡± said Yu Dawei.


    ¡°A novice? Although I trust Director Yu¡¯s discernment, isn¡¯t it too risky to use an amateur for such arge investment? I¡¯ve heard that Director Yu is especially skilled at coaching neers. We have a rookie at ourpany. Wondering if she would fit Director Yu¡¯s selection criteria?¡±


    The familiar tactic resurfaced.


    Yu Dawei, not one to mince words, backed down: ¡°The lead actress has been finalized. There won¡¯t be any changes.¡±


    If he wanted to withdraw investment, let him do so.


    Lu Ze was surprisingly patient, not getting upset, and continued smiling.


    ¡°The rookie that Director Yu has chosen must be outstanding. I¡¯m very curious to meet her.¡±


    Investors wanting to meet the lead actress was a standard requirement.


    Yu Dawei paused, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±<div>


    Before he could finish, Zhou Zhengru, who had gone to the restroom, walked in. He whispered something into Yu Dawei¡¯s ear, who raised an eyebrow, ¡°Call her in then.¡±


    Zhou Zhengru nodded his head and left the room again.


    Yu Dawei said leisurely, ¡°Mr. Lu, didn¡¯t you want to meet our lead actress? It so happens she¡¯s dining in this restaurant as well.¡±


    Lu Ze raised an eyebrow.


    Wu Chao was dumbfounded, there was no ce for him to interject.


    Soon, Zhou Zhengru led a girl in. Lu Ze squinted as he sized her up.


    The girl was tall and slender, poised, andposed. Simply from her appearance, she looked quite striking.


    But her face wasn¡¯t especially beautiful. Compared to the myriad of beautiful actresses in the entertainment industry, she wouldn¡¯t stand out.


    The only thing that was distinctive about her face were her eyes, clear, bright, and starry.


    Ye Zhen bowed in greeting, ¡°Hello, Director Yu. Hello, Mr. Wu.¡±


    She didn¡¯t recognize the man across from her, so she just nodded at him in greeting.


    Lu Ze clicked his tongue: ¡°So, this is the lead actress chosen by Director Yu. In my opinion, she is nothing special.¡±


    Ye Zhen kept her eyes lowered, unaffected by his contemptuous remarks.<div>


    Yu Dawei pointed to the seat beside him, indicating for Ye Zhen to sit down.


    Ye Zhen obediently sat down.


    ¡°When ites to who I¡¯ve chosen, it¡¯s nobody¡¯s ce to interfere. Mr. Lu, you¡¯ve seen her, are you satisfied?¡±


    Lu Ze replied solemnly: ¡°Director Yu, I suggest you consider my proposal seriously.¡±


    The mood suddenly became tense.


    In the neighboring private room.


    ¡°I put in a lot of effort to secure Ye Zhen as the lead actress. How are you going to thank me, Ming Jing?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°How would you like me to thank you?¡±


    Qu Feitai gave Bai Ziyan a cold nce, but his voice softened when he looked at Ming Jing.


    ¡°Ignore him. Ye Zhen was chosen due to her own ability.¡±

 Chapter 553: 262 Achievement (Second Update)

    Chapter 553: 262 Achievement (Second Update)


    ¡°Hey Qu Feitai, you horny bastard! I gave you the heads-up, and you just betrayed me like a wretched viin!¡± Bai Ziyan snorted coldly.


    Lan Huixin tried her best to minimize her presence.


    Just now, she went to the restroom with Ye Zhen and bumped into Zhou Zhengru. As a popr actor, Zhou Zhengru wasn¡¯t pretentious and talked to them voluntarily. Then, he mentioned that Mr. Wu and Director Yu were having dinner with investors next door and invited Ye Zhen to join.


    The result was obvious.


    Ye Zhen was chosen by Yu Dawei, and she would be the new Lady Yu.


    Lan Huixin felt a bit disappointed deep down, but that was it. Ye Zhen was Ming Jing¡¯s sister, and Ming Jing saved her life. She could only be happy for Ye Zhen.


    Maybe her audition performance was indeed not as good as Ye Zhen¡¯s.


    At the time, Ye Zhen even reminded her to remove her eyebrows and lipstick, or she wouldn¡¯t even pass the first round.


    Being able to participate in the audition and witnessing everything made her content.


    Sitting between Ming Jing and two handsome boys at the moment, Lan Huixin felt nervous.<div>


    She didn¡¯t know who the white-clothed boy was, but his background must have been extraordinary. He might be a director¡¯s son or a rich second-generation investor.


    As for Qu Feitai, he needed no introduction.


    He was a top singer and an idol to Li Tingting.


    At this moment, the high-profile legend was sitting diagonally across her, close enough for her to see the pores on his face by just looking up.


    Turns out the rumors were not groundless.


    The tenderness in his eyes when he looked at Ming Jing couldn¡¯t be resisted by any girl in the world, she exaggeratedly thought.


    Ming Jing was the only exception, which was why she caught the attention of such an outstanding young man.


    ¡°Bai Ziyan, no one would think you¡¯re mute if you don¡¯t speak.¡± Qu Feitai said coldly.


    Bai Ziyan rolled his eyes, ¡°Ming Jing is here today, so I¡¯ll spare you some face. Let¡¯s settle everything between uster.¡±


    Qu Feitai scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t have any grudges with you, don¡¯t tter yourself.¡±


    Lan Huixin shrank her head, trying to reduce her presence even more. These two seemed to have some intense bromance going on, right?


    Ming Jing spoke up to break their stalemate, smiling and asking, ¡°Xiao Bai, does the movie still need investment?¡±


    Bai Ziyan raised an eyebrow, ¡°You want to invest? Good taste.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a friend of mine who works in the film industry. I think Director Yu¡¯s movies are still reliable.¡±


    ¡°How much can your friend offer?¡±


    Ming Jing waved her fingers, and Bai Ziyan gasped.


    ¡°So rich.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask my uncle. The current investors are trying to stuff people into the movie, making my uncle unhappy. It was Wu Chao who brought in the original investment, and he was sincere and has a good reputation in the industry, so my uncle trusted him.¡±


    Who could have thought that after seven years, the industry had changed dramatically? The pure and simple environment was now controlled by capital, and even a big director had lost the freedom to choose actors. How ridiculous.<div>


    ¡°Are you continuing the exam tomorrow?¡± Qu Feitai asked out of the blue.


    ¡°It¡¯s over on the 15th.¡±


    ¡°On the 15th?¡± Bai Ziyan thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s Bo Yuxun¡¯s birthday that day¡­ ¡±


    He suddenly looked up at Qu Feitai, ¡°Did you get an invitation?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai shook his head.


    Bai Ziyan suddenlyughed maliciously, ¡°I almost forgot, you¡¯ve been kicked out of the family.¡±


    Qu Feitai almost killed Qu Lao with anger when he decided to enter the entertainment industry. Qu Lao threatened to kick him out of the family, causing a huge stir. Everyone in the major families knew about it.


    Qu Feitai remained calm when reminded of this painful memory, ¡°I¡¯m free now. Unlike some people, who are controlled by others in every aspect of life but still mock others.¡±Though the Qus despised him, it was all due to their feudal mindset. Qu Feitai¡¯s blood still came from the family, and that fact couldn¡¯t be changed. So no one dared to deliberately offend Qu Feitai, especially when Qu Lanting was still alive.


    Putting aside Qu Feitai¡¯s identity, his own influence was not to be underestimated. The title of a celebrity or singer no longer suited him. Calling him an artist wasn¡¯t an exaggeration either.


    A genius like him, one in a hundred years.


    These two often teased each other and didn¡¯t get annoyed by just a sentence or two. Bai Ziyan¡¯s eyes turned, and heughed cunningly. ¡°Even if I asked you to go, you wouldn¡¯t dare. I remember when we were young, the girl from the Bos chased you around wanting to marry you, haha. When I said I¡¯d marry her when I grew up, she even looked down on me. What bad taste.¡±


    Qu Feitai was especially beautiful when he was a child, just like a little girl. Needless to say, he was very popr in the courtyard. Little girls would follow him around calling him ¡°big brother.¡± That one girl from the Bos was even more outrageous. She said she would marry Qu Feitai and, of course, it was all just child¡¯s y. It left a deep psychological shadow on the young Qu Feitai, who would avoid women ever since.


    Until Ming Jing appeared.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows and looked at Qu Feitai.


    Qu Feitai coughed. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. None of that happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t admit it. When we see that girl from the Bos, we¡¯ll confront her about it in person.¡± Bai Ziyan drank his tea calmly.


    ¡°Boring.¡± Qu Feitai didn¡¯t want to bother with him.<div>


    ¡°You guys continue eating. I¡¯ll go to the next room and see what¡¯s going on.¡± Bai Ziyan got up and left the private room.


    ¡°Bai has been spoiled since he was a child. He¡¯s always talking without thinking, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at her calm and indifferent eyes, and was momentarily lost in thought.


    ¡°Are you going to make a movie?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    Ming Jing took the initiative to ask him, which made Qu Feitai first surprised and then delighted, with waves of emotions in his heart and a calm exterior.


    Qu Feitai shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m a music producer. I¡¯ve never been involved in this field before, and there¡¯s still a lot to learn.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him, ¡°You¡¯re already amazing.¡±


    Her eyes were full of emotion, which deeply touched Qu Feitai.


    Praise from his goddess filled him with strength.


    ¡°When a person stays in theirfort zone for too long, they don¡¯t want to leave. But at this age, being able to take the initiative to step out of yourfort zone and learn somethingpletely new, your future achievements will be limitless.¡±


    Having received such straightforward praise, Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes beamed with youthful pride.


    But soon he put away his arrogance and said seriously, ¡°Even if it¡¯s just for those words, I will definitely work twice as hard.¡±<div>


    He wouldn¡¯t hope for more; keeping some love hidden in his heart was enough. At moments like this, the two of them spent time as friends, enjoying each other¡¯s encouragement andpany. To him, this was the greatest satisfaction.


    The words ¡°let go¡± given to him by Master Ku Ye and Master Jue Ming, initially he scoffed at them, then doubted himself. Now he seemed to have caught a glimpse of the secret to breaking through.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Director Yu, do you really want to turn against the Shenzhou Group? I advise you to weigh your own identity. The current film environment is not what it was ten years ago. Capital is king now. If we pull our investment, what will you use to shoot the film?¡±


    No one in the industry would dare to offend the Shenzhou Group.


    No matter how powerful Yu Dawei was, he was just a director. To think about making an enemy out of the Shenzhou Group, he had to weigh his own clout.


    Wu Chao¡¯s face fell.


    It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. Lu Ze is also going to pull out his investment.


    ¡°Oh, who dares to speak so arrogantly? It turns out it¡¯s an employee of the Shenzhou Group. What¡¯s the matter, do you dare to say what you just said in front of my uncle?¡± Bai Ziyanughed as he walked in.


    Lu Ze sneered, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Excellent, I recorded everything you said just now, word for word.¡± Bai Ziyan opened his phone, and the phrase ¡°capital is king¡± was clearly visible.


    ¡°Capital¡¯s dominance is indeed intimidating. Without investment, my uncle¡¯s movie can only be put on hold. But do you think that¡¯s enough to scare him off? If you have the guts, pull your investment. There will be others ready to step up.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Bai.¡± Wu Chao called out urgently, as if to stop making the situation worse.<div>


    Yu Dawei sat there, perfectly at ease, not saying a word, with a smile even ying around his lips.

 Chapter 554: 263 Giving In (Part 1)

    Chapter 554: 263 Giving In (Part 1)


    ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t act all high and mighty, the film market now is nothing like it used to be.¡± Lu Ze never thought that Yu Dawei wouldn¡¯t budge. After pulling out his investment, what could he still make? Money is burning every day, and he would be dragged to death by the dy.


    He¡¯s still so naive, thinking he¡¯s a big-shot director. What good is having an empty title?


    He must be made to realize who truly calls the shots in today¡¯s market.


    ¡°You¡¯re a sewer yourself, yet you demand others to wallow in the filth with you? Who do you think you are?¡± Bai Ziyan mocked.


    Ye Zhen¡¯s eyes were filled with agitation as she lowered her brow.


    Thinking of Xue An, who made many terrible movies that his actual achievements and reputation didn¡¯t warrant. She told him numerous times that actors should cherish their reputation and not take on obvious bad films. Xue An replied that it was out of courtesy and he couldn¡¯t refuse.


    Looking back now, those were just excuses. He was always just a tool in the hands of capital.


    Courtesy? What a self-ttering excuse.


    Looking at the face of Lu Ze now, one can see how selfish, shameless, and ignorant the capital truly is!


    ¡°Ziyan, arguing with summer insects is futile; let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Dawei stood up, not even ncing at Lu Ze, and turned to leave.<div>


    Wu Chao nced at Lu Ze, then at Yu Dawei¡¯s retreating figure, stomped his foot, and caught up.


    Zhou Zhengru and Ye Zhen left together.


    Lu Ze saw that Yu Dawei ignored him, and unable to stand the humiliation, he had lost face today.


    With arms crossed, Bai Ziyan grinned: ¡°Shenzhou Group is really rich and powerful. I don¡¯t see you doing much good, but you¡¯re really eager to bully us ordinary people. But, I remember your Mr. Shen just said at the Oasis Program¡¯sunch, doing business and education is the same principle, putting people first and being kind-hearted. If your Mr. Shen knew of your outrageous behavior outside, tarnishing Shenzhou Group¡¯s reputation, I wonder what Mr. Shen would think.¡±


    Lu Ze sneered, ¡°Little brat, who are you trying to scare?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even meet Shen Zhou, let alone threaten him with Mr. Shen.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to scare you, but I¡¯m wondering if you know someone well and if you can repeat in front of her what you just said.¡±


    ¡°What tricks are you ying, kid?¡±


    Bai Ziyan turned and walked away. Lu Ze thought for a moment and instinctively followed him.


    It seemed that Yu Dawei and Wu Chao had run into someone and were chatting andughing.


    There were three people sitting across from Yu Dawei, with a young man leading. He recognized this person as Qu Feitai, who has recently been discussed as the potential spokesperson by the head office, knocking around the young actors of the moment.


    Although Qu Feitai was not considered a young actor, his influence was even greater. The head office was pushing for a brand spokesperson aiming at the international market. Based on his own strength, potential, and influence, only Qu Feitai was the ideal candidate, considering theprehensive data.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s participation in the movie¡¯s creative team as a music prodigy was quite a surprise to Lu Ze.


    He didn¡¯t know how Yu Dawei had convinced Qu Feitai, but it changed nothing. Zhoufan Film Industry needed to fulfill its n and promoting their new talent was an essential step. Lady Yu was an excellent opportunity, a shot to stardom, and they couldn¡¯t afford to give this opportunity to outsiders.


    Next to Qu Feitai was a young girl in a white dress. The dim light in the hall obscured her face, but her ethereal white attire was unforgettable.


    ¡°Uncle Yu, this is Ming Jing, our friend of Xiao Bai and me,¡± Qu Feitai introduced her graciously.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Hello, Mr. Yu, I¡¯m Ming Jing; I¡¯ve long admired your name.¡±


    Yu Dawei couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the gentle and beautiful girl, who was out of this world in her appearance. His gaze held no lust, only pure admiration for her beauty.


    ¡°Ming Jing? Are you saying you¡¯re Ming Jing?¡± Yu Dawei seemed to have thought of something and suddenly looked at Qu Feitai.<div>


    Qu Feitai shook his head with a smile, ¡°It seems that Uncle Yu likes gossip too. Indeed, it¡¯s her. As for the gossip media, you know how they love chaos, exaggerating everything for more attention. In reality, we¡¯re good friends.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Yu Dawei couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Ming Jing.


    Her face was perfectly proportioned, and any close-up on the big screen would magnify her beauty tenfold or even a hundredfold. Her tall and slender figure possessed the qualities of a top-ss beauty. For now, her appearance wasn¡¯t fully grown, but it would be more perfect as she matured in a few years.


    Ming Jing pulled the shy Lan Huixin standing behind her, ¡°Mr. Yu, this is Lan Huixin, my friend.¡±<div>


    Lan Huixin was nervous and didn¡¯t dare to look up, ¡°Mr¡­Director Yu, hello.¡±


    Yu Dawei nodded with a smile, ¡°I remember you, your audition performance was not bad.¡±


    Lan Huixin¡¯s heart blossomed with joy; Director Yu had praised her.


    Wu Chao looked at Ming Jing and Ye Zhen, ¡°What¡­what is your rtionship?¡±He remembered that Ye Zhen hade with this girl at the time.


    So, they already knew each other.


    Ming Jing gently smiled, ¡°Ye Zhen is my sister.¡±


    One was a stunning beauty with a fairy-like appearance, while the other was a delicate and pretty woman with a modest charm. Such a pair of sisters was just unbelievable.


    Sister?


    Wu Chao suddenly recalled, when he asked if this girl was here for the audition, she said she came with her sister.


    So, her sister was Ye Zhen.


    The female lead that Yu Dawei fancied.


    Wu Chao smacked his lips: ¡°You two sisters really don¡¯t look alike.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t exin much, her gaze went past Wu Chao¡¯s shoulder.<div>


    Bai Ziyan and Lu Ze stood side by side, Bai Ziyan with his arms crossed and a smug grin on his face.


    Lu Ze looked at Ming Jing, frowning slightly.


    The Cultural Entertainment Department was in charge of the film and television market. At the same time, they were also responsible for the public rtions of the Shenzhou Group. Negative news about thepany had to be dealt with quickly. Among them, the founder and spiritual leader of the Shenzhou Group, Shen Zhou, was of great importance.


    Some time ago, there were rumors about Shen Zhou having an affair with a young girl, which negatively affected his image. The PR team of the Entertainment Department had been working overtime, monitoring the online rumors.


    At the same time, a girl named Ming Jing entered their sights. They had heard about her but didn¡¯t know much about her.


    It wasn¡¯t until the evening of September 20th, on Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s birthday banquet, Elder Shelby announced in front of all guests that he recognized this girl as his daughter and Shen Zhou recognized her as his sister. The gifts they gave her as a token were incredibly extravagant.


    From then on, the Shenzhou Group had one more Miss.


    Although there was no blood rtionship, it was rumored that Elder Theodore Shelby and Shen Zhou doted on her very much, so there was no room for questioning her identity.


    Lu Ze was not unfamiliar with Ming Jing.


    She was a well-known figure, with videos and photos on the inte. She had participated in a popr variety show, so her name was well-known among the public.


    There shouldn¡¯t be a second person in the world with the same name as Ming Jing. Even if there was, no one would have the same stunning beauty and grace as her.


    Lu Ze was shocked, thinking; Is this really the Shenzhou Group¡¯s Miss Ming Jing?


    Why was she here?<div>


    More importantly, why did she seem to have a good rtionship with Yu Dawei, Qu Feitai, and the others?


    Bai Ziyan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Mr. Lu, you shouldn¡¯t be unfamiliar with her, right? She¡¯s the Miss of your Shenzhou Group.¡±


    Lu Ze¡¯s gaze darkened, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What could I mean? I¡¯m just reminding you that she¡­¡±


    Bai Ziyan pointed at Ye Zhen in the crowd.


    ¡°Director Yu¡¯s favorite new Lady Yu, you want to remove her and put your own person there, which is understandable, but you should ask your Miss if she agrees or not. If she goes to tell Mr. Shen, let alone you, even Shen Hui will be done for.¡±


    Shen Hui, the chairman of Zhoufan Film Industry, was also the head of the Entertainment Division in the Shenzhou Group.


    Nowadays, with the rapid development of the entertainment industry, Shen Hui had more and more say within the Shenzhou Group. It was rumored that Shen Zhou was cultivating him to take over his position.


    Lu Ze was shocked in his heart, but understood that what Bai Ziyan said was true.


    ¡°What is the rtionship between that Ye Zhen and her?¡±


    Bai Ziyan raised an eyebrow, ¡°I heard Ming Jing call her ¡®sister¡¯.¡±


    Lu Ze¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    After pondering for a moment, he braced himself and walked over.<div>


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    A wise person knows when to be tough and when to be soft.

 Chapter 555: 264 Profit Seeking (Second Revision)

    Chapter 555: 264 Profit Seeking (Second Revision)


    Upon hearing the voice behind them, Yu Dawei, Zhou Zhengru, Wu Chao, and Ye Zhen all turned around.


    The man who was just arrogant was now walking over cautiously like a defeated rooster, speaking nervously, ¡°Miss, why didn¡¯t you notify me in advance when you came to Jingzhou? I would have arranged for someone to pick you up.¡±


    Wu Chao¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    As a producer, he had the most dealings with these investors¡¯ representatives. This Lu Ze was far more cunning than Gong Qiang and definitely was not someone easy to deal with. Hence, he didn¡¯t have a good impression of the Shenzhou Group.


    Who would have thought that Lu Ze, who was just now tantly arrogant, would be so humble towards a young girl.


    This really was inconceivable.


    If he had not just witnessed Lu Ze¡¯s arrogant side, he would not have been so shocked.


    Zhou Zhengru raised an eyebrow, interestingly gazing at Ming Jing.


    Yu Dawei was only slightly stunned, his calm demeanor befitting of a director.


    Ye Zhen had known this for a while, so she wasn¡¯t too shocked, and as for Lan Huixin¡­ she was used to it.<div>


    The light in the hallway cast a dim yellow glow. The golden light softly covered the young girl, making her look pure and detached from worldly affairs. She seemed too pure to be tainted by any worldly desires.


    Lu Ze stared at the faint silver waves on the girl¡¯s white skirt, which rippled into the shape of a lotus flower, his heart inexplicably tightened.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The girl¡¯s voice was tender and soft, just like a spring rain, moistening everything in silence.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m Lu Ze, the investment director of Zhoufan Film Industry. Ourpany has invested in Director Yu¡¯s new film. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you while having dinner with the producer and Director Yu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you said just now,¡± Bai Ziyan walked over and interjected.


    Lu Ze suddenly realized something was wrong. By the time he reacted, it was toote.


    Bai Ziyan yed a recording on his phone and said with a smile, ¡°Listen to this recording about your employee talks about capitalism.¡±


    Ming Jing quietly listened to the recording. The silence around them was deafening.


    In the long silence, no one spoke first.


    Ming Jing looked at Lu Ze and said lightly, ¡°Mr. Lu, I am not an employee of the Shenzhou Group, nor your superior. I do not have the right to dictate your work. But as Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, I have to say something.¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, the market is driven by capital. This is an unfortunate consequence of rapid industry development. You are unaware of how much capital has enveloped you and willingly be ackey for it. By bullying others with your power, you are creating a vicious cycle that could ruin the market. There¡¯s nothing wrong with businesses pursuing profits, but remember, a businessperson is first and foremost a human being. Don¡¯t forget your roots. In the end, the market development will have to return to its origin just like the earth rotating in a full circle.¡±


    Her voice was crisp, like the sound of jade beads dropping. It was soft yet resolute.


    All the people present looked up at her. She was dressed in a clean white attire and even though she was only five feet tall, she held an ethereal aura, like a bright moon in the sky, exuding an elegance and brilliance.


    Qu Feitai looked at her tenderly with a gentle smile on his lips.


    Yu Dawei was surprised, thinking that such insight at her young age was really unusual.


    ¡°Capital chases profit that is the inherent nature, some people go against the stream, some people go with it. When my older brother started his business, after experiencing countless hardships, he finally established his own business empire and possesses wealth that could rival a nation¡¯s treasury. However, he dresses in in clothes, lives in an ordinary house, and even has an open space in his yard to work in every morning and evening. Do you know why?¡±


    Lu Ze didn¡¯t speak.


    Not many people knew, but the impression that Shen Zhou gave to the others was very low-key, extremely low-key.


    ¡°Because my older brother hasn¡¯t forgotten his original intention. When he started creating software, it wasn¡¯t to prove anything to the world, or to build a nation on science and technology. He did it for the billions of people. Behind him were the billions of ordinary people. His sess does not belong to him alone. The reason why heter did so much charity for the benefit of all is not for capital to oppress others.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s cold question made Lu Ze¡¯s face turn pale.


    A crisis had erupted in the Zhu Group. With the stock market crash and homeowners¡¯ protests, they were on the verge of copse, she had stood up with her eloquence and managed to stabilize the situation. She only managed to calm the public when she brought up Shen Zhou¡¯s name, causing rumors about her and Shen Zhou to spread.


    At that time, those who were in the know within the group said that this girl was not simple and had a way of captivating people. Soon after, she indeed became Miss Shen.


    Lu Ze had underestimated this young girl and thought that what she said was probably coached by the PR team.<div>


    Standing in front of her now, he realized how ignorant he had been after hearing her soft yet powerful questioning.


    With just a few words, she wlessly defended Shen Zhou and painted a perfect image of him as a businessman.


    A businessman pursuing profits is an unchanging truth. However, a businessman who is benevolent and never forgets his roots is more deserving of respect.


    His impulsive act today will sow seeds of trouble for the future without him even knowing. This Director Yu isn¡¯t an ordinarymercial director¡­


    Lu Ze felt cold sweat on his forehead.¡±I¡¯m sorry, Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be apologizing to.¡±


    Lu Ze turned to Yu Dawei, speaking with difficulty: ¡°Director Yu, I¡¯m really sorry, I apologize for my arrogance just now. You¡¯re a good director, the actors you choose are definitely the best and most suitable.¡±


    Yu Dawei nced at Ming Jing, this girl was really¡­


    Catching people off guard!


    Yu Dawei coughed lightly, ¡°Are you still pulling out your investment?¡±


    Lu Ze hurriedly shook his head: ¡°Whatever amount is still needed for Director Yu¡¯s movie, just let me know. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Yu Dawei snorted coldly: ¡°No need.¡±


    Lu Ze had never felt time pass so painfully, until Ming Jing said to him: ¡°You should go.¡±<div>


    Lu Ze quickly left as if he had oil on the soles of his feet.


    Just as he walked out of the restaurant, a cold wind blew in his face. His inner clothes were soaked through and clung to his skin, giving him a shudder unexpectedly.


    At this moment, his cell phone rang, and Lu Ze hurriedly took it out.


    Seeing the caller ID, his heart inadvertently trembled.


    ¡°Mr. Shen¡­¡±


    Shen Hui snapped as soon as he answered: ¡°You¡¯ve really grown guts, get back here now.¡±


    News of what had happened here reached Shen Hui almost immediately.


    For no apparent reason, Lu Ze felt even colder.


    Bai Ziyan walked up and casually ced his hand on Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Heh, even I had a day of bluffing with borrowed power. It¡¯s all thanks to Ming Jing.¡±


    Qu Feitai kicked Bai Ziyan in the back of his knee, ¡°Get your dirty hands off her.¡±


    Bai Ziyan staggered for a moment, then red back at Qu Feitai: ¡°You bastard, I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I won¡¯t stoop to your level.¡±


    Wu Chao looked at the group of young people chatting andughing ahead, swallowed, and his eyesnded on the tall figure in white.


    ¡°She¡­ she¡¯s the heiress of Shenzhou Group?¡±<div>


    Then he looked at Ye Zhen, who was a step behind Yu Dawei, ¡°Are you her sister?¡±


    Aren¡¯t you the heiress of the Shenzhou Group then?


    My god, this capital is quite impressive.


    Ye Zhen shook her head: ¡°Ming Jing is the heiress of the Shenzhou Group, but I am not.¡±


    Wu Chao stared at her for a moment: ¡°You two aren¡¯t blood-rted, right?¡±


    You didn¡¯t seem like you came from the same mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m her senior sister.¡±


    Wu Chao pped his thigh all of a sudden: ¡°I finally remember, it¡¯s her.¡±


    Ming Jing became famous after appearing on a variety show, and her poprity soared, but those who didn¡¯t watch variety shows didn¡¯t know her well.


    Wu Chao was one of those people.


    But he had heard her name, just couldn¡¯t match it to her.


    His aunt was a devout Buddhist and made regr offerings to famous temples. Once, during a call, when he mentioned he was having a streak of bad luck and wanted his aunt to get him a peace charm from the temple, somehow his aunt brought up a young master she had met. This master was very young yet profound in practice. Even the eminent monks praised her endlessly, stating she had a promising future. The key thing is that she was a girl, a source of pride for all women, and if she were to be a Buddha, it would be a miracle unique to women.


    He scoffed at the time, thinking his aunt had run into a scammer.<div>


    At that time, his aunt called her Master Ming Jing. There couldn¡¯t be another one with that name, could there?


    Wu Chao looked at Ye Zhen, and suddenly asked: ¡°Did Ming Jing visit Hanshan Temple in August?¡±


    Ye Zhen raised an eyebrow. Anyone who had watched the variety show ¡®Three Meals a Day¡¯ would know this wasn¡¯t a secret.

 Chapter 556: 265 Returning to the Country (Part One)

    Chapter 556: 265 Returning to the Country (Part One)


    Outside the restaurant, Ming Jing and Ye Zhen said goodbye to Yu Dawei, Qu Feitai, and the others.


    Lan Huixin also bade Ming Jing farewell and returned to school.


    When the car disappeared from sight, Yu Dawei said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Wu Chao caught up after taking a call, ¡°Director Yu, Gong Qiang withdrew his investment.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t joking; he was serious.


    Yu Dawei said leisurely, ¡°If he withdraws his investment, I won¡¯t make the movie?¡±


    ¡°My director, without enough funds, how can we make it?¡± Are all the big directors so naive?


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Wait and see.¡±


    With hands sped behind his back, Yu Dawei left.


    Zhou Zhengru said, ¡°Mr. Wu, it¡¯ste. I have to go back too. I¡¯ll be on time for theunch press conference the day after tomorrow.¡±<div>


    Wu Chao had a worried look on his face.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, wait for me.¡± Qu Feitai walked up to a big Mercedes-Benz G-ss and got into the driver¡¯s seat.


    Bai Ziyan caught up and tried to open the passenger door.


    With a soft ¡°click,¡± the door locked.


    The Benz sped away, leaving Bai Ziyan with a mouthful of exhaust fumes and stomping his feet in anger.


    ¡°When I turn eighteen, I¡¯ll get a Bugatti Veyron. What¡¯s so great about being able to drive, hmph.¡±


    As he turned his head and saw Wu Chao¡¯s gloomy bitter melon face, Bai Ziyan frowned in disgust.


    Looks like someone not very smart.


    ¡ª


    Ming Jing received a picture on WeChat.


    It was from Mao Nana, her whole face wrapped in gauze, revealing only her eyes. At first nce, she looked like a mummy.


    Then, she sent a voice message: Ming Jing, I¡¯m starving to death. I haven¡¯t eaten in a day and a night¡­ please save me.


    The voice was weak, pitiful.


    She had major surgery on her face, and eating would disrupt the facial incisions. Before the stitches were removed, she could only drink liquid food through a straw.


    This state wouldst for a week.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to attend the Bo Family banquet on the 15th.


    However, for the sake of beauty, this pain was nothing. Even Liu Suifeng admired her determination.


    Ming Jing replied: Listen to Dr. Liu, stay at home and rest for these few days.


    Just after sending that message, she received a call.<div>


    ¡°In three hours, be ready to wee me,¡± it said.


    Qingqing, you¡­?¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s hearty voice came through the phone: ¡°Didn¡¯t you rmend a promising actor to me? How can I not go and see for myself? What if someone else snatches him up?¡±


    Ming Jing paused for a moment: ¡°Okay, I have something to discuss with you too. It¡¯s not convenient to talk on the phone. I¡¯ll pick you up at the airport.¡±<div>


    ¡°I have to board the ne now, bye.¡±


    Ye Zhen asked, ¡°Is Brother Zheng Qinging?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.


    ¡°Should I also sign with Brother Zheng Qing¡¯spany?¡±


    It was beyond doubt that Qing Zheng was Ming Jing¡¯s man. Ming Jing was thergest shareholder in Unspeakable Entertainment Company.


    ¡°If you like, sign. If you don¡¯t like, don¡¯t sign.¡±


    Ye Zhenughed, ¡°Brother Zheng Qing aims to dominate the entertainment circle. He¡¯s good to me, of course I¡¯ll help him achieve his wish.¡±


    Ming Jing left the car and walked into the hotel. A figure exited from a car nearby and hurriedly caught up with Ming Jing: ¡°Miss¡­¡±.


    Ming Jing stopped and turned to look.


    Shen Hui approached quickly and respectfully, ¡°Miss, Lu Ze insulted you. I¡¯ve suspended him from his position so he can reflect on his actions.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him. ¡°Uncle Shen, you don¡¯t have to do this. His mistake has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Shen Hui frowned, ¡°He¡¯s my subordinate; as his boss, it¡¯s my duty to take responsibility. These years, I¡¯ve let him work in the investment department, dealing with the entertainment circle every day. His heart has long since grown restless, and I failed to warn him in time. I¡¯m at fault too.¡±¡±Thankfully, the youngdy discovered it in time to prevent a serious mistake.¡±


    Director Yu¡¯s movie had a guaranteed hit setup, but Lu Ze dared to threaten Yu Dawei to change the cast. Lu Ze didn¡¯t know, but he knew very well that Yu Dawei was not just a director; his family had deep-rooted connections in Jingzhou, and going head-to-head with them would be courting death.<div>


    Compared to the invisible capital behind them, Shenzhou Group is nothing but a minor force.


    Lu Ze had been influenced by the fickleness of the entertainment circle; he was short-sighted and eager for quick sess, unable to think long-term.


    ¡°Uncle Shen is a smart man, he doesn¡¯t need my reminder. Please go back, Uncle Shen.¡±


    She walked into the hotel after saying this.


    Ye Zhen quickly followed her.


    There was a sh of brilliance in Shen Hui¡¯s eyes as he slowly straightened his body.


    Watching the girl gradually walking away, Shen Hui hooked his lips and answered an iing call.


    ¡°Lu Ze, arrange for him to go to the newpany in Yunzhou. Without my order, don¡¯t let hime back.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°That Shen Hui, with such a high position, came to apologize to you personally. This must be either deep humiliation or extreme restraint.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Ye Zhen who was speaking: ¡°Even in a storm, a phony monarch won¡¯t topple. I¡¯ve never underestimated him.¡±


    He had only a college diploma, but managed to rise to the executive level of Shenzhou Group, trusted by Shen Zhou as sessor, how could such a person be simple?


    The first time she met him, he personally drove to pick her up from the airport. For an executive to act as a driver withoutint was something not many people could do.<div>


    Ye Zhen said, ¡°Alright, my head feels like a mess. I need to take a nap.¡±


    Ye Zhen rolled onto the bed and quickly fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


    Ming Jing covered her with a nket, adjusted the room temperature, and went to the living room to meditate for a while and organize her thoughts.


    She took out a set of nationalpetition mock test papers that Zhao Heng had given her before leaving and started working on them.


    Time silently passed. The sunlight nted westward, casting a golden hue on the twilight, filtering through the floor-to-ceiling window, spilling onto the carpet. A golden light flickered on a section of a white skirt, like a golden lotus tform.


    Ye Zhen rubbed her eyes and came out of the room, her eyes widening slightly at the scene in the living room.


    The girl quietly bent over writing, sometimes frowning in deep thought, sometimes smoothly penning down. Her back was straight, no matter how difficult the challenge, she never wavered.


    This was the first time Ye Zhen had seen her in this state while studying,pletely focused, with only the moving pen and her asionally furrowed brows reminding others that she was a living person and not a sculpture.


    Half an hourter, Ming Jing finally put down her pen and stretched her fingers.


    When she turned her head, she saw Ye Zhen leaning against the bedroom doorframe, staring at her intently. Ming Jing raised her eyebrows: ¡°Is there a flower on my face?¡±


    Ye Zhen moved her neck, letting out a soft hiss. Half of her body had gone numb.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be picking up Brother Qing? It¡¯s about time. You should get going.¡±


    Ming Jing stood up, poured a ss of water, took a few sips, grabbed her bag, and went out.<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing got out of the car and saw Bo Lianye and Bo Yujiang.


    The two women were arm in arm, looking like the best of friends at first nce.


    They hadn¡¯t seen her and walked happily into the airport terminal.


    Ming Jing furrowed her brows. Today was the day Bo Yuxun was returning to the country.


    She followed the two women into the terminal.


    At the same time, outside the floor-to-ceiling window, a passenger ne descended from the sky and slowly taxied on the runway.


    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m so excited. My uncle is finallying back.¡± Bo Lianye¡¯s face was full of uncontroble excitement.


    ¡°Uncle used to spoil me so much. When I was a child, I often thought how great it would be if I were his biological daughter. A father like that, I¡¯d dream of him. When he went abroadter, I cried for a long time.¡±


    Bo Yujiang looked at the crowded airport terminal and softly asked, ¡°Leaf, tell Auntie, why did Second Brother go abroad back then? Don¡¯t use that excuse about further study to fool me.¡±


    Bo Lianye hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Dad didn¡¯t want me to talk about it, but actually I don¡¯t know very clearly either. It seems that Uncle did it for a woman. He wanted to marry her, but Grandma said¡­¡±


    Bo Lianye recalled, ¡°Grandma said that woman had bad morals and a humble background. If Uncle married her, it would be a disgrace to the family. They were forcibly separated, and Uncle left for abroad angrily. That¡¯s probably it. I was too young back then and don¡¯t remember the details.¡±


    Bo Yujiang raised her eyebrows. Was it because of a woman?


    It was indeed close to her spection.


    ¡°Little aunt, when you came back, Uncle had already gone abroad. Later, when Grandma got sick, he came back once, but you happened to be away, so you didn¡¯t meet him. You two are twins, after all. Don¡¯t twins have a telepathic connection? Uncle will be very happy to see you.¡±


    Bo Lianye, caught up in excitement, didn¡¯t notice the slight unnaturalness in the woman beside her.

 Chapter 557: 266 First Encounter (Second Update)

    Chapter 557: 266 First Encounter (Second Update)


    At the exit of the airport, the railing was crowded with people waiting to pick up their passengers.


    Among them were Bo Lianye and Bo Yujiang.


    Bo Lianye took out a banner from her bag and opened it. The banner read: ¡°Wee home Dr. Bo with honor.¡±


    Bo Lianye said, ¡°Uncle might have changed a lot, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll recognize him at first sight, because he must be the most handsome and charming man in the crowd, without a doubt.¡±


    At that moment, a woman next to her noticed the banner and eximed, ¡°Are you friends of Dr. Bo?¡±


    Bo Yujiang smiled and said, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    She noticed that the woman was holding a microphone and there was a tall man with a camera behind her.


    A journalist?


    The woman said, ¡°I am He Xiaoyun, a journalist from The People Magazine. Dr. Bo, as an outstanding representative of the international medicalmunity, has attracted great attention from the domestic medicalmunity with his return. Dr. Bo¡¯s contributions to the medicalmunity go far beyond this. He has returned home with honors, and our magazine has prepared a special program for him. It would be great if we could interview Dr. Bo today.¡±


    Bo Lianye¡¯s face beamed with pride. Her uncle was just that remarkable.<div>


    Bo Yujiangughed and said, ¡°I see, but we are not Dr. Bo¡¯s friends.¡±


    He Xiaoyun looked disappointed: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must have bothered you.¡±


    ¡°We are his family members.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s words immediately lit up hope in He Xiaoyun¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Are you Dr. Bo¡¯s wife and daughter?¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s face stiffened. Did she look that old?


    But Bo Lianye was very pleased. ¡°Reporter, it seems that you don¡¯t know much about your interviewee. Hasn¡¯t anyone told you that Dr. Bo is still a golden bachelor?¡±


    He Xiaoyun quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I was careless.¡±


    Bo Yuxun was simply too low-key. Aside from his academic papers and achievements, there was nothing about his privacy on the inte. A man in his thirties, sessful in his career, should have a loving wife and daughter, and a happy life in her perception.


    Therefore, seeing the two women of different ages in front of her, she had assumed they were Dr. Bo¡¯s wife and daughter.


    ¡°I am Dr. Bo¡¯s sister, and she is his niece,¡± Bo Yujiang exined.


    ¡°Oh, I see. You are Dr. Bo¡¯s family.¡± The admiration and envy in the woman¡¯s eyes made Bo Yujiang feel better.


    ¡°I have a bold request. Our magazine is going to do a special report on Dr. Bo. He has been overseas for many years, and there have actually been rumors that he doesn¡¯t get along with his family. If you could appear in the interview, those rumors would naturally be debunked. Dr. Bo is a talented genius who shouldn¡¯t be held hostage by such gossip. You don¡¯t have to do anything, just take a photo.¡±


    Bo Lianye frowned and pulled Bo Yujiang¡¯s sleeve, signaling her not to pay attention to the journalist.


    Regardless of the kind of journalist, they were all trying to grab attention. Instead of focusing on her uncle¡¯s career and contributions, they aimed to expose his private life. Wasn¡¯t that putting the cart before the horse? What was the difference from those paparazzi in the entertainment industry?


    Bo Yujiang gently smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but without my brother¡¯s consent, we can¡¯t ept your photography request.¡±


    Bo Lianye took her aside and muttered, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have told her about our rtionship with our uncle just now. What if she takes pictures secretly?¡±


    Bo Yujiang gracefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her demeanor elegant and quiet. She softly smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, she won¡¯t dare to do it.¡±


    ¡°These journalists have no bottom line. Who knows what they¡¯ll do?¡±<div>


    Bo Lianye nced at the time, ¡°It¡¯s been fifteen minutes since the nended. He should being out now.¡±


    People were graduallying out of the exit. Bo Lianye held up her banner, and anyone who came out of the exit saw it first. It was definitely eye-catching.


    Most people had alreadye out, but Bo Lianye still hadn¡¯t seen Bo Yuxun. She was getting a bit anxious, ¡°What is Uncle doing? Why isn¡¯t heing out yet?¡±


    Bo Yujiang closely watched the exit, her nails gently digging into her palm.<div>


    When the crowd had almost dispersed, a tall figure walked out alone. Bo Lianye pointed at the man and excitedly said, ¡°Uncle¡­ It¡¯s Uncle!¡±


    Bo Yujiang saw him too. The man was very tall, probably about 1.9 meters. The Bos had tall genes, even the adopted Bo Yujian had a stunning height. Bo Lianye¡¯s height was also unrivaled among her peers.


    The man was wearing a light gray turtleneck sweater and a ck long coat, which entuated his slender figure even more. He didn¡¯t look like he was approaching forty at all, but rather like a young man in his early twenties.


    Carrying a backpack on his back and pushing a silver luggage case in one hand, the man walked through an empty hallway, exuding a lonely and cold aura. Even before getting close to him, people would already feel their hearts shivering in cold.


    Ming Jing stood on the edge of the crowd, her gaze piercing through the sea of people to catch a glimpse of that slender figure.


    Getting closer to the people, Bo Yujiang heard the gasps of surprise: ¡°That man is so handsome¡­¡±


    ¡°Is he a celebrity? He¡¯s too handsome!¡±


    ¡°My goodness, his body is amazing! Look at those legs, it¡¯s like he just walked out of a Korean drama!¡±


    ¡°Celebrities from Korean dramas can¡¯t evenpare to a handsome man like this. His aura is just spectacr¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Bo Lianye excitedly shook the banner in her hand.


    The man heard the sound and looked up.


    Across a few meters of distance, Bo Yujiang suddenly felt a piercing chill, her heart tightened and she unconsciously grasped the corner of her clothes.


    What kind of eyes were those? Had they seen the gentleness of the Jiangnan water towns? The scene of heavy snowfall was thendscape in his eyes.<div>


    The once warm and gentle embrace was now cold, after experiencing the world¡¯s tribtions, the man seemed more like a lone boatman with a straw cloak.


    The man paused briefly, looking extremelyposed as he walked out inparison to Bo Lianye¡¯s excitement.


    Bo Lianye hugged the man tightly and choked out, ¡°Uncle, you finally came back. I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    The man stood still, his eyes slightly downcast and his eyebrows furrowing.


    ¡°Lian Ye?¡±


    Bo Lian Ye looked up from the man¡¯s arms and nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Yes, uncle, you couldn¡¯t have forgotten me.¡±


    She stared at the man in front of her, the uncle she remembered, he used to be warm, sunny, and loved to smile. His nickname was Little Sun, warming everyone around him. But now, the uncle¡¯s face no longer had a smile, he became cold, lonely, and seemed like apletely different person.


    But she could still sense her uncle¡¯s presence in him.


    He raised a hand, as if wanting to stroke her hair, but the hand that was raised still fell back down in the end.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s you, Lian Ye.¡±


    Bo Lianye sniffled, and said with a hint of grievance, ¡°Uncle, you used to love me so much, but now I feel so unfamiliar and scared when I look at you.¡±


    Twelve years was enough time to change many things.


    The man curved his lips into a smile, but his eyes held no trace of joy, instead, they were like a bottomless cold abyss.<div>


    ¡°I will always be your uncle.¡± The man¡¯s deep and maic voice held a hint of hoarseness.


    Bo Lianyeughed and upon seeing Bo Yujiang standing aside, she immediately pulled her over.


    ¡°Uncle, she is aunt, she came back when you went abroad, you haven¡¯t met aunt before, right?¡±


    Bo Yujiang gave a gentle smile, saying with poise, ¡°Second brother, hello, I am A Jiang.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes fell on her face, carrying a hint of scrutiny and inquiry. There was no joy of meeting a long-lost sister in his expression.


    Bo Lianye became genuinely scared, because she had heard from her grandmother that during the years Aunt A Jiang was not at home, the person who missed her the most was her uncle. It was a kind of telepathy between the twins. Twelve years ago, Uncle suddenly fainted on the operating table, and it almost killed him, scaring grandma to death.


    Not long after, Aunt A Jiang returned. When grandma mentioned Uncle¡¯s sudden fainting, Aunt A Jiang said she had a car ident that day.


    But there was no joy in Uncle¡¯s eyes when he looked at Aunt A Jiang, nor was there any sense of cherishing something lost and regained, only a cold scrutiny.


    Could it be that grandma was lying to her?


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t you remember Aunt A Jiang?¡±


    Bo Yujiang cast her eyes down, a sh of darkness flickering in her gaze. Her hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tightly, her palm already filled with sweat.

 Chapter 558: 267 Brushing Shoulders (First Update)

    Chapter 558: 267 Brushing Shoulders (First Update)


    Bo Yuxun gave a faint ¡°uh-huh¡± without revealing any emotions, making it hard to guess his thoughts.


    At this moment, He Xiaoyun rushed over with some people: ¡°Dr. Bo, hello, I am a reporter from The People Magazine, He Xiaoyun. We have learned of your return to the country and our magazine would like to do an exclusive interview with you. It won¡¯t take up too much of your time¡­¡±


    Bo Yuxun waited for the other party to finish speaking before saying: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t ept any interviews.¡±


    With that, he walked away with long strides, disappearing into the crowd.


    Bo Lianye hurriedly jogged to catch up.


    Bo Yujiang, who had been left behind, pursed her lips with a slightly stiff expression and chased after them.


    He Xiaoyun and the photographer were left standing in the wind.


    With Dr. Bo¡¯s good looks and temperament, he would be a perfect star, but he doesn¡¯t rely on his appearance to make a living. With his achievements in his field, he might onlyck marketing and promotion. Otherwise, there would be no need for other celebrities in the entertainment industry.


    If they could get him to do an exclusive interview for this issue of The People Magazine, it would definitely create a huge buzz in the industry. Unfortunately, Dr. Bo was too detached.


    As Bo Yuxun took long strides, Bo Lianye couldn¡¯t catch up with her little jog and couldn¡¯t help but shout: ¡°Uncle, wait for me¡­¡±<div>


    Ming Jing frowned and walked forward a few steps against the crowd.


    Bo Yuxun suddenly stopped and instinctively turned around.


    The airport hall was bustling as the announcer¡¯s sweet and standard English filled every corner.


    People came and went in the light and shadow, blurred and vague, but that one dazzling white figure moved through the flow of time, gradually getting further away.


    What came into view was a woman with a delicate and gentle face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and apricot eyes with peach cheeks ¨C a ssical and tender appearance.


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Bo Lianye¡¯s curious voice came from beside him: ¡°Uncle, what are you looking at? Are you waiting for auntie?¡±


    Bo Yujiang walked towards them, and she too thought that Bo Yuxun had suddenly stopped to wait for her.


    It seemed that he wasn¡¯t as indifferent as he appeared.


    Bo Yuxun didn¡¯t exin, simply saying: ¡°You two go back first, I¡¯ll go to the hospital.¡±


    Without waiting for their response, he walked out and hailed a taxi, leaving them in his wake.


    Bo Lianye chased after him only to get a mouthful of exhaust.


    ¡°Uncle has be so unfamiliar, so different from the smiling and sunny uncle I remember,¡± Bo Lianye said somewhat wistfully.


    Bo Yujiang sighed softly: ¡°Does my second brother not like me anymore?¡±


    ¡°How could that be? Auntie, you¡¯re worrying too much. No one in this world has a closer rtionship than the two of you. Uncle has just returned to the country and may not have fully adjusted yet, things will get better. Let¡¯s go home first, so we don¡¯t keep Granny waiting.¡±


    It seemed that their uncle was a workaholic, as he went to the hospital first instead of going home upon returning to the country.


    Ming Jing stood at the exit, and after a short while, a man in neutral clothing walked out.


    Upon seeing Ming Jing, he immediately rushed over and gave her a big hug.


    ¡°My little Ming Jing, I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±<div>


    Surrounding people looked at them with strange eyes, as if saying: It¡¯s like a fresh flower stuck in cow dung.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back to the hotel first.¡±


    Zheng Qing reluctantly let go of Ming Jing and pinched her cheek: ¡°You¡¯ve gotten thinner, and your face can¡¯t hold two ounces of flesh; it makes me heartbroken.¡±


    Ming Jing raised the back of her hand to wipe her face.<div>


    The two walked out of the airport side by side, with the sky adorned with stars and the moon, the sparse lights around them apanying the hurried passers-by, and the cold wind facing them.


    Zheng Qing stretched out his arms and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Jingzhou, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the stars and moon in the sky, the night breeze lifting her skirt, her voice cool like the night, chilling to the bone.


    ¡°In the revolving world, the sky and the earth are still here, the moon remains unchanged yet people are different from yesterday¡­¡±


    Under this starry sky, peoplee and go, experiencing countless joys and sorrows, bitterness and sweetness that are impossible to express.


    ¡°No more sentimentality, let¡¯s go have fun.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, brushing off the hand that had been ced on her shoulder: ¡°It¡¯ste, let¡¯s go back to the hotel and rest.¡±


    Zheng Qing shook his head: ¡°The night is short, and we shouldn¡¯t waste it like this.¡±


    ¡ª-


    State Medical College, as the top-ranking tertiary A hospital in Jingzhou and even in the country, is always crowded.In winter, it gets dark early. Before 7pm, it is already starry and the lights casted shadows.


    In the dean¡¯s office, an elderly man over the age of 60 with reading sses on his nose was writing a meeting report when the door was knocked.


    ¡°Come in.¡±<div>


    A shadow loomed overhead, and Dean Xu spoke without looking up, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Dean Xu, I¡¯m here to report to the hospital.¡±


    This voice¡­ Dean Xu suddenly looked up, and the pupils behind his sses shrank in surprise.


    The pen in his hand fell on the table with a ¡°tter¡±, and the nib slid across the paper, drawing a winding curve.


    ¡°Yu¡­ Yuxun? Weren¡¯t you going to visit Madam first?¡±


    Bo Yuxun had arrived in the country on a flight this afternoon, but wasn¡¯t he supposed to go home first?


    After all, he had been away from home for so many years, and Granny Bo had been eagerly awaiting his return.


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°I¡¯llplete the onboarding procedures first, and officially start work tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to rest for a couple of days first?¡±


    This seems too rushed.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Dean Xu coughed, ¡°Alright, but it¡¯s toote for the onboarding procedure today. The HR department is already off-duty. You can do it tomorrow morning. Have you had dinner yet?¡±


    Bo Yuxun shook his head.<div>


    ¡°It just so happens that I haven¡¯t had dinner either. Some of our hospital leaders have been curious about you for a long time. This is a good opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. I¡¯ll make a call. Shuhua is on duty tonight, he will be very happy to know that you¡¯re back.¡±


    Bo Yuxun said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look around the department.¡±


    Dean Xu nodded, and after Bo Yuxun left, he sighed, ¡°This kid is so career-oriented, really dedicated.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    The cardiology department was quiet, with two nurses each busy at the nurse¡¯s station.


    Bo Yuxun saw a patient record on the table and picked it up to flip through it.


    A round-faced nurse saw him, quickly grabbed the record, and nearly lost her footing when she looked up at his face.


    She angrily pinched her colleague¡¯s arm.


    The colleague who was just bent over winced in pain and red at her, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Seeing that her gaze was fixed in one direction, she subconsciously followed her colleague¡¯s stare.


    The overhead lights suddenly seemed a bit dazzling under the dark clouds.


    The man was tall and thin, wearing a ck coat. His skin was very white, almost translucent enough to see the faint purple capiries in the texture. The gray high-cored sweater framed his chin, which was devoid of any stubble.


    A few strands of broken hair fell over his forehead, and under his sword-like eyebrows were a pair of deep starry eyes. They were pitch-ck and serene, giving off an indifferent and aloof air when looking at people. Upon closer inspection, it seem that those eyes held much vicissitude and mncholy. Having experienced thexa0world¡¯s trials, it was finally transformed into maturity andposure in his every move.<div>


    This handsome, matured man with a hint of mncholy was charming down to his hair strands.


    The two young nurses were captivated by his presence.


    Bo Yuxun furrowed his sword-like eyebrows, tapping his fingers lightly on the counter, ¡°Where is Dr. Xu?¡±


    The round-faced nurse snapped to her senses first, stuttering, ¡°Dr. Xu¡­ Dr. Xu is in the office¡­ He¡¯s on duty tonight¡­¡±


    The man nodded and walked toward the depths of the ward.


    The doctor¡¯s office was just around the corner in the depths of the ward.


    The two nurses stared at the man¡¯s tall and slender figure, entranced, ¡°He¡¯s so handsome, so handsome. Is he a movie star?¡±


    ¡°He must be Dr. Xu¡¯s friend. Dr. Xu hid such an extraordinary friend, and no one knew about it.¡±


    The round-faced nurse named Qi Ka, touched the patient¡¯s record that the man had just picked up, and smiled foolishly, ¡°He has a pair of hands as beautiful as art, he must be a pianist. I can¡¯t imagine those hands being covered in dust.¡±


    As he walked past a ward, Bo Yuxun suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Doctor¡­ My¡­ my back hurts, it¡¯s unbearable.¡± A weak voice from a patient came through.


    ¡°Let me see. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a slightly high blood pressure. The Radiology Department is already off duty and you can¡¯t have an examination. I think it¡¯s psychological. Go to bed early.¡± A young woman¡¯s voice came from inside. The ward door opened, and a young woman in a white coat walked out.


    The woman had blond hair draped over her shoulders, and her face was adorned with heavy makeup, her eyeliner soaring to the corners of her eyes. Her lipstick was so bright it looked like a gaping bloody gash. As she walked out, a strong scent of perfume wafted towards them.

 Chapter 559: 268 Surgery (Second Revision)

    Chapter 559: 268 Surgery (Second Revision)


    The woman looked up to see a thin, tall, extremely handsome man standing in front of her. She was taken aback for a moment, then quickly brushed her hair away from her face and greeted him with a smile, ¡°Are you a rtive of the patient?¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s gaze fell on the badge on her chest; she was a cardiology intern, Lin Xia.


    He ignored her and pushed open the door to the ward.


    Lin Xia raised an eyebrow, seemingly impressed with the man¡¯s unique character.


    Then came the sound of the emergency rm from inside the room. Lin Xia hurried in, only to see Bo Yuxun pressing his fingers against the patient¡¯s abdomen. As the patient¡¯splexion grew increasingly pale, Bo Yuxun¡¯s face also darkened.


    ¡°What ¡­ what are you doing?¡± Lin Xia demanded.


    Qi Ka, hearing the emergency rm, rushed in and was taken aback by the scene in the room.


    ¡°The patient¡¯sining of pain in the abdomen and back, has rapidly increasing blood pressure, an elerated heartbeat. Can you tell me what your physical examination revealed?¡± The man demanded coldly, his tone asserted certainty in a way that inspired immediate concern.


    Lin Xia wanted to question his authority, but the weight of his icy gaze rendered her speechless; the resolve in his eyes was as suffocating as a weight upon her chest.


    ¡°He has coronary heart disease caused by high blood pressure, an old ailment.¡±<div>


    ¡°Have you looked into the patient¡¯s age, medical history, and medication history?¡±


    Lin Xia stuttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t admit the patient. I¡¯m just an intern. What¡¯s more, who are you? What gives you the authority to question me?¡±


    Meanwhile, the old man on the bed had bulging eyes and a purplishplexion. He suddenly began to gasp for air and clutched tightly onto Bo Yuxun¡¯s arm, ¡°Save ¡­ save me, it hurts¡­¡±


    Lin Xia instinctively stepped back, taken aback by the sight.


    Bo Yuxun looked at Qi Ka and calmlymanded, ¡°Prepare for oxygen therapy, establish an IV ess, administer nifedipine intravenously, notify the emergency room, prepare the operating room.¡±


    Seeing Bo¡¯sposed demeanor, Qi Ka hurriedly set out to follow his instructions.


    Lin Xia, feeling helpless, asked, ¡°Who exactly are you? Do you not realize we are in a hospital? This is not a ce for you to do whatever you please.¡±


    Qi Ka ran in with a tray. Bo Yuxun took a syringe, expertly broke the vial, pulled back the syringe, and administered subcutaneous injection, executing the sequence of actions smoothly.


    After administering the medicine to quickly lower the patient¡¯s blood pressure, the patient¡¯s pain subsided. As Qi Ka prepared the oxygen equipment, she nced at the tall man before her and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°May I ask who you are¡­?¡±


    Before she could finish, Lin Xia interjected, ¡°Are you out of your mind, Qi Ka? Do you just do whatever he asks? If anything happens to this patient, none of us will be able to bear the responsibility. I think he¡¯s only here to cause trouble.¡±


    Qi Ka pressed her lips together, ¡°Dr. Lin, didn¡¯t you notice the patient¡¯s abnormal condition? If anything really happens to the patient, we won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility either.¡±


    Lin Xia was taken aback and stopped mid-sentence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if something happens, it¡¯ll have nothing to do with me,¡± Lin Xia turned to leave.


    At this moment, Xu Shuhua pushed the door open and quickly walked in. Seeing the usually calm Bo Yuxun showing emotion, he rushed over and hugged him joyfully.


    Reassured by his presence, heforted, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back.¡±


    Bo Yuxun replied indifferently, ¡°Prepare for surgery.¡±


    Caught off guard, Xu Shuhua was stunned. He had been called over by the emergency rm and wasn¡¯t sure what was happening yet.


    ¡°This patient has been misdiagnosed with coronary heart disease when it¡¯s actually an aortic dissection. The patient has a long history of hypertension and it¡¯s easy for inexperienced doctors to misdiagnose. The patient¡¯s blood pressure has been temporarily controlled, but his condition is critical and he needs immediate surgery.¡±


    ¡°Aortic dissection?¡± Xu Shuhua¡¯s expression immediately darkened. He nced at the patient, then turned to Lin Xia.<div>


    Lin Xia shook his head, ¡°Mr. Xu¡­ he was admitted to the emergency room, he clearly has coronary heart disease. How can it be an aortic dissection? Do not be deceived by him.¡±


    An aortic dissection was much more serious than coronary heart disease. If she had misdiagnosed, the responsibility would be monumental.


    If you would simply admit your mistake, I might be lenient seeing your inexperience. However, your current attitude is highly disappointing. The most important virtue of a doctor is humanity. No matter how high your medical skills are, without the right ethics, you are not a qualified doctor, and youck both.¡±


    Lin Xia turned pale.<div>


    Xu Shuhua is making calls to prepare the operating room, telling Bo Yuxun, ¡°You just returned to the country, you better not get on the operating table, take some rest, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Bo Yuxun shook his head, ¡°The patient is in a pretty critical condition. I¡¯ve done a lot of transcatheter aortic septal lusion surgeries overseas, you mainly handle Tetralogy of Fallot, and you¡¯re not very good at handling acquired heart disease, so I should do it.¡±


    Xu Shuhua didn¡¯t insist, ¡°Then I¡¯ll assist you and see how much you¡¯ve improved over the years abroad.¡±


    Bo Yuxun walked past Lin Xia without even looking at her, Lin Xia stopped Xu Shuhua, ¡°Professor Xu, I know I was wrong, could you give me another chance please?¡±


    Xu Shuhua sighed, ¡°Little Lin, let me advise you, you really aren¡¯t cut out to be a doctor, you¡¯d better switch careers sooner rather thanter.¡±


    This youngdy isn¡¯t responsible, and she¡¯s careless and negligent. She punts responsibility away when things go wrong. Even if she has connections, having been called out by Bo Yuxun, it¡¯s impossible for her to stay here anymore. This new director is someone who won¡¯t tolerate the smallest error.


    ¡°Professor Xu, why do you believe the words of that person and not believe me?¡±


    Xu Shuhua looked at the woman whose face was filled with resentment, shrugged and replied with a smile, ¡°Do you know who that was just now?¡±


    Lin Xia scorned, ¡°Could he possibly be better than you, Professor Xu?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, he¡¯s even better than your Professor Xu. The IMO Biology Competition gold medalist at fifteen, admitted to top medical school at sixteen,pleted undergraduate and masters in four years, became the youngest attending physician in the State Medical College at twenty, published papers in The Lancet and received first prize, performed countless surgeries as a main surgeon in four years, solving countless difficult diseases, promoted to be the youngest associate attending physician since the establishment of the hospital at twenty-four¡­¡±


    Lin Xia was already dumbfounded, she incredulously said, ¡°Dr¡­Dr. Bo?¡±


    The recent news in their department and even the whole hospital, 12 years ago there was a prodigy named Dr. Bo, referred to as the youngest associate attending physician since the establishment of the hospital. Those older doctors and nurses still spoke of this legendary doctor with admiration and respect in their eyes.


    He chose to go abroad when his career was skyrocketing 12 years ago, and he had really made a name for himself overseas during these 12 years. His name had even be a symbol. Last year, he was voted one of the top 100 outstanding people worldwide, he had been hired as a columnist professor in the authoritative medical magazine The Lancet. Leaving out his theoretical achievements, just his clinical ones, no one of the younger generation could match.<div>


    The news of his return to China and taking the position of Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery exploded throughout the hospital.


    The return of their heartthrob, Rong Jun, left everyone from the near-retirement olddies to the seventeen- or eighteen-year-old nurses eagerly waiting in anticipation, filled with hope.


    The man from just now, could he really be the returning Dr. Bo? The legendary prodigy from the State Medical College, and now the youngest head of a department in our hospital¡­


    She assumed that someone with such huge achievements would be a bald, middle-aged man. She didn¡¯t expect that he would be so young and handsome;paring those pretty-boy actors in the entertainment industry to him is simply an insult.


    Lin Xia felt as if she had been hit by lightning.


    What had she just done? Said? My God, she was done for.


    Lin Xia was on the verge of tears, Xu Shuhua no longer spared her a nce, leaving her with the words, ¡°Go and write a self-criticism, reflect on yourself.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    During the surgery, Xu Shuhua couldn¡¯t help but admire Bo Yuxun¡¯s elegant and steady knife work, it was such aplex and tense surgery, yet he was still leisurely and calm, as if he wasn¡¯t facing a life-threatening disease, but a te of fine, exquisite Western cuisine.


    He watched the tall figure hunched over the operating table, Bo Yuxun was very serious during his operations, he¡¯d always been like this,pletely focused no matter what he was doing.


    Twelve years, too many people and things had changed.


    The sunny and cheerful big boy of the past had evolved into a mature and steady man.


    But the cost was, the light in his eyes had diminished.<div>


    No more smiles could be seen on his face.


    Leaving the finishing touches to his assistant, Bo Yuxun stepped away from the operating table, took off his surgical attire, he was drenched in sweat.


    At this time, his cell phone in his locker was relentlessly ringing, Qi Ka said, ¡°Director Bo, it¡¯s been ringing for a while now, I think there must be something urgent.¡±


    Upon finding out that this man was the newly parachuted-in director, Qi Ka could no longer hide the admiration in her eyes.


    Bo Yuxun opened the locker, took out his phone and took a nce.


    He frowned, then directly hung up.


    Xu Shuhua quietly sighed, it seemed that Yuxun had still not wholly let go of the past.

 Chapter 560: 269 Gossip (First Update)

    Chapter 560: 269 Gossip (First Update)


    There is arge group in the State Medical College, with almost all the doctors, nurses, and senior leaders as its members. It is usually used for issuing hospital-wide announcements and ideological guidance, and nobody usually jokes around in this group.


    Hence, they created a smaller group without any leaders, consisting of gossip-loving nurses and some young interns. The content they shared every day was about beauty, dramas, and handsome guys¡­


    As winter came, everyone lost their enthusiasm, and the group chat became cold and quiet.


    Han Dongdong: Big gossip, big gossip!!!


    The half-dead chat asked if she had gone crazy.


    Han Dongdong: I¡¯m not crazy, but if I say it out loud, you guys will definitely go crazy!


    Qi Ka: Dr. Bo is back in the country. As soon as he went around the department, he found out that Lin Xia misdiagnosed and almost killed a patient. Dr. Bo personally performed the surgery. You should have seen how amazing Dr. Bo was during the surgery¡­


    ¡ª¡ªWho is Dr. Bo? Am I the only one confused?


    ¡ª¡ªOh my god, someone doesn¡¯t know who Dr. Bo is? Are you new? Hasn¡¯t anyone told you about our legendary genius?


    Han Dongdong: @Qi Ka, you stole my lines, boo~<div>


    ¡ª¡ªNo wonder Bo is legendary. He just arrived and already taught Lin Bailian a lesson. Just one word: awesome.


    ¡ª¡ªHe came straight to the hospital right after getting off the ne? Dr. Bo is really dedicated. No, wait, now he should be called Director Bo. A department director in his thirties is quite something. Looks like he¡¯s going down the administrative route.


    ¡ª¡ªHave any of you seen Dr. Bo in person? Rumor has it that he¡¯s super, super handsome.


    Qi Ka: How can you describe Dr. Bo as just handsome? That would be an insult to him.


    ¡ª¡ªIsn¡¯t Dr. Bo still unmarried? An excellent single man, quick, sisters, seize the chance!


    ¡ª¡ªWhat are you all thinking? Do you know Dr. Bo¡¯s background? It¡¯s quicker to dream about it.


    ¡­


    The chat suddenly became lively because of the topic of Dr. Bo, and Qi Ka had already received 99+ messages in no time.


    At the Gynecology department, Ye Qingxing, rubbing her tired temples, walked over and said, ¡°Xiaoxiao, remember to change the IV drip for bed 28 ten minutester. I can¡¯t hold on any longer. I¡¯m going for a short nap.¡±


    Lu Xiaoxiao was enraptured by her phone and didn¡¯t look up.


    Ye Qingxing frowned and tapped on the counter, ¡°Lu Xiaoxiao?¡±


    Lu Xiaoxiao hastily looked up, her eyes shing with gossip, excitedly whispered: ¡°Dr. Ye, big gossip, Dr. Bo is back and is now in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department. It¡¯s said that he performed a major surgery right aftering back. It¡¯s all over the hospital.¡±


    Ye Qingxing¡¯s exhausted eyes suddenly widened, revealing shock.


    Lu Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t notice her unusual reaction and continued talking: ¡°Dr. Bo is not only professionally excellent, but also super handsome. I really regret choosing Gynecology. If I had chosen Cardiothoracic Surgery, wouldn¡¯t I see Dr. Bo every day?¡±


    Ye Qingxing turned around and left, with Lu Xiaoxiao wondering, ¡°Dr. Ye, aren¡¯t you going to take a break? Why are you going out?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ suddenly feel a little hungry, going to buy something to eat at the entrance.¡± She left without looking back.


    Ye Qingxing¡¯s heart pounded, and she touched her flushed face.


    Bo Yuxun was back!


    At the age of nine, she apanied her parents to the Bos and met the twenty-year-old Bo Yuxun. She was so awestruck that he became the unyielding moonlight in her heart ever since.<div>


    Through the bitterness of a young girl¡¯s crush and entering the cruel society, she chose to follow the same path as him. The year he went abroad, she cried for a long time, thinking she would never wait for him again.


    Fortunately, hard work paid off.


    Thinking of the phone call her cousin had made to her yesterday, Ye Qingxing smiled softly.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    ¡°You won¡¯t leave this time, will you?¡±


    Bo Yuxun put on his coat and straightened his cor, ¡°It depends.¡±


    Xu Shuhua raised his eyebrows, ¡°You¡¯re doing even better abroad than here. Why did you suddenlye back? Is there a situation?¡±


    Bo Yuxun paused, his handsome face looking even more chiseled and deep under the light.


    ¡°There¡¯s a feeling deep in my bones that I had toe back.¡±


    As he said this, Bo Yuxun strode out, Xu Shuhua followed up quickly.


    ¡°Are you still looking for her?¡±


    Bo Yuxun suddenly stopped.


    The air instantly became stagnant.


    Xu Shuhua touched his nose, ¡°I¡¯ve always tried to help you find her over the years, and I finally have a clue.¡±


    Bo Yuxun suddenly turned around, his eyes filled with dark clouds, and his jaw clenched, reflecting the turmoil inside of him.


    Xu Shuhua shrank back his neck, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me that way. As a brother, I don¡¯t want to see you being in pain all the time. You two were really in a difficult situation when you had to break up. I saw it all.¡±


    Bo Yuxun said in a deep voice, ¡°Tell me.¡±Xu Shuhua sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve recently encountered a girl who looks quite simr to her from back then. Although there are many people in the world who look alike, I think it shouldn¡¯t be that simple.¡±<div>


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s pupils constricted abruptly, and he suddenly grabbed Xu Shuhua¡¯s arm, anxiously asking, ¡°Where is she, and what¡¯s her name?¡±


    Xu Shuhua was startled by his reaction, ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious, let me tell you slowly¡­ Actually, I had my doubts too, but after checking her age, it doesn¡¯t match. I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you.¡±


    Bo Yuxun slowly released Xu Shuhua¡¯s arm and gave him a bitter smile.


    Seeing Bo Yuxun so distressed, Xu Shuhua also felt uneasy, ¡°But I think this girl must be rted to her in some way. You can try to investigate through her, maybe you can find some clues.¡±


    Bo Yuxun walked out of the building, greeted by the cold wind, which lifted a corner of his coat.


    A crescent moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale, clear glow.


    In this vast sea of humanity, where are you? Are you also looking up at the same moon?


    Xu Shuhua received a call, ¡°My dad called and urged me. We¡¯re going to the restaurant across from the hospital. Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s going to be a long night. How well can you handle your liquor?¡±


    Bo Yuxun shook his head. As they crossed the road, he seemed lost in thought. Xu Shuhua quickly grabbed him, and a ck sedan sped by, just brushing against Bo Yuxun¡¯s clothes.


    Despite the close call, Bo Yuxun remained unfazed.


    Xu Shuhua sighed, unsure of what to say.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Granny Bo kept asking, ¡°Has Ah Yun returned yet? What time is it now?¡±<div>


    ¡°Grandma, my uncle is still at the hospital for business. Don¡¯t wait for him; go to bed early.¡±


    ¡°No, I have to wait for Ah Yun. Ah Jiang¡­¡±


    Granny Bo¡¯s hands fumbled in mid-air.


    Bo Yujiang quickly crouched down and held Granny Bo¡¯s hands, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°Ah Jiang, you don¡¯t know how much your second brother doted on you when you were little. If he were to see you, he would be so happy.¡±


    Bo Yujiang pursed her lips, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve already seen my second brother at the airport¡­¡±.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. As long as you two are by my side, I can be at ease.¡± Granny Bo sighed, her voice tinged with bitterness, causing those who heard it to feel a pang of sadness.


    When her son was around, her daughter wasn¡¯t, and vice versa. The only time they were both under her care was during their short three to four years together as children.


    Ji Rou¡¯en whispered to Bo Yujian, ¡°Did you see how much our mom favors her own son? As expected, blood is thicker.¡±


    Bo Yujian frowned and red at her, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Ji Rou¡¯en huffed, ¡°Just wait and see, it¡¯ll be a lively household once my second brother returns.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Early the next morning, Ming Jing set out for school to take the exam.<div>


    Before entering the examination room, she saw Bo Lianye.


    The two were in the same exam room, coincidentally sitting next to each other.


    Bo Lianye had dark circles under her eyes, indicating she hadn¡¯t slept well the night before, but she wore a smile on her face, seemingly in a good mood.


    Upon seeing Ming Jing, she nodded slightly and greeted her.


    Ming Jing sat down and took out the pens for her exam from her transparent pencil case.


    The ssroom was very quiet, the atmosphere tense and oppressive.


    The journey to this point wasn¡¯t easy. Every examinee in the room was a one-in-a-million genius.


    Selecting the top six from among sixty geniuses was a fiercepetition.


    No one took it lightly, putting forth their full effort.


    A cold wind howled outside the window, the sunlight appearing somewhat pale ¨C a straightforward coldness.


    The pale sunlight streamed through the ss window, illuminating the desk by the window. The young girl¡¯s fair hand held a pen, her downcast eyes fully absorbed in the task at hand.


    As the sun gradually tilted westward, time silently slipped away.


    Ming Jing put down her pen and exhaled softly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Lan Huixin was awoken by the torment of the phone ringing and reluctantly rummaged her phone out from under the pillow.


    ¡°Hello¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Lan Huixin.¡±


    Five secondster, Lan Huixin bolted upright in bed, almost injuring her waist from getting up too quickly. However, the pain was nothingpared to her excitement.

 Chapter 561: 270 Unsolved (Second Revision)

    Chapter 561: 270 Unsolved (Second Revision)


    At that moment, a scream erupted from within the dormitory.


    The other two roommates as well as Li Tingting were all present, and they all gave her a disdainful nce.


    Li Tingting sneered, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    Lan Huixin pped her own leg viciously, causing her to gasp from the pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming!¡±


    Lan Huixin¡¯s eyes wandered over to the other three, who were all staring at her as if she were an idiot. The words that Lan Huixin had intended to blurt out were immediately swallowed back down.


    At this time, she got a call from Qing Zheng, arranged a meeting ce, and jumped out of bed cheerfully. After spending ten minutes getting ready, she left the room with a bang.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± one of the roommates asked.


    ¡°She must have gotten some resources. I was even more excited than her when I first got a part in a y,¡± another roommate answered.


    Li Tingting¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she thought about the audition the day before, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of dread.<div>


    No way.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s on some rich guy¡¯s payroll now. I even saw an old man driving her back yesterday,¡± Li Tingting pretended to casually mention.


    ¡°So it seems that even our unyielding, aloof campus beauty can no longer resist temptation,¡± Roommate One said with a hint of mockery.


    ¡°Who would bother to take the long way if they¡¯ve found a shortcut? She won¡¯t be putting on such an arrogant face anymore,¡± Roommate Two chimed in.


    Li Tingting¡¯s lips curved into a satisfied smile.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Brother Zheng, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte,¡± Lan Huixin had thought Brother Zheng would be quite handsome, but the real person was a bit disappointing.


    He was average-looking, but his eyes were quite striking.


    Zheng Qing pushed a contract towards her, ¡°Take a look at the contract. If there¡¯s no problem, go ahead and sign.¡±


    Lan Huixin flipped directly to thest page and signed her name.


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to read the terms? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll sell you?¡±


    Little girl was just too naive.


    Lan Huixinughed, ¡°Because I trust Ming Jing. She would never harm me.¡±


    After signing her name, Lan Huixin started reading the contract from the first page, and her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Brother Zheng, is there a printing error in the contract?¡±


    This contract seemed to be treating neers way too kindly. She almost got tricked into signing with another agency before, and that contract was like eating people without spitting out the bones.


    Zheng Qing took a sip of coffee and smiled slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, ourpany treats every artist like this.¡±


    Lan Huixin burst intoughter, ¡°I knew it, Ming Jing would never lie to me.¡±


    Zheng Qing pushed a set of keys to her, ¡°ording topany policy, every artist can enjoy apany-provided apartment. Since you¡¯re studying in Jingzhou, your focus will also be there, so we¡¯ve rented an apartment for you there. Move in when you have time. You won¡¯t be able to stay in the dormitory once you be famous, and artists need to pay attention to their privacy.¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Zheng.¡± Lan Huixin happily epted the keys.


    ¡°I will definitely work hard in my acting and not let thepany down.¡±


    The girl looked innocent but had a sweet mouth. Zheng Qing was satisfied with her and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve received a call from The me¡¯s Crew, right? You¡¯ve sessfully auditioned for the second female lead. There¡¯s an opening ceremony tomorrow, so be there on time. I¡¯ll assign an assistant to apany you and take care of you.¡±<div>


    Zheng Qing nced at the time, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, go back first.¡±


    Lan Huixin hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Brother Zheng, has Ye Zhen signed with ourpany too?¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why are you asking so many questions?¡±


    Lan Huixin yfully stuck out her tongue, ¡°I might be colleagues with her in the future. This is called caring about my colleagues.¡±


    ¡°You better start caring about yourself first, Ye Zhen doesn¡¯t need your concern.¡±


    After Lan Huixin left, Ye Zhen sat down in her ce, and a waiter brought her a cup of coffee.Ye Zhen pinched the spoon, gently stirring it evenly, and elegantly sipped.


    Zheng Qing squinted at her, ¡°Is Ye Zhen a name you gave yourself?¡±


    Ye Zhen put down her coffee cup, ¡°Names are just codes, they¡¯re not important.¡±


    ¡°I know a person who is also named Ye Zhen.¡± Zheng Qing stared closely at her face and didn¡¯t miss any changes.


    Ye Zhenughed, ¡°Is that so? There are many people with the same name in the world, it¡¯s not that rare.¡±


    Zheng Qing pulled out a contract and pushed it toward her, ¡°Even though you are Ming Jing¡¯s senior, we still need to separate things properly. If you don¡¯t have any objections, please sign the contract.¡±


    Ye Zhen picked up the pen Lan Huixin had just used, turned to thest page, and signed her name.


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow; her signature was not Ye Zhen, but Ming Xin.<div>


    After signing, Ye Zhen pushed the contract back to her, ¡°Brother Qing, I hope you¡¯ll guide me more in the future.¡±


    Zheng Qing stirred her coffee without a word, ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you auditioned sessfully and caught Yu Dawei¡¯s eye. Did you really have no acting background?¡±


    Ever since this Ming Xin woke up, she exuded an evil aura.


    Both her and Ming Jing were strange.


    What kind of feng shui did Baitou Mountain¡¯s Jiyue Temple have to produce such monsters one after another?


    Ye Zhenughed, ¡°Did those previous Lady Yu¡¯s have any acting background?¡±


    None of the previous Lady Yu¡¯s graduated from professional schools. Guan Qing was even more exaggerated. She was discovered by Yu Dawei at a convenience store, and he made her star in a movie. Who would¡¯ve thought that a high school dropout and a supermarket cashier couldter be a grand m actress?


    Yu Dawei¡¯s standards for choosing people were iprehensible and he didn¡¯t look for acting skills. He himself was the best acting teacher, able to sculpt even wooden materials.


    Zheng Qing didn¡¯t dwell on this and changed the topic, ¡°Did Liang Yanran tell you in her dreams where Xue An, the grandson, was hiding?¡±


    She usually wouldn¡¯t discuss superstitions, but she couldn¡¯tpletely dismiss them either.


    Since Liang Xiaohong was arrested, Xue An disappeared from public view.


    It was said that thest time he was seen was on the night Liang Xiaohong was arrested, at Chao¡¯an District Police Station. After he was released on bail, no one ever saw him again.


    Zheng Qing studied him for a long time. Xue An had many unresolved mysteries, not only Liang Yanran¡¯s death, but perhaps even more secrets.<div>


    For example, his first love from twelve years ago. Zheng Qing pondered for a long time; the methods in this case reminded her of something familiar.


    She was now trying to find the hidden hand behind Xue An¡¯s capital by analyzing him. Maybe this hidden hand was rted to the incident from twelve years ago¡­


    Zheng Qing¡¯s mind suddenly reeled, again twelve years ago, was it really such a coincidence?


    The day Xue An apologized on Weibo was the twelfth of December, eleven years ago.


    The day she saw A Yu¡¯s body was the twentieth of December.


    That year in Jingzhou, there was rarely heavy snowfall, the world was dressed in silver. Heaven knew that she loved snow and it was as if it was sending her off.


    Since returning from abroad, they were assigned separate undercover missions.


    At that time, the entertainment industry was embroiled in a moneyundering case with far-reaching implications. She disguised herself as Zheng Qing and infiltrated the entertainment circle, uprooting the crime after two years. As for where A Yu went, she didn¡¯t know, only vaguely aware that A Yu¡¯s mission was several times more dangerous than hers.


    For two years, they had no contact with each other, as that was the organization¡¯s rule that no one dared to break.


    Before A Yu left, she told her that she had made a deal with Night Hawk. Afterpleting this mission, she would leave the organization and live a free life.


    Ultimately, she didn¡¯t gain freedom; her life was forever frozen at the age of twenty-four.


    She always thought it was Night Hawk abandoning her; people with no value could only meet a dead end.


    Now that she thought about it, things back then might not have been so simple.<div>


    In Xue An¡¯s timeline, he took care of a girl for half a year. This timeframe coincided with when A Yu was injured.


    A Yu returned, blood-covered, having seeded in her mission but nearly losing her life.


    At the time, she was entangled with a big boss and couldn¡¯t take care of A Yu. When she returned again, she was faced with A Yu¡¯s corpse.


    Xue An¡­ Zheng Qing mulled over this name, clenching her fists, and her eyes darkened.

 Chapter 562: 271 Hope (first update)

    Chapter 562: 271 Hope (first update)


    Ye Zhen shook her head, ¡°He still managed to escape, but now his reputation is in shambles, like a street rat. For someone like him who values his face so much, it¡¯s probably even more painful than killing him.¡±


    The instigator was Xue An, and the one who took action was Liang Xiaohong.


    Xue An was very cautious, he wouldn¡¯t leave any handle for others to take advantage of. Aside from Liang Xiaohong¡¯s testimony, there was no concrete evidence, but getting Liang Xiaohong to testify would be even more difficult.


    Moreover, Liang Xiaohong was still in the ICU, and it was unknown whether she could be saved.


    The current situation was already the best oue.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the online exposure, right? Xue An had a white moonlight when he was young. What kind of background did this woman have? Did Liang Yanran tell you?¡± Zheng Qing¡¯s gaze fell on Ye Zhen¡¯s face.


    Ye Zhen bitterly smiled. Now the wholework knew that Xue An had an unforgettable white moonlight. What was Liang Yanran? She was just a joke.


    ¡°Brother Qing, Liang Yanran only asked me to help expose the conspiracy of Xue An and Liang Xiaohong through a dream. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±


    Ye Zhen said with a submissive demeanor, stirring her coffee with her fingers.


    Zheng Qing nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t bete for the start-up ceremony tomorrow. I¡¯ll find an assistant to apany you and take care of you. Call me if you need anything.¡±<div>


    For the sake of Ming Jing, she had to take good care of Ye Zhen.


    Unexpectedly, Ming Jing¡¯s senior would actually join the entertainment industry, and she seemed to have talent. She was favored by Yu Dawei, and the title of Movie Queen was beckoning her.


    Luckily, they acted early, so by the time the various talent agencies scrambled to sign her, it would be toote.


    Now the artists under thepany had already taken shape, involved in film, television, and music, both handsome and beautiful and talented. Zheng Qing¡¯s ambition to dominate the entertainment industry was soon to be realized.


    After Ye Zhen left, Zheng Qing sat for a while, busy making phone calls to arrange resources.


    Su Xiu and Xu Yan were both types that were scarce in film and television dramas, with one being a delicate littlemb and the other being a wild-type man. Their rise to fame was only a matter of time.


    Li Chi and Dong Jiahe were specialized in street dance and creative singing, respectively. They could all be thrown into talent shows, following the idol route. With both of their looks, they could easily conquer the market.


    All of this required Zheng Qing to arrange resources well, and she had to personally supervise everything. She had previously been in the entertainment industry and even reached the top. Her sess was not based on acting skills, but on connections. No one knew better than her who was in which circle, who controlled the resources, and who had the most say. With these advantages, grabbing resources was a piece of cake for her.


    After arranging everything, Zheng Qing hung up the phone, and a shadow fell over her heart when she thought of Xue An.


    Did A Yu¡¯s death have anything to do with him?


    Over the years since A Yu¡¯s death, she had never given up on the investigation, and she had to guard against Night Hawk. She could only investigate secretly. Any trace of A Yu had been erased, as if she had never existed in the world. That was Night Hawk¡¯s method.


    The only clue was Xue An.


    If the person who made A Yu willingly give up everything and leave the organization back then was really Xue An, then was he Ming Jing¡¯s biological father¡­


    Zheng Qing was startled by her own spection and hurriedly took a sip of coffee to calm herself.


    No, Xue An, that scumbag, was not worthy to be Ming Jing¡¯s father. She did not believe that A Yu¡¯s taste would be so bad.


    Considering Ming Jing¡¯s appearance and temperament, the man must be a handsome and refined gentleman.


    Now the top priority was to find Xue An, but she didn¡¯t know what Ming Jing¡¯s n was.


    Zheng Qing furrowed her eyebrows, the biggest mystery came from Ming Jing. If Ming Jing was A Yu¡¯s daughter, the timeline could only point to Jiangzhou, when she was undercover in the Qinglong Association. She only had contact with a few men of Qinglong Association then.


    Ran Bowen was dead, and Ran Tengxiao was just a young boy at that time. It was even less possible for him.<div>


    Reflecting on every step Ming Jing took, her ultimate goal was in fact the Rans and Qinglong Association.


    That was a den of dragons and tigers, where A Yu had lost half her life. However, it might also be the ce to solve the mystery of Ming Jing¡¯s identity.


    All of this seemed unreasonable, but it was the only exnation.


    The first time she saw Ming Jing, she was amazed by the resemnce between her and A Yu, especially their eyes, which were like a one-to-one copy of each other.<div>


    She had no doubt that Ming Jing was A Yu¡¯s daughter. Besides, Ming Jing understood everything about A Yu very well.


    What on earth had happened twelve years ago?


    ¡­


    The exam was over, and the test-takers silently filed out.


    Ming Jing and Bo Lianye walked out of the ssroom, one in front of the other.


    When picking up her backpack, Bo Lianye identally knocked Ming Jing¡¯s backpack to the ground. She apologized quickly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to dirty your backpack. If it¡¯s dirty, I¡¯ll get you a new one.¡±


    Her tone was sincere, and her gaze was candid. It didn¡¯t make people feel ufortable at all, only that she was considerate and attentive.


    Ming Jing picked up her backpack, dusted it off, and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±Carrying her backpack, she left.


    Bo Lianye¡¯s lips curved slightly.


    Ming Jing took her phone out of the bag, noticing two missed calls from Shen Zhou.


    Ming Jing called him back.


    Shen Zhou first asked her about the exam, then mentioned that he had heard about Lu Ze¡¯s issue. Although he had already dealt with Lu Ze, he was still worried that Ming Jing might have been wronged.


    Liu Muxue came out of the other exam hall, so Ming Jing said a few words and hung up.<div>


    Upon seeing Bo Lianye, Liu Muxue¡¯s eyebrows furrowed immediately.


    Why wouldn¡¯t this woman leave her alone?


    Song Yinzhang, following behind Liu Muxue, saw Bo Lianye and gave a slight nod in greeting.


    Liu Muxue had sharp eyes and noticed the interaction. Frowning, she nced between Song Yinzhang and Bo Lianye, ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    Song Yinzhang exined, ¡°We grew up in the same neighborhood when we were young.¡±


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows, ¡°Oh, childhood sweethearts, huh? No wonder.¡±


    Song Yinzhang gave a helplessugh.


    Liu Muxue left, pulling Ming Jing with her, while Song Yinzhang walked together with Bo Lianye.


    ¡°Yinzhang, I have a birthday party for my uncle and aunt the day after tomorrow. You¡¯lle, right?¡±


    Song Yinzhang nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely go.¡±


    From childhood, Uncle Bo was always a respected elder for the children in the neighborhood. No one disliked him.


    ¡°Can you pass the message along to Lan Zhou? He has toe too.¡±


    Song Yinzhang shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Xiao Fei has been really busy with his careertely, so I¡¯ll ask him.¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Bo Lianye showed a sweet and gentle smile.


    Song Yinzhang shook his head andughed, ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities between us.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Liu Muxue wanted hot pot for lunch, and Hu Qing immediately arranged it.


    Ming Jing, Ye Zhen, and Liu Muxue huddled in the room to eat hot pot together. Liu Muxue rolled up her sleeves, sweat pouring from her forehead as she enjoyed the spicy food. She took a swig of soda,ughing, ¡°That hit the spot.¡±


    Ming Jing cooked some vegetables in the clear broth and ate slowly.


    Ye Zhen¡¯s chopsticks danced between the clear broth and the spicy oil broth. She couldn¡¯t handle spicy food; one bite would lead to stomach pain. Years of unhealthy eating habits had left her with chronic issues, but Ming Xin¡¯s body wasn¡¯t like that. The more she ate, the more addictive it became, and her body didn¡¯t feel ufortable at all; instead, it felt even more invigorated.


    Ming Jing nced at Ye Zhen¡¯s red mouth. Her senior liked spicy food; she could even eat raw chili peppers in the middle of winter.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that spicy food is this addicting.¡± Ye Zhen bared her teeth, her eyebrows full of satisfaction.


    Ming Jing lowered her gaze, stood up, and brewed two cups of chrysanthemum tea, adding licorice and angelica to clear the lungs and reduce inmmation.


    She pushed the cups of chrysanthemum tea towards them. Ye Zhen picked up the cup and drank a big mouthful. The slight bitterness perfectly offset the greasy spiciness.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re Ming Jing¡¯s senior, you¡¯re my sister too. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I¡¯ve got your back.¡± Liu Muxue raised her ss and clinked against Ye Zhen¡¯s.


    ¡°Cheers.¡± She raised her head and drank.<div>


    Ye Zhen looked at Ming Jing, who smiled as if to say, ¡®it¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re used to it.¡¯


    Ye Zhen moved over and wrapped her arm around Liu Muxue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I felt a connection with you the moment I saw you. From now on, we¡¯re best friends, sharing good and bad times together. Let¡¯s drink to friendship.¡±


    ¡°To friendship!¡± Liu Muxue raised her ss to Ming Jing, ¡°Cheers.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her water ss and gently clinked it.


    The steam from the hot pot blurred Ming Jing¡¯s face, her eyes were warm and soft withughter, like spring rain and an apricot drizzle, enough to submerge a person in them.


    Liu Muxue and Ye Zhen stared at her, momentarily speechless.


    This world is cruel, cold, and heartless, making people want to give up. But you make me believe that there is warmth and hope here.


    From now on, no matter how beautiful the scenery is, it will neverpare to your smile.

 Chapter 563: 272 Fog (Second Update)

    Chapter 563: 272 Fog (Second Update)


    Ming Jing wanted to read in the afternoon, and Ye Zhen and Liu Muxue went out shopping together.


    As soon as the two left, Zheng Qing arrived.


    Smelling the lingering hotpot scent in the room, she looked at Ming Jing with some resentment: ¡°You had hotpot without me.¡±


    Ming Jing sat on a sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, with a thin nket over her knees and a book in her hands, flipping through it leisurely.


    Zheng Qing walked over and nced at the cover, raising an eyebrow: ¡°Wind on the Clouds? So this is the book you had me spend a fortune on for the copyright. I didn¡¯t know you had a dream of martial arts.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, her gaze shifting from the book to the high-rise buildings outside the window.


    ¡°me still has a funding gap of two hundred million. You should fill it.¡±


    Zheng Qing picked an orange from the fruit te, peeled it, and popped a slice into her mouth. She jumped onto the storage cab by the balcony with one leg bent, exuding an indescribable charm.


    ¡°Two hundred million? You say it so casually. Can you guarantee it will be a hit?¡±


    ¡°Support the arts and let Director Yu focus on filmmaking without being held hostage by capital,¡± Ming Jing said lightly.<div>


    Zheng Qing almost believed her, ¡°What about Wind on the Clouds?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes deepened, the corner of her lips curved slightly, ¡°Start preparing for it. Get in touch with the best team.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, snatching the book from Ming Jing¡¯s hand: ¡°It¡¯s just a martial arts novel. What¡¯s so special about it? There are plenty of better IPs out there.¡±


    The book was quite famous, but Zheng Qing felt that although the story was good, the writing and overall execution were somewhatcking. Moreover, the book had severe narrative breaks which prevented it from being even better.


    ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, since you like it, I¡¯ll gather the best professional team and make the best martial arts movie for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll write the script myself,¡± Ming Jing said with a smile. ¡°By the way, contact the original author andplete the copyright negotiations and contract.¡±


    The copyright was only for three years and only included film and television rights, while animation, publishing, audio books, and other rights still belonged to the original author.


    Zheng Qing rubbed her chin, wondering why Ming Jing was so insistent on this novel.


    It was a question worth considering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll secure it for you. The author happens to be from Jingzhou. I¡¯ll arrange a meeting and finalize the copyright deal.¡±


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve talked about the novel, let¡¯s discuss something else. I discovered a secret about Xue An,¡± said Zheng Qing, her gaze fixed on Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing remained calm, raising an eyebrow: ¡°Oh? What secret?¡±


    ¡°More than a decade ago, his first love was A Yu, so is it possible that you are Xue An¡¯s child?¡±


    Ming Jing was taken aback, then shook her head with a smile: ¡°That¡¯s a fairy tale.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you believe it? But I have evidence.¡±


    Zheng Qing listed a series of so-called evidences from her investigation and reasoning, trying to prove that Jiang Yu and Xue An had a secret past.


    Ming Jing rubbed her temples helplessly. How could she exin to Zheng Qing that she, as the person involved, knew whether Jiang Yu had given birth to a child or not? But Zheng Qing firmly believed it.


    One mistake led to another, and Zheng Qing went further and further down this path.<div>


    But denying it would render her existence illogical.


    It was an unsolvable problem.


    Ming Jing neither confirmed nor denied it, which in Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes was as good as admitting.


    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s no connection between the two, but I¡¯m sure A Yu¡¯s death is rted to Xue An. No wonder you¡¯ve been watching him all this time. Did you know about this all along?¡± Now that she thought about it, Ming Jing had been subtly keeping an eye on Xue An all along.<div>


    In the long silence, Zheng Qing waited for her exnation.


    Night fell, and the lights outside the window dimmed.


    There were no lights on in the room, and the moonlight and stars outside the floor-to-ceiling window cast a faint glow on the floor.


    ¡°Night Hawk used Xue An to lure her to the snowy mountain, and when she was off guard, he set a trap.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s calm and indifferent tone seemed to be narrating a simple story, but it struck terror into Zheng Qing¡¯s heart.


    ¡°She was already severely injured and had no chance of escape surrounded by twenty elite soldiers.¡±


    Ming Jing lifted her jade-like hand and gently brushed her white skirt, her beautiful face serene and indifferent.


    ¡°No one could leave the organization alive, her freedom came at the cost of her life, but she never regretted it.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled softly.


    She had never regretted her choices.


    Zheng Qing clenched her fists, her eyes reddening: ¡°A Yu¡­¡±.


    Soon, she gritted her teeth and said: ¡°Night Hawk, I¡¯ll never let him go.¡±Ming Jing shook her head with a smile.


    Zheng Qing paused, ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±<div>


    ¡°Back then, it was not just Night Hawk who wanted Jiang Yu dead,¡± Ming Jing replied.


    A dead body, buried deep in the ground, flesh rotted away, cells gone, leaving nothing but bones.


    Like some things, as time goes by, their appearance may blur, but the context bes clearer.


    Clear away the fog, and find the truth.


    Zheng Qing was startled, ¡°Who else wants to kill you? How big of a grudge do they have against you? Your personality is so good, who did you offend?¡±


    Ming Jing lowered her eyes and smiled, her fair face as brilliant and ephemeral as fireworks.


    ¡°Innocent men suffer because of their treasures,¡± she said.


    Her gaze fell on the novel¡¯s cover, where the three ck characters ¡°Wind on the Clouds¡± were written with vigorous and elegant strokes, exuding a sense of chivalry.


    The author¡¯s name, Xiang Kui, was written next to it.


    Ming Jing¡¯s finger brushed over the two characters ¡°Xiang Kui,¡± and her smile grew warmer while her eyes remained cold and dark as an icy, deep pool.


    Zheng Qing became more confused, unable to sort out her thoughts.


    Did she not know A Yu well enough?


    ¡°Tell me who they are, and I¡¯ll kill them for A Yu¡¯s vengeance,¡± Zheng Qing said through gritted teeth.<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I have plenty of time to y this game with them,¡± said Ming Jing.


    Zheng Qing looked up. Under the moonlight, the girl¡¯s eyes were gentle as water, yet Zheng Qing shuddered involuntarily.


    The gentler Ming Jing¡¯s smile, the more serious the situation.


    Those people had better be careful.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On November 14th, the sky was overcast. The winter days in Jingzhou were always like this, with little sunshine.


    On this day, the entertainment industry was buzzing.


    Director Yu Dawei¡¯s new film ¡°me¡± had attracted widespread attention, and on this day, the film¡¯s production crew held aunch conference in Jingzhou, unveiling its star-studded cast.


    The mysterious ¡°Lady Yu¡± also revealed her identity on this day.


    She turned out to be an unknown neer, leaving the public somewhat disappointed and doubting Yu Dawei¡¯s taste.


    However, the actress ying the second female lead was quite eye-catching. People joked online that she was a resource coffee that some investor had forced into the project, and that Yu Dawei had deliberately chosen a beautiful supporting actress to outshine the lead.


    When Zhou Zhengru was announced to be ying the male lead, everyone was surprised, though it made sense¡ªtwo giants teaming up.


    Ye Zhen and Lan Huixin stood together. Ye Zhen wore arge cotton-padded coat, making her look a little puffy. Next to the other ¡°stunningly beautiful¡± actresses, she really stood out.<div>


    Lan Huixin rubbed her arms and sneezed, ¡°I miscalcted. If I had known it would be this cold, I would have worn a down jacket.¡±


    Ye Zhen took off her cotton-padded coat and draped it over Lan Huixin¡¯s shoulders. Lan Huixin hurriedly said, ¡°No need, no need.¡±


    Ye Zhen smiled, ¡°I¡¯m wearing anotheryer under this, and I¡¯m strong, so I won¡¯t be cold. You wear it to keep warm, and don¡¯t catch a cold that would dy the shooting schedule.¡±


    Having been forced to practice the Eight Pieces Brocade by Ming Jing since childhood, Ming Xin¡¯s physical fitness was far better than that of others. Even after lying down for several months, her body recovered quickly after these past days of recuperation.


    The winter in the nunnery had been harder than this, and they had still made it through. It could be said that all the sisters in the nunnery were quite cold-resistant.


    Lan Huixin gratefully said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ye Zhen patted her shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re Ming Jing¡¯s friend, so you¡¯re my friend too. There¡¯s no need to thank me; we¡¯ll be spending a lot of time together, so don¡¯t be so polite.¡±


    Lan Huixin sniffled, her nose red. The cold wind blew on her body, but she felt warmth in her heart.


    This scene was captured by the media and ignited spection online.


    Originally, people wanted to see drama between the two actresses. However, the pair appeared to get along harmoniously, with the lead actress going so far as to give her cotton-padded coat to the second female lead. The anticipated fight between the two failed to materialize, leaving the public somewhat disappointed.


    Some people even ridiculed Lady Yu as hypocritical, iming she just pretended to be a good person.


    That¡¯s how the entertainment industry is¡ªone look or word can be dissected into countless meanings, purely out of boredom.


    ¡°me¡± started with a bang, and a week-long script read-through followed.


    Li Tingting and her two roommates saw the pictures from theunch ceremony online and noticed a familiar face alongside Lady Yu.


    The three looked at each other in disbelief, seeing the incredible in each other¡¯s eyes.


    How lucky had Lan Huixin be?

 Chapter 564: 273 Autumn Thoughts (First Watch)

    Chapter 564: 273 Autumn Thoughts (First Watch)


    The three-day exam period passed quickly.


    Ming Jing carried her backpack and walked out of the school gate.


    A car stopped at the entrance of the school, and a young girl got out, ¡°Ye Zhen.¡±


    Bo Lianye smiled and walked over: ¡°Ningning, you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Today is Aunt Bo and Uncle Bo¡¯s birthday, of course I have toe back.¡±


    The two hugged each other, and soon separated, looking like a pair of close sisters with great affection.


    Bai Weining¡¯s gaze shifted to Ming Jing.


    Her eyes sparkled, and she greeted with a smile: ¡°Hi, Ming Jing, do you still remember me?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded faintly, without any intention of chatting with her. She walked past the two, her figure gradually bing more and more distant.


    Bai Weining stared at Ming Jing¡¯s back until her figure faded into the mist.<div>


    Bo Lianye asked: ¡°Ningning, do you know her?¡±


    Bai Weining touched the loose hair on her temple, her sweet smile like a summer breeze, ¡°We met once at my grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet.¡±


    Bai Weining¡¯s mother came from the Gao family of Jiangzhou, and Ming Jing was a socialite from Jiangzhou, so it wasn¡¯t strange that they had met before.


    The two got into the car, and Bai Weining asked: ¡°Ye Zhen, will Brother Que tonight?¡±


    Bo Lianye shook her head with a smile: ¡°I knew that your purpose foring back wasn¡¯t so simple, who are you trying to fool?¡±


    Bai Weining yfully wrapped her arm around Bo Lianye¡¯s, leaning her entire body onto her, her sweet voice like a coquettish protest: ¡°My dear Ye Zhen, please tell me.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I have invited him, whether hees or not is up to him.¡±


    Looking at Bai Weining¡¯s expectant face, Bo Lianye swallowed the rest of what she was going to say.


    Forget it, let¡¯s not discourage her.


    Given Qu Feitai¡¯s personality, he probably wouldn¡¯te, for one.


    Secondly, it was rted to Qu Feitai¡¯s elder brother, Qu Lanting. Although Bo Lianye¡¯s knowledge was limited, she was perceptive and could usually make judgments based on her father¡¯s conversations.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the story behind Ming Jing and Lanzhou¡¯s scandal?¡± Bo Lianye asked.


    Bai Weining¡¯s smile grew even sweeter, nonchntly saying: ¡°What story? It¡¯s just those media outlets causing trouble.¡±


    Bo Lianye said, ¡°You joined the entertainment industry to follow his footsteps, but so far, there hasn¡¯t been any progress between you two. Don¡¯t end up losing him to someone else.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s mine will always be mine, what¡¯s not won¡¯t be no matter how hard I try.¡±


    Bai Weining showed off her newly done nails, asking with a smile: ¡°Do they look nice?¡±


    Bo Lianye frowned, ¡°Ningning, you¡¯re too careless.¡±


    Bai Weining curled her lips, ¡°When I was eleven, I visited my cousin¡¯s house in Chunxi Court for the first time and got bored listening to the adults talking. I sneaked out and heard a wonderful, heavenly voice. I thought that a person with such a touching voice must be an angel.¡±


    It was an autumn afternoon, the maple forest aze with color. A young man sat beneath a tree, holding a guitar, singing a tender song.<div>


    That scene remained in her memory forever.


    Later, when he made his debut, he rewrote that song and published it. It wasn¡¯t as popr as his other songs, but it was her favorite. On nights filled with longing, she would y it on loop.


    Until hister release in white clothes took the world by storm, everyone knew that he had a girl he secretly loved.


    But her secret love stayed forever in that song, ¡°Autumn Thoughts.¡±<div>


    ¡°Ye Zhen, do you know? That day, I so wanted to muster the courage to walk up to him.¡±


    Having hesitated then, she never found the courage to take that step again.


    Bo Lianye gently put her arm around her shoulders, soothing softly: ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re both still young, there¡¯s plenty of time.¡±


    Bai Weining¡¯s eyes were like water, as if a pebble had been thrown in, causing gentle ripples.


    She turned to look at the scenery passing by outside the car window, the naked branches on the roadside, and the destion of the flowerbeds.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow anyone to take him away from me.¡±


    She said softly.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Ming Jing, wait for me.¡± Liu Muxue panted as she caught up.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the girl with Bo Lianye just now Bai Weining? I knew she looked familiar, it was her.¡±Bai Weining¡¯s ST girl group is considered the pinnacle of idol groups in the country, and anyone familiar with the entertainment industry would certainly know her, the popr leader.


    Sweet and sassy, ST group¡¯s darling and entertainment industry¡¯s little princess Bai Weining.


    Liu Muxue touched her chin: ¡°She seems to have a good rtionship with Bo Lianye.¡±


    Ming Jing quietly crossed the road and entered the hotel.<div>


    Ye Zhen and Lan Huixin joined the group, followed by Zheng Qing who was concerned for the two of them. The room suddenly became quiet.


    Liu Muxue changed her clothes, grabbed some chips and sneaked into Ming Jing¡¯s room. Seeing Ming Jing holding a book again, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°We finally finished our exams. How about we go out and rx tonight?¡±


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a nice bar nearby, and there¡¯s a band ying tonight. It¡¯ll be lively. Let¡¯s check it out,¡± she suggested.


    Ming Jing, not a fan of crowded ces, shook her head.


    Liu Muxue snatched the book from Ming Jing¡¯s hand and tossed it aside: ¡°You¡¯reing with me.¡±


    Eventually, Ming Jing was dragged out by Liu Muxue.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Bo Yuxun walked down from the operating table, changed out of his surgical gown, and left the room.


    ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my mother?¡± A middle-aged man eagerly rushed over and blocked Bo Yuxun¡¯s way.


    Bo Yuxun said gently, ¡°The operation was sessful. She will be transferred to the ICU for 24 hours of observation. If there are no problems, she can be transferred to a regr ward. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Despite his imposing figure, the man¡¯s voice was gentle as a spring breeze, easily calming the other party¡¯s anxious heart.


    The man was wearing a mask, only revealing his forehead, eyebrows, and eyes.


    The other party quickly expressed his gratitude: ¡°Thank you, doctor. Thank you.¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty,¡± Bo Yuxun replied and walked away.


    The man looked at Bo Yuxun¡¯s tall figure and eximed, ¡°Not only is this doctor highly skilled, but he¡¯s also a very good person.¡±


    Qi Ka, who came out after him, said, ¡°Of course, he¡¯s our youngest director in the Department of Cardiac Surgery, internationally renowned for his medical skills. With Director Bo performing the surgery on your mother personally, she¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡±


    The other party was astonished: ¡°He looks so young, yet he¡¯s already a director?¡±


    All the department directors he had seen were old men in their 50s. This young man, who seemed to have just graduated from college, actually made him doubt his credibility at first. But it seemed he was just overthinking things.


    ¡°Our Director Bo is a genius. He became an associate chief physician at the age of 24. So many people are fighting to have Director Bo perform their surgeries,¡± Qi Ka said and quickly left.


    The man was left standing there, looking amazed.


    Han Dongdong said, ¡°Qi Ka, do you have any idea how many people came to our department during the hours you were in surgery?¡±


    Han Dongdong exaggeratedly held up ten fingers: ¡°We could form a choir! Our department has never been this popr. Ever since Director Bo came back, our once-cold Department of Cardiac Surgery has be a bustling market. The charm of Director Bo is limitless. It¡¯s driven all the women in the hospital crazy. Even the mother cat from the kitchen is trying to sneak into our department. It¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    Qi Ka said, ¡°Doctor Bo deserves it.¡±


    Han Dongdong shook his head: ¡°But Doctor Bo is too cold.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Doctor Bo is very gentle with patients. That¡¯s where his charm lies. If he was nice to everyone, he¡¯d be central air conditioning. I¡¯m sure that if Doctor Bo has someone he likes, that woman will be the happiest woman in the whole world,¡± said Qi Ka.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± a cough suddenly came from behind.<div>


    Qi Ka and Han Dongdong felt a chill down their spines and turned around stiffly. ¡°Dr¡­ Dr. Xu.¡±


    Qi Ka drooped his head, wishing he could dig a hole and bury himself.


    Xu Shuhua said kindly, ¡°Luckily, Sister Cai isn¡¯t here. Otherwise, you two would be lectured again today. You even dare to gossip about the director. You guys really are¡­ ¡±


    Xu Shuhua shook his head.


    ¡°Dr. Xu, we won¡¯t do it again. Please don¡¯t tell Sister Cai,¡± they pleaded.


    Nurse manager Cai Rong was nicknamed Cai Yama by her colleagues.


    ¡°Fine, just be more careful in the future,¡± Xu Shuhua said as he walked away.


    He knocked on the office door, and the man inside, busy writing his surgical notes, said without looking up, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Xu Shuhua walked in with a thermos and ced it on the desk in front of him. ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t have lunch. Eat while it¡¯s hot, or you¡¯ll have stomach problems again.¡±


    Bo Yuxun finished writing thest word, put the notes away, and opened the thermos.


    Abalone rice from Dechang Building.


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡±

 Chapter 565: 274 Admitting Mistakes (Second Update)

    Chapter 565: 274 Admitting Mistakes (Second Update)


    Xu Shuhua looked at him, a grown man, even eating with so much elegance. No wonder there were so many women fascinated by him.


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need for formalities between brothers.¡±


    After Bo Yuxun finished his meal and cleaned up the trash, he sat down and began to write again.


    Xu Shuhua couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Bo Yuxun, have you forgotten what day it is?¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s fingers rapidly tapped on the keyboard, bringing up a screen full of English on a medical forum.


    As he browsed the site, he asked, ¡°What day?¡±


    Xu Shuhua took a deep breath, ¡°It¡¯s your and Yujiang¡¯s birthday. You¡¯re not going to disown this sister too, are you? Before, you kept talking about finding her, but when she returned, you decided to go abroad. This is the first birthday you two are spending together since she came back. She¡¯s been looking forward to your return every day. Don¡¯t disappoint her.¡±


    Suddenly, Bo Yuxun looked up at him, his gaze as prating as if he could see right through him.


    Xu Shuhua felt guilty and mumbled, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Bo Yuxun raised an eyebrow, ¡°Nothing, just thinking that some people will end up being single their entire lives.¡±<div>


    After answering a few questions, Bo Yuxun nced at his watch, closed hisptop, stood up, and walked over to the coat rack.


    He took off his whiteb coat, put on his overcoat, and adjusted the cuffs and cor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As Bo Yuxun walked by, everyone¨Cdoctors, nurses, patients, or their families¨Ccouldn¡¯t help but gaze at him.


    This was already the third girl rushing over to give him food.


    Xu Shuhua, watching from behind, was feeling numb.


    Bo Yuxun had nevercked female admirers since he was a child. The girls were even crazier when he was in school.


    Bo Yuxun coldly brushed past the girl, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    With these words, he lengthened his stride and left.


    The girl who¡¯d been rejected looked aggrieved, her red eyes were heartbreaking.


    Xu Shuhua recognized this girl. She was the most beautiful nurse in the entire hospital, and due to her looks, had been chosen to represent the hospital in promotional photographs. She was very popr in the hospital and always had boys chasing after her.


    Even a man would find it hard to reject presents from such a young and beautiful girl.


    Xu Shuhua caught up with him, ¡°Yuxun, you¡¯ve changed. You used to be a gentleman who was kind to women.¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s indifferent voice was colder than the winter wind, ¡°Giving them hope would only hurt them.¡±


    Xu Shuhua was left speechless. It was at this moment that he realized the Bo Yuxun he remembered was forever stuck twelve years ago.


    The group chat was filled with jeeringughter.


    ¡ª¡ª A toad lusting after a swan¡¯s flesh. He should take a piss and look at his own reflection. Does that doctor even consider her fit?


    ¡ª¡ª Usually flirting with other men is eptable, but not with Bo Yuxun, he¡¯s a principled man. He isn¡¯t interested in her tricks. You guys never saw how cold he was, it was absolutely heartening.


    ¡ª¡ª I bet she¡¯s somewhere crying right now, she deserves it.<div>


    Some of thements were excessively harsh. Zhu Yan was not liked in the hospital, and she constantly had men surrounding her, this naturally lead to many people being resentful of her.


    Ye Qingxing looked at the coarsenguage in the group, her lips curled into a smirk. She truly overestimated her abilities.


    After closing her phone, she examined her face in the mirror. The mirror reflected two figures approaching, and she quickly straightened up, acting as if she had casually turned.


    In her sight, the man approached against the light, and her breathing gradually became rapid.<div>


    She fiercely pinched her thigh, managing to not lose herposure.


    ¡°Big Brother Bo, my¡­ my car ran out of gas, could I hitch a ride with you?¡±


    Xu Shuhua¡¯s mouth twitched, that excuse was prettyme.


    Why did it seem like all these intelligent women lost their IQs when they met Bo Yuxun?


    Bo Yuxun nced at Xu Shuhua, who resignedly scratched his nose: ¡°You can sit in my car, it¡¯s more spacious.¡±


    Ye Qingxing bit her lip, and nced at Bo Yuxun.


    Bo Yuxun walked past her, climbed into a ck Land Rover, and didn¡¯t spare her a nce throughout.


    The Land Rover swiftly pulled out of its parking space and drove away, leaving Ye Qingxing with a mouthful of exhaust fumes.


    Ye Qingxing¡¯s face was even darker than the car¡¯s exhaust.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss Ye.¡± Xu Shuhua called out.


    Xu Shuhua, the son of Mr. Xu, was someone Ye Qingxing wouldn¡¯t dare to lose her temper at, let alone the fact that he was Bo Yuxun¡¯s best friend.


    As she obediently got into Xu Shuhua¡¯s car, Ye Qingxing asked, ¡°Brother Xu, are you going to the Bo¡¯s house?¡±


    With herdylike face and soft-spoken manner, Ye Qingxing seemed like a figure that made speaking loudly seem like a sin.<div>


    The way she called him ¡®Brother Xu¡¯ was so coquettish that it gave Xu Shuhua goosebumps.


    ¡°Yes, tonight is Yuxun and Yujiang¡¯s birthday, aren¡¯t you going too? I can drop you there.¡±


    Ye Qingxing was the cousin of Bo¡¯s sister-inw and never missed any parties even when she was always at Bo¡¯s sister-inw¡¯s side.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Brother Xu.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Xu Shuhua cursed under his breath. Ever since he met Bo Yuxun in university, he¡¯d been used as a tool to manage his female friends, and it was still the same to this day.


    Could it be that one of them was aiming for him?


    s, could he me Bo Yuxun¡¯s charm for still being single at the age of thirty-nine and for making his father worry endlessly?


    ¡ª¡ª


    After moving out of Chunxi Court, the Bos settled in a quadrangle courtyard.


    This was Granny Bo¡¯s old house, a dowry from her own family when she got married.


    Innd-scarce Jingzhou, the value of this three-section quadrangle can no longer be calcted in numbers.


    Bo Yujian and Bo Yujiang both had their own houses, but they spent more time living here to take care of Granny Bo.


    Granny Bo, ady of refinement, had a taste for finer things. Every piece of decoration in the house was an antique and even the bricks contained tucked away paintings.<div>


    In the courtyard, there was a plum blossom garden. The scent of the blossoms during winter gave the yard a unique vibe.


    The banquet that night was held at the eastern Huichun Hall. Madam Zhang was assisting the Master Chef, who was hired from Dechang Building, with preparations for the night¡¯s feast.


    Bo Yuxun and Bo Yujiang had many friends, including a few from reputable families. Altogether, there were three tables, and that was being conservative.


    Granny Bo perked up, ¡°Is A Bo back?¡±


    Bo Yujiang turned off the TV, checked outside, and saw the man in a ck coat stride in.


    Bo Yujiang softly greeted, ¡°Second Brother.¡±


    Bo Yuxun simply nodded, stepped over the threshold, and seeing the elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair, frowned and adjusted the nket on her legs.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, why aren¡¯t you indoors?¡±


    ¡°A Bo.¡± Granny Bo grasped his hand excitedly. Her thin, frail hand sprinkled with age spots made it look even whiter, showing how her youthful skin once belied the snow. Despite her advanced age, her graceful demeanor remained.


    ¡°A Bo, when you came back that night drunk, I didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to you.¡±


    Bo Yuxun pressed his lips together, he wasn¡¯t drunk that night, he only pretended to be as he didn¡¯t know how to face his mother.


    He left for work early the next morning before anyone else woke up. He performed a major surgeryst night and slept at the hospital, missing a chance to return home.


    This was his first official meeting with Granny Bo since he returned to the country.<div>


    Granny Bo¡¯s eyes resembled a dried-up riverbed, straining to take in as much of him as possible. However, it proved futile.


    She traced his face with her trembling hands¡ªhis forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouthmitting every feature to her heart.


    Granny Bo¡¯s hands trembled, but she wore a smile: ¡°A Bo, you¡¯ve lost weight, you must have suffered a lot abroad.¡±


    Bo Yuxun closed his eyes and knelt down before Granny Bo, ¡°Mother, I have been unfilial, neglecting my duties as a son, and causing you to worry. That is my mistake.¡±


    Granny Bo gently pulled him up, ¡°I should be the one apologizing to you. It was wrong of me to intervene in your affairs when you two were in love. I regret separating you two every single day. She was a good girl. How could I, after all that I¡¯ve learned, have such narrow-mindedness and ruin a match made in heaven?¡±


    Bo Yujiang watched in awe.


    Granny Bo always seemed kind but was extremely stubborn. It was surprising to see her admit her mistake.


    It seemed what Ye Qingxing said was correct; Bo Yuxun left home because Granny Bo broke up his marriage.


    One could only wonder what kind of woman could bewitch him so much that he left for over a decade.


    ¡°A Jiang.¡± Granny Bo gestured over.

 Chapter 566: 275 Xia Xue (Part 1)

    Chapter 566: 275 Xia Xue (Part 1)


    Bo Yujiang walked over, and Granny Bo held her hand, stacking it on top of Bo Yuxun¡¯s.


    Just like the man, his hand was a bit too thin, carrying a faint coolness.


    ¡°A Xun, this is A Jiang, your sister. You two were very close when you were young. If it weren¡¯t for what happened back then, you two wouldn¡¯t have been separated for so many years¡­¡±


    ¡°But now you¡¯re both here, by your mother¡¯s side.¡± Granny Bo said with great relief.


    Bo Yuxun quietly withdrew his hand, and the cool sensation slipped through his fingertips. Bo Yujiang looked up unexpectedly and was caught by the man¡¯s deep, pitch-ck gaze.


    She was startled but quickly put on a dignified and gentle smile, ¡°Second Brother.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes carried a faint hint of scrutiny and sizing up. Bo Yujiang¡¯s palms began to sweat anxiously, but she forced herself to remain calm and smiled, ¡°Why are you looking at me like this, Second Brother? Is my makeup smudged?¡± Bo Yujiang touched her face.


    Bo Yuxun looked away, stood up, and pushed Granny Bo¡¯s wheelchair into the bedroom.


    Bo Yujiang reflexively followed, only to be met with the door ¡°mming¡± shut, leaving her with a bruised nose.


    Bo Yujiang clenched her teeth, and a touch of anger shed through her eyes.<div>


    ¡°Miss, this is tonight¡¯s menu. Please take a look.¡± Madam Zhang handed over the menu.


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s face swiftly changed to a dignified smile, and she nodded slightly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    As the clock pointed to five in the afternoon, the guests would be arriving soon.


    ¡°Yujiang.¡± Xu Shuhua came in with a gift.


    ¡°Brother Shuhua.¡± Bo Yujiang¡¯s eyes shimmered with a gentle light, like the brilliant sparkle of the setting sun falling into her eyes.


    Xu Shuhua was stunned for a moment.


    Ye Qingxing emerged from behind him, ¡°A Jiang, happy birthday. This is my birthday gift for you.¡±


    Bo Yujiang took it and smiled gently, ¡°Thank you, Qingxing. I love it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, you guyse on in.¡±


    Xu Shuhua covered his mouth and coughed softly before following the two women inside.


    Ye Qingxing affectionately held Bo Yujiang¡¯s arm, ¡°A Jiang, is Mr. Liu not here? Are you two getting married soon? Congrattions!¡±


    An enchanting fragrance of plum blossoms came with Bo Yujiang¡¯s smiling voice: ¡°There was somethingst-minute at the school, so he¡¯ll be a bitte.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Mr. Liu will soon be promoted to associate professor. It¡¯s amazing that he will be an associate professor at Huaqing University at such a young age, A Jiang, you¡¯re so lucky¡­¡±


    As their voices gradually faded, Xu Shuhua paused and looked into the flower bed under the corridor, where a pink plum bud was about to bloom.


    He sighed softly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°A Xun, don¡¯t you like A Jiang? You two were so close when you were young. Now that she¡¯s back, why are you unhappy?¡±


    Granny Bo was blind, but her heart was not.


    ¡°Are you still ming yourself for what happened back then? Don¡¯t worry, A Jiang won¡¯t me you. Besides, you were so young, you didn¡¯t understand anything, and it wasn¡¯t on purpose. You two are siblings; you should support and understand each other. That way, even if I die one day, I can rest in peace when I see your father in the afterlife.¡±<div>


    Bo Yuxun looked at Granny Bo¡¯s aged face, and some words that had risen to his lips were swallowed back.


    He nodded, ¡°I understand, you don¡¯t need to worry so much. I consulted a professional ophthalmologist abroad, and there is a chance your eyesight can be restored.¡±


    Granny Bo smiled and shook her head, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I¡¯ve already gotten used to my blindness. Now that I have both of my children by my side, I am content.¡±


    As though making up his mind, Bo Yuxun looked up at Granny Bo, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡±<div>


    The smile on Granny Bo¡¯s face gradually faded, ¡°I know what you want to ask. It¡¯s been twelve years, and you still haven¡¯t let go. So be it, I¡¯ll grant you two your wish.¡±Granny said, ¡°There¡¯s a locked iron box in the drawer by my bedside. The key is located two-thirds of the way down the third pir under the bed. Take the key and open the iron box.¡±


    Bo Yuxun did as instructed, and when the iron box opened, there was nothing inside but a stack of property deeds and an item wrapped in a handkerchief.


    Bo Yuxun took out the handkerchief.


    The olddy said, ¡°You open it.¡±


    As a long-concealed secret was about to be revealed, Bo Yuxun¡¯s fingers trembled slightly, and his heartbeat suddenly elerated.


    He unwrapped the handkerchief, revealing a delicate and exquisitely crafted silver lock. The silver lock seemed to have some age to it, perhaps its owner held it often many years ago, the silver worn and even more shiny. Hanging below the lock were five small bells. With a gentle shake, they emitted a crisp, tinkling sound like silver bells.


    Bo Yuxun stared deeply at the silver lock: ¡°This¡­ this is Xia Xue¡¯s.¡±


    On the back of the silver lock, the words ¡°Xia Xue¡± were engraved, with the characters of her birth date engraved below.


    ¡°How did Xia Xue¡¯s silver lock end up here?¡± The usually mature and steady man¡¯s eyes were filled with anxiety, and all his pretense crumbled in an instant.


    Granny Bo sighed, ¡°Do you think I wanted to break you two up back then, just because I had nothing better to do? I was born into a schrly family, and I learned the Four Books and the Five ssics from an early age. Although I had some talent, I wasn¡¯t so pedantic. It was Xia Xue¡¯s background¡­¡±


    Granny Bo was hesitant to continue, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you this dirty secret. I thought the two of you were young and impulsive, and if you separated for some time, your feelings would gradually fade. But I didn¡¯t expect that you would be so passionate¡­¡±


    Bo Yuxun urgently asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xia Xue¡¯s background?¡±


    What had he missed back then?<div>


    ¡°Do you remember Su Jinping?¡±


    Bo Yuxun was taken aback. ¡°Of course I remember, but what does this have to do with Xia Xue¡¯s background?¡±


    The name Su Jinping was well-known among the upper-ss society of Jingzhou more than forty years ago. He was a famous actor, highly sought after by many socialitedies. Su was extremely handsome, but in that era, an actor was still just an actor and had no social standing. Su Jinping had no power nor influence, and was unable to protect himself.


    At that time, the Jiang family had two daughters. The eldest daughter, Jiang Siji, was a domineering and arrogant woman. She set her sights on Su Jinping and coerced him into marrying her. The event caused a great uproar at the time, with countlessdies and socialites bitterly resenting Jiang Siji for her forcible acquisition of such a beautiful man. However, due to the Jiang family¡¯s power, no one dared toe forward and help Su Jinping.


    ¡°After marrying Su Jinping, Jiang Siji kept him under strict control. She even put a chain around his neck and kept him locked up in the house. Not long after, Su Jinping went mad. Later, Jiang Siji gave birth to a daughter, but by that time, Su Jinping was neither a man nor a ghost. It was a real tragedy.¡±


    As she spoke, Granny Bo¡¯s expression seemed somewhat pained.


    ¡°Siji and I were close friends, and she often boasted to me about her control over Su Jinping, insisting she would rather die than let him go.¡±


    What a perverse form of love.


    ¡°One day, their daughter identally wandered into the basement and discovered Su Jinping, who was chained up like a mad dog. She released him, and Su Jinping escaped from the Jiang family. Siji went mad searching for him, unleashing all her hatred and love on their daughter. That poor child suffered greatly.¡±


    Bo Yuxun listened quietly, his fingers caressing the silver lock in his hand.


    From the outside, Jiang Siji and Su Jinping appeared to be a loving couple, their affection touching and enviable.


    But underneath the facade of happiness hid such a filthy, sick, twisted, and ugly rtionship.


    ¡°Siji searched for a long time, turning the whole country upside down, but she couldn¡¯t find a trace of Su Jinping¡­ until Xia Xue appeared.¡±<div>


    Bo Yuxun was stunned, incredulous. ¡°You mean Xia Xue¡­ she¡¯s Su Jinping¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°She looks too much like Su Jinping¡­ and that silver lock is the irond proof. There are only two silver locks, and Su Jinping never left his side. How could Siji let her go?¡±


    Bo Yuxun suddenly stood up, ¡°Was Xia Xue captured by Jiang Siji back then? So you just stood by and watched? I¡¯ll go find Jiang Siji now.¡±


    Twelve years¡­ with Jiang Siji¡¯s cruel temperament, how could she have mistreated Xia Xue? He couldn¡¯t bear to think about it.


    Why had he just walked away back then? If he had investigated a little more, things wouldn¡¯t havee to this point today.


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± Granny stopped him.


    ¡°Siji has been dead for twelve years. Who are you going to find?¡±


    Bo Yuxun clenched his fists, the storm brewing in his dark eyes, and said word by word, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Jiang Chun.¡±

 Chapter 567: 276 Twin Beauties (Second Watch)

    Chapter 567: 276 Twin Beauties (Second Watch)


    ¡°Why is it so crowded? I wouldn¡¯t havee if I knew it earlier.¡± Liu Muxue looked at the difficult traffic ahead and pped the back of her seat in annoyance.


    Traffic jams are amon sight during the evening rush hour.


    ¡°Little girl, you don¡¯t know. This is Yangxi District, where the most powerful people in the whole Jingzhou, no, the whole country, live.¡±


    The taxi driver pointed to the businesses on the side of the road and his eyes filled with admiration.


    Ming Jing turned her head and quietly admired the scenery by the roadside.


    Neon lights lit up the shops along the road, and the shing signboards in the night were like guiding lights, adding a touch of charm to this bustling city.


    ¡°Ding ding¡± a text message sound came from her phone.


    Ming Jing took a look at her phone.


    Mao Nana: Sorry, I promised to take you to the Bo¡¯s house tonight, but I can¡¯t go out with my current face. Why don¡¯t you and Xiao Xuee to my house instead? I¡¯m quite bored by myself.¡±


    Ming Jing replied: No problem.<div>


    Soon Mao Nana sent a location ¨C I¡¯ll be waiting for you at home.


    Ming Jing saw that Mao Nana¡¯s house was very close to their current location.


    It was a good opportunity to say goodbye to her since they were leaving the next day.


    Ming Jing got out of the taxi, and Liu Muxue followed her with a confused expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold, why are you getting out of the car? Are you nning to walk? It¡¯s still more than ten kilometers away!¡±


    Ming Jing walked into a fruit shop and bought a fruit basket.


    Liu Muxue picked up a box of durian, ¡°I want to eat this.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded and went to pay.


    They left the fruit shop and walked about a hundred meters, where they found a long alley on their left.


    On the left side of the alley were Siheyuan, traditional Chinese courtyard houses, and on the right, tall buildings.


    The ancient and the modern were separated by a single wall, creating a distinct contrast.


    The alley was quite wide, easily allowing a car to pass through. The ground was clean, and the streetlights cast a soft glow.


    Liu Muxue asked softly, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Nana¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Beep beep¡­¡± The car¡¯s headlights lit up behind them, and Ming Jing moved towards the wall as the car brushed past her skirt.


    ¡°So what if you have a car? You don¡¯t have to honk like that.¡± Liu Muxue kicked a stone on the ground, and it hit the car¡¯s rear, but the sound was drowned out by the engine¡¯s noise and did not attract anyone¡¯s attention.


    Another car followed closely, keeping a moderate distance from the first.


    Ming Jing walked close to the wall, followed by Liu Muxue¡¯sining voice: ¡°Why are there so many cars? Is it a car exhibition or something?¡±


    All of them were luxury cars.<div>


    That taxi driver was right, everyone who lived here was rich.


    There had already been five cars that passed by in just a short time.


    In thest car, Bai Ziyan listlessly looked up, and a sh of white caught his eye at the roadside. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and quickly rolled down the car window to look.


    In the dim night, there was no one on the roadside.<div>


    Was it just his eyes ying tricks on him?


    ¡°Ziyan, what are you looking at?¡± Bai Ziyu asked with a frown.


    Bai Ziyan pursed his lips, leaned out of the car window, and said with boredom, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The woman adjusted her purple fur shawl, her delicate eyebrows and exquisite eyes as captivating as a painting.


    ¡°It seemed to be a girl. Our Ziyan has grown up.¡±


    Bai Ziyan turned to the woman, ¡°You saw it too?¡±


    The woman smiled: ¡°It was two girls, they went south. Do you know them?¡±


    It was too dark to see anything clearly.


    Bai Ziyan snorted, ¡°No.¡±


    He secretly took out his phone and sent a text message to Ming Jing ¨C Where are you?


    The wind blew in through the open window, and the woman unconsciously pulled her shawl tighter.


    Bai Ziyu frowned at Bai Ziyan, ¡°Close the window.¡±


    Bai Ziyan remained unmoved, as if he hadn¡¯t heard.<div>


    ¡°Bai Ziyan.¡± Bai Ziyu¡¯s tone grew heavier.


    ¡°So annoying.¡± Bai Ziyan closed the window and gave the woman a disdainful look.


    ¡°Big sister-inw, aren¡¯t you afraid that my brother will be jealous with you dressed up so beautifully?¡±


    The woman raised her eyebrows and nced at Bai Ziyu,ughing, ¡°Would you be?¡±The woman had a baby face that made it difficult to guess her age, yet her eyes and brows were extremely enchanting, every frown and smile captivatingly seductive.


    Bai Ziyu frowned imperceptibly, a hint of luster shing in his eyes as he hooked the corner of his lips, making his thin lips appear particrly cold and indifferent.


    ¡°Yuxin has finallye home, so don¡¯t cause trouble tonight.¡±


    The woman yed with the diamonds on her nails, curled her red lips, and gave him an even colder smile.


    ¡°In your eyes, I love to cause trouble?¡±


    Bai Ziyan rolled his eyes, ¡°At thest full moon feast for the second uncle Song¡¯s little son, who got drunk and danced a striptease while hugging a man, causing my brother to lose face?¡±


    This sister-inw is indeed beyond description, Bai Ziyan just couldn¡¯t be bothered to say it.


    ¡°Who told your big brother to flirt with Song Yiren? Am I not prettier than that cheap woman?¡± The woman lifted her chin, radiating beauty in the dim carriage.


    The Jiangs¡¯ sisters were so dazzling back in the day, and their descendants were no different.


    Bai Ziyu furrowed his brow: ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±<div>


    ¡°I saw it with my own eyes, don¡¯t bother exining. All men are the same, eating from one bowl while looking at another.¡±


    Bai Ziyan looked down at his WeChat screen and didn¡¯t reply.


    He must have been mistaken. Why would Ming Jing appear herete at night?


    The surprise squad:


    Jiangshui Biyutian: Help me wish Uncle Bo and Aunt Bo a happy birthday.


    Mr. Song: OK.


    Bai Kaishui: @Xiao Qu¡¯er, are you here yet? The party is so boring without you.


    As he was typing, the car entered the alley where the Bo family lived, and there were designated parking attendants at the entrance.


    Bai Ziyan got out of the car and saw Song Yinzhang right away.


    All the guests tonight were close acquaintances. Bai Ziyu was busy exchanging pleasantries with people while Qin Qiuxi stood by his side, smiling charmingly. At first nce, they looked like a perfect couple.


    A group of young ones followed them.


    ¡°Brother Bai, is Brother Quing?¡± A little girl tugged at Bai Ziyan¡¯s sleeve, her big eyes full of anticipation.


    Song Yinzhang said, ¡°She¡¯s my second uncle¡¯s daughter, Song Huiren. The little girl is a fan of Xiao Fei.¡±<div>


    Bai Ziyan patted the little girl¡¯s head with a smile, her double braids particrly adorable, ¡°Your Brother Qu is a big bad guy, don¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The little girl shook his hand off. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re the bad guy for speaking ill of Brother Qu. My third brother said you were a good person, but you¡¯re the real big bad guy!¡± She huffed and ran away.


    Bai Ziyan looked annoyed, ¡°The little girl doesn¡¯t appreciate it. I was trying to help her. Qu Feitai is a disaster, whoever falls for him is unlucky. You should talk to your sister about it.¡±


    ¡°Bai Ziyan, you¡¯re still as yful as ever.¡± A smiling voice sounded.


    Bai Ziyan turned his head and saw two girls walking arm in arm, his eyes rolling almost to the heavens.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re so familiar with me.¡±


    Bo Lianye didn¡¯t get angry and walked over smilingly.


    Bai Weining showed a sweet smile: ¡°Second brother.¡±


    Bai Ziyan nodded coldly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Bo is very kind to me, of course, I have toe to her birthday party.¡± Bai Weining nced behind him, a trace of sadness crossing her eyes.


    He didn¡¯te after all.


    Bo Lianye gently squeezed her hand and asked, ¡°What about Lanzhou, didn¡¯t hee?¡±


    Just as Song Yinzhang was about to speak, Bai Ziyan interrupted sharply, ¡°Bo Lianye, don¡¯t you remember? Xiao Fei changed his name a long time ago. He no longer goes by Lanzhou but Feitai, Ming Jing Yifei Tai¡¯s Feitai. This name is smoking and lung-wrenching, if you call him by this name in front of Xiao Fei, be careful he might get mad.¡±


    Show off for what, unting your childhood friendship with Xiao Fei? Close rtionship?


    Who can¡¯t see through that little trick?


    Bo Lianye¡¯s face momentarily stiffened before returning to her usualposure and smilingly nodded, ¡°I remember now.¡±


    Bai Weining furrowed her brows and murmured, ¡°Ming Jing Yifei Tai?¡±


    Her again!


    Why was this person always lurking, appearing in everything rted to Qu Feitai?


    Bo Lianye whispered, ¡°Ningning, you probably don¡¯t know, back then Lanzhou¡­.¡±


    Bai Ziyan shot her a withering look, and Bo Lianye quickly corrected herself, ¡°¡­Xiao Fei had an ident, and Master Kumu of Xiangguo Temple calcted that his name would harm him, so he gave him a new name. Xiao Fei¡¯s namees from Master Hui Neng¡¯s Bodhi Pooja Gatha, ¡®Bodhi has no tree, Ming Jing is not a tform.¡¯¡±


    After finishing, Bo Lianye furrowed her own brows, having never considered this before.


    Actually, Qu Feitai and Ming Jing were quite fated.


    Bai Weining eximed in surprise, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is! I thought Brother Qu specially chose his stage name for his debut.¡±


    Ming Jing¡­Qu Feitai.


    Bai Weining clenched her nails into her palm, her eyes slightly narrowing.

 Chapter 568: 277 Mysterious (First Watch)

    Chapter 568: 277 Mysterious (First Watch)


    Heading south for several tens of meters, they went through a pitch-ck long alley.


    The streetlights were sometimes on and sometimes off, there wasn¡¯t a single figure in sight for quite some time. Liu Muxue subconsciously moved closer to Ming Jing, watching her surroundings vigntly.


    ¡°What kind of ghost ce is this?¡±


    The entrance to the residentialmunity finally appeared before them.


    Xidi Harbor.


    The imposing gate was built with luxury, tall palm trees were nted on both sides of the road, a security guard in a neat uniform holding a long gun stood guard in the dark night, and the distant high-rises flickered brightly and dimly.


    Before they could approach, they were stopped, showing the tight security of thismunity.


    Soon, a panting woman in her 50s or 60s came running over, ¡°Securityrades, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding, these two are guests of our youngdy.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Mao¡¯s guest?¡±


    The security guard received a phone call at this time, and after hanging up, he opened the door to let the people in.<div>


    The woman smiled and said, ¡°You must be the youngdy¡¯s friends. Come in with me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Ming Jing nodded her head and followed the woman in.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a nanny at the girl¡¯s house, so please don¡¯t be polite to me, just call me Nanny Cui.¡±


    Nanny Cui led the way to the front, and they entered the residential building where the lights were bright. Nanny Cui nced up inadvertently, and was startled to see the girl in white under the lights.


    ¡°Ms. Su?¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, looking at the shocked old woman in front of her.


    Liu Muxue chuckled, ¡°Nanny Cui, you must have confused her with someone else. Herst name isn¡¯t Su.¡±


    Nanny Cui raised her hand to cover Ming Jing¡¯s eyes from a distance, ¡°She looks¡­ too much like her.¡±


    Ming Jing stepped into the elevator, Nanny Cui reacted quickly and followed her in, swiped her card, and the number on the elevator automatically jumped to the ninth floor.


    As the elevator doors slowly closed, Liu Muxue nced at Ming Jing, who appeared uninterested in the matter, and approached Nanny Cui with a beaming smile, ¡°Nanny Cui, who is this Ms. Su you mentioned? Does she really look like Ming Jing?¡±


    Nanny Cui¡¯s eyes were fixed on Ming Jing¡¯s face, as if trying to recall something through her.


    ¡°Ms. Su, she¡­,¡± Nanny Cui shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡±


    Under the light, Nanny Cui¡¯s face turned pale in an instant.


    Later, no matter how much Liu Muxue tried to get more information, Nanny Cui refused to say another word.


    Liu Muxue couldn¡¯t help but stare at Ming Jing¡¯s face, ¡°Who is this Ms. Su she mentioned?¡±


    The ninth floor arrived, and Ming Jing walked past Liu Muxue and out of the elevator.


    It was one elevator per residence. Exiting the elevator led directly to the entrance area, Nanny Cui opened the shoe cab and found two clean pairs of slippers for the two to change into.


    Ming Jing entered the living room, and Mao Nana slouched on the sofa, breathing more out than in, weakly raising her hand, ¡°Ming Jing, you guys finally came, it¡¯s great to see me for thest time.¡±


    Nanny Cui took the fruit basket from Ming Jing, and chattered, ¡°The youngdy insisted on having stic surgery, taking such an ordeal and not eating for three days. She could only drink some liquid through a straw, her body is a mess.¡±<div>


    Mao Nana¡¯s face was wrapped like a mummy, she struggled to sit up, ¡°For beauty, I can endure any suffering.¡±


    Liu Muxue gave her a thumbs up, ¡°Impressive, with your determination, you¡¯ll definitely be more beautiful than Luo Ziyin.¡±


    Mao Nana scoffed, ¡°Luo Ziyin is also a product of stic surgery, so why should Ipare with her?¡±


    Liu Muxue was attracted by a telescope on the balcony, ¡°Nana, you¡¯re an astronomy enthusiast?¡±<div>


    Mao Nana coughed, ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a hobby.¡±


    Liu Muxue looked out through the eyepiece and eximed, ¡°So beautiful¡­!¡±


    Just that the angle¡­


    Liu Muxue gestured, the telescope was pointing not at the sky but at a Siheyuan not far away.


    ¡°Astronomical telescopes use an inverted prism, right? Yours is clearly an erect one¡­,¡± As a genius student, Liu Muxue possessed this basic physics knowledge.


    Unless the telescope was not used to observe celestial bodies, as for its purpose, that would be open to interpretation.


    ¡°Cough cough¡­ cough cough¡­,¡± Mao Nana was about to cough her lungs out, give me some face, please.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyes rolled around, she adjusted the focus and took a closer look, ¡°Wow¡­ whose house is having a banquet, so lively, so many people!¡±Telescopes make everything so clear, even people¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the annoying brat with thest name Bai? And Song Yinzhang, hmm, Bo Lianye is there too, quite lively.¡±


    Mao Nana is desperate and secretly nces at Ming Jing. ¡°I¡¯m just bored at home and wanted to find some fun secretly, but don¡¯t worry, I have no other intentions. My heart is with your brother, I swear to God.¡±


    Mao Nana is afraid Ming Jing doesn¡¯t believe her and starts to swear immediately.


    Ming Jing smiles and holds her hand, ¡°Nana, I know.¡±


    Mao Nana holds her hand, ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re so nice. Whoever marries you will be blessed.¡±<div>


    The smile on Ming Jing¡¯s face is slightly restrained.


    At this time, Nanny Cui brings over the fruits Ming Jing has brought, after washing and cutting them, ¡°Tonight, I will make braised shrimp. Our miss likes it a lot. What do you like, little miss? I can cook it for you. My cooking is not to be bragged about.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Nanny Cui, no need to keep praising yourself. Just prepare the few signature dishes you¡¯re good at.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Nanny Cui happily runs into the kitchen.


    Mao Nana takes a fork and stuffs a small piece of dragon fruit into her mouth with difficulty. ¡°Nanny Cui is a bit naggy, but her cooking is unparalleled. She has been taking care of me since I was little. When I moved out of my family¡¯s house, she resolutely followed me. She has no children or grandchildren. I¡¯ll take care of her in her old age.¡±


    Mao Nana suddenly asks, ¡°Are you going back tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re taking the ne at noon tomorrow. We came tonight to bid farewell to you, Nana, and to thank you for taking care of us these days.¡±


    Mao Nana sighs, ¡°Time flies so fast. But don¡¯t worry, once my face is recovered, I¡¯ll go to Jiangzhou to find you guys and give your brother a surprise. I wonder if he¡¯ll drop his eyeballs in shock. Haha, it¡¯s so fun just thinking about it.¡±


    Emotionse and go quickly, and soon theughter and chatter dilute the sadness of parting.


    ¡°Nana, is this the Bo family¡¯s banquet you mentioned? It looks quite lively.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you know Bo Lianye, right? It¡¯s her aunt and uncle¡¯s birthday.¡±


    ¡°The same day¡¯s birthday?¡± Liu Muxue asks curiously.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re twins. Speaking of which, these twins are all outstanding, but their lives are just so tough¡­¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue immediately leans in, opens the durian box, and prepares to listen to the story.


    Mao Nana screams, ¡°You eat durian? It¡¯s too smelly, get it away from me!¡±


    Liu Muxue innocently holds the durian up to her face. ¡°Nana, durian is so delicious, how can you dislike it?¡±


    Facing the innocent and cute eyes of the young girl, Mao Nana has no choice but to give in.


    She shrinks back on the sofa, ¡°Keep your distance from me.¡± She holds Ming Jing¡¯s arm with both hands, leaning almost half her body on Ming Jing.


    Liu Muxue eats the fragrant durian, ¡°So why are their lives so tough, Nana? I love listening to stories, please tell me.¡±


    Ming Jing picks up the teacup on the coffee table, takes a sip, and looks down.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and I can¡¯t exin it in just a few words. Moreover, I promised A Jiang not to reveal her privacy. Please don¡¯t put me in an awkward position.¡±


    Ming Jing stands up, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡±


    She turns around and leaves after saying this.


    Liu Muxue stares at Ming Jing¡¯s back and suddenly leans close to Mao Nana, ¡°Nana, I want to ask you something.¡±


    As she opens her mouth, Mao Nana is almost taken aback.


    Mao Nana holds her breath, ¡°Ask.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyes roll around, revealing a hint of cunning, ¡°Do you know someone named Ms. Su?¡±


    ¡°Su?¡± Mao Nana shakes her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone with the surname Su, why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Just now, Nanny Cui saw Ming Jing and mistook her for Ms. Su. No matter how much I asked Nanny Cui, she wouldn¡¯t say a word about it. It seems that Ming Jing looks a lot like this Ms. Su. Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡±


    Mao Nana carelessly says, ¡°There are many people in the world who look alike. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡±


    Liu Muxue lets out a wryugh, looking alike may not be strange, but a stunning beauty like Ming Jing having a lookalike is indeed rare.


    But seeing Mao Nana¡¯s obvious ignorance, Liu Muxue can only give up.


    Su? Mao Nana drops the fruit in her hand on the floor. Could it be possible?

 Chapter 569: 278 Phoenix (Second Watch)

    Chapter 569: 278 Phoenix (Second Watch)


    As the hostess, Bo Lianye¡¯s task for the evening was to entertain their guests of the same age.


    She didn¡¯t struggle with this task and, holding Song Huiren¡¯s hand, walked in with a bright smile.


    Two rednterns were hanging at the entrance, the flickering red candlelight exuding a dim and charming glow.


    Bai Ziyan pursed his lips, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± He took big strides and stepped through the threshold.


    This was Bai Ziyan¡¯s first visit to the Bo family since they moved to Chunshui Alley.


    This old mansion with three courtyards was situated in the city center where every inch ofnd was worth its weight in gold. Granny Bo¡¯s family must indeed be quite affluent.


    Inspecting the mansion, Bai Ziyan eximed, ¡°This must have a history of several hundred years, right? Every brick and tile is an artifact.¡±


    ¡°This mansion once belonged to the prime minister of the former dynasty, Hu Wentang, a reputedly corrupt official. It¡¯s said that he dug a basement in his garden to hide the wealth he had extorted from the people. When a war broke outter, Hu Wentang fled overseas with his family. Despite digging the house for a day and a night, the soldiers never found the alleged treasure. Some people suggested that there wasn¡¯t any treasure at all, while others believed that it¡¯s hidden somewhere in this mansion,¡± exined Song Yinzhang.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a corrupt official like him prefer at least a few hundred acres? Would he be satisfied with only three courtyards?¡± Bai Ziyan scoffed.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. This mansion is situated along the city¡¯s central axis. The Rites of Zhou states: ¡®Only the king can establish a nation, discerning its correct position, thereby setting an extreme for the people.¡¯ The mansion¡¯s main axis is parallel to the meridian line, which is said to ward off evil spirits and attract wealth in Feng Shui. If you look towards the east¡­¡±<div>


    Song Yinzhang pointed to the east, and Bai Ziyan followed his gaze.


    The golden rooftops of Huangcheng towered majestically in the night.


    ¡°¡®The purple qies from the east, the phoenix takes flight.¡¯ That¡¯s the inscription Master Kumu wrote when he passed by here.¡±


    Bai Ziyan nced at him, ¡°How do you know everything?¡±


    Song Yinzhang smiled, ¡°Can¡¯t help it. I was born knowledgeable.¡±


    ¡°So how did this house end up in Granny Bo¡¯s hands?¡±


    ¡°Before Hu Wentang, this mansion belonged to the Murongs. After being falsely used and imprisoned, they lost the house to Hu Wentang. Granny Bo is the descendant of the Murongs. The government bestowed this house upon the Murongs as a reward for her father¡¯s service to the state. When Granny Bo got married, Murong¡¯s grandfather gifted her this mansion as part of her dowry. Look at the engravings beneath the reliefs. The Murong ancestors were all great literati and calligraphers, a truly schrly family. The word ¡®Murong¡¯ is their exclusive seal,¡± Song Yinzhang pointed out.


    Bai Ziyan leaned in to examine the marking by the light of a floorntern nearby. Sure enough, he found a small seal under the reliefs inscribed with ¡®Murong.¡¯ It was worn with age, yet it bore a distinctive elegance and pride that suggested that the Murongs were once a family of literati of exceptional talent.


    Bai Ziyan clicked his tongue in admiration, ¡°If the Feng Shui of this house is really good, the Murong family wouldn¡¯t have been framed by Hu Wentang, and Hu Wentang wouldn¡¯t have fled the country in disgrace. This so-called Feng Shui is just a lie to fool people.¡±


    Bai Weining had been quietly listening to their conversation from behind.


    Hearing this, sheughed, ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s biased to say that. After the Murong family cleared their name, they reimed what belonged to them and gained their current status. Isn¡¯t that turning misfortune into a blessing, reaching the peak after crossing the trough? On the other hand, Hu Wentang was exiled overseas and couldn¡¯t return home for the rest of his life, his descendants scorned generation after generation. Isn¡¯t that karma?¡±


    Song Yinzhang nodded with a smile, ¡°Weining is right.¡±


    Bai Ziyan scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re the smart one.¡±


    Bai Weining didn¡¯t take offense and said softly, ¡°The phrase ¡®the phoenix takes flight¡¯ uttered by Master Kumu refers to Aunt Bo. Aunt Bo is a blessed person with great fortune. We¡¯re here to celebrate her birthday, and by doing so, we share her good fortune. Let¡¯s go in before she gets impatient waiting.¡±


    She overtook the two men, catching up with Bo Lianye.


    Bai Ziyan snorted, ¡°Such a tterer at a young age.¡±


    Bo Lianye slowed down her pace. She had been listening to Song Yinzhang and Bai Ziyan¡¯s conversation, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly with pride in her eyes.


    In Jingzhou, no family could rival the influence and prestige of the Bos.


    If it weren¡¯t for Granny Bo¡¯s low profile, her refusal to appear in public, and her Daoist teachings of wu-wei (non-action) exerted on her son, leading him to step away from the seat of power, and persuading her nephew to embark on a medical career, the Bos would have been even more powerful given their talents.<div>


    Bo Lianye looked up at the sky. It was the full moon night of the fifteenth, the clear, bright moonlight illuminating the earth.


    The phoenix soars high, and the egret follows it.


    ¡°The phoenix takes flight¡­interesting.¡±


    Song Huiren was swinging her head back and forth as she recited from a book, ¡°¡®The phoenix takes flight¡¯ is from ¡®The Book of Songs ? Daya,.¡¯ The phoenix takes flight, with fluttering feathers, it gathers here¡­¡±<div>


    Bo Lianyeughed and gently touched the little girl¡¯s braided hair, ¡°Huiren is really smart.¡±Bai Weining came over and sighed: ¡°Lianye, he didn¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°I expected as much, he never likes to join these kind of events, he only appears wherever it involves Ming Jing.¡±


    Although it hurt, it was the truth.


    Bai Weining bit her lips, her face looking somewhat pale under the lights.


    Bo Lianye took her hand, gently saying: ¡°With Ming Jing¡¯s background, the Qus will never ept her, why make yourself sad over a result that¡¯s never going to happen?¡±


    That sentence woke Bai Weining up. Yeah, it¡¯s true that Ming Jing and Qu Feitai could never be together. There was a great disparity between their family backgrounds.


    The Qus would never allow Qu Feitai to marry a merchant¡¯s daughter.


    Bo Lianye gave a slight smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t keep uncle and auntie waiting.¡±


    A phoenix is destined to soar high after all, why bother fussing over a sparrow?


    No matter how strong the sparrow, it still remains a sparrow.


    They have lost since the day they were born.


    The main hall was brightly lit.


    Granny Bo, wearing a festive Tang suit, sat in a wheelchair, with Bo Yuxun and Bo Yujiang ¨C her twin children ¨C standing behind her. The three of them looked as if they had absorbed the essence of heaven and earth and the energy of the sun and the moon. The man was handsome and charismatic as bright as the wind and the moon, the woman was dignified and gentle, shining like a treasure in the world, and Granny Bo, untouched by the passage of time, disyed the beauty of age to its extreme.<div>


    Everyone came to wish Granny Bo well, then congratted the twins on their birthday and presented the gifts.


    Granny Bo didn¡¯t stop speaking for a moment.


    ¡°Is this little Bai? From a young age, you¡¯ve always been mature, and you never joke orugh. But whoever marries you will indeed be very fortunate.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Shuang, you got it wrong this time. I married him, but I¡¯m not happy at all.¡± A whiny voice sounded.


    The room fell silent for a split second.


    Bai Ziyu looked at the woman who spoke, she was oblivious, with a hint of distress on her delicate face.


    Bo Yuxun lifted his eyes and quietly stared at the woman standing not far away. His arm hanging by his side balled into a fist.


    Granny Bo gently patted Bo Yuxun¡¯s back of the hand and gave a faint smile. ¡°Are you Qiuxi? Look at Aunt Shuang¡¯s memory, she nearly forgot that you are married to Ziyu. Even though the times have be more open and women don¡¯t just stick to the traditional female roles, Aunt Shuang still wants to tell you to be content with what you have. Don¡¯t be like picking sesame seeds and dropping watermelons, especially when you have a good man like Ziyu. He is hard to find even with antern.¡±


    All the daughters of the Jiangs are unreliable.


    ¡°Aunt Shuang, you¡¯re quite fortunate. Uncle Bo is truly a good man who is hard to find, you shouldn¡¯t think that all men in the world are like Uncle Bo, we can¡¯tpare to you.¡±


    ¡°A snake can never have enough to eat, do you want to follow in your sister¡¯s footsteps?¡±


    The air was filled with a suffocating tension.


    Ji Rou¡¯en eximed: ¡°Mother¡­¡±<div>


    Throughout Jingzhou, the only one bold enough to speak to that person like this would be her old ancestor.


    Bo Yujiang, who had been standing quietly, lowered his gaze without making a sound.


    Qin Qiuxi bit her lips, an unspeakable chill filled her eyes. ¡°Aunt Shuang, my sister¡­.¡±


    ¡°Granny Bo, I apologize, my wife is ignorant. Please, don¡¯t take her words to heart.¡± Bai Ziyu stepped forward to block Qin Qiuxi and spoke.


    Granny Bo nodded with a smile: ¡°You¡¯re the one who understands¡­.¡±


    ¡°Granny Bo, do you remember me?¡± Bai Ziyan came in from outside the door with a smile, his voice was heard before he was seen.


    Granny Bo called out joyfully, ¡°You little rascal, how long has it been since youst saw Granny? I¡¯m surprised you still remember me.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Bai Ziyan ran over, knocked Qin Qiuxi aside, crouched in front of Granny Bo. ¡°Granny Bo, I¡¯ve missed you like crazy.¡±

 Chapter 570: 279 Fear (First Revision)

    Chapter 570: 279 Fear (First Revision)


    When ites to acting spoiled, Bai Ziyan ranks second in Chunxi Court, and no one dares to im the first ce.


    With just a few words, he coaxed Granny Bo to the point where she couldn¡¯t close her mouth, as she hugged him and called him her good grandson.


    ¡°Granny, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to visit you, but my big brother¡­ he treats me like a prisoner and doesn¡¯t let me go out at all. I want to, but I can¡¯t,¡± Bai Ziyanined as he red at Bai Ziyu.


    Bai Ziyu ground his teeth, his gaze full of threats as he stared at Bai Ziyan.


    Bai Ziyan shrank his shoulders. Granny Bo immediately hugged him and kindly advised, ¡°Little Bai, your big brother is so busy with work and still has to take care of you. He¡¯s not having an easy time either. You should show more understanding and not hold a grudge against him, alright?¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s face fell: ¡°I understand, Granny Bo.¡±


    ¡°I remember you kids formed a small group, what was it called?¡±


    Bai Ziyan quickly replied, ¡°Strike Team. I¡¯m the captain,¡± he said proudly, thumping his chest.


    ¡°Have the otherse? Let me see them,¡± Granny Bo said.


    Song Yinzhang approached with a smile, ¡°Hello, Granny Bo. I¡¯m Song Yinzhang.¡±


    ¡°Good boy, you¡¯ve always been a good student, obedient and sensible. Your mother is blessed to have such an outstanding son,¡± Granny Bo praised.


    ¡°I remember a kid who sings really well and is very talented. Is he here?¡±


    ¡°Granny, you must be talking about Xiao Fei. He¡¯s a big star now and very busy, so he can¡¯t make it. But he asked me to give you his regards,¡± Bai Ziyan exined.


    ¡°He¡¯s a big star now? Will I have to pay to listen to him sing in the future?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Granny. As long as you want to listen, he¡¯ll sing for you for free every day.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Jinchen is studying at Huaqing University in Jiangzhou and is too busy with his studies toe. He said he will visit you when he has time.¡±


    When talking about Qu Feitai, Granny Bo was still smiling. But when mentioned Jiang Jinchen, her smile slightly faded. However, she managed to hold herposure so that no one knew.


    ¡°They¡¯ve all grown up into young men. It¡¯s wonderful,¡± Granny Bo sighed.


    ¡°Uncle Bo, Aunt Bo, happy birthday!¡± Bai Ziyan looked at the couple standing behind Granny Bo with a big grin.


    Upon seeing Bo Yuxun, Bai Ziyan subconsciously paused for a moment.


    His memory of Bo Yuxun was already very blurry. After all, he was just a few years old when Bo Yuxun went abroad. As he grew up, he always heard people around him praising Bo Yuxun¡¯s greatness, but he couldn¡¯t recall his appearance clearly.


    He had seen Bo Yuxun¡¯s photo in the school honor board. The young man in the photo was sunny and handsome like a warm little sun, while the man standing in front of him emanated a cool and aloof aura even from his hair.


    For some reason, this handsome face seemed very familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen it.


    Bo Yuxun gave him a faint nod, his eyes devoid of warmth when he looked at people, as if his heart was dead.


    Bo Yujiang, as always, was dignified and graceful with a slight smile, ¡°Thank you, Little Bai.¡±


    Bai Weining obediently came forward, ¡°Hello, Granny Bo. I¡¯m Bai Weining.¡±


    Granny Bo didn¡¯t show the same warm attitude as she did when facing Bai Ziyan, only giving a faint nod, ¡°Yourst name is Bai? Your father¡­¡±


    Bai Weining immediately replied, ¡°My father is Bai Kang.¡±


    Bai Kang is Bai Qian¡¯s cousin, a branch of the Bai family. For years, he has lived under the Bai family¡¯s protection. Although Bai Weining calls Bai Ziyan her second brother, she actually doesn¡¯t have much blood rtion to him. But her father Bai Kang knows how to act, so after Bai Qian¡¯s death and Bai Ziyu took charge, although Bai Ziyu didn¡¯t go along with Bai Kang¡¯s ways, their rtionship gradually faded. However, outsiders still respect the Bai family.


    Bai Ziyu and Bai Ziyan both disdain Bai Kang, who only knows how to cling to others and tter. They don¡¯t have much fondness for Bai Weining either.


    ¡°I see,¡± Granny Bo smiled, ¡°Lianye, all of you are of the same age, take good care of Miss Bai.¡±


    Bo Lianyeughed, hooking Bai Weining¡¯s arm, ¡°Granny, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Bai Weining noticed Granny Bo¡¯s cold attitude and pursed her lips, not letting her smile falter, ¡°Uncle Bo, Aunt Bo, today is your birthday. Jingzhou¡¯s winter is very cold, especially for you, Uncle Bo. You¡¯ve just returned to Jingzhou and are not yet ustomed to the weather. I have personally knitted a hat and scarf to give you. It¡¯s not worth much money, but it¡¯s a small token of my affection.¡±


    Bai Weining held up two exquisite bags, and Bo Lianye took a look, pulling out a white scarf and eximed, ¡°Ningning, did you really knit this yourself? Your hands are so skilled. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±Bai Weining gave a shy smile: ¡°I just hope Uncle Bo and Aunt Bo won¡¯t disdain it.¡±


    Bo Yujiang came over and touched the other scarf. Thedies¡¯ scarf was adorned with pearls, and the details were very exquisite, much better in quality than those sold. The white color was simple and elegant, showing taste in the details.


    Bo Yujiang smiled and said, ¡°You are quite clever and skillful, my dear niece. Auntie likes this gift very much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d Aunt Bo likes it.¡±


    ¡°Brother, it is a child¡¯s sincerity, don¡¯t waste it.¡± Bo Yujiang looked at Bo Yuxun and said.


    Bo Yuxun nodded coldly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Granny Bo¡¯s face showed a bit more smile, after all, everyone likes a skillful and sweet-tempered girl.


    Qin Qiuxi curled his lips and nced sideways at Bai Ziyu, ¡°Your cheap little sister is quite scheming.¡±


    Everyone didn¡¯te empty-handed, and the Bo¡¯s family didn¡¯tck money. There were only a few kinds of gifts to choose from, and they couldn¡¯t do anything fancy. But the gift Bai Weining sent, the hand-knitted scarf, was warm and windproof in winter, not only showed her sincerity but also left an impression on Granny Bo, Bo Yuxun, and Bo Yujiang. The little girl was smart.


    Bai Ziyu said lightly, ¡°On such asions as today, restrain yourself. Granny Bo has just be unhappy.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi pouted, ¡°Do I still have to please her? I don¡¯t know what my sister did to offend her, that old blind woman¡­¡±.


    Bai Ziyu¡¯s face suddenly darkened, and Qin Qiuxi felt a chill on her neck, drew her shawl tighter, and closed her mouth.


    The group of people moved to Huichun Hall.


    Bo Yuxun pushed the wheelchair behind, and the rednterns under the eaves swayed in the night wind. The spotty shadows cast on the man¡¯s face, as Bo Yujiang nced back inadvertently, the man¡¯s deep ck eyes were colder and heartless than the boundless night behind him. There was something more than when she first met him.


    Unconsciously, Bo Yujiang clenched her fist slightly, it was something terrifying.


    It was as if there was a beast lurking in the darkness, waiting for her to reveal a w and then pounce on her and tear her apart.


    A cold wind swept through the eaves, bringing a faint plum fragrance. The red candle above flickered, enchanting and antique, like a grand and prosperous dream.


    Bo Yujiang suddenly shuddered.


    Was it because the night wind was too cold, or was she wearing too thin?


    It felt like a piece of jade was attached to her back, cold as ice.


    The man only nced at her before turning his gaze away. Bo Yujiang was about to speak when someone in the courtyard shouted, ¡°Mr. Liu is here.¡±


    A gentle smile appeared on Bo Yujiang¡¯s lips, and she turned to see a man in a tailored suit striding over.


    Bai Weining eximed, ¡°He¡¯s Aunt Bo¡¯s fianc¨¦! He looks like a talented young man.¡±


    Bo Lianye curled her lips, ¡°Mr. Liu has always been. He is the youngest professor at Huaqing University, and his elegance is only matched by my uncle.¡±


    Bai Weiningughed, ¡°It seems all the good men were born in your Bo family. I¡¯m so envious.¡±


    Bo Lianye raised her eyebrows proudly, ¡°You can just keep envying.¡±


    Liu Xiangyue strode into the corridor, his every movement full of gentlemanly grace, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Auntie, I¡¯mte.¡±


    Granny Bo smiled and said, ¡°We are all family, don¡¯t be so polite. I know you¡¯re busy at school. Let¡¯s go, take a seat.¡±


    Liu Xiangyue looked at Bo Yuxun, his attitude neither overly warm nor overly cold, just right, ¡°Second Brother, I am Xiangyue, A Jiang¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡±


    Bo Yujiang naturally hooked her arm around Liu Xiangyue¡¯s.


    Bo Yuxun took a light look at Liu Xiangyue, nodded slightly, and pushed Granny Bo¡¯s wheelchair away.


    Liu Xiangyue stared at Bo Yuxun¡¯s back and frowned, ¡°A Jiang, does Second Brother not like me?¡±


    Bo Yujiang stood on tiptoes to fix his cor, her manner naturally affectionate, and smiled, ¡°Second Brother is just like this, it¡¯s not just for you. You¡¯ll get used to itter.¡±


    Her voice was slightly cold, and her eyes were without a shred of warmth.

 Chapter 571: 280 Silver Lock (Second Update)

    Chapter 571: 280 Silver Lock (Second Update)


    The banquet was more than halfway through, and Ji Rou¡¯en nudged Ye Qingxing, who was sitting next to her.


    Ye Qingxing pursed her lips and stood up with her wine ss in hand: ¡°Brother Yu Xun, Sister A Jiang, I wish you both a happy birthday. May you have such a day every year, and a great time every moment.¡±


    Bo Yujiang raised her ss and nodded her head with a slight smile.


    Ye Qingxing¡¯s eyes fell on Bo Yuxun¡¯s face, looking tense, and she couldn¡¯t help but grip her wine ss tighter.


    Bo Yuxun poured a cup of tea for himself, made a slight gesture, and didn¡¯t look at Ye Qingxing, before drinking the tea in one gulp.


    Ye Qingxing¡¯s eyes showed a trace of disappointment as she sat down with her wine ss.


    The man sat next to Granny Bo, everyone enjoyed the feast, but as the birthday boy, his face didn¡¯t show any trace of happiness. Although he appeared to be sitting among the crowd, he seemed detached from the festivities, exuding an indescribable coldness.


    Ji Rou¡¯enughed, ¡°Yuxun, have you been doing well all these twelve years abroad? You¡¯ve lost so much weight and don¡¯t have a woman by your side to take care of you. That¡¯s not good.¡±


    Bo Yuxun said indifferently, ¡°Thank you for your concern, sister-inw. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    Ji Rou¡¯en shivered subconsciously, thinking that her brother-inw had changed so much. He had changed from a little sun to a big iceberg, and she could hardly recognize him when she first saw him.


    His face was still the same, more handsome and charming, as if the twelve years had left no traces on his face. All the changes were reflected in his eyes, making him a more mature and charming man.


    It was easy to imagine how the futuredies of Jingzhou would go crazy for him.


    ¡°Enough, Yuxun just came back, today is his and his sister¡¯s birthday, don¡¯t talk about irrelevant matters.¡± Granny Bo interrupted Ji Rou¡¯en¡¯s forting words, her unfocused eyes nced in her direction. Ji Rou¡¯en felt her heart tighten and hurriedly shut her mouth with embarrassment.


    Harsh as it may sound, it seemed that as soon as she made a move, her mother-inw knew exactly what she was up to, keeping her on a tight leash.


    ¡°Ah!¡­ Are you trying to scald me to death?¡± Qin Qiuxi suddenly stood up, ring at a woman holding the teapot beside her.


    The woman was a servant of the Bos, named Huai Qing. She had identally spilled water on their guest, who was a morous and obviously not someone to be trifled with. Other servants would have been scared by this, but Huai Qing being neither humble nor arrogant replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Qin, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi, still furious, said, ¡°This is a top-quality sable fur, even selling you wouldn¡¯t make up for the loss. I think you did it on purpose!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Bai Ziyu put down her chopsticks and said coldly, ¡°Have you made enough fuss?¡±


    Qin Qiuxi snorted, ¡°Bai Ziyu, instead of helping me when I was bullied, you¡¯re scolding me. Are you even a man?¡±


    Granny Bo sped her hands with a smiling face, ¡°Miss Qin, how do you wish to settle this matter?¡±


    Qin Qiuxi held her chin high and said, ¡°Make her apologize and kick her out of the Bos.¡±


    Bo Yujiang stepped forward to mediate, ¡°This matter was indeed Huai Qing¡¯s fault, but I believe she didn¡¯t do it intentionally. The sable fur is ruined, but I had a friend bring me a European mink fur from abroad, which, although it is not of the same quality, should be suitable for handling emergencies. So, sister-inw, if you don¡¯t mind, pleasee with me.¡±


    These words were more than appropriate, allowing Qin Qiuxi to save face. After ncing at Bo Yuxun, who hadn¡¯t looked at her once, she snorted and stormed off angrily.


    Bo Yujiang spoke softly to Huai Qing, ¡°You go prepare some hot water.¡±


    Huai Qing agreed obediently with a lowered head. As she left, her gaze quickly and inadvertently scanned the crowd. When their eyes met, she lowered her head and left quickly without drawing any attention.


    Bo Yuxun poured warm water into the cup in front of Granny Bo, tested the temperature, and handed it to her.


    Granny Bo smiled and patted the back of Bo Yuxun¡¯s hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you are the protagonist tonight.¡±


    Bai Ziyu stood up with his wine ss, ¡°Yuxun, when you left us all without a word to go abroad, I don¡¯t know what hardships you faced. If we are still brothers, let¡¯s drink this cup of wine.¡±


    Bo Yuxun stared silently at Bai Ziyu, standing straight as a pencil. In the swayingmp light, his handsome features flickered like a ghost, exuding a breathtaking, mysterious enchantment.


    Ye Qingxing stared nkly at the scene.


    Suddenly, Bo Yuxun stood up, went over, and took the wine ss from Bai Ziyu¡¯s hand. He drank it all in one gulp.


    Bai Ziyuughed and pped his shoulder, ¡°That¡¯s the Bo Yuxun I know!¡±


    Xu Shuhua took a small sip from her wine cup, sighed, and looked up at the bright moon in the sky.


    ¡°Drinking to drown one¡¯s sorrows only leads to more sorrow,¡± she said.


    Sitting between Song Yinzhang and Bai Ziyan, Song Huiren finally seemed to realize what was happening. Patting her chest, she turned to Bai Ziyan with a sympathetic gaze, ¡°Brother, your sister-inw is so fierce. My sister-inw is so gentle and never scolds me. You¡¯re so pitiful.¡±


    Bai Ziyan pinched a peanut between his fingers, tossed it into his mouth, and chuckled, ¡°She¡¯s just putting on airs, a fox taking advantage of a tiger¡¯s strength.¡±Bo Yujiang went into the cloakroom to find a water mink shawl. Qin Qiuxi looked around Bo Yujiang¡¯s room and eximed, ¡°You are indeed spoiled by the Bos.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi touched a flower vase on the antique shelf, ¡°A Qianlong treasure, it was auctioned two years ago by Christie¡¯s for 15 million yuan, and it turns out it¡¯s here with you.¡±


    An entire antique shelf filled with antiques.


    Four paintings adorned on the east wall, ¡°The ¡®Four Seasons¡¯ndscape paintings by the Song Dynasty master Wu Dai, already extinct in the market. So, the real ones are here with you.¡±


    A rosewood carved flower bed, matching dressing table, a rosewood desk under a fan-shaped window with carved flowers and birds, with a carved pen holder on top, and calligraphy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones all around. In the corner was a floormp, emitting a soft, hazy light.


    The room was notrge but was decorated exquisitely and elegantly, full of antiques and treasures.


    A bright moon shone on the carved window, casting a faint moonlight, adding a touch of poetic charm.


    Bo Yujiang took out a pink water mink shawl and said, ¡°It can¡¯tpare to yours, but make do.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi draped it over her body, staring at Bo Yujiang¡¯s face, and said with a smile, ¡°It seems Granny Bo is very good to you, enjoying afortable life as a youngdy, huh?¡±


    Bo Yujiangughed, ¡°Of course, all this is rightfully mine.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi raised an eyebrow, nomittal.


    ¡°A sparrow turns into a phoenix, a ssic trope in dramas, but it¡¯s also true in real life. Theater really doese from life.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s smile grew even gentler and more graceful, her eyes sparkling like water, ¡°Miss Qin, would you like to take a bath? I¡¯ll have someone prepare hot water for you.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi waved her hand, ¡°No need.¡±


    She suddenly leaned closer to Bo Yujiang, looking intently at her face, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve had some stic surgery, but the surgeon who made you was very skilled, leaving no traces at all. What¡¯s the doctor¡¯s name? Tell me.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s eyes fluttered, like a stone thrown into the sea, stirring up tiny ripples, but they quickly returned to calm.


    She remained expressionless, her smile unchanged, ¡°Miss Qin, what are you joking about?¡±


    Qin Qiuxi chuckled, ¡°Fake will always be fake and can never be real.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned and left the room.


    In the moment of her turning, Bo Yujiang¡¯s gaze instantly darkened, looking down at the wooden floor, hidden currents swirling in her eyes.


    Qin Qiuxi hummed a tune, about to round a corner when she suddenly saw a shadow sneaking about. The figure looked familiar.


    It was Huai Qing, who had just spilled water on her earlier.


    Qin Qiuxi narrowed her eyes and tiptoed after her.


    Huai Qing soon emerged from a room, cautiously closing the door, only to be met with a pair of high heels when she turned around. Her legs immediately went weak.


    Qin Qiuxiughed, ¡°What are you doing here? Acting so sneaky.¡±


    Huai Qing tried to control herself, ¡°Miss Qin, it¡¯s getting cold. I¡¯m getting a coat for the young master.¡±


    There was indeed a men¡¯s jacket draped across her arm.


    As Huai Qing finished speaking, she tried to bypass Qin Qiuxi and leave.


    Qin Qiuxi suddenly grabbed the jacket in her arms, giving it a light tug. Several gold bars fell out with a tter.


    Huai Qing¡¯s face turned deathly pale. She bent down to pick them up, but Qin Qiuxi sneered, ¡°Well, I knew you did it on purpose. You¡¯ve been waiting for a chance to steal, haven¡¯t you? How bold.¡±


    Huai Qing immediately knelt down, trembling, ¡°Miss Qin, please show mercy and spare me this time. I won¡¯t dare to do it again¡­¡±


    Qin Qiuxi stared at the innocent-looking face and snorted coldly. The moonlight reflected a white glow, catching Qin Qiuxi¡¯s eye.


    Qin Qiuxi looked closely and saw a small, delicate silver lock, standing out amid a pile of gold. She picked it up, rubbing its engraved surface, and then, in the moonlight, recognized the two characters on it. Her pupils shrank in an instant.


    She suddenly bent down and grabbed Huai Qing¡¯s cor, in a low, menacing voice, demanding, ¡°Tell me, where did you get this silver lock?¡±

 Chapter 572: 281 Huai Qing (First Night Shift)

    Chapter 572: 281 Huai Qing (First Night Shift)


    The woman in front of her had an exquisite doll-like face, which flirtatiously showed off when she smiled, like a fox spirit that stepped straight out of a storybook.


    But at the moment, her eyebrows were furrowed, and her eyes were filled with anger and panic. Her face was distorted, and the night seemed to be a soundless, waving its fangs and ws behind her back.


    Even more terrifying than a ghost!


    Huai Qing¡¯s face turned pale with fright. Facing the opponent¡¯s fierce questioning, he stammered, ¡°I¡­ I found them in the safe in Young Master¡¯s room.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi¡¯s pupils contracted sharply.


    ¡°How do you know Bo Yuxun¡¯s safe password?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I saw it secretly.¡±


    At this time, Bo Yujiang¡¯s puzzled voice came from behind, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Qin Qiuxi¡¯s face stiffened, and she lowered her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, just stand there.¡±


    As soon as her words fell, she quickly changed her smile, patted Huai Qing¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I was too excited just now. Huai Qing didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯m apologizing to her.¡±<div>


    In the darkness, Bo Yujiang couldn¡¯t see Qin Qiuxi¡¯s expression clearly. She just felt that Qin Qiuxi had the quirky temper as the rumors said, thinking that she had gone crazy again.


    An apology still made Huai Qing kneel in front of her.


    ¡°Huai Qing has grown up with the Bos since she was a child. My mother treated her like a daughter, so I hope Miss Qin can behead the weeds and one will also lose the good crops for the sake of my mother and give Huai Qing some face.¡±


    She had made it so clear, no more embarrassment for others.


    Qin Qiuxi nodded smilingly, ¡°Of course, you should go to the feast quickly, don¡¯t let everyone wait. I suddenly feel a little ufortable, let Huai Qing take me to rest.¡±


    Bo Yujiang was toozy to entertain Qin Qiuxi anymore. Hearing this, she said to Huai Qing, ¡°Take good care of Miss Qin.¡± She left after saying this.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Huai Qing respectfully replied. If Bo Yujiang were careful, she could hear a tremor in Huai Qing¡¯s voice.


    However, even if she heard it, she wouldn¡¯t care. Huai Qing had offended Qin Qiuxi, and with this young miss¡¯s temperament, she would definitely not let her get away with it.


    As for Huai Qing, she brought this upon herself.


    As soon as the people had walked away, Qin Qiuxi¡¯s face darkened again, and she coldly red at Huai Qing, who was still kneeling on the ground.


    ¡°Did you see? Your Miss Bo doesn¡¯t even want to save you.¡±


    Huai Qing lowered her head further, ¡°Please spare me this time, Miss Qin. I will repay your kindness.¡±


    ¡°As expected from the Bos, you use idioms well. I don¡¯t want your repayment, you just need to put the gold bars back and pretend nothing happened.¡±


    Huai Qing looked up in shock. In the moonlight, the woman smiled cruelly and yfully.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Miss Qin is feeling unwell and resting in her room. There¡¯s no need for Brother Bai to worry.¡±


    Bo Yujiang sat down gracefully, Liu Xiangyue held her hand and lowered her voice, ¡°She didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, did she?¡±


    Bo Yujiang shook her head gently with a smile.


    Bai Ziyu only frowned upon hearing this and asked no more, but started catching up with Bo Yuxun.<div>


    Both were good brothers who grew up ying together. But as time went on, their paths diverged, and their rtionship gradually grew distant. Later, Bo Yuxun went abroad, and they hadn¡¯t been in touch for decades.


    True brothers can alwaysugh together when reminiscing about embarrassing moments from the past.


    Soon after, Qin Qiuxi sneaked out of the Bos¡¯ back door.


    Huai Qing stood in the darkness, watching the panicked silhouette of the woman, the corners of his lips revealing a faint arc of a smile.<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    Liu Muxue rubbed her belly greedily, ¡°Nanny Cui¡¯s red bean braised fish is so delicious; I wille to eat it again when I have time.¡±


    Mao Nana waved weakly, ¡°Don¡¯t give me trouble, just go quickly.¡±


    God knows how painful it was for her to watch Liu Muxue eating happily.


    As for Ming Jing, who only drank a bowl of mushroom soup, she couldn¡¯t help but think about bing immortal.


    Nanny Cui brought the two to the entrance of themunity and stared at Ming Jing¡¯s face, ¡°Tell Nanny Cui what you want to eat when youe back next time. I can cook all eight major cuisines.¡±


    ¡°Nanny Cui, can I pry you away? I¡¯ll pay ten times more than Nana! Come home with me.¡± Liu Muxue said confidently.


    Nanny Cuiughed and shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t leave Nana because I¡¯ve been taking care of her since she was a child. Your kindness is appreciated, Liu.¡±


    Walking in the night, Liu Muxue rubbed her belly, ¡°I ate too much; my stomach is about to burst.¡±


    Ming Jing took her left hand and rubbed the area between her thumb and index finger. Liu Muxue hummed, as Ming Jing¡¯s strength was just right, neither too light nor too heavy. Soon, Liu Muxue felt that her stomach had be much morefortable.

 Chapter 573: 281 Huai Qing (Second Night Shift)_2

    Chapter 573: 281 Huai Qing (Second Night Shift)_2


    ¡°This is amazing, huh?¡±


    Ming Jing calmly said, ¡°This is the Hegu Point, which belongs to the Large Intestine Meridian. Massaging this area not only promotes the recovery of gastrointestinal function but also regtes qi and blood, and enhances digestion.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s finger moved to the tip of Liu Muxue¡¯s middle finger, gently pressing and rubbing, ¡°This is the Laogong Point, which belongs to the Pericardium Meridian. Regr massage of this point can improve stomach function and digestion, and also has certain benefits for the heart.¡±


    Liu Muxue raised her thumb, ¡°You¡¯re like a walking encyclopedia. From now on, I don¡¯t need to bring anything when I go out, I just need you. Is there anything you don¡¯t know?¡±


    She could hold court and run the kitchen, was both cultured and martially skilled, good at medicine, knowledgeable about Buddha and proficient in both ancient and modern studies, an all-around top student.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tter.¡±


    Liu Muxue choked and red at Ming Jing¡¯s calm face, ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°Look out for the car.¡± A sedan drove towards them, Liu Muxue, who was walking at the edge of the sidewalk, was caught off guard. Ming Jing pulled her and dragged her behind him.


    Liu Muxue staggered, and just as they were turning a corner, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them and collided with Liu Muxue.


    ¡°Plop¡± Something fell on the ground.<div>


    It fell right beside Ming Jing¡¯s foot.


    Ming Jing bent down to pick it up. It was a finely crafted silver lock-bracelet, which was still warm from its owner¡¯s touch. With a gentle breeze, the warmth evaporated and only the icy cold remained.


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, her eyesight was good, and she saw two characters under the moonlight.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Liu Muxue covered her forehead and cursed, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going. That hurt.¡±


    The other person was also about to curse, but suddenly realized that the object was missing from their hand and squatted down to search around on the ground.


    The dim yellow light from the streetmps in the alley fell, half blocked by the walls. She reached into the shadowy grass area.


    ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± A melodious voice passed above her head. In the cold night, it felt like warm spring water surrounding her.


    Even the chilly wind brushing past her face was not as piercing anymore.


    Qin Qiuxi saw a section of a white skirt fluttering in the night breeze, as ethereal as a dream.


    The silver ripple on the skirt¡¯s hem glimmered with a faint silver light under the moonlight, like a budding lotus, casting its brilliance.


    Qin Qiuxi looked up nkly and saw a slender hand extending towards her face, on whichy a silver lock-bracelet.


    Qin Qiuxi hurriedly snatched the silver lock and looked up, recognizing the girl¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    It was the girl who used to be with Mao Nana at the mall.


    Qin Qiuxi quickly figured it out. Mao Nana lived in the Xidi Harbor in the south. Given the timing, it seemed she had just left Mao Nana¡¯s house.


    Liu Muxue looked back and forth between the two and asked, ¡°You know each other?¡±


    Ming Jing gently smiled, ¡°We¡¯ve met once before.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi had no time to chat with her and red at Liu Muxue hatefully. She grabbed her bag, and with a high heel, hurried away.


    Liu Muxue sneered, ¡°That woman has no manners! She bumped into me and didn¡¯t even say sorry.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s lips curled with a gentle smile. He brushed his skirt and walked away.<div>


    Qin Qiuxi walked fast, while Ming Jing kept a leisurely pace. Yet he always maintained a moderate distance from Qin Qiuxi ahead.


    Liu Muxue jogged to catch up, ¡°You¡¯ve got long legs, can you walk slower?¡±


    In this narrow alley, there were hardly any people at night. Every dozen meters or so, there was a street light that emitted dim yellow light, illuminating the path underfoot.


    Up ahead, the graceful woman seemed to be on the phone, but the other party didn¡¯t answer. She stomped her foot in anger, identally stepping on a stone. The woman staggered, grabbed the wall and steadied herself.<div>


    ¡°Shit!¡± The woman cursed.


    They walked out of the alley, and the neon lights and hustle of the city flooded in at once. The woman hurriedly hailed a taxi and jumped in.


    Ming Jing stood in the shadow by the roadside, watching the taxi merge into the traffic with his eyes gradually deepening.


    ¡°Who is that woman? When did you meet her?¡± Liu Muxue chased after her, panting and asking with her hands on her waist.


    Ming Jing indifferently said, ¡°We met when I went to the mall with Nana. She seems to be Nana¡¯s friend.¡±


    ¡°What did she drop just now? She was clutching it like it was gold,¡± Liu Muxue sneered.


    Ming Jing smiled and calmly continued walking along the side of the road.

 Chapter 574: 281 Huai Qing (Third Night Shift)_3

    Chapter 574: 281 Huai Qing (Third Night Shift)_3


    ¡°A silver lock.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s just a silver lock. I have a drawer full of them.¡± She had received one from each of her numerous aunts and other rtives during her childhood birthdays, to the point where her drawer was almost overflowing.


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°A silver lock with engraved words.¡±


    ¡°In the shade, spring mist falls; On cold rocks, summer snow lingers, At the sunny pass, autumn dawns rise, As winter sends its cold rain.¡± The girl¡¯s gentle voice dissipated the cold wind that brushed against their faces.


    Liu Muxue touched her chin: ¡°These are the inscription lines for the Four Seasons Landscape paintings by the Song Dynasty artist Wu Dai. Why did you suddenly think of this?¡±


    Ming Jing leisurely walked along the side of the road; her skirt brushing against the night, bringing warmth to the winter evening.


    ¡°The craftsmanship of that silver lock is exquisite, unlike themon styles found on the market. I seem to have seen it somewhere before.¡± Her tone was questioning, yet certain.


    Where had she seen it? Ming Jing raised her head to look at the distant horizon beneath the neon lights.


    The bright moon remained the same, but the world had long since changed.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    The banquet ended, and everyone left the scene.


    Huai Qing informed Bai Ziyu that Qin Qiuxi had already left, and Bai Ziyu¡¯s face darkened before he strode away.


    Bai Ziyan patted Song Yinzhang¡¯s shoulder: ¡°My sister-inw is truly good at stirring up trouble. So, when do you and Ming Jing n to return to Jiangzhou?¡±


    Song Yinzhang replied, ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s noon flight.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you two off tomorrow.¡±


    Xu Shuhua walked past the two, hearing the conversation, and raised her eyebrows.


    Ji Rou¡¯en pulled Ye Qingxing aside, ¡°You can¡¯t rush eating hot tofu; we¡¯ll go about it slowly. Granny Bo is always on guard. If she finds out, I won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    Ye Qingxing bit her lip: ¡°Cousin, I heard that my second brother has someone he likes. Is it true?¡±


    Ji Rou¡¯en red at her: ¡°That¡¯s old news. Why bring it up now? Granny Bo personally broke them up, as she didn¡¯t think the girl was good enough. Though your family can¡¯tpare to the Bos, you¡¯re not too far behind in Jingzhou. There¡¯ll be opportunities soon.¡±


    ¡°But Second Brother doesn¡¯t even pay attention to me.¡±


    ¡°You both work at the hospital, which already gives you an advantage. You just need to seize the opportunities.¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, what are you two talking about?¡± Bo Yujiang walked over with a smile.


    ¡°No¡­nothing. Have all the female guests left? A Jiang, you¡¯ve worked hard today.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s gaze swept across Ye Qingxing¡¯s face, and her subtle oppression made Ye Qingxing nervous, ¡°Cousin, A Jiang, it¡¯s gettingte. I should go home. Let¡¯s hang out together sometime.¡±


    Ye Qingxing bowed her head and walked away quickly.


    ¡°A Jiang, you handled the Qin Qiuxi incident beautifully today. As your sister-inw, I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Ji Rou¡¯en naturally linked her arm with Bo Yujiang¡¯s.


    Bo Yujiang smiled gently, ¡°It¡¯s just my duty as a daughter of the Bo family. Speaking of which, your cousin has grown more and more beautiful. I almost didn¡¯t recognize her.¡±


    Ji Rou¡¯en¡¯s smile was somewhat awkward, ¡°Compared to A Jiang, she has a long way to go. Everyone in Jingzhou knows that our Miss Bo is not only incredibly beautiful but also highly talented.¡±


    Bo Yujiang lifted her chin slightly, revealing her elegant demeanor while exuding an air of arrogance.<div>


    Ji Rou¡¯en secretly sneered but maintained her smile, ¡°People say the Jiang sisters are so beautiful, but they were nothingpared to A Jiang today. Our A Jiang is just low-key. Otherwise, the Jiang sisters wouldn¡¯t even deserve a mention.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, ¡°Sister-inw, you mustn¡¯t say such things. The Jiang sisters have a well-deserved reputation in Jingzhou. Don¡¯t say such things again in the future. If someone with ulterior motives hears it, it could invite trouble.¡±


    Bo Yujiang walked around the screen and saw Bo Yuxun pushing a wheelchair into Granny Bo¡¯s room from afar.


    Soon, Huai Qing entered the room with a tray of tea and closed the door.<div>


    Bo Yujiang squinted her eyes and casually plucked a plum branch, ¡°Sister-inw, has Huai Qing been with the family for many years?¡±


    Ji Rou¡¯en wondered why she suddenly asked about Huai Qing, ¡°She was already here when I married into the family. I heard some of the old servants say that she was an orphan picked up by my father-inw in Yunzhou when she was three or four. She has been raised like ady of the house, and Huai Qing is known for her honesty and intelligence. Granny Bo wanted to adopt her as a goddaughter, but she refused. That girl has quite a backbone. Before you came back, Granny Bo relied on Huai Qing to help her through the pain of missing her daughter.¡±


    The plum branch snapped in her hand.


    Ji Rou¡¯en was surprised, ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s lips twisted into an eerie smile as she whispered, ¡°She¡¯s thirty now, right? Why hasn¡¯t she married?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe she wants to stay with Granny Bo for the rest of her life.¡± A thought crossed Ji Rou¡¯en¡¯s mind, and she nced around slyly before lowering her voice: ¡°The year you came back, Madam Zhang¡¯s son pursued her relentlessly. He wasn¡¯t bad, but Huai Qing refused his advances, and the matter eventually faded away. She would be more suited to bing a nun.¡±


    Bo Yujiang discarded the broken plum branch and put her bleeding finger in her mouth.


    An idea suddenly struck her, and she froze. Huai Qing was steady and never made mistakes¡ªhow could she have spilled water on Qin Qiuxi? She couldn¡¯t have made such a basic error.


    There was also that scene she saw at the door of the room¡ªHuai Qing kneeling on the ground, trembling. Huai Qing was not amon servant, as Granny Bo was from a schrly family and had personally raised her. No matter how one looked at it, she had the air of a well-bred youngdy. How could she behave like that?


    Qin Qiuxi¡¯s reaction at the time was also quite intriguing. Everything about this event seemed rather extraordinary.


    What kind of a game were they ying?


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Sis, you finally picked up the phone.¡± Qin Qiuxi stepped out of the car.<div>


    The taxi driver yelled out, ¡°You haven¡¯t paid yet!¡±


    Qin Qiuxi threw him an earring irritably, ¡°It¡¯s a gemstone one. It¡¯s worth a year¡¯s worth of taxi fares.¡±


    Without looking back, she walked into the residential area.


    ¡°I was in a meeting just now. What do you need?¡± A gentle and tranquil voice came from the phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency, and yet you still have the nerve to hold a meeting?¡±


    ¡°Did you cause trouble again?¡±


    ¡°Sis, in your eyes, do I always cause trouble? Let me tell you, this time it¡¯s a real emergency.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi held the silver lock up to the moonlight and let it glimmer.


    ¡°I found that bitch¡¯s silver lock in Bo Yuxun¡¯s room. Does she know the truth?¡±


    There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

 Chapter 575: 282 Erased (Second Update)

    Chapter 575: 282 Erased (Second Update)


    ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    Qin Qiuxi briefly told the story of Huai Qing, ¡°This silver lock is hers, with her name engraved on it, I couldn¡¯t have gotten it wrong. Could she have gone to Bo Yuxun after she escaped back then?¡±


    ¡°You fool, you¡¯ve been tricked and still don¡¯t know it. How could Huai Qing possibly make such a low-level mistake¡­?¡± She hung up the phone right after saying that.


    Qin Qiuxi looked at the hung-up phone with a confused expression.


    Soon, a text message was sent to her by her dear sister. It contained only a string of simple symbols. Upon understanding them, Qin Qiuxi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.


    Without saying a word, she went home, poured the contents of her bag onto the sofa, and indeed found a ck round object the size of a fingernail among a pile of misceneous items, shimmering with a faint red light.


    So, tonight was a trap.


    Qin Qiuxi gritted her teeth and sneered.


    Throwing the object into the toilet and letting it be flushed away, Qin Qiuxi dialed the phone.


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve dealt with it.¡±<div>


    ¡°It seems that he¡¯s already suspicious of what happened back then.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi scoffed with disdain, ¡°So what? He has no evidence. I don¡¯t know how I fell for such a self-righteous man in the past.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi opened the refrigerator, took out a can of beer, and gulped down a few mouthfuls with her head tilted back.


    ¡°What am Ickingpared to that bitch? He actually likes that bitch and not me. Well, I¡¯ll make sure he never sees that bitch again, and I¡¯ll make him regret it for the rest of his life, hahaha.¡± Qin Qiuxi walked onto the open-air balcony, wearing only thin clothes. She shivered involuntarily as the cold wind blew.


    ¡°What about that child? Did you find her? As you taught me, if the root of the problem is not removed, it will grow back when the spring breeze blows.¡±


    There was silence on the other end.


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t forget how they insulted us, mother and daughter. It¡¯s a disgrace to our Jiang family. I swear I¡¯ll tear that bastard to pieces.¡±


    ¡°A woman¡¯s mercy is not to be tolerated.¡±


    Qin Qiuxi crushed the can with a ¡°pop.¡±


    ¡°The silver locks are a pair, one engraved with ¡®Xia Xue¡¯ and the other with ¡®Han Yu.¡¯¡±


    Hearing the other party¡¯s voice, Qin Qiuxi had a sudden inspiration and muttered, ¡°Yinjian falls in spring, Han rock remains in summer, Yangguan rises in autumn, Winter Age sends cold rain. You said our names are derived from this poem ¨C Xia Xue, Xia Xue¡­ Hahaha, who is he trying to disgust?¡±


    ¡°He stole the Four Seasons Landscape paintings back then and ran away, causing my aunt to be heartbroken. But do you know? Today, I found these four paintings in Bo Yujiang¡¯s room. It turns out that Bo Yujiang was the one who took the painting the year beforest.¡±


    The person on the other end didn¡¯t seem too surprised, ¡°Anything tainted is just trash.¡±


    ¡°By the way, you said there were two silver locks. Where is the other one?¡±


    ¡°The one engraved with ¡®Han Yu¡¯ was given to that child.¡±


    ¡°So, if we find the other silver lock, we can find the child?¡±


    The person on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment before replying indifferently, ¡°Xiaoxi, what if the child is already dead?¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Qin Qiuxi sneered, ¡°I guess she won¡¯t be lonely in hell then, mother and daughter can just reunite.¡±


    Bo Yuxun, one day, I will tell you myself how miserable your favorite woman¡¯s death was.<div>


    You once had a daughter, and this poor little girl has long been dead.


    I wonder what your reaction would be when you learn the truth.


    Thinking of that day, Qin Qiuxi couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡ª-<div>


    After hanging up the phone, the woman massaged her aching forehead.


    Zhou Xue came in with a bowl of calming tea, ¡°Madam, is there something wrong?¡±


    The woman shook her head, ¡°Did you find the baby girl I asked for?¡±


    Zhou Xue handed the tea to the woman and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s been twelve years since this happened, and it would be very difficult to investigate now. I have almost screened every baby girl in Jiang Province that meets Madam¡¯s requirements, but none of them match. The child might be unregistered, or she might already be dead.¡±


    Finding a person in Jiang Province was like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    As if thinking of something, Zhou Xue said, ¡°ording to Li Chan¡¯s ount, she and her people headed north in a car back then. But when they reached a certain town, she went intobor. There was a ckout due to a heavy rainstorm that night, and even the health clinic was closed. Li Chan and her people hid in a restaurant, where an olddy there helped deliver the baby. The olddy then tied a silver lock around the baby¡¯s neck and told Li Chan to continue fleeing with the baby. By the time we found Li Chan, she was already insane, talking gibberish. This is the clue pieced together from her intermittent words.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had people search all the towns within a ten-mile radius, and there is no such baby girl who matches the requirements. Madam, the child may already be dead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want possibilities, I want certainties. If she¡¯s alive, I want to see her. If she¡¯s dead, I want to see her corpse.¡± The woman¡¯s cold, authoritative voice made Zhou Xue instinctively tighten her chest and bow her head respectfully.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±The woman picked up the calming tea, looked at the brownish tea soup, and slightly squinted her eyes.


    ¡°Has Li Chan really gone mad?¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯s heart shuddered, ¡°Madam, I understand, I will definitely pry open Li Chan¡¯s mouth.¡±


    After finishing this matter, the woman changed the subject: ¡°First it was Zheng Qing, then Xue An. In just half a year, everything has been chaotic. What on earth is Night Hawk up to? Tell him, if there¡¯s any more mess, he can get lost.¡±


    ¡°The Qinglong Association is pressing us hard now, I won¡¯t wait any longer. Find a time, make a move. This is hisst chance.¡±<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Nanny Cui.¡±


    Mao Nana appeared like a ghost with her face wrapped like a mummy, almost scaring Nanny Cui into a heart attack.


    ¡°My dear girl, are you trying to shorten Nanny Cui¡¯s life?¡±


    Mao Nana helped Nanny Cui sit down on the sofa, poured her a ss of water, and gently massaged her shoulders.


    Nanny Cui shot her a nce: ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this, what do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°Nanny Cui, I just want to know, what¡¯s with Ms. Su? Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    Nanny Cui¡¯s cloudy pupils shrank, ¡°Youngdy found out after all.¡±


    ¡°Nanny Cui, tell me, otherwise I¡¯ll always be on tenterhooks.¡±


    Nanny Cui shook her head: ¡°Youngdy, knowing too much won¡¯t do you any good.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t eat. I mean what I say.¡± Mao Nana huffed angrily.


    Nanny Cui remained unswayed and resolutely stood up to leave.


    ¡°Is it Su Yinci? When did you see her?¡±<div>


    Nanny Cui hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t turn back.


    Mao Nana mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±


    Mao Nana opened her phone and typed Su Yinci¡¯s name into the search bar. There were no results.


    Mao Nana was momentarily dazed.


    Did her memory fail her?


    Many years ago, she was a superstar admired by all, the goddess in countless hearts. Her beauty, purity, and elegance were heavenly, capturing all the love and passion, writing a legendary story.


    She was a woman whose beauty could make one¡¯s heart race.


    Even Qin Qiuxi, who imed to be Jingzhou¡¯s number one beauty, paled inparison and looked utterly pathetic beside this woman.


    Then many years passed, and people around her stopped discussing this name and remembering her. It was as if she disappeared from the world overnight, as if she had never appeared in this world.


    There was never a superstar named Su Yinci in the world, and everything seemed like a dream conjured up by her imagination.


    Even if someone remembered, they would only question; how could there be such a beautiful woman in the world? It must have been an illusion.


    And just like that, she vanished from the world.


    Even the inte had no trace of her,pletely erased.<div>


    Mao Nana was stunned. She even forgot when exactly she had forgotten about this person herself.


    Now she even doubted whether this person had ever existed in the world or if she had imagined her.


    Mao Nana¡¯s back turned cold, finding the situation strangely eerie.


    What¡¯s even more terrifying is, if this person had really existed, what kind of power could erase a person¡¯s trace so thoroughly?


    Mao Nana posted a Weibo message ¡ª Who still remembers Su Yinci? The Nation¡¯s Goddess back then? Why did she suddenly disappear? Retire?


    Within half a minute of the Weibo post, the message was forcibly deleted, and her ount was blocked¡­


    Mao Nana stared at the message sent by the backend system apprehensively.


    Next, she tried entering the name on various tforms with the same results: deleted, blocked, and swift operation.


    She sent a message with just the three characters ¡°Su Yinci¡± to Ming Jing.


    This time, it was even faster; her VX ount was blocked as well.


    This was worse than being banned from the entirework. There must be hackers lurking, fishing in the big sea. Who on earth could Su Yinci have offended to warrant such a ruthless hand?

 Chapter 576: 283 Good Rewards (First Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 576: 283 Good Rewards (First Watch of the Night)


    ¡°Young Master, we have been discovered,¡± Huai Qing put down the eavesdropping equipment, sighing.


    Bo Yuxun stood at the window, looking at the bright moon at the horizon through the carved window, his tall and straight figure like a pine tree, his handsome face exuding a jade-like luster.


    The man just smiled faintly upon hearing the words, his slender fingers tapping on the windowsill, like a butterfly settling on a flower branch.


    Huai Qing stared at the man¡¯s fingertips.


    She had never seen more beautiful hands than the young master¡¯s, more heroic than a woman¡¯s, yet more delicate than a man¡¯s rough hands; his fingers were like scallions, fair and slender, like a piece of jade carefully carved, perfect from every angle.


    These were a pair of hands as beautiful as a work of art, and also a pair of hands that saved lives and healed wounds.


    And now, these hands would pick up a sword for their beloved and hold it high against the enemy.


    ¡°Jiang Chun is from the intelligence world, always on guard. She will suspect us sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°So didn¡¯t we startle the snake by hitting the grass?¡±


    ¡°The snake has to show its head before we can know where itsir is. You did very well tonight.¡±<div>


    As long as they could deceive Qin Qiuxi, it would be a sess.


    ¡°So what are we going to do next?¡±


    ¡°Huai Qing, helping me this time is enough. What I¡¯m going to do next is very dangerous and not suitable for you.¡±


    ¡°Young Master.¡± Huai Qing suddenly stood up, her fists clenched, a sh of resentment in her eyes.


    Bo Yuxun frowned at her.


    ¡°Young Master, please let me join you. I have been learning non-stop every day during these years you have been away. I can do anything and will definitely be able to help you.¡±


    Bo Yuxun quietly stared at her.


    Huai Qing¡¯s gaze was unwavering, and she didn¡¯t back down.


    She had a small, white face, but her eyebrows and eyes revealed a strong determination, like a little grass that sprouted out of the cracks in the rocks, never bowing its head despite the wind and rain.


    Everyone has stories they cannot tell others, converging into the path they have to take in life. Even if the road is full of thorns, they have to keep moving forward.


    Bo Yuxun didn¡¯t ask why; he just asked, ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master, I have been prepared for a long time.¡±


    Bo Yuxun nodded: ¡°Qin Qiuxi will contact you again; report any news to me in time.¡±


    Huai Qing closed the door and left.


    She met Bo Yujiang at the corner.


    ¡°Miss,¡± Huai Qing bowed her head and greeted her before leaving.


    ¡°Did Qin Qiuxi give you a hard time tonight?¡± Bo Yujiang¡¯s gentle voice came from behind.


    Huai Qing turned around and respectfully said, ¡°Miss Qin apologized to me.¡±


    Bo Yujiang squinted her eyes, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like something she would do.¡±<div>


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Miss, I should go and take care of Madam for the night.¡± She left after finishing her statement.


    Bo Yujiang stared at Huai Qing¡¯s retreating figure, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.


    She turned her head to look at the closed door in front of her. What were these two up to?


    ¡ª-<div>


    After leaving the main room where Granny Bo resided, Huai Qing turned into the west ear room next door, which was closer to Granny Bo¡¯s room for easier care.


    The ear room was smaller than a normal wing room, but it was more than enough for her to live in.


    After washing, Huai Qing wrapped her head in a towel and draped a bath towel around her chest, exposing her smooth shoulders.


    Just then, the door to her room was knocked.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked, quickly grabbing a coat to put on.


    ¡°Huai Qing, I suddenly remembered something that I forgot to tell you¡­¡± As the person finished speaking, they pushed open the door and walked in.


    Huai Qing¡¯s back faced the visitor, the ugly scar on her back terribly obvious, before being quickly covered by the coat.


    Huai Qing turned around and frowned at the visitor, ¡°Miss, what do you need from me sote?¡±


    Bo Yujiangughed, ¡°I saw the weather forecast that tomorrow will be nice. If you have time, take Mother to a nearby park for a walk. It¡¯s not good for the elderly to always stay at home.¡±


    Was this matter worth the bother of the youngdy?


    Huai Qing respectfully replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Taking care of Granny Bo is my duty.¡±


    ¡°I have always been at ease with your work; it¡¯s gettingte, so you should rest early.¡± With that, she closed the door and left.


    Bo Yujiang walked along the corridor, the flickering light casting shadows on her face, that fleeting moment in her mind¡­<div>


    There was arge burn scar on Huai Qing¡¯s back.


    What secret was she hiding?¡ª¡ª


    Huai Qing locked the door and turned to face the full-length mirror, taking off her coat with her back to the mirror.


    She gathered her long hair in front of her chest and looked into the mirror.


    In the mirror, she could clearly see the graceful curves of her body, but from her scap down to her waist, about two-thirds of the area was covered in winding, horrifying scars, akin to the terrifying and ugly back of a toad.


    Her fingers gently traced the uneven scars as her eyes seemed to reflect a raging fire.


    The firested three days and three nights, burning down the entire forest as well.


    Power is such a wonderful thing.


    It can turn an arsonist murderer into a natural disaster, and transform a sinister profiteer into a respected nobledy in high society.


    How ironic!


    After closing her robe, Huai Qing walked to the window. On the window sill was a potted tree, its gnarled branches resembling an open umbre, though its leaves had fallen, leaving only bare twigs in the winter.


    Wrapped around these gray, naked branches was a slender vine, so thin that it almost seemed to be relying on the tree for support, like a dodder flower.


    ¡°Our homnd is gone forever, but you¡¯ve always been by my side,¡± she said as she gently stroked the vine. ¡°When will you bloom?¡±<div>


    That day, presumably, was not far off.


    ¡ª¡ª


    That night, while some people had a sleepless night and others were gued by nightmares, there were also some who slumbered peacefully.


    In the bed, Liu Muxue tossed and turned, spreading her limbs like a big ¡°X¡± and upying all four corners of the bed.


    She smacked her lips in her sleep, murmuring, ¡°Delicious¡­ Nanny Cui,e with me.¡±


    Liu Muxue woke up with the urge to urinate, grumbling as she climbed out of bed and exited the living room. She caught a glimpse of a silhouette on the balcony¡¯s ss door.


    Startled, she immediately lost the urge to pee.


    Picking up amp from the corner, Liu Muxue carefully approached the figure.


    ¡°Are you¡­ are you a human or a ghost?¡±


    It was only after turning on the balcony light that she realized it was Ming Jing, sitting with straight back and legs crossed, seemingly asleep. However, her fingers were methodically counting her Buddhist beads.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re cultivating immortality instead of sleeping at night?¡± Liu Muxue let out a sigh of relief, just as the urge to urinate returned. She rushed hurriedly into the bathroom.


    With a refreshed feeling, Liu Muxue came out of the bathroom and slowly exhaled a breath, only to be nearly stabbed by the cold wind as she opened the balcony door. She quickly retreated back into the living room and closed the door.


    ncing at the figure on the balcony, wearing a thin long skirt and sitting as still as an ancient monk, Liu Muxue shuddered unconsciously.<div>


    ¡°Immortal cultivators are truly different.¡± After saying that, she quickly dove back into her warm bed.


    The deep night, the biting wind.


    The night sky spread like a te, the stars arranged like pieces on a chessboard.


    In the endless ck of night, who were the pawns on the chessboard, and who were the yers?


    As the political and cultural center of the country, even the Jingzhou train station was bustlingte into the night.


    Two men in ck were navigating through the crowd, seemingly in search of someone.


    She watched quietly from the darkness.


    Suddenly, someone bumped into her. Catching a glimpse of the person stumbling backward, she saw a belly that was too big for its own good, exposed under the light.


    Her gaze sharpened as she reached out with one hand to grab the woman¡¯s waist and pull her steady.


    The woman had a pair of heartbreakingly beautiful eyes, filled with panic and fear, so much so that anyone who saw them would feel their heart aching.


    ¡°Thank you, brother.¡± The woman hastily covered her belly with her coat, her eyes anxiously scanning the surroundings.


    When she saw the men in ck slowly approaching, the woman¡¯s beautiful face turned an ashen white, filled with despair.


    But she refused to ept her fate, seeking hope even in desperate situations, for she had someone more important to protect.


    At that moment, she saw a pure lotus emerging from the mud, sacred and elegant, exuding a captivating aroma.


    Her gaze fell on the woman¡¯s belly. ¡°Why do they want to catch you?¡±


    The woman hesitated for a moment before giving a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡­¡±


    With danger approaching, exnations were no longer important.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± She took the woman¡¯s hand and led her into the darkness.


    It seemed that fate had already nted a seed when she, filled withpassion, risked exposure to take the woman¡¯s hand that night.


    Karma is a cycle.


    Good begets good, and evil begets evil.


    ¡°Amitofo.¡±

 Chapter 577: 284 Flavors (Second Revision)

    Chapter 577: 284 vors (Second Revision)


    At the breakfast table, Liu Muxue stared at Ming Jing.


    ¡°Do you feel dizzy?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    ¡°Is your nose stuffy?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. Your constitution is too strong. It¡¯s almost inhuman.¡± Liu Muxue couldn¡¯t figure it out, and eventually concluded in a daze.


    Ming Jing is not a normal person.


    Returning to the room to pack up, the trip to Jingzhou hade to an end.


    Bai Ziyan called: ¡°Ming Jing, wait for me at the hotel. Xiao Song and I will pick you up and have lunch together.¡±


    Ming Jing wanted to say it wasn¡¯t necessary, but the other party had already hung up.<div>


    ¡°Is it that Bai kid? I can hear his quacking voice from a distance, like a duck.¡±


    Bai Ziyan was in the midst of his voice breaking, and his speech carried a grainy quality, as if he had phlegm in his throat.


    Ming Jing had only a simple carry-on bag.


    Liu Muxuey on the sofa with a face mask on, while Xiao Fang tidied up her things. Things were scattered everywhere after just one night in Ming Jing¡¯s room, the destructive power was extreme.


    Bai Ziyan called more than ten times to hurry them, and Ming Jing and Liu Muxue finally arrivedte.


    Bai Ziyan stared at Liu Muxue, whose every strand of hair exuded an exquisite air, and snorted coldly, ¡°I knew it was you, wasting my time on someone like you, it¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Liu Muxue took off her sunsses and sneered arrogantly, ¡°You have no gentlemanly manners at all. Learn from Song Yinzhang. You¡¯ll be a bachelor for the rest of your life with that attitude.¡±


    Bai Ziyan clenched his teeth and chuckled coldly, ¡°Men would have to be blind to marry a woman with a temper as explosive and sharp-tongued as you.¡±


    Liu Muxue sat down beside Bai Ziyan, ¡°Sorry, men pursuing me stretches all the way from Xizhimen to Chang¡¯an Street. As for you?¡±


    She looked Bai Ziyan up and down and said disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re not even qualified.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Song Yinzhang quickly soothed him, ¡°Alright, alright, Xiao Bai, say less.¡±


    Ming Jing ignored the argument and silently sat in the back row.


    After Xiao Fang ced all the luggage in the trunk and squeezed in, she silently shrunk into a corner without making a sound.


    The driver started the car and merged into the traffic.


    Bai Ziyan couldn¡¯t swallow his pride and snorted, ¡°Ancient people said ¡®Only women and viins are hard to raise.¡¯ They were absolutely right.¡±


    Liu Muxue lifted her slender leg and took out a sunscreen spray from her bag, applying it to the back of her hand and neck.


    ¡°Not bad, a bumpkin like you can even quote a few lines from Lun Yu. But just because you¡¯re a bumpkin, Kong Saint isn¡¯t on the same intellectual level as you. His ¡®women¡¯ refer to cherishedpanions, not women like your mother, you understand?¡±


    Liu Muxue sneered disdainfully, ¡°If you despise women so much, don¡¯t crawl out of your mother¡¯s womb.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Bai Ziyan¡¯s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fist.<div>


    ¡°Angry and ashamed? I won the best debater award at a debatepetition. If you¡¯re not convinced, let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Just a few words left Bai Ziyan speechless, and his face turned away angrily.


    ¡°How dare you, little guy.¡± Liu Muxue hummed a song and threw a flirty nce at Ming Jing.


    Song Yinzhang saw the tension and felt it necessary to lighten the atmosphere, so he said, ¡°We¡¯re going to pick up someone from the television station first.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue narrowed her eyes, ¡°Qu Feitai?¡±


    Song Yinzhang nodded, ¡°You guessed?¡±


    Liu Muxue crossed her arms, ¡°And I thought you were smart. Who else could enter and exit the TV station but Qu Feitai?¡±


    Song Yinzhangughed, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too clever.¡±


    Liu Muxue nced at him and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Did you have fun at the Bo¡¯s banquetst night?¡±


    Song Yinzhang raised an eyebrow, ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°Not only do I know, but I also saw it.¡± Liu Muxue pouted.


    Bai Ziyan nced at her and eyed her up and down, ¡°Where were youst night?¡±


    ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±


    Time quickly passed by as Bai Ziyan and Liu Muxue bickered and quarreled.


    The car stopped on the roadside opposite the TV station entrance. Before long, a tall man in a ck down jacket and baseball cap appeared.


    Even with a mask on, obscuring his face, the man¡¯s superior physique still made him the focus of attention.


    ¡°Is he Qu Feitai?¡±<div>


    A group of young girls holding banners crouched at the entrance of the TV station, and by looking at the photos and slogans on the banners, it was unmistakably him.


    As they looked at the man¡¯s retreating figure, everyone exchanged nces and rushed up frantically when they realized who it was.


    Fans learned that Qu Feitai recorded a girl idol show at the TV stationst night. Due to an ident in the broadcasting hall, it was dyed until the second day. Fans waited overnight in the freezing wind, enduring cold, exhaustion, and hunger just to catch a glimpse of their idol.Qu Feitai was like a chunk of mobile fat, followed by a pack of drooling, hungry wolves.


    Bai Ziyan, leaning against the window and watching the scene,ughed and pped his thighs.


    Qu Feitai quickened his pace, his long leg stretching gracefully and nimbly hopping over flowerbeds with an elegant pose.


    A group of girls, blocked by the flowerbeds, couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Qu Feitai¡­ Qu Feitai.¡±


    Song Yinzhang wanted to open the car door without saying a word, but Bai Ziyan hurriedly stopped him: ¡°Don¡¯t, wait a little longer, let me see how our superstar deals with these crazy fans, Old Bear, drive quickly.¡± Bai Ziyan ordered the driver to drive.


    Song Yinzhang shook off his hand and frowned, ¡°Xiao Bai, you¡¯re going too far, Xiao Fei will be angry.¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes, ¡°So wretched.¡±


    While Bai Ziyan was not paying attention, she quickly opened the car door.


    The next moment, Qu Feitai stepped in with his long legs bent and entered the car.


    The car door closed, leaving the dust behind. A group of fans screamed and chased after the car, gradually being left far behind.


    Liu Muxue greeted him cheerfully, ¡°Hello, handsome guy, I¡¯m Ming Jing¡¯s best friend, my name is Liu Muxue.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai nodded and stepped on Bai Ziyan¡¯s foot as he passed by him, the next moment the car was filled with Bai Ziyan¡¯s pig-like screams.


    ¡°Qu Feitai, are you murdering your husband?!¡±


    Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow, and said indifferently, ¡°Sorry, my mistake.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up, their eyes met, and Qu Feitai gave her a dazzling smile, as bright as the morning star.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    In fact, it had only been a few days, but for Qu Feitai, a day apart felt like an eternity.


    He sat down next to Ming Jing, took off his baseball cap, raised his hand to smooth out his thick and fluffy hair, which was shapeless and looked like he had just woken up. The ck strands of hair yfully sprang out from between his fingers.


    This hair would be a waste if it didn¡¯t star in a shampoomercial.


    Ming Jing took out a wet tissue from her bag and handed it to him, and Qu Feitai hesitated for a moment.


    Ming Jing pointed at his face.


    Qu Feitai took the tissue, identally touching her fingertips, which felt as cold as ice.


    With a subtle tremor in his heart, Qu Feitai quietly withdrew his hand and wiped his face with the tissue.


    There was a ck stain on the tissue.<div>


    ¡°I was sleeping on the makeup table while removing my makeup after recording the show, and I must have identally rubbed my eyeliner.¡±


    Although he said it lightly, Ming Jing noticed the fatigue in his eyes.


    Ming Jing chuckled, took off the Buddhist beads from her wrist, held it up to his face, and asked, ¡°What do you see?¡±


    Through the circle of the beads, Qu Feitai saw Ming Jing¡¯s lips.


    Her lips were beautiful, small and slightly plump, exuding a mix of ssical beauty and girlish innocence.


    At this moment, her lips moved silently, and Qu Feitai¡¯s consciousness grew blurry.


    In thest moment before losing consciousness, the only thought that shed through Qu Feitai¡¯s mind was,


    What do her lips taste like?


    Liu Muxue eximed, ¡°How did he suddenly faint?¡±


    Ming Jing took the nket from the side and covered him gently, whispering, ¡°He¡¯s just too tired and fell asleep.¡±


    Liu Muxue didn¡¯t care anymore, and turned her attention to Bai Ziyan, ¡°Murdering your own husband? I couldn¡¯t tell that you were a closeted gay.¡±


    Bai Ziyan stomped his foot in anger, ¡°You¡¯re the gay one, your whole family is gay!¡±


    Liu Muxue leisurelyughed, ¡°Look, he¡¯s so angry he¡¯s blushing.¡±


    ¡°Liu Muxue, this young master has never hit a woman, don¡¯t make me break my rule!¡±


    ¡°This youngdy dares you to hit me, go on¡­!¡±


    The two quarreled, but Qu Feitai remained unaffected and slept soundly.


    Someone overtook the car, and the driver suddenly turned the steering wheel, causing Qu Feitai¡¯s head to lean and rest on Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder.


    It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining brightly.


    The winter sun streamed through the car window with the speed of the car, yfullynding on the young girl¡¯s shoulder.


    In his deep slumber, the young man rubbed the girl¡¯s arm, and his thick eyshes cast a shadow under his eyelids. The scene was as serene and beautiful as a stunning oil painting.


    Not knowing what he dreamt about, the boy started to smile.


    Her lips tasted like sweet, sweet peaches.


    Later, Qu Feitai found out that her lips were actually cold.


    It was the taste of snow, crystalline yet icy cold.


    Overwhelming despair that took his breath away.

 Chapter 578: 285 Existence (revised)

    Chapter 578: 285 Existence (revised)


    Qu Feitai hadn¡¯t slept thisfortably in a long time.


    He slowly opened his eyes and found the car empty.


    A faint, elusive fragrance lingered in the air, a scent etched deeply in his memory and haunting his dreams.


    As his thoughts returned, he suddenly felt his head resting on something soft.


    Qu Feitai blinked, instinctively turning his head.


    The car window had blinds drawn, but arge swath of sunlight streamed in from the front seat. Dust danced in the light and shadow, like yful spirits.


    Ming Jing sat at the boundary between light and dark, her long hair quietly draped over her shoulders. Her fair, beautiful side profile wasposed and gentle, her high, delicate nose like a solitary peak in a mountain valley, wrapped in mist, a vague and lonely figure.


    She sat quietly, her eyes half-closed, as if in deep meditation, breathing so softly it was barely audible.


    In this suffocating silence, Qu Feitai suddenly raised his hand to cover his heart.


    His heart started pounding violently.<div>


    Ming Jing slowly opened her eyes and pulled back the blinds. Bright sunlight rushed in eagerly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re awake, let¡¯s get off the car.¡± Ming Jing got up and walked out of the car.


    Dumbfounded, Qu Feitai stared at her retreating figure. Had she been sitting like that the whole time while he slept? For his convenience, she hadn¡¯t gotten out of the car, remaining inside to wait for him to wake.


    Qu Feitai lowered his gaze to the nket on his body, a smile ying at the corners of his eyes.


    Jumping out of the car, Qed stretched heartily in the sunlight. Days of exhaustion and fatigue vanished after a good night¡¯s sleep, leaving him refreshed and invigorated. He could run a marathon with no problem.


    Wearing a face mask and a baseball cap, Qu Feitai caught up with Ming Jing with long strides.


    Bai Ziyan had chosen a hotpot restaurant for their gathering. Despite being a second-generation rich kid, he preferred local-style food over high-end restaurants, which he found not only unappetizing but also insufficiently filling. He thought those ces were only good for impressing naive women and showing off, while a hotpot ce provided a lively atmosphere and satisfying meals for friends meeting up.


    The hotpot restaurant was a popr national chain known for excellent service, practically offering to help you even in the bathroom.


    Bai Ziyan booked a private room and explicitly requested minimal service, asking for the ingredients to be left by the door.


    Wasn¡¯t he considerate enough since there was a big celebrity to take care of? Bai Ziyan thought he had done his part.


    The hotpot bubbled and emitted steam, the room was fully air-conditioned, and the entire space was filled with the unmistakable aroma of hotpot.


    ¡°Does Ming Jing have feelings for Xiao Fei? I feel like something¡¯s off,¡± Bai Ziyan asked, voicing his doubts.


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes: ¡°Even if it¡¯s a dog sitting there, Ming Jing would do the same. It¡¯s not just because he¡¯s Qu Feitai that he receives such special treatment from her. Can you understand logic?¡±


    Only brothers could speak ill of each other. Bai Ziyan immediately objected when others joined in, ¡°Who are you calling a dog?¡±


    ¡°If the dog thinks I¡¯m scolding someone, then that¡¯s who I¡¯m scolding.¡±


    ¡°For a pretty young girl, how can you talk so rudely? Have your parents ever taught you any manners?¡± Bai Ziyan mmed the table and roared angrily.


    He couldn¡¯t bear it any longer.


    Liu Muxue took a cup of water and sshed it onto Bai Ziyan¡¯s face, ¡°Rinse your dirty mouth.¡±


    Bai Ziyan was dumbfounded, having been sshed with water for the first time in his life. It was just¡­ too interesting.<div>


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s eyes seemed to shoot mes. If Liu Muxue had been a barrel of gasoline, she would have exploded in a 360-degree spiral by now.


    When Bai Ziyan was on the verge of exploding, Song Yinzhang stepped forward and patted Bai Ziyan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Xiao Bai, don¡¯t get angry. It¡¯s not worth ruining your health. Muxue, you should also hold your tongue. In the future, you two should probably meet less. It¡¯s for the best for everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with you?¡±


    Bai Ziyan and Liu Muxue snapped at Song Yinzhang at the same time. As they spoke, they both froze, red at each other resentfully, and turned their heads simultaneously.


    Song Yinzhang, who had been scolded: ¡­


    So everything was his fault.


    No matter what they talked about, they would always end up arguing in the end. Song Yinzhang was truly impressed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two just get together and stop bothering others? Just deal with each other!¡±


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s face stiffened, ring at Liu Muxue reluctantly, as if unwilling to give in, ¡°Who wants to be a couple with her? She¡¯s too ugly!¡±Liu Muxue sneered disdainfully, ¡°Song Yinzhang, if you can¡¯t see, go to the ophthalmologist. Don¡¯t let this thin chick with barely any meat on her try to round things up, okay?¡±


    Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Song Yinzhang quickly yelled, ¡°Stop! Do you two remember why we¡¯re here today? Please, can I just enjoy a peaceful meal?¡±


    Look at what they¡¯ve done to the gentle gentleman.


    When Ming Jing walked in, she saw Song Yinzhang¡¯s teary eyes, and he looked at her like she was his savior.


    After Ming Jing appeared, Bai Ziyan and Liu Muxue calmed down, no longer confronting each other head-on.


    Then Qu Feitai walked in, removing his hat and mask, and hung his down jacket in the corner cab.


    There¡¯s a reason for hanging the clothes outside ¨C the service is really thoughtful.<div>


    With everyone present, the feast began.


    Ming Jing sat right between Liu Muxue and Qu Feitai, and then Bai Ziyan and Song Yinzhang, all sitting around a round table.


    Liu Muxue knew that Ming Jing didn¡¯t eat spicy food, so she ordered a mushroom soup base and some of Ming Jing¡¯s usual vegetarian dishes.


    Bai Ziyan rolled up his sleeves, wiped his spicy-induced runny nose, and while swishing a piece of tripe in the pot with his chopsticks, he asked, ¡°Xiao Fei, when are you finished filming your idol drama? My uncle¡¯s crew is heading to Yulong Snow Mountain next month, and he wants you to join them. What do you think?¡±


    In fact, it was his own idea, but since he didn¡¯t know anyone in the crew, bringing a friend along would make it more fun. If Qu Feitai joined, his cousin would definitely be thrilled.


    As good friends who grew up together, Qu Feitai saw right through Bai Ziyan¡¯s thoughts. He leisurely picked up a piece of tofu with serving chopsticks and put it on Ming Jing¡¯s te, filled her ss with warm water, and said, ¡°The filming for the idol drama is over. Now I need to prepare for the new album¡¯s MV. The leading song¡­ the actors for the MV haven¡¯t been selected yet.¡±


    All along, he only had one person in mind, but he knew it was just a pipe dream.


    If it¡¯s not her, then anyone else would simply be imitating her ¨C and he couldn¡¯t allow anyone to tarnish the goddess in his heart.


    With that in mind, he could only remove this song from the album and keep it forever in his heart.


    Bai Ziyan raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Ming Jing.


    It has to be said that good friends always have your back at the right moments.


    ¡°The leading song of your new album is ¡®White Robe,¡¯ right?¡±


    The song was first performed at a concert, and the live versionter became a huge hit online. However, Qu Feitai never sold themercial rights to the song. In fact, all music apps were infringing on copyrights, and Huang Chao even sued thosepanies. But, since the song was so popr, it couldn¡¯t be stopped. Eventually, many singing shows and inte celebrities relied on the song¡¯s poprity to make a living.<div>


    Qu Feitai¡¯s new album has ten songs in total, and everyone knows that the re-arranged ¡®White Robe¡¯ as the main song is just a matter of course. Everyone also knows the song has special meaning to him.


    Song Yinzhang and Liu Muxue nced at Ming Jing subconsciously as well.


    By now, the whole world knows who Qu Feitai¡¯s ¡®White Robe¡¯ was written for.


    Liu Muxue clicked her tongue, finding this couple quite intriguing.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to make the MV ¨C let Ming Jing star in it. The song was written for her, after all. It would definitely blow up the inte. There¡¯s no need for acting skills in an MV ¨C just posing, looking pretty is enough.¡±


    Qu Feitai red at him, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    He turned to Ming Jing with an apologetic expression, ¡°Ming Jing, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense¡­¡¯].¡±


    Ming Jing put down her chopsticks, picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth, and then looked straight into Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes. Under theyer of mist, her eyes seemed to be filled with the tenderness of melting spring water.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s heart instantly melted away.


    She said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Qu Feitai stared at her lips, thinking of the dream he just had. At this moment, her lips must taste like a hotpot.


    In that brief opening and closing, everything stood still, and he could only hear the rapid beating of his heart.


    Love is an elusive thing. Throughout history, countless poets have sung its praises, and many beauties and talents have gone mad for it. In movies, songs, and novels, it is always the eternal theme.<div>


    It seems as if we were born to exist for the sake of love.


    But, no one can say for sure what love truly is.


    In the void, a door appeared, and someone told him that if he pushed it open, he¡¯d never recover.


    Without hesitation, he pushed open the door.


    For you, life and death without regret, eternal rest and contentment.

 Chapter 579: 286 Plotting Attack (Second Watch)

    Chapter 579: 286 Plotting Attack (Second Watch)


    Ming Jing stood up: ¡°You guys eat slowly, I¡¯ll step out for some fresh air.¡±


    With that, she pushed open the door of the private room and walked out.


    As soon as Ming Jing left, Bai Ziyan moved closer to Qu Feitai, excitedly patted him on the back, ¡°Nice, bro, there¡¯s a chance! I support you.¡±


    Qu Feitai pped away his hand, coldly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Ming Jing is helping me.¡±


    She would do the same for anyone in the room.


    Bai Ziyan raised his eyebrows: ¡°Bro, I¡¯ll give you seven words: ¡®the nearer water tform gets the moon first.¡¯¡±


    Liu Muxue red at Qu Feitai.


    With the halo of being a big star gone, she found him more and more annoying now.


    All men in the world are annoying.


    Liu Muxue deliberately knocked the cups and saucers to make a harsh noise, not hiding her sarcasm: ¡°I¡¯ll give someone eight words: ¡®a toad wants to eat swan meat, huh!¡¯¡±<div>


    She grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the te, did not care about the others¡¯ interesting expressions, got up, and ran out.


    Bai Ziyan¡¯s face turned pale: ¡°Who is she calling a toad?¡±


    Song Yinzhang helplessly said: ¡°I, I am the toad¡­¡±


    It¡¯s hard to be a human!


    Qu Feitai showed no change in expression, looked at the time, and put down his chopsticks: ¡°It¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s go and take them to the airport.¡±


    Everyone was rtively quiet on the way to the airport.


    Even the most boisterous Bai Ziyan went silent.


    Liu Muxue stood up and looked at the front seat, and found that he was asleep, with saliva almost dripping out.


    He either eats or sleeps, like a reincarnated pig.


    Liu Muxue took out her phone and sneakily took a photo of Bai Ziyan¡¯s indecent sleeping position.


    The ¡°click¡± of her camera shutter didn¡¯t close.


    At this moment, Bai Ziyan opened his eyes, still looking a little dazed. When he saw Liu Muxue holding her phone, he instantly reacted, jumped up and tried to snatch Liu Muxue¡¯s phone.


    ¡°You dare to take pictures of me? Delete the photo!¡±


    Liu Muxue refused to give in, and while they were fighting, Bai Ziyan¡¯s face was identally scratched by her sharp nails.


    Bai Ziyan and Liu Muxue both paused. Before Bai Ziyan could get angry, Liu Muxue quickly said, ¡°Who asked you to grab my phone? I¡¯ll say sorry to you, okay? I never say sorry to anyone.¡±


    She said it as if the person being apologized to was lucky.


    Bai Ziyan got even angrier, and just as they were about to start fighting again, Song Yinzhang, who was sitting next to Bai Ziyan and affected by themotion, said emotionlessly: ¡°Master, stop the car. You two get off and fight.¡±


    The two obediently sat down, snorted, and each settled in their seats.


    Ming Jing sat in the back and watched the scene with a slight smile on her lips.<div>


    Qu Feitai raised his eyebrows and whispered, ¡°When we were in elementary school, a beautiful little girl transferred to our ss and became Little Bai¡¯s deskmate. Little Bai bullied her every day, like setting her braids on fire, hiding mustard in her cookies, putting caterpirs in her textbooks, and all sorts of other mean stuff. That little girl cried and ran home almost every day. One day she stoppeding to school, and the teacher told us she had transferred. Little Bai started crying on the spot.¡±


    ¡°We asked him, ¡®Don¡¯t you hate her? You bully her every day. Now that she¡¯s gone like you wanted, why are you so sad?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Do you know what Little Bai said then?¡± Qu Feitai looked at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°To tease someone is not to hate them, but to try to attract their attention. However, he didn¡¯t realize how much trauma and damage his self-righteous behavior could cause a young girl.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai smiled, ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from you. I think Bai Ziyan has met his match this time. One thing will lower another thing, enough for him to be vexed.¡±


    When they arrived at the airport, Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t get out of the car. He said to Ming Jing, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you about the MV on WeChat tomorrow. Have a good rest tonight and send me a text when you get home.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, put on her backpack, and got out of the car.


    ¡°Chick, goodbye, no, never see you again.¡± Liu Muxue made a grimace, and before Bai Ziyan could get angry, she hurriedly got out of the car.


    ¡°Little Bai, Little Fei, I¡¯m leaving. Come and visit Jiangzhou when you have time.¡± Song Yinzhang waved and walked out of the car.


    Breathing in the fresh air, they finally felt alive again.


    Seeing the three of them disappear at the entrance of the airport, Qu Feitai pulled back his gaze, saying indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡± Bai Ziyan suddenly felt bored, the sadness of parting swept over him, making him sentimental.


    ¡°I heard that Red Moon got a super hot new girl, and her first night was all the rage. How about I take you there to join the fun?¡±


    Qu Feitai kicked at him, ¡°Get lost.¡±¡ª¡ª


    The moment the business car left, a taxi stopped immediately afterwards.


    ¡°That¡¯s eighty-two yuan in total.¡± The driver showed his WeChat code.


    However, the passenger in the back seat handed over a hundred-yuan banknote without saying a word, then got out of the car and walked away quickly.<div>


    ¡°Hey, I haven¡¯t given you change yet.¡± The driver stuck his head out of the window and shouted, but the other party seemed to be deaf, not turning back as he entered the airport terminal.


    The driver stared at the banknote in his hand and muttered, ¡°What a strange person.¡±


    He was wrapped from head to toe with no skin exposed, which was quite exaggerated even for winter.


    Nowadays, young people rarely use paper money, they should keep up with the times.


    Could he be a fugitive?


    ¡°Beep, beep¡± a car behind honked. The security guard also gestured at him, so the taxi driver hurriedly started the car and left, shaking his head to cast the strange person out of his mind.


    The three of them were in line at the check-in counter toplete their boarding procedures.


    Liu Muxue was twisting her head in boredom when she suddenly spotted the strange person. She quickly grabbed Ming Jing and pointed to the man, ¡°Could he be a terrorist? That¡¯s how they y it in movies.¡±


    Immediately, her mind filled with dozens of hijacking scenes.


    Ming Jing gave a cursory nce, ¡°Maybe he has a skin condition?¡±


    ¡°He could also be like Nana, recovering from cosmetic surgery and not fit to be seen, haha.¡± Liu Muxue quickly put the matter out of her mind.


    Afterpleting the procedures, the three of them turned to leave the counter, leaving a long queue behind them.


    Liu Muxue was texting someone on her phone, Song Yinzhang was checking the boarding passes andparing them with the flight information scrolling on therge screen opposite, while Ming Jing wasgging behind the two.<div>


    As Ming Jing brushed past the man, his fingertips moved slightly, and he lowered his eyes without a sound.


    ¡°Excuse me, please show your ID,¡± the staff at the counter gently reminded.


    The man took out his ID card and ced it on the counter.


    The staff member took it, ced the ID on the device, and quickly disyed the man¡¯s identity and ticket information on theputer screen.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Cen. You bought today¡¯s J2508 flight to Jiangzhou at 12:45 pm, economy ss. The system has automatically assigned you a seat¡­ Do you need to check in any baggage?¡±


    The man shook his head.


    With an unchanged smile, the staff member said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can you please take off your sunsses so we can verify your identity?¡±


    Airport staff were used to seeing all kinds of people, but this man¡¯s outfit was quite strange. They had to make sure he wasn¡¯t up to anything bad.


    Hearing the request, the man took off his sunsses and mask. The staff took a close look, confirming the person matched the photo on the ID, a bit handsome, but perhaps having gained weight, as his face appeared puffier than in the photo, with his eyes slightly red.


    As long as they confirmed it was the same person and he wasn¡¯t on any wanted list, the staff let their guard down.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your boarding pass, please take care of it¡­¡±


    Before the staff finished speaking, the man took the boarding pass and turned to leave.


    Before takeoff, the announcement kindly reminded passengers to turn off their phones or switch them to flight mode.<div>


    Seated by the window in economy ss, the man looked at thetest message sent by Contact Y five minutes ago on his phone.


    It was a person¡¯s information.


    ¡ª¡ªName: Zhou Xue, age: 29, education: Undergraduate degree in Business Management from Jiangzhou University, went abroad to earn a Master¡¯s in Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology an M Country, returned to be the assistant secretary of someone¡­


    The listid out all of the person¡¯s likes and dislikes so clearly that the individual themselves probably didn¡¯t know them so well.


    The moment he finished reading thest word, the information was automatically deleted.


    To attack one¡¯s ns is to subdue the enemy without fighting.


    The man turned off his phone, looked towards the clouds, which were like cotton, getting closer and closer outside the window.


    Blue skies represented freedom, seemingly within reach.


    Once she thought the same, but in the end, it came at a terrible price.


    Now, like her, I have be a prisoner in this cage, unable to break free.


    I watch the clouds you once saw, feel the wind you once felt, and walk the roads you once walked.


    Never has life been so carefree.


    Even if the path he¡¯s on is one that leads to death.

 Chapter 580: 287 Money Fanatic (First change)

    Chapter 580: 287 Money Fanatic (First change)


    Jiangzhou is warmer than Jingzhou, vored with the salty, humid scent of the sea breeze.


    Unlike the direct, bone-chilling cold in Jingzhou, it¡¯s more discreet and cunning, gently boiling you like a frog in warm water, catching you off guard when you least expect it.


    I¡¯ve lived in Jiangzhou for many years and have grown ustomed to its weather.


    As soon as I walked out of the airport, a sense of familiarity hit me. It was as if I had just returned to spring.


    Uncle Liu came over with respectful greetings, the Rolls-Royce parked nearby.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally back. The Madam and Sir have been talking nonstop about how much they¡¯ve missed you. Hurry ande home with me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I bet they¡¯re the happiest when I¡¯m not around. You yourself can go back, I¡¯m going to spend some days with my friend.¡± Liu Muxue, arm in arm with Ming Jing, was ready to leave.


    Uncle Liu looked in surprise at the young girl standing next to Liu Muxue. Initially, he was shocked by the mention of a friend from his Miss, but when he noticed the girl¡¯s extraordinarily outstanding appearance and demeanor, he was even more surprised.


    Because the young Miss had a weak constitution since childhood, the Madam and Sir have been extra indulgent, leading her to develop a capricious and willful personality. No one in Liuxian Town could control her, and she had no friends in school. ording to her own words, they were all a bunch of opportunists, unworthy to be her friends. Now she was actually acknowledging someone as a friend..If Madam and Sir were to see this, they would definitely be moved to tears.


    Uncle Liu, however, didn¡¯t press her. The Miss finally has a friend. He couldn¡¯t mess this up.<div>


    ¡°Then let Uncle Liu give you a ride home, and may I know how to address this Miss?¡± Uncle Liu asked politely.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly and bowed her head,¡±No need to be polite, Uncle Liu, just call me Ming Jing. My chauffeur is here to pick me up too. Muxue will spend a few days with me, don¡¯t worry and let Madam and Sir know, I will take good care of her.¡±


    This girl spoke elegantly and thoughtfully, showcasing her good upbringing. Uncle Liu nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Then I will have to trouble you, Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    Liu Muxue waved her hand, ¡°You should head back, don¡¯t hang around here aimlessly.¡±


    Xiao Fang followed them closely pushing tworge suitcases.


    As if something urred to her, Liu Muxue stepped back a few paces, and whispered mysteriously into Uncle Liu¡¯s ear, ¡°Tell me, has that person been behaving at home these past days?¡±


    Uncle Liu was a little startled. When he realized who she was referring to as ¡°that person,¡± he couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Miss, rest assured. The young master is thorough and meticulous in his work. Even the most demanding elders are full of praises for him.¡± Speaking of Liu Jingyun, Uncle Liu¡¯s eyes unconsciously glowed with pride.


    Liu Muxue hmphed, ¡°He¡¯s the best at pretending, all of you have been deceived by him.¡±


    ¡°Miss, your misunderstanding of the young master is too deep. He really is the best person I¡¯ve met.¡±


    Liu Muxue mumbled, ¡°He¡¯s also really good at bewitching the hearts of the people, alright. You can leave now.¡±


    Uncle Liu looked at Liu Muxue¡¯s receding figure and sighed.


    The Miss¡¯ misunderstanding of the young master is so profound. It¡¯s so unfair to the young master.


    As Uncle Liu was about to turn around, a man dressed in ck walked past him. The man was dressed in strangely old-fashioned clothes, and Uncle Liu couldn¡¯t help but take a second nce.


    ¡°Is it that cold? Wrapped up like a dumpling, people from big cities sure are odd.¡±


    The man hailed a cab and got in. The driver, speaking with a Jiangzhou ent, asked, ¡°Where to?¡±


    The man removed his sunsses and looked out the window.


    Ming Jing and Liu Muxue were saying goodbye to Song Yinzhang and got into a ck sedan.


    The sun in Jiangzhou is pretty blinding. The man lifted his hand to shield his eyes.<div>


    Underneath the mask, the corners of his lips slowly lifted.


    ¡°Jiangzhou High School.¡±


    His name was Cen Ning, a graduate from a teaching university with five years of teaching experience but was expelled from school for offending the leaders.


    Through the introduction of a university ssmate, he came to apply for a job at Jiangzhou High School.<div>


    Thirty years old, divorced, single, without children.


    What an impable resume, who wouldn¡¯t be without fault?


    The man¡¯s fingers lightly tapped on the car window. The cold wind rushed in, causing the driver to shrink his neck and quickly roll up the window.


    identally catching a glimpse in the rearview mirror, the driver came face to face with a pair of pitch-ck, deep eyes that were quietly staring at him. Even in broad daylight, it sent an inexplicable chill running down his spine.


    The driver got distracted, nearly rear-ending someone at a red light. He swerved the steering wheel sharply, causing the car to turn abruptly and veer off the original route.


    Nervously swallowing his saliva, the driver hastily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a tissue.


    ¡°Why¡­ why does it feel so hot?¡±The window that was just closed was reopened.


    The cold wind whooshed in, drying the sweat at the nape of the driver, cooling him so much that his body shuddered.


    The man turned his head towards the window, his fingers lightly resting on the car window.


    That suffocating pressure dissipated, and the driver secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Zhou Xue?¡± A cold sneer slipped out from the corner of the man¡¯s lips, his pitch-dark eyes unfathomably deep.


    Let¡¯s start with you then.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    Half a month had passed since Ming Jing left, and Jiangzhou was calm, no different from when she left.


    Today was Friday and the children had not yet been dismissed from school.


    Han Suwen found out that Ming Jing was back and had brought a friend. She had prepared avish dinner in advance.


    Liu Muxue examined the house with hands on her hips and couldn¡¯t help but nod: ¡°Not bad, not bad, avish t with a fantastic river view, but I don¡¯t like living in the city, it feels like being trapped in a box. Our little vi at home is better.¡±


    Liu Muxue stood on the balcony. Looking over from more than twenty floors up, she could see the bustling city beneath, giving her a feeling of superiority and audacity.


    Ming Jing poured a cup of hot water for her, ¡°I have three juniors, the oldest is nine, the youngest is five. They are all well-behaved, don¡¯t bully them.¡±


    Liu Muxue gave her a nce, ¡°In your eyes, am I such a bully? You think I won¡¯t even spare children?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ming Jing received a phone call and left.


    Liu Muxue grumbled, ¡°Discrimination, downright discrimination.¡±


    At this moment, the door lock sounded, and a girl in her early teens charged in frantically, shouting: ¡®Ming Jing¡­ Ming Jing where are you?¡¯¡±


    Seeing a person standing on the balcony, the girl rushed over without hesitation and hugged her waist, ¡°Ming Jing, I missed you so much, I thought of you while eating, doing my homework, memorizing English words, even when I was dreaming, I was thinking of you.¡±


    The girl started crying as she spoke.


    The person in front of her was taken aback, jumped aside, and sharply eximed: ¡°Your tears are spilling on my skirt, this is Chanel¡¯s limited edition¡­.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue touched a sticky transparent liquid, became paralyzed and questioned, ¡°What¡­ what is this stuff? Snot?¡±


    She waspletely thrown off and red furiously at the baffled girl in front of her.


    Before Ming Chen could recover from the shock that this person was not Ming Jing, she was scared awake by the fiercely ring eyes.


    This was her home, she had nothing to be afraid of, with hands on her hips she asked, ¡°Who are you? Where is Ming Jing? Why are you in my house?¡±


    Liu Muxue rushed to the bathroom and scrubbed her hands with soap several times, almost until her skin was raw.


    Ming Ti saw all this, walked over and said to Ming Chen, ¡°She should be Ming Jing¡¯s friend.¡±


    But this woman was incredibly rude. How could Ming Jing be friends with someone like this?


    Liu Muxue came out of the bathroom and looked at two identical little faces in front of her. She chuckled, ¡°You two are Ming Jing¡¯s juniors, right? Let me introduce myself. I am Liu Muxue, your senior¡¯s best and only close friend. You might hate me, but I¡¯m sorry, we might see each other often in the future, so please bear with me. After all, you¡¯ll get used to it, haha.¡±


    Seeing the woman¡¯s arrogance, Ming Chen clenched her fist and suddenly put on a sweet smile, ¡°So you¡¯re Sister Liu, as Ming Jing¡¯s friend, that makes you my sister as well. Sister Liu, you¡¯re really pretty, like a doll.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s eyes were bright and innocent, making the person sheplimented somewhat embarrassed.


    Liu Muxue coughed, as the saying goes, you don¡¯t hit someone who¡¯s smiling at you. The little girl was so pretty, sweet, and above all, Ming Jing¡¯s junior, she couldn¡¯t go too far when at someone else¡¯s house.


    Liu Muxue took off the gold bracelet from her wrist and stuffed it into Ming Chen¡¯s hand, then took off her earrings and gave them to Ming Ti, ¡°Well, it¡¯s our first meeting, and I don¡¯t have any good gifts for you. I wore these essories just once, and they¡¯re all limited editions. There won¡¯t be any duplicate pieces, you can y with them. Consider them gifts from your sister at our first meeting.¡±


    This was too extravagant, giving gold bracelets at a first meeting. Although the bracelet was thin, the emerald set in it was simply top-notch, carefully carved with traditional craftsmanship, definitely a special piece.<div>


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes lighted up instantly, but she sweetly said, ¡°This won¡¯t do. Ming Jing doesn¡¯t allow us to take things from others, especially such valuable items, we can¡¯t ept.¡±


    Wow, this little girl was truly sensible, hundreds of times better than those naughty kids.


    Liu Muxue said sternly, ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you, there¡¯s no taking it back. This is something between me and your sister. She has no say in it. Humph.¡±


    Ming Chen pursed her lips, somewhat reluctantly, ¡°Well then, I will hold onto it for now. But, Sister, if Ming Jing disagrees, I will return it to you.¡±


    Behind Liu Muxue, Ming Chen smiled in a way that revealed only her teeth, sneakily stroking the gold bracelet. There were only two words in her bright eyes.


    Money-mad.


    Ming Ti almost couldn¡¯t bear to watch.

 Chapter 581: 288 Immortal (Second Update)

    Chapter 581: 288 Immortal (Second Update)


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t say much when she found out, and Ming Chen happily put the gold bracelet in the small gold vault.


    Xiao Ying and Ming Yi also returned.


    Ming Yi had an even sweeter mouth than Ming Chen, and she was blessed with pure innocence.


    Liu Muxue fell for her act and gave her the pendant from around her neck.


    Xiao Ying looked at the pendant, and it was a fancy brand diamond pendant worth several tens of thousands. The other party just gave it away easily.


    The youngdies¡¯ friends were really not ordinary people.


    ¡°Did all of you, including your second sister, grow up in the mountains? Were you all really nuns before?¡±


    Liu Muxue looked at the three delicate and beautiful faces in front of her, which werepletely different from the thin, malnourished, and slovenly little nuns she had imagined.


    Was her understanding wrong?


    Why was it so different from what she had imagined?<div>


    Ming Chen nodded obediently: ¡°Yes, Sister Liu, we were all orphans taken in by Master. But after Master passed away, Senior Ming Jing let us return to secr life.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyes darted around, ¡°Then what about your Senior Sister?¡±


    Ye Zhen was Ming Jing¡¯s Senior Sister, and the five sisters always gave her a very strange feeling.


    Ye Zhen didn¡¯t look at all like someone who had lived a rough life in the mountains for sixteen years. When the two of them went shopping, Ye Zhen knew all about the luxury brands, had a lot of experience in dressing and skincare, and was even familiar with the food and customs of Jingzhou. At the time, Liu Muxue didn¡¯t think much of it, but the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.


    When they mentioned Senior Sister, the three of them looked sad at the same time. Ming Chen sighed, ¡°Although I miss my sister, it¡¯s not the right time to meet.¡±


    She had a bit of Ming Jing¡¯s demeanor, acting mature beyond her age.


    Ming Ti secretly nudged Ming Chen, signaling her to keep her mouth shut and not reveal anything about their eldest sister to strangers.


    Liu Muxue nced at Ming Ti, who was very cautious. She hadn¡¯t seen her smile from beginning to end.


    ¡°I just met your elder sister not long ago, didn¡¯t your second sister tell you?¡± Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows and said.


    The three of them simultaneously looked up in shock, incredulous, ¡°Where did you meet our eldest sister?¡±


    ¡°In Jingzhou, of course. She was with your second sister the whole time, and then¡­ she went to shoot a movie, I guess.¡±


    ¡°What? Eldest sister woke up? Why didn¡¯t Second Sister tell us?¡± Ming Chen immediately dashed to the second floor.


    ¡°Second Sister, Second Sister, did our eldest sister wake up?¡±


    Woke up?


    Liu Muxue raised her eyebrows; it was getting stranger and stranger.


    Ming Ti gave a wary re at Liu Muxue before turning and running up to the second floor.


    Liu Muxue looked at the quiet Ming Yi: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    Ming Yi smiled sweetly: ¡°Second Sister will tell us when it¡¯s time, why should we rush?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s true what she said, our eldest sister has indeed woken up.¡±


    As soon as Ming Jing finished speaking, Ming Chen jumped up excitedly.


    ¡°Great, I want to see my eldest sister.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°Not now, our eldest sister has important things to attend to. Let¡¯s just wait for another time.¡±<div>


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    Ming Chen still wanted to say something, but Ming Ti quickly pulled her back: ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that our eldest sister has woken up? We should do as our second sister says. We¡¯re not in the temple anymore; our eldest sister has her own life too. She can¡¯t be with us all the time.¡±


    Ming Chen sighed.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°But, second sister¡­ can I at least make a phone call to our eldest sister? I just want to hear her voice, and I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s eyes were so pitiful that it was hard to refuse.


    While at the temple, Ming Chen loved to stick close to her senior sister. Ming Jing had always had an indifferent personality. Her junior sisters were somewhat afraid of her, especially when Ming Jing was teaching them to read and write. In their hearts, their second sister held a position simr to their Master, she was a strict teacher and a loving mother whom they must respect.


    But their eldest sister was different; although she would sometimes bully and tease them, as well as scold them when they did something wrong, she would also be the first to stand up to protect them if they were being bullied. The eldest sister often went down the mountain and would secretly bring them snacks and do many interesting things to entertain them. In their hearts, she was just like a real sister.


    Their feelings for their eldest sister werepletely different from their respect for Ming Jing.


    Ming Ti also showed a longing look.


    Ming Jing was silent for a moment, ¡°Tonight, you guys go eat dinner first.¡±


    ¡°Yay, second sister is the best.¡± Ming Chen hugged Ming Jing and flew away like a happy butterfly.


    Ming Jing thought for a moment, then picked up her phone and called Ye Zhen.<div>


    It took three rings for the phone to be answered, ¡°The emotions here need to be very intense, Teacher Zhou really deserves the title of Best Actor; his understanding is just too strong¡­ hello¡­.¡±Upon hearing Ye Zhen¡¯s words, she nced at the iing call disy and immediately sat up straight, apologetically looking at Zhou Zhengru sitting across from her and then went to the side with her phone.


    ¡°Ming Jing? I¡¯m sorry, I just finished rehearsing with Zhou Zhengru. Are you back in Jiangzhou? I¡¯m going to have to study some scripts soon, so I can¡¯t go back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, your filming is more important.¡±


    Ye Zhen found it very strange that Ming Jing would call her, as Ming Jing wasn¡¯t the type to call without a specific reason or to ask how she was doing. Her personality was indifferent to the point that¡­how to put it¡­ Ye Zhen stood by the hotel¡¯s floor-to-ceiling window, watching the sunset¡¯s afterglow.


    It was like a wisp of floating clouds on the horizon, visible but untouchable.


    Her calling you would truly make you feel ttered.


    ¡°Ye Zhen.¡± Ming Jing started, and somehow, Ye Zhen detected a trace of hesitation in her voice.


    Could Ming Jing actually be hesitant? That was truly unprecedented.


    Ye Zhen focused intently, ready for anything, as she predicted that the words Ming Jing was about to say were of great importance.


    ¡°When you have timeter on, give your juniors a call. They know you¡¯re awake, they¡¯re happy, and they want to talk to you.¡±


    Ye Zhen was startled.


    The ¡°her¡± Ming Jing was referring to wasn¡¯t Ye Zhen, but Ming Xin.


    Ye Zhen didn¡¯t feel at all disappointed. Instead, a great joy surged in her heart.<div>


    This meant that Ming Jing had epted her, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t let her know about this.


    This phone call meant that she was going to be integrated into Ming Xin¡¯s life.


    ¡°I¡­ I understand, I¡¯ll call themter.¡± Ye Zhen¡¯s voice trembled slightly.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t say anything more, just hung up the phone directly.


    Ye Zhen stared nkly at the disconnected phone, suddenly covering her mouth as tears ¡°pitter-pattered¡± down.


    Her existence meant the disappearance of Ming Xin.


    Ye Zhen knew she shouldn¡¯t be so selfish, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    Ming Xin, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of your juniors. Please fulfill this selfish wish of mine.


    Ye Zhen wiped her tears and turned back to the table.


    Zhou Zhengru raised an eyebrow and handed her a tissue.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    Ye Zhen shook her head: ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m too happy.¡±


    The girl broke into a smile through her tears, finally unable to hold back any longer and began to cry. But her tears were not of grief, they were bright and piercing after being washed with water.<div>


    Zhou Zhengru smiled, stood up, and gently patted her shoulder. Ye Zhen leaned against his shoulder and wept.


    Ever since she had died inexplicably, she had never cried no matter how difficult her journey had been. Because tears were useless in her life, they only made her weaker.


    So she built herself a hard shell, shielding her heart from everyone.


    However, when Ming Jing spoke those words just now, her strength crumbled to pieces.


    Her rtives treated her like a cash cow, her friends betrayed her, and her lover exploited and brutally killed her¡­


    Her life had be a tragedy.


    ¡°I have a family now, I have a family¡­¡±, she kept repeating, her voice choked with emotion, on the verge of breaking down.


    Like a new sprout breaking through the withered earth, it weed a new beginning under the nourishment of sunlight and rain.


    Zhou Zhengru looked at the girl crying in pain, and his heart suddenly ached,


    He lowered his gaze, sighed gently, and pulled her into his embrace.


    ¡°In Greek mythology, there is a bird that, when close to death, builds a nest using fragrant branches, and then burns itself in the mes. When the branches are nearly burnt out, a new bird will emerge from the fire and anoint the previous bird with myrrh, and they will fly together towards the city of the sun¡­¡±


    Your eyes are the most beautiful sight I¡¯ve ever seen in this world.


    It¡¯s a spark ignited in the desperate situation that will burn everything eventually. I¡¯m willing to offer a sacrifice.


    From now on, let me be the immortal bird that protects you.


    Ye Zhen suddenly came to her senses and pushed him away with all her might.


    Ye Zhen wished she could p herself. Wasn¡¯t what she had gone through with Xue An enough? Did she want to fall into the same trap twice?


    Ye Zhen was now afraid of the word ¡°actor.¡±


    Zhou Zhengru was indeed perfect, an impable actor with great character.


    However, Xue An had been even more perfect in his deception back then.


    Zhou Zhengru was taken aback, looked at his empty palm and shook his head with a bitter smile.

 Chapter 582: 289 Tender Sound (First Watch)

    Chapter 582: 289 Tender Sound (First Watch)


    During dinner with Ming Chen and the others, Ming Jing came downstairs.


    She wore a white ankle-length dress covered by a ck trench coat, which entuated her paleplexion, giving her an air of mystery akin to the night sky.


    This was the first time Liu Muxue had seen Ming Jing wear anything other than white.


    It had to be said; white made her look ethereal, while ck made her look cool and collected.


    A true beauty, even if d in a sack, would still be stunning.


    This time, Liu Muxue insisted oning along with the sole aim of getting a glimpse of Ming Jing¡¯s wardrobe.


    ¡°I am going to the Shens¡¯, so I will be back a bitte,¡± Ming Jing announced.


    No sooner had Ming Jing left than Liu Muxue eagerly asked, ¡°Is it the same Shens that Shen Zhou belongs to?¡±


    Ming Chen nodded obediently, ¡°Yes, Uncle Shen and Shen Zhou have been really caring towards us. In the days when my elder sister was not around, Uncle Shen often invited us to his house to hang out, and the food prepared by his chef is just so delicious.¡±


    Uncle Shen, the man Ming Chen refers to as ¡°Shen Gege (older brother)¡±, became Shen Zhou, and Elder Theodore Shelby as ¡°Shen Bobo (uncle)¡±¡­<div>


    Shen Zhou was in his 30s or 40s yet he allowed a teenage girl to call him ¡°older brother¡±. How shameless!


    Du Ze was waiting by the car and opened the door for Ming Jing when she approached.


    As the car left the underground garage, the city lights enveloped them.


    ¡°Miss, during your absence, there haven¡¯t been any major incidents at thepany. The cooperation with Shenzhou Group and Ye Group is progressing smoothly. Thanks to your Wishful Thinking Foundation, which has helped many people, ourpany¡¯s stock price remains stable, and public opinion is favorable. However, Mr. Zhu has been secretly associating closely with several high-ranking executives¡­¡± Du Ze revealed, pausing for a moment.


    It was really disgusting what Zhu Wentao had done in the past. It seemed that his true colors couldn¡¯t stay hidden for long.


    Everyone was aware of his ulterior motives.


    Ming Jing replied indifferently, ¡°Let him be. Some people won¡¯t shed tears until they see their coffin.¡±


    Du Ze sighed, no wonder the youngdy had moved out of the Zhu Family. What a bunch they were!


    The Shens¡¯ had kept their doors wide open and the house brightly lit when they heard Ming Jing wasing.


    Elder Theodore Shelby, leaning on his walking stick, stood at the entrance of the living room waiting.


    Ming Jing appeared from the darkness and offered support to the old man, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait inside? It¡¯s windy out here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back,¡± the old man patted her hand as they walked inside.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Big Brother?¡± Ming Jing asked.


    Mentioning Shen Zhou, Elder Theodore Shelby grumbled discontentedly, ¡°Who knows? I haven¡¯t seen him in days. He probably forgot he has an old father.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Thepany has been quite busytely, and Big Brother, as the decision-maker, has a lot on his te.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses for him. Huahua, prepare dinner now,¡± the old man interrupted, ¡°I want to see if you¡¯ve lost weight. You better be eating well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dad, but I¡¯ve already eaten.¡±


    Elder Shelby looked at her with concern, ¡°Don¡¯t leave tonight. Let a nutritionist cook you a proper meal.¡±


    Ming Jing felt Elder Shelby¡¯s pulse- strong and regr. It appeared he was taking his medication on time.<div>


    The old man chuckled, ¡°I knew you¡¯d check. I¡¯ve been taking my medicine diligently, haven¡¯t missed it once. I intend to live for a hundred and eighty years and see who outlives the other! I won¡¯t believe it if I don¡¯t see his wedding day!¡± Elder Shelby puffed out his chest defiantly, eyes wide and beard bristling.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°ording to your current health, as long as you take your medication on time and exercise regrly, you will definitely live to see the day when Big Brother gets married and has children.¡±


    Elder Shelby beamed with satisfaction.


    ¡°By the way, have you been bullied in Jingzhou?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Nana takes good care of me.¡±


    Elder Shelby smiled, ¡°Although that girl has a hot temper, she¡¯s a decent person. What do you think of her and your big brother being together?¡±


    ¡°Feelings should be mutual; don¡¯t force it,¡± Ming Jing replied.


    ¡°Although that¡¯s true, you know how stubborn your big brother can be. If we don¡¯t push him, he may never marry, and I won¡¯t get to have grandchildren.¡± The sadness on the old man¡¯s face was truly heartbreaking.


    ¡°Big Brother¡­ might already have someone he¡¯s interested in¡­¡± Ming Jing hesitated.


    Shen Zhou¡¯s eyes seemed to carry the weight of the world.


    Elder Shelby nced around, then approached Ming Jing with a conspiratorial whisper, ¡°Let me tell you a secret, but promise not to tell anyone else. Your big brother was infatuated with a female celebrity more than a decade ago, and he was so smitten with her that -¡± his eyes locked onto Ming Jing¡¯s face and he stopped abruptly, ¡°Huh¡­ You look quite simr¡­ It seems all beauties share some resemnce.¡±Ming Jing raised her eyebrows: ¡°A female star?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Elder Shelby slipped into the bedroom and came back out, sneaking a photo to Ming Jing to see, while always keeping an eye on the door, like a thief.


    ¡°It¡¯s this female star, pretty, right? She seemed to have retired after getting married and having children. Your elder brother waspletely devastated during that time¡­ It was just too much.¡±


    Elder Shelby didn¡¯t want to mention it anymore.


    The photo was somewhat yellowed, indicating that it had been kept for a long time.


    It was a ck and white photo with a beautiful woman, her dark hair cascading like a waterfall, her eyes bright and her teeth white. Her dreamy peach blossom eyes always seemed to carry a hint ofughter, like a nostalgic dream of April, vividly innocent and as radiant as a rose.


    These eyes¡­<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s fingertips gently stroked the eyes in the photo.


    In her mind, a pair of sad and tear-filled eyes shed, heartbreakingly beautiful and tender.


    Her fingertips trembled slightly, and Ming Jing stared at the smiling eyes, ¡°What was her name?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? It makes sense, you were only a few years old back then. Her name was¡­ what was it¡­ my memory¡­ Ah, I remember now, Su Yinci, she was a huge star back then. What a pity that she wasn¡¯t fated to be with your brother.¡±


    At this moment, the steward¡¯s deliberately raised voice came from the door, ¡°Mr. Zhu is back.¡±


    Elder Shelby quickly snatched the photo from Ming Jing¡¯s hand, stuffed it into his pocket in a flurry, and told Ming Jing, ¡°You must not let your brother know about this, otherwise we¡¯ll never have any peace.¡±


    Shen Zhou strode in, took off his coat, and handed it to a servant. He walked over with a smile, ¡°What secret are you talking about that you don¡¯t want me to know?¡±


    Under the soft light, the young girl sat on the sofa, her slender figure excessively fragile, her head hung low as if lost in thought.


    Upon hearing the voice, the girl lifted her gaze.


    Shen Zhou¡¯s footsteps paused abruptly, and he stared at the face before him, seemingly entranced.


    Ming Jing stood up and spoke softly, ¡°Big Brother.¡±


    Shen Zhou was brought back to his senses by the voice, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.


    He must have been confused; the two just looked alike, but their personalities were worlds apart.<div>


    Shen Zhou approached with a gentle smile and unconsciously softened his tone, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me know you wereing back? I would have picked you up personally.¡±


    ¡°I thought Big Brother would be very busy recently¡­.¡±


    Before Ming Jing could finish, Shen Zhou quickly interrupted, ¡°In the Shens, your matters are the most important ones.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, and under the light, her ck clothes made her face appear as white as snow, her features picturesque.


    Although she was smiling, there was always a hint of icy coldness in her eyes.


    ¡°Come with me to the study; I have something to discuss with you.¡± Shen Zhou strode upstairs.


    Ming Jing looked at Elder Shelby.


    Elder Shelby hurriedly waved his hand, ¡°Hurry up and go.¡±


    As he watched Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure, Elder Shelby took the photo from his pocket, squinted at it under the light.


    ¡°The more I look, the more alike they seem. No wonder I felt that there was something familiar about Ming Jing when I first saw her¡­¡±


    But there are many people who look alike, so it¡¯s not that surprising.


    No, wait¡­ Elder Shelby suddenly remembered how Shen Zhou had looked entranced just now.


    He knew his own son too well.<div>


    Although Ming Jing was indeed excellent, Shen Zhou¡¯sposure was not like that of ordinary people. But time after time, he was uniquely special to Ming Jing. Could it be just because she resembled his first love?


    This, this, this¡­


    No, to firmly prevent incest from happening in the Shens, he had to put arranging a match for Shen Zhou on the agenda.


    Elder Shelby took out his phone and called Mao Nana.


    She was the daughter-inw candidate he had set his heart on.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°I¡¯ve already made Gu Qingshan pay the price. In this lifetime, he¡¯ll never be able to rise again.¡± Shen Zhou¡¯s tone was cold. Only now, when he had shed his gentle facade, did he reveal the ruthless and scheming man who had built a business empire.


    He still couldn¡¯t forgive himself for the night when Ming Jing was almost hurt.


    In his heart, Ming Jing was both sister and daughter.


    Whether it was for Ming Jing herself or that unspeakable emotion, Ming Jing was the person he vowed to protect for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 583: 290 Like a Demon (Second Update)

    Chapter 583: 290 Like a Demon (Second Update)


    ¡°Thank you and Mr. Shen for the trouble,¡± Ming Jing said nonchntly.


    This matter would not be disclosed to the public, after all, its reach is widespread, and Mr. Shen is also afraid of any bacsh.


    This is the real show of swords and daggers, bloodless killings. Any strife in the business world inparison is nothing more than child¡¯s y.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡± Shen Zhou turned to look at her.


    The young girl casually picked a book off the shelf and sat down to read.


    In themplight, her eyes were cold and aloof.


    Of all the books on the shelf, she happened to choose this one.


    Shen Zhou looked at her, his gaze bing gradually profound.


    ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡±


    Ming Jing curved her lips into a smile, seemingly gentle and beautiful, yet sending shivers down the spine of Shen Zhou.<div>


    He prided himself on his ability to read people, and he had never gone wrong before.


    But when it came to this young girl, he felt that he had not yet seen through herpletely.


    The girl casually flipped a page of the book and said with a smile, ¡°I want the Qinglong Association.¡±


    She said it so casually, as if she was talking about how nice today¡¯s weather was.


    But this one statement was like a silent thunderbolt, leaving those who heard it disoriented.


    Shen Zhou stepped back, steadying himself with his hand on the table.


    He had thought of countless possibilities, but he never believed that her ambition would be this grand.


    Taking a deep breath, he said, ¡°Do you know that Ran Tengxiao is a shrewd man and not an easy target?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. But I¡¯m not going to kill him. I want him to be my de.¡±


    Ming Jing propped her chin with one hand, her gaze appeared gentle as water, yet the depth of her ck eyes was icy cold and mysterious, unfathomable.


    ¡°You, how¡­¡± Shen Zhou was suddenly at a loss for words.


    ¡°Brother, could you ry this message to Mr. Shen for me? Consider whether it would be better to discard this de or to sharpen it. I believe Mr. Shen is wise enough to weigh the matter.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I almost forgot. If Mr. Shen decides to dispose of this de, he might hurt himself. I¡¯m sure a clever person like Mr. Shen wouldn¡¯t do something that would hurt enemies by a thousand but self-inflict eight hundred.¡±


    The young girl smiled, but Shen Zhou felt a shudder down his spine.


    It was a while before he found his voice: ¡°Do¡­Do you have a n?¡±


    Such a high-quality sword would be a waste if broken. It would be even better if she could reim it.


    However, perhaps she is more dangerous than Ran Tengxiao.


    Herugh reflects the simplicity of Buddha, but her heart encapstes the dark machinations of a demon.


    Her slender hands, under themp, glowed like jade in their pure splendor, utterly beautiful like a piece of art.<div>


    Under Shen Zhou¡¯s watchful eyes, she gently turned the pages of the book.


    She was nning a great game.


    Since their return to Jiangzhou, everyone had be pawns on her chessboard.


    Shen Zhou suddenly chuckled, saying, ¡°No matter what you¡¯re nning, Big Brother will always be your staunchest supporter.¡±<div>


    He was simply afraid that she would get hurt, that was all.


    As long as she was happy ying this game of chess, that was enough.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡±


    She put the book back on the shelf, dusted off her sleeves, and said, ¡°It¡¯ste, I should head back.¡±


    ¡°Please pass the message to Mr. Shen, to obtain something, you must first give something.¡±


    If Ran Tengxiao wants that position, then give it to him.


    After seeing off Ming Jing, Shen Zhou walked to the bookshelf, his gaze falling on the book Ming Jing had just been reading.


    The Count of Monte Cristo.


    Of all the books on the shelf, she just happened to pick this one.


    What are you hinting at?


    Shen Zhou walked to the French window; a car light snaked its way down the dark mountain road, gradually disappearing into the distance.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Passing by Zuifei Dessert, Ming Jing directed Du Ze to stop the car.<div>


    The cakes from her shop were well-known near and far, and many inte celebrities came for the experience.


    Evente at night, there were still some customers.


    As the wind chime on the door jingled melodiously, a shop assistant greeted respectfully, ¡°Wee to Zuifei Dessert.¡±


    Looking up to see the young girl walking in, the shop assistant waspletely at a loss for words.


    This face, none in Jiangzhou were unfamiliar with.¡±Mi¡­ Ming Jing?¡± The attendant stuttered, instantly thinking about the title of tomorrow¡¯s public ount post.


    What sort of delicacies attract Ming Jing to our store? It¡¯s Zuifei Dessert!


    A living advertisement was within her grasp.


    The other two customers were a couple of young girls. They seemed to have just gotten off their night shifts. Seeing Ming Jing made them instantaneously excited, pushing and pulling each other, wanting to approach but not daring to.


    Why does the rigid ck coat look so exquisite on her? More mysterious, more appealing than the ck night behind her.


    Thin and tall, with a slender neck, straight shoulders ¨C a perfect clothes hanger. Absolutely amazing.


    Ming Jing picked out a few cakes from the ss case, ¡°Make Frozen and Snow White into strawberry vored, put more peaches in Drunken Butterfly, I want three mixed fruit ones and in one of them don¡¯t include strawberries.¡±


    Ming Yi was obsessed with Frozen, Ming Chen adored Disney princesses, and both liked strawberries. Liu Muxue had many butterfly essories, her favorite fruit was peaches. Ming Ti did not like strawberries whereas Xiao Ying and Han Suwen were not picky, they would eat anything.


    Ming Jing took everyone¡¯s preferences into ount.<div>


    With such arge order, the attendant could not discern which vor she fancied.


    The baker, who was about to get off work, heard about the big order. Originally reluctant as it was dying his sleep time, he ran into the cake room without even putting on his shoes upon learning it was for Ming Jing.


    ¡°Sorry, our baker will make your order on the spot, it might take some time. Please wait in the rest area.¡±


    Ming Jing walked to the rest area and took a seat, grabbing a magazine from a nearby shelf and reading through it quietly.


    The assistant took out the boss¡¯s treasured tea leaves to prepare for her, and personally delivered them.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ah, her voice was so gentle, so pleasant to hear.


    The attendant and the two customers were all sneakily taking photos with their phones, showing off on Weibo.


    One was promoting the shop, while the other was purely showing off.


    Ming Jing had once again be popr because of her beauty, however, she was blissfully unaware.


    The trending search was filled with requests for the brand of Ming Jing¡¯s ck coat. When people realized it was from Xi Yue¡¯er, and they only made that one model so it was not for sale on their official website, the other coats from the same brand sold out. Even though they couldn¡¯t wear the same coat as the goddess, wearing the same brand was good too.


    Xi Yue Er had coborated with numerous stars, but none had ever achieved the effect of Ming Jing¡¯s casual outing ¨C truly, a sales queen.


    Afterwards, the knockoff versions sold out on Taobao. Previously, the predicted popr color for the uing year in fashion circles was green. This prediction was wildly mocked and scoffed at by inte users.<div>


    So-called fashion is strange and unorthodox, gaining attention through shocking visual attacks, it has long triggered public dissatisfaction.


    This is not the fashion of the general public, but the fashion of a group of artists who regard themselves as artistic.


    The true fashion is minimalist, grand, and timeless.


    The fashionable color for the next year, undoubtedly, would be ck and white.


    Fashion does note from this piece of clothing, this single color, but from the confidence deep within one¡¯s bone marrow.


    Ming Jing¡¯s name, with her own strength, stirred up a storm in the fashion world.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t know any of these. After waiting for about an hour, the items she wanted were all ready to go.


    After paying, the attendant was going to personally send off Ming Jing but Ming Jing declined with a smile, ¡°No need for that, just hand it to me.¡±


    The attendant blushed, ¡°I¡­ I can do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s veryte, you guys should get off work.¡± Ming Jing took the paper bag from the attendant¡¯s hand and turned to leave.


    The attendant held her flushed face, watching Ming Jing get into a ck car, ¡°Is there a more beautiful, gentle girl in the world? No, suddenly I feel that Qu Feitai is not good enough for her, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry Qu Feitai, what should I do if I want to switch up?¡±


    Zuifei Dessert, already famous, became even more popr.


    There were a lot of people who had stayed up that night.


    They saw on the trending topics that Ming Jing had returned to Jiangzhou and visited a cake shopte at night. She bought several small cakes, bringing a lot of people back to life.


    When Ming Jing arrived home, her three sisters were still up, obediently sitting on the sofa waiting for her.


    It seemed like if she didn¡¯t let them chat with their elder sister, the three sisters wouldn¡¯t sleep.


    Ming Jing handed them the cakes. The three of them were so excited. Ming Yi and Ming Chen hugged Ming Jing¡¯s leg, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really our good sister.¡±


    Han Suwen and Xiao Ying also had their cakes, they felt warm inside.


    Their Miss always thought of others, but what she liked to eat, the two of them still couldn¡¯t figure out.


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Where is Liu Muxue?¡±


    ¡°In your room, sister.¡±


    Liu Muxue came down yawning, wearing a sexy camisole nightdress, exposing arge area of her chest.


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes were practically popping out.


    Ming Jing frowned, ¡°Go back, put more clothes on.¡±


    Liu Muxue pouted, and sulkily went back.


    When she showed up again, she was more appropriately dressed. Seeing that she also had a cake, the irritation vanished like smoke.


    It was her favorite peach-vored one.


    In her three sisters¡¯ expectant gazes, Ming Jing dialed Ye Zhen¡¯s number.

 Chapter 584: 291 Desire Gorge (Midnight)

    Chapter 584: 291 Desire Gorge (Midnight)


    ¡°Sister, you must rest well ande back to see us when you have time. We all miss you.¡±


    Hearing the sweet and naive voice on the phone, Ye Zhen felt her nose tingle: ¡°Mmm, okay, I promise you all, as soon as I have time, I¡¯lle back to see you.¡±


    ¡°Sister, it¡¯ste. You should rest early, and we¡¯ll call you again tomorrow.¡± Ming Chen reluctantly hung up the phone.


    ¡°Ming Jing, when will sister have the time?¡±


    Hearing the voice made her want to see the person even more, human¡¯s greed always grows bit by bit like this.


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Only sister knows whether she has the time or not. Now that you¡¯ve talked to her, it¡¯s time for you to sleep, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The three obediently went back to their rooms.


    Ming Ti knitted her brows and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that sister has changed from before?¡±


    Ming Chen said thoughtlessly, ¡°Where has she changed? It¡¯s clearly her voice. Then tell me, what was she like before?¡±


    Sister, she would surely scold us for having no conscience and only thinking of her now, then criticize us¡­¡±<div>


    This is in line with sister¡¯s usual style.


    The person on the phone was too gentle, so gentle that she felt strange.


    If it wasn¡¯t indeed sister¡¯s voice, she would have suspected that Ming Jing found someone to pretend tofort them.


    Ming Chen shrank her neck, ¡°I still like the sister we have now. What are you thinking about in your head? No matter what she¡¯s be, as long as she¡¯s our sister, it¡¯s enough. Even Ming Jing didn¡¯t say anything, so stop thinking about it.¡±


    Ming Chen jumped into bed, and Ming Ti kicked her, ¡°Go brush your teeth.¡±


    Ming Chen grumbled as she got up: ¡°You really are more and more like sister used to be.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Ming Jing, wait for me.¡± Liu Muxue caught up with her, holding up her skirt.


    ¡°You won the champion in the equestrian contest, so your riding skills must be terrific. Teach me to ride a horse tomorrow, okay?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her, and the young girl¡¯s eyes twinkled with expectation.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liu Muxue had prepared herself for a long-winded argument but didn¡¯t expect the other party to agree so easily. Liu Muxue was first shocked, then overjoyed, and hugged Ming Jing.


    ¡°No wonder your junior sisters like you so much, I like you too, you¡¯ve turned me.¡±


    Ming Jing pushed her away, ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up, you should go to sleep earlier.¡±


    After Ming Jing entered the bathroom, Liu Muxue threw herself onto Ming Jing¡¯srge bed, rolling around.


    In her room, there was a faint, unique fragrance that seemed familiar.


    She had smelled it on Liu Jingyun as well.


    This scent unconsciously made people feel calm, as if all worries and troubles had disappeared.


    ¡°Liu Jingyun, I hate you¡­¡± Liu Muxue muttered, her consciousness gradually bing blurred.<div>


    When Ming Jing walked out of the bathroom, she saw Liu Muxue sprawled all over the bed, upying all four corners.


    She couldn¡¯t help butugh, covered her with the quilt, adjusted the room temperature, closed the door, and went to the study.


    ¡ª


    Turning on theputer, Ming Jing¡¯s fingers flew over the keyboard, and she sent out a message in the chat window.<div>


    -Help me look into someone, SUYINCI.


    Su Yinci.


    -? This name has been set to self-destruct as soon as it appears on the inte, triggering an automatic program. Whoever did this is not an ordinary person.


    Only top-tier hackers of the Central Q Bureau had such power and qualifications.


    Quickly, the other party sent apressed package, which Ming Jing extracted, and after reading the avable data, it self-destructed.


    The information was iplete, but it was enough.


    Theputer screen emitted a light blue glow, reflecting on the girl¡¯s snow-white face.


    The whiter the skin, the deeper the dark eyes, like the mist in a mountain ravine, mysterious, hiding unknown danger.


    It rained so heavily that night.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Master Xiao, the connections have been made, our new friend Mr. Hu will help us, and those with thest name Shen will be wiped out. Then Jiangzhou will be ours.¡± Lin Feng saw that the man sitting in the main seat didn¡¯t look overjoyed and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Master Xiao, do you have any concerns?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how Old Master died?¡± Ran Tengxiao said indifferently.Lin Feng replied, ¡°Killed by Yu Jiang.¡±


    ¡°Who sent Yu Jiang?¡±<div>


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°A tree that stands out in the forest is bound to be destroyed by the wind. Master Bo never understood this truth. It would be enough to be a local tyrant in Jiangzhou, but his ambition was too great, and he reached into ces he shouldn¡¯t have. If they don¡¯t kill him, who else would they kill?¡±


    Not only that, Ran Bowen¡¯s enemies were numerous, and he had stained his hands with countless lives during his expansion over the years. If he didn¡¯t die at the hands of Yu Jiang, he would have died at the hands of someone else sooner orter.


    Otherwise, his first wife would not have died so miserably. After that, Ran Bowen became more cautious, hiding his wife and children from the world, with no one knowing their whereabouts except for him.


    Perhaps he had anticipated this day long ago and secretly recruited soldiers and horses to create the Qinglong Seal, but it could not save his life. Instead, it became a death omen.


    ¡°Greed is insatiable and can never be satisfied, leading to one¡¯s own destruction.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao hooked the corner of his lips, and his thin lips revealed a hint of cold irony.


    ¡°If his child is found, they will be nothing more than a living target. They probably wouldn¡¯t have survived to this day. In our line of work, being alone is our inevitable fate.¡±


    Because we cannot show weakness, or we will face certain death.


    ¡°A long time ago, the Qinglong Association was already a thorn in the side of others.¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If I wait passively for death, I will be no different from fish on a chopping block, waiting for people to massacre.¡±


    He suddenly looked up at Lin Feng, and Lin Feng¡¯s heart skipped a beat.<div>


    ¡°Many years ago, there was a young man named Jiang Heng who came to Jiangzhou for work, but mysteriously died. Do you remember?¡±


    Lin Feng furrowed his brows and carefully recalled, then shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too long ago, about seventeen years. He was of ordinary background but highly ambitious. In order to fight for somend for themon people, he offended the evil forces, and was murdered one night on his way home from work and thrown into Qujiang. It took a whole month before his body was found.¡±


    Lin Feng suddenly remembered, ¡°It¡¯s the 117 Murder Case.¡±


    The case had caused a huge stir back then, mainly because Jiang Heng was a good man who died a horrible death, and the people swore to get justice.


    The police had invested a lot of manpower in the case, and it received a lot of attention from above, but in the end, it was left unresolved.


    ¡°Half a yearter, a pregnant woman came to Jiangzhou. She had a mysterious background and was respected by everyone, everyone called her Madam.¡±


    Lin Feng¡¯s pupils constricted as he quickly realized the connection.


    ¡°Madam Jiang? So she was Jiang Heng¡¯s wife.¡±


    Her son, Jiang Jinchen, was Jiang Heng¡¯s posthumous child.


    Madam Jiang had always been mysterious in Jiangzhou, and no one knew her background or origin. Even those who did know never dared to utter a word about it in public.


    ¡°Madam is just her code name.¡± Ran Tengxiao dipped his finger in the tea and drew a symbol on the table.


    Lin Feng gasped.<div>


    Everything connected, and it turned out that Jiang Heng had offended Ran Bowen back then. Ran Bowen saw only profits, and was used to wielding power in Jiangzhou, thinking Jiang Heng was just an ordinary person with no background, so he had Jiang Heng killed. What he had never anticipated was that Jiang Heng might have been ordinary, but his wife was anything but.


    Lin Feng suddenly thought of Ran Bowen¡¯s death.


    ¡°Yu Jiang¡­ she¡¯s from Madam Jiang¡¯s side?¡±


    It was simply astonishing how events had taken such a turn.


    Lin Feng looked at the calm man before him, feeling even more awe in his heart.


    How did Master Xiao get all this information without anyone knowing? It seemed that he wasn¡¯tpletely trusted by Master Xiao either.


    He had even deeper schemes than Ran Bowen back then.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s smile was cold, ¡°Yu Jiang, did you ever think of your own end? If you can hear me from beyond the grave, direct your killing intent towards your true enemy.¡±


    Back then, Jiang Chun¡¯s calction was truly huge, taking a roundabout approach just to take Ran Bowen¡¯s life.


    When Ran Bowen died, the Qinglong Association became nothing but a gang of scattered shrimp, and she didn¡¯t care about them at all.


    But now, the Qinglong Association was a threat again under his control.


    A greedy woman, she wanted too much and could not tolerate others sleeping beside her.


    And the daughter of Ran Bowen, who was about to emerge, had the Qinglong Seal behind her.


    No one would let go of such a fat piece of meat.


    As for the daughter of his enemy, with that woman¡¯s vicious nature, she would definitely not let her go.


    This child was the best bait in his hands.


    The chess game in Jiangzhou, who will win the battle?


    Ran Tengxiao took a sip of tea, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡±

 Chapter 585: 292 Horse Racing Field (First Watch)

    Chapter 585: 292 Horse Racing Field (First Watch)


    On November 17th, the sky was clear and refreshing winds blew.


    It was nice weather after the continuous gloom of the past half month.


    The Zhus¡¯ residence.


    Zhu Xiangxiang came out of Lin Qing¡¯s room with a bowl of medicine. Madam Zhou sighed, ¡°The Madam was fine, but suddenly fell ill.¡±


    Since Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s banquet, Lin Qing¡¯s health had not been great. Madam Zhou saw it all; it was the Madam who was worrying too much.


    ¡°Dr. Wu came to check and said it¡¯s Madam¡¯s old illness. Just give her the prescription that Miss had before. It should be correct.¡±


    Madam Zhou subconsciously looked at Zhu Xiangxiang, seeing her with a calm expression, and couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved.


    The ¡°Miss¡± she referred to was of course Ming Jing. In the past, whenever Ming Jing was mentioned, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mood would worsen.


    However, after returning from their trip to Jingzhou, she seemed to be much calmer.


    She had been too naive before. Going out and getting some experience had made her more steady.<div>


    It was a good change.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, looking worried.


    ¡°I saw the news. Ming Jing went back to Jiangzhou yesterday. Why don¡¯t I go find her and let here back to see mom? Once mom sees her, her mood will improve and her illness will get better,¡± she said.


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t seem to be faking it, Madam Zhou quickly said, ¡°Then you should hurry.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang handed her the bowl. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    At this moment, Zhu Shaodan walked in, whistling. Seeing Zhu Xiangxiang about to rush out, he quickly pulled her aside, ¡°Sis, I have some reliable information about Master Xiao. Do you want to hear it?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment, gripping her bag tightly. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Little brother had to go through a lot of trouble to get this information. You see¡­¡±


    A fair exchange.


    Zhu Xiangxiang gave him a nce and took out a card from her bag, waving it in front of him. ¡°There¡¯s twenty thousand yuan in it. Spend it wisely and don¡¯t go causing any trouble.¡±


    Since he wasn¡¯t focusing on his work, Lin Qing had his cards stopped. Zhu Shaodan had a lot of limited edition sneakers, jerseys, and watches before, and selling those made him some money, but he had already squandered all of it.


    ¡°Only my sister cares for me.¡±


    ¡°Enough with your ttery. Hurry up and tell me.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan stared at the card and swallowed. ¡°I had my brother inquire. Master Xiao basically goes to the Western Suburbs Horse Race Track every Saturday for inspection. He stays there for about two hours. ording to the timing, he should be on his way there now.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the clock on the wall. It was 9 a.m. now. If she were to find Ming Jing first, she would be toote.


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the horse track.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan trotted after her, ¡°Sis, my card, give it to me!¡±


    ¡°What card?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was dumbfounded, ¡°You tricked me?¡±<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s no deception in war. Did I promise you anything?¡±


    ¡°You¡­well done.¡± Zhu Shaodanughed bitterly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook the bank card in her hand, ¡°If things go well today, I¡¯ll transfer another twenty thousand to it. Do you want this deal?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s face broke into a smile again, ¡°Sis, can you ride a horse?¡±<div>


    ¡°When I was younger, my mom signed me up for ady-like course with horse riding included. I wasn¡¯t very interested, so I only went for a few lessons. I should be able to manage a few turns.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t simply ack of interest, but rather she hated it.


    What normal girl would like horse riding? The smell of sweat and the stench of horses were unbearable.


    ¡°By the way, where were you rushing to earlier?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s expression stiffened, and she said indifferently, ¡°Nothing. Meeting a ssmate.¡±


    ¡°A boy or a girl?¡±


    ¡°Are you checking our household registration, asking so many questions?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Since the big fire atst month¡¯s equestrianpetition, horse riding had be a popr sport in Jiangzhou.


    Especially among the upper ss, it reced golf and afternoon tea, bing a favorite pastime for socialites anddies.If you can ride a horse, it would be a very prestigious thing to talk about.


    Even some socialites are diligently learning horse riding and preparing to register for next year¡¯spetition, hoping to make a ssh.


    Everyone seemed to have implicitly agreed on one thing: anything that Ming Jing had touched would eventually be popr, creating a storm in Jiangzhou.


    This was the influence of Ming Jing herself, subtly affecting thousands of people.<div>


    The reputation of the Western Suburbs Horse Race Track had soared after this incident; where it used to have few visitors, it was now packed with people.


    The horse club urgently expanded the site and selected a location in the eastern suburbs to build anotherrge racecourse.


    ¡°What? One hundred thousand?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t expect the horse track to be so ruthless. Only members were allowed in, but the monthly membership fee was as high as one hundred thousand. That¡¯s 1.2 million a year. It was like daylight robbery.


    The staff behind the counter maintained a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, those are our club rules. As a member, you would enjoy first-ss services like one-on-one lessons from gold-medal equestrians and guaranteed safety¡­.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve also opened a new ss for students here, charging by the hour. That might be more suitable for you.¡±


    Although the staff member was smiling, Zhu Xiangxiang felt a trace of mockery in it.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face burned, and she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t afford the hundred thousand yuan, but this expense was a bit too¡­ Every penny she spent now was the Zhu family¡¯s money. She had a feeling that Lin Qing held a grudge against her for Ming Jing¡¯s departure. What would Lin Qing think of her if she knew she had spent so much money at the horse club?


    Zhu Shaodan grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the fruit te for guests and, while cracking them, said, ¡°If you hesitate, you¡¯ll miss the opportunity. It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t afford it. Didn¡¯t mom set aside a fund for you?¡±


    ¡°Some people are just ridiculous¡ª if they don¡¯t have the money, they shouldn¡¯t try to show off. It¡¯s just embarrassing.¡± A sharp, mocking voice sounded from behind them.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stiffened and turned around subconsciously, only to see Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin approaching, with Li Jiaojiao being the one who spoke.


    ¡°Get out of my way and don¡¯t block my way, bitch.¡±


    ¡°You better watch your fucking mouth¡­!¡± Zhu Shaodan threatened with raised fists.<div>


    ¡°Shaodan, don¡¯t be impulsive,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang quickly intervened.


    Li Jiaojiao crossed her arms. ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, is this your brother? Ming Jing¡¯s biological brother?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao looked Zhu Shaodan up and down, sneering, ¡°He doesn¡¯t look anything like her¡ªare you sure you two are siblings? Kiddo, maybe you should go to the hospital for a DNA test. Just in case. Your family has some experience with this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Can you talk like a normal human being?¡± Zhu Shaodan cursed, pointing at her nose.


    Li Jiaojiao rolled her eyes. ¡°You little brat, point at me one more time, and I¡¯ll cut your finger off.¡±


    ¡°Shaodan, shut up,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said sternly.


    She turned to Li Jiaojiao with a pleasant expression. ¡°Miss Li, my brother is young and ignorant. As adults, please don¡¯t hold it against him. I¡¯ll make sure to discipline himter.¡±


    ¡°Keep your mad dog on a leash so it doesn¡¯t go around biting people.¡±


    Just as Zhu Shaodan was about to lose his temper, Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly pulled him aside and whispered, ¡°Behave. That girl next to her is Ran Tengxiao¡¯s cousin.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan finally calmed down.


    He had seen Zhao Qin a few times at Jin Bi¡¯s, but it was at night, with dim lighting, and she looked different today, so he hadn¡¯t recognized her.


    Li Jiaojiao hummed a tune and walked up to the counter. The staff, having gotten the message, greeted them very politely, ¡°Miss Zhao, Miss Li, why didn¡¯t you let us know you wereing in advance? We would have arranged for someone to pick you up at the gate.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao waved her hand. ¡°Save the chit-chat. Let¡¯s go in.¡±<div>


    She nced at Zhu Xiangxiang sideways, and sure enough, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face fell. She hooked her lip. ¡°Manager Li, don¡¯t let just anyone in from now on.¡±


    Manager Li nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, having heard their earlier argument. He understood what Li Jiaojiao meant.


    ¡°Miss Li, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He knew who the bigger client was and who was more important.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face darkened, and her hand balled into a tight fist inside her sleeve.


    Zhao Qin had not said a word the entire time, having long since lost interest in Zhu Xiangxiang. Whatever happened to her was none of her business.


    Just as the two were about to enter, the sound of footsteps came from the entrance.


    Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin subconsciously turned their heads to look and bothughed at the same time.


    What kind of day was today? It was really lively.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up at the entrance. When she saw who it was, her pupils constricted, and her nails dug tightly into her palms.


    Ming Jing had recently changed her style and started wearing ck clothes. She¡¯d lost some of her celestial air and gained an unfathomable mysteriousness.


    Next to her was a petite, exquisite, and elegant young girl dressed in a bright, multicolored skirt, like the most dazzling sunset glow in the sky.

 Chapter 586: 293 Green Tea (Second Revision)

    Chapter 586: 293 Green Tea (Second Revision)


    ¡°So this is the equestrian club? The decoration is quite luxurious, not bad at all.¡± It was Liu Muxue¡¯s first time at the equestrian club. The extravagant hall decorations, every detail screaming wealth and rotting money, made it hard for anyone without money to even dare step on the stairs.


    Liu Muxue noticed that the gazes of the three girls and one boy were all on Ming Jing, and then turned to examine her. Radar instantly rang in her ears.


    She leaned close to Ming Jing and whispered: ¡°These youngdies are the hardest to deal with, all with big tempers. You don¡¯t have any grudges with them, do you?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t know any of these high-ssdies from Jiangzhou, it didn¡¯t prevent her from attacking.


    Without waiting for Ming Jing to respond, Liu Muxue was already prepared to roll up her sleeves.


    Ming Jing gripped her hand: ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, they¡¯re all friends.¡±


    Liu Muxue raised an eyebrow?


    Friends?


    This word,ing from Ming Jing¡¯s mouth, was so funny.


    Was she trying tofort herself?<div>


    Liu Muxue felt consoled.


    ¡°Our club¡¯s superstar is here, it¡¯s not easy to see you.¡± Li Jiaojiao¡¯s tone was tinged with a hint of sourness.


    Manager Li hurriedly came forward and greeted her: ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, pleasee in.¡±


    This hasty and obsequious manner was even more enthusiastic than the attitude towards Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin.


    Of course, Li Jiaojiao was a customer, Zhao Qin was a shareholder¡¯s rtive, but Ming Jing, she was the core shareholder. After the horse race, she became the club¡¯s business card, and countless young girls were attracted toe because of her.


    It was not iparable, but there was simply no basis forparison.


    Seeing this scene, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face looked even worse. She was now standing here like a joke.


    Ming Jing nodded and started to leave.


    ¡°Zhu Mingjing, if you don¡¯t take us in today, you¡­ you¡¯re an ungrateful viin.¡± Zhu Shaodan suddenly jumped up and shouted at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure.


    ¡°Shaodan, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang quickly grabbed him and signaled him to shut up.


    This feeling was really unbearable, but she really wanted to go in, or there would be no chance at all.


    She heard clearly what Li Jiaojiao had just told the manager, even if she had money now, she couldn¡¯t get in.


    Ming Jing stopped walking.


    Liu Muxue squinted her eyes and stared at Zhu Xiangxiang and Zhu Shaodan. Suddenly, she pointed at Zhu Xiangxiang and said: ¡°Oh, I finally remembered, you¡¯re the fake rich girl.¡±


    Now, there are few people who mention these three words ¡°fake rich girl¡± in front of Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her pale lips: ¡°May I ask who you are?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about who I am, just admit that you are a fake rich girl.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nodded.


    Liu Muxue looked at Zhu Shaodan: ¡°So, you¡¯re Ming Jing¡¯s cheap little brother, huh?¡±<div>


    Zhu Shaodan snorted: ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°Stinky kid, not very old, but quite a temper. What do you mean that if you don¡¯t get in, it¡¯s an ungrateful viin? Are you disabled? No hands or feet? Can¡¯t walk on your own? How about I beat you up and get someone to carry you in, then you¡¯ll talk like a human being, right?¡±


    Liu Muxue thought she was quite well-mannered, polite enough, but this brother and sister ¨C one green tea, one asking for a beating ¨C were just so irritating.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re looking for death!¡± Zhu Shaodan raised his fist and aimed it at Liu Muxue¡¯s face.<div>


    Liu Muxue was shocked. The kid was really crazy, not even using words and just going for a punch.


    However, Zhu Shaodan¡¯s fist was stopped by a hand that suddenly appeared.


    Liu Muxue chuckled, straightened her waist, jumped up and pped Zhu Shaodan. She then quickly hid behind Ming Jing, poking her head out: ¡°A gentleman uses words, not fists. You¡¯re the real viin.¡±


    That tender, white, boneless hand grasping his wrist seemed to have infinite strength. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn¡¯t get free. Zhu Shaodan couldn¡¯t help but panic and said angrily, ¡°Zhu Mingjing, let go of me!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said from the side, ¡°Ming Jing¡­ Shaodan is just young and impulsive. He didn¡¯t mean to attack your friend. Can you let go of him first?¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh, such touching sibling love! So he didn¡¯t mean it, which means I did, huh? Who are you trying to fool? He deserves a beating.¡±


    Liu Muxue had quite a bit of experience dealing with green tea girls like Zhu Xiangxiang who love to y the victim.


    No wonder this mad dog wouldn¡¯t help his own sister but chose to wear the same pants as a fake rich girl. Today, with her own eyes, she finally understood.


    This fake rich girl must have been busy stirring things up in the middle.


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her lip, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that. Ming Jing, you know Shaodan¡¯s temper¡­¡±¡±Ming Jing doesn¡¯t know? How could Ming Jing know? Aren¡¯t you two the best of friends?¡± Liu Muxue sneered from behind.


    Ming Jing nced at Zhu Shaodan and waved her hand lightly. Zhu Shaodan staggered back a few steps, almost tripping and falling on his rear end.


    His hand, which had been grabbed, felt numb and fiery, unable to exert any strength.


    Zhu Shaodan¡¯s heart was filled with doubt and disbelief.<div>


    Ming Jing had already turned and left, merely saying to Manager Li as she passed him, ¡°Take them inside.¡±


    She continued walking without looking back.


    Manager Li hesitated, and then hurriedly followed her instructions.


    Everyone said that Ms. Ming Jing was a kind-hearted reincarnation of a Buddha, and it seemed that wasn¡¯t wrong at all.


    Liu Muxue caught up with her, ¡°Why are you letting them in? They¡¯re the true ungrateful wretches!¡±


    Ming Jing obviously didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with her, so Liu Muxue quickly changed her tactics, smiling slyly.


    Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin witnessed everything that happened. Li Jiaojiao looked at Liu Muxue¡¯s retreating back and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? I don¡¯t recognize her.¡±


    Zhao Qin shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but I¡¯ll get someone to check right away.¡±


    While the girl wasn¡¯t anything special, her presence by Ming Jing¡¯s side certainly made her stand out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with her? What makes her so great? Sooner orter, I¡¯m going to expose her true face, some random bastard dares to¡­¡±. Zhu Xiangxiang quickly covered his mouth, cautiously ncing around.


    Suddenly, her gaze fixed on a figure appearing in the sunlight at the door, but she remained expressionless while drawing her stare back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t gossip outside, it would tarnish Ming Jing¡¯s reputation. Even if she isn¡¯t the daughter of the Zhu family, I believe she didn¡¯t intentionally deceive us. There must be a reason behind her actions.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡±<div>


    ¡°If you don¡¯t talk nonsense, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan blinked furiously.


    Zhu Xiangxiang released her grip, and Zhu Shaodan spat, ¡°Ridiculous suffering, she just wants the wealth and glory of the Zhu family. Sister, you¡¯re too kind-hearted, still worrying about her at this point.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sighed, ¡°What should we do then? Our mother left because of her, harboring ill feelings and getting sicker and worse. It¡¯s my fault¡­¡±.


    ¡°We can tell our mother the truth.¡±


    ¡°No, our mother wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the shock, her condition would only worsen¡­¡±.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just watch Zhu Mingjing roam free unpunished? I wish I could rip off her hypocritical mask¡­¡±.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked behind Zhu Shaodan and suddenly turned pale, ¡°Master Xiao¡­when did you get here?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan reflexively looked over his shoulder and excitedly shouted, ¡°Master Xiao!¡±


    Ran Tengxiao strode forward, not even sparing the two of them a nce as he walked straight past them.


    Zhu Xiangxiang anxiously grabbed Zhu Shaodan¡¯s arm, ¡°Shaodan, did Master Xiao hear what we were just saying?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like our secret is shameful or anything. It would embarrass Zhu Mingjing, not us.¡± Zhu Shaodan said unconcerned.


    ¡°At least he won¡¯t be fooled by Zhu Mingjing¡¯s appearance anymore. That¡¯s one good thing.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang sighed, ¡°Ming Jing has helped me a lot, I really don¡¯t want to doubt her like this.¡±


    At this moment, Manager Li came over and spoke with an ingratiating smile, ¡°Ms. Zhu, Mr. Zhu, please follow me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang replied politely, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    A sh of disdain appeared in Manager Li¡¯s eyes, but it vanished as he turned to walk ahead.


    This foolish pair, instead of clinging to the powerful Ming Jing, they chose to offend her. They¡¯ll get their just deserts someday.


    High-end customers like Ming Jing and Zhao Qin had their own private changing and shower rooms. As Liu Muxue came out in her riding gear, she bumped into Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin.


    After sizing each other up, Liu Muxue smiled sweetly, ¡°Hello, my name is Liu Muxue, Ming Jing¡¯s¡­best friend.¡±


    A wise person knows when to bend and when to stand tall.


    Li Jiaojiaoughed, ¡°Ms. Liu, I¡¯ve never seen you before. How did you meet Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°We¡­attended the same Olympiad Training Camp and went to Jingzhou together for Winter Camp, living and eating together.¡± Her tone seemed to purposely unt just how close her rtionship with Ming Jing was.


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhao Qin stared at the shiny diamond on Liu Muxue¡¯s hairpin.


    ¡°Your surname is Liu? Are you rted to Li Qingyao?¡±

 Chapter 587: 294 Red Dust (First Update)

    Chapter 587: 294 Red Dust (First Update)


    There are hundreds of big and small wealthy families in Jiangzhou, but there aren¡¯t many that matter to Zhao Qin.


    Most of these families maintain their rtionships through marriage, so it¡¯s like a ball of yarn, the more you try to untangle it, the more tangled it bes.


    She remembers that the Li family has a rtive with the surname Liu.


    Liu Muxue smiles and says, ¡°Li Qingyao is my cousin.¡±


    Now it¡¯s Li Jiaojiao¡¯s turn to be surprised: ¡°You are actually Li Qingyao¡¯s cousin?¡±


    ¡°Guaranteed genuine.¡±


    Ming Jing walks out from behind the curtain and sees the three of them blocking the doorway, looking at Liu Muxue: ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Liu Muxue sports a bun on her head, with a small bulge on top and a crystal hairpin on the side, looking cute and stylish.


    She grins and asks, ¡°Do you know Li Qingyao?¡±


    Ming Jing nods.<div>


    ¡°She¡¯s my cousin, and this sister here recognized it right away. Amazing.¡± Liu Muxue looks at Zhao Qin.


    ¡°You must be Li Qingyao¡¯s maternal cousin. I¡¯ve heard of it, the Liu family from Liuxian Town in Huaiyang is quite famous.¡±


    Liu Muxue raises an eyebrow, ¡°May I know your name, Sister?¡±


    Zhao Qin adopts her socialite demeanor, ¡°Myst name is Zhao, with a given name of just one character ¨C Qin. Since you and Ming Jing are friends, and I¡¯ve been friends with your cousin for a long time, there¡¯s no need for us to be polite.¡±


    ¡°Sister Zhao, I¡¯m new here, so I¡¯ll need to learn from you if there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t understand.¡± Liu Muxue almost gagged at her own words.


    But it worked well, at least Zhao Qin happily agreed.


    Li Jiaojiao walks behind them, staring at Ming Jing and Liu Muxue¡¯s backs, and snorts, ¡°She¡¯s just from a small town, why are you giving her so much face?¡±


    This doesn¡¯t fit with Zhao Qin¡¯s style.


    Zhao Qin is wearing a bright makeup today, and her high ponytail adds a touch of spirit to her. She smirks at the words.


    ¡°Stop thinking about fun and games all the time. Do you really think Liuxian Town is just a small town? Last year, Shen Zhou visited them personally only to be chased out with a broom. The hairpin on her head has a Pink star high-quality pink diamond, one carat for one million US dors.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao gasps: ¡°Is it the Pink star pink diamond that was auctioned off at Sotheby¡¯s for 50 million US dors by a Hong Kong jewelrypany eight years ago?¡±


    Zhao Qin neither confirms nor denies, ¡°The Liu family is not just an ordinary wealthy family.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao licks her lips, ¡°But they¡¯re just nouveau riche.¡±


    Zhao Qin scoffs: ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t feel like exining to you.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Qin, aren¡¯t you even afraid to offend her?¡± Li Jiaojiao carefully probes.


    ¡°Ridiculous! Is there anyone I, Zhao Qin, am afraid of?¡± Zhao Qin says this, but she doesn¡¯t really think so. She¡¯s not a fool. The Liu family has no conflicts of interest with The Rans, so why should she needlessly offend people? Moreover, the most powerful aspect of the Liu family is not wealth but connections ¨C that¡¯s their foundation.


    However, Li Jiaojiao¡¯s frivolous mind wouldn¡¯t understand all of this, so she doesn¡¯t bother to exin.


    ¡°That Zhao Qin, I noticed her looking at you a bit strangely, you didn¡¯t steal her crush, did you?¡±


    Ming Jing frowns, suddenly recalling Zhao Qin asking about Xi Yu at the karaoke ce not long ago.<div>


    Seeing Ming Jing ignoring her, Liu Muxue continues: ¡°Hmph, what a snobbish socialite, not even worthy of tying my shoces, especially that Li Jiaojiao. I didn¡¯t miss the disdain in her eyes, these self-righteousdies.¡±


    They arrive at the stables while talking, ¡°It¡¯s your first-time horse riding, pick a gentle-tempered horse.¡±


    Liu Muxue rolls up her sleeves, excitedly roaming around in the stable.


    Finally, she chooses a little ck horse.<div>


    At this moment, the horse trainer says: ¡°Miss has a good eye. This Snowke is a warm-blooded horse from the Nethends, with a gentle temperament and light-footed, especially suitable for beginners.¡±


    ¡°Snowke? I like its name.¡±


    The horse trainer smiles: ¡°Miss, take a closer look. The ck coat of it has white spots, like snowkes, so it¡¯s called Snowke.¡±


    Liu Muxue gazes into the little horse¡¯s eyes, ¡°I have a connection with it. It¡¯s the one.¡±


    Ming Jing lets the horse trainer lead the horse out. The horse is not tall and is still a young horse, with a gentle temperament, making it the most suitable for a petite beginner like Liu Muxue.


    Ming Jing helps her put on protective gear, a helmet, elbow and knee pads, and checks the stirrups and saddle, before exining the essentials of horse riding to her.


    Being naturally brilliant, Liu Muxue has excellent memory and can learn anything quickly. After Ming Jing finishes exining, she can¡¯t wait to get on the horse.


    ¡°Wait, Muxue.¡± Ming Jing hands her a handkerchief.Li Muxue was taken aback, ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°This is a handkerchief scented with agarwood. In autumn and winter, horses shed hair, and the air is dry, which can cause dust. Tie it around your mouth and nose to protect yourself.¡± Ming Jing walked up to Li Muxue without waiting for a response and tied the handkerchief around her nose and mouth.


    Ming Jing was a head taller than Li Muxue. Muxue looked up at her. Ming Jing¡¯s background was a vast blue sky, white clouds, and ring sunlight.


    Li Muxue squinted her eyes, hiding her inner excitement.


    ¡°If you were a man, I would have married you no matter what.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s hand paused as she tied the knot, but she quickly withdrew and adjusted Li Muxue¡¯s riding attire.<div>


    ¡°You will meet a good man someday.¡±


    Li Muxue grinned, ¡°The man that I like¡­-¡±


    He has the same scent as you.


    ¡°One day, he wille to marry me on a colorful auspicious cloud.¡±


    During her teenage years, Li Muxue was moved to tears by the love story of Zixia Fairy and the Supreme Treasure, swearing that she would have an extraordinary love life that wouldn¡¯t be inferior to Zixia¡¯s.


    ¡°Ming Jing, do you think you will get married?¡± Li Muxue suddenly asked.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Why do you ask that?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to know if you monks who grow up in seclusion really see through the world? Or if you just haven¡¯t met someone you¡¯re fond of.¡±


    She said the word¡ª¡±you guys.¡±


    Ming Jing put a helmet on Li Muxue.


    Under the sunlight, Ming Jing¡¯s eyes were so indifferent that they almost had no color, as pure as colored ze.


    ¡°The mundane world is vast and interconnected, with endless appearances due to people¡¯s imaginations. But when you disperse the fog and escape the maze, it¡¯s nothing but a coffin filled with dust.¡±


    Li Muxue grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that cryptic talk again, I just want to know, will you ever fall in love with someone?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing smiled, looking directly into Li Muxue¡¯s eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the future, but you haven¡¯t finished what you have to do today. Why think about things that haven¡¯t happened yet? Aren¡¯t you wasting your present?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time for me to talk about Zen, but today, we are here to learn horse riding. When you¡¯re on a horse, don¡¯t let your thoughts wander, eliminate all distractions, and focus on the present moment, every breath.¡±


    Ming Jing led a horse over, holding the reins, ¡°Get on the horse.¡±


    Feeling unconvinced, Li Muxue snorted softly, dissatisfied with the reply.


    With both hands on the reins, Li Muxue stepped on the stirrup with one foot, swung her long leg over, and sat steadily on the horse¡¯s back.


    A confident smile appeared on Li Muxue¡¯s face as she looked triumphantly at Ming Jing, as if saying, ¡°Look how amazing I am.¡±


    Ming Jing led the horse forward, ¡°Straighten your back, gently squeeze the horse¡¯s sides with your legs, adjust your breathing, and synchronize with Snowke¡¯s¡­-¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang and Zhu Shaodan came out in their riding outfits and saw the scene on the horse field. Zhu Xiangxiang asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? Howe I¡¯ve never seen her before?¡±


    Even Zhao Qin probably doesn¡¯t have the privilege of getting riding lessons from Ming Jing herself.


    Zhu Shaodan curled her lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know her. Why didn¡¯t she teach you how to ride a horse?¡±


    The staff led the two to the stables to choose horses. After making a selection, the coach personally apanied them and exined the precautions.


    Zhu Xiangxiang held the horse, her heart racing with nervousness.


    Li Jiaojiao rode past Zhu Xiangxiang, scoffing, ¡°If you aren¡¯t up for it, don¡¯t pretend to be. Horse riding isn¡¯t a joke. Be careful not to fall and bruise your butt.¡±<div>


    She rode away, leaving behind a haughtyugh.


    Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips, got on the horse under the coach¡¯s guidance, and began to walk in a circle around the horse field with the coach leading her by the reins.


    Most beginner girls started this way.


    Zhu Shaodan could already control the horse by himself. Boys seemed to have a natural gift for this and could learn it instinctively.


    Zhao Qin rode beside Ming Jing, smiling as she looked at Li Muxue, ¡°Not bad, you learn fast. Ming Jing is a good teacher, you don¡¯t know how many people are envious of you.¡±


    Li Muxue looked around and saw many people in the vast horse field, staring at her with envy when Ming Jing appeared.


    Li Muxue couldn¡¯t help but straighten her back and raise her eyebrows in pride.


    Not far away, there was a building withrge floor-to-ceiling ss windows on the second floor facing the horse track. The entire horse track could be seen from there.


    ¡°This is the financial report of the horse club for the past half a month. Since the horse race, the brand effect has continued to strengthen, profit has gradually increased, and it has increased by 500%pared to the same periodst year. The government has taken an interest in the promotional value of the horse race, and we¡¯ve discussed future cooperation¡­ but there¡¯s one condition¡­-¡±

 Chapter 588: 295 Leaping Forward (Second Update)

    Chapter 588: 295 Leaping Forward (Second Update)


    The man flicked his fingers, and the reporting manager couldn¡¯t help but feel tense.


    ¡°What conditions?¡±


    ¡°They want Ms. Ming Jing to be the honorary president of the horse club.¡±


    Without Ming Jing, there would be no horse club now. The government appreciated Ming Jing¡¯s publicity effect and her influence among the public, intending to make her the face of the horse club and even the entire Jiangzhou.


    But having a teenage girl as the president seemed to steal the limelight from the people behind the scenes. Apparently, this was an attempt to suppress Ran Tengxiao, and Ming Jing was perfectly used as a tool.


    This was also a test.


    The manager dared not even breathe, waiting cautiously.


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips and his gaze fell on the racecourse. Young girls dressed in colorful riding outfits and various hairstyles turned the racecourse into a showground, not knowing whether it was interesting or absurd.


    Only a tall figure dressed in ck riding gear was the most eye-catching. On her, there was never any other color but ck and white, an eternal abstinence of coldness, like the moonlight flowing in the dark night.


    Her snow-white skin seemed like snow that would not melt under the scorching sun.<div>


    ¡°Go and invite Ms. Ming Jing and say¡­¡±.


    The man stroked his chin andughed, ¡°The weather is hot, and I want to treat her to tea.¡±


    Ye Shuang pouted, this excuse was a bit far-fetched. Although the sun was big, it couldn¡¯t warm the winter sun.


    Ye Shuang turned and left.


    The manager wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, ¡°The location of the East Suburb Racecourse has been determined, but thend is a bit tricky. It was originally nned for The Hongs¡¯ Real Estate to build amercial center, but due to mismanagement, they went bankrupt and thend was repossessed by the bank for public auction. Suddenly, severalpanies sprung up topete for thend, and it¡¯s already exceeded the budget.¡±


    It seemed those fighting for thend didn¡¯t know who was behind the horse club. The mere mention of Master Xiao¡¯s name would scare the shit out of them.


    ¡°You go check out thosepanies and who the bosses have met recently. Go find Lin Feng and have him help you.¡±


    The managerplied and left.


    Ran Tengxiao thought for a moment and made a call: ¡°Is thend in the east suburb the one Jiang Heng and Ran Bowen fought over 17 years ago?¡±


    The other party replied with a yes.


    A sneer appeared on Ran Tengxiao¡¯s lips: ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Seventeen years ago, this piece ofnd was a demolition area. Ran Bowen had his eyes on it and nned to forcefully tear it down. The people nearly hated him to death. Jiang Heng, who had just arrived, stood up to protect the people and confront Ran Bowen, which led to his own murder.


    Later, after Ran Bowen¡¯s death, thend fell into the hands of the Hong Group. Soon after, the Hong Group went bankrupt, and thend was seized and auctioned off by the bank. However, no one had bought it over the years. As soon as he showed interest, severalpanies popped up to bid. What a coincidence.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she had a hand in the bankruptcy of the Hong Group back then.¡±


    She had been lurking in Jiangzhou for more than a decade, nting undercover agents, stirring up internal strife, and taking advantage of the chaos to kill Ran Bowen, causing the Qinglong Association to lose their vitality for ten years. This Madam was not simple.


    Underestimating your enemy would cost you your life, and Ran Bowen was the perfect example.


    After hanging up the phone, he dialed Lin Feng¡¯s number: ¡°Take a few brothers to the eastern suburbs, there must be unexpected surprises in that piece ofnd.¡±


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, Master Xiao invites you, pleasee with me.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue sitting on the horse looked at the woman in front of her and sneered, ¡°Who is Master Xiao? He¡¯s got so much face, he doesn¡¯t even bother to invite her himself. And you¡­ you should be ackey, right? Can you hide the jealousy in your eyes? Do you think everyone is a fool?¡±


    Ye Shuang¡¯s face stiffened, and she red at Liu Muxue with a cold warning in her eyes.


    Liu Muxue pretended to be scared, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so afraid. Ming Jing, when you go to see Master Xiao, you mustin about her. How dare ackey threaten her master? Are they tired of living? Tell her master to teach her a lesson.¡±


    Ye Shuang¡¯s face became even uglier, and her fists clenched with a cracking sound.<div>


    She had never seen such an arrogant and poisonous-mouthed woman, where did this bitche from?


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyes were filled with a proud and arrogant smile, almost making Ye Shuang spit blood in anger.


    Ming Jing helplessly said, ¡°Just get down.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not done ying yet. You go see your Master Xiao, I¡¯ve already learned how. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± With that, she pressed her horse¡¯s belly, and the horse stepped forward a few paces.


    Ming Jing called a coach to follow Liu Muxue and prepared to leave with Ye Shuang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang recognized Ye Shuang and mistakenly grabbed the horse¡¯s mane in excitement. The horse, in pain, raised its hoof and almost threw Zhu Xiangxiang off its back. The coach had to choose between saving a person or the horse, and the person was more important, so he caught the falling Zhu Xiangxiang. Both of them fell to the ground, and the horse rushed into the crowd.


    Although the coach had acted as a cushion, Zhu Xiangxiang still felt dizzy from the fall.


    ¡°This is bad, the horse rushed out. Ms. Zhu, I specifically reminded you not to grab the horse¡¯s mane. Also, the scent of your perfume is too strong; it can frighten the horse¡­¡±.The coach quickly said a few words and rushed out. The racecourse was in chaos because of an out-of-control horse. The security guards on the sidelines immediately blew their whistles to disperse the crowd.


    Ming Jing looked back at the scene. When the frightened horse was about to pass her by, she suddenly took a running start and leaped onto the horse¡¯s back and controlled it within moments.


    This horse was naturally timid, not yet fully trained by the horse trainer. It was much easier to control than a born wild horse like Violent Wind.


    Ye Shuang squinted her eyes, staring at the silhouette of Ming Jing sitting on the horseback. She suddenly thought of a mysterious person who saved Jiang Chun a few months ago, whom she couldn¡¯t find after a long investigation.


    Just now, her ability to leap through the air and urately control her strength was far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.


    It was her!<div>


    Ming Jing handed the horse over to the horse trainer who rushed over, and thetter thanked her repeatedly.


    As long as Ms. Ming Jing was there, everyone felt a sense of security.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang limped over, her face pale and looking pitiful.


    Ming Jing nced at her, ¡°Where did you fall?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sniffed and said with a little embarrassment, ¡°My butt.¡±


    ¡°Let Zhu Shaodan take you to the hospital for an exam.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no need.¡± She answered a bit hastily, then softened her tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll be fine after some rest. I don¡¯t need to go to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°There is a medical room here, go and let the technician give you a massage.¡±


    The racecourse had a medical room for emergencies, which could handle minor injuries.


    ¡°No need, Ming Jing. I don¡¯t know anyone here. Can I stick with you?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang pleaded with a pitiful look, holding onto Ming Jing¡¯s clothes.


    She didn¡¯t dare look into Ming Jing¡¯s eyes, her greatest fear, but she knew that Ming Jing would agree.


    As expected, Ming Jing said, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet someone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can wait for you at the door. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang mustered up the courage to look up, her eyes full of expectation as she looked at Ming Jing, her heart pounding.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows and said nothing, then turned around and walked away.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a moment before following her.


    Ye Shuang looked disdainfully at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s back, thinking that both sisters were trying to get close to Master Xiao, ignoring their own status.


    Ming Jing walked up the stairs to the second floor, with Zhu Xiangxiang following closely behind. Zhu Xiangxiang wondered who Ming Jing was going to meet?


    They arrived at arge door, and Ye Shuang knocked, ¡°Master Xiao, she¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat; it was Ran Tengxiao¡¯s voice.


    Ye Shuang opened the door, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, please.¡±


    Ming Jing stepped in, and Zhu Xiangxiang subconsciously tried to follow, but Ye Shuang stopped her.


    ¡°Ms. Zhu, please stay here. Master Xiao only wants to see Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    After Ming Jing went in, Ye Shuang closed the door, and Zhu Xiangxiang was left embarrassed and frustrated.


    She didn¡¯t miss the ridicule in Ye Shuang¡¯s eyes. She pursed her lips and carefully asked, ¡°Sister Ye Shuang, did Master Xiao want something from Ming Jing?¡±<div>


    Ye Shuang gave her a nce and replied, ¡°I dare not guess what¡¯s on Master Xiao¡¯s mind.¡±


    Her eyes shifted yfully, and she said, ¡°But what else could a man want from a woman?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang bit her pale lips and sat down on a chair across the room.


    Ye Shuang snorted and leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.


    She recalled Ming Jing¡¯s figure just now leaping onto the horse¡¯s back and the mysterious figure several months ago ovepping in her mind.


    She¡¯s been hiding well.


    Trying to get close to Master Xiao, like what happened with Yu Jiang years ago.


    She would never allow such a thing to happen.

 Chapter 589: 296 Ferry Me (First Watch)

    Chapter 589: 296 Ferry Me (First Watch)


    Thest time they met, it was very unpleasant.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s fingers traced his lips as if tinged with a faint chill, like mint, like ice and snow, involuntarily arousingyers of tremors in his heart every time it resurfaced in his mind.


    More than half a month had passed, time went by silently.


    There is no turning back on any path.


    As expected, her expression was indifferent, with the ck riding attire entuating her skin as crystal clear as snow, exuding a faint chill that startled people.


    She sat down across from him and effortlessly picked up the tea-making tools from the tea table to make tea.


    Her movements were fluid and graceful.


    Through the misty tea fog, he quietly watched her.


    He asked her to join him for tea, and here she was for tea.


    Her jade-like hand held a purple-y tea cup in front of him, the faint tea fragrance wafting into his nostrils.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought you were a person without desires, devoted to Buddha. It turns out I was wrong.¡±


    His tone was ambiguous, either mocking himself or the other party.


    Ming Jing¡¯s face remained unchanged, she spoke softly, ¡°What the eye sees is where the heart goes. When the heart is in chaos, everything is in chaos.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a heart?¡± he interrogated.


    The atmosphere in the room became heavy in an instant.


    Ming Jing¡¯s fair hand held the teapot¡¯s handle, the brown tea soup drawing a curve in mid-air, uratelynding in the purple-y cup.


    ¡°The past heart cannot be found, the present heart cannot be found, the future heart cannot be found, all is transient but constant, evesting.¡±


    The girl¡¯s serene face in the misty tea fog appeared overlypassionate, and he saw pity in her eyes.


    Ran Tengxiao felt an inexplicable surge of anger. Why could she speak such liberating words so indifferently? Pity for what?


    To him, her pity was nothing but a tant insult.


    Although he considered himself to have a good temperament, facing her time and again, her calmness was like a bloodless knife, shing him open, leaving him battered and bruised.


    A spark fell into the barren grasnd, igniting a ze that consumed his rationality in an instant.


    ¡°I suppose you didn¡¯te here today to discuss Buddhist principles with me?¡±


    The girl¡¯s cold, calm voice seemed like ice and snow extinguishing the fire in his heart. Ran Tengxiao clenched his fists and slowly lifted his gaze.


    ¡°Now the Jockey Club¡¯s momentum is growing, and you¡¯ve yed a major role in that. You¡¯ve been elected as the new President of the Jockey Club through internal rmendation. What are your thoughts on this?¡±


    A foolproof deal with good standing.


    The youngest President of the Jockey Club, what a grand title.


    Her performance on the horse track meant no one could deny her talent, and her influence would even lead the Jockey Club to new heights.


    As a huge pie fell from the sky, Ming Jing remained unruffled, smiling faintly, ¡°To gain government support, we need to aplish tangible results. The Jockey Club has huge profits that everyone covets. If we take from the people and use it for the people, we can silence the public¡¯s criticism. What do you think, Mr. Ran?¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao immediately grasped her meaning: ¡°You want to engage in charity? The Jockey Club has already invested a lot of money in charity before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s far from enough. The Jockey Club is involved in the gambling industry, with enormous benefits at stake. If you want a legal license, you can only cooperate with the government. Just creating huge tax revenues and driving local economic and tourism development is not enough. You also need a good reputation among the public, because public opinion is fundamental. Charity is a hundred benefits without harm.¡±


    Ming Jing took a sip of tea, her eyshes slightly lowered.


    ¡°Twenty percent of Jockey Club¡¯s annual profits will be used for charity¡­¡±<div>


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°Mr. Ran, do not be too greedy.¡±


    ¡°Fifty percent.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao squinted, then suddenlyughed, ¡°You really know how to bargain, but your reasons have convinced me.¡±


    Using half of the profits for charity would definitely be a groundbreaking move. After subtracting horse expenses, dividends, and management fees from the remaining half, the profit margin would be pitifully small.


    ¡°Following Ms. Ming Jing, I¡¯ve be a good person for once.¡± His tone was sarcastic.


    ¡°The people will be grateful for Mr. Ran¡¯s kindness. Heaven appreciates good deeds, and good people will receive good rewards.¡±


    ¡°Enough, that may fool others, but not me.¡± Ran Tengxiao didn¡¯t buy into it.¡±The charitable aspects will be entrusted to my Wishful Foundation, which I will manage exclusively.¡±


    At present, there are five cooperating partners under Ming Jing¡¯s charitable foundation, which is operated and managed by a professional team that covers education, medicine, science, poverty alleviation, and other fields, working together with the government to orderly promote and implement their projects.


    Ran Tengxiao hooked the corner of his lips and spoke coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re genuinely concerned about the country and its people, pitying all living beings, or simply using charity as a cover for your ulterior motives. Miss Ming Jing, your ambitions aren¡¯t small.¡±


    Using the profits from the Jockey Club to support her charitable endeavors, Ming Jing always knows what¡¯s best for her interests and is an expert in managing her reputation. It is a pity that people now regard her as the reincarnation of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, the goddess of mercy andpassion.


    ¡°You were born with a silver spoon and naturally don¡¯t understand the suffering of the world. In the vast world, with countless lifetimes, if you can ferry even just one person, it is considered a merit; ferrying hundreds, thousands, or countless souls brings immeasurable merit.¡±


    ¡°Buddha preaches universalpassion¡ªto share joy is loving-kindness and to remove suffering ispassion.¡±


    The young girl delicately picked a flower, and the Buddha¡¯s light shone from her brows: ¡°Amitofo.¡±<div>


    The sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating her entire figure, as she suddenly seemed distant and vague amidst the golden light.


    Ran Tengxiao suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly, and she looked up at him without any unease.


    Her dark pupils were clear and soulful, as if they could contain and forgive the entire world, except for the one heart that could not be let go.


    He asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re apassionate master, can you save me with your own body?¡±


    Her gaze was filled with a tender warmth, like that of a mother¡¯s love from a distant dream in childhood. Suddenly feeling frustrated, he released her hand and turned away, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    It took only a few moments for him to catch his breath. When he turned back around¡ª


    He was stunned.


    The spot where she had just been sitting was now empty, and the room waspletely quiet. She had vanished without a trace.


    ¡°Crash!¡± He suddenly swung his arm, sweeping all the valuable teaware on the table to the floor, shattering them into pieces.


    Ye Shuang heard the noise and immediately entered the room, only to find Ran Tengxiao suddenly raging out of control, and subconsciously felt shocked.


    ¡°Master Xiao¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡±<div>


    Ye Shuang hesitated, then realizing he was referring to Ming Jing, lowered her eyes and replied, ¡°She just left.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s chest heaved violently, as if he was very angry.


    Ye Shuang had never seen Master Xiao so emotional before, and it must be because of that woman.


    Ye Shuang took a few steps closer and said, ¡°Master Xiao, I¡¯ve made a major discovery about Miss Ming Jing.¡±


    As his rage gradually subsided, Ran Tengxiao coldlymanded, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°A few months ago, when Master sent my senior brother and me to probe Madam Jiang, we had initially seeded. But suddenly, a mysterious person emerged. Not only was she skilled in martial arts, but she also revealed our background. In order not to scare away our prey, my senior brother and I had to retreat in failure. Today, when Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s horse went out of control, Miss Ming Jing suddenly tamed the horse. The silhouette of her leaping onto the horse¡¯s back resembled that of the mysterious person who had thwarted us months prior. Therefore, I suspect that Miss Ming Jing is the mysterious person who blocked us back then.¡±


    Without waiting for any reactions, Ye Shuang continued, ¡°In this case, she must be in league with Madam Jiang, plotting something in secret. Master Xiao, this woman is hypocritical and deep-hearted, please don¡¯t be deceived by her.¡±


    To Ye Shuang¡¯s surprise, Ran Tengxiao didn¡¯t exhibit typical shock from her revtion. Instead, he questioned, ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s in league with Madam Jiang? What if she¡¯s intentionally winning Madam Jiang¡¯s trust?¡±


    Ye Shuang pursed her lips. Had Master Xiao really be infatuated with her?


    ¡°Master Xiao, she isn¡¯t the real daughter of the Zhus at all! She¡¯s a pawn that Madam Jiang ced by your side. Have you forgotten about Yu Jiang?¡±


    Ye Shuang¡¯s face turned pale, realizing her blunder and lowering her head.


    Suddenly feeling a chill on her neck, Ye Shuang immediately knelt down.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, that fool, wanted to set up Ming Jing behind the scenes. Previously, she had overheard Zhu Shaodan¡¯s conversation with her in the hall, and so had Master Xiao.<div>


    From the very beginning, Ming Jing¡¯s appearance was a conspiracy.


    Ye Shuang couldn¡¯t just stand by while Master Xiao was being deceived.


    Risking her life, she opted to expose Ming Jing on that very day, intending to snuff her out in the cradle.


    However, to her surprise, a nonchnt voice came from above, ¡°I need evidence, not just hearsay.¡±


    Ye Shuang gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I will find the evidence.¡±


    With her head lowered, Ye Shuang failed to notice the cold mockery and yful smile in the man¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 590: 297 Evil (Second Update)

    Chapter 590: 297 Evil (Second Update)


    Ming Jing left after about twenty minutes.


    Zhu Xiangxiang followed her downstairs and timidly asked, ¡°Ming Jing, are you very close to Master Xiao?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nced at her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously lowered her gaze.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t mean anything else, I just wanted to ask casually. If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, then forget it.¡±


    Ming Jing walked slowly downstairs without answering the question.


    Zhu Xiangxiang caught up, ¡°Ming Jing¡­I¡­I¡¯ve actually wanted to find you for a while. My mom hasn¡¯t been feeling well recently. I was wondering if you could visit her when you have time. Maybe seeing you will make her feel better.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll visit when I have time.¡±


    Seeing that Ming Jing was so easygoing, Zhu Xiangxiang became a bit bolder. ¡°Your horsemanship is so good, can you teach me?¡±


    Feeling her words might be a bit abrupt, she added shyly, ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient, then forget it¡­¡±<div>


    She thought Ming Jing might agree, after all, she patiently taught horsemanship to Li Jiaojiao, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. In the horse field with so many people, Ming Jing valued her reputation. If the two were on good terms, it would be beneficial for everyone.


    Ever since returning from Jingzhou, she realized that it was impossible for her to oupete Ming Jing. Improving their rtionship would only bring her endless benefits. Now she still had her little thoughts.


    To her surprise, Ming Jing just smiled gently, ¡°The coach who just taught you is Gold Medal Coach of the horse field. Follow the coach¡¯s instructions, and practice diligently. It won¡¯t take long for you to seed.¡±


    After that, she walked straight into the horse field.


    Zhu Shaodan trotted his horse to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s side, dismounted, and asked, ¡°What were you doing following her?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang pursed her lips, ¡°Shaodan, let me ask you, is Ming Jing really close to Master Xiao?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it. Did she meet Master Xiao just now?¡± Zhu Shaodan furrowed his brow, looking like he could pinch a fly to death.


    It couldn¡¯t be. Master Xiao wouldn¡¯t be so superficial, would he?


    If Ming Jing happened to catch Master Xiao¡¯s eye due to good luck, wouldn¡¯t she be even more arrogant and act like a tyrant over everyone?


    Zhu Shaodan suddenly felt that the whole world had be dim.


    My life is finished.


    Zhu Xiangxiang revealed a pale smile, ¡°If Master Xiao likes her, that would be the best. Ming Jing deserves it.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang gave a bitter smile, ¡°I¡¯m just a fake rich girl. In terms of appearance, intelligence, and family background, I¡¯m not as good as Ming Jing. I know my ce.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan looked at Ming Jing in the distance, then at the sad Zhu Xiangxiang in front of him, ¡°Who said you¡¯re not as good as her? In my heart, you¡¯re much better than her. What¡¯s that idiom? Wrong¡­ wrong something thin?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan scratched his head in annoyance, unable to remember it.


    ¡°Underrating oneself, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t study well that you can¡¯t even remember a basic idiom,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said helplessly.


    ¡°Right, right, you shouldn¡¯t underrate yourself. As the saying goes, ¡®Where there is a will, there is a way.¡¯ As long as you put in the effort, even an iron rod can be ground into a needle¡­¡±. Zhu Shaodan deliberately started showing off his limited and pitiful knowledge.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t want to bother with him, not reliable at all.<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡± Liu Muxue, riding her horse, saw Ming Jing and immediately urged her horse to run over.


    Liu Muxue had an extraordinary learning ability. She could nowpletely control the horse freely.


    She sat on the horse, looking down from above, with a handkerchief covering half her face, revealing a pair of crescent eyes.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been this happy in a long time. But the field here is not enough. One day, let¡¯s go horse riding on the Mongolian grasnds, okay?¡±<div>


    That¡¯s the true breath of freedom.


    Ming Jing led Violent Wind to saddle up, and people nearby watched and marveled at her elegant mount.


    No matter how many times they practiced, they couldn¡¯t match Ming Jing¡¯s chic and agile moves.


    Ming Jing sat on Violent Wind, looking at the distant horizon, and smiled faintly as the breeze brushed her ears, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    With a clear shout, the horse¡¯s hooves leaped out, its agile figure flying against the wind.


    Liu Muxueughed and urged her horse to catch up.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang watched from afar, a hint of envy shing in her eyes.


    Now that horse riding has be so popr in Jiangzhou, it would be a bit embarrassing for her to say she can¡¯t do it when going out.Moreover, seeing Ming Jing¡¯s graceful galloping, she also wanted to experience it.


    Biting down hard, Zhu Xiangxiang overcame her fear and climbed onto the horse again.


    The two of them ran far away in one breath, and considering Liu Muxue¡¯s physical condition, Ming Jing slowed down and leisurely walked on the grass.


    ¡°Did that Master Xiao bully you?¡± she asked in a tone that suggested if he had, she would fight him to the death.<div>


    ¡°No.¡±


    Hearing Ming Jing¡¯s casual tone, Liu Muxue snorted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t fear thieves, but fear their covetousness.¡±


    There seemed to be some conflict not far away, with a crowd of people surrounding it and the faint sound of a girl¡¯s cry in the distance.


    Liu Muxue instantly perked up, ¡°There¡¯s amotion.¡±


    She rode her horse straight into it.


    There were three or four people in the circle, with everyone¡¯s horses grazing idly nearby.


    ¡°If you dare to hit me today, my dad won¡¯t let you go,¡± a girl in her teens said, wiping away tears but showing stubborn defiance in her eyes.


    ¡°Your family just runs a smallpany, what big deal is that? Hit her!¡± a girl in blue riding gear said viciously.


    Several girls of the same age attacked the girl without saying a word. Although the girl fought back, she was soon overwhelmed by the numbers.


    Liu Muxue watched with fascination. This was already at the end of the horse track, and beyond the fence were endless fields and a railway line. Not far away was a small pavilion for guests to rest. With her excellent vision and memory, she recognized Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin, who were leisurely sipping tea and watching the scene of bullying.


    Liu Muxue was furious. How could this go on under the bright sun?!


    Considering herself burning with a sense of justice, Liu Muxue cracked her whip and shouted, ¡°Stop, all of you!¡±<div>


    The whip cracked loudly, and the girls who were attacking all stopped in fear, staring at her.


    The beaten girl was smart, immediately climbing up and trying to run, but was caught by the hair and dragged back by the girl in blue riding gear.


    Snowke was a little scared, snorting uneasily. Liu Muxue gently patted it and coughed, pointing at the group, ¡°What are you doing? Ganging up on her! Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡±


    The girl in blue riding gear red at Liu Muxue and said with hostility, ¡°I warn you, mind your own business¡­!¡±


    Ha! Liu Muxue, who had been threatened, found this fascinating, ¡°When I ruled over you all, you were still in diapers. Trying to show off in front of me? Let her go right now!¡±


    The girl immediately shouted, ¡°Sister, help me! Waah.¡±


    As soon as she spoke, the girl in blue riding gear tried to gag her mouth.


    Ming Jing walked over, hearing her voice and looking intently.


    The girl saw her too, and her eyes lit up with ecstasy. Somehow summoning the strength, she bit down on the other girl¡¯s hand, making her cry out in pain and release her.


    ¡°Ming Chen¡¯s sister, I¡¯m Ming Chen¡¯s ssmate, and we metst time at school,¡± the girl said.


    In an instant, all eyes turned to Ming Jing, none of them friendly.


    Especially the girl in blue riding gear, who was also a familiar face.


    Li Yu.<div>


    However, there was a mix of fear and envy in her gaze.


    Ming Jing dismounted, walking step by step towards them. For a moment, all the girls were stunned by her appearance and demeanor.


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes were filled with fear and hatred.


    Later, she found out that Ming Chen and Ming Ti¡¯s sister were the famous Ming Jing. Although she was still young and didn¡¯t know exactly how powerful Ming Jing was, her family had relied on her uncle for support, but he was now ruined. Her aunt was bedridden from illness, her father was furious at her mother and herself, and her mother was still in detention for the crime of causing the ident. She had been living at her grandmother¡¯s house these days.


    She sensed that all these misfortunes were because of Ming Chen¡¯s sister, that beautiful girl who seemed like a banished immortal that she had seen that day.


    Although not much older than her, her presence made her instinctively feel that she was even more frightening than her father.


    Having dropped out of school and lost the chance to seek revenge on Ming Chen and Ming Ti, she vented all her anger on Zhang Yunfang, who she met today at the horse track with some friends to let off steam.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to bump into Ming Chen¡¯s sister.


    Ming Jing stood in front of Li Yu, who instinctively dragged Zhang Yunfang backward, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯te any closer!¡±


    ¡°Let her go.¡±


    The seeds of evil had blossomed in young hearts.

 Chapter 591: 298 Hell (First Watch)

    Chapter 591: 298 Hell (First Watch)


    Zhao Qin stood up with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ve seen enough of the hustle and bustle.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao shook her head: ¡°These little brats are way worse than us back in the day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t have a righteous person like Ming Jing.¡± Thest four words were said with a tight emphasis, carrying a hint of sarcasm.


    Li Jiaojiao chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t give her too much credit, she can only scare them a little¡­¡±


    Her mouth suddenly gaped open, wide enough to fit an egg, and her eyes widened as the double eyelid tape slightly fell off due to the wide movement of her eyes.


    Zhao Qin also saw it and hooked her lips in amusement; ¡°Underestimate her, and you¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch¡­¡± Li Yu screamed in pain, her heart filled with horror.


    ¡°You bitch, let go of my arm¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t even see how the other party made their move, but the hand she was using to grab Zhang Yunfang was grabbed by the other party in the blink of an eye.


    Her left hand was twisted around her neck and held behind her back, causing her to hear the cracking sound of her joints. The other hand was gently pressed on her right shoulder, pinning her down like a giant bell and rendering her immobile.


    Everyone else instinctively took a step back.


    Zhang Yunfang looked at Ming Jing with admiration and couldn¡¯t resist going up to kick Li Yu to vent her anger.


    ¡°Bullying the weak is the most shameless act. Buddha once said that those whomit the five heinous sins and the ten evil deeds will descend into the Av¨©ci Hell after death. What is Av¨©ci? It is a ce with no gap in time, space, suffering, destiny, and life.¡±


    ¡°Among the thousand hells surrounded by the Great Iron Wall Mountain, there are eighteen major hells. The utterance of a great fire, the nose-utterance of intense heat, and the raging fire entering the heart is Av¨©ci. You guys joke about it all the time, but you must know it well. The Av¨©ci Hell covers a circumference of eighteen thousand miles, with walls one thousand miles high made of pure iron. zing mes burn from above to below and from below to above, and hundreds of rakshasa ghosts with teeth like swords and eyes like lightning strike sinners¡¯ mouths, noses, abdomens, and backs with iron spears, tossing them into the air. Iron eagles peck at their eyes, iron snakes coil around their heads and necks. Within every limb and joint, long nails are hammered in; sinners¡¯ tongues are pulled out, their intestines ground and chopped, molten copper is poured into their orifices, and their bodies are bound with burning iron wires¡­¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s cold and gentle voice seemed to recount a story, yet everyone present shuddered involuntarily, and their imaginations ran wild as she spoke.


    Although the sun was shining overhead, and the breeze was gentle, nobody felt the warmth. A chill crept in from the soles of their feet, reaching all the way to the top of their heads.


    Ming Jing released her grip, and Li Yu¡¯s face turned pale as she staggered back a few steps.


    Ming Jing swept her gaze over everyone, and the other girls¡¯ faces all turned pale. Zhang Yunfang nervously swallowed her saliva.


    Liu Muxue, who had beenughing and joking earlier, couldn¡¯t help but be serious as well.


    Li Jiaojiao clenched her fists, ¡°What is she trying to bewitch them with?¡±


    A group of teenage girls, whose naughtiness was written all over their faces, were naturally no match for the already adult Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin.


    Li Jiaojiao looked at Zhao Qin and found that she was also frowning, seeming to be genuinely frightened.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a liar.¡± Li Yu weakly retorted.


    ¡°Ten evil deeds: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, double-tongue, harsh speech, idle talk, greed, anger, and wrong views. You have no fear of karmic retribution; you even incite others tomit evil deeds and create more evil karma, adding to your sins.¡±


    With a clear and serene gaze, Ming Jing stood tall under the sun and gentle breeze, radiating a faint golden glow. She lookedpassionate yet authoritative, making it hard for anyone to look her in the eye, wishing they could prostrate themselves at her feet.


    Li Yu took a step back in astonishment, and the other three girls with her turned pale. Some stared at Li Yu resentfully, while others looked pleadingly towards Ming Jing.


    ¡°After the end of your life, you¡¯ll plunge into the Av¨©ci Hell and suffer for countless aeons, enduring countless deaths and resurrections each moment, never stopping until your karmic debts are exhausted. Only then will you be reincarnated to another ce and suffer the consequences of your actions. No matter where you are born, you¡¯ll be blind, disabled, or an inferior person, living in a ce where you never hear the name of the Three Jewels and never have a chance to practice the Dharma. Believing or not believing is up to your heart. But if the Av¨©ci Hell appears when you¡¯re about to die, it¡¯ll be toote for regret.¡±


    Ming Jing shifted her gaze away from Li Yu and looked at the three frightened girls. One of them mustered the courage toe forward, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to bully anyone. She made me do it.¡±


    Li Yu was indignant, ¡°You¡¯re all so stupid, she¡¯s a liar, she¡¯s just trying to scare you.¡±


    ¡°To nder the Arahant, you¡¯re heaping sin upon sin. Even a thousand Buddhas cannot save you. It is certain that you¡¯ll fall into the Av¨©ci Hell and will never tread on the path to liberation throughout eternity.¡± As Ming Jing¡¯s calm words hit the ground, it seemed like the judgment of fate. Li Yu¡¯s face drained of color, and she stood stunned.


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze fell on the three girls in front of her, and she smiled as she patted their heads, ¡°From now on, strive to do good and never harbor evil thoughts ormit evil deeds again. The Buddha senses your sincere repentance and, in every moment, forgives the sins of your eighty billion kalpas of life and death, allowing you to be reborn in the Western Paradise World¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Ming Jing suddenly paused.


    In the lower realms of the Lotus Flower, the lotus blossoms remained closed for eons while sentient beings experienced three obstacles, much like the joys of the three meditations. It was only after twelve Great Aeons¡­


    ¡°Sister, I understand now. I will definitely be a good person from now on. Please don¡¯t let me end up in the Av¨©ci Hell.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s eyes shone brightly, full of life, yet they were now shadowed by darkness.Ming Jing brushed her finger across the girl¡¯s eyes andughed, ¡°Buddha is in your heart. He knows everything you do and think, so you should not be asking me.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s furrowed brows suddenly rxed, and she smiled, ¡°I understand, sister.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the bright eyes and asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Cui Yumeng. I am Ming Chen¡¯s and Ming Ti¡¯s ssmate. They are in ss 1 and I am in ss 7. Sister, I am so envious of Ming Chen and Ming Ti for having such a wonderful sister like you.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, turned around, and walked away. Cui Yumeng nced at Li Yu, who was kneeling on the ground, and snorted, ¡°Just go to hell for doing bad things. No one will save you.¡± With that, she ran after Ming Jing.


    Zhang Yunfang also followed.


    Ming Jing suddenly turned her head, looking at Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin, who stood on the side and watched the excitement.


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s palms are sweaty, and for the first time, she felt Ming Jing was so terrifying.


    She had the magical power to bewilder people¡¯s hearts. With just a few simple words, she end up overturning her worldview. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder, is there really a hell?


    Although she hadn¡¯tmitted any terrible crimes like murder or arson, she had a lot of evil thoughts growing up. Whenever she thought about the Av¨©ci Hell, the imaginative images in her mind made her feel terrible.


    She knew the concept but thought it was just a scam from monks. How could there be gods, Buddhas, and hells in the world?


    However, the most amazing thing about Ming Jing was that every word she said made you believe that it was real¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but panic.


    ¡°Zhao Qin¡­ Is she just bluffing? Trying to scare us?¡±


    Zhao Qin didn¡¯t answer her. She looked into Ming Jing¡¯s eyes, but soon admitted her defeat and left awkwardly.


    Not far away, Zhu Xiangxiang sat on the horse with a pale face, looking at the approaching Ming Jing and shuddered subconsciously.


    Even though it was noon, when the sun was at its fiercest, it made her feel cold all over, with her hands and feet icy cold.


    Ming Jing ignored her and walked past her.


    ¡°Sister Ming Chen, I¡­¡±


    ¡°My name is Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ming Jing, are you a nun?¡±


    ¡°I guess so?¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so amazing! So, sister, can you take me as your disciple? In the future, I will be a good person and respect my master.¡±


    Ming Jing suddenly stopped and looked down at the girl in front of her.


    Cui Yumeng earnestly said, ¡°Sister, I¡­I really want to be your disciple. Please take me in.¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Yunfang came over and said, ¡°Sister, I want to be your disciple too.¡±


    Cui Yumeng secretly red at her. What are you joining in for?


    Zhang Yunfang said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m serious, Master.¡±


    After saying this, she knelt down immediately.


    Without a word, Cui Yumeng followed suit and knelt down as well.


    Liu Muxueughed until her stomach hurt, pointing at the two and said, ¡°Do you know what the first thing is when you be a nun? The initiation ceremony involves shaving your heads. Are you willing to part with your beautiful hair?¡±


    Cui Yumeng and Zhang Yunfang¡¯s faces turned pale at the same time, and they subconsciously reached out to touch their hair.


    Cui Yumeng had long and thick hair, while Zhang Yunfang had short hair, but it also grew quite well.


    As Cui Yumeng hesitated, Zhang Yunfang made up her mind, ¡°I am willing to shave my head, as long as my master epts me.¡±

 Chapter 592: 299 Eliminating the Harm (Second Update)

    Chapter 592: 299 Eliminating the Harm (Second Update)


    Liu Muxue raised an eyebrow, these girls are smart, they know who¡¯s the most powerful.


    Cui Yumeng was almost in tears, finally she seemed decided: ¡°I¡­I am willing to be ordained, too.¡±


    Ming Jing nced quietly at the two of them, time flowed silently.


    A tin train drove by on the railway outside the railing, bringing a hustle and bustle. The birds perched on the railing scattered in fright, flying towards the end of the horizon. Under the blue sky and white clouds, they kept flying farther and farther until they turned into a tiny ck dot in the distance.


    As the train whizzed by, a gust of wind blew, making it difficult for them to keep their eyes open.


    Their frail and petite figures swayed slightly, but quickly straightened back up, they held their heads high staring straight at Ming Jing, their young eyes filled with determination.


    ¡°I do not take disciples, stand up.¡±


    Both firmly remained kneeled.


    Ming Jing turned around to leave: ¡°The solitude and sorrows of following the Buddha¡¯s teachings are a lonely struggle, how could it withstand the allure of worldly pleasures. Without experiencing the eight forms of sufferings, how could you possibly transcend¡­¡±


    The voice was carried away with the wind, and she had already drifted far away.<div>


    They looked at one another, seeing the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Liu Muxue patted each of them on the head: ¡°Take some time to understand it, the profoundness of the master is not something you two can easilyprehend.¡±


    She then walked away to follow Ming Jing.


    They looked up to see Ming Jing mounting her horse, her silhouette slender yet straight as a reed.


    Under the sunlight, it was as if golden lights danced around her.


    The maiden let the horse lead the way, demonstrating a leisurely andposed bearing, riding into distance, slowly disappearing from the horizon.


    ¡°Zhang Yunfang, why do you want to be a disciple?¡± Cui Yumeng stood up, patting off the dust from her knees.


    Zhang Yunfang stared at the distant skyline, ¡°because she is a huge hero of mine, and I want to be confident and strong just like her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s shallow.¡± Cui Yumeng retorted, but remembering that she had just promised Ming Jing to be good and not lose her temper, she softened the atmosphere with a cough.


    ¡°What I mean is, your thoughts are very shallow. I am different, I love the teachings of Buddha, they guide me towards kindness, and ensure that I won¡¯t suffer in hell after death.¡±


    ¡°Your thought is even more shallow¡­¡±


    With that, the two of them started a heated discussion.


    Li Jiaojiao found these two girls irritating, she coldly huffed at the sight of Zhu Xiangxiang at a distance, something crossed her mind, her facial expression stiffened momentarily.


    The scene described by Ming Jing kept lingering in her mind, whenever she had naughty thoughts, it would remind her¡­


    Whether she could continue to have fun anymore.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Qin mounted her horse and rode past the others.


    Li Jiaojiao quickly followed her.


    Soon there was no one left but Li Yu, sitting paralyzed on the ground until a coach came along, thinking she was injured, and got scared out of his wits.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Li Yu shouted, taking a step back in panic.<div>


    In front of her was a man who seemed like a demon with fangs, eyes shing like lightning, wielding a halberd, advancing towards her.


    Li Yu held her head, screaming in terror that left the coach stunned.


    Is this¡­is this student mentally unstable?


    With no other option, he had to contact the manager to get her parents involved.<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    After they changed their clothes, it was already noon. They decide to go to the restaurant upstairs to have lunch.


    ¡°What you just did really scared those girls. They¡¯ll behave from now on. But honestly, it sounded so real that I almost believed it.¡±


    Ming Jing replied calmly: ¡°Monks must not utter idle words.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s hand trembled slightly on her fork, ¡°Don¡¯t scare me!¡±


    All her life, she hadn¡¯t been the most virtuous person¡­ although she never realized it herself.


    ¡°If you believe, then it exists, if not, then it doesn¡¯t. Let¡¯s finish our meal, and I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Back to the Zhu¡¯s residence.¡±


    Liu Muxue continued her lunch obediently ¨C it tasted like chewing wax, she couldn¡¯t really taste anything.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before she¡¯d be the one losing her mind.


    There were many people in the restaurant, mostly young girls who gossiped about fresh news while taking nces at Ming Jing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, that one girl is so young and she¡¯s already gone mad.¡±<div>


    ¡°You mean the one in the blue dress? I¡¯ll tell you, she¡¯s probably traumatized. She¡¯s Mrs. Gu¡¯s niece, bah, what Mrs. Gu, the Gu family has fallen. Her father is that so-called great painter Li Yang, hyped up the market, but his skills don¡¯t even match an art student. After the fall of the Gu family, who else would give him face? His wife caused a hit and run. With such a sudden upheaval, her mental state must have been affected.¡±¡±This girl seems pretty pitiful¡­¡±


    ¡°Pitiful? You must be joking, this girl was in the same primary school with my cousin. Since she was a child, she¡¯s been a bully, leading groups to pick on girls who are prettier or have better grades than her. When their parentsined, she¡¯d use her uncle¡¯s influence to dismiss them. I don¡¯t know how many girls she¡¯s tormented, one even became emotionally unstable because of her. It¡¯s karma.¡±


    The other person eximed, ¡°At such a young age and so malicious, what will she be when she grows up?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just riding on others¡¯ coattails, acting all smug. But the debts she owes will eventually have to be paid, haha.¡±


    Listening to the discussions around her, Liu Muxue raised an eyebrow, ¡°These young girls are bing more and more ruthless these days. You could say you¡¯re removing a menace from the people.¡±


    Zhao Qin and Li Jiaojiao walk in, choosing a corner seat and for the first time not gathering around Ming Jing.


    ¡°Big sister, why have you been out of sorts since you came back? Did Zhu Mingjing bully you again?¡±


    As the two of them walked into the dining room, as soon as Zhu Shaodan saw Ming Jing, he clenched his fists and looked menacing.


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly grabbed his hand, ¡°Shaodan, don¡¯t lose control, it has nothing to do with Ming Jing. You must never bother Ming Jing again, she is also your biological sister.¡±


    ¡°Sister, what¡¯s the point of saying this now?¡±


    Everyone knows she¡¯s an impostor.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated, then sighed, ¡°Shaodan, no matter what, you should avoid provoking her in the future. There¡¯s something¡­really strange about her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared at all.¡±<div>


    The two of them found an empty seat and sat down, and Zhu Xiangxiang started carefully persuading him.


    She was genuinely scared, an eerie energy permeated from Ming Jing.


    What if she really goes to hell when she dies? Just picturing it, she was about to break down.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Dad.¡± Zhang Yunfang walked out of the front door and excitedly ran towards the man leaning against the car, who was on a phone call.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter, I¡¯m picking up my daughter.¡± Zhang Qiao ends his call, throws the cigarette butt on the floor, stomps it out, and turns around with a mile-wide smile.


    ¡°Ohe on, you¡¯re so grown-up now, are you not embarrassed about hugging so much, eh?¡±


    ¡°Did you smoke? Every time you don¡¯t let me hug you, it¡¯s because you smoked.¡± Zhang Yunfang put her hands on her hips, talking indignantly.


    Zhang Qiao coughs, ¡°No¡­I didn¡¯t smoke¡­¡±


    ¡°Look into my eyes, and say that again.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my dear, your father¡¯s starving. Let¡¯s go eat quick.¡±


    Zhang Qiao stuffed her into the car. Suddenly, his gaze hardened, his fingersnding on the side of her face.


    ¡°How did you get hurt? Who bullied you?¡± His expression instantly darkened.<div>


    Zhang Yunfang blinked, ¡°No one bullied me, I just fell off a horse when I was riding, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Hearing this, his face darkened further, ¡°Are the riding instructors just for show? They let my precious daughter fall off a horse, I won¡¯t let this pass.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m really fine, I¡¯ve been checked out at the infirmary, really I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m starving, let¡¯s eat quickly.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss thister.¡± Zhang Qiao said unhappily.


    After buckling Zhang Yunfang¡¯s seatbelt, he finally got in the driver¡¯s seat and drove away.


    To avoid Zhang Qiao bringing up the subject again, Zhang Yunfang quickly tried to change the topic, finally remembering an important thing.


    ¡°Dad, isn¡¯t Aunt¡¯s birthdaying up soon?¡±


    Mentioning his sister, Zhang Qiao¡¯s face lightened up a bit.


    ¡°There¡¯s still more than half a month to go, normally you forget everything, howe you suddenly remembered your aunt¡¯s birthday?¡±


    ¡°My aunt is so good to me, every year on my birthday she gives me a birthday gift. This year on her birthday, I want to give her a birthday gift too. Dad, what do you think Auntcks?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know, your aunt probably doesn¡¯tck anything.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang¡¯s eyes rolled, and suddenly she said, ¡°I¡¯ve got it, how about I give my aunt a man?¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯s hand trembled on the steering wheel, his face was a mix of emotions, and was at a loss for words.


    His sister really didn¡¯tck anything, but she¡¯s almost 30 and still single.


    Technically speaking, she really doesck a man¡­


    ¡°Among all the men I know who are the same age as my aunt, there¡¯s only my teacher. Our math teacher is pretty good, except he¡¯s bald. When the wind blew off his wig, we all saw he didn¡¯t have any hair, he aged 20 years instantly.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang began counting on her fingers, ¡°The geography teacher has a good temperament and isn¡¯t bald, but he¡¯s too ugly. We privately call him ¡®Sanxingdui¡¯, he¡¯s a exact duplicate of the look of the statues from there, but he¡¯s not good enough for my aunt.¡±


    ¡°The head teacher of the ss next door is good-looking, he already has a wife though¡­¡±


    Zhang Qiao listens to his niece going on in all seriousness, and the corners of his mouth twitch.


    If your aunt knew you were this concerned about her, she¡¯d surely be moved to tears.

 Chapter 593: 300 Charming (first watch of the night)

    Chapter 593: 300 Charming (first watch of the night)


    ¡°How can you be so clumsy? Madam can¡¯t stand any mistakes. If she sees this, you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhou, I¡­I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. How much is this flower vase? I¡¯ll pay for it, deduct it from my sry.¡±


    ¡°Your annual sry isn¡¯t enough to pay for this vase.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face instantly turned pale, realizing that working in an affluent family was indeed challenging; a seemingly insignificant vase was worth her whole year¡¯s sry.


    Madam Zhou sighed, ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re new here and unfamiliar with everything. I didn¡¯t train you well, so I¡¯m responsible too. Once Madam recovers, I¡¯ll speak up for you. But remember, this is the only time. If it happens again, I won¡¯t be able to keep you.¡±


    The woman quickly nodded, ¡°Madam Zhou, you¡¯re too kind to me. Don¡¯t worry, I will work hard.¡±


    Madam Zhou looked at the woman¡¯s ingratiating smile, feeling veryplicated.


    Ever since Xiao Ying had left with her mistress, Madam Zhou had a hard time keeping up with all the work due to her age. She had requested Madam to find another helper, but Madam hadn¡¯t taken it seriously. With the master rarely at home and the old Madam managing nothing, Madam Zhou¡¯s old bones were getting weary day by day.


    Not long after, Zhu Xiangxiang brought this woman home, saying she had seen her begging on the street and felt pity for her. Since they needed extra help, Zhu Xiangxiang took her in.


    Madam Zhou found it¡­difficult to describe her feelings about this.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang wanted to learn from her mistress¡¯s kindness but didn¡¯t know her limits.


    The mistress brought Han Suwen home because she knew her background well¡ªHan Suwen had a police record and was a university student. She was very articte and considerate, making her an excellent assistant.


    But the woman in front of her? Madam Zhou had observed her for nearly half a month¡ªshe was not only impetuous but also had filthy hands. Zhu Xiangxiang had virtually brought back trouble.


    If she told Zhu Xiangxiang, the girl would think that Madam Zhou was narrow-minded and couldn¡¯t tolerate others.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time talking, go and finish the kitchen work. And don¡¯t go to the second floor again,¡± Madam Zhou warned.


    She had once caught this woman sneaking into Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s room and didn¡¯t know what she was doing inside. If it weren¡¯t for considering Zhu Xiangxiang, she would have kicked this woman out a long time ago.


    Li Juan pouted her mouth, her hand reaching for a fruit on a te but was pped away by Madam Zhou, who scolded, ¡°Are you pretending to be ady now? You are here to work, not to enjoy yourself. Who gave you the courage to eat the master¡¯s food without permission? Hurry up and do your work.¡±


    Li Juan withdrew her hand, cursing the old woman in her heart, before reluctantly turning around.


    A tall and slender young girl with long hair and a white ankle-length dress covered by a ck trench coat entered from outside the door, exuding an indescribable mysterious aura, elegant and carefree.


    As the girl approached, Li Juan¡¯s small eyes widened.


    In her life, she had never seen such a beautiful woman. It was as if a fairy had walked straight out of a painting.


    The girl¡¯s cold eyes swept over her, and Li Juan suddenly felt as if her drifting heart had found an anchorage.


    Her heart trembled inexplicably, staring fixedly at the girl.


    Madam Zhou pushed Li Juan aside and greeted the girl with enthusiasm, ¡°Miss, my dear Miss, you¡¯re finally back. The old Madam has been talking about you every day, and Madam¡­ Madam misses you so much that her health has deteriorated. Go and see her.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll visit Granny first.¡±


    With that, she turned and walked towards the old Madam¡¯s bedroom.


    Li Juan stared at the girl¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Madam Zhou, who is she?¡±


    Madam Zhou nced at her, ¡°She is the truedy of the Zhu family.¡±


    ¡°What about Miss Xiangxiang?¡± Li Juan widened her curious and inquisitive eyes.<div>


    Madam Zhou choked, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Li Juan shook her head; she barely had any spare time for gossip with her busy schedule.


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang and the youngdy were mixed up at birth. The youngdy was only found this April and moved outter on.¡±


    Li Juan clicked her tongue in admiration, ¡°What did thedy eat growing up? She looks nothing like the Zhus. Good bamboo shoots can still grow from wretched bamboos. Amazing.¡±<div>


    Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t help butugh at her description, ¡°If you want to stay in this family, you¡¯d better shut your mouth. Troublese from the mouth.¡±


    Nevertheless, Li Juan didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    An indifferent olddy, a seldom-present master, a sickly mistress, a young Laoda who behaved like a hoodlum, and a¡­usurping Miss¡­


    The Zhu family was absurd in every aspect.


    As Ming Jing stepped out of Granny Zhu¡¯s room, Madam Zhou handed her a tray, ¡°Madam hasn¡¯t had lunch yet. She¡¯ll eat once you¡¯re here.¡±


    Li Juan came out of the kitchen with a tea tray, and Madam Zhou asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To serve tea to the youngdy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you so diligent before. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°The youngdy seems nice; she won¡¯t give me a hard time.¡±


    Madam Zhou was surprised, ¡°How do you know that?¡±Li Juan proudly said, ¡°I do have a knack for reading people.¡±


    Madam Zhou suddenly felt thezy, deceitful middle-aged woman became a little more agreeable.


    Lin Qing coughed and turned over in bed.


    The door creaked open, and Lin Qing said impatiently, ¡°I already said I¡¯m not eating, stop bothering me.¡±<div>


    ¡°Food is the foundation of life; are you nning to be immortal without eating?¡±


    Lin Qing suddenly sat upright in bed, looking over her shoulder.


    Getting up too quickly and not having eaten for a long time, she felt dizzy and lightheaded.


    Ming Jing put down the meal tray and reached out to steady her.


    Lin Qing suddenly grabbed her hand, ¡°Ming Jing¡­you¡­you¡¯re back.¡±


    Anxiety and guardedness flickered in her eyes.


    Compared to theirst encounter, she seemed to have aged a few years.


    Her eyes were puffy, her face pale, her lips cracked and peeling, and her messy hair hung over her shoulders. She no longer had the elegance of a noblewoman but was an ordinary middle-aged woman.


    Ming Jing picked up the chopsticks, added some appetizing dishes to the porridge, and handed it to her: ¡°Eat first, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Lin Qing nced at her and obediently took it.


    Ming Jing turned around and sat down on the sofa opposite, looking up at her.


    Lin Qing used the spoon to scoop a mouthful and tasted it.


    The warm food slid down her esophagus into her stomach, like a weed rain on parchednd, soothing andforting.<div>


    Lin Qing nced at Ming Jing, took another bite, and quickly finished the bowl of porridge.


    She stared expectantly at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and pulled open the curtains. The sunlight filtered in eagerly.


    Ming Jing went to the bedside and took Lin Qing¡¯s wrist, cing her finger on her pulse.


    The room was silent, with sunbeams casting on the carpet by the end of the bed. Dust danced in the light, like mischievous little sprites.


    Lin Qing looked into the eyes of the person so close to her.


    The person she had thought of for so long was finally standing in front of her, making her feel timid.


    ¡°I heard from Xiangxiang that you did well on your exams and can be directly admitted to Huaqing University. That¡¯s great; our family finally has a top student. Your grandmother even said that this year we¡¯ll go back to our hometown to pay homage to our ancestors and give proper respect.¡±


    Ming Jing released Lin Qing¡¯s wrist: ¡°Madam has been overthinking things, leading to an imbnce in the heart and spleen, causing both qi and blood deficiency. Continue taking the medicine I prescribed for you, and add Bupleurum Spleen-Returning Pills. The weather has been nicetely, so don¡¯t stay cooped up inside; go for a walk outside to rx, and you will be better in no time.¡±


    A sh of disappointment crossed Lin Qing¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ming Jing, how have you been living alone outside? Has anyone been taking care of you?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Madam. I¡¯ve been doing well by myself.¡±


    Lin Qing suddenly grabbed her hand, ¡°Are you still angry with me? Come back home, and I promise to make it up to you.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing looked down at her, her pitch-ck eyes emotionless, like a never-ending vortex.


    Lin Qing was afraid but didn¡¯t let go.


    She realized that if she let go now, she might lose her daughter forever.


    Ming Jing sighed, her eyes now filled with pity.


    Her pity wouldn¡¯t make you feel pathetic or hurt your self-esteem.


    It would only make you feel warm, like being surrounded by gentle spring water.


    ¡°Madam, Granny Zhu¡¯s birthday is on New Year¡¯s Day, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ming Jing asked softly.


    Lin Qing nodded: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°This year, let Madam take charge of Granny Zhu¡¯s birthday celebration and make it a grand event.¡±


    Lin Qing immediately perked up: ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll definitely make it grand.¡±


    Ming Jing has always been filial to Granny Zhu, so she would definitelye.


    Lin Qing, excited, didn¡¯t notice the girl¡¯s unfathomable eyes.


    Some things can¡¯t be dragged on any longer.

 Chapter 594: 301 President (Second Update)

    Chapter 594: 301 President (Second Update)


    Ming Jing closed the bedroom door.


    Upon turning around, a middle-aged woman holding a tea tray was standing in front of her.


    The woman was around forty years old, quite short, under 1.6 meters, and slender. She had coarse skin, and her long, slender eyes revealed a shrewd expression.


    The oversized servant¡¯s uniform she wore hung loosely on her body. When she opened her mouth, she revealed a set of neat, big white teeth.


    ¡°Are you the new servant of the Zhu family?¡±


    Li Juan was somewhat ttered, as the youngdy¡¯s voice was so gentle and polite.


    ¡°Yes, Miss, here¡¯s your tea.¡± Li Juan handed the tea to her.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t take it, ¡°Thank you, please take good care of Madam in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± Li Juan was somewhat puzzled, why did she call her Madam?


    So it seemed that the fake daughter had pushed the real one out, and the real daughter was angry and refused to acknowledge her biological parents.<div>


    Li Juan constructed a grand drama of love and hatred in her mind.


    Ming Jing went downstairs, gave some instructions to Madam Zhou, and then left.


    Li Juan leaned against the doorframe, waiting until there was no hint of anyone before smacking her lips. She took out a handful of melon seeds from her apron pocket, which she had found somewhere, and said while chewing, ¡°The Zhus have really gone blind. They don¡¯t care for such a goodÕæǧ½ð [real daughter], but instead dote on a fake daughter who¡¯s useless. They must be insane.¡±


    Madam Zhou quickly nced around and walked over to knock on Li Juan¡¯s head, ¡°Keep your voice down, do you still want to work here or not?¡±


    This girl was really thoughtless when she spoke.


    But she couldn¡¯t deny that there was some truth to what she said.


    Li Juan touched her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one heard.¡±


    Madam Zhou gave her a nce, ¡°Xiang Xiang is the one who helped you, do you think it¡¯s polite to talk about her like that behind her back?¡±


    Li Juan urately threw the melon seed shells into the trash can and grinned, ¡°I only care about truth, not sentimentality. Don¡¯t try to use morality to hold me hostage.¡±


    At this moment, a car drove in. Li Juan immediately put away her melon seeds, wiped her mouth, and a fawning smile appeared on her face as she went out to greet the guest enthusiastically,


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back! I¡¯ve prepared your favorite tea for you¡­¡±


    Madam Zhou was stunned by this scene.


    Did you learn the art of face changing from Sichuan opera?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Liu Muxue hurried back to Liuxian Town the next day. The air in big cities was not fresh, and nowherepared to Liuxian Town.


    sses resumed on Monday, and Ming Jing returned to school.


    After more than half a month¡¯s absence, even the gazes of her ssmates felt somewhat strange.


    The principal specificallymended Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang for their outstanding performance in the CMO during his speech after the g-raising ceremony. Both of them had secured guaranteed admission to Huaqing University.


    In this school, an elite education was practiced, allowing students to have the best learning conditions and educational resources. However, talent was important for this path, and not many students could walk this road sessfully. Jiang Jinchen had performed well in the CMO two years ago, earning a guaranteed admission to Jiangzhou University.<div>


    Ming Jing and Song Yinzhang were the students who had gone the furthest in this field. The final national team roster hadn¡¯t been announced yet, probably by New Year¡¯s Day. If the two of them got in and ranked in internationalpetitions, their achievements would be immeasurable.


    This student Ming Jing was incredibly strong. As the daughter of the Zhu family, the sister of Shen Zhou, and a phnthropist, she had achieved so much before her seventeenth birthday.


    The key to such great achievements was that she remained neither arrogant nor impatient, neither humble nor aggressive, which made people admire her even more.


    All the students in the school witnessed the principal, who never looked at the students with kind eyes and always scolded them, speak passionately about Ming Jing for twenty minutes on the stage. Inparison, Song Yinzhang, who also achieved good results, was only briefly mentioned.<div>


    Song Yinzhang admitted that he wasn¡¯t worthy.After all, Ming Jing often bes a trending topic, making the school famous along with her. The school board is delighted, and the principal is full of praise for her.


    In ss 1/8, Ji Dagui eximed, ¡°Our sister Jing is truly amazing, praised by the principal for so long, it¡¯s a first in history. Shaodan, you¡¯re so lucky.¡±


    Zhou Xiang nodded in agreement; ¡°If I had such a powerful sister, I would wake upughing from my dreams.¡±


    The two were not afraid of offending Zhu Shaodan anymore. They believed that Ming Jing was impressive no matter what.


    Zhu Shaodangged at the end of the line, hands in his pockets, standingzily with his messy hair stubbornly standing upright in the cold wind, and a few strands of purple hair revealed.


    He rolled his eyes and sneered, ¡°A bunch of fools, what do you know?¡±


    ¡°We may not know, but we believe what we see. Now, Sister Jing has be a fashion icon in Jiangzhou. The clothes she wears sell out online, not to mention how much money she makes for the Jockey Club. If you don¡¯t embrace Sister Jing and enjoy the good life, aren¡¯t you being silly?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan took a deep breath: ¡°You guys just wait, you¡¯ll regret it sooner orter.¡±


    Ji Dagui and Zhou Xiang looked at each other, both convinced that Zhu Shaodan¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t functioning properly. They thought he must have had too much tainted milk powder as a child, which ruined his brain. Better forgive the child.


    In the evening, the Jockey Club¡¯s official Weibo released a new message, announcing that Ms. Ming Jing would be appointed as the honorary president of the Jockey Club, and there would be a press conference and inauguration ceremony for the new president this weekend.


    This announcement caused quite a stir on the inte. If it was just small talk before, this move officially announced that Ming Jing had entered a higher echelon.


    She was no longer just a student and a social celebrity. People with keen senses could perceive something more.


    Jockey Club today is not what it used to be. It has gradually be a symbol of Jiangzhou, receiving strong support from the government and bing a major economic pir of the city. Thetest financial report shows that its revenue has already exceeded that of medium-sized enterprises.<div>


    And this is just the beginning.


    As for the President of the Jockey Club, it¡¯s an alluring position that many people desire but cannot achieve. Now it has actually fallen to a young girl.


    Upon further thought, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with it. Her performance at the horse racing event was evident to all, and no one was more qualified than her.


    She had just won a gold medal in the Winter Camp, was admitted to Huaqing University and had a good chance to join the national team. People hadn¡¯t recovered from her impressive academic achievements when she suddenly became the president of the Jockey Club.


    One surprise after another.


    Due to this news, the inte exploded, and Ming Jing¡¯s name once again topped the hot search list. Some people didn¡¯t understand what caliber the Jockey Club was.


    ¡ª Is it the Horse Supervisor from Journey to the West? The one responsible for horses, just asking casually [dog head]


    ¡ª Horse Supervisor? Read more books if you don¡¯t understand. The full name of the Jockey Club is the Royal Jiangzhou Horse Racing Club, a non-profit club organization approved by the government, specializing in horse racing and gaming entertainment. It¡¯s also thergest charity organization in Jiangzhou. Besides, the Jockey Club is involved in dining, entertainment, socializing, and many other businesses. Economists predict that, with the current development speed and government support, plus its own influence, in less than three years, it will be a leading industry in Jiangzhou. The Jockey Club has a board of directors with eightmittees under it. The president of the Jockey Club is the nominal chairman of the board. Do you understand now?


    After the exnation, no one asked such a foolish question again.


    Everyone understood how impressive the title of the Jockey Club was.


    Themon folk, who had never seen a horse, let alone ridden one, only knew that the Jockey Club seemed to be a very powerful organization.


    Those in the knowid their eyes on this teenage girl for the first time.


    Even though she was just a tool of maniption for two powerful figures, her simple existence made her far from ordinary.<div>


    Nobody knew that this was just the beginning, and there were many more miracles yet to be created in the future.


    And the name of that miracle was merely two sybles:


    Ming Jing.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, your daughter is incredible. At such a young age, she has reached this position. Her future achievements are limitless,¡±


    At the table with drinks and smoke, a bunch of old-timers who had just shown no signs ofpromise began swaying like the wind upon hearing the news, immediately praising Ming Jing.


    When Zhu Wentao figured out that it was because Ming Jing had be the President of the Jockey Club, his expression became much more colorful.


    This girl always did big things quietly, always giving people a shock.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, why don¡¯t you look happy? With such an outstanding daughter, shouldn¡¯t you be content? But your face looks so distressed. Could it be that the rumors are true, and your family prefers a fake heiress, pushing Ming Jing out the door?¡±

 Chapter 595: 302 Absurdity (First Watch)

    Chapter 595: 302 Absurdity (First Watch)


    There are no walls that don¡¯t leak. The drama of the true and fake heiresses is too much to ignore, especially for The Zhus who are under paparazzi¡¯s spotlight.


    Even those present who didn¡¯t pay much attention heard some rumors.


    Shen Zhou is the weathervane of Jiangzhou¡¯s business world, watched by countless pairs of eyes. His every move is scrutinized. When the teenage girl was favored by The Shens at Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s birthday banquet, that was when everyone started paying attention to the true heiress of The Zhus.


    Who is Shen Zhou? A man who built his own business empire from scratch at twenty, an enigmatic and deep figure, who left many people suffering silent losses. Mentioning him would make people shudder with fear.


    Even if he were to fart, everyone would be trying to fathom what it smelled like, what his intention behind it might be¡­


    Hence, when Ming Jing suddenly came into the picture, as Shen Zhou¡¯s sister, this young girl took on a new meaning in their eyes.


    No matter how much they thought about it, they could note up with any conclusion.


    Could it be that Shen Zhou, out of ack of familial love, suddenly wanted a sister?


    The episode at the horse-racing event shed some light on the matter, linking it with the rumors about Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen, finally bringing the truth to light.


    Looking at the middle-aged man in front of them, Zhu Wentao, who was recently out on bail, they somewhat pitied him.<div>


    The purpose of his gathering today is clear to all.


    Isn¡¯t he just using everyone as a fulcrum in his power struggle with his daughter?


    If this had happened earlier, everyone might have helped him out of old friendship. After all, it is utterly outrageous for a daughter to rise against her father, and everyone can empathize with his anger or sympathy, and would be willing to lend a helping hand.


    But after the incident at the horse-racing event, no one dared to lend a hand anymore.


    The girl, Ms. Zhu, had huge power behind her. Only this pitiful Mr. Zhu seems to be blind to that.


    However, it¡¯s still a family business, no matter how heated the dispute gets, they¡¯re bound by blood.


    But it¡¯s different for outsiders, who would theyin to if they were set up?


    This Mr. Zhu is truly foolish, having such a powerful daughter. Life would be easier if he just enjoy his twilight years, but he insists on opposing his daughter, which means opposing Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen.


    Recalling the rumor about The Zhus preferring the faux heiress and kicking out the real one, it seems hriously ironic now.


    Is there something wrong with The Zhus¡¯ brains?


    Always picking up sesame seeds while letting go of watermelons, making such foolish decisions.


    The fake heiress is smaller than a sesame seed, the real one might be a gold, diamond-studded watermelon.


    This is far beyond being described with just ¡®stupid¡¯.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s expression speaks volumes. It seems everyone has figured it out.


    It turns out the rumor was true.


    Zhu Wentao quickly regained hisposure and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Li, you¡¯re joking. Ming Jing is my biological daughter, there¡¯s no overnight feud between father and daughter. It just happened because of some issues with my secretary which upset her mother. Since a daughter is usually closer to her mother, she got angry and moved out. She¡¯s headstrong, as she didn¡¯t grow up at home. However, she¡¯s been dutifully looking after her mother who fell ill, serving tea and stewing medicine¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, Ms. Zhu is indeed rare filial piety. I remember the annual business cocktail party of Jiangzhou Chamber of Commerce will be held early next month. The big bosses of the Jiangzhou Chamber of Commerce will attend. If Mr. Zhu can invite Ms. Zhu to the cocktail party this year, I will believe what you said is true. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Otherwise what? Everyone understood what he meant.


    Zhu Wentao cursed the old fox in his heart, but hurriedly said, ¡°I don¡¯t have the final say in this, it depends on Ming Jing¡¯s schedule. After all, she is still a high school student. Although she¡¯s guaranteed admission to Huaqing University, she still has to finish high school. She takes everything seriously¡­¡±<div>


    There was a collective gasp around the table. ¡°Ms. Zhu is admitted to Huaqing University?¡±


    Zhu Wentao rather bragged, ¡°It¡¯s just that she won a national Math Olympiad gold medal at the Winter Camp, and next year she will represent the country in the International Olympic Mathematics Competition.¡±


    Everyone was left speechless. Thinking of their own children all at the same age, yet the gap is so wide.


    The more they looked at Zhu Wentao¡¯s smug face, the more it grated.<div>


    ¡°Mr. Zhu has a great daughter. We hope you will consider the cocktail party. We have other matters to attend to, we will leave first.¡±


    They really didn¡¯t want Zhu Wentao to keep bragging, or they would be provoked to anger.


    By asking Zhu Wentao to invite Ming Jing to the cocktail party, they had two motives. One was to test the rtionship between Ming Jing and her biological father. After all, if they fell out, wouldn¡¯t those who maintained close contacts with Zhu Wentao offend Ming Jing?


    Secondly, Shen Zhou was the power behind Ming Jing. If they could use this opportunity to get close to Shen Zhou, it would be perfect.


    In the blink of an eye, everyone had left, leaving Zhu Wentao alone with a table full of leftovers. He heaved a sigh of disappointment.


    Having exhausted all his bragging, if he couldn¡¯t get her toe at that time, he seemed destined to lose face in this circle.


    Walking out of the restaurant, the cold wind blew straight at him, and he sobered up a lot.Having called a designated driver, I arrived back at the Zhu residencete at night.


    The house was bathed in silence; at this hour, everyone should be asleep.


    However, the lights in the living room were still on. Zhu Wentao paused, was she waiting for him?


    Brimming with excitement, he walked in, only to see a girl in pajamas standing under the soft light, looking wonderfully elegant.


    Upon seeing him, she quickly came over to support him.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve been drinking again?¡± There was a slight reproach in the girl¡¯s voice, but it brought an incrediblyforting warmth to his heart.


    ¡°Why are you here? Where is your mother?¡± Zhu Wentao lifted his hand to rub his slightly aching temple.<div>


    ¡°Mother took her medicine and went to bed early. Please sit down. I¡¯ll make you some sobering soup.¡±


    She helped Zhu Wentao to the sofa, then turned and hurried into the kitchen.


    Zhu Wentaoy on the sofa, his consciousness gradually blurring.


    At some point, a soft voice pulled him back from his muddled thoughts, and he struggled to open his eyes.


    Gazing back at him were the girl¡¯s gentle, concerned eyes.


    ¡°Dad, drink the soup to sober up. You¡¯ll feel better, then you can go to bed.¡±


    Suddenly, Zhu Wentao grabbed her hand. Startled like a deer, the girl immediately let go, spilling the bowl of soup.


    ¡°Dad¡­you¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly felt scared. The man in front of her had a wolfish, brutal look in his eyes. It wasn¡¯t the gaze of a father looking at his daughter, but rather a man gazing at¡­a woman.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s heart pounded like a drum, her body felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and her face turned as white as paper.


    Zhu Wentao took a deep breath, suppressing the heat inside his body, and growled angrily, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang immediately ran off in panic, not noticing that she had lost one of her shoes.


    Zhu Wentao leaned back on the sofa and pped himself hard, muttering, ¡°Beast.¡±<div>


    All this had been witnessed by a pair of eyes from the corner¡¯s shadow.


    Li Juan hadn¡¯t expected her trip to get a drink of water would end up providing suchpelling entertainment. It was truly fascinating.


    She had always said that the Zhu household was full of absurdities, and now, it was proving even more ridiculous than she thought¡­


    Zhu Xiangxiang, not even going to bed in the middle of the night, parading around in such scanty clothing in front of a drunk man. Even biological father and daughter would avoid such impropriety, doesn¡¯t she know he¡¯s not her real father?


    The child was just too young, unaware of how horrific a man¡¯s animal instincts could be, acting recklessly in the heat of the moment.


    After lying for a while, Zhu Wentao staggered upstairs.


    Only then did Li Juan dare to sneak into the kitchen for some water. It seemed like the realdy leaving the Zhu household was a clever move indeed.


    Li Juan was drinking her water when she suddenly paused.


    She somehow found the actual youngdy to be familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall why.


    Just now, however, she remembered¡­


    Twelve years ago, on that rainy night, the woman standing behind her with a cloak.


    In her panic, the cloak had fallen, and lightning split the sky. For a brief moment, she saw the woman¡¯s face¡­and a bulging belly that was much too big¡­


    Li Juan didn¡¯t finish her drink, and rushed into Madam Zhou¡¯s room to wake her up.<div>


    Madam Zhou rubbed her sleepy eyes and growled impatiently: ¡°What are you doing? Disturbing people¡¯s dreams will get you damned to hell.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m damned to hell then so be it, Madam Zhou, I have a question for you, how old is our youngdy?¡±


    Madam Zhou grumbled: ¡°Are you sick or something? However old Xiangxiang is, that¡¯s how old our youngdy is. Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Twelve? Or maybe thirteen?¡± Li Juan ventured.


    Madam Zhou snapped irritated: ¡°Have you got too much time on your hands? Is that why you¡¯re disturbing an old woman like me? She¡¯s in grade eleven now, how old do you think the youngdy is? Twelve? Is it you who can¡¯t count or is it me? She¡¯s sixteen ande next March, she¡¯ll be exactly seventeen!¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t add up?¡± Li Juan began counting on her fingers.


    It was the second half of November, twelve years ago¡­ No, it was thirteen years this month.


    Did she remember it wrong?

 Chapter 596: 303 Quiet Month (Second Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 596: 303 Quiet Month (Second Watch of the Night)


    On November 22, Minor Snow ¨C the twenty-second sr term ¨C arrives.


    Snow spells cold, precipitation increases, the weather gradually bes deste, and people hurrying by on the street are all wrapped in cotton-padded clothes.


    Listening to the weather forecast on television, Li Juan¡¯s hand watering the flowers pauses involuntarily.


    It¡¯s today, thirteen years ago.


    The sky is gloomy, like an overturned pot.


    There¡¯s a storming in the mountains.


    Madam Zhou steps out of the kitchen, ¡°Juan, go and call Mr. Li. Why hasn¡¯t the delivery arrived today?¡±


    The staple foods and daily needs of the Zhu family were usually delivered by Mr. Li. Although the prices might be high, everything was fresh because the produce came directly from the farmers.


    ¡°This Mr. Li, he¡¯ste half the time of every month. He¡¯s truly unreliable. After this month, we won¡¯t cooperate with him anymore¡­¡±


    Madam Zhou grumbled, but then noticed that Li Juan had been standing still the whole time, showing no reaction.<div>


    She walked over and gave her a nudge: ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, what are you dazing off for? When everyone in the family wakes up, you will be held responsible if they can¡¯t have breakfast.¡±


    Li Juan puts down the watering can, and goes into the kitchen to find Mr. Li¡¯s phone number on the notebook hanging on the wall, and calls him.


    ¡°There¡¯s been a car ident on Qingshui Road, Mr. Li¡¯s car is stuck there, and he can¡¯t get here.¡±


    Madam Zhou was taken aback for a moment, muttering ¡°what a pity¡±, and put her hands together in a praying gesture towards the sky.


    She turned to Li Juan, ¡°Can you drive?¡±


    Li Juan nodded, ¡°Of course I can.¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s face brightened, ¡°Then you go to the garage and take that ck Santana to pick up the goods. Let Mr. Li wait there.¡±


    Madam Zhou solemnly handed her the car keys, and bid her emphatically: ¡°Be sure to drive carefully and mind your safety.¡±


    Impatient, Li Juan turned and walked away.


    She didn¡¯t tell Madam Zhou that she hadn¡¯t touched a car for over a dozen years.


    But once she was in, the familiarity quickly returned. On the way down the mountain, the incident from thirteen years ago kept reying in Li Juan¡¯s mind. Suddenly, a wild cat darted out onto the road, startling her greatly. She stomped on the break, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she took deep breaths.


    Fragments of past memories began surfacing in her mind.


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Juan, can you help your sister this time? I really have no other choice, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t trouble you. As long as she gives birth safely, we¡¯ll leave right away.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±No way, who knows where shees from? You two look so secretive, did you get into some big trouble? What if I get dragged into it? Get out, leave now, don¡¯t force me to get physical.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª ¡°You¡­how could you be so heartless? We¡¯re sister¡¯s born from the same mother.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±So what? Even sisters settle ounts separately. Aren¡¯t you working as a nanny in some rich family¡¯s house in Jingzhou? Guiltily sneaking out like this, did you steal something from your employer? Or is the child in this woman¡¯s womb an illegitimate child of your employer¡¯s, which has made you pursued by the wife? You¡¯ve really grown bold after some misadventure.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±You¡¯re alone without encumbrance. I have a husband and a child, an entire family to take care of, I can¡¯t afford such a trouble. As your sister, I remind you, if you¡¯re not capable enough, don¡¯t get trouble on yourself.¡±


    A bolt of lightning suddenly split the night sky. Apanied by a gust of wind, the woman¡¯s hat was blown off.


    In a sh of blinding silver light, she saw the woman¡¯s face and was stunned. That momentary surprise was enough for her to remember for a lifetime.<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the northwest corner of Jiangzhou, there is a mental hospital, colloquially known as the madhouse.


    By nightfall, the ce is filled with eerie howls, so much so that there isn¡¯t a single household for miles, and even wild cats and dogs stay away.


    As the sun sets and nighttime descends, the madhouse reaches its peak of activity.<div>


    This mental hospital stands deteriorating in the wilderness, looking like a haunted house from a horror film in the darkness.


    A car suddenly pulls in, its headlights appearing like flickering ghost fires against the pitch-ck night.


    The rusty iron gate creaks open, and the car moves inside.


    The director, together with a nurse, hurriedlyes to greet the visitors with respect.


    The car door opens, and a high-heeled foot steps out first.


    Then a graceful figure with an enchanting body slowly emerges from the car.


    The woman is wearing a deep-blue business suit which entuates her slender waist and long legs. Her body is sexy and voluptuous. The shirt is buttoned up meticulously, exuding a sense of self-restraint. Under her arm, she carries a fashionable ck alligator leather handbag.The cor of her coat was pinned with a delicate and fashionable brooch adorned with the letter ¡®W¡¯.


    ¡°Madam Zhou, you finally came,¡± the dean bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Where is the person I requested?¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± The dean guided her further in while speaking, ¡°This patient is one of the quietest in our institute. She doesn¡¯t make noise, eats and sleeps as she should; minus her tendency of wing at the walls from time to time, we would think she was perfectly sane.¡±


    They arrived at a so-called ¡®sickroom¡¯, which looked more like a prison cell.


    A room of around 5 square meters, containing a bed, a table, and a toilet; nothing else.


    The outward-facing door was a floor-to-ceiling iron rail, every action of the person inside was visible.<div>


    The woman gently took out a clean white handkerchief from her crocodile skin bag and covered her nose and mouth.


    The dean chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Our hospital¡¯s cleaners do clean regrly, but to restrict any escape attempts, there are no venttion outlets, so the smell isn¡¯t exactly pleasant.¡±


    The woman frowned, her eyes on the person behind the bars.


    The person was huddled in a corner, back to the crowd, asionally leaving behind faint whispers. The frail-looking shoulders were pitiful.


    The woman narrowed her eyes: ¡°What is she doing?¡±


    ¡°Scratching the walls. She does it daily, we had to switch her room multiple times because she ruined all the walls. She must be crazy, doesn¡¯t use any tools, just her fingernails. Scratches until her hands are bloody and raw but pays no mind.¡±


    ¡°Open the door,¡± ordered the woman.


    The dean immediately took out his keys and unlocked the iron grating, ¡°She is a madwoman, you should be careful.¡±


    But a nce at the two ck-clothed bodyguards behind the woman and the dean thought he might have overthought it.


    The woman waved her hand, the dean exited, leaving behind a nurse who was promptly escorted out too by an arm pull from the dean.


    Zhou Xue signaled, a ck-d man from behind her stepped forward, and lifted the woman from the bed as if lifting a chicken, there was no weight at all.


    The woman fell silently, not struggling at all,ying there as a pile of torn cotton.


    Those two hands were bloody and mangled, not resembling hands at all anymore.<div>


    Zhou Xue, with the handkerchief still covering her mouth and nose, frowned and said, ¡°Li Chan, I know you¡¯re not insane. If you confess truthfully about the events from thirteen years ago, you can end this hellish life. Otherwise, you will only suffer more. You¡¯re familiar with Madam¡¯s methods.¡±


    The woman had no reaction.


    Zhou Xue sneered, ¡°You tricked my people to go to Siji Town. Yet after months of investigation, there was no baby of the appropriate age. So, where did you hide the baby?¡±


    The woman remained indifferent, looking like she had died.


    ¡°No matter if you speak or not, as I recall, you have a twin sister. It¡¯s unfortunate that she wasn¡¯t burned in that fire, leaving behind trouble for now.¡±


    At the sound of her words, the woman¡¯s chest expanded slightly.


    The sound of high heels tapping against the cold damp floor echoed, like the drum beats of fate, making people powerless.


    The woman¡¯s mangled hands clenched into a fist, ¡°You¡­dare?¡±


    A simple two-worded sentence seemed to have exhausted all of the woman¡¯s energy. The hoarse growl was mixed with endless anger and humiliation.


    Zhou Xue bent down, gently wrapped the woman¡¯s hand with her clean handkerchief in a tender, careful manner.


    ¡°You, for the sake of a stranger, have done too much. I really admire you for being sopassionate and right. However, you should also consider your sister. Once upon a time, because of you, her entire family perished in the fire, and only she survived by pure luck. Do you still want to push her into the abyss again? Maybe you can make it up to that woman, but can you be fair to your own sister?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you¡­because of you all¡­¡± The woman roared with thest of her strength. Her eyes were blood-red, full of endless hatred.


    Zhou Xue sighed, ¡°You are so silly. Everyone has their destiny. Her existence itself is a humiliation to the Madam. How could Madam let her live¡­ but, after all these years, Madam regrets it too. After all, they share the same blood. The child is innocent; the Madam simply wants to find the child now andpensate her properly.¡±<div>


    The sound of the woman¡¯s voice was as soft as a dreamy whisper.


    For such a long time, she was mentally and physically exhausted; maybe she couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. Regardless of whether the woman was lying or telling the truth, she didn¡¯t have any other option left.


    ¡°My sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, she is fine now, but I can¡¯t say the same about her future.¡±


    The woman closed her eyes. After a long, long while, three whispered words echoed in the room.


    ¡ª¡±Baitou Mountain.¡±

 Chapter 597: 304 Clues (First Update)

    Chapter 597: 304 Clues (First Update)


    ¡°Baitou Mountain, and then?¡±


    Li Chan no longer spoke, her eyes closed, seeming to have no breath left.


    Zhou Xue narrowed her eyes and put her finger under Li Chan¡¯s nose to check for breath.


    The breath was very weak.


    This woman was probably not going to make it.


    Zhou Xue slowly stood up and walked out.


    Following Zhou Xue, the two men dressed in ck looked at each other. One of them, with a square face, stepped forward and whispered, ¡°Sister Zhou,st time when Brother Two and I went to Siji Town, it was at the foot of Baitou Mountain. Is she lying to us again?¡±


    ¡°No, for the sake of her sister, she would tell the truth.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t her sister¡­¡± The other man, with an inch-long scar on his left cheek, had just started to speak when the other man red at him and interrupted.


    Zhou Xue spoke unhurriedly: ¡°At that time, the number of corpses exactly matched. Later, when we checked the records, we discovered that the one who died in the fire that night was the neighbor¡¯s child. There is only one possibility.¡±<div>


    Li Juan was still alive.


    The one who slipped through the that year.


    At the time, she hadn¡¯t joined Madam¡¯s side yet, and another person was handling these matters. He was too careless, making mistakes in not just one thing ¨C eventually displeasing Madam.


    After she came to Madam¡¯s side, she gradually began to take care of these matters. That person left quite a mess, and Li Juan was just one of the problems.


    She¡¯s not sure how much Li Juan knows about what happened that year, but as long as she is alive, she¡¯ll always be a potential threat.


    ¡°But Brother Two and I asked around in Siji Town, and there were no clues. Baitou Mountain is as bald as it gets, with nothing but a nunnery¡­ ¡°.


    Zhou Xue suddenly stopped, and the two men behind her also stopped.


    In the cold underground passage, a chill wind blew, and faint ghostly howls echoed. The lights above flickered dimly, sending a shiver down one¡¯s spine.


    ¡°What did you just say? Nunnery?¡± Zhou Xue suddenly asked.


    The man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved, stuttering: ¡°Bai¡­ Baitou Mountain, there is only one nun¡­nunnery.¡±


    ¡°Jiyue Temple?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened, ¡°Sister Zhou, you know?¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯s gaze darkened. How did her investigation lead her back to Jiyue Temple?


    Ming Jing came from Jiyue Temple, and Madam had high hopes for her.


    As the head of the institution, when he saw the woman walking out with a gloomy face, he bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Take good care of her. If she dies, so will you.¡± The woman¡¯s cold voice came, causing the director¡¯s heart to pound, quickly responding with agreement.


    He grabbed an umbre from the corner and handed it to her with both hands: ¡°It¡¯s raining outside and don¡¯t get wet.¡±


    Zhou Xue stepped outside, where a drizzle apanied the chilly wind. The night was dark and cold.


    The endless night, stirring cold wind and rain, made her feel even more burdened.<div>


    She pulled out her phone from her bag and dialed a number: ¡°Check, Jiyue Temple, all five sisters there.¡±


    Zhou Xue walked into the rain, and Xie Wei hurriedly opened the umbre above her head.


    Suddenly, a cell phone rang.


    Zhou Xue stopped, took an old cell phone out of her bag.<div>


    One for work, one for personal use.


    The ringtone was a sweet, na?ve song sung by a little girl, cute and full of spiritual energy. But when heard in this gloomy madhouse, it gave off a strange feeling.


    Xie Wei shivered involuntarily.


    In an instant, Zhou Xue¡¯s cold eyes became gentle as she answered the call: ¡°Fangfang, you¡¯re still up sote.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what the person on the phone said but the womanughed and said, ¡°You growing up healthy and happy is the best birthday gift for your aunt.¡±


    ¡°Darling, go to bed early, and your aunt wille to see you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    After hanging up, Zhou Xue got in the car and said, ¡°Go home.¡±


    Xie Wei closed the umbre, and they both got into the car. Just like when they arrived, they left silently.


    The rain grew heavier, and the director stood under the eaves, watching the car gradually disappear into the rainy night like a dim ghost fire.


    A young nurse next to him whispered, ¡°Director, who is she?¡±


    The director turned back with his hands behind his back and snorted, ¡°Someone you don¡¯t want to mess with.¡±The woman lying silently on the ground suddenly moved her fingers.


    ¡ª¡ª


    That night, heavy rain fell in Jiangzhou,sting for three days.<div>


    Three dayster, on the 25th, the sky cleared.


    It was a weekend and the birds were chirping merrily in the early morning.


    Countless journalists rushed to Jiangzhou Shangdu Hotel, carrying their cameras and equipment.


    Today was the news conference and the handover ceremony for the new president of the Jockey Club.


    Generally, such formal eventsck interest. Heavy on officialdom, the public usually finds them boring.


    But this time, the new president was very popr online, ranking first among the younger generation.


    She alone could dominate the entertainment, business, and livelihood sectors, outshining anyone else.


    It was announced early on that this press conference would be livestreamed by Apple Video, a subsidiary of the Shenzhou Group. The public joked that Apple Video made a fortune from the traffic generated by their own girl. Certainly, they are close to the moon by having ess to water and keeping the riches for themselves.


    The press conference was scheduled to start at nine in the morning, but people got up early on weekends and started waiting in the live room at seven. In a short time, there were more than a million viewers in the cold winter morning.


    At 7:30, hotel staff began to search every corner of the conference room. They had received a noticest night that the specifications of the conference were very high, with many leaders in attendance. They had to ensure the safety of the venue.


    Moreover, the hotel also temporarily recruited additional security personnel. But before their allocation, the police arrived and took over the security in in clothes.


    Every reporter and cameraman entering the venue had their equipment and work permits checked, only being allowed in after registering.


    Seeing such a grand scene, the media personnel felt a bit anxious.<div>


    Wasn¡¯t this just a normal press conference? It seemed as if they were weing a bigshot.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the sun was shining brightly. Jiang Chun took a sip of coffee, and the kitchen brought her bird¡¯s nest soup.


    In order to maintain her figure, she never eats refined rice or noodles. As a result, her skin remained as youthful as a twenty-year-old.


    Jiang Jinchen came downstairs, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Jiang Chun frowned at him: ¡°Did you stay upte against night?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen pulled out a chair and sat down: ¡°There¡¯s a modelpetition in a few days. I looked up some literature and information overnight.¡±


    His favorite breakfast was ced in front of him.


    ¡°Thanks, Huahua.¡±


    Jiang Chun ordered, ¡°Huahua, cook him some nourishing soup. You¡¯re getting thinner without me looking after you for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen nced at Jiang Chun and saw her elegantly dressed. He asked, ¡°Will you also attend today¡¯s press conference?¡±


    Jiang Chun nodded, nced at him, and suddenlyughed: ¡°What, are you interested too?¡±<div>


    Jiang Jinchen pursed his lips and lowered his head to eat his breakfast in silence.


    Although Jiang Jinchen was not talkative, Jiang Chun knew her own son¡¯s thoughts well. She smiled and said, ¡°Clean up after breakfast ande with me. Today¡¯s press conference has high standards, ordinary people can¡¯t get in.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen didn¡¯t say anything, but he ate his breakfast more quickly.


    At that moment, Zhou Xue walked in quickly and whispered something to Jiang Chun. Jiang Chun¡¯s hand shook, and she almost spilled coffee on her expensive velvet cheongsam.


    ¡°Madam, be careful.¡±


    Zhou Xue took the coffee cup and put it on the table.


    Jiang Chun¡¯s face darkened in an instant, ¡°Follow me to the study.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen watched the two hurriedly leave, his eyebrows furrowed.


    He had good hearing and seemed to have heard a familiar name just now.


    He put down his chopsticks, nced in the direction of the kitchen, and quietly followed them.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be angry yet. There¡¯s no evidence for now, as many things don¡¯t make sense¡­but it should be certain that Ms. Ming Jing is not the Zhus¡¯ real daughter.¡±


    Zhou Xue had found the private detective hired by Lin Qing, who spilled everything after being bribed.


    ¡°Although she is not the real daughter of the Zhus, she may not be the person you¡¯re looking for either. After all, their ages don¡¯t match. I think Ming Jing¡¯s twins might be more suspicious. They entered school at nine, but their height and appearance don¡¯t resemble their peers at all. They started first grade in high school in September, with excellent grades. If we hadn¡¯t purposely investigated, we would never have discovered that they are two or three years younger than their ssmates.¡±


    Zhou Xue took out a photo and ced it in front of Jiang Chun. In the photo were a pair of twin sisters with identical faces, wearing school uniforms. One was lively and lovely, the other calm and steady, both showing the grace of young girls.

 Chapter 598: 305 Terrifying (Second Update)

    Chapter 598: 305 Terrifying (Second Update)


    Jiang Chun picked up the photo and nced at it. ¡°It¡¯s not them.¡±


    Zhou Xue paused, wondering why Madam was so sure.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Baitou Mountain¡¯s Jiyue Temple?¡± Jiang Chun¡¯s fingers caressed the ring on her unnamed finger as she spoke in a deep voice.


    Zhou Xue replied, ¡°Li Chan wouldn¡¯t lie to protect her sister. She only mentioned Baitou Mountain, and there¡¯s only one Jiyue Temple on the mountain. I had someone check the town at the foot of the mountain. Master Wu Xin of Jiyuean has adopted five orphaned girls, all of whom were abandoned. ording to the detective hired by Mrs. Lin, the real Zhu family¡¯s daughter should be Ming Xin, Ming Jing¡¯s senior. So, only Ming Jing and the twin sisters have suspicious backgrounds. But Ming Jing is sixteen this year, and that doesn¡¯t make sense in terms of age.¡±


    Jiang Chun curled her lips, ¡°Has she ever told you her age?¡±


    Zhou Xue thought about it, and realized that when she came back as the real daughter of the Zhu family, no one would doubt her age.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that if Ming Jing is indeed the person you¡¯re looking for, it¡¯s too terrifying.¡±


    Why would a thirteen-year-old child pretend to be someone else, and what were her motives for doing so aftering back? Was she just extremely cunning, or was someone else behind it?


    Either possibility was terrifying.


    ¡°Keep investigating. As long as she lives in this world, she will leave traces behind. We¡¯ll soon find out who she is and what she wants.¡±<div>


    Jiang Chun thought about the figure she saw in Jiyue Temple two years ago.


    Kneeling in front of the Buddha statue, the scent of sandalwood wafting around her, the young girl wore a washed-out white robe, exuding purity and detachment from the world.


    ¡°I pride myself on being able to read people correctly. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    The fog in front of her eyes grew denser, making her face less and less clear.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Jiang Chun changed into a peacock-green cheongsam and touched her temples as she walked out.


    Jiang Jinchen had finished his meal and was tidying up, ready to go out.


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes sparkled as she smiled, ¡°Jinchen, I suddenly remembered something. When Madam Gao visited our homest time, she loved the flower wine I brewed, and I promised to send her a jar today. I didn¡¯t expect it to coincide with the press conference, so why don¡¯t you help me deliver it? If I made a promise, I can¡¯t let her down, right?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen lowered his gaze, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll deliver it.¡±


    Zhou Xue walked out of the kitchen with a gift box and handed it to Jiang Jinchen, ¡°Young Master, please be careful.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen took the box in silence and left.


    Zhou Xue ced a white mink shawl on Jiang Chun¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Madam, you sent the young master away so he wouldn¡¯t get too close to Ms. Ming Jing, right?¡±


    Jiang Chun curled her lips, ¡°It¡¯s better to be cautious about some things. Jinchen may be quiet, but he¡¯s actually quite thoughtful. I know he has special feelings for Ming Jing, and I used to want to bring them together, but now it seems I was na?ve¡­¡±


    ¡°The young master will understand your intentions,¡± Zhou Xue reassured her.


    Jiang Chun chuckled and stepped into the sunlight, ¡°Many people are defeated by emotions, and you should never underestimate the silent ones. They can be the most terrifying when they go crazy.¡±


    Zhou Xue remained silent.


    There was no doubt that Madam¡¯s concerns were unnecessary. Everyone knew how devoted the young master was to her.


    It was impossible for him to turn against his mother for a woman.


    ¡°Are the people arranged?¡±<div>


    Zhou Xue¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°Madam, rest assured, it¡¯s already taken care of.¡±


    The current Madam would no longer have any hesitation.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At 8:30, the number of viewers in the live broadcast room soared to five million and continued to grow at a terrifying rate, which showed Ming Jing¡¯s terrifying influence.<div>


    At 8:40, leaders from various sectors began to take their seats, and Jiang Chun became the only highlight among the group of men.


    The camera swept over the audience and everyone was amazed to see Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen. Suddenly, the woman in the elegant, beautiful green cheongsam seemed even more important.


    When everyone realized she was sitting in the main seat and Mr. Shen was seated below her, they became even more surprised.


    Who was this woman?


    Soon the interlude passed, and the host took the stage, officially starting the press conference.


    Backstage, Ran Tengxiao stared at his watch and instructed, ¡°Keep an eye on the surroundings and don¡¯t let anyone cause trouble.¡±


    Ye Jian said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Xiao, the area is surrounded by police and our people are outside too. There won¡¯t be any issues.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s brow never rxed, intuition telling him something was bound to happen today.


    ¡°Bring up the surveince.¡±


    Quickly, the scenes from the press conference were disyed on aputer screen, with eight angles of surveince covering all areas.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s gaze fell on Jiang Chun, who was sitting in the first row of the audience, his fingers slowly stroking the jade ring on his thumb while his eyes remained dark.


    After the host finished his clich¨¦d speech, he announced, ¡°Let¡¯s wee the youngest president of the Jockey Club, Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    Everyone turned their heads at once.<div>


    The door slowly opened, and the girl stepped in calmly, facing numerous cameras and eyes.


    She still wore her signature white gown, silver moonlight flowing on the skirt, giving off a radiant hue with each step she took.


    A beauty that transcends earthly matters, pure and untouched.


    Like the brightest moon in a night sky, unique in this world.


    Her eyes, with all their charms and elegance, finally revealing a sense of calmness.


    She walked at ease, with a faint hint of smile on her face, weaving through the audience and walking up the stage.


    ¡°Click, click¡­¡± The shlights never stopped, the photographers going crazy, their fingers no longer under their control.


    Newly-minted 360-degree perfect shots of her. For the first time since her public image became known, she was appearing in front of cameras, not as a celebrity, but with an influence that rivals any A-list stars. Her beauty was simply born for the camera.


    A natural beauty.


    In front of the live broadcast, the audience watching the scene would only be more excited. Humans have a consensus understanding of beauty, and while some may not discern right from wrong, they will not fail to perceive beauty or ugliness, unless they are blind.


    However, her most striking feature was not her beauty but her elegance and calm demeanor, her gentle and fresh charm with every frown and smile, and a hint ofpassion hidden within her icy skin and jade bones.


    Pity for all beings andpassion for all life, this is the one and only Ming Jing.


    The host was taken aback, having heard of this youngdy, and today, seeing her in person, he realized how favored she was by the heavens.<div>


    Next, a representative of the Jockey Club appeared, making the ceremony appear official, but no eyes could leave Ming Jing.


    Since the establishment of the Jockey Club, no presidency had existed. Each major council member would take their respective roles, with the real control behind them actually being held by Ran Tengxiao. However, he could never appear on stage. As the representative handed over the seal of presidential authority to Ming Jing, they exchanged a few words of encouragement, took a photo for the camera, and the handover ceremony wasplete.


    Then came the highlight and the moment everyone was most concerned about.


    Ming Jing was asked to stay on stage while the host swiftly nced over his script, gripped the microphone, and said with a smile, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing is young and talented, truly an example for us youngsters. I heard that you won a national gold medal at the Winter Camp a few days ago and were admitted to Huaqing University. Congrattions in advance.¡±


    Ming Jing gave a gentle smile, ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡±


    The host, healed by her gentle smile, gradually let go of his tension.


    ¡°I¡¯ve selected somements fromizens, and I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to ask Ms. Ming Jing to rify our doubts. As we all know, not too long ago, you won a national equestrian championship, stunning the whole country. Everyone, including myself, can¡¯t help but wonder when Ms. Ming Jing, who grew up in the mountains, learned to ride a horse?¡±


    After asking the question, the host nervously gripped the microphone. This question was rather offensive. She was Apple Video¡¯s leading actress, and for this interview with the youngdy, their question script was repeatedly rejected. In the end, the chief editor opted for this more aggressive question to guarantee online traffic.


    Don¡¯t ask why. Simply put, there was no harm in the youngdy making some sacrifices for the development of her own video software.


    With fiercepetition in the industry, if they didn¡¯t pull off a surprise, the chief editor would be in trouble. This month¡¯s performance would be secured with the help of the youngdy¡¯s poprity.


    As the host finished speaking, the scene fell silent for a brief moment.


    The audience and the big shots present were all curious, not just her.


    In the first row of the audience, Shen Zhou furrowed his brows, seemingly displeased.<div>


    The camera swept past, and upon seeing Shen Zhou¡¯s gloomy face, the chief editor knew they were in trouble.


    Ming Jing took the microphone from the staff at a leisurely pace, facing countless pairs of eyes, and smiled faintly.

 Chapter 599: 306 Staining the Heart (First Update)

    Chapter 599: 306 Staining the Heart (First Update)


    ¡°Because a respected elder once liked it, horsemanship was something he taught me. He shared this sentence with me, ¡®People live in the world, bound by various dogmas and frameworks, and whether it is the mind or the body, they are imprisoned for a lifetime. They spend their lives searching, struggling, and striving for fame and fortune, seeking nothing but freedom, yet on a horse, you can easily experience the sound of the wind passing by your ears.¡¯


    Only when galloping on a horse can one truly experience that fleeting moment of freedom.


    The young girl spoke in a particrly gentle voice and expression, the audience immersed in the sound of her voice, not many paying close attention to her words.


    As she grew up, what she said ceased to matter.


    Appearances became the standard of right and wrong and the basis of values.


    Some people noticed that she mentioned an elder, and they couldn¡¯t help but look towards Shen Zhou.


    Shen Zhou neither denied nor confirmed, sitting upright, his gaze focused on Ming Jing on stage, his expression solemn.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s hand suddenly paused as he raised a water ss, the ss dropped heavily, sshing water everywhere.


    His dark gaze stared at the gentle and beautiful girl¡¯s face on theputer screen, the whirlpool in his eyes deepening.


    Ye Jian, who stood not far away, subconsciously shivered, involuntarily rubbing his arm.<div>


    The host quickly reacted, ¡°This elder must be very important to you. However, your excellent horsemanship must also be due to your talent. All we can do is envy you.¡±


    The chief editor in the earpiece reminded her to dig deeper, to find out who this elder really was, but the host dared not push further. She had to choose between her KPI and her life; could she not see how bad Mr. Shen¡¯s expression was?


    The host quickly moved on to the next segment, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing has founded the Wishful Thinking Charitable Foundation, which has gained an excellent reputation among the public in just three short months since its establishment, providing aid to countless cancer patients and disabled children. Now the Foundation has new ns, let Ms. Ming Jing personally share the good news with everyone.¡±


    Ming Jing held the microphone and spoke softly, ¡°After deliberations by the Board of Directors, starting today, in partnership with the Wishful Thinking Charitable Foundation, we are founding the Heart Project. With 50% of the horsemanship club¡¯s ie, we will devote ourselves to the development of this project, focusing on medical research, supporting national medical research teams and clinical trials, cooperating with various medical schools to establish the Heart Medical Award and schrships, with the sole purpose of promoting the development of national medical construction and clinical trials. I won¡¯t say those broad and vague academic words here; the only intention of founding this project is to let every patient spend the least amount of money to cure the most difficult diseases.¡±


    Why do people nowadays be impoverished due to illness? Hospitals are not charities. Each piece of medical equipment imported from abroad is exorbitantly expensive, as is the cost of training a good medical student. All of these are added to the cost of being sick, not to mention the imported special drugs. With backward medical conditions, people can only endure passively, and ultimately it is themon people who suffer.


    Only by vigorously developing scientific research projects and gaining a say in the international medicalmunity can medical reform be fundamentally promoted, allowing themon people to truly benefit from it.


    As Ming Jing finished speaking, the whole venue was silent for a moment, even the tens of thousands watching the live broadcast werepletely stunned.


    This was no longer just an act of charity; this was a move that would benefit the nation and the people.


    Ming Jing spoke in the most ordinary tone, yet her words were shocking. From beginning to end, she remained calm, as if all of these actions were not worthy of being praised and passed down, but merely what she was supposed to do.


    People understood that some people do charity for fame, fortune, or concealment, seeking something hidden from others for various reasons.


    But Ming Jing does charity solely for the sake of charity, without seeking any return, as pure and untainted as her white dress.


    Her heart was as clear as crystal.


    High mountains are admired, scenery is appreciated, but the journey continues.


    In this world of material desires and deceit, everyone is forced to get involved, living a life of painful struggle, grasping but never attaining. Some say that living itself is a kind of pain, but is there any way out? No, no matter how painful, one has to grit one¡¯s teeth and persevere, and eventually, one will reach the end.


    People move numbly along this path, surrounded by numb people, and therefore do not feel anything wrong. Even if they do, they¡¯ll quickly be hypnotized by self-deception, until they reach the end of their lives, looking back at this short yet long journey, leaving behind nothing but exhaustion and illness. And they are grateful but free, for this life has been wasted after all.


    If there¡¯s an afterlife, if there¡¯s an afterlife¡­


    Every person, at the brink of death, must pray like this, but if there really is an afterlife, they¡¯ll still walk the same path, for destiny is a cycle, and there¡¯s no difference.


    Just like the three rebirths and one cycle, the good ascend to heaven, and the wicked enter hell. Everyone¡¯s path has been destined since the time of spiritual chaos.


    The road of life is short enough to be terrifying and long enough to be despairing.<div>


    The interweaving of light and darkness, the struggle between good and evil, the generation and restraint of yin and yang, together create this vast and magnificent world.


    So, where there is despair, there is hope.


    Under the heavy, ck sky, people drag their weary feet and walk alone on this road. There are spring breezes, summer suns, autumn chills, and winter snows. The alternation of the four seasons, the joys and sorrows of life, and the intermingling of emotions makes life more colorful and painful.


    And one day, a ray of white light pierces the ck sky, a sliver of light illuminates the road underfoot, sloping down from above the head.¡ª¡ª<div>


    The number of people in the streaming room has reached 15 million and is increasing at a terrifying speed.


    At the Zhu¡¯s residence, Granny Zhu and Lin Qing are sitting on the sofa watching the live stream on TV.


    Granny Zhu¡¯s eyes were red, and she sighed, ¡°Ming Jing really is the best gift from heaven to our family. What virtues and abilities do we have in the Zhu family¡­?¡±


    Lin Qing was wrapped in a nket, her face still pale after her illness, but ever since Ming Jing visited, whether it was the medicine taking effect or something else, she had gotten much better over the past week and looked more energetic.


    Zhu Xiangxiang poured tea for them and sat quietly to the side, sipping her tea.


    At this time, lowering one¡¯s presence is the wise move.


    Ming Jing is now like a nuclear bomb, deadly for anyone who touches her.


    The kind where there¡¯s no ce for the body to be buried.


    Lin Qing wiped her tears and said firmly, ¡°She is my daughter,¡± her eyes filled with pride and arrogance.


    Li Juan hid in the corner, staring at the people on TV, her eyes dark and deep.


    Madam Zhou looked at her rare serious expression and was quite unustomed to it. Subconsciously, she felt a little nervous, which she found quite ridiculous.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ye Zhen knocked on the door, ¡°Brother Qing, are you there?¡±<div>


    ¡°The door isn¡¯t locked,e in.¡±


    Ye Zhen pushed the door and entered.


    A man was leaning on the sofa, his legs propped on the coffee table. He wasn¡¯t wearing socks and his feet were fair, delicate, and exquisite. His toenails were well-rounded, revealing a healthy pink glow and even a bright shine¡­


    Ye Zhen was taken aback.


    Brother Qing, a grown man, applying nail polish? This is too¡­ effeminate.


    And those feet, more feminine than a woman¡¯s.


    The ankles were ridiculously thin, and when the pant legs were lifted slightly, there was not even one hair¡­


    Zheng Qing was watching the live stream, but when he noticed Ye Zhen staring at his feet, he quickly drew them in and coughed, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Ye Zhen hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock of those beautiful feet. When she looked at the somewhat ordinary face in front of her, something seemed strange.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going with the crew to Yulong Snow Mountain this afternoon to shoot. I¡¯ll be gone for more than a month. I¡¯m here to say goodbye to you and thank you for taking care of me these days.¡±


    As a neer who skyrocketed to fame, she inevitably had to suffer some hardships in the crew. These were unavoidable, and she had been prepared for it mentally. However, Brother Qing had helped her block many troubles over the past few days and even bought people¡¯s hearts for her, making her life much easier.


    ¡°If you want to thank someone, thank your seniority as Ming Jing¡¯s sister.¡± Zheng Qing said mercilessly.


    Ye Zhen pursed her lips, ¡°By the way, Brother Qing, I heard from Ming Jing that you¡¯re nning to film ¡®Wind on the Clouds¡¯?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, are you interested?¡±


    Ye Zhen confidently said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯llpete fairly and you don¡¯t have to save face for me.¡±


    Zheng Qing nodded with a smile, ¡°You have backbone; I didn¡¯t misjudge you.¡±


    At this point, the host in the streaming asked, ¡°The Heart Project? What¡¯s the significance of the name?¡±


    The gentle and indifferent voice of the girl came through the microphone ¡ª ¡°Ites from Xiao Gang, a talented man from Nanliang, and his ¡®Guide to Singing¡¯. ¡®A single act of kindness can touch the heart, making it immortal through all cmities; When a hundredmps illuminate the vast night, a thousand miles be clear as day.¡¯¡±

 Chapter 600: 307 Gambling Heart (2nd Update)

    Chapter 600: 307 Gambling Heart (2nd Update)


    Good intentions deeply rooted in the heart will not be erased even after ten thousand years of trials and tribtions.


    Like a hundrednterns illuminating the vast wilderness, it is shining brightly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ye Zhen was taken aback, ¡°This is Ming Jing¡¯s voice.¡±


    She had been busy reading scripts these days and had not been online for a long time, let alone knowing about Ming Jing¡¯s press conference today.


    She quickly leaned in for a look, ¡°It¡¯s a live broadcast?¡±


    Soon she understood the ins and outs and sighed, ¡°Ming Jing is really great.¡±


    Zheng Qing chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t make her sound all high and mighty. Ming Jing doesn¡¯t do these things just for people to be grateful to her.¡±


    Ye Zhen nced at her, ¡°Zheng Qing seems to know Ming Jing quite well?¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes held a meaningful gaze, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know as much as you do, being her close senior sister who grew up with her.¡±<div>


    Both were thousand-year-old foxes, making a game of ancient legends.


    Smelling the scent of their own kind, they both held on tightly to their little screen names.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the same time, Qu Feitai was also watching the live stream and took a stroll through the trending topics.


    Sure enough, Ming Jing¡¯s name had already shot up to the top of the trending list.


    Qu Feitai clicked in and saw a user named Ming Jing¡¯s Little Fei in Love Today? The profile picture was of Ming Jing and Qu Feitai, photoshopped, of course, but the sweetly romantic atmosphere was really touching.


    Qu Feitai was stunned, then burst intoughter, not forgetting to give it a like first using a small ount.


    But once he had finished reading the user¡¯s posts, he couldn¡¯tugh anymore.


    ¡ª Wow, my girlfriend is simply outstanding, there is no man in the world worthy of her. I¡¯m sorry, Little Fei, you¡¯ll have to be just a goose instead, forget about being a son-inw. Stupid men will only be obstacles on my girlfriend¡¯s path to the top, kick them all away, go go go, stupid men get lost, don¡¯t stain my girlfriend¡¯s white dress.


    The post had already received over twenty thousand likes, and all thements were echoing the sentiment, with more than half of them being users with profile pictures of the couple¡¯s fans.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s feelings were hard to describe.


    All the fans had revolted.


    Qu Feitai touched his face, then his solid eight-pack abs, doubting his charm for the first time.


    Hemented ¡ª Are you still fans of our couple?


    He was quickly attacked.


    ¡ª The couple is over, my girlfriend is the only beauty. If anyone dares to match her with someone else in the future, I¡¯ll smash their dog¡¯s head.


    ¡ª Hahaha, what does Qu Feitai, a pretty boy, have that¡¯s worthy of my girlfriend? He¡¯s just a tool being pushed by capital, a disposable star. My girlfriend is beautiful, kind-hearted, intelligent, and has an extremely high IQ. She¡¯s so out of his league that even the king couldn¡¯tpare, let alone a little star like Qu Feitai.


    ¡ª Although Little Fei is not bad, our girl is just too good for him. Don¡¯t cry, Fei Fei, there are many good girls in the world. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll find someone else.


    ¡ª Everyone knows who¡¯s bound together, using a teenage girl for hype is really shameless. Selling the secret admirer act and relying on that song, pah, it¡¯s just wishful thinking.<div>


    ¡ª The person above, don¡¯t go too far. Qu Feitai is a talented star in the music industry, he has won countless awards and broke numerous sales records. He¡¯s young and sessful, where can¡¯t he match up with a capitalist¡¯s young miss? I think it¡¯s Ming Jing who¡¯s using him for hype, selling her image the most vigorously. At first, she gained fame by riding on Qu Feitai¡¯s traffic, and now she turns her back on him.


    Qu Feitai looked at the diversements, his feelings indescribable.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that his onement would incite two groups of people to start fighting, filled with filthynguage and unpleasant to read.


    It wasn¡¯t long before it climbed to the top of the most likedments and was seen by even more people, then¡­ The term Ming Jing and Qu Feitai proudly made its way onto the trending list.<div>


    By the time Qu Feitai thought about deleting hisment, it was toote. Netizens quickly dug up his personal information¡­ It turns out he was a somewhat famous photographer. After some online detective work, they found a photo he posted in August this year. Sharp-eyedizens quickly identified the location as the famous inte-famous check-in spot, Shidai Square¡¯s Qingshu Yinyue Restaurant in Jiangzhou, a popr dating spot for couples.


    Thest time this ce was known to the public was when an employee at the restaurant revealed that their manager personally confirmed that Ming Jing and Qu Feitai had a date at the restaurant sometime in August this year. There was no evidence, but many passers-by confirmed that they had indeed seen Ming Jing at the restaurant, while Qu Feitai¡¯s presence was uncertain.


    The photo this person posted, both the time and location matched perfectly. Could it really be just a coincidence?Netizens seemed to be the reincarnations of Sherlock Holmes, quickly discovering some connection between him and Qu Feitai based on various clues. At first, they thought he was Qu Feitai¡¯s friend, butter realized that this friend looked too much like Qu Feitai himself.


    In the end, they concluded that this photographer called Lonely Paddy Boat was actually Qu Feitai himself byparing the background of a VCR recorded by Qu Feitai for a music festivalst year and the little bit of the background wall exposed in this person¡¯s photo.


    The fan circle was shocked, as it was too much to believe that the person himself was making couple edits.


    Qu Feitai did not expect his alter-ego to be exposed so quickly. He had been careful, but was exposed by just one sentence.


    The exposure of the alter-ego led to a series of problems, which will be discussedter in the story.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Heart Project was just one of the many projects in the Wishful Thinking Charitable Foundation, mainly focused on medical research and development. In addition, there were various charity projects benefiting different industries, including education, disability, poverty alleviation, natural disasters, and more.


    ¡°The Wishful Foundation only cooperates with businesses and does not ept public donations. The yearly expenditure will be made public on the official website, and we hope that all sectors of society will actively supervise it. Additionally, next month, the foundation will organize a month-long volunteer activity for various universities. Teenagers are the driving force of social development and the future backbone and hope of our country. With benevolence and kindness, we can lend a helping hand and support each other during difficult times, so you are not alone.¡±


    As Ming Jing finished speaking, apuse thundered through the venue.


    The Master found it difficult to keep up with Miss Ming Jing¡¯s pace. The words she spoke were so pleasant to hear; she didn¡¯t seem like a businesswoman at all butcked the coppery smell of one. Yet, she also didn¡¯t seem like a student ¨C where would a high schooler get such vision and breadth of mind?


    It was truly a wonder.<div>


    Jiang Chun hooked her lips, ¡°Mr. Shen, your sister is truly extraordinary.¡±


    Using corporate money to invest in her own foundation, she alone gained fame.


    She not only pulled off a white glove, but also received a round of apuse for it.


    Yet the corporate partners were more than happy to continue working with her. For one, she had connections. Everyone knew she was backed by Mr. Shen, and no one dared to touch a hair on her head.


    Secondly, with her influence and poprity, cooperating with her could only add luster and bring about good personal rtions¡ªwhy not not do it?


    Third, and perhaps the most important point: investment is essentially about investing in the person. If Ming Jing one day were to achieve even greater sess, getting in on the ground floor would secure lower investment rates and prevent issues further down the line.


    Thesepanies working together with the foundation could all benefit from Ming Jing¡¯s current sess. Even with their scandals, she managed to clear them.


    Zhu Group had previously been criticized and likened to an old shoe that, though pulled out of the mud, stank of filth. Yet Ming Jing donated two years¡¯ worth of corporate earnings, and now, who still remembered the Zhu Group¡¯s scandals? People only had gratitude to offer, praising it as a conscientious enterprise¡­


    That¡¯s why charity was such a powerful means to wash away sins.


    Not many people had the courage, confidence, or enlightenment, but Ming Jing did.


    That¡¯s why she seeded.


    Jiang Chun silently stared at the girl on stage, suddenly feeling like she had never truly seen her before.


    But she was simply standing there, such a simple person that seemed increasingly hard to understand.<div>


    Jiang Chun believed that Ming Jing¡¯s heart was pure and merciful.


    But she couldn¡¯t afford the stakes anymore, and was unable to take the risk.


    Jiang Chun gently touched the jade bracelet on her wrist. Her lips held a graceful smile, while the depths of her eyes hid a fathomless cold abyss.


    At that moment, a stage ident urred; the emcee¡¯s microphone went silent.


    The emcee¡¯s face darkened, but she was an experienced professional and quickly regained herposure with a smiling face, hoping the technical team would quickly resolve the issue.


    Ming Jing handed her microphone to the emcee, who looked into the girl¡¯s bright and warm eyes, feeling her heart surge with warmth.


    Ming Jing was truly too kind and considerate.


    Suddenly, a staff member appeared near the high tform. He was a man wearing a work pass around his neck, holding a microphone in his hand. As he was about to step onto the stage, he was stopped by inclothes police.


    He quietly exined a few sentences, and the police let him pass.


    With his head bowed, the man stepped onto the stage from the side.

 Chapter 601: 308 Danger (first update)

    Chapter 601: 308 Danger (first update)


    The staff member saw Ming Jing hand the microphone to the host, a slight curve forming at the corner of his lips before quickly disappearing.


    He walked straight to Ming Jing and handed her the microphone in his hand.


    Ming Jing naturally reached out and took it.


    To the audience, all of this seemed perfectly normal.


    All of a sudden, the staff member stepped back, raising his head to reveal muddy eyes filled with malicious intent, reminiscent of a venomous snake flicking its tongue.


    With his back to the audience and the live camera, only Ming Jing could see him.


    The host had yet to notice.


    The girl in front of the camera maintained a gentle andposed demeanor, but the depths of her eyes suddenly darkened, like a seemingly bottomless pool, exuding a mesmerizing allure.


    ¡°Damn you, die!¡± The man yelled, and suddenly pulled out a ss bottle from his pocket, twisting open the cap¡­


    Everything happened in the blink of an eye; the man was so fast that he seemed to open the cap in just 0.01 seconds.<div>


    While the crowd was still in a panic, Ming Jing pulled the stunned host back a step, but the host was so frightened that she tripped over the cable, falling to the floor in an extremely awkward manner.


    The man then poured the liquid from the bottle all over the host on the ground.


    It turned out that he was targeting the host, not Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing¡¯s actions were faster than her thoughts; she lunged and rolled on the ground with the host, a faint sizzling sound apanying their movement. Amidst the chaos, the host looked on in shock at the face in front of her.


    The smooth, wlessplexion showed no signs of makeup; pure and natural. Her eyebrows seemed untrimmed, wildly sprawling, nting long and narrow towards her temples, yet strikingly beautiful. The natural and unadorned charm gave off a sense of exuberant vigor, exemplifying the wonder of divine crafting.


    At this moment, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, seemingly enduring pain, pulling at one¡¯s heartstrings.


    Just as the man threw the bottle, a shadow leaped onto the stage from below, subduing the man within moments. Despite the man¡¯s struggle, his opponent dislocated both of his shoulders with ease. Screaming in agony, the man passed out.


    Panic broke out beneath the stage, as policemen escorted Mr. Shen away, while others swiftly retreated.


    Shen Ke briskly approached Shen Zhou: ¡°Sir, this ce is not safe; let me take you away.¡±


    Shen Zhou pushed through the crowd, fighting against the surge of people. His typically calm face disyed frustration and anger: ¡°You better pray that Ming Jing is okay, or else¡­¡±


    Shen Zhou suddenly clutched his chest, his face paling from pain.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Shen Ke hurriedly supported him.


    Shen Zhou tightly gripped his hand: ¡°Find out who did this¡­and don¡¯t let them get away with it.¡±


    As if struck by a sudden thought, Shen Zhou abruptly turned his head. Amidst the chaos and noise of the audience, a woman in a peacock-green dress sat calmly and elegantly, herposed demeanor contrasting sharply with the surrounding frenzy, drawing all eyes to her.


    ¡°Madam Jiang¡­¡± The words almost seemed squeezed from between clenched teeth.


    Shen Ke shuddered: ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    Shen Zhou turned back: ¡°Go check on Ming Jing first; make sure someone keeps an eye on that viin ¨C don¡¯t let him die.¡±


    The police quickly dispersed the crowd while Sun Xiaofeng, the captain of the criminal police team in charge of venue security, rushed to the stage. He aimed his gun at the ck-clothed youth who subdued the assant.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±<div>


    Unexpectedly, he hadn¡¯t noticed when the youth had slipped in; by the time everyone reacted, he had already restrained the viin. Sun Xiaofeng hadn¡¯t even seen how he had done it.


    The youth wore a ck outfit, with a slender frame concealed by a mask and baseball cap. Like a shadow hidden within the darkness of the night, he emanated an air of mystery.


    Upon hearing the question, the youth scoffed disdainfully: ¡°Trash.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s gaze appeared bottomless, emanating an eerie coldness.<div>


    Ye Jian immediately dispatched someone to gather information. As the area was full of police, it wasn¡¯t convenient for Master Xiao to reveal himself.


    ¡°Master Xiao, something¡¯s not quite right about today¡¯s events; it seems like it¡¯s targeted at us.¡± Ye Jian felt apprehensive, for the situation had escted significantly.


    Ran Tengxiao sneered: ¡°This is a provocation; it seems she can¡¯t help but make her move. That man must not escape alive. Make sure it¡¯s done cleanly.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ye Jian hurriedly left.


    Ran Tengxiao stared intently at the ck-clothed youth on the monitor: ¡°Xi Yu, you¡¯ve finally revealed yourself.¡±


    The live broadcast was forcibly terminated, but the onlinemunity had already erupted into turmoil.Suddenly, a viin appeared and attacked the host, and Ming Jing unexpectedly rushed out to save the host.


    If the viin dared to do such a thing, it was impossible that he would just throw water, it should be sulfuric acid if guessed correctly. Ming Jing took the hit for the host, not knowing if she was okay.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s heart was lifted, and those who said Ming Jing was using charity as a show could no longer speak.


    Faced with danger, the first response for people was to protect themselves, yet Ming Jing threw herself at it for a stranger without hesitation.


    What a courage and kindness.


    Even the blindest person couldn¡¯t say that it was a show.


    The top search list has been dominated by Ming Jing¡¯s name, and major forums are dominated by discussions, and TV news has also started emergency broadcasts.


    Ming Jing¡¯s phone was also blown up by rtives and friends.<div>


    ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± The host came to her senses and immediately got up with red eyes.


    Ming Jing looked her up and down: ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    The host¡¯s name was Cao Yue, and she couldn¡¯t help but cry when she heard this. Miss¡¯s first concern was whether she was hurt, even though she herself was hurt.


    Cao Yue shook her head tearfully, looking at Ming Jing¡¯s arm: ¡°Miss, your hand has been sshed with sulfuric acid, does it hurt?¡±


    Ming Jing dodged in time, but a few drops still sshed on her arm. This was a strong concentrated sulfuric acid, very corrosive. Ming Jing¡¯s sleeve was already corroded, and a few nail-sized ck spots appeared on her white and tender skin, looking shockingly startling on that delicate and whiteplexion.


    The sulfuric acid sshed on the stage, causing arge area of the wooden floor to copse. Nowhere it went was left untouched, which showed the high concentration of sulfuric acid. If it had sshed on someone, the consequences were unimaginable.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Cao Yue cried out: ¡°How could it not hurt, that was sulfuric acid! Miss¡­ I¡­ I owe you my life, my life belongs to you in this life and the next, you are my savior.¡±


    Ming Jing wiped her tears, ¡°Your life is yours, not anyone else¡¯s. In fact, today¡¯s incident was my fault, that viin was targeting me.¡±


    Cao Yue shook her head desperately. She didn¡¯t care who the viin was targeting, she only saw that when the sulfuric acid was about to ssh on her, Ming Jing didn¡¯t hesitate to rush over and save her. In the nick of time, her life hung in the bnce.


    ¡°Ming Jing, are you okay?¡± Shen Zhou rushed over and saw Ming Jing standing there unscathed,pletely relieved.


    When he saw the injury on Ming Jing¡¯s arm, his eyes instantly darkened.


    Cao Yue was afraid and dared not breathe.<div>


    Shen Zhou, the rumored big boss Shen Zhou was so close to her, and his serious face was really scary.


    Ming Jing hid her hand behind her back; ¡°Brother, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She then walked past Shen Zhou to the front of the stage, ¡°Officer Sun, he is my friend.¡±


    Sun Xiaofeng put away his gun: ¡°So it turns out he was Miss Ming Jing¡¯s friend, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Sun Xiaofeng was still very impressed with Ming Jing, who saved lives at the risk of danger, not everyone had such courage.


    This girl was not only intelligent but also decisive.


    Shi Ba picked up the fainted man from the ground as if he were holding a chicken: ¡°What should we do with this guy?¡±


    Ming Jing said calmly: ¡°Let¡¯s leave it to Officer Sun. I believe the officer will enforce thew impartially and find the real culprit behind the scenes.¡±


    Sun Xiaofeng touched his nose. When Ming Jing said this, there was no ttery, just sincerity that made people believe.


    Shiba immediately said, ¡°No.¡±


    Ming Jing said softly, ¡°Be good.¡±


    Sun Xiaofeng rubbed his arms, like coaxing a child.


    Shi Ba snorted and threw the man at Sun Xiaofeng¡¯s feet: ¡°If he dies, you won¡¯t live either.¡±<div>


    Sun Xiaofeng resisted the urge to pull out his gun. The boy was so arrogant and threatening to the police at such a young age. If it weren¡¯t for Miss Ming Jing¡¯s sake, he would¡¯ve taken him to the police station for a good lesson today.


    Sun Xiaofeng quickly evacuated with the man.


    ¡°Ming Jing, are you okay? You really had me worried for a while.¡± Jiang Chun walked over with graceful steps.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes rippled slightly, a faint smile on her face: ¡°Madam put in a lot of effort, I¡¯m fine.

 Chapter 602: 309 Heart Punishment (2nd Update)

    Chapter 602: 309 Heart Punishment (2nd Update)


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­ I don¡¯t know who it could be, daring to do something like that. Rest assured, I¡¯ll make sure there¡¯s a thorough investigation to give you closure.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam,¡± Ming Jing lowered her head, appearing particrly obedient.


    Madam Jiang nodded contentedly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try too hard to be strong either. Look how dangerous the situation just now was. You¡¯re just too kind-hearted¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, your arm is injured. Let¡¯s go to the hospital right away. You¡¯re such a good child, enduring the pain without making a sound,¡± Jiang Chun said with sympathy.


    Ming Jing gave a slight smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you today, Madam. I¡¯lle to apologize in personter. For now, please excuse me.¡±


    With that, she turned and left.


    Shen Zhou nodded slightly and quickly followed Ming Jing.


    Jiang Chun touched her temple and smiled gently, her gaze falling on the young man in ck as she narrowed her eyes.


    Zhou Xue walked up to her.


    ¡°Who is that young man?¡±<div>


    Zhou Xue nced over and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone look into it immediately.¡±


    ¡°The mysteries around us keep growing.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ah, I wonder why that child suddenly ran out¡­¡± Madam Gao was confused.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Charles Gao immediately picked up his coat and went after him.


    Jiang Jinchen ran far away, panting, unable to catch his breath, with both hands on his knees as he bent over, gasping for air.


    Sweat dripped onto the ground, evaporating quickly under the sunlight.


    Charles Gao got out of the car and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about Ming Jing. I¡¯m worried too. Right now, our priority should be to confirm her safety. I¡¯ve been calling her phone, but no one¡¯s answering. We might as well ask your mother, she was at the scene, she should know what happened.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s expression stiffened, blue veins bulged on the back of his hands, and he slowly closed his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Elsewhere, Qu Feitai wished he could grow wings and fly to Jiangzhou.


    He bought a flight to Jiangzhou without stopping, but upon descending the stairs, he realizes something.


    What could he do by going there? He would only make things worse, as they already were.


    Qu Feitai quickly dialed a number, ¡°Uncle Yun Mo, could you help me with something?¡±


    It was the first time Yun Mo had received a call from Qu Feitai, and he found it rather unusual.


    ¡°So, the kid can ask for favors too? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Just now, an attack urred in the Jiangzhou Shangdu Hotel, and Ming Jing was injured. Can you help me check whether Ming Jing was injured and who the mastermind behind this is?¡±


    For this level of security, ordinary people could not get involved.


    There was a moment of silence on the other end before he replied, ¡°Young Master, if I help you this time, how will you repay me?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai gritted his teeth, ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do anything. The Master and the old man miss you. You should go home and see them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for your news.¡±


    Qu Feitai hung up the phone. The elevator reached the basement level, and after some hesitation, he still went out.<div>


    Just a quick nce would be enough.


    After hanging up the phone, Yun Mo immediately called Qu Lanting and recounted the incident, ¡°The situation in Jiangzhou isplicated, with Madam Jiang and the Qinglong Association fighting against each other. This girl named Ming Jing is caught in the middle, in the midst of chaos. Ming Jing¡¯s origin is also unclear, and she seems to be a very mysterious person. However, the young master ispletely devoted to her, and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good thing or not. I estimate he¡¯s already on his way to Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°The Master¡¯s prophecy is never wrong,¡± sighed the man on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°You should go to Jiangzhou yourself and keep an eye on him. Make sure he¡¯s safe, but don¡¯t interfere in anything else unless absolutely necessary. The Jiangs are a bunch of madmen, and once you get involved, you can¡¯t get away. As for Ming Jing, continue to investigate her background, it¡¯s impossible to have none. As for other matters, just let it be.¡±


    Some things just can¡¯t be avoided.


    Like love, death, and¡­ fate.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The car drove through traffic as Shen Zhou urged, ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    The driver stepped on the gas and sped past the other cars.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m really fine.¡±


    ¡°You say you¡¯re fine, yet look at this ¨C arge section of your clothes has been burned! If it hurts, don¡¯t keep quiet about it,¡±


    ¡°Really, it doesn¡¯t hurt a bit.¡± She had only been hit by a few drops of sulfuric acid, after all. And she had experienced pain far worse than that before.


    Cao Yue was also in the car, crying incessantly, not knowing if she was frightened or scared.<div>


    Shen Zhou red at her, ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    Cao Yue immediately stopped crying but couldn¡¯t help letting out a hup. She quickly covered her mouth.¡±Big brother, don¡¯t vent your anger on her.¡±


    ¡°You always think about others, but have you ever thought about yourself? If it had been a littleter, you would be in the ICU by now.¡±


    Sulfuric acid can be deadly. With such a strong concentration, if it had touched her internal organs, there would be no need to even send her to the hospital; she could be taken straight to the crematorium.


    Shen Zhou couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice a little, his chest heaving rapidly.


    Ming Jing still had no emotion, only managing a faint smile. To Shen Zhou, her smile seemed particrly harsh.


    ¡°You can stillugh?¡±


    At the driver¡¯s speed, they quickly arrived at the hospital.


    Shen Zhou had informed the hospital in advance, and the head of the surgical department personally treated Ming Jing¡¯s wounds.


    It seemed a bit overkill, but she was no ordinary person, as she was the sister of the hospital director and could potentially be a major sponsor of the hospital in the future.


    Medical research funding has always been difficult to obtain. Now that Ming Jing¡¯s charity foundation has a dedicated project for that, who wouldn¡¯t be envious?


    Not to mention, her vision and benevolence are quite rare.


    ¡°Sulfuric acid is highly corrosive, but luckily, it only sshed a little and didn¡¯t prate deep into the bone. Otherwise, it would have been much more troublesome. To treat the wound, we need to remove the necrotic flesh first. I¡¯ll give you local anesthesia, so it won¡¯t be too painful¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°No anesthesia necessary.¡±


    Han Ye looked at her in surprise. The young girl¡¯s face was calm, as if she were simply talking about how nice the weather was.


    ¡°You¡­are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡±


    Removing living flesh is no small matter, especially for such a delicate youngdy.


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze fell on the row of medical instruments on the small cart. She picked up the longest one, an 18cm curved surgical knife.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amidst Han Ye¡¯s shocked gaze, Ming Jing held the surgical knife in her right hand and, without any hesitation, sliced into the necrotic flesh on her left arm.


    Without even blinking, she removed a piece of necrotic flesh, then a second piece, then a third¡­


    Ming Jing threw the knife into the dissection tray and turned on the disinfectant, pouring it onto the wound.


    Han Ye, who had finally reacted, immediately snatched the disinfectant from her hand. ¡°Do you want to die from the pain?¡±


    Fresh woundsing into contact with chlorine dioxide were like dry firewood meeting with a roaring ze.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°Doctor, can I get your help now?¡±


    Han Ye looked at her as if she were a madwoman. ¡°In all my years as a doctor, I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you. Are youcking pain nerves, or is your inner strength just that great?¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to waste time.¡±<div>


    Anesthesia dulls the senses, but she needed to remember the pain clearly, serving as a constant reminder to her.


    ¡°Really¡­¡± Han Ye twisted open the iodine bottle, dabbing it onto a cotton swab and gently wiping the wound. ¡°This won¡¯t be as irritating. I¡¯m really impressed by your resilience.¡±


    Thinking of how merciless Ming Jing was when she cut out her own necrotic flesh, Han Ye couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    Being ruthless to oneself is the true measure of ruthlessness.


    This youngdy seemed gentle, but her inner strength was fierce.


    ¡°By not showing mercy to yourself, you might leave a scar. It¡¯s too unsightly for a young girl to have scars. Later,e to the stic surgery department, and we¡¯ll doser scar removal for you.¡±


    After bandaging the wound, Ming Jing smiled. ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±


    ¡°Remember toe back in three days to change the dressing, and don¡¯t let the wound get wet¡­¡± Han Ye muttered a string of instructions, but Ming Jing turned and left.


    Han Ye touched the bloody surgical knife, muttering, ¡°What a ruthless girl!¡±


    As Ming Jing walked out of the treatment room, Cao Yue and Shen Zhou immediately approached her.


    Ming Jing said to Cao Yue, ¡°You were scared today too. I¡¯ll have the driver take you home. The police may want to ask you questionster, just tell them what happened.¡±


    Cao Yue reluctantly left, ncing back every few steps.


    Ming Jing and Shen Zhou slowly walked outside. Shen Zhou said unhappily, ¡°You still have the energy to think about others? Can you put some thought into yourself for once?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head. ¡°Big brother, she suffered on my behalf.¡±


    To outsiders, this seemed like an attack on Cao Yue, but in reality, the attacker was targeting Ming Jing.


    If Cao Yue had really had an ident and Ming Jing had stood idly by, all of her charity work would dissipate like smoke at the moment when a life was lost in front of her.


    The public wouldn¡¯t listen to her exnations; they would only see that someone was hurt in front of her. If she could control public opinion and reveal that the attacker was actually after her and that Cao Yue was innocently caught in the crossfire, she would be even more defenseless.


    A wicked person could drop their butcher¡¯s knife and be a Buddha on the spot.


    But a good person is not allowed to have any blemishes, even in self-defense during a crisis, which would also be seen as an evil act by the public.


    The person behind all of this clearly understood human nature.


    They knew that Cao Yue¡¯s microphone was broken, so Ming Jing would give her own to her.


    Moreover, they knew she would risk her life to save Cao Yue. The sulfuric acid was indiscriminate, and injuring Ming Jing would fulfill the attacker¡¯s wish.


    It was a truly ruthless n, striking both physically and psychologically.

 Chapter 603: 310 Tiger Fight (First Shift)

    Chapter 603: 310 Tiger Fight (First Shift)


    ¡°I have ordered a thorough investigation into this matter, and the perpetrator will not get away this time. They are incredibly malicious.¡± Shen Zhou said in a deep voice.


    ¡°No, brother, don¡¯t get involved in this; you and Mr. Shen just sit back and watch.¡±


    Shen Zhou froze, ¡°That won¡¯t work; it¡¯s too dangerous for you.¡±


    ¡°If you want to help me, at least remove the trending news about me from the inte.¡±


    However, given the widespread attention on the news at present, suppressing it isn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Nevertheless, with Shen Zhou¡¯s capabilities, a simple phone call would suffice, letting the lower-level staff take care of it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go outside, there are journalists everywhere.¡± Number Eighteen tried to keep them from going.


    Those media hounds with noses more sensitive than dogs hadpletely blocked the hospital entrance.


    The current headlines were outrageously exaggerated ¨C ¡°Ming Jing injured in an attack and hospitalized, has the press conference turned into a condolences gathering?¡±


    The unscrupulous media today knew no bounds when it came to getting attention.<div>


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Han Ye led the way, exining, ¡°This is the employee passage of the hospital that leads to the family courtyard. Have your cars go in, and I¡¯ll have someone meet you at the family courtyard entrance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± Ming Jing replied softly.


    Han Ye nced at her, ¡°Remember toe back in three days for a dressing change.¡±


    She had heard of this girl, but now seeing her in person was¡­truly beyond her imagination.


    The group sessfully left the hospital from the family courtyard. As they drove, Ming Jing finally managed to check her phone, finding dozens of missed calls from Zheng Qing, Ye Zhen, Lin Qingzhu, Qu Feitai, Charles Gao, Liu Muxue, Tao Xingxing, as well as Zhu Xiangxiang and Zhu Wentao.


    Regardless of their sincerity, Ming Jing replied to each message to let them know she was safe.


    Her first call was from Zheng Qing, who she answered as soon as she saw his missed call. Opening with, ¡°Whichever shitty bastard did this, I¡¯ll make them pay,¡± his voice was filled with cold anger.


    This was the Zheng Qing she knew.


    Ming Jing simply watched the scenery outside the car window and replied lightly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. You only share good news and never the bad. Are you injured? I¡¯ll return immediately.¡±


    ¡°No need, you have more important things to do.¡±


    Without much further conversation, Ming Jing hung up. Zheng Qing kicked over a garbage can in frustration.


    Ye Zhen furrowed her brow, ¡°Is Ming Jing injured?¡±


    ¡°Damn that fucking bastard; once I find out who did this, I¡¯ll skin them alive.¡± Zheng Qing cursed with a dark tone.


    Ye Zhen touched the Buddhist beads on her wrist, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Jiangzhou now.¡±


    After calming down a little, Zheng Qing looked at Ye Zhen. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to continue filming?¡±


    Ye Zhen shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Ming Jing.¡±


    Snorting, Zheng Qing said, ¡°At least Ming Jing didn¡¯t devote herself to you for nothing. She¡¯s fine, so focus on filming. Wasting this opportunity would be the real betrayal of Ming Jing¡¯s efforts.¡±


    Ye Zhen gently pressed her lips together, ¡°But¡­¡±<div>


    With a re, Zheng Qing snapped, ¡°Stop dawdling. I said Ming Jing is fine. Go do what you need to and stop adding to the chaos. What help can you provide by going back now anyway?¡±


    So Ye Zhen left.


    Reeling through his contacts, Zheng Qing muttered, ¡°Wind on the Clouds, Wind on the Clouds¡­ I¡¯m going to see what¡¯s so special about this novel that has you so captivated.¡±


    Having stayed behind in Jingzhou, Zheng Qing¡¯s main purpose was to negotiate the copyright of Wind on the Clouds and have a good talk with the original author.<div>


    ¡°Xiao Wen, send me the contact information for the original author of Wind on the Clouds right now.¡±


    Thinking that she could resolve the issue quickly and return to Jiangzhou, she didn¡¯t want anything else to happen to Ming Jing while she was away.


    Xiao Wen quickly flipped through the copyright contract signed with Xinghui Entertainment and found the author¡¯s contact information.


    Within moments, the contact information was forwarded to Zheng Qing by text message.


    ¡°Xiang Kui? Is that a pen name or their real name?¡± Zheng Qing rapidly dialed the number.


    She wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible and get back home.


    After three rings, the phone was answered by a gentle female voice.


    ¡°Miss Xiang Kui, right? I¡¯m the person in charge of Unspeakable Entertainment Company. We¡¯ve bought the film rights to your novel Wind on the Clouds and n to make a movie out of it. Let¡¯s meet up and discuss the copyright details.¡±


    There was silence on the other end for a moment before the voice said, ¡°Is the day after tomorrow okay?¡±


    Feeling frustrated, Zheng Qing ran her fingers through her hair and responded, ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll see you at the Qingmu Caf¨¦ on Binhai Road at 3 p.m. the day after tomorrow.¡±


    And with that, the line went dead.


    With a deep breath, Zheng Qing resigned herself to waiting another two days.¡ª¡ª<div>


    Ming Jing had just returned home when she received a call from Sun Xiaofeng.


    The police worked efficiently this time.


    ¡°The culprit confessed to the crime and said he was instructed by Zhao Gan. He originally intended to harm you, but he panicked and attacked the wrong person.¡±


    Zhao Gan is Ran Qing¡¯s nephew, and indeed, the fire had burned towards the Rans¡¯ family.


    ¡°Our officers are on their way to arrest Zhao Gan. Ms. Ming Jing, pleasee to the police station toplete some necessary paperwork if you have time.¡±


    This case had attracted a lot of attention from the outside world and was considered a significant case. They wanted the suspects to be brought to justice and the case resolved satisfactorily.


    It was unexpected that the trail led back to the Rans, and Sun Xiaofeng hadn¡¯t foreseen this. However, orders from above stated that whoever the criminals were, no leniency should be given this time.


    After all, the impact they caused was too severe.


    Normally, progress updates on a case wouldn¡¯t be provided to the parties involved before a case was resolved. However, since it was Mr. Shen, he made an exception and called to ask about the progress.


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Officer Sun.¡±


    After hanging up, Ming Jing put her phone aside and knelt on the meditation cushion.


    In the faint scent of sandalwood, Buddhapassionately gazed at all sentient beings.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    At the same time, at the Zhaos¡¯ residence.


    ¡°Auntie, you must save me. I can¡¯t go to jail. The police are on their way to my house right now.¡± Zhao Gan knelt at Ran Qing¡¯s feet, crying pathetically.


    Ran Qing kicked him away in annoyance: ¡°Get lost, you useless troublemaker! I told you to keep an eye on her, but you were stupid enough to act in such a situation. What¡¯s in your head, water? If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me down with you.¡±


    Zhao Gan rolled on the floor, quickly got up, and knelt again: ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re my only hope now because I was doing things for you. My words and actions represent your intentions.¡±


    Ran Qing squinted: ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°Auntie, we¡¯re both in the same boat now. If I fall, do you really think you¡¯ll be able to survive?¡±


    Zhao Gan slowly stood up, the cowardice on his face having already vanished.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Ran Qing covered her chest and sat down on the sofa.


    ¡°You coveted Ming Jing¡¯s position as jockey club president, held a grudge against her, and asked me to ruin her press conference and give her a lesson she would never forget. Auntie, have you forgotten your own words?¡±


    Zhao Gan didn¡¯t care at all. If he went down, no one would be spared.


    Ran Qing didn¡¯t expect him to change so quickly, making her furious to the point of breaking out in rage. She pointed at him for a while without saying a word.


    Ran Bowen loved horseback riding, and the jockey club was his creation while he was alive. The club was a private racecourse of sorts, and the business barely survived. After Ran Bowen passed away, the jockey club nearly closed down. It was only after Ran Tengxiao took over that the club was revived, expanding its influence through a horse race this year. Now, it was a valued asset.


    Ran Qing wanted a piece of the action but was rejected by Ran Tengxiao.<div>


    Then, Ming Jing took the president¡¯s position unexpectedly.


    Ran Qing was furious, as she already disliked Ming Jing and now had her heart set on what Ming Jing had. She instructed Zhao Gan to watch Ming Jing¡¯s every move, hoping to find an opportunity to teach her a lesson. She didn¡¯t expect this fool to cause such a huge mess.


    In front of so many dignitaries, he executed a sulfuric acid attack.


    Unbelievable¡­


    He was digging his own grave.


    ¡°Get out! Get as far away from me as you can! I never want to see you again.¡± Ran Qing shouted.


    Zhao Gan turned and left.


    ¡°Come back.¡±


    Zhao Gan smirked and walked back.


    Upstairs, Zhao Qin watched the scene in the living room, her brow furrowed.


    It was her mother¡¯s idea after all.


    Zhao Qin went downstairs, and Zhao Gan raised an eyebrow at her.


    Zhao Qin red at him in disgust. ¡°Mother, the top priority now is to keep cousin¡¯s support. He¡¯s the only one who can smooth things over.¡±


    Whenever Ran Qing thought of that terrifying person, her scalp tingled.


    ¡°He has unusual feelings for that bitch. This time, he might shake things up in Zhuque Hall and have aplete change of personnel.¡± Ran Qing felt sick just thinking about it and wished she could kill the foolish Zhao Gan.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t fight with cousin.¡± Zhao Qin reminded her.


    Ran Qing pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯m going to the Rans¡¯ house now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± Zhao Qin took a couple of steps and looked back at Zhao Gan.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go anywhere before wee back unless you want to go to jail.¡±

 Chapter 604: 311 Defeat (Second Update)

    Chapter 604: 311 Defeat (Second Update)


    The Ran house was at this moment shrouded in low pressure, the servants even held their breath while walking.


    Master Xiao¡¯s subordinates approached hurriedly, then left hastily.


    Ran Tenghui hustled out foolishly, and Ran Tengxiao ordered people to beat him up and throw him into the garden.


    In this cold weather, he¡¯d almost freeze to death.


    It seemed Master Xiao was genuinely furious this time.


    Ye Jian hurriedly came in, ¡°Master Xiao, it¡¯s Zhao Gan, an arrest warrant for him has already been officially issued by the police station throughout the city.¡±


    They were able to somewhat guess what was on Ran Qing¡¯s mind, but she wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to act under these circumstances.


    But in any case, Ran Qing was bound to take the me for this.


    ¡°How¡¯s Ming Jing?¡±


    Ye Jian stole a nce at Ran Tengxiao¡¯s expression: ¡°An update just came from the hospital, Miss Ming Jing has gotten a bit of a hand injury, she has already been treated and is now back home.¡±<div>


    The pressure in the living room instantly dropped even lower.


    The butler then walked in, ¡°Young Master, Miss Qing and her cousin have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to fuck off.¡± Right now, thest people Ran Tengxiao wanted to see were them.


    The old butler tremblingly turned around and walked out.


    Ran Tengxiao nced at Ye Jian, ¡°You take care of this.¡±


    Ye Jian stiffened, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Ye Jian left, Ran Tengxiao tugged the corner of his lips and dialed Lin Feng¡¯s number.


    ¡°She sent me a big gift, so of course, I have to return the favor. She should be sitting at home now, leisurely drinking tea, but soon she won¡¯t be able tough anymore.¡±


    The opening salvo had been fired, and from here on, it was do or die.


    ¡°Uncle Hao, please let me in, I have something very important to discuss with Tengxiao.¡±


    ¡°Miss Qing, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but the mess you made this time is too big, Master Xiao is really furious, seeing you would make him angrier.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    The old butler patted her shoulder, ¡°Miss Qing, you are after all a part of the same family, the young master won¡¯t ignore you. Your best help to Master Xiao right now would be if you behave and stay at home.¡±


    Zhao Qin grabbed Ran Qing¡¯s hand, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s listen to the butler Grandpa. Let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    The old butler smiled, ¡°Miss Zhao is a smart person, she knows what to do.¡±


    Zhao Qin nodded her head, ¡°Thank you Butler Grandpa for the advice.¡±


    As Zhao Qin left with Ran Qing, Ran Qing said grumpily: ¡°I haven¡¯t even seen Ran Tengxiao yet, how can I just leave? I am his aunt, if I hadn¡¯t supported him earlier, Ran Yang wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight those cousins, where would he get the prestige he has today? How can he just turn his face and not recognize me?¡±


    Zhao Qin said in a stern voice, ¡°Mother, you should never say these things again. If they reach cousin¡¯s ears, it will just irritate him. No matter how he got his position, he is the one in charge of the Ran family now. Holding onto favors returned would only wear away thest bit of kindness.¡±


    ¡°And besides, cousin will definitely clean up this mess, not only are you his aunt, but you are also a member of the Ran family. If one part is honored, all share in it, if one part is hurt, all parts share in it, obviously, cousin understands this principle better than you.¡±<div>


    Ran Qing paused, turned her head to look at Zhao Qin, and suddenly realized that her daughter had grown up and was much more stable, doing things in a more organized manner than her.


    Ran Qing revealed a hint offort in her eyes, ¡°I am just afraid he will take action against Zhuque Hall.¡±


    ¡°Cousin dislikes people who don¡¯t obey, as long as you behave and just be a good person, nothing will happen.¡±


    Ran Qing of course understood this principle, ¡°Let it be, let it be. I¡¯m old, my health is getting worse, and I can¡¯t fight anymore, Zhuque Hall will be entrusted to you in the future.¡±<div>


    Zhao Qin nced at the time, ¡°You go back first, I have something to do.¡±


    Ran Qing immediately looked at her: ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Go and see Ming Jing, it seems she¡¯s been injured.¡±


    Ran Qing immediately scolded, ¡°What does it matter to you if that slut is injured?¡±


    Zhao Qin shook her head resignedly, ¡°This matter isn¡¯t as simple as you think. Even though cousin will cover for you for now, when ites time to settle ounts, won¡¯t you be afraid? Only Ming Jing can quell cousin¡¯s anger.¡±


    With a cold hum, Ran Qing mmed the car door shut.


    Zhao Qin remained in that spot, silently watching as the car drove away.


    At that time she was also watching the livestream, in thest second before the livestream ended, she saw a familiar figure.


    It was Xi Yu.


    He had finally stopped hiding and appeared openly by Ming Jing¡¯s side.


    All of her initial suspicions were confirmed.


    No matter the oue of what happened today, she had to make Ming Jing understand that this incident was not her mother¡¯s intention.


    She gged down a taxi, Zhao Qin instructed the driver to head straight for Tonghe Shengshi.<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    The police came up empty-handed after visiting Zhao Gan¡¯s house and subsequently issued an arrest warrant for him throughout the city.


    At four in the afternoon, the public reported that Zhao Gan had returned to his parent¡¯s house.


    The police rushed to Zhao Gan¡¯s parent¡¯s house.


    But when they arrived, they discovered that Zhao Gan hadmitted suicide by hanging, leaving behind a suicide note.The suicide note stated that he had been eyeing the position of the President for a long time, and therefore harbored resentment towards Ming Jing for his impulsive action. No one had instigated him, he did this of his own ord.


    In the suicide note, he took all the me upon himself.


    Upon forensic examination, it was confirmed that Zhao Gan indeedmitted suicide, and handwriting analysis ascertained that the suicide note was indeed written by himself.


    The police made an investigation but found the surveince cameras downstairs were broken, and the clues ended there.


    Although Zhao Gan¡¯s suicide was suspicious, the case could only be concluded as such unless new evidence emerges.


    Besides, Zhao Gan was backed by the Rans, which could implicate many people if investigated further.


    When Ran Qing learned that Zhao Gan was dead, and that he had taken all the me in his suicide note, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    At the same time, she experienced a sense of rm.


    This was the characteristic of Ran Tengxiao; fast, urate, ruthless, and leaving no traces.<div>


    Even a seasoned officer could not apprehend him.


    She was thankful that such a man was not their enemy.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Jiang Chun was leisurely trimming the fresh flowers in the vase. In this season, having a bunch of fresh flowers was not easy indeed. They were like precious flowers in a greenhouse.


    ¡°Where is Jinchen? Hasn¡¯t he returned yet?¡±


    Huahua replied, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°The child has grown up, I can¡¯t control him anymore, his heart is elsewhere.¡± Jiang Chun said, shaking her head with a smile.


    ¡°My only wish now is to see Jinchen getting married and starting a family, so that I could exin it to his father.¡±


    Huahua pursed her lips, ¡°Madam, rest assured, that day wille.¡±


    This was the first time Madam had voluntarily mentioned her deceased husband.


    Outside the window, thest rays of the setting sun disappeared, the moonlight spread over the treetops.


    The long and dark night wasing.


    Zhou Xue rushed in: ¡°Madam, something has happened.¡±<div>


    With a ¡°click¡±, the fresh lily Jiang Chun was trimming was cut off.


    Jiang Chun sighed: ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Putting down the scissors, she wiped her hands with a towel, and said slowly: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Zhao Gan is dead, is it worth such agitation? Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes were filled with a hint of displeasure, Zhou Xue was still too young to remain calm.


    Zhou Xue looked anxious, nced at Huahua, who bowed her head and stepped back.


    Jiang Chun picked up the coffee in a leisurely manner, took a sip: ¡°Speak, what happened?¡±


    Zhou Xue whispered into her ear: ¡°Madam, the grave of the master has been disturbed.¡±


    The coffee heading towards Jiang Chun¡¯s mouth froze, she nced at Zhou Xue, and Zhou Xue felt a chill in her heart and immediately lowered her head.


    ¡°Madam, it was my ipetence, please punish me.¡±


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao, I really underestimated him, he is much stronger than his grandpa.¡±


    The sound of the coffee cup base hitting the marble table emitted a crisp sound and the living room was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.


    In a long silence, Jiang Chun suddenly swept the coffee cup to the floor, and there was a trace of ferocity on that usually calm and elegant face.


    ¡°Bastard, I must eradicate him.¡±


    Zhou Xue shrank her shoulders, quickly bent down.


    Madam clearly lost this round.


    She had hit her weak spot.


    The coffee cup shattered on the ground, the broken rim rolled to the door, ending at a pair of white sneakers.


    Jiang Jinchen bent down to pick up the broken coffee cup and threw it in the trash can.


    Frowning at Jiang Chun, ¡°Mom, what happened?¡±


    Jiang Chun quickly put on a smile, as if the previous outburst never happened.


    She smoothed her hair and smiled, ¡°Jinchen, you¡¯re back. Are you hungry? I asked the kitchen to prepare pork rib soup for you, Huahua¡­.¡±


    Huahua walked out carrying a bowl of pork rib soup, ¡°Young master, have it while it¡¯s hot, it¡¯s been simmering all afternoon.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen pulled out a chair and sat down, nced at Zhou Xue who was silently standing aside, then at Jiang Chun¡¯s eager smile.


    Lowering his head, with a spoon, he took a sip.


    Jiang Jinchen quickly finished the soup, pushed the bowl away, and looked up at Jiang Chun.


    He wanted to say something, but in the end, he just sighed, got up and went upstairs.


    Jiang Chun stared at Jiang Jinchen¡¯s back, not knowing when her son had grown from a boy into a man.


    His face was a carbon copy of his father¡¯s.


    ¡°Just taking Ran Bowen¡¯s life is way too easy for him, any news of his bastard?¡±

 Chapter 605: 312 Eagle (First Update)

    Chapter 605: 312 Eagle (First Update)


    Zhao Qin arrived at the entrance of the residential area only to realize she couldn¡¯t get in.


    She called Ming Jing, but her phone was off.


    She waited at the entrance for a long time, from sunset to moonrise, without seeing Ming Jing¡¯s shadow or her caring in or out.


    Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly saw a taxi stop on the opposite side of the road, and a tall, erect man bent over and got out of the car.


    The man was dressed in a disguise, crossing the road towards her. He was tall and slim, quite eye-catching.


    Zhao Qin recognized him at a nce.


    Qu Feitai.


    Doing the math, he must have just arrived from Jingzhou after watching the news.


    Qu Feitai rushed back immediately after getting off the ne, and just as he was about to enter the residential area, a suddenly appearing figure blocked his way.


    Qu Feitai frowned at the person blocking him, a cold glint passing through the depths of his eyes.<div>


    She showed up again before settling ounts from thest encounter at the karaoke ce.


    ¡°Qu Feitai, I know you like Ming Jing, and I can help you. How about we make a deal?¡± Zhao Qin went straight to the point.


    ¡°With Ming Jing¡¯s personality, even if you chase her for a lifetime, she wouldn¡¯t turn around to give you a nce.¡±


    It hurt, but it was the truth.


    Qu Feitai raised an eyebrow: ¡°Oh? And how do you n to help me?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways. You might not know, but there¡¯s a young man named Xi Yu who has an extraordinary rtionship with Ming Jing, a rtionship you can never match.¡±


    Qu Feitaiughed, his gaze on Zhao Qin filled with mocking understanding.


    Zhao Qin furrowed her brows and coughed awkwardly, ¡°Opportunities are seized by those who are prepared. Once this chance is gone, there won¡¯t be another one.¡±


    Qu Feitai slightly lifted his chin, his jawline smooth and clear, the young bone structure and stubble exuding a sexy vibe. In the cold night, his sudden appearance made one¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°So, what do you want me to do for you?¡±


    Zhao Qin looked at him earnestly, ¡°Ming Jing is injured, and I can¡¯t contact her. As a friend, I¡¯m worried. Can you take me in? As for the rest, we can talk about itter.¡±


    Instead, Zhao Qin waited for a mockingugh from the young man.


    ¡°For someone who ims to be Ming Jing¡¯s friend, but can¡¯t even enter her home, what kind of friend are you? As a friend, you¡¯re betraying her wishes by helping another man pursue her without knowing him at all? You don¡¯t care about the harm that man could bring her. Is this how you define a friendship with Ming Jing?¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s face changed, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°What does it matter to you whether I like Ming Jing or not? Do you really think anyone needs your scheming and lowly tactics? It¡¯s insulting to think anyone else is a fool.¡±


    He left with that, ¡°Oh, by the way, stay away from Ming Jing in the future. She doesn¡¯t need friends like you.¡±


    The young man waved without looking back and swiped his card to enter the residential area.


    Stomping her foot in anger, Zhao Qin vowed, ¡°Qu Feitai, you¡¯ll regret it one day.¡±


    ¡ª<div>


    ¡ªXiao Fei, where the hell have you been? Look at the mess you made online, it¡¯s infuriating.


    Upon opening the WeChat voice message, Huang Chao¡¯s loud voice came out, and Qu Feitai quickly moved his phone away from his ear.


    He replied via text ¡ª I¡¯m out to do something, I¡¯ll be back in a few days.


    The elevator arrived, and Qu Feitai put his phone in his pocket, stepping out.<div>


    He walked to Ming Jing¡¯s door, hesitated for a long time, and finally retracted his raised hand. He pressed his ear against the door for quite a while, but heard nothing.


    In the end, he let out a sigh and turned to heading back to his own apartment across the hallway.


    Just then, the elevator door opened, and Qu Feitai froze for a moment before suddenly looking up.


    Besides him, the only one who lived on this floor was Ming Jing.


    ¡°Brother Qu.¡± Ming Chen saw him and thought his eyes were ying tricks on him. He quickly ran over.Qu Feitai didn¡¯t seem too disappointed. He smiled, rubbed Ming Chen¡¯s head, and hurriedly asked, ¡°How is your elder sister Ming Jing doing?¡±


    Ming Chen snorted, ¡°I knew Brother Qu would care the most about my elder sister. Look at how worried you are. Fine, I¡¯ll tell you out of the kindness of my heart. She¡¯s injured.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face suddenly darkened.


    ¡°But it¡¯s just a minor injury. She¡¯s already had it bandaged at the hospital, and she¡¯s resting at home now. You must havee to see her specifically, right? Come on, I¡¯ll take you home. My sister will be so happy to see you.¡±


    Ming Ti, who had been silent on the side, suddenly coughed.


    He had never seen such a presumptuous guy before. What did he mean by ¡°my sister will definitely be happy to see her¡±? Was he a worm in Ming Jing¡¯s stomach?


    Qu Feitai let out a sigh of relief, ¡°As long as she¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t go. Let your sister get some rest.¡±


    Thinking of something, Qu Feitai immediately put on a serious face and asked, ¡°During the days I wasn¡¯t here, did you practice the piano diligently?¡±


    Ming Chen grinned and said, ¡°Of course, I practiced well. If Brother Qu doesn¡¯t believe me, you can check for yourself.¡±<div>


    Ming Chen insisted on sticking with Qu Feitai and finally followed him to the opposite house while Ming Ti went home alone.


    Han Suwen saw Ming Tie home alone and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Ming Chen?¡±


    Ming Ti handed Han Suwen the soy sauce and said grumpily, ¡°Next door.¡±


    Han Suwen was stunned, ¡°Is it Xiao Fei who¡¯s back?¡±


    Ming Ti nodded with a straight face.


    Han Suwen rubbed her hands on her apron, ¡°Go ask if he had dinner yet¡­ never mind, don¡¯t ask. He probably hasn¡¯t eaten. I¡¯ll make some extra food tonight. You can deliver it to himter.¡±


    ¡°Why should I send it to him? Who does he think he is?¡±


    ¡°Look at you, as a friend of your sister and Ming Chen¡¯s piano teacher, it¡¯s only right and proper to take care of him more.¡±


    As Han Suwen spoke, she smeared soy sauce on the marinated yellowfish.


    Ming Ti nced in the direction of the second floor, ¡°I wonder if my elder sister woke up yet?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ¡°Brother Qu, your house is so big and empty. There¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s house, a little smaller in size than the one across the street, was like a disy room. Apart from the basic furniture, there was nothing else.<div>


    At a nce, it was empty.


    Qu Feitai hadn¡¯t spent much time living here, so he hadn¡¯t bothered to decorate it.


    Now, it seemed that he needed to buy more things since he was nning to settle in Jiangzhou for the long term.


    Qu Feitai opened his phone to browse a shopping website when he saw over a dozen missed calls from Huang Chao, and another call was ringing in.


    After Qu Feitai¡¯s disguise was exposed, there were various spections online. Now, some people have even used him of riding on Ming Jing¡¯s fame, making use of the negative rumors, so that the entire nation knew of his scandal with Ming Jing. Of course, most of the me was directed at him. Ming Jing was seen as a pure white lotus, while he, a top talent in the music industry, turned into a crazy, unrequited admirer¡­


    Although Huang Chao tried his best to manage public rtions and have the news removed from trending topics, there were still too many people jealous of Qu Feitai. They further muddled the situation, and it got more and more chaotic. Huang Chao was eager to get ahold of the main culprit, his anxiety burning like a fire under his butt.


    Since the afternoon, Huang Chao had been calling Qu Feitai non-stop, either his phone was off or he didn¡¯t pick up. In just a few hours, Huang Chao became extremely frustrated, feeling that being Qu Feitai¡¯s agent was not a job for humans ¨C it would surely shorten his life.


    ¡°Hello, Old Huang.¡± Qu Feitai walked onto the open balcony. The night view of Jiangzhou was beautiful, and Qujiang river in the distance, looked like a dormant, gigantic dragon.


    ¡°Little Ancestor, are you really my ancestor? Are you in Jiangzhou again? You just left and left a mess for me to clean up.¡± The sound of Huang Chao grinding his teeth could be heard through the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You are going to lose another few strands of hair. When I get back, I¡¯ll buy you the best wig, and I¡¯ll make sure you have a head full of shiny ck hair.¡±


    ¡°Ask Ming Jing what brand her wig is, and I¡¯ll¡­ are we talking about wigs? Do you know how serious this is? I would call it an idol¡¯s failure¡­¡±


    Qu Feitai sneered, ¡°An idol? Which type of idol am I? Do I rely on my face or figure to survive? Don¡¯t try to hold me hostage with the tricks of those market idols. I got to where I am today and gained this status not by being pampered by demanding fans. The remaining gold is refined, and those who would leave because I¡¯m dating aren¡¯t worth having as fans. You¡¯d better figure out whether you want a puppet idol controlled by fans or a soaring eagle.¡±


    With that, he hung up the phone, and no call woulde in for the time being.<div>


    As Qu Feitai turned around, he saw the young girl¡¯s starry eyes filled with admiration.


    ¡°Brother Qu, you¡¯re so cool! I knew I didn¡¯t misjudge you. You¡¯re definitely an eagle, the most powerful soaring eagle in the sky!¡±

 Chapter 606: 313 Fool (Second Revision)

    Chapter 606: 313 Fool (Second Revision)


    Qu Feitai walked over with a smile and flicked her forehead lightly with his finger: ¡°Little tterer.¡±


    Ming Chen covered her head: ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m telling the truth. Brother Qu, you will definitely be a very powerful person in the future, but because you are too young and too handsome, those superficial people only see your appearance, not your talent. If you were ugly, people would see past your ugly appearance and discover your incredible talent. So, people are easily deceived by appearances, and they only want to believe what they see. It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s theirs.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s eyes shimmered like stars twinkling in the pitch-ck night sky.


    Qu Feitai paused andughed: ¡°You little brat, your words are actually quite reasonable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because my sister taught me well, the Diamond Sutra says: All phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows, like dew and lightning; in this way, they should be observed.¡±


    Her nodding and shaking head gesture was really cute.


    ¡°Brother Qu, don¡¯t be upset by those irrelevant people, think more about happy things.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at Ming Chen¡¯s bright eyes, smiled and patted her head: ¡°You¡¯re very lucky.¡±


    Some people live their entire lives without having the rity of a young girl.


    ¡°Of course, I am a baby blessed by the god of luck.¡± Ming Chen pped her chest confidently.<div>


    Suddenly, a bright idea struck Qu Feitai, and he took out a pen and paper from his bag and began to write and draw. He looked very serious, his brows furrowed, sometimes confused, sometimes pondering. Ming Chen watched from a distance, not daring to disturb him, and sat quietly to one side.


    Brother Qu¡¯s serious look was really so cool and handsome.


    Ming Chen took out her phone and secretly snapped a picture, making herself happy for quite a while.


    After a while, Ming Ti came to deliver dinner. After eating, Qu Feitai continued writing, and he didn¡¯t even know when Ming Chen had left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing had taken half a month¡¯s leave from school. The school tactfully expressed concern for her health, and naturally, everything was arranged ordingly.


    Although Ming Jing had already obtained qualification for rmendation to Huaqing University, she still had toplete all high school courses and wait until next March for the school¡¯s approval, submitting her application to the rmended university, and waiting for the reply.


    Ming Jing would definitely need to take the graduation test at the end of December.


    Meanwhile, after a day of online hype, Ming Jing¡¯s poprity reached an unprecedented height, and even the host, Cao Yue, became famous overnight due to the incident.


    Countless people came to her Weibo asking about the situation at the time and Ming Jing¡¯s safety.


    Cao Yue didn¡¯t dare to speak randomly and could only remain silent.


    Thepany¡¯s PR department handled the situation, and at 8 o¡¯clock in the evening, thepany released a statement directly on its official website, briefly exining the matter and stating that Ming Jing¡¯s health was fine and that the public could rest assured.


    Afterward, the Jiangzhou Police Department announced that the case had been solved.


    The efficiency was indeed impressive, and the public was happy to hear the news.


    ¡ª¡ªZhao Gan? Where did this losere from? A grown man with such vicious methods,mitting suicide is too easy for him.


    ¡ª¡ªLet me give you all some background on Zhao Gan, he¡¯s the nephew of the aunt of the biggest local Hei leader in Jiangzhou. The rtionship is a bit convoluted, but all you need to know is that he¡¯s involved with the local heavyweights. It¡¯s rumored that the Jockey Club¡¯s mastermind is this head honcho who everyone calls Master Xiao. He is said to be very young and very handsome. Of course, I haven¡¯t seen him, so I wouldn¡¯t know for sure, but that¡¯s how the rumors go. Master Xiao is the one who calls the shots around here, and with Ming Jing¡¯s squeaky-clean image, it¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s annoyed at her being appointed president of the Jockey Club and decided to cause today¡¯s drama. There are deep waters in between, but my ount may not survive much longer, see you in the next life, if fate allows.


    ¡ª¡ªI smell a conspiracy.


    ¡ª¡ªNo, my dear Ming Jing is so kindhearted, how could she withstand such evil forces? I hope nothing bad happens to her.


    ¡ª¡ªEvil will never triumph over good, just wait, the light of righteousness will capture all the bad guys in one sweep.<div>


    ¡ª¡ªI¡¯m from Jiangzhou, and I can testify that I had the fortune of seeing Master Xiao once, he is very, very handsome, with more vor than those youthful-looking actors. ck gangs X gentle, kind, wealthy youngdies, the intertwining of good and evil, the struggle between virtue and vice, oh oh oh, it¡¯s so exciting¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I sinned, and I repent.


    ¡ª¡ªThe one upstairs¡­ I want to ship them too, it feels so right. How to cope?


    ¡ª¡ªA bunch of lovesick fools who can¡¯t tell right from wrong, you all should be thrown into a manure pit to give your brains a good wash.


    No matter how people online spected, the case was over. After this battle, Master Xiao of Jiangzhou and the Qinglong Association appeared before the public¡¯s eye for the first time, and people learned of the Rans¡¯ misdeeds in the past, and how they had covered the sky with one hand in the city. Paper can¡¯t wrap fire, no matter how fast posts are deleted online, they can¡¯t stop the rapid spread of news.<div>


    The public condemned the evil forces while worrying for Ming Jing.


    After a night of calm, the inte returned to peace, and Ming Jing¡¯s name disappeared from the trending topics. The events of yesterday seemed like an illusion, time moves forward, and people¡¯s forgetfulness is the fastest, their interest soon overtaken by fresher events.


    ¡°Sister, sister, hurry up and drink this nourishing soup.¡± Ming Chen walked in with a bowl of soup.Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, sunlight filled the room beautifully. Ming Jing knelt on a meditation cushion, in front of her burnt incense on a table, and a yellowed scripture page was blown over by the wind.


    Ming Jing gazed at the bowl before her¡­ an unappealing concoction of a supposed ¡°great tonic soup.¡±


    ¡°Did you make this?¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes rolled around: ¡°Yeah, I made it. It took me three hours, it¡¯s got lots of precious medicinal ingredients, Ming Jing, hurry up and drink it.¡±


    Ming Jing scooped up some soup with a spoon: ¡°Cordyceps sinensis, hundred-year-old ginseng, snowganoderma, donkey-hide gtin, bird¡¯s nest, and deer antlers¡­¡±


    Unable to help herself, Ming Jing curved her lips and nced at the eager-to-please Ming Chen: ¡°Who gave it to you? Who did you give it to? Let him drink it himself.¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes widened, stuttering: ¡°Wh-who?¡±


    Without the courage to look Ming Jing in the eye, Ming Chen lowered his head: ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Nourishment requires moderation;bining everything together like this won¡¯t help but harm! Give it to him and tell him I said so, and make sure to watch him drink it.¡±


    Ming Chen pitifully said: ¡°Ming Jing, Brother Qu personally watched over it for a long time, his fingers were even burnt. Please take pity on his hard work¡­ ¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°All these valuable ingredients shouldn¡¯t go to waste, right?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing¡¯s voice was very gentle, making Ming Chen shudder. He obediently picked up the bowl of soup and walked out with heavy steps.


    Ming Jing gently shook her head, her lips curving slightly.


    This fool¡­


    ¡°Ming Jing said she wants to watch you drink it all, not letting anything go to waste,¡± Ming Chen said with a drooping head.


    ¡°Brother Qu, Ming Jing is very clever, I told you she wouldn¡¯t be deceived,¡± he added.


    Qu Feitai took the bowl of soup, gritted his teeth, and drank it all.


    Ming Chen was surprised: ¡°Brother Qu¡­.¡±


    What should they do now?


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes widened, and he suddenly pointed at Qu Feitai and screamed: ¡°Brother Qu, you¡­ you¡¯re bleeding from your nose!¡±


    Qu Feitai felt a surge of blood rushing to his forehead, his entire body hot and restless, and something warm seemed to be flowing out of his nose.


    He reached out to touch it and found his hand covered in blood.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face turned pale in an instant.


    But it quickly flushed red again from the surging blood. Qu Feitai felt like he could crush a cow with his bare hands right now¡­<div>


    Staring at the fresh blood on his hand, he seemed to flip a mysterious switch in his mind. The fragments of memories shed through his mind.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s body swayed, and he steadied himself against the wall behind him.


    He shook his head, trying to drive away those memories, but they were rooted like thorns in his mind, impossible to remove.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Qu Feitai clutched his head and let out a painful howl, copsing onto the ground.


    Ming Chen was frightened by his appearance and was relieved he hadn¡¯t given the soup to Ming Jing. He turned and ran, shouting while running, ¡°Ming Jing, something happened¡­!¡±


    As soon as he stepped out the door, he almost bumped into someone.


    Ming Chen saw the skirt that shone like the moon¡¯s glow and looked up with surprise: ¡°Ming Jing,e quickly, something happened to Brother Qu!¡±


    Ming Jing entered calmly and, from a distance, saw the young man kneeling on the ground, his handsome face filled with pain and regret.


    Ming Jing furrowed her brow and slowly walked in front of him.


    The young man stared nkly, suddenly reaching out and grabbing the hem of her skirt. Arge bloody handprint stained the white skirt, like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow, so bright and so eye-catching.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he croaked with difficulty.

 Chapter 607: 314 Never (First Watch)

    Chapter 607: 314 Never (First Watch)


    ¡°Who is she apologizing to? He obviously didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Ming Chen furrowed his brows in confusion.


    Standing there quietly was his gentle and calm sister Ming Jing, who didn¡¯t utter a word and just lowered her gaze to look at the youth in front of her.


    Her deep, dark eyes were as calm as a stillke, giving off an eerie feeling.


    Ming Chen shrank back, not daring to breathe.


    This scene was too strange.


    It felt like a long time had passed, but it was just an instant. Ming Jing bent down to squat in front of Qu Feitai and softly whispered.


    ¡°All is in the past now, she has forgiven you.¡±


    Qu Feitai lifted his bewildered gaze, his eyes straight and unfocused.


    The same tender and tolerant look in his memory.


    As if he were just a child who had made a mistake and was still a good child as long as he corrected it.<div>


    No¡­it¡¯s not right, she is Ming Jing¡­


    Qu Feitai shook his head, trying to break free from the chaos of his memories. More and more blood flowed out of his nose, falling to the floor, and he didn¡¯t bother to wipe it. His flushed face twisted in pain.


    Ming Jing¡¯s fingers brushed against the back of his neck, and Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes rolled back as he fell to the ground unconsciously.


    In the gradually hazy and tilting view, he heard a sigh.


    A sigh that traveled through time, from thirteen years ago.


    ¡°Ah, Brother Qu fainted,¡± Ming Chen eximed.


    Ming Jing lifted Qu Feitai up. She seemed so fragile yet effortlessly carried a man stronger than her.


    cing him on the bed, Ming Jing revealed his strong muscles by draping his clothes open.


    Immediately, Ming Chen covered his eyes, but sneakily peeked through his fingers.


    What was Sister going to do? Force herself on him? That would be too exciting.


    He quickly realized that he thought too much. Ming Jing took out a needle kit and spread it out, with a row of silver needles of different thickness and sizes in neat order. Ming Jing picked up a needle and her left hand¡¯s fingers touched Qu Feitai¡¯s Tanyuan and Jiwei points, with the needle piercing two inches deep into the skin.


    Under Qu Feitai¡¯s skin, there was little fat, so the needle pierced shallower than usual.


    She then took his left hand¡¯s middle finger, punctured the fingertip, and said, ¡°Bring a bowl.¡±


    Ming Chen quickly ran and returned.


    Beads of crimson blood oozed from Qu Feitai¡¯s fingertip, falling into the bowl one by one.


    Soon, his face didn¡¯t seem so red, and his breathing normalized.


    Ming Jing wiped away the blood from his face and hands with a damp towel, her movements gentle and meticulous. She didn¡¯t notice someone behind her secretly taking pictures.


    ¡°Sister, is Brother Qu okay?¡±


    After tucking him in, Ming Jing softly replied, ¡°When I saw himst time, he had a weak spleen and stomach. It was probably due to long hours of staying up that left lingering issues. He usually doesn¡¯t pay attention to his diet and rest. This tonic soup was perfect to bring out the symptoms, so he could be properly diagnosed and treated to nourish his spleen and stomach.¡±<div>


    ¡°I see, I thought you didn¡¯t like Brother Qu and wanted to make him suffer on purpose. It turns out you actually care about him.¡±


    Ming Jing sat beside the bed for a while, ¡°Ming Chen, I will write a prescription. You ask Xiao Ying to go to the pharmacy to get the medicine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with Sister Xiao Ying.¡±


    Ming Chen left happily with the written prescription.<div>


    Ming Jing looked at the pale youth lying on the bed and slightly furrowed her eyebrows.


    ¡°It turns out that for more than a decade, you have been suffering from the guilt of your conscience. But you silly child, she has never med you.¡±


    The youth in his dream uneasily furrowed his brow.


    Ming Jing¡¯s delicate fingernded on his forehead, gently tapped, and recited the Daming Mantra. Along with her soft humming, the youth¡¯s expression gradually returned to normal.


    The room was silent, and the outside night was cold and clear. The moon shone through the window.


    After a long time, Ming Jing looked at the bloody handprint on her skirt, snapped her fingers, and flicked away the shackles of her heart, putting her mind at ease.


    ¡ª


    Qu Feitai¡¯s slumber was a bit too long this time.


    It seemed like he had many dreams, filled with all sorts of strange things he was afraid of. He felt like he had fallen into an icy, snowy world, with his surroundings inducing panic. Wronged souls came to im his life, and he kept running and running¡­


    The ghost caught up to him, its hands tightly strangling his neck, and he could barely breathe¡­He saw with his own eyes the hideous ghost transform into a beautiful young girl, her body emitting a faint golden glow, pure and untainted, resembling the Buddha in his imagination.


    She reached out and tapped him on the forehead. A warm current spread throughout his body.


    ¡°Ming Jing?¡± The young girl clearly looked like Ming Jing.


    As gentle as ever, her eyebrows and eyes seemed like unchanging ice from ancient times, so distant and unfamiliar.<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡± Qu Feitai suddenly shouted, opening his eyes abruptly.


    He was stunned for a long time before slowly recalling what had happened.


    Last night, he drank the soup, had a nosebleed, and then some bad memories surfaced. Before he passed out, he seemed to have seen Ming Jing.


    Qu Feitai rubbed his temples and lifted the covers to get out of bed.


    As he opened the bedroom door, he suddenly froze.


    On the dining table, breakfast was prepared, along with a bowl of steaming hot herbal medicine.


    There was a note next to it, with neat and delicate handwriting that still had a bit of childishness.


    He recognized it as Ming Chen¡¯s handwriting.


    ¡ª Brother Qu, I am going to school. I¡¯ll secretly tell you that my second sister personally cooked the medicine. Be sure to finish it. Also,st night my second sister stayed with you for most of the night. She wanted you to drink the tonic soup for your own good.


    Qu Feitai clenched the note in his hand, his eyes softening immediately.


    He picked up the bowl of herbal medicine and gulped it down in a few bites.


    Although it was bitter, it tasted sweet in his heart.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    ¡°Ming Chen, I saw the news. Is Sister Ming Jing okay?¡± At the school gate, Zhang Yunfang had waited for a long time before finally catching up with Ming Chen, and immediately asked her.


    ¡°Of course she¡¯s fine. How could anything happen to my second sister? Don¡¯t believe those shameless media nonsense.¡±


    ¡°As long as she¡¯s all right, I was so worried.¡± Zhang Yunfang breathed a sigh of relief.


    The three of them walked into the school, and Cui Yumeng, who was far away, noticed and followed them.


    Ming Chen slipped away upon seeing her. ¡°She¡¯s here again, so annoying.¡±


    Ever sincest week, Cui Yumeng had been clinging to her, following her wherever she went.


    She used to be a bully like Li Yu, never doing anything good. Ming Chen had been bullied by her before, but now this girl had suddenly changed her ways. Surely, she didn¡¯t have good intentions like a weasel greeting the New Year.


    ¡°Ming Chen, wait for me! I¡­ I¡¯ve brought you something delicious.¡± Cui Yumeng quickly handed her a beautifully wrapped bag.


    ¡°I know you like chocte. This is handmade chocte my cousin brought back from abroad. It¡¯s especially delicious, you can¡¯t find it in our country. I couldn¡¯t bear to eat it myself, so I saved it all for you.¡±


    Ming Chen snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t care. What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Ming Chen, I¡­ I just suddenly realized how nice you are. I was wrong before, I shouldn¡¯t have bullied you with Li Yu. Let me apologize to you, alright? I hope we can be good friends in the future, and I will share all my delicious treats with you, as good friends should.¡±


    Ming Chen felt increasingly uneasy. ¡°Has your brain been fried from a fever?¡±


    In the past, Cui Yumeng would have been furious. But today, she was very calm and even smiled, saying, ¡°You can say whatever you want. I just want to know if Sister Ming Jing is all right?¡±<div>


    Ming Chen immediately became alert. Why were they all asking about her second sister? Did they have ill intentions?


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡­ I admire Sister Ming Jing very much and am her loyal fan. I just want to know if she¡¯s doing well.¡±


    Ming Chen snorted, ¡°My second sister is doing great, of course. It¡¯s the bad guys who aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Here¡¯s the chocte. Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡± Cui Yumeng stuffed the chocte into Ming Chen¡¯s embrace and ran off.


    She was in ss 7, not heading in the same direction as Ming Chen.


    Ming Chen mumbled, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    She unwrapped the chocte and shared it with Ming Ti and Zhang Yunfang, ¡°Won¡¯t eat it for free.¡±


    Ming Ti gave her a nce, ¡°No backbone, I¡¯m not eating.¡±


    He left the two behind and walked straight up the teaching building.


    Ming Chen eximed, ¡°Imported chocte is delicious. I wish we had it every day.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang smiled. Ming Chen caught a glimpse of her smile and narrowed her eyes: ¡°You¡¯re acting weird too. What¡¯s going on between you and Cui Yumeng that you¡¯re hiding from me?¡±


    Zhang Yunfang, unable to keep secrets, quickly told her about the incident at the riding arena.


    After hearing the story, Ming Chenughed, ¡°My second sister is awesome. No wonder Cui Yumeng has be as obedient as a quail. She wants to worship my second sister as a master? She can dream.¡±

 Chapter 608: 315 Dust Rising (Second Update)

    Chapter 608: 315 Dust Rising (Second Update)


    After raising the national g, each ss returned to their ssrooms in an orderly manner.


    ¡°I heard that Old Griffin is sick and has taken sick leave. Our ss should have a new teachering. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a man or a woman¡­¡±


    ¡°Old Griffin wouldn¡¯t be sick because of us, would he?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Ming Chen listened to the whispers of the two students behind her and secretly tugged at Zhang Yunfang: ¡°A new teacher ising. Do you know?¡±


    Zhang Yunfang shook her head nkly.


    The first ss was math. Everyone sat quietly in their seats, waiting for the new teacher to arrive.


    Soon, the headteacher, Zhao Xueying, led a man into the ssroom.


    Everyone sat quietly, their curious eyes all on the man.


    A small paper ballnded on Ming Chen¡¯s desk. She secretly opened it, Zhang Yunfang¡¯s chicken scratch handwriting was difficult to look at directly¡ªThe new math teacher is so handsome[Heart]<div>


    Ming Chen snorted, ¡°They have no idea. He¡¯s not even close to Brother Qu.¡±


    Zhao Xueying stood on the podium and said solemnly, ¡°As you all know, Mr. Griffin has taken sick leave and won¡¯t be teaching for a long time. The school has hired a new teacher, a top graduate from Jingzhou Normal University. Now, let¡¯s have the new teacher introduce himself.¡±


    Zhao Xueying stepped down from the podium, and the new teacher stepped up.


    This was a young man in a spotless white shirt and a ck casual jacket that made him look even paler. He was about 1.8 meters tall, not too tall or too short, with short hair neatly arranged. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed sses on his nose, looking refined and elegant.


    The man picked up a piece of chalk and wrote two characters on the ckboard.


    Ming Chen read aloud, ¡°Cen Ning¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Cen Ning, the ¡®Cen¡¯ from Cen Shen and the ¡®Ning¡¯ from peace. From now on, I¡¯ll be your new teacher. If you have any questions after ss, feel free to ask me.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was deep and mellow, like aged wine, intoxicating to the listeners. He spoke slowly, giving a gentlemanly impression.


    The whole ss was impressed by the new teacher¡¯s demeanor. He was much more handsome than bald Old Griffin, and he seemed like a character straight out of a novel.


    However, the only thought in Ming Chen¡¯s mind was: a refined scum.


    She looked around and found that apart from Ming Ti, who was unimpressed by anyone, the entire ss had basically surrendered.


    Zhao Xueying quietly left the ssroom. Before leaving, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the new teacher on the podium, controlling her slightly pounding heart and sighing, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s from Jingzhou. This kind of demeanor is not something ordinary people can maintain.¡±


    This teacher was personally approved by the principal. Not only did he have a high education, but he also had high emotional intelligence. In just a few words, he had the principal smiling from ear to ear, showing he was a smart person who knew how to get along with others.


    As soon as she returned to the office, several female teachers approached her to ask questions, ¡°Is that the new math teacher? Is he married?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not wearing a ring; we should ask if he has a girlfriend.¡±


    Several people discussed animatedly.


    Zhao Xueying was annoyed: these single female teachers were almost going crazy. Their work environment was full of men, either married or greasy middle-aged men with big bellies. Finally, a refreshing and elegant male teacher had arrived, and they couldn¡¯t resist fighting for him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; you can ask him yourselves.¡± Zhao Xueying walked out of the circle of questions somewhat irritably.


    The ss quickly ended, and while the other students were immersed in the new teacher¡¯s gentle and handsome demeanor, Zhang Yunfang stared at the new teacher¡¯s retreating figure and said to Ming Chen, ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. Mr. Cen is so handsome, and he looks so good when he¡¯s teaching.¡±<div>


    Ming Chen gave her a nce, ¡°He¡¯s a man who can confuse the concepts of rational and opposite numbers, just a pretender.¡±


    Although the teacher could otherwise teach well, Ming Chen felt that he might not have prepared well. She thought she could teach better than the new teacher, who was supposed to be a top graduate from the normal university but made mistakes in basic concepts and didn¡¯t prepare well for sses.


    Zhang Yunfang didn¡¯t care at all, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re better than the teacher? What the teacher said must be correct. When Mr. Cen lectures, he¡¯s really gentle, and his voice is so pleasant. Did you notice that Mr. Cen doesn¡¯t ask questions? Unlike Old Griffin, who loved to ask questions, we were always on edge in his ss.¡±


    ¡°Old Griffin may be fierce, but his teaching level is much better than this new teacher¡¯s.¡±<div>


    Zhang Yunfang went back to her seat, still annoyed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Cen Ning entered the office, which was shared by several teachers. As soon as he walked in, several young female teachers enthusiastically greeted him.


    Cen Ning nodded and smiled, polite but distant, and sat down at his own desk.¡±Mr. Cen Ning, it must be not easy to manage these young students. They can be quite mischievous. Thank you for your efforts.¡± Zhao Xueying brought a cup of coffee and ced it in front of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad, the students are well-behaved. By the way, Ms. Zhao, could you give me a list of their names?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot about that. I¡¯ll get you a copy right away.¡±


    Cen Ning looked over the list and pointed to the first name, Ming Chen, and said, ¡°Is Ming Chen the young girl sitting in the middle of the third row with big eyes? I have a strong impression of her; she seems to be a brilliant student.¡±


    Zhao Xueying immediatelyughed, ¡°Of course, she and Ming Ti are twins. Both sisters are very bright, and they always rank first in ss. They are also very sensible and obedient, never causing trouble for any teachers.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a result of good upbringing.¡± Cen Ning eximed.


    Zhao Xueyingughed again, ¡°The sisters have learned a great deal from their older sister, and she¡¯s no ordinary person, I¡¯m sure you know her.¡±


    Cen Ning¡¯s eyes sparkled a little, ¡°Is it Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°So, Mr. Cen Ning already knows?¡±


    Cen Ning smiled, ¡°The surname Ming is quite rare, and it reminds me of the Bodhi Pooja Gatha by Master Hui Neng: ¡®The body is like the Bodhi tree, the mind like a bright mirror stand, constantly wipe it clean, and let no dust alight.¡¯ Whoever named them must be gifted with insight.¡±<div>


    Zhao Xueying¡¯sughter deepened, ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, you know a great deal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply a learner.¡±


    ¡°I have to get to my next ss, and we¡¯ll have to chatter. In the meantime, I¡¯d like to invite you to dinner sometime, to wee you. I hope that you¡¯ll ept my offer.¡± Zhao Xueying picked up her lesson n from the desk and hurried away.


    Cen Ning lowered his gaze to Ming Chen and Ming Ti¡¯s names, his smile faint against the sunlight. Deep within his eyes, there was an unfathomable darkness.


    ¡ª-


    Han Suwen preparedvish, nutritious, and delicious meals, so Qu Feitai began living a life of eating and sleeping like a pig.


    Ming Chen came home from school and immediately went to see Qu Feitai. Only when she found him safe and sound with a healthyplexion did she breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Brother Qu, you have no idea how frightening it was yesterday¡­¡± Ming Chen vividly described the scene.


    Qu Feitai focused on Ming Jing carrying him to bed without any help, and his jaw almost dropped. He repeatedly asked Ming Chen for confirmation.


    ¡°Are you sure Ming Jing carried me to bed all by herself?¡±


    Ming Chen nodded vigorously, ¡°I saw it with my own eyes! What¡¯s so surprising about it? My sister has always been strong since she was little, even though she¡¯s so slim that everyone thinks she¡¯s delicate.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved with difficulty, had he misunderstood something?


    Ming Chen went home for dinner and then came back with her homework. Qu Feitai worked on his songs, while Ming Chen did her homework.<div>


    Having finished her homework, Ming Chen cupped her face in her hands and sighed.


    Qu Feitai nced at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You have seemed unhappy since you came home from school. Did someone bully you? Tell Brother Qu, and I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    Ming Chen shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s our new math teacher.¡±


    Qu Feitai was taken aback, ¡°Did the new teacher bully you?¡±


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t like him, but all of my ssmates do. So I wonder if it¡¯s my problem or the new teacher¡¯s.¡±


    Qu Feitai didn¡¯t hesitate to say, ¡°It must be his problem.¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason, some people just don¡¯t click.¡±


    Ming Chen nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, like when I first saw you, I knew you would be my sister¡¯s husband.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡± Qu Feitai sprayed out the water he was drinking.


    The young girl opposite him cupped her face,ughing mischievously and adorably.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever let your sister hear that, or we¡¯ll both be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why? Because in Buddhism, we have a Master Hui Neng who wrote the Bodhi Pooja Gatha, which goes, ¡®The bright mirror is also not the stand.¡¯ This shows that you and my sister are a match made in heaven.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai was stunned and his expression became gradually darker.

 Chapter 609: 316 Hatred (First Update)

    Chapter 609: 316 Hatred (First Update)


    The weather had been rather gloomy these past few days, with a light drizzle falling.


    The entire city was shrouded in the damp chills of the shadows, as if brewing a massive storm.


    A few miles beyond the city of Jiangzhou, past the development zone, ramshackle buildings sprawled out. A deste ruin waiting for revitalization.


    Eighteen years ago, this had been a bustling vige, where people led peaceful and contented lives. That was until one day someone came a knocking, suggesting a development project and proposed that the vigers relocate. Each family would bepensated based on the number of members and area of theirnd, and would also be provided with resettlement housing. They would not be left homeless, the man imed.


    Misled by his words, the vigers moved out. However, the promisedpensation waste ining, and the promised homes vanished without a trace.


    By the time the vigers realized they had been conned, the bulldozers had razed the homes they had lived in for generations, turning them into ruins.


    The vigers started their arduous battle for rights. When they found out that the boss behind the scenes was Ran Bowen, they descended into deep despair.


    In Jiangzhou, the name Ran Bowen was known to all. People recoiled at its mere mention; even mere babes fell quiet upon hearing it.


    Desperate, the vigers met Jiang Heng, a new official full of ambition and drive. New officials tend to be assertive, and since Heng was from out of town and unfamiliar with Bowen and his intimidating influence, he swore to challenge the wicked powers that be despite the vigers advising him to y it safe. But this young man, driven by a sense of justice and the sight of his fellow citizens suffering, decided to carry on regardless. The result was-


    A monthter, a highly dposed body was found downstream in the Qujiang river, hundreds of miles away.<div>


    Following a DNA test, it was confirmed beyond doubt that the corpse was that of Jiang Heng.


    At that time in Jiangzhou, it rained continuously for a month, as if the heavens themselves were mourning the untimely demise of this virtuous but unfortunate young man.


    The rain back then felt just like the incessant showers today in Jiangzhou.


    Eighteen years have passed, yet the sun and moon still shine over thisnd.


    The ambitious young man, however, is forever trapped in the past, eighteen years ago.


    Jiangzhou continues to flourish. In this era of rapid economic development, people bustle about busily, struggling for their daily bread, a roof over their heads and a future. New lives are born while some are extinguished, such is the natural session of life. Times change; each day brings a flood of entertainment news with the growth of new media and short video tforms dominating people¡¯s fragmented time. No one pauses to reflect on the past anymore.


    No one remembers anymore ¨C the righteous, fearless young man from eighteen years ago.


    The car drove past the dpidated buildings,ing to a halt by the abandoned road.


    Zhou Xue opened the umbre, approached the vehicle, and respectfully opened the rear door.


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    A woman got out of the car, bending slightly.


    She was wearing a ck coat, cinched at the waist with a tie. Her gray fox-fur cor entuated her snow-white, delicate face. Her hair, tied high up, framed her face beautifully, further highlighting her paleplexion, with lips as bright as fire.


    She looked at the ruins shrouded in the gloomy rain. Her eyes swirled withplex emotions as she stood there, staring for a long time.


    Then, she walked into the ruins in her high heels.


    Two men in ck led the way, following a path carved out of the ruins, walking deep into them.


    After walking for a while, a grove appeared ahead. Winter had arrived, leaving the trees barren and devoid of life, the ce exuded an atmosphere of decay and destion.


    The forest ground was soft, uneven, making it difficult to walk.


    Her high heels sank into the soft ground, and the woman wobbled. Zhou Xue quickly steadied her, ¡°Madam, please be careful.¡±


    The filthy mud clung to her shiny, costly shoes, looking incredibly garish.<div>


    Unfazed, the woman pushed Zhou Xue¡¯s hand away, used a dried-up tree stump as support, pulled her heels out of the mud, and continued walking.


    Zhou Xue held the umbre over her head and promptly caught up.


    The grove wasrge and it took a considerable amount of time to traverse it; soon, a graveyard appeared.


    The grave was located in the center of the grove ¨C a simple gravestone and a raised burial mound were evidence of the care the builders had put into it.<div>


    Constructed from the finest white marble, immune to both wind and rain.


    It, however, was a marker without an inscription.Yes, there were no names, no pictures on the gravestone.


    Zhou Xue made a signal to the two men in ck. The three of them silently retreated. They kept a distance to ensure that they could not hear any sound, but they could still see the woman¡¯s figure, ready to rush up in case of any emergency.


    The woman, holding an umbre, slowly crouched in front of the grave, bending over and pulling out a bottle of alcohol from her jacket pocket.


    ¡°This is your favorite drink, I brought it for you today.¡±


    She unscrewed the cap and poured the alcohol onto the open ground in front of the grave.


    The rain water mixed with the alcohol, quickly blending together and seeping into the soil.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I let you down, it was my fault, wasn¡¯t it? Did I hurt you?¡±


    ¡°Our son has grown up, looking exactly like you when you were young. Sometimes, I mistake him for you. Like you, he is a kind and righteous child. However, he is much smarter than you, knows how to be flexible, unlike you who naively threw your life away.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let you go to Jiangzhou back then, but you didn¡¯t listen. I could have arranged an easy and promising job for you in Jingzhou, so people wouldn¡¯t insult you by saying that you¡¯re a pretty boy living off his wife, but you stubbornly went to Jiangzhou, unaware of how treacherous this ce could be¡­¡±


    ¡°After you left, I found out that I was pregnant. I wanted to surprise you, but you surprised me first¡­¡±


    As the woman spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.


    She does not shed tears easily in this lifetime, but if she does, she sheds them for her dearest love.<div>


    ¡°Ran Bowen is a very cautious man. I¡¯ve sent many people after him, but none have seeded. Later, I changed my strategy. I chose the best undercover agent, spent two years infiltrating his organization, and finally won Bowen¡¯s trust. I want him to watch his Qinglong Association crumble, betrayed by the person he trusts the most, turned against each other and ultimately be killed by his most trusted confidant¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if I skin him alive and tear him apart, I couldn¡¯t erase the hatred in my heart, nor bring back your cheerful visage.¡±


    ¡°A Heng, when I found out that he still has an offspring remaining in the world, I was overjoyed. That poor child will take the ce of his father, inheriting my hatred. It¡¯s the only way I can feel that you are still by my side¡­¡±


    ¡°A Heng, I know you would me me again. You were always so kind, unwilling to involve the innocent. But think about our son, is he not innocent? Born without a father, you didn¡¯t even know he existed. So that child is not innocent. He carries Ran Bowen¡¯s blood in him, and it is only right for the sins of the father to be visited upon the son¡­¡±


    ¡°A Heng, wait a while, it might be a little painful. Can you bear it? I¡¯ve found a new good burial ground for you, so you can stay with me forever¡­¡±


    The woman ran her fingers gently over the gravestone, as though stroking the face of her lover.


    She talked and talked, as the rain seemed to pour even harder.


    Finally, the woman stood up, her feet had been numb from squatting, she swayed and steadied herself against the gravestone.


    She couldn¡¯t help but bend down and hug the gravestone, throwing away her umbre, letting the rain wash over her.


    Zhou Xue, watching this scene from a distance, a knot formed in her heart.


    She had been with the madam for seven years and began to understand many things.


    The madam¡¯s feelings for her deceased husband run deep. Though she doesn¡¯t mention it often, her faint smiles or the dazing look when she looks at the young master, or the low whimpering in her midnight dreams tell that she has never forgotten, and the nostalgia only bes stronger with time.


    The greater the love, the greater the hatred.<div>


    She didn¡¯t know if the madam was doing right or wrong, but she knew that only by passing on her hatred could the madam find the will to live on.


    Poor innocent child.


    But, isn¡¯t the young master equally pitiable?


    If the blood of an evil man flows in your bones, then you are not innocent.


    The most pitiful one, however, was the child thirteen years ago. At that time when the madam failed to kill Bowen, her full of wrath had nowhere to vent. Coincidentally, that woman appeared¡­


    The woman walked over with a nk expression, her face washed of any trace of tears by the rain.


    Zhou Xue immediately regained herposure, held the umbre up again over the woman¡¯s head.


    ¡°Tell Night Hawk to see me in Jiangzhou immediately.¡± The woman left the cold remark and departed.


    Zhou Xue looked to the horizon, heavy clouds hanging low, an even bigger storm was on the horizon.

 Chapter 610: 317 Last Wish (Second Update)

    Chapter 610: 317 Last Wish (Second Update)


    ¡°Miss, the security office called to say that a Mr. Ran is here to see you.¡± Han Suwen said softly, standing at the door.


    ¡°Let him go back. I¡¯m not seeing anyone during my recovery.¡± A calm, gentle voice came from inside, neither hurried nor slow, a warm current surging in the cold weather.


    Han Suwen replied and went downstairs.


    Many people want to meet the youngdytely. Madam Zhu and her mother-inw had been turned away several times, let alone this Mr. Ran.


    Hearing Han Suwen¡¯s instructions, the security office called back and told them to refuse all visitors who asked to see the youngdy.


    A low-key luxury car was parked at the green belt at the entrance. Ye Jian hurried over with an umbre and got into the car.


    ¡°Now it is difficult to meet Ms. Ming Jing, I didn¡¯t expect our Master Xiao to also be turned away.¡± Ye Jian teased, but sensing the wrong atmosphere in the car, he immediately closed his mouth.


    The man nced at the high-rise buildings inside themunity, flicked the dust off his coat with his fingers, and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    No sooner had the car left than another one arrived and was stopped by security.


    The car window rolled down, revealing the pretty face of the woman: ¡°Brother security, I¡¯m here to see Ming Jing.¡±<div>


    Another person looking for Ms. Ming Jing? The security officer frowned and said ruthlessly, ¡°She¡¯s not seeing anyone. She told me herself.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You haven¡¯t even talked to Ming Jing. How do you know she won¡¯t see us? If you don¡¯t believe me, just call her and tell her that her best friend Tao Xingxing is here to see her. Let¡¯s see if she¡¯ll let us in. If she doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll twist my head off and let you use it as a ser ball.¡± A cute head with a bun hairstyle poked out from the back seat and silenced the security guard with her words.


    Resigned, the security guard made the call, which Han Suwen answered again. This time, after two minutes, the call was approved.


    The security guard was amazed. These were the only people who could see Ming Jing out of the many who hade in recent days. It seemed they really were Ming Jing¡¯s best friends.


    The car slowly entered as the security raised the barrier, and Tao Xingxing yfully hummed, ¡°I told you I¡¯m Ming Jing¡¯s best friend, she would definitely let me in.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t unt it, we know you¡¯re close to Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ming Jing won¡¯t see anyone but me. That shows how important I am to her.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi¡¯s face looked worried, but the excited Tao Xingxing did not notice.


    They parked in a parking spot following the security guard¡¯s instructions and got out of the car with bags full of nutritional products. A young girl came over, ¡°Miss Tao, the youngdy asked me toe down to meet you. Please follow me.¡±


    Tao Xingxing and Xiao Ying had met in the hospital. Tao Xingxing giggled, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Miss, it sounds so weird. Just call me Xingxing.¡±


    Xiao Ying smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Tao Xingxing wondered in her heart, why did the people around Ming Jing be more and more like her? Could it be the saying, ¡®Birds of a feather flock together¡¯?


    Once Tao Xingxing saw Ming Jing, she burst into tears and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°I was terrified when I saw the news. You didn¡¯t answer my calls and then went offline. Do you know how worried I was?¡± Tao Xingxing cried with snot and tears.


    Ming Jing gently patted her shoulder and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Tao Xingxing stepped back and looked Ming Jing up and down, her gaze finally falling on the bandaged left arm. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Uncle Han, and you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re okay, it must have been so painful.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head and smiled, looking at Wu Jiaqi and nodding slightly, ¡°Aunt Wu, I¡¯m sorry to have worried you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too sensible, child. If it were Xingxing, she would have made a scene. You need to take good care of your wound. I¡¯ve got this ointment from a famous old Chinese doctor. It¡¯s a secret form for burns, and it won¡¯t leave scars. apply it every day and night. With such good skin, it would be a pity to leave any scars.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wu, I will apply it on time.¡±<div>


    ¡°No need to be formal with me.¡±


    Han Suwen came in with tea, snacks, and a fruit te. Wu Jiaqi looked at Ming Jing without a sound, her heart slightly heavy.


    ¡°Ming Jing, there are rumors spreading around the school that you¡¯ve offended the Rans and will have a terrible ending. This infuriated me, and I beat up the rumor spreaders. Later, I found out that these rumors all came from Li Jiaojiao. She must be in cahoots with Zhao Qin, taking this opportunity to cause you trouble. Anyway, I¡¯m not afraid of them. If they continue to spread rumors about you, I won¡¯t let them off easily.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi sighed helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re getting called in by the teacher again, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re old enough to be embarrassed! I still am.¡±<div>


    ¡°Mom! It¡¯s those people who are wrong. You¡¯ve always taught me to be a just person, to help others when there¡¯s injustice, especially my best friend who is being bullied. If they continue to spread Ming Jing¡¯s rumors, I¡¯ll surely beat them up. Humph, who¡¯s afraid of them?¡±Wu Jiaqi looked at Tao Xingxing with her eyebrows raised and full of enthusiasm for justice. She stole a nce, feeling somewhat overwhelmed and subconsciously sighed.


    When she looked up, she met a pair of pitch-ck eyes, seeming to prate everything, leaving no ce for her carefully hidden secrets to hide.


    Wu Jiaqi felt a tightness in her heart and shuffled her gaze away in a flustered panic.


    ¡°Xingxing, your intentions are good, but you need to be tactful. Standing up against bad people is not the smartest choice. Hurting your enemy a thousand times may result in harming yourself eight hundred times. Have you won then? Good and evil will eventually be repaid, it¡¯s just a matter of time,¡± Ming Jing said gently, her voice carrying a faint hint ofughter, unhurried and like a warm breeze in spring.


    However, Tao Xingxing disagreed: ¡°I don¡¯t want that. Watching the viins get away only angers me more. What if I die from anger? How long do I have to wait for their punishment? To settle scores promptly is the way of us folks.¡± Tao Xingxing waved her fist, her face full of chivalry.


    Ming Jing suddenlyughed: ¡°It¡¯s my narrow-mindedness.¡±


    Tao Xingxing suddenly clutched her stomach: ¡°Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡±


    Han Suwen quickly said: ¡°Come with me, I¡¯ll take you to the restroom.¡±


    Tao Xingxing hurriedly went.


    Wu Jiaqi sighed helplessly: ¡°That child, she ate something badst night and now her stomach is upset. She never lets me have peace of mind.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly: ¡°She¡¯s lively and adorable, nothing like her father.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi¡¯s expression faltered, and she subconsciously clenched her fists, stealing a nce at Ming Jing.


    The young girl sat there calmly, gentle like a spring painting.<div>


    Could it be just her imagination?


    ¡°Aunt Wu, you¡¯ve raised Xingxing very well. You¡¯re an excellent mother. She¡¯s righteous, optimistic, and lively. There¡¯s not a trace of dirt or filth in those clear eyes of hers, and she has a heart as transparent as crystal. But¡­¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s tone changed, and although it was still gentle, Wu Jiaqi¡¯s heart started pounding.


    ¡°Too rigid is easily broken. You want to protect your daughter, but can you protect her for the rest of her life? Secrets are secrets because one day they will be revealed to the world.¡±


    ¡°Crash.¡± The cup fell to the floor, and Wu Jiaqi hurriedly squat down to pick it up, but a shard pierced her finger.


    The young girl gently wiped the blood from her fingertip and patiently disinfected and applied a bandage.


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. You just need to know that I will protect Xingxing and let her live happily and carefree forever, without being affected by filth and dirt.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi looked nkly at the gentle and beautiful young girl in front of her, her heart as deste as the unending rain outside the window, swept over by a cold wind.


    ¡°When¡­ when did you find out? What is your purpose?¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be nervous. Xingxing is innocent. I will fulfill her father¡¯sst wish and protect her forever.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi¡¯s eyes widened in shock, full of terror and disbelief.


    Ming Jing opened her palm and handed something over, closing her hand into a fist.<div>


    Tao Xingxing came out and saw the two squatting on the ground, and Wu Jiaqi looked even stranger, as if she had lost her soul. She couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled gently: ¡°Aunt Wu identally knocked over a cup, and her finger was cut by the broken ss. I was helping her bandage the wound.¡±


    Tao Xingxing immediately rushed over in a panic: ¡°Mom, did you hurt your hand? Is it serious?¡±


    Wu Jiaqi took a deep breath and put on a smile again: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a small injury¡­ ¡±


    Until they left Ming Jing¡¯s house, Wu Jiaqi remained somewhat out of sorts.


    Walking in the underground garage, with Tao Xingxing hopping and skipping ahead, Wu Jiaqi raised her right hand and slowly opened her fingers.


    Seeing the object in her palm, she instantly covered her mouth and nose, tears streaming down her face.

 Chapter 611: 318 The Wind Rises (First Hour)

    Chapter 611: 318 The Wind Rises (First Hour)


    ¡°Miss, the person has been sent away.¡±


    Han Suwen saw Ming Jing squatting on the ground picking up some debris and quickly walked over: ¡°Let me do it, you go and rest.¡±


    Ming Jing threw the debris into the trash can, slowly wiping her fingers with a wet wipe. She turned around, pulled open the ss door of the balcony, and went out.


    The sky was covered with dark clouds, and heavy rain fell like a giant, making it hard to breathe.


    Ming Jing stood in the rain, the wind blowing her clothes, her thin figure swaying as if she was about to ride the wind and return to the sky in the next moment.


    Han Suwen opened her mouth, wanting to say that the wound shouldn¡¯t touch water and not to catch a cold¡­ but decided to close her mouth instead.


    Miss¡¯s actions couldn¡¯t be understood with a normal person¡¯s mindset, so she should just do her own things.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Jingzhou.


    Zheng Qing got out of the car and walked grumbling into the cafe: ¡°What lousy weather ¡­.¡±<div>


    ¡°Wee to Qingmu Caf¨¦.¡± The sweet voice of the waiter greeted her, along with the slightly bitter aroma of coffee.


    ¡°I have an appointment with Ms. Xiang.¡±


    ¡°Please follow me this way.¡± The waiter led her inside.


    Soft light music yed inside the cafe, creating a rxed andfortable atmosphere.


    The temperature was warm and weing, in stark contrast to the howling cold wind outside.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the caf¨¦ at this time, and most of the seats were empty.


    Going past rows of booths, she saw a woman sitting with her back toward her in the most hidden and private booth at the back.


    Zheng Qing quietly watched the woman¡¯s back. She seemed to be in her thirties, with long ck shoulder-length hair, very well-maintained and smooth.


    She wore a white turtleneck sweater, with a camel-colored coat on the seat beside her. From her limited-edition luxury watch to her bag, everything about her exuded elegance.


    This was a delicate, tasteful woman who knew how to live well.


    ¡°Ms. Xiang? I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting,¡± Zheng Qing said with perfect manners.


    The moment the woman looked up, a sh of dark light flickered in Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes as he took a seat across from her without a word.


    ¡°Mr. Qing is very punctual; the timing is just right,¡± the woman said with a slight smile, exuding elegance and grace like ady from a prominent family.


    She pushed the menu to him, ¡°What would Mr. Qing like to drink? My treat.¡±


    Zheng Qing said to the waiter, ¡°A carameltte, please.¡±


    The woman said, ¡°I¡¯ll have a lemon water.¡±


    The waiter hurried away.


    As they sat facing each other, Zheng Qing nced at her andughed, ¡°I never expected that the author of Wind on the Clouds would turn out to be such a beautiful woman. You¡¯re not inferior to those popr actresses in the entertainment industry. It¡¯s a waste of your appearance and demeanor not to be a star.¡±


    Bo Yujiang smiled, ¡°Mr. Qing, you tter me. I¡¯m not interested in the entertainment industry; I just want to live a quiet life.¡±<div>


    ¡°Ms. Xiang¡¯s integrity is admirable.¡±


    ¡°The main reason I asked to meet with you today is about the copyright of Wind on the Clouds. Our boss really likes this novel and has wanted to make a movie for a long time. Weter learned that the copyright had been bought by Xinghui Entertainment, and we were quite regretful. When Xinghui Entertainment ran into trouble, ourpany immediately bought the copyright and is nning to make a movie soon. We¡¯ve already talked to several productionpanies, and this movie is expected to have an investment of ten billion. The entire production will involve top-tier talent in the industry, and we will fully adapt your novel to the big screen.¡±


    Upon hearing this news, Bo Yujiang felt a rush of excitement. A creator¡¯s work is like their child, and now someone was telling her that they would use top-tier resources to nurture her child to be the best in their field. Any mother would be happy to hear that.


    Besides, the person genuinely liked her work, which was a far cry from the profit-driven and crude boss of Xinghui Entertainment.<div>


    The young man sitting in front of her might not be particrly attractive, but his speech and demeanor were extraordinary. The ¡®boss¡¯ he referred to should be the real owner of the Unspeakable Entertainment Company, and that person seemed to have good taste.


    Beforeing, Bo Yujiang had researched thepany. Headquartered in Jiangzhou, it was a newly startedpany less than six months old. However, its strength was not to be underestimated, as it had powerful financial backing and maintained subtle ties with industry heavyweights. Thepany¡¯s roster showed great potential and was sure to have a bright future.


    ¡°In that case, why are you seeking me out to discuss the copyright? Didn¡¯t you already sign a contract with Xinghui Entertainment?¡±


    ¡°Well, we want to sign all the agency rights for your novel, including the future audiobook,ic, animation, and DVD copyrights. After all, when the movie bes a hit, manypanies wille to you. We want to make this IP strong and expand it, so we can¡¯t let others divide its value. This will also benefit your future books. Of course, you can think about it, and you don¡¯t have to answer me now.¡±


    Zheng Qing took a sip of his coffee and waited for her answer.Bo Yujiang thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Can I participate in the script creation?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the original author, so of course that¡¯s no problem. At that time, you¡¯ll be our hired script consultant. If you have any requirements for the actors, you canmunicate with me in time. You¡¯re the one who wrote this novel, and no one knows its core ideas better than you. I was worried that you might be too low-key and not willing to show up.¡±


    Bo Yujiangughed, ¡°In the past, quite a few film and televisionpanies approached me, but my health wasn¡¯t good at that time. I was willing but unable, and I was afraid that those businessmen would ruin my hard work. Now that I¡¯ve met you, I can rest assured.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sign the contract now.¡± Zheng Qing handed her the stack of printed contracts, ¡°Do you need awyer to review it?¡±


    ¡°I trust Mr. Qing.¡±


    Bo Yujiang picked up the pen, paused at the signature line, and turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling window.


    Dreary winter rain, she spent these years like a delicate greenhouse flower, hiding in her shell.


    That person was already dead.


    No one would ever know.<div>


    It was time for her toe out.


    With a slight curve of her lips, she signed her name without hesitation.


    As she signed, she didn¡¯t know that a pair of eyes across from her were quietly observing her.


    The person¡¯s finger gently tapped the edge of the cup, a cold smile appeared in their eyes, and quickly disappeared.


    The two talked casually for a while. The atmosphere was rxed and joyful. Bo Yujiang had a favorable impression of the man in front of her; he was elegant, gentlemanly, talkative, and full of mystery. She had always been patient with such men.


    Ms. Xiang is from Jingzhou?¡±


    Bo Yujiangughed, ¡°Myst name is not Xiang. Xiang Kui is just a pen name; my realst name is Bo.¡±


    ¡°Thest name Bo is rare. I remember the Bo family in Jingzhou¡­.¡± The man across from her looked at her with a touch of surprise in his eyes, as if it was incredible.


    ¡°Are you the daughter of the Bo family?¡±


    Bo Yujiang slightly lifted her chin, revealing a perfectly bnced air of pride and self-conceit, like a true aristocraticdy.


    ¡°Indeed, with your looks and temperament, only a daughter of the Bo family could be your equal. It¡¯s my honor to meet Ms. Bo today.¡±


    The person¡¯s ttering words didn¡¯t feel insincere, but rather sincere in their praise, satisfying her vanity.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I should go. I enjoyed chatting with you today. Let¡¯s make another appointment sometime.¡± Bo Yujiang picked up her coat and bag, settled the bill, and left.<div>


    Zheng Qing watched the woman walk into the rain with her umbre, her figure gradually disappearing.


    He curved his lips, his gaze falling on the signature in the lower right corner of the contract.


    Both the pen name and real name had to be signed on the copyright contract.


    Under the pen name, the real name Bo Yujiang was written very elegantly.


    ¡°Bo Yujiang?¡± Zheng Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and dialed Ming Jing¡¯s number.


    ¡°You never do pointless things, and you couldn¡¯t really like Wind on the Clouds. Who is Bo Yujiang? Why do I always feel that she is very familiar to me? Have I seen her somewhere before?¡±


    There was the sound of wind blowing on the other side of the phone. After a while, the detached voice of a young girl came, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zheng Qing sat up straight, ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. What else are you hiding from me?¡±


    ¡°Did Ye Zhen go to Yulong Snow Mountain? Tell her toe back for a visit on New Year¡¯s Day.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject.¡±


    ¡°Some things will be revealed when the time is right, but now is not the time.¡±


    Zheng Qing stomped his foot at the hung-up phone.


    At this moment, a shadow fell opposite him, and a familiar scent rushed towards him. Zheng Qing didn¡¯t raise his head, but his whole body froze as if struck by lightning.<div>


    A hand with a leather glove pushed the coffee cup in front of him away. Zheng Qing thought that his expression must be very disgusted.


    This man was very particr about cleanliness, and would never touch anything used by someone else.


    ¡°Qingqing, long time no see.¡±

 Chapter 612: 319 Green Luan (Second Watch)

    Chapter 612: 319 Green Luan (Second Watch)


    Qingqing my ass. Zheng Qing had to resist the urge to throw his coffee in his face. He sat there, arms crossed, slouching in his chair, legs propped up on the table, every inch the picture of a hoodlum.


    ¡°I seem to remember thest time you had a gun to my head, you didn¡¯t call me that, my dear Night Hawk.¡± Zheng Qing¡¯s lips curled in mockery.


    The server came over, about to ask the guests what they¡¯d like to drink, when he suddenly froze.


    The gentleman said calmly, ¡°A warm ss of water, please.¡±


    The young server, clutching his wildly thumping heart, retreated. He had seen all kinds of men at the coffee shop, but never one like this.


    He looked up and realized that the caf¨¦¡¯s customers had all disappeared without exnation. There had been a few patrons just moments ago.


    The caf¨¦ was eerily quiet.


    ¡°Getting horny again, these shallow women, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Qingqing¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop, don¡¯t call me Qingqing. No one is allowed to call me that since A Yu died.¡± Zheng Qing silently added, and Ming Jing.<div>


    The name ¡°A Yu¡± seemed to be a taboo. The moment the words fell, the air was filled with a suffocating silence.


    Zheng Qing curled his lips.


    ¡°So, what brings the great Night Hawk here to see a ¡®dead man¡¯ like me?¡±


    That¡¯s right, she, Zheng Qing, was now a dead person in the system.


    It was the organization¡¯s rule: when you were deemed useless, death was your only path.


    Just like A Yu had faced in the past.


    Having devoted their entire lives to the organization, it was ironic that they had been reduced to nothing. The promise of freedom had always been a cruel joke.


    A sh of bloodshot eyes, then a familiar cold smile. As she looked up, her eyes filled with seductive charm.


    Paired with her unremarkable face, it was an eerie, awkward sight.


    ¡°I spared your life back then, not for you to defy me.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, am I supposed to kowtow to you in gratitude for your mercy? Keep dreaming.¡± Zheng Qing had had enough of this never-ending, shadowy existence. Face torn, resentful that he had contributed to A Yu¡¯s death. Besides, she trusted Ming Jing to avenge her in the end.


    The man ced a baby toy on the table. ¡°Do you recognize this?¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s pupils constricted as she suddenly pped the table and stood up, grabbing the man by his cor. ¡°Dare to touch my son?¡± she snarled.


    The man sat there, unperturbed, a stark contrast to Zheng Qing¡¯s frantic rage.


    ¡°Your son is very cute. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine.¡±


    Zheng Qing gritted her teeth and growled, ¡°If you dare to hurt even a single hair on his head, I will make you pay with your life. Make no mistake about it.¡±


    ¡°The Green Ghost never goes back on her word.¡±


    Zheng Qing reluctantly loosened her grip,ughing bitterly, ¡°A Yu and I devoted our entire lives to the organization, but what did we get in the end? They¡¯ll even squeeze me for myst ounce of value. You¡¯d surely make a sessful businessman.¡±


    ¡°After Zhao Kang¡¯s death, Wu Rumei inherited all his property and emigratedst month. After extensive investigations, we found that she had been in close contact with someone for the past six months, making weekly phone calls. This person is skilled at counter-surveince, so much so that not even my top hacker can uncover their identity. Who do you think it could be?¡± The man said unhurriedly.<div>


    Zheng Qing snorted, ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°I never knew you had such a soft heart. A mistress helping a legal wife to hatch a plot¡ªtruly touching.¡± The man¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm.


    ¡°Zhao Kang deserved to die¡ªI¡¯ve always been clear about right and wrong.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, selling people out and then counting their money for them. What business did Zhao Kang have to stand against the Wus? The Wus¡¯ youngest son is not to be trifled with.¡±<div>


    A stack of filesnded in front of Zheng Qing, who picked them up dubiously, her face growing darker as she read.


    ¡°This Wu Rumei, daring to deceive me¡ªso she¡¯s the real mastermind.¡±


    Zheng Qing suddenly looked up, ¡°Where¡¯s the ledger?¡±


    ¡°Fake.¡±


    In her first-ever experience of being duped, Zheng Qing was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡¯m going to find her now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡±Zheng Qing pped the table: ¡°Bitch.¡±


    ¡°As they say, bing a mother makes you stupid for three years. Your IQ has really plummeted since you became a mother.¡±


    Zheng Qing red at him: ¡°Would Madam spare you if this gets messed up?¡±


    Night Hawk¡¯s boss, Madam, Zheng Qing had never seen her before, not even knowing whether she was male or female. Every time, it was Madam who issued orders, and Night Hawk would assign her tasks.


    She onceined to A Yu that this ¡°Madam¡± must be an old menopausal woman, otherwise, she couldn¡¯t think of who else woulde up with such weird and demanding tasks.


    Before, she had always thought that she was part of a just organization, punishing the evil and helping the weak. That was until one mission where she assassinated someone, only to learn from the news the next day that the person she killed was actually an honest and clean public servant.


    From that day on, her faith began to crumble.


    Later, when she entered the entertainment industry, she used her identity as a cover, gathering all kinds of evidence under the shy surface. Batch after batch of people were taken away, reced by new ones who were no different than those before, corrupt and unscrupulous individuals who turned the entertainment industry into a cesspool of moral decay.<div>


    At that time, she knew that all justice must bow to interest. Madam probably wasn¡¯t a good person either, and Night Hawk was just a butcher who aided in evil deeds.


    However, by then, she and A Yu were already neck-deep, unable to extricate themselves from the situation.


    On the anniversary of A Yu¡¯s death, she drank too much, went to a bar to drown her sorrows, and had a one-night stand with a man. She left without a care, barely giving a thought to the man, considering him merely a passerby in her life.


    Until two monthster, when she discovered she was pregnant.


    For the sake of her child, she would rather risk it all than continue being a caged assassin. She wanted to be a soaring Green Phoenix.


    She tried to negotiate with Night Hawk, asking toplete onest mission for her freedom.


    Night Hawk agreed, but she knew that Madam wouldn¡¯t let her go.


    Her fate was ultimately, death.


    That night in the warehouse, she was already prepared to die. Yet, Night Hawk¡¯s gunshot only hit a passing hare instead.


    The price Night Hawk paid for sparing her was to infiltrate Jiangzhou and wait for an opportunity to strike.


    So she came to Jiangzhou, changed her name, and kept a low profile, until she met Ming Jing, a girl who eerily resembled A Yu. Through her, Zheng Qing gradually learned about A Yu¡¯s cause of death.


    Clues finally pointed to Ran Bowen of the Qinglong Association¡­ Which should be the reason why Night Hawk had her go undercover in Jiangzhou. She just didn¡¯t know what Night Hawk¡¯s ultimate n was, whether Ming Jing was a pawn in his game or just an unexpected coincidence.


    What exactly did this coincidence have to do with A Yu¡¯s death?<div>


    The more Zheng Qing thought about it, the more confused she became. Her mind turned into a mess. Night Hawk was right ¨C ever since she became pregnant, her mind had been getting more and more muddled.


    ¡°Madam doesn¡¯t know about your existence,¡± Night Hawk spoke inly.


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow: ¡°Interesting, so you¡¯re not exactly loyal to Madam.¡±


    No wonder he dared to spare her life.


    The man neither agreed nor disagreed. ¡°I know you still me me for A Yu¡¯s death. Some things, you¡¯ll know eventually.¡±


    ¡°I want to know now, did you kill A Yu or not?¡±


    The man looked pained, his jaw tense, showing his inner turmoil.


    ¡°Pfft. Pretending now? Even if you didn¡¯t kill A Yu yourself, you must have given the order.¡±


    After a while, the man took a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and pushed it in front of her: ¡°Same old rules, burn it after you read it. This is the final ultimate mission. If youplete it, I will personally hand you the passports for you and your son.¡± With that, the man stood up and left.


    ¡°What about Xue An? I want his life.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already dead.¡±


    Without stopping, the man left.


    As Zheng Qing¡¯s mind raced, she suddenly got up, ¡°Wait, that woman just now¡­ she¡­¡±<div>


    The man had already pushed open the door of the caf¨¦, his tall figure disappearing into the rain.


    Zheng Qing murmured, ¡°So she was also your pawn¡­¡±


    She unfolded the paper in her hand, gave it a nce, and took out a lighter from her pocket.


    The me burned brightly, quickly turning the paper to ashes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet with you onest time,¡± she said.

 Chapter 613: 320 Brothers (First Update)

    Chapter 613: 320 Brothers (First Update)


    By December, the weather had gotten much colder.


    These days, the door across the street was almost broken by endless deliveries. Han Suwen had seen batches of furniture and electrical appliances being sent in, which indicated that the people intended to stay for a long time.


    For all three meals a day, Han Suwen prepared the food and sent it over, and the pure young man brought boxes of meat and fruits home.


    Ming Chen was the one who often ran across the street the most. Basically, he would bring his homework over after school and wouldn¡¯t return until bedtime.


    It seemed like he was treating his own home like a hotel and the ce across the street as his real home.


    One day at noon, Han Suwen brought over some dumplings, and upon entering, the ce was nicely decorated, showing the good taste of the owner.


    ¡°Wenwen, have a seat.¡± Qu Feitai poured her a cup of tea.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuss, I¡¯m just here to bring you dumplings.¡± Han Suwen ced the thermal container on the table.


    ¡°Dumplings are best eaten hot. These are made with shepherd¡¯s purse and pork filling. I¡¯m not sure if you like them. There¡¯s also a rib soup, which I cooked over low heat for hours.¡±


    ¡°I feel so embarrassed having Wenwen send me food every day.¡± Qu Feitai had been eating so nutritiously and richlytely that he felt his abdominal muscles were about to disappear.<div>


    ¡°We¡¯re neighbors, and it¡¯s only good for us to help each other. Besides, you¡¯re friends with Miss Ming and teach Ming Chen piano, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with me taking extra care of you. You look much better recently, but you still need to keep taking your medicine. I¡¯ll have Xiao Ying bring it over when it¡¯s ready. Take your time eating, I¡¯ll head back first.¡±


    Han Suwen stood up to leave, and Qu Feitai hurriedly got up as well, ¡°Wenwen, how has Ming Jing been recently?¡±


    Ming Jing never went out, so aside from a glimpse of her before he fainted thest time, he hadn¡¯t seen her since.


    Although they lived across the street, he didn¡¯t dare to barge in uninvited.


    Han Suwen smiled as if she could see through his thoughts, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Ming is doing just fine. Hold on, dumplings are to be eaten with vinegar, do you have vinegar here? If not, I can bring you some.¡±


    ¡°I have some.¡±


    He saw her off at the door, watching her enter the opposite house, then closed the door and returned to the table, opening the lunchbox.


    One serving of dumplings and one serving of rib soup, both looking incredibly tempting.


    Wenwen¡¯s cooking skills were beyond criticism, and Qu Feitai was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to eat food from elsewhere if he continued eating her dishes; he had be spoiled.


    At that moment, his phone buzzed with a string of messages, and Qu Feitai took a look at it.


    White Moon was making waves in the group chat.


    ¡ª¡ª@Mr. Song @Jiangshui Biyutian, stop pretending to be dead, have any of you seen Ming Jing? If my family wasn¡¯t keeping such a close eye on me, I would¡¯ve flown to Jiangzhou already. Can¡¯t count on you two useless guys.


    Mr. Song: Didn¡¯t you know that even Ran Tengxiao was turned away at the door? Seeing Ming Jing now is even harder than the fat geese seeing Xiao Fei.


    Bai Kaishui: Who the hell is Ran Tengxiao???


    Mr. Song: The fact that you don¡¯t know is a blessing; being a fool is the happiest thing.


    The ndered Bai Ziyan was furious, @Qu Feitai: Do you know who Ran Tengxiao is?


    Qu Feitai sent a picture of his lunch in the group: Eating, do not cue.


    Bai Kaishui: How can you still eat? Your unrequited love persona must be crumbling, right? I knew men¡¯s mouths are nothing but lies.


    Qu Feitai chuckled: Bro, I¡¯m eating the lunch Ming Jing¡¯s family made for me, and I¡¯ve been eating it for a week now. Am I supposed to be proud?<div>


    Mr. Song: ???


    Bai Kaishui: !!!


    Bai Kaishui: You heartless guy, you actually went to Jiangzhou without telling me, and even stayed at Ming Jing¡¯s ce. What a schemer!


    Mr. Song: Xiao Fei, you actually came to Jiangzhou? Are you really staying at Ming Jing¡¯s ce? [Eating melon]<div>


    Bai Kaishui: Look how smug he is. Dream on! If Ming Jing really let him stay at her ce, I¡¯ll unscrew my head to use as a ball.


    Qu Feitai: Go ahead and be jealous!


    The two were on the verge of fighting in the group chat, but Jiang Jinchen never said a word throughout the whole conversation.


    It was Mr. Song who sensed that something was wrong, @Jiangshui Biyutian: Jinchen, why haven¡¯t you said anything?Bai Kaishui: Busy flirting with girls.


    It took Jiang Jinchen a long while to reply: I¡¯m participating in apetition recently, so I¡¯m quite busy. Sorry about that, you guys chat.


    Bai Ziyan created another small group, this time only adding Song Yinzhang and Qu Feitai.


    Bai Ziyan: Do you guys feel that Jiang Jinchen has been acting weirdtely?


    Basically, the three of them chatted and bantered in the group every day. Jiang Jinchen used to join in, but these days he waspletely silent, as if he didn¡¯t exist.


    This was totally abnormal.


    Song Yinzhang: He¡¯s in college, maybe he¡¯s busier. I heard he¡¯s a student council member, so he¡¯s much busier than us.


    Bai Ziyan: But he doesn¡¯t even talk to us. I don¡¯t think he considers us his brothers.


    When Jiang Jinchen first came to Chunxi Court, he was only four or five years old. At that time, Bai Ziyan was the boss, bullying whoever he saw, and often bullied Jiang Jinchen. Jiang Jinchen was different from other bullied kids ¨C he didn¡¯t cry or report it. Bai Ziyan gradually found it boring and stopped bullying him. Once they had a fight, and Bai Ziyan angrily called him a fatherless wild child. That was the first time he realized how frightening Jiang Jinchen could be when he was angry; Bai Ziyan ended up lying in bed for days from the beating.


    It was a case of not knowing each other until they fought. Later, with Song Yinzhang¡¯s mediation, the two became good friends. Once Bai Ziyan gradually learned about Jiang Jinchen¡¯s pitiful background, he truly changed his opinion of him.<div>


    Later, when they went to junior high, Jiang Jinchen was taken to Jiangzhou by his mother. Their rtionship remained unchanged, but recently, Bai Ziyan sensed that something was troubling Jiang Jinchen.


    Song Yinzhang: Xiao Bai, don¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t you know what kind of person Jinchen is? He always keeps his troubles to himself. As his brothers, we should care for him, not doubt him.


    Bai Ziyan: What am I doubting? I just think he¡¯s acting strange. If there¡¯s nothing wrong, then that¡¯s even better.


    Song Yinzhang: I¡¯ll ask himter.


    Song Yinzhang was the central air conditioner, in charge of mediating conflicts among the brothers. Only he could do this job.


    Song Yinzhang privately messaged Jiang Jinchen: Jinchen, are you okaytely? Are you too tired from studying? Let¡¯s go out for a meal sometime, and let Xiao Fei treat us.


    It took Jiang Jinchen two minutes to reply: Okay.


    And then there was no follow-up.


    At Jiangzhou University¡¯s library during lunchtime, there weren¡¯t many people. The young man sat in a corner, holding his phone. The materials in front of him remained on the same page for half an hour.


    Lost in thought, the young man didn¡¯t know how many pairs of eyes were secretly watching him.


    On Jiangzhou University¡¯s list of popr guys, Jiang Jinchen had been at the top since his entrance.


    Handsome, good grades, got into Jiangzhou University¡¯s top major through rmendation, student council member, and next year¡¯s president¡¯s first choice. It was said that his family background was also excellent. Numerous girls were chasing after him like fish crossing the river. However, this handsome, talented guy refused all of them. Even the school beauty let down her pride and extended an olive branch, only to be rejected mercilessly by him. The higher and colder he acted, the crazier those girls became. Everyone secretly bet on who could conquer this hard-to-get heartthrob.


    The mostpetitive ones now were the school beauty Hu Guo¡¯er and theputer department¡¯s department flower Lin Ya.<div>


    Most people were betting on Lin Ya, after all, ¡°proximity to the water tower gives the first pick of the moon.¡± Lin Ya and Jiang Jinchen were in the same ss, so they had plenty of chances to see each other during ss, which the school beauty couldn¡¯tpare with.


    Hu Guo¡¯er brought a lunch box and said coquettishly, ¡°Jinchen, I made this lunch myself. You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? Why don¡¯t you fill your stomach first?¡±


    If Hu Guo¡¯er had any advantage, it was that her father was a high-ranking official in the school, a former professor whoter pursued a political career.


    Jiang Jinchen didn¡¯t even nce at her, packed up his textbooks, put them in his backpack, and left.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time doing these pointless things. I will never like you.¡±


    Leaving behind a cold statement, the young man left, leaving everyone with a tall and aloof figure.


    Soon, the campus forum headlines would be ¡°School beauty¡¯s confession rejected on the spot, losing face all the way to the Pacific.¡±


    Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s face turned pale. She almost foresaw how people would ridicule her behind her back.


    ¡°He¡¯ll never like her? Ha ha, how charmless is this school beauty? It¡¯s so funny. She¡¯s lost all her dignity, right?¡±


    ¡°I think Jiang Jinchen might like Lin Ya? I heard from my ssmates in theputer department that during thest lecture, Lin Ya was sitting with Jiang Jinchen, and their rtionship seemed unusual.¡±


    ¡°Has Lin Ya won this heartthrobpetition?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Jinchen¡¯s words just now were quite meaningful. ¡®I will never like you,¡¯ but he didn¡¯t say he didn¡¯t like Lin Ya.¡±


    Hearing the whispers around her, Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s face gradually turned pale.<div>


    ¡°Lin Ya, you bitch.¡±

 Chapter 614: 321 Biological (Second Update)

    Chapter 614: 321 Biological (Second Update)


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, Ming Jing must be fine. Look, this is an announcement from Shenzhou Group¡¯s official website. It clearly says that Ming Jing is unharmed.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang shows the phone to Lin Qing.


    Lin Qing reads the text several times, back and forth, word by word. ¡°I still can¡¯t let go of my worries. I¡¯m her real mother, but she refuses to see me even once. How could she have such a hard heart?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang grumbles internally, thinking it¡¯s because Ming Jing doesn¡¯t consider her as her real mother.


    But, outwardly, she speaks in a gentle tone: ¡°Ming Jing¡¯s status is different now. She¡¯s the president of the Jockey Club, a top figure in Jiangzhou. Didn¡¯t you see Mr. Shen and Madam Jiang attending her press conference the other day? It was so impressive. Perhaps you need to make an appointment to see her?¡±


    ¡°Can I bepared to those people? I¡¯m her real mother!¡± Lin Qing repeats this same line every day, until Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s ears are calloused from hearing it.


    ¡°Right, right. I¡¯ll continue to call Ming Jing. Or, should we wait at the school gate for Ming Chen and Ming Ti?¡±


    Lin Qing immediately stands up: ¡°Let¡¯s go there now.¡±


    As the two rush out, they arrive at the gate just in time for school dismissal.


    Zhu Xiangxiang quickly spots Ming Chen and Ming Ti emerging from the school gate. The two girls have grown taller in just a few months, standing out among their peers like cranes among chickens.


    Ming Ti is calm, and Ming Chen is lively, hopping and jumping as they walk. Despite having identical faces, they¡¯re easily distinguishable at a nce.<div>


    Lin Qing quickly walks over: ¡°Ming Chen, Ming Ti.¡±


    Both girls look up at the sound of her voice, with Ming Chen smiling, ¡°Mrs. Lin, what a coincidence.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang secretly whispers to Cui Yumeng: ¡°Is this Ming Jing¡¯s real mother? And thatdy¡­ she must be the fake daughter.¡±


    Eyes filled with malice fix on Zhu Xiangxiang. This woman obviously isn¡¯t a good person, having seen the expos¨¦ online. It was the fake daughter who arrogantly drove Master Ming Jing out, while Master Ming Jing had just been merciful and didn¡¯t retaliate.


    Cui Yumeng nods: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her. She looks far worse than Master Ming Jing. I don¡¯t know who gave her the courage¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence, I¡¯m here specifically to find you both,¡± said Lin Qing.


    Ming Ti¡¯s eyes flicker, ¡°If you want to see my older sister, I advise you to give it up. She¡¯s home recuperating from her injury, and not seeing anyone.¡±


    Anxious, Lin Qing asks: ¡°Is your sister seriously injured?¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s eyes roll as she jumps in first: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s serious. That was the strongest concentration of sulfuric acid. Arge wound on her arm, sigh¡­¡±


    Ming Ti gives her a look, as if to say, what are you talking about?


    Lin Qing¡¯s face instantly pales; she seems unable to hold back. Zhu Xiangxiang quickly supports her and res at Ming Chen: ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Didn¡¯t Shenzhou Group release a statement that Ming Jing is fine?¡±


    ¡°Do you know better or do I? Besides, the statement is just meant to reassure people. You¡¯re so strange¨CWhy do you doubt me?¡±


    Ming Chen¡¯s words leave Zhu Xiangxiang at a loss for words, Zhu Xiangxiang can¡¯t help but curse her in her heart, the little girl is so annoying as usual.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just worried about Master Ming Jing. After all, if Master Ming Jing got hurt, Mrs. Lin would be worried, and if my mom worried about my sister and not me, I¡¯d feel pretty ufortable too,¡± Cui Yumeng sympathetically says.


    Indeed, after hearing Cui Yumeng¡¯s words, Lin Qing casts a suspicious nce at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Children often speak without thinking and would not lie, but they still reveal Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s little schemes.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffens: ¡°Mom, I¡¯m worried about Ming Jing too, but I¡¯m not like what they¡¯re saying¡­¡±


    With so many people watching, Lin Qing cannot say anything and brushes off Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s support.


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenches her teeth, her face showing hurt.<div>


    ¡°Ming Chen, please take me to see Ming Jing. I¡¯m her real mother, and it¡¯s only natural for me to care for her,¡± Lin Qing pleads with a soft voice.


    Ming Chen shakes her head, ¡°That¡¯s not up to me. It¡¯s gettingte, and if I¡¯m homete, my older sister will be unhappy. Goodbye, Mrs. Lin.¡±


    Ming Chen takes Ming Ti¡¯s hand, and in the blink of an eye, they disappear into the crowd. Lin Qing can¡¯t even catch up.


    ¡°Where did these two girls learn to be so slippery?¡± Lin Qing grumbles.<div>


    Zhang Yunfang suddenly grabs Cui Yumeng¡¯s arm, excited: ¡°Mr. Cen Ning¡­¡±


    Following her gaze, Cui Yumeng sees a young man wearing gold-rimmed sses walking out of the school gate.


    Cui Yumeng scoffs, ¡°I thought it¡¯d be some handsome guy, but he¡¯s just ordinary. Look how smitten you are.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang only nces at him before looking away, for in her world, no man canpare to Master Xiao.


    Lin Qing returns empty-handed and doesn¡¯t notice the man¡¯s gaze on her as she turns away.


    ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, is your home far from here?¡± Zhang Yunfang excitedly runs to Cen Ning¡¯s side, gazing up at the man before her.


    All the students in the ss adore the gentle and attentive new teacher, Mr. Cen Ning, who never punishes them. ¨C


    Oh, except for the oddball Ming Chen.


    Mr. Cen Ning smiles, and Zhang Yunfang nearly drowns in it.¡±It¡¯s fine, just a ten-minute walk or so.¡±


    ¡°Huh? It also takes Ming Chen about ten-minute walk from home to school, do you two happen to live in the samemunity?¡±


    Mr. Cen Ning raised an eyebrow: ¡°Oh? I live in Tonghe Shengshi.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang eximed in surprise, ¡°What a coincidence! Ming Chen lives in Tonghe Shengshi too. Haven¡¯t you ever run into him, teacher?¡±


    Mr. Cen Ning shook his head.<div>


    Zhang Yunfang asked again, ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    The young girl didn¡¯t realize this was somewhat of a sudden question, her eyes wide and clear, waiting for an answer.


    The man¡¯s eyes sparkled behind his sses, his smile bing even gentler, but there was a trace of sadness in his gaze that moved the young girl¡¯s heart.


    ¡°She¡¯s been dead for many years¡­.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang hastily said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Cen Ning, I should not have asked.¡±


    Poor Mr. Cen Ning.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, she will always live in my heart.¡±


    Zhang Yunfang sniffed, not knowing if it was because of the cold or something else. She recalled a cheesy idol drama she¡¯d watched with her family¡¯s nanny, and found a line from it that seemed fitting for this situation.


    ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, you need to move on quickly. A person can¡¯t live in the past forever. If she could see you happy, she would also be happy in heaven.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s eyes were full of sincere blessings.


    The man stopped walking, ruffled her hair, and gently smiled, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Fangfang¡­¡± From inside a car on the road, Zhang Qiao called out.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s here to pick me up, bye, Mr. Cen Ning.¡± Zhang Yunfang waved and happily jumped into the car.<div>


    Zhang Qiao looked at the man standing on the side of the road, his eyebrows furrowed unconsciously: ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s our new math teacher, we all like him a lot, he¡¯s handsome and gentle¡­.¡± Zhang Yunfang began to list how good and good the teacher was.


    Zhang Qiao bluntly said, ¡°As long as the teacher teaches well, that¡¯s enough. What¡¯s the point of all that shy stuff? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going on a blind date.¡±


    ¡°Blind date?¡± Zhang Yunfang¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Dad, what do you think about having Mr. Cen Ning as my uncle?¡±


    Zhang Qiao replied irritably, ¡°What kind of nonsense is in your head all day at such a young age? Your aunt would be driven crazy by you.¡±


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t. A few days ago, I told my aunt that instead of giving her a birthday present, I¡¯d give her Mr. Cen Ning. They seem like a great match.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. The more you say, the more ridiculous it gets.¡±


    ¡°What if they really hit it off? Wouldn¡¯t it be nice for my aunt to have someone else love and care for her instead of sleeping alone every night?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°You go do what you need to do, I don¡¯t need any help.¡± Lin Qing brushed off Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hand and went upstairs.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stood there in a daze.


    ¡°Miss, you have a package.¡± Li Juan handed the package to Zhu Xiangxiang.


    It was very thin, like a document.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated, ¡°Mine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, doesn¡¯t it have your name written on it?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang opened it, and there was only a thin piece of paper inside. After reading its contents, her expression changed dramatically.


    Li Juan tried to peek, but couldn¡¯t see anything.


    Zhu Xiangxiang guarded the paper like a thief, quickly folding it and turning to go upstairs with a mysterious expression.


    Li Juan squinted, feeling there was something strange about it.


    ¡°Madam Zhou, do you really think the young miss is Madam¡¯s biological daughter? I don¡¯t feel like they are alike.¡±


    Madam Zhou quickly covered her mouth and looked around, ¡°Nonsense, if the young Miss is not Madam¡¯s daughter, then who could be? Don¡¯t ever say such things again. If Madam hears you, she¡¯ll kick you out.¡±


    Li Juan pouted, muttering quietly, ¡°Can a phoenix really be born from a rat¡¯s nest? What a joke.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Madam Zhou didn¡¯t hear clearly, but she was sure it wasn¡¯t something good.


    ¡°I said, your pancake is about to burn¡­¡±

 Chapter 615: 322 Plastic Surgery (First Update)

    Chapter 615: 322 stic Surgery (First Update)


    Zhu Xiangxiang examined the courier box several times but found no markings on it.


    The sender¡¯s column had the name Bai Shan, and the phone number was a dead line.


    She took out that piece of paper and read it over and over again.


    It was a DNA identification result.


    It was the DNA identification result of Ming Jing and Lin Qing, which showed no blood rtionship.


    There was a stamp and signature of the identification agency in the lower right corner, and there was no possibility of forgery.


    Although there were always suspicions, Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t believe it when she finally saw the results.


    How could Ming Jing dare¡­


    More importantly, who had sent this identification report?


    Whoever had managed to obtain Ming Jing¡¯s hair was undoubtedly a significant figure.<div>


    Suddenly she thought of the rumors at school that Ming Jing had offended the Rans by vying for the position of President of the Jockey Club, and that this press conference was merely a lesson.


    With the power of the Rans, it was entirely possible.


    It seemed that Ming Jing really had made enemies.


    But why did they send the identification results to her?


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s breath tightened, feeling the paper suddenly burn her hands.


    She heard the sound of a car engine outside the window and went over to take a look.


    Zhu Wentao was back.


    Ever since the incident, she had been avoiding Zhu Wentao, inexplicably afraid of him in her heart.


    The only person she could discuss this with was Zhu Shaodan.


    But Zhu Shaodan was too impulsive and would likely bber about it, just like at Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s birthday banquetst time, and nobody would believe her, thinking she was trying to frame out of jealousy.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hesitated for a while, and upon hearing the door close walked out.


    At this time, Lin Qing was already resting.


    Zhu Xiangxiang hovered at the door of the study, and suddenly the door was pulled open from the inside, startling her like a frightened little bunny.


    Zhu Wentao stood at the entrance of the study, frowning at her: ¡°Come in.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth and took a step inside.


    As Zhu Wentao closed the study door, Xiangxiang subconsciously shrank her shoulders, like a quail.


    ¡°I apologize forst time. I was drunk and didn¡¯t mean to. Don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Zhu Wentao said gently.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked up at him, seeing his sincere gaze and loving expression as always, finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Dad, I came to see you because there is something important I have to tell you.¡±<div>


    After much thought, Zhu Xiangxiang decided to take a gamble and tell Zhu Wentao the truth.


    No one could see or grasp the value and benefits that Ming Jing brought, but the interests of the Zhu Group were visible before their eyes.


    Zhu Wentao wasn¡¯t a man with long-term vision, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been blinded and deceived by a woman.


    Zhu Wentao nodded and poured a cup of tea for Zhu Xiangxiang.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang put down the teacup, took out the paper, and handed it to Zhu Wentao, ¡°You should take a look first.¡±


    Zhu Wentao took it, and after reading the content, his face darkened.


    ¡°You did this identification?¡± Did this girl have such means?


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head: ¡°Someone sent it to me, I don¡¯t know who it was. It might be Ming Jing¡¯s enemy. She has now offended the Rans¡­ ¡±


    As expected, Zhu Wentao¡¯s face darkened even more when he heard this.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare to offend the Rans even if he had the guts.


    ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t expect Ming Jing to not be the real daughter of you and mom. It seems it¡¯s all her scheme. We don¡¯t know her purpose yet, whether it is for money or¡­ ¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at Zhu Wentao¡¯s face, ¡°Or maybe we misunderstood Ming Jing, and mom¡¯s real daughter had an ident. Ming Jing might have pretended to be mom¡¯s real daughter to avoid making mom grieve, but doing so only makes mom sadder after all. I thought mom was unfair to Ming Jing, but it seems there really is a telepathic connection between mother and daughter. There was a reason mom didn¡¯t like Ming Jing initially.¡±


    ¡°She deceived all of us, especially mom. Now mom has finally epted Ming Jing. If mom finds out that Ming Jing has been deceiving her from the beginning, how can she bear such a blow?¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face grew even darker: ¡°Who else have you told about this?¡±


    ¡°I only told you. Shaodan had some suspicions, but he hasn¡¯t seen this identification result.¡±¡±Let¡¯s not act rashly and alert the enemy. Give me some time to think carefully.¡± Zhu Wentao furrowed his brows, his face full of worry.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb you, Dad. I¡¯ll go back to my room.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang turned and left.


    ¡°Wait, keep this from your mother. She can¡¯t bear such a blow.¡±<div>


    ¡°I know.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang opened the study door and went out. Seeing Li Juan who had juste upstairs, she frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing up here?¡±


    Li Juan held a tray with a bowl of wontons on top, scattered with green onions and sesame oil, giving off an enticing aroma.


    ¡°Sir hase back for the night and asked the kitchen to make him his favorite shrimp wontons.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t say anything and went back to her bedroom.


    Li Juan knocked on the study door, and after getting permission, she entered respectfully.


    She put down the bowl and pretended to tidy the desk, noticing the piece of paper on it.


    Zhu Wentao furrowed his brows, ¡°You can go. I don¡¯t need you to clean up the study.¡±


    Li Juan didn¡¯t make a sound and turned to leave.


    After closing the study door, Li Juan tried to recall the content on the paper. The Zhus all treated her as an illiterate vagrant woman, looking down on her and treating her with an arrogant, charity attitude as if they were saviors.


    None of these rich people were any good.


    It seemed like some identification result. What were those three letters?


    DNA.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    ¡°Many hospital research groups have applied for the Heart Project, and I¡¯ve sent you the list of applicants and subjects. It¡¯s currently in the preliminary review stage. Oh, by the end of this month, the foundation has been invited to hold a volunteer week lecture at Jiangzhou University. You are the invitee¡­ but since you¡¯re recovering from your injuries now, I haven¡¯t replied yet. Mainly because of your injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, help me ept the invitation.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The foundation is now managed by a professional team. The manager, Qiao Shuangshuang, has strong business capabilities and many years of experience. Since she took charge of the foundation, everything has been in good order.


    After hanging up the phone, Ming Jing picked up the teapot and poured a cup of green tea.


    A series of footsteps came from outside the door. In the next instant, a dark shadow swept in like a whirlwind, snatching the tea bowl from Ming Jing¡¯s hand and gulping it down.¡±


    Drinking tea like a cattle is akin to a cattle chewing on a peony.


    Ming Jing shook off the lingering cold from the intruder, her voice calm and gentle, ¡°No one is fighting you for it, drink slowly.¡±


    Zheng Qing pped the tea bowl down and stared at Ming Jing, ¡°Do you know Bo Yujiang?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°We¡¯ve met once.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who the author of ¡®Wind on the Clouds¡¯ is?¡±


    ¡°Bo Yujiang.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who Bo Yujiang is?¡± The questions were circling around, which would probably make anyone else dizzy.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes grew even more profound, the smile on her lips gentle: ¡°Who is it?¡±<div>


    Zheng Qing stared at her closely before giving up, unable to see anything.


    The expression management of a teenager is too good, even more sophisticated than a veteran of decades.


    Zheng Qing cursed in her heart, ¡°She¡¯s the youngdy of the Bos in Jiangzhou. No wonder she doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the Bos,¡± Zheng Qing grabbed a snack and stuffed it into her mouth, talking between bites, ¡°I spent some time in the circles of noble families in Jingzhou a few years ago and heard some rumors about this youngdy of the Bos. When she was about three or four years old, she got lost. The Bos searched for over ten years until they found her twelve years ago. I heard she lived a tough life before that, but now she¡¯s a youngdy, truly a case of hardship turning sweet.¡±


    Zheng Qing nced at the girl sitting peacefully across from her, but her expression still revealed nothing.


    Did she guess wrong?


    She found out about Bo Yujiang¡¯s identity in thest few days. Before, she¡¯d only heard of her but never had any contact with her. That Bo Yujiang turned out to be the author of ¡®Wind on the Clouds.¡¯ How could there be such a coincidence?


    She didn¡¯t believe it.


    It wasn¡¯t until three days ago when she met Bo Yujiang in person that she felt a sense of familiarity.


    Zheng Qing pointed at herself, ¡°Do you know my nickname?¡±


    ¡°The Green Ghost.¡±


    Zheng Qing snapped her fingers, pointing at her face, ¡°My Face Changing Technique is unparalleled, no one can match it. People call it the Face Changing Technique. Besides top stic surgeons, no one understands the structure of the human face better than me. For example, your incredible height makes it hard to see that you¡¯re a thirteen-year-old girl, but I could tell at a nce.¡±


    Zheng Qing swallowed her snack and continued with a sip of tea, ¡°The moment I saw Bo Yujiang¡¯s face, I realized that the stic surgeon was amazing, making not a single trace visible. But how could it escape my discerning eye? She messed up by¡­


    Zheng Qing suddenly mmed the table, her eyes filled with righteous indignation, ¡°She altered her appearance to resemble A Yu! Disgusting! What a vile person.¡±

 Chapter 616: 323 Emergency (Second Update)

    Chapter 616: 323 Emergency (Second Update)


    That was the first time Zheng Qing saw Bo Yujiang, and she was deeply shocked.


    They were so alike, but it was an artificial imitation, full of pretentious traces, which was really an eyesore.


    If it weren¡¯t for fear of ruining things, Zheng Qing would really like to ssh the coffee on her face to give her a good wash.


    Zheng Qing nced at Ming Jing: ¡°Tell me, who is she really?¡±


    Ming Jing picked up the chopsticks with her fair hand, the silver texture making her hands even more jade-like.


    She lifted the lid of the tripod incense burner, stirred it lightly, and the sandalwood aroma became more distant and peaceful, making people feel like they were falling into a dream and drowsy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve met Night Hawk, right?¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s wandering thoughts were immediately pulled back, her heart jumped, and she immediately straightened up.


    ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    Without thinking, Zheng Qing blurted out: ¡°A list.¡±<div>


    By the time she realized something was wrong, it was toote.


    ¡°I was asking you about Bo Yujiang, don¡¯t change the topic.¡±


    ¡°No big deal, she¡¯s just a minor character, won¡¯t affect anything.¡± Ming Jing said lightly.


    Bo family¡¯s daughter, a minor character? Only Ming Jing would have such confidence in the world.


    ¡°Who¡¯s on the list Night Hawk gave you?¡± The girl¡¯s gentle voice was like a dreamy murmur.


    Zheng Qing stared at her lips and subconsciously uttered a string of names.


    Ming Jing took a shallow sip of tea, her eyebrows and eyes curved, this was the first genuine smile Zheng Qing had seen on her face.


    ¡°Just do as he told you.¡±


    Zheng Qing waspletely confused: ¡°What kind of riddle are you two ying?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out one day.¡±


    ¡°Why are you saying the same thing as that smelly hawk? Do you take me for a fool?¡±


    ¡°They say pregnancy makes you stupid for three years, what do you think?¡±


    Zheng Qing: ¡­


    So angry, but she still needed to maintain a smile.


    ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve recovered.¡±


    ¡°What are you nning to do about the Rans?¡±


    ¡°To catch a tiger, you must enter its den.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s quiet eight words sent chills down Zheng Qing¡¯s spine.<div>


    ¡°What¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    Ming Jing looked out the floor-to-ceiling window: ¡°It¡¯s been raining for several days, it should clear up, right?¡±


    ¡°Qingqing, help me with something.¡±


    Zheng Qing knew that when Ming Jing called her like this, she could never refuse.<div>


    ¡ª-


    Qu Feitai saw a man enter Ming Jing¡¯s house through the peephole, and he had seen Ming Jing reject many visitors, even refusing to see people from the Zhus.


    It showed that this man had an unusual rtionship with her.


    After a while, the young man called Eighteen went in.


    Qu Feitai counted the time, scratching his head and cheeks, restless, and lost his mood for writing songs.


    The two people stayed in Ming Jing¡¯s house for more than an hour before leaving.


    As the young man walked into the elevator, he seemed to sense something and turned his head to look in his direction.


    Qu Feitai was startled and immediately stepped back, leaning against the door.


    After a while, he looked again, and the young man¡¯s figure had disappeared.


    He suddenly thought of the words Zhao Qin had said when she stopped him that day.


    Eighteen, that¡¯s Xi Yu.


    What Ming Jing was thinking and what she was doing, he had no idea, and Qu Feitai suddenly felt a deep sense of powerlessness.


    He wrapped his knees and squatted against the door, as if he had returned to when he was six years old.<div>


    It was as if he had fallen into a dark and huge cage, without sun or moon, wind or sound.


    Only endless loneliness and boundless despair.


    The wind scraping against his body was cold, and he hugged himself tightly.


    He had been sleeping a lottely because only in dreams could he see her without any worries.


    Qu Feitai realized a bloody fact: daydreams are still just daydreams.How cruel.


    Han Suwen came over in the evening to deliver food and knocked on the door for a long time with no answer, thinking Qu Feitai had gone out.


    Ming Chen insisted: ¡°Brother Qu didn¡¯t go out, something must have happened to him.¡±


    Ming Chen pulled Ming Jing to knock on the door, ¡°Ming Jing, Brother Qu is so pitiful, he has no family or friends in Jiangzhou. If he faints in his room alone, no one would know.¡±


    Ming Jing asked Han Suwen, ¡°Didn¡¯t he leave a key?¡±


    Han Suwen pped her thigh, ¡°Yes, he gave me a spare key earlier.¡±


    Han Suwen hurried back to get the key, opened the door, but the door could only open a crack, blocked by something.


    Ming Chen squeezed in through the crack, then suddenly screamed, ¡°Sister Jing,e quickly, Brother Qu has fainted.¡±


    Ming Jing went in to take a look, crouched down, and touched his forehead.<div>


    He had already lost consciousness from the fever.


    The youngster was curled up, pale as paper, seemingly enduring immense pain.


    Ming Jing noticed that he was holding his stomach, and pressed it, Qu Feitai let out a painful moan.


    ¡°Acute Appendicitis, call 120.¡±


    Han Suwen said, ¡°He was fine when I brought him lunch at noon, how could he suddenly have acute appendicitis?¡±


    Ming Jing looked towards the balcony, where the door was left open, and the cold wind was blowing in. He was dressed lightly, his constitution already being one of Yin deficiency, and he had not yet recuperated. How could he withstand such torment?


    Ming Chen wiped her tears, ¡°Brother Qu is so pitiful.¡±


    Ming Jing touched her head, ¡°You go back, you have school tomorrow, go to bed early.¡±


    ¡°So Sister Jing, are you going with Brother Qu to the hospital?¡±


    Qu Feitai suddenly grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand. His body temperature was scorching and his fingers were like fire pincers.


    Ming Jing paused for a moment and nodded.


    Ming Chen pouted reluctantly and said, ¡°Alright then, Sister Jing, if Brother Qu wakes up, you must tell me.¡±


    Turning around, Ming Chen made a Yes gesture. Brother Qu, you must seize this opportunity.<div>


    The ambnce arrived quickly. When the nurse saw that the unconscious person was Qu Feitai and Ming Jing was by his side, her face showed a shocked expression as if she had eaten a big melon.


    With professionalposure, she managed to hold back her excitement as she and Ming Jing helped Qu Feitai onto the ambnce. Because Qu Feitai never let go of Ming Jing¡¯s hand, she never fell behind and closely followed.


    The ambnce sped away, the nurse gave Qu Feitai a pain-relief injection, and he gradually calmed down. But he kept holding Ming Jing¡¯s hand and never let go.


    They quickly arrived at the hospital, and Qu Feitai was pushed into the emergency operating room, while Ming Jing took the payment slip to pay.


    The hospital¡¯s emergency department was always crowded with people, no matter the time.


    Halfway through, Ming Jing suddenly remembered that she didn¡¯t bring her phone and couldn¡¯t pay.


    At this moment, someone called out, ¡°Ming Jing?¡±


    Ming Jing looked up, ¡°Dr. Han.¡±


    Han Ye was not in his white coat but in casual clothes, looking tall and straight, much younger than his age. He was already a top surgeon in his early forties, exuding sessful confidence and mature elegance.


    There were two men with him, one of whom was also a familiar face.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Uncle Tao.¡±


    Tao Qian walked over, a trace of concern in his eyes, ¡°Why are you in the hospital?¡±


    Going to the hospital was never a good thing.


    The other man looked at Ming Jing with surprise in his eyes.


    This must be the famous Ming Jing, even more beautiful in person, stunning enough to leave him speechless.


    Ming Jing helplessly said, ¡°A friend of mine has acute appendicitis, and I brought him to the hospital. But when I went to pay, I realized that I didn¡¯t bring my phone.¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, without a phone, it¡¯s hard to get anything done. Let¡¯s pay first. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Tao Qian said without asking and told Han Ye and the other man, ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯ll apany Ming Jing to make the payment.¡±


    Han Ye knew Tao Qian¡¯s daughter was Ming Jing¡¯s best friend and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll inform the emergency room,ter have him transferred to my department. It will be easier for me to take care of him.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s friend was probably not an ordinary person.


    The emergency room was crowded and inconvenient for Ming Jing.


    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Han.¡±


    ¡°Why be polite with me? How¡¯s your injury?¡±


    Ming Jing waved her arm, ¡°It¡¯s already healed, thanks to Dr. Han¡¯s miraculous skills.¡±


    Han Ye shook his head with a smile, ¡°Are you mocking me? Do I need to give a public lecture on your glorious deeds? By then, your goddess aura will be shattered.¡±


    Curiosity showed in Tao Qian and the other doctor¡¯s eyes.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Dr. Han, don¡¯t tease me. Uncle Tao, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Han Ye watched Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure, the other male doctor asked, ¡°Old Han, what¡¯s this shattered goddess aura? Do you two have a secret? You¡¯re not interested in this young girl, are you?¡±


    Han Ye¡¯s face darkened, and he said irritably, ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m old enough to be her father. Don¡¯t say such things in the future, so as not to tarnish the girl¡¯s reputation.¡±

 Chapter 617: 324 Judging by Appearance (First Update)

    Chapter 617: 324 Judging by Appearance (First Update)


    After paying the fee, Tao Qian took Ming Jing back to the operating room.


    ¡°Uncle Tao, consider the money as a loan from me, and I¡¯ll treat you and Auntie to dinner another day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too polite with me, child.¡± Tao Qian shook his head andughed.


    Ming Jing turned to look at him: ¡°Uncle Tao, did you just finish your shift?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for us doctors, it¡¯s impossible to have a fixed schedule. You don¡¯t know how many times your Auntie Wu has been upset because of this.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Aunt Wu will understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I haven¡¯t been fair to her. I¡¯m so busy with work, and I haven¡¯t had much time to spend with her and our daughter. Recently, there was an opportunity to go abroad for further studies in a research base, but after considering it, I think it¡¯s better not to be too greedy. Bncing family and career is impossible.¡±


    As a mature man, there were many words he would rather keep in his heart, and not to share even with his closest friends. Somehow, facing this girl who was around the same age as his daughter, he felt rxed and shared the thoughts he had been keeping to himself.


    After speaking, he suddenly felt lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Uncle Tao, honesty is important between husband and wife. How can you know if Aunt Wu won¡¯t support you if you don¡¯t say anything?¡±<div>


    Tao Qian hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile: ¡°Living apart for two years is a huge test for any couple.¡±


    ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t trust yourself or Aunt Wu? Some things, if you don¡¯t say them, others will never know.¡±


    When they reached the entrance to the operating room, Ming Jing said, ¡°Uncle Tao, you should go now, so you don¡¯t keep Dr. Han waiting.¡±


    Tao Qian left, his face filled with thoughts.


    Ming Jing sat down on a stic bench outside the operating room, her long skirt elegantly trailing on the floor. It seemed all the noise had disappeared, and the dim light spilled like moonlight.


    One by one, the Buddhist beads rolled gently over her glowing fingertips, like calm loops of time.


    When Yun Mo arrived, this was the scene he saw.


    The young girl resembled a quiet, serene lotus flower, far away from the noise and chaos of the world, transcendent and ethereal.


    He was afraid that even a slight sound would disturb her.


    She resembled the most exquisite ink painting, with simple ck and white colors that surpassed the myriad of colors in the world.


    Yun Mo, who had always been hard-hearted and walked out of the bullet rain, couldn¡¯t help but soften his heart for this girl.


    No wonder the young master was so worried about her; she was nothing like those vulgar girls.


    Yun Mo walked over with big strides: ¡°Ms. Ming Jing?¡±


    The young girl raised her eyes at the sound, her clear, sharp eyes filled with a gentle smile, reminiscent of a warm breeze in spring, washing away all weariness and pain.


    Ming Jing stood up: ¡°Hello, may I ask who you are?¡±


    Such politeness, and such natural grace in her behavior, put others at ease.


    Yun Mo coughed, surprised at his own gentleness. ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Xiao Fei¡¯s brother. His brother heard that Xiao Fei was new to Jiangzhou and asked me to take care of him. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°I see. Xiao Fei is also my friend. Taking care of him is what friends are for. He has acute appendicitis, but don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect his health.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s alreadyte, Ms. Ming Jing, you can go back and rest. I¡¯ll watch over him here.¡±<div>


    If this girl really left, then the young master should give up on the idea of being with her. She didn¡¯t have a ce for him in her heart.


    Ming Jing gently shook her head: ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him toe out.¡±


    Yun Mo raised his eyebrows, a hint of interest flickering in his eyes.


    This girl¡¯s actions were truly unpredictable. No matter what she did, she gave no indication of scheming, as if everything she did was right and natural. If only she had feelings for the young master, how wonderful it would be.<div>


    ¡ª¡ªThe small alley diagonally across from the hospital ismonly known as Barbecue Street, which bustles with noise and excitement every evening.


    Tao Qian found the old spot and sat down, and Han Ye immediately filled his ss with wine.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re really thinking¡ªit¡¯s the fear of leaving your wife and child behind, right? But, Old Tao, this is a rare opportunity. Berens Laboratory, as a top international medicalboratory, is openly recruiting research talent, and numerous countries are eyeing this opportunity. If you want to walk down the research path, you can¡¯t miss this chance. I have a college ssmate who came out of Berens Laboratory; I¡¯ll give him a heads-up. With your talent, you¡¯ll definitely get in. Over the years, you¡¯ve given up too much for your family¡­ Go home and discuss it with your siblings, and don¡¯t rush to a conclusion. There¡¯s still half a month left, anyway.¡±


    Cheng Wei looked at Han Ye in surprise, ¡°You actually have such an amazing college ssmate? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of it before?¡±


    Han Ye took a sip of the wine and sighed, ¡°If I mention it, you¡¯ll definitely be familiar with this person. Just a few days ago, during our teaching and research meeting, Professor Xu mentioned him too.¡±


    Cheng Wei stared nkly, his voice changing, ¡°Dr. Bo? Your college ssmate is Dr. Bo?¡±


    Han Ye scoffed, ¡°See, when we were in college, we were on equal grounds. But as soon as you mention Bo Yuxun, everyone goes crazy.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s really Dr. Bo¡ªhe¡¯s the idol of all our surgeons. Old Han, I can¡¯t believe you were college ssmates with him!¡± Cheng Wei¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement as if he was about to meet his idol, nothing like a 30-something-year-old second-inmand of surgery.


    Han Ye rolled his eyes, ¡°Not only were we college ssmates, but we also grew up as brothers. Why don¡¯t you worship me?¡±


    Cheng Wei clicked his tongue, ¡°You¡¯ve hung around with Dr. Bo, yet you didn¡¯t learn any of his elegance andposure. I saw Dr. Bo performing the most famous heart transnt surgery abroad. His skills were simply superb, known as the ¡®Hand of God¡¯. Even with massive bleeding, he remained calm and turned the tables on death. That¡¯s just so awesome! That kind of temperament¡­cannot be imitated by ordinary people.¡±


    What makes Dr. Bo so exceptional? Many people have studied this. First, his technique¡ªtoo elegant and calm. Second, his psychological resilience¡ªas if Mount Tai were copsing in front of him, his face remains unchanged. All these qualities are essential for a surgeon.


    Han Ye is not too bad either. As the top surgeon in Jiangzhou and a well-known figure in the medical world, he still falls short whenpared to Dr. Bo.


    It could be the difference in looks, as looks do matter in this world.<div>


    Unless Han Ye gets stic surgery, he won¡¯t be able to surpass Dr. Bo in this lifetime.


    Reality is ruthless; some have already lost at the starting line.


    Han Ye sighed, ¡°Just look, people are so superficial, only seeing his face. When we were in college, a group of young girls would chase after him. I would receive love letters every day, and my hands would get sore from holding them. Whenever a girl approached me, she would eventually ask about Bo Yuxun. Why is my fate so miserable, having such a brother!¡±


    Speaking of the past brings forth a stream of bitter tears. Han Ye is a sessful man, not bad-looking either, but he¡¯s approaching forty and still single.


    For years, he has topped the list of eligible single men in the medical field, yet he remains lonely. And why is that?


    It¡¯s all because of Bo Yuxun.


    Once, a little temptress bewitched Han Ye, making him vow to marry no one but her, only for her to turn around and throw herself into Bo Yuxun¡¯s arms. Han Ye was dumbfounded.


    Were these sweet nothings just a diversionary tactic?


    From that moment on, Han Ye was left with a deep psychological scar and never trusted women again.


    ¡°Hehe, Old Han, you¡¯re not bad, either. Why do you have topare yourself to Dr. Bo? There¡¯s only one Dr. Bo in this world. Drink up, drink up! Old Tao, you too, don¡¯t think too much. We won¡¯t stop until we¡¯re drunk tonight!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The lights in the operating room went off, and Yun Mo straightened up immediately.


    He saw the young girl opposite him slowly standing up.<div>


    This girl always took her time, whether speaking or doing things. Even if the sky fell, her expression would probably remain unchanged. How could someone so young develop suchposure?


    It truly was a mystery.


    The door of the operating room opened, and a nurse wheeled Qu Feitai out.


    The youth¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, his face pale, his former exuberance gone, leaving only a sense of defeat like a fallen leaf.


    The nurse had received the notice early on¡ªDr. Han had personally instructed her to take this patient to his department.


    A VIP single room.


    As the nurse hooked up an IV drip for Qu Feitai, Ming Jing listened to her instructions and medications, noting everything down carefully.

 Chapter 618: 325 Choice (Revision)

    Chapter 618: 325 Choice (Revision)


    After the nurse left, Ming Jing tucked in the quilt corner for Qu Feitai and sat down on the chair next to the bed.


    Yun Mo came in and saw this scene, subconsciously hesitating.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, you should go get some rest, I can watch over him.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head:¡±The doctor said this night is crucial, we need to closely monitor his condition to preventplications. I¡¯ll stay here, you go get some rest.¡±


    Yun Mo couldn¡¯t say much more, so he turned around and left.


    ¡°Sir, young master has had the surgery, there¡¯s no major issue, you can rest easy. It¡¯s just that¡­ the girl named Ming Jing has been staying by the young master¡¯s side. She doesn¡¯t seem to have any ulterior motives, solely focused on taking care of young master.¡±


    ¡°Is she only kind to Xiao Fei or to everyone?¡±


    Yun Mo choked a little, the sir had indeed pointed out the key question.


    But how could the sir be sure that Ming Jing¡¯s kindness towards the young master was the same as her kindness towards others?


    ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t think about these messy things now. The most important thing is for Xiao Fei to get better soon. You stay at the hospital and look after him in the next few days, don¡¯t interfere with the matters of the Qinglong Association unless they involve Xiao Fei.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Yun Mo looked inside through the transparent ss on the ward door. Ming Jing seemed to have fallen asleep on the edge of the bed.


    The hospital corridor at midnight was very quiet, especially around the VIP wards, where even the drop of a needle could be heard.


    Yun Moy down on the long bench at the door of the ward, curling his body to sleep.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Tao Qian returned home reeking of alcohol, and although Wu Jiaqi verballyined, she still wiped his body and fed him water.


    She took off his clothes and shoes, and with great effort, moved him onto the bed.


    ¡°Ah Qi, don¡¯t leave¡­¡± Tao Qian suddenly reached out and hugged her.


    Wu Jiaqi was lying on top of him, his body¡¯s scorching heat was rming. Wu Jiaqi¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave, can you please let me go first?¡±


    ¡°Ah Qi, I¡­ I won¡¯t go abroad for further study either. I will stay with you forever. I promised you that I would always be with you¡­¡±


    Tao Qian mumbled on, and Wu Jiaqi had to lean closer to hear his words.


    Go abroad for further study?


    Wu Jiaqi suddenly froze.


    She took out Tao Qian¡¯s phone from his pocket, unlocked the phone, and finally found a notice sent by the leader in his work group chat.


    She knew that Tao Qian¡¯s biggest dream was not to be a doctor, but he had chosen this path eventually for her and Xingxing¡¯s sake.


    She knew he had not been happy in those years.


    Wu Jiaqi crouched down beside the bed, looking at the man who had fallen into a deep sleep, she traced his features gently with her fingers.


    ¡°Why are you so foolish?¡±<div>


    Wu Jiaqi thought of their moments together, the person she owed the most in this life was the man in front of her.


    ¡°The past is the past, and you are my future.¡±


    She closed the bedroom door and pushed open Tao Xingxing¡¯s room door.


    Tao Xingxing slept disorderly, having kicked the quilt to the ground and lying across the bed.<div>


    Wu Jiaqi picked up the quilt, covered her carefully, and adjusted her sleeping position. Tao Xingxing slept soundly like a dead pig throughout.


    Wu Jiaqi sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Tao Xingxing¡¯s sleeping face.


    The moonlight prated the gauze curtains and shone on the head of the bed. The girl, unaware of what she was dreaming about, sported a silly smile on her face and smacked her lips.


    ¡°Delicious¡­¡±


    Wu Jiaqi couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°You¡¯re such a foodie.¡±


    If she could be a happy foodie for the rest of her life, that too would be a blessing.


    All the filth, deceit, and ulterior motives would not touch you, not even a bit, as long as your mother had a say in it.


    You will always be this happy.


    Wu Jiaqi spread out her palm.


    Under the moonlight, she held a seal.


    Ran Bowen, a man with no literary talent, but with pretentions of elegance. He loved to emte Emperor Qianlong and had carved countless seals, contaminating all sorts of famous paintings.


    This ivory seal was delicate and elegant.That day, Ming Jing handed it over to her.


    Those memories that had already been sealed by her suddenly came flooding back.<div>


    ¡°No¡­¡± Wu Jiaqi looked at the girl¡¯s peaceful and happy sleeping face under the moonlight and made up her mind.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The next day, Tao Qian got up with a headache and felt like he had cked out.


    Wu Jiaqi tied an apron around her waist and carried breakfast out of the kitchen, softly saying, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared toothpaste and a towel for you. Hurry up and wash, thene eat breakfast.¡±


    Tao Xingxing rubbed her eyes while moaning about why she had to go to school. She missed her big bed and wanted to be inseparable from it for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat. If you keep dawdling, you¡¯ll bete. Don¡¯t you feel ufortable if you¡¯re notte a few days a week? I don¡¯t want to lose face at the parent-teacher meeting again.¡± Wu Jiaqi scolded with a stern face.


    Tao Xingxing reluctantly took a bite of the bun, and her eyes suddenly lit up: ¡°Ah, my favorite Yang¡¯s BBQ Pork Buns! Mom, I love you.¡±


    Tao Xingxing pounced on Wu Jiaqi and left a greasy kiss on her face.


    Yang¡¯s BBQ Pork Buns were delicious, but they were too far from home. It took an hour to go there and back, which meant her mother had gotten up to buy buns for her at 5 am.


    ¡°Mom, I love you.¡± Tao Xingxing cried in gratitude, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Stop being so smart-mouthed. Hurry up and eat. When you¡¯re finished, I¡¯ll drive you to school.¡± Wu Jiaqi said with a spoiled face.


    As Tao Qian watched this scene, all his regrets dissipated. Nothing was more important than his family.


    Tao Qian changed into formal attire. Wu Jiaqi walked over, stood on tiptoe, and tied his necktie, softly saying, ¡°I heard you¡¯re going abroad to study. Why didn¡¯t you discuss such a big matter with me?¡±<div>


    Tao Qian was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously said, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Wu Jiaqi covered his mouth with her hand, smiling, ¡°Are you giving up because of me and Xingxing? You¡¯ve always been like this, acting on your own without asking my opinion. How would you know that Xingxing and I wouldn¡¯t like to follow you abroad?¡±


    Tao Qian widened his eyes in shock: ¡°Jiaqi, what about your career? And Xingxing, if she goes abroad, she might not adapt to that environment.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi smiled and shook her head: ¡°All problems can be ovee. You¡¯ve given up so much for me and Xingxing. You can¡¯t give up your dreams this time. Let Xingxing and I sacrifice a bit for you. We¡¯re willing, as long as our family is together forever, we can ovee any difficulty.¡±


    Tao Qian shook his head: ¡°I can¡¯t be that selfish.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi said sternly, ¡°You won¡¯t even listen to me?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts. I¡¯m the one who makes the decisions in this family. You will submit your application immediately. With your talent, I¡¯d be surprised if you¡¯re not selected. I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news. If you don¡¯t get in, you don¡¯t have toe back.¡±


    Tao Qian was filled with mixed emotions, gently embracing Wu Jiaqi: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi looked at the sunlight outside the window, her lips curving up: ¡°Let¡¯s give Xingxing a little brother.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    That night, the trending search quietly exploded.


    Someone revealed that Qu Feitai had an emergency appendectomy in Jiangzhou. Ming Jing took him to the hospital and apanied him the whole time. Their feelings were extraordinary.<div>


    This left a lot of room for imagination.


    How did Ming Jing know that Qu Feitai had an appendicitis attack in the middle of the night?


    Only if Ming Jing was right by his side.


    It was too much for people to imagine what the two were doing together in the middle of the night.


    Not long after the exposure of the fake ounts incident, Qu Feitai¡¯s bootlicker image was firmly established. Unexpectedly, they could wait for a turnaround day.


    Many people were moved by Qu Feitai. Even if you were licking, you would get all you deserved in the end.


    At the same time, many people cursed over the fact that the flower had been inserted into the cow dung. If Qu Feitai was cow dung, then the streets would be full of donkey manure, no better than cow dung.


    The inte was bustling, filled with various assumptions and deductions.


    Some people said that the two were already together, maybe even living together.


    Others said that Ming Jing wasn¡¯t that casual, and it made sense for her to take care of Qu Feitai, who had no family or friends in Jiangzhou, as a friend.


    Some people said that even if it was a dog that fainted on the side of the road, Ming Jing would send it to a pet hospital and apany it throughout the city. My most benevolent goddess is confident enough to do this.


    In the colorful world of the Inte, there are all kinds of people with different intentions.


    It wasn¡¯t until their friends saw the news online that they knew something big had happened. They called the two of them, but neither of them answered.


    In the surprise squad group chat, there were all Bai Ziyan¡¯s question marks.


    Bai Kaishui: Don¡¯t believe it? Look up and see the sky going easy on anyone. Qu Feitai, you also have today.


    Mr. Song: There¡¯s no need to gloat. Xiao Fei is already pathetic enough.


    Bai Kaishui: That guy must be over the moon. The goddess apanies him all the way, and he¡¯s made a fortune, right? I see a plot, a scheming boy.

 Chapter 619: 326 Muddled (First revision)

    Chapter 619: 326 Muddled (First revision)


    As Tao Qian arrived at work, he noticed some shiftiness around the hospital entrance. It wasn¡¯t until he entered the office and heard the hushed conversations of the nurses that he realized what was going on.


    The friend of Ming Jing who was admittedst night, was Qu Feitai.


    He remembered that Little Star¡¯s favorite idol was Qu Feitai. Thank goodness, she still was oblivious.


    ¡°Those paparazzi at the hospital entrance are really sharp, sniffing out any scent of news. Our hospital has never been this lively. Just now, two disguised journalists were discovered in the emergency department. It¡¯s more thrilling than a spy drama!¡±


    ¡°Do you guys think Qu Feitai and Ming Jing are really dating? The Inte is buzzing say they are living together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for a man and woman to live alone gets together, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±


    People silenced immediately after they heard the cough, they respectfully greeted, ¡°Dr. Tao.¡±


    The man walked over with a stern face. ¡°No gossiping in work hours. You are all very free, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Everyone scattered, returning to their respective posts.<div>


    Tao Qian shook his head, rumours are truly scary.


    Qu Feitai opened his eyes, staring nkly at the ceiling with an empty mind.


    The nurse was taking his temperature, her face turned red when she noticed he¡¯d woken up.


    Qu Feitai moved slightly, the sudden pain made him gasp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. You¡¯ve just had surgery and need to stay in bed and recover for a few days,¡± the nurse quickly advised.


    ¡°Surgery?¡± Qu Feitai was utterly confused.


    ¡°You had appendicitis surgery. You probably have no recollection ¡ª you passed out from the pain. Ming Jing brought you to the hospitalst night. She stayed here with you the entire time,¡± the nurse revealed, her eyes sparkling with excitement, just like a fan.¡±


    ¡°She really cares about you. You two should make your rtionshipst a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Qu Feitai asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, she was here with you all night. When I did rounds this morning, she wasn¡¯t here. She might¡¯ve gone to get breakfast. Don¡¯t worry, you can¡¯t eat anything the first day after surgery. You can eat after you pass gas,¡± the nurse replied.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face visibly paled.


    After the nurse left, Yun Mo walked in. ¡°Awake?¡±


    Seeing him, Qu Feitai¡¯s expression darkened even more.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to see me, but I have your brother¡¯s orders to stay and monitor your condition until you¡¯re discharged,¡± Yun Mo admitted.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face was full of misery.


    The image he had worked so hard to craft in front of Ming Jing was ruined in an instant.


    All that talk of being a ¡±male god¡± with a six-pack ¨C he was now nothing more than a frail, sick man.


    Yun Mo couldn¡¯t help butugh at Qu Feitai¡¯s new humble state. ¡°Finally, our young master is humbled.¡±


    Seeing Qu Feitai¡¯s wandering eyes, Yun Mo chuckled. ¡°You were waiting for Ming Jing? Don¡¯t wait any longer. She¡¯s gone home to rest after spending the entire night by your side. That delicate youngdy is surprisingly attentive to you.¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai¡¯s expression fell, he didn¡¯t seem to be cheered up by the news.


    ¡°Yun Mo, do I seem really useless?¡± Qu Feitai asked.


    Sitting down on a chair, Yun Mo brought up a memory from the past. ¡°Remember when you were a kid and you liked ying with guns. when your brother disagreed with you. You trekked over a hundred miles just to find me at the base, asking me to take you on as a pupil. Do you remember that?¡±


    At the memory of the reckless thing he did in his youth, Qu Feitaiughed. But then he winced, having pulled his healing wound.<div>


    ¡°You were only five or six years old. A tiny thing, you traveled over a hundred miles, walking a day and a night. When you saw me, you only said, ¡®I can do it¡¯, then you fainted. Never have I met a more stubborn kid. Even then, I knew you would aplish great things.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset with your older brother. He only didn¡¯t want you to get involved because he was looking out for you. When your second brother had an incident, you were still too young. Your older brother didn¡¯t want you to end up like him.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling. ¡°He raised me. How could I resent him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting upset with yourself, not him. Even as an entertainer, you¡¯re already sessful. Your father, although he acts mad in person, behind closed doors he doesn¡¯t know how to stop bragging about you. He uses your autographed postcard to infuriate his old friends. After all, whose granddaughter isn¡¯t a fan of yours?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing is a fantastic girl, and it is very normal for you to like her. Don¡¯t think too much and just go ahead and pursue her. I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s a boy in the world who¡¯s better than our young master. If she can¡¯t see your worth, that¡¯s her loss. But remember the saying ¡®practice makes perfect¡¯. If she is a needle in the haystack, turn her into your needle instead.¡±


    That brought a smile to Qu Feitai¡¯s face. ¡°Yun Mo, the person I killed when I was six. Who was it?¡±


    Theughter disappeared from Yun Mo¡¯s face. He straightened up, frowning at Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Young master, what are you talking nonsense about? Have you lost your senses because of the fever?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me anymore, both you and my brother. I remember everything. I dream about her frequently¡­ who was she? I have the right to know.¡±


    Yun Mo looked at him seriously. ¡°Young Master, knowing too much isn¡¯t good for you.¡±¡±Big brother always has to have his own way. If he truly cared about me, he wouldn¡¯t keep secrets from me.¡±


    Yun Mo sighed, ¡°She isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    Qu Feitai was stupefied, an overwhelming surge of joy epassed him, he incredulously asked, ¡°Not dead?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t killed anyone¡­<div>


    ¡°Yes, she was just injured, but her life wasn¡¯t in danger. It¡¯s surprising that the young master has been worrying about this for so long.¡±


    ¡°Who is she? Where is she now?¡±


    The twinkling gaze of Yun Mo betrayed his thoughts, ¡°Young master, she is doing well. You shouldn¡¯t disturb her.¡±


    Qu Feitai was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking of something, his expression changed, ¡°That¡¯s not right, you¡¯re lying to me.¡±


    An involuntary stiffness washed Yun Mo¡¯s face, he inquired calmly, ¡°What do you mean by that young master?¡±


    Qu Feitai stared at him, pronouncing each word very clearly, ¡°Qinglong Association, Ran Bowen.¡±


    Yun Mo squinted his eyes, then suddenlyughed: ¡°Young master must be joking, Ran Bowen has been dead for over a decade, why bring him up now?¡±


    ¡°You and big brother kept it from me, it¡¯s fine. I will uncover the truth by myself.¡±


    He will find out who that person really was all those years ago.


    Why does everyone expect him to remain ignorant?


    It was a real life at stake.


    Yun Mo¡¯s gaze dropped, erasing the undercurrent of the storm in his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    Ming Jing returned home, took a bath, got changed, had breakfast, and started dealing with phone calls.


    The rumors about her rtionship with Qu Feitai this time were detailed and vivid, generating more attention than ever before.


    The director of Shenzhou Group¡¯s public rtions department called her personally to discuss whether they should intervene to try and dete the situation. Qu Feitai¡¯s agent, Huang Chao, contacted her with the idea of jointly managing the media buzz.


    ¡°Some things can¡¯t be covered up, the more you try to hide them, the more curious people will be. There¡¯s no need for deliberate public rtions, just be on guard against any secret plots by Qu Feitai¡¯s opponents.¡±


    Opinions varied among the public as everyone had their own understanding and freedom of speech. The ones to me here were the two famous figures who invited scrutiny with every action they took.


    This was the price they paid for fame.


    If people kept spreading rumors, they would believe it. But if they paid them no heed, it would just serve as gossip over tea, nothing more.


    Those who believed you, will do so no matter what. Those who didn¡¯t, won¡¯t, even if you break your back convincing them.


    But Ming Jing underestimated people¡¯s enthusiasm. The matter was discussed for three whole days, and the heat only got more intense.


    ¡°Brother Qu.¡± Ming Chen rushed in, staring at the pale teenager in the hospital bed, her tears rolling down like beads off a broken string.


    ¡°Brother Qu, does it hurt?¡±


    Qu Feitai chuckled and wiped her tears off. ¡°Stop crying, little kitten, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s nce fell on Ming Jing, who followed along into the room. His depressed eyes brightened at the sight of her, like the dawn brightening the day.<div>


    ¡°You¡­ got caught up in all of this because of me.¡±


    Ming Jing ced a thermos and fruit on the table and asked casually, ¡°Have you passed gas?¡±


    His face instantly flushed red with her casual question. He wished he could bury himself in a hole.


    An embarrassing spectacle.


    ¡°Huh? Brother Qu, why is your face so red?¡± Ming Chen added fuel to the fire.


    Qu Feitai decided to y dead by closing his eyes.


    ¡°Brother Qu, you can¡¯t sleep yet, you haven¡¯t answered Ming Jing¡¯s question.¡±


    ¡°Alright Ming Chen, let your Brother Qu sleep.¡± Ming Jingdled out some soup from the thermos, filling the room with a tantalising aroma.


    ¡°Gulp gulp¡­¡± A strange sound echoed.


    Qu Feitai, who was struggling to hold it in, said weakly, ¡°Can you and Ming Chen go outside for a while¡­¡±


    Ming Jing nodded understandingly and led a confused Ming Chen out of the room.


    Qu Feitai stared at the ceiling despondently, praying for divine intervention, ¡°God, just strike me down with lightning.¡±

 Chapter 620: 327 Lies (Second Update)

    Chapter 620: 327 Lies (Second Update)


    ¡°Mom, this is a drawing of my sister. Does it look like her?¡±


    Within the double upancy room of the Hematology Department, Deng Yang showcased his drawing to Zhao Xiaohui. His ordinarily pale face was now showing some color, enhancing his delicate and handsome features.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Seeing her in a daze, Deng Yang waved his fingers in front of her.


    Zhao Xiaohui promptly returned to reality, ¡°Huh? What did you say, Yangyang?¡±


    Deng Yang furrowed his brow, ¡°Mom, are you worried about something? You seem unhappy.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Yangyang. Your surgery was sessful. Mom¡¯s not had time to be anything but happy.¡±


    Even though Zhao Xiaohui was smiling, there was always a trace of worry between her brows.


    Deng Yang held Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s hand, ¡°Mom, when can I leave the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit more. We must listen to the doctor. If they¡¯re not allowing us to leave now, there must be a reason.¡±


    The doctor was afraid ofplications such as transnt rejection. In theory, Deng Yang¡¯s surgery was sessful, but the time it had taken posed some risk.


    Zhao Xiaohui felt as if a heavy stone was suspended in her heart, and she had no idea when it would drop.


    ¡°Mom, look, this is the sketch I made of my sister. Does it look like her?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s gaze fell on the drawing, and she was taken aback, ¡°You¡­ you drew this?¡±


    Deng Yang grinned widely, ¡°Yeah, mom, doesn¡¯t it look like her?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s gaze was filled with mixed feelings.


    The person that Deng Yang had drawn was an angel. The more she looked, the more it resembled¡­ Ming Jing.


    Deng Yang had never seen Ming Jing before.


    Could this be some kind of destiny?


    ¡°Mom, when can I meet my sister? I really miss her.¡± Deng Yang¡¯s eyes were filled with happiness as he gazed at the figure in the drawing.


    In the realm of his imagination, his sister was the kindest and most beautiful woman in the world.


    Zhao Xiaohui sighed, ¡°Once you¡¯re discharged from the hospital, Yangyang, you can see your sister.¡±


    Just then, there was a knock at the door of the ward. When Zhao Xiaohui lifted her head and recognized the visitor, she instinctively covered Deng Yang¡¯s eyes.


    Deng Yang peeked through her fingers, quietly asking, ¡°Mom, who is that?¡±


    The young woman was wearing exquisite clothes, and her morous appearance was in stark contrast to the dreary hospital room.


    She walked up to Deng Yang, bent down and smiled, ¡°So, you¡¯re Yangyang? I¡¯m your sister, Zhu Xiangxiang.¡±


    With that, she reached out to ruffle Deng Yang¡¯s hair.


    Deng Yang pped her hand away in an instant, frowning, ¡°Liar, you¡¯re not my sister.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face stiffened, she turned to Zhao Xiaohui, ¡°Is this how you teach him?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui pressed her lips together, ¡°Yangyang, call her sister.¡±


    Deng Yang mped his mouth shut, refusing to utter a word.


    Zhu Xiangxiang scoffed coldly. She hadn¡¯te to unt the depth of a sister-brother rtionship. She ced some nutritional supplements on the bedside table, ¡°Special for you, to help you recover.¡±


    Her gaze then shifted to the drawing in Deng Yang¡¯s hand.


    The moment she clearly saw the figure in the drawing, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly, snatching the drawing, ¡°Did you draw this?¡±


    The sharpness in her eyes frightened Deng Yang into snatching the drawing back quickly , ¡°This is my drawing, the person in it is my sister, not a bad woman like you.¡±


    A bad woman?


    Zhu Xiangxiang chuckled with anger, ¡°Clear this up; I am your biological sister.¡±


    Deng Yang bit his lip, ¡°You¡¯re not, you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Xiaohui quickly pulled her outside, turning to Deng Yang and said, ¡°Yangyang, stay put like a good boy, I need a word with your sister.¡±


    Closing the ward door, Zhu Xiangxiang shook off her hand and immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Yangyang? Has she met Ming Jing?¡±


    She, after all, is Deng Yang¡¯s real sister, not this little jerk who benefits from both sides.


    Zhao Xiaohui sternly said, ¡°You have the nerve to talk, when I knelt down begging you to save your brother, how did you refuse me? If it wasn¡¯t for Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s mercy, finding a marrow for Yangyang, he would be dead and his grave overgrown by now. This is retribution.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I¡­ wasn¡¯t I afraid then? Whenever I thought of Deng Kun¡¯s blood flowing through his veins, I filled with hate. By the time I wanted to save Yangyang, Ming Jing had already stepped in.¡±


    ¡°Stepped in first? Are you mocking me for myck of knowledge? Is that how this phrase is used? Everything is apetition to you, even saving your brother¡¯s life became a fight between you and her, do you have any conscience left?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui felt a numbing chill.


    ¡°You have the nerve to say that to me? Ask yourself, did you find me just to help your son get treated?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui turned pale and was left speechless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, you were the one who deliberately dumped me at the nunnery. It wasn¡¯t my grandmother who secretly sent me away behind your back. Do you really think I¡¯m a fool? Oh, I forgot, it was the pitiful true heiress who was abandoned back then.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s face turned alternately pale and greenish, the painful truth prompting her to tightly purse lips in silence.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? You¡¯ve never treated me as your daughter. Previously, I was the burden you discarded, now I¡¯m the lifesaver for your precious son. Have you ever had the slightest affection for me?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui interrupted, ¡°Your purpose for seeking me out today isn¡¯t just to list my wrongs, is it?¡±


    She clearly knew this daughter of hers, who would never wake early without a profit. There was no need to hide anything now that their rtionship was already torn apart.


    Zhu Xiangxiang smoothed her hair and looked around, lowered her voice and said, ¡°The true heiress has a butterfly birthmark on her back, right?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui looked at her in shock, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang sighed, tucking a loose strand of Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s hair behind her ear, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten so many white hairs at such a young age, it really breaks my heart not being by your side to take care of you. It was my fault, from now on, I¡¯ll be sure to respect and love you.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui watched her in horror, suddenly bing like this stirred fear in her deepest heart.


    ¡°Mum, as long as you help me this once, I¡¯ll take care of you and Yangyang¡¯s prosperity and wealth for the rest of your lives. You won¡¯t have to do any hardbor anymore, and Yangyang can get the best care. You also know his condition, he needs lifelong medication. Do you think you can afford his care with your current situation?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what do you want me to do?¡± Zhao Xiaohui asked trembling.


    Zhu Xiangxiang leaned into her ear and slowly whispered a few words.


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s pupils dted in shock, ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t, she¡¯s the one who saved us, I can¡¯t repay her kindness with malevolence.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be clear, I¡¯m your biological daughter! You refuse to help me but instead help an outsider. Is this justifiable? This is what you owe me, unless you want to watch me die.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui stared in terror at her daughter¡¯s face, ¡°You¡¯re already very fortunate, aren¡¯t you content?¡±


    ¡°People everywhere use me of usurping what¡¯s not mine. Little do they know, she¡¯s the real usurper. I¡¯ve been bearing the shame for her all this while, I must avenge this grudge.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes shed with a sharp cold light.


    Zhao Xiaohui couldn¡¯t quite wrap her head around it, ¡°You¡­ are you telling the truth? Aren¡¯t you ndering her?¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have evidence, I wouldn¡¯t confidentlye looking for you. Regardless of whether you help me or not, this time, I must unmask her. As for you, it¡¯s just the icing on the cake, I can achieve my goal without you.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui hesitated for a moment, ¡°Let me go home and think about it.¡±


    ¡°Be clear, I¡¯m your biological daughter, the one you abandoned with your own hands. The Zhus¡¯ kindness to me doesn¡¯t erase your debt to me. Make up your mind and call me, you only have a week.¡±


    After leaving these words, Zhu Xiangxiang strode away.


    Zhao Xiaohui stood alone for a long time. Nurses and families of patients kepting and going at the door of the ward. After a long time, she sighed and walked into the ward with heavy steps.


    ¡°Mum, has that baddy left yet?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your sister.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my sister. My sister is the most beautiful and kind fairy in the world.¡± Deng Yang waved his drawing.


    Zhao Xiaohui looked at the person in the picture and then back into Deng Yang¡¯s clear eyes.


    ¡°Yangyang, what if someone who seems very kind does something that deceives everyone, what should we do?¡±


    Deng Yang responded without hesitation, ¡°It must be a lie told with good intentions, maybe she has some difficulties.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui muttered, ¡°A lie told with good intentions?¡±

 Chapter 621: 328 Terrible (First Revision)

    Chapter 621: 328 Terrible (First Revision)


    ¡°¡±Ming Jing, is that Zhu Xiangxiang?¡±


    Ming Chen was bored and leaning by the window when she suddenly saw a familiar figure leaving the inpatient department. She immediately pointed at that person and asked Ming Jing.


    Having lived in the Zhu family for several months and seeing Zhu Xiangxiang daily, Ming Chen was confident that she wouldn¡¯t mistake her for someone else.


    Ming Jing nced out the window. From the tenth floor, the person was just a small ck dot.


    ¡°Why would she be at the hospital?¡± Ming Chen asked curiously.


    Ming Jing took one look and then looked away, ¡°I need to take care of something. You go back to the ward and have a meal with him.¡±


    Ming Chen wanted to hold her back and say that Brother Qu wanted herpany during his meal, not Ming Chen¡¯s¡­


    But she didn¡¯t have the courage to say it. She just watched Ming Jing walk away.


    Ming Chen returned to the ward, and Qu Feitai asked when he saw no one behind her, ¡°Where is Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing has something to do. Brother Qu, I¡¯ll have a meal with you.¡±


    Ming Chen picked up the bowl, ¡°This is a nutritious porridge made by Ming Jing herself. Brother Qu, let me feed you.¡±


    Ming Chen scooped up a spoonful and brought it to Qu Feitai¡¯s mouth.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s face visibly flushed with embarrassment at being hand-fed by a young girl.


    ¡°Brother Qu, aren¡¯t you hungry? Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    Qu Feitai was eyeing the food with desire and a growling stomach, but he held back.


    He nced at the apple in the fruit basket: ¡°Ming Chen, peel an apple for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Ming Chen put down the bowl and began to peel the apple with a fruit knife.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the other hand, Ming Jing walked down the stairs to the Hematology Department on the seventh floor. The floor was very quiet, with only one or two nurses asionally passing by in the hallway.


    Ming Jing arrived at the door of a ward when the door opened, and a thin young boy dressed in a patient gown walked out, bumping into Ming Jing.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±. The boy quickly stepped back and bowed in apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± A gentle and charming voice sounded above him, and Deng Yang instinctively looked up, only to freeze in ce at the sight of the person in front of him.


    ¡°Sister, you finally came to see me.¡± The young boy threw himself into Ming Jing¡¯s arms and hugged her waist happily.


    Even though he was twelve years old, he was much shorter and frailer than Ming Jing due to his prolonged illness. His hospital gown hung loosely on his thin frame.


    Ming Jing smiled and rubbed his bald head: ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, the doctor said I can be discharged soon. Sister, I¡¯ve been thinking about you, and you finally came to see me.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes were sparkling, full of adoration and caution.


    He led Ming Jing into the ward. The other bed was empty, and Zhao Xiaohui was nowhere to be found. There was a thick sketchbook on the bedside table, which Ming Jing picked up and examined.


    ¡°Did you draw this?¡±


    There were mountains, waters, flowers, and birds in the drawings. Although the boy had never visited thesendscapes, they existed in his imagination and on the tip of his pen.


    The drawings had an abstract style and were full of imagination. For his age, he was very talented.


    As she flipped further through the sketchbook, most of the drawings were portraits of the same person.


    Deng Yang said somewhat bashfully, ¡°I made Sister look ugly in the drawings, I¡¯m just too stupid.¡±


    ¡°You drew very well.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Deng Yang suddenly looked up, his eyes shining brightly as if a beam of sunlight had been injected into them.


    ¡°You have a lot of talent. With time, you will achieve great aplishments.¡±


    Deng Yang smiled happily, even more pleased than when he first learned that he had apatible bone marrow donor.


    ¡°Where is your mother?¡±


    ¡°A bad woman came earlier and spoke to my mother. My mother has been unhappy since the woman left. Sister, don¡¯t leave. My mother should be back soon. She will be so happy to see you.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Zhao Xiaohui returned from getting hot water to find Deng Yang drawing again. She took away his pen, ¡°The doctor told you to rest properly. There will be plenty of time for drawingter; don¡¯t worry about it these few days.¡±Deng Yang obedientlyy in his hospital bed, ¡°I just saw my sister.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui thought he meant Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°Your sister has it tough too. In a way, it¡¯s your mom who has let her down¡­¡±.


    As Zhao Xiaohui spoke, she wrapped a towel around the bulge on the back of her hand. She had been scalded by hot water while filling the kettle earlier, and half of her palm was swollen.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was the pain that brought tears to her eyes or if it was some other heartbreaking thought.


    Deng Yang held Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s hand tenderly, blowing on it to soothe the pain,pletely forgetting the previous conversation.


    Suddenly, Deng Yang covered his stomach and fell back onto the bed, his face pale as paper, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.


    ¡°Yangyang, what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t scare mom.¡± Zhao Xiaohui cried in panic.


    ¡°Stomach¡­ hurts¡­¡± Deng Yang spoke intermittently, biting his lower lip, leaving a row of teeth marks.


    Zhao Xiaohui frantically rang the emergency bell by the bed, then ran out, shouting, ¡°Doctor, doctor,e quickly, something happened to my son¡­¡±.


    Soon, the attending physician rushed in and after a thorough examination of Deng Yang, he frowned, ¡°The worst-case scenario has finally happened.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui was dragged out of the room by two nurses. Grabbing one of their hands, she said anxiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor say that Yangyang can be discharged in a few days? He just has a stomachache, nothing will happen, nothing definitely¡­¡±.


    The two nurses looked at each other and sighed.


    When the attending physician came out, Zhao Xiaohui rushed over and asked, ¡°Doctor, is Yangyang okay?¡±


    The doctor looked at her, hesitant about how to phrase his words so as not to hurt this hardworking mother. ¡°Yangyang¡¯s mom, Yangyang has been infected with cytomegalovirus and must be transferred to a sterileminar flow ward immediately. This is a type of rejection reaction, which we tried our best to prevent but ultimately failed.¡±


    The doctor sighed, looking regretful.


    Zhao Xiaohui anxiously asked, ¡°Can my Yangyang be saved?¡±


    Unable to make any promises, the doctor offered somefort and left.


    Zhao Xiaohui watched in despair as the nurses wheeled Deng Yang away. She wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the sterile area, and could only watch anxiously through the ss window.


    She knew a little girl about the same age as Yangyang who, after a bone marrow transnt, had all normal indicators but experienced a sudden rejection reaction. As soon as the doctors dered her beyond help, the girl¡¯s mother wept in anguish. Zhao Xiaohui had empathized at that time and evenforted the mother with a few words.


    She never thought the same thing would happen to them.


    Zhao Xiaohui felt like she had lost her soul, slumping onto a stic chair in despair.


    When the nurses urged her to make payment, she swiped her cards again and again but no more money could be withdrawn. The future treatments would require arge sum of money. Over the years, she offended all her family members and friends while pursuing treatments for Deng Yang. Deng Kun further held a grudge against her after the earlier incident and even abandoned his own son, giving Zhao Xiaohui not a single cent.


    Zhao Xiaohui thought of Ms. Ming Jing, who had previously covered the cost of Yangyang¡¯s surgery. Ms. Ming Jing was so kind-hearted that as long as Zhao Xiaohui pleaded with her again, she would certainly not stand idly by.


    No, it¡¯s not right.


    After hesitating for a while, Zhao Xiaohui dialed a number.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to call me so soon; it seems I overestimated you.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s sarcastic voice came through the phone.


    ¡°I can help you, but you have to transfer 200,000 to me first. Your brother is having a rejection reaction and needs treatment immediately.¡±


    ¡°200,000?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice suddenly became shrill.


    Zhao Xiaohui clenched her teeth, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the daughter of the Zhus? The Zhus are so wealthy, can¡¯t you even spare 200,000 pocket money? How can I believe your words?¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang hung up the phone abruptly.


    Five minutester, Zhao Xiaohui received a bank transfer message on her phone.


    200,000 had been transferred.


    Zhao Xiaohui hurriedly paid the treatment fee.


    Whether it was a well-intentioned lie or a malicious one, nothing was more important than Yangyang¡¯s life.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back.¡± Ming Chen excitedly dropped the apple piece meant for Qu Feitai, almost poking his nose with the toothpick.


    Qu Feitai immediatelyy down obediently and turned to look at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing nced at the untouched porridge, said nothing, and packed it away in her bag.


    Qu Feitai opened his mouth to exin, ¡°Ming Jing¡­ I¡­¡±.


    Ming Jing reached out to touch Qu Feitai¡¯s forehead, testing his temperature.


    Qu Feitai froze, staring straight at her face, which was so close to his own. She didn¡¯t have the strong perfume scent that most women wore; instead, she exuded a faint sandalwood fragrance, timeless and peaceful.

 Chapter 622: 329 Young Master (Second Update)

    Chapter 622: 329 Young Master (Second Update)


    So this is her own mother, only helping her for the sake of money.


    Zhu Xiangxiang sneered coldly.


    Everyone in the world strives for gains, and all turmoil arises from the pursuit of profit.


    If a person does not stand up for themselves, they will be punished by both heaven and earth.


    What blood and familial ties? Only financial interests are the most dependable.


    Three days had passed, and Zhu Wentao remained silent.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had already understood his meaning; she just couldn¡¯t put her pride aside.


    Once sheid all the evidence in front of him, such great temptation would be irresistible to anyone.


    She must strike decisively and make sure Ming Jing could never recover.


    Apart from Zhao Xiaohui, there was another key witness, Ming Xin.


    This person seemed to have evaporated from the earth, leaving no trace behind.


    No matter, as long as she can prove Ming Jing is the fake heiress, the real one can disappear forever.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had a guess; it was possible that Ming Jing had already killed to silence the truth, making her worries even more groundless.


    ¡°Detective Li, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be hiding. With your cowardliness and fearfulness, you¡¯ll never aplish anything.¡±


    An incredulous voice came from the phone: ¡°What are you going to do? Are you crazy? That person is untouchable now!¡±


    ¡°My mother paid you a high sry to investigate, but you ended up conspiring with the scheming fake heiress, deceiving my mother and the Zhus. If we report this, how many years do you think you¡¯ll be sentenced?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you think Ming Jing¡¯s achievements are based on? The reputation and status of being the heiress of the Zhus. Without them, she¡¯s nothing but a good-for-nothing bastard. Do you think Mr. Shen and Shen Zhou would still support her?¡±


    ¡°If you help me, the Zhus will no longer pursue your mistakes. It¡¯s a win-win situation. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Li Hong¡¯s heart skipped a beat: ¡°Why don¡¯t the Zhus let bygones be bygones? Ming Jing is not the same as before.¡±


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Hong regretted it ¨C he had forgotten the standpoints of the two opposing parties.


    The real heiress and the fake ones were naturally on opposite sides, and neither of the two fake heiresses would back down.


    Li Hong really didn¡¯t want to get involved in the internal strife of the wealthy family. However, it was indeed his negligence that had caused the mistake. Now, once the truth is exposed, the Zhus would never let him off.


    He didn¡¯t know if the Zhus would let bygones be bygones, but this fake heiress would definitely not let go.


    ¡°Not the same as before? Isn¡¯t everything she has a result of her scheming and plotting? I¡¯ve been bearing the me for her for so long, and she turned out to be a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, harming the real heiress of the Zhus. How can we let bygones be bygones? Do you think we, the Zhus, are all blinded by greed? We just want the truth.¡±


    Li Hong thought of Ming Jing, who was said to be a living Buddha, saving the suffering of the world with a merciful heart. Li Hong found it hard to believe that a person with such an ethereal appearance could harbor ambitious intentions¡­


    Li Hong still found it hard to believe, even though he had painstakingly reviewed the case, now approaching the truth. He just couldn¡¯t believe it.


    He even brainwashed himself ¨C she must have her reasons for doing what she did.


    However, Zhu Xiangxiang was now pressing him relentlessly, leaving Li Hong feeling extremely annoyed. Helplessly, he asked, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Come with me to Siji Town.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°The fever is gone.¡± Ming Jing pulled back her hand and raised the quilt a bit higher.


    ¡°You rest well, and I¡¯lle to see you another day.¡±


    Carrying a thermos, Ming Jing left the ward without looking back.


    ¡°Brother Qu, I¡¯m going back too. You take care and recover.¡±


    Qu Feitaiy in bed, watching the two leave helplessly with a sigh.


    Not long after, the door to the hospital room opened, and a figure rushed in. Before the person even got close, his loud voice arrived first.


    ¡°Xiao Fei¡­ my poor Xiao Fei¡­¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned with disdain, ¡°Are you mourning? I¡¯m not dead yet!¡±


    Huang Chao wiped his tears and snot, ¡°My poor Xiao Fei, how did you suddenly end up in the hospital? No, I need to take a photo to remember this moment by¡­¡±


    Almost the instant the words fell, the camera was pointed at Qu Feitai. He must have prepared beforehand.


    With a ¡°click,¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s weakness and scowling face were captured in the photo.


    Qu Feitai kicked at him, ¡°Are you asking for death?¡±


    He inadvertently pulled at his wound, causing Qu Feitai to inhale sharply and silently retract his foot.


    Huang Chao put on a sad face, ¡°Xiao Fei, I came here as soon as I heard the news, dropping everything I was doing. How can you misunderstand me like this? It¡¯s heartbreaking.¡±

 Chapter 623: 329 Young Master (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 623: 329 Young Master (Second Update)_2


    Qu Feitai¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Recently, I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s found a new boyfriend, but he¡¯s be increasingly effeminate.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, why did youe to Jiangzhou without cause? I had your fortune told, the forteller said water restrains you. Jiangzhou is a penins, full of water everywhere. This ce contradicts your fortune. No good everes from your visits here. Once you are healed, we should hurry back to Jingzhou.¡±


    Huang Chao started to ramble on.


    Upon hearing about the fortune telling, Qu Feitai¡¯s face turned stern subconsciously, ¡°Stop dragging the feudal superstition, children, do not talk of matters about strange powers and gods.¡±


    ¡°Shh, mind your words.¡± Huang Chao nced around, and mysteriously pulled out a tightly wrapped yellow cloth from his pocket. He opened the cloth to reveal a piece of red string inside.


    Huang Chao tied the red string to Qu Feitai¡¯s wrist, ¡°This is a safety string I wished for at Daxiangguo Temple, it¡¯s consecrated, very spiritual. It¡¯s limited edition, many people fought for it. I had to pull all the strings to get it. It will ward off evil and keep you safe. The effect is powerful. Don¡¯t ever untie it. Jiangzhou contradicts you, only when this safety string is on will I be at ease.¡±


    Qu Feitai looked at the hideous string and reached out to tug it off, but it would note off.


    Huang Chao smirked, ¡°This is a Arhat knot, a permanent knot. You can¡¯t untie it.¡±


    Qu Feitai said: ¡°Find me a pair of scissors.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Fei, this is absolutely wrong. You should just wear it. In winter, you wear thick sleeves that can cover it. People won¡¯t see it. If you wear it, it will ease my anxiety, otherwise, I¡¯ll have to stick with you 24/7.¡±


    Qu Feitai was speechless. He pulled down the sleeve of his patient gown to cover the red string on his wrist.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Ming Jing left the hospital, moonlight had risen to the treetop.


    The stars were sparse, clouds covered the tail of the moon, and the sky was enshrouded with dusky clouds. Tomorrow might not be a good day.


    The two people were strolling slowly along the road.


    ¡°Ming Jing, what do you think our elder sister is doing now?¡±


    ¡°Your elder sister wille and see you on New Year¡¯s Day.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ming Chen was so excited that he was about to jump up.


    It¡¯s been a long time since theyst saw their elder sister, ¡°Let¡¯s go home quickly, I want to tell Ming Ti and Xiao Yao this good news.¡±


    Ming Chen started counting on his fingers: ¡°Ah ya ya, it¡¯s still 18 days before New Year¡¯s Day, why does time pass so slowly.¡±


    Ming Jing looked sideways at the vivacious young girl next to her, and her lips curved slightly.


    ¡°It will soon be here.¡±


    Nightfall came quietly. When the dark clouds covered thest threads of moonlight, the entirend plunged into darkness.


    Ye Shuang¡¯s expression turned icy, ¡°Where is Shou Chang?¡±


    In the narrow alley, the shadow of Shou Chang was nowhere to be seen.


    A ck shadow vaulted over the wall into a deserted courtyard.


    From a distance came the faint sound of a dog barking. The scattered light from somebody¡¯s house illuminated a piece ofnd underfoot.


    It also illuminated the eyes of the young man who leapt off the wall.


    ¡°Xi Yu?¡± Shou Chang scrambled up from the ground, ¡°You¡¯re too brave. Ran Tengxiao¡¯s men were following me. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being discovered by them?¡±


    ¡°Just a bunch of idiots.¡± The low voice of the youth was still defiant.


    Shou Chang sighed, ¡°The deadline of three months is approaching swiftly. If I can¡¯t find the mother and daughter, he will never let A Shuo and me off the hook. Xi Yu, please help your uncle. You must know where the mother and daughter are.¡±


    Shou Chang knelt down with a ¡°plop¡±, ¡°In the past, I was the one who failed your father. I know I was wrong. I am willing to risk my life to make amends. But A Shuo is innocent. He is also your younger brother. You can¡¯t just stand by and watch him die.¡±


    ¡°Your life, how much is it worth,pared to the master¡¯s life?¡±


    The young man¡¯s voice of contempt rang out. In the quiet courtyard, the silence was deafening.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Master ¡ª¡ª


    Ye Jian¡¯s heart jumped, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look at Ran Tengxiao¡¯s face.


    Fortunately, Master Xiao was farsighted and had ced a listening device on Shou Chang. Just now, when Ye Shuang called, Shou Chang disappeared all of a sudden.


    He immediately sensed something wrong, opened the listening device, and sure enough, he caught a big fish.


    Master Xiao trusted Xi Yu so much, never expected he would have ulterior motives.


    On the other end, all was quiet. The study was also suffocatingly silent.


    The man was sitting behind the desk, his face hidden in the shadows, his emotions indistinguishable.


    After a long silence, Shou Chang¡¯s terrified trembling voice rang out, ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Without Master Wen, there would be no Qinglong Association today. Although he is dead, his spirit lives on. His daughter, of course, is the master of the Qinglong Association.¡±

 Chapter 624: 329 Young Master (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 624: 329 Young Master (Second Update)_3


    Shou Chang finally regained his voice after a while: ¡°Are you serious about overthrowing Ran Tengxiao? Have you gone mad? He¡¯s not as weak as Ran Yang.¡±


    Ran Yang was nothing to begin with, but who would have thought that his son turned out to be a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing?


    ¡°Back then, Ran Boxue and Ran Bocai seized power during the chaos. They were just a group of traitors. The real master of the Qinglong Association has always been Master Wen, and only his descendants are qualified to inherit the association.¡±


    ¡°Enough talk, do you know the whereabouts of the mother and daughter? Tell me quickly!¡±


    ¡°Tell you so that you can curry favor and let Ran Tengxiao silence them?¡±


    Shou Chang choked: ¡°You are just one person ¨C how can you fight against Ran Tengxiao? Stop your wishful thinking, we must face reality.¡±


    ¡°Ha, what a joke. With the young master holding the Qinglong Order, there is no need to fear someone like Ran Tengxiao!¡± This tone was full of arrogance.


    Shou Chang was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped, ¡°Qing¡­Qinglong Order? It¡¯s really true?¡±


    There had always been a legend about the Order within the Qinglong Association, but no one had ever taken it seriously. Turns out it was true.


    ¡°Master Wen, a generation of heroes, had long foreseen such a day and made preparations. The Qinglong Order is a lifesaving charm left to the young master.¡±<div>


    Shou Chang hesitated, then asked, ¡°Is the Qinglong Order really that powerful? Can it withstand the force of Ran Tengxiao?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Ran Tengxiao inparison? How can he be mentioned in the same breath as the young master?¡±


    Shou Chang quickly asked, ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t the young master appeared all these years?¡±


    ¡°The time has note yet.¡±


    ¡°Where is the young master now?¡±


    Shou Chang¡¯s blood boiled, ¡°The young master carries Master Wen¡¯s bloodline and should inherit the Qinglong Association. I am willing to assist the young master, overthrow the treacherous Ran Bowen, and revitalize our Qinglong Association!¡±


    After a long silence, Shou Chang looked up and suddenly met a pair of deep eyes filled with scrutiny and ridicule.


    ¡°Uncle Shou Chang, back then, you and Lu Chang conspired against my father. How could I trust a man who betrayed his own brother for personal gain?¡±


    ¡°Xi Yu, I¡­ I really had no choice back then. Lu Chang threatened me with your sister-inw. If I didn¡¯t agree, he would have someone defile her. All these years my conscience has been bothering me, and now it¡¯s time to atone. Master Wen¡¯s kindness to me was as heavy as a mountain, but I failed to protect him and let him fall victim to Yu Jiang¡¯s schemes. Now that I know there¡¯s still a trace of Master Wen¡¯s bloodline left in the world, I will protect the young master with my life if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Xi Yu, please give your uncle a chance to atone.¡±


    ¡°Master Wen had so many enemies while he was alive that, for the sake of the young master¡¯s safety, she had to be hidden away and raised by ordinary people. However, after Master Wen¡¯s death, the couple had their own child and treated the young master like a hot potato¡­¡±


    Shou Chang was furious, ¡°This couple is despicable! What happened to the young masterter?¡±


    Instead of answering, the other person asked, ¡°Is it true that everyone thinks my father betrayed Master Wen?¡±


    Shou Chang cursed, ¡°It¡¯s all Yu Jiang¡¯s doing, driving a wedge between people. Why didn¡¯t she target my rtionship with Lu Chang? It¡¯s because Master Wen trusted your father the most.¡±


    Shou Chang suddenly felt colder and couldn¡¯t help rubbing his arms, but he didn¡¯t notice the other person¡¯s cold, hungry eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, because my father was the only one besides Master Wen who knew about the young master¡¯s existence. After my father¡¯s death, he left me a will, urging me to assist the young master. When I found the young master¡­¡±


    Shou Chang stared intently at her, but the conversation suddenly ended, ¡°What happened? Keep going!¡±


    The suspense was killing him.


    ¡°Today, I came to find you so you can tell Ran Bowen the whereabouts of the young master.¡±<div>


    Shou Chang was stunned, ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid that I would tell Ran Bowen just now?¡±


    ¡°When you say it yourself instead of going behind my back, it¡¯spletely different. With the Qinglong Order in the young master¡¯s possession, would we be afraid of Ran Bowen? All he can do is respectfully wee the young master back.¡±


    Shou Chang couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Who exactly is the young master, and where is he now?¡±


    ¡°In Siji Town, at the foot of Baitou Mountain, look for an old woman named Yang Chunhua.¡±<div>


    With these words, the young man leaped onto the wall and disappeared into the night.


    Shou Chang stood there, deep in thought for a while before suddenly realizing.


    Providing him with clues and letting him investigate on his own would be more convincing than directly telling him the results.


    Zheng Qing moved through the night, tearing off the fake mask on his face.


    Ming Jing, what are you trying to do?


    ¡ª-


    There was a long silence in the study.


    Ye Jian¡¯s forehead was covered in a thinyer of cold sweat, and he hurriedly wiped it away.


    He could almost sense the impending storm of bloodshed.


    The Qinglong Association was on the verge of a drastic change.

 Chapter 625: 330 Thousand Gold (First Night Shift)

    Chapter 625: 330 Thousand Gold (First Night Shift)


    A quiet car arrived in Siji Town.


    A pair of brand-new, expensive white shoes stepped on the uneven dirt road, the white shoe surface instantly covered with dust.


    Zhu Xiangxiang frowned in disgust: ¡°What kind of crappy ce is this?¡±


    Li Hong walked over and said, ¡°It can¡¯t bepared to a big city like Jiangzhou, just bear with it.¡±


    Such a spoiled, rich girl couldn¡¯t even handle this. If she were thrown into Jiyue Temple, she¡¯d probably go mad just within half a day, not to mention after ten or so years.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face changed, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Li Hong nodded, ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant in town that makes a decent braised fish, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Today was market day, and the town was filled with street vendors and bustling vigers.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face visibly darkened as she navigated the crowd, guarding her clothes and bag for fear of being brushed by even a hair.


    Li Hong pointed to a red sign on the north side of the crossroads: ¡°Right here.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at it, The Fat Chef.


    If it were in Jiangzhou, she wouldn¡¯t even give it a second nce, but in this town, it was already the highest-ss restaurant.


    As the two entered, it was the peak mealtime, and today¡¯s market day made the restaurant even more crowded.


    The proprietress was busy calcting behind the counter, and seeing more guestse in, she hurriedly greeted them.


    The proprietress stared at Li Hong, suddenlyughing, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡±


    She remembered the man with a wart on his chin who asked about Master Ming Jing a few months ago.


    Li Hong smiled, ¡°Sorry to bother you again, we were craving your braised fish.¡±


    The proprietress nced at the girl by Li Hong¡¯s side, looking immacte from head to toe, clearly from a big city.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, our braised fish is famous for miles around. Xiao Hong, lead them to a private room on the second floor,¡± the proprietress shouted.


    A in-looking girl ran over, ¡°Please follow me upstairs.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang picked up her bag and followed Xiao Hong up the stairs.


    The proprietress hooked the corner of her mouth and snorted, ¡°What a show-off.¡±


    The private room had a window overlooking the bustling street below and the rolling Baitou Mountain in the distance.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked in the direction of Baitou Mountain, ¡°I heard there¡¯s a nunnery on Baitou Mountain?¡±


    While pouring tea for the two, Xiao Hong said, ¡°Jiyuean Nunnery, but now there¡¯s no one there, they¡¯ve all gone to the big city to enjoy a good life.¡±


    ¡°Was there a Master Ming Jing at Jiyue Temple?¡±


    Li Hong nced at Zhu Xiangxiang and silently sipped his tea.


    Xiao Hong was taken aback, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of Master Ming Jing too? But now she¡¯s a wealthydy, really amazing. Who would have thought that a little nun could have such luck?¡±


    Her tone was a bit sour.<div>


    ¡°I came because of her fame, but I didn¡¯t expect Master Ming Jing to have left the nunnery already,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said regretfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re toote. You¡¯re from Jiangzhou, right? Don¡¯t you know where Ming Jing is now? I see her in the news all the time, how could you not know?¡± Xiao Hong looked skeptical. Even she, a small-town girl, saw Ming Jing¡¯s news every day. How could this seemingly important person not know?


    Zhu Xiangxiang took off her bracelet and handed it to Xiao Hong, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m looking for Master Ming Jing because of an important matter. She might be my aunt¡¯s long-lost daughter.¡±


    Xiao Hong was shocked. This person was very generous, giving her such a beautiful bracelet right away.<div>


    What? Ming Jing is her aunt¡¯s long-lost daughter?


    ¡°But isn¡¯t Ming Jing the daughter of the Zhu family? How can she be your aunt¡¯s daughter? Are you mistaken?¡±


    ¡°My aunt misses her daughter dearly and won¡¯t give up as long as there¡¯s a glimmer of hope. It would be so good if it¡¯s true.¡±


    Xiao Hong¡¯s eyes rolled, ¡°So, Ming Jing isn¡¯t Zhu family¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°I want to know when Ming Jing came to Jiyue Temple? This is crucial for my aunt to find her daughter.¡±


    Xiao Hong shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but my second aunt knows better, you can ask her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my second aunt is the one you just met, she¡¯s the owner of this restaurant, no one knows better than her around here.¡±


    ¡°Can you ask her and let me know? If my aunt finds her daughter, she¡¯ll definitely reward you handsomely.¡±


    Xiao Hong looked at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s attire and believed her words after being casually given a tinum bracelet.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you know after I find out,¡± Xiao Hong hurriedly left.


    Zhu Xiangxiang leisurely sipped her tea, then spat it out with a ¡°Pu!¡±, destroying her previously elegant demeanor.


    ¡°What kind of water is this? It has a weird taste.¡±Li Hong nced at her: ¡°I also investigated Ming Jing¡¯s background back then, but unfortunately, no one remembers when she came to Jiyue Temple, there¡¯s no clue to start from her.¡±


    This person seemed to appear out of thin air, very strange.<div>


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the perfect opportunity for us to exert our own creativity? With great rewards, brave men will emerge.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang nced at the street market downstairs.


    Li Hong hesitated for a moment and shook her head.


    At the same time, Ye Jian and Ye Shuang also arrived in Siji Town.


    ¡°Senior brother, if we find the person, we might as well¡­eliminate future trouble directly.¡± Ye Shuang revealed a murderous look in her eyes.


    She would never allow anyone who threatened Master Xiao to exist in this world.


    Ye Jian said coldly: ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive, Master Xiao¡¯s order is to find the person, not to kill.¡±


    Ye Shuang crossed her arms and weaved through the crowd. She snorted coldly, ¡°What is she? She¡¯s not even worthy topete for Master Xiao¡¯s position, it¡¯s just a fool¡¯s dream.¡±


    Ye Jian warned again: ¡°Shuang¡¯er, don¡¯t be impulsive, don¡¯t ruin Master Xiao¡¯s n.¡±


    Ye Shuang rubbed her belly, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    After looking around, the Fat Chef¡¯s restaurant seemed pretty good.


    The proprietress saw two unfamiliar faces. With the first woman looking fierce and hard to deal with, she quickly asked someone to show them to their seats.


    ¡°Proprietress, asking you about someone, do you know an old woman named Yang Chunhua?¡±


    The proprietress hesitated, doubting if she heard it wrong: ¡°Yang Chunhua?¡±<div>


    Ye Shuang looked at her, raised an eyebrow: ¡°Yes, Yang Chunhua.¡±


    ¡°What¡­what do you want with her?¡±


    ¡°Just want to ask her about something, don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t disturb her life.¡± Ye Shuang said as she pped a dagger onto the table.


    The proprietress¡¯s heart subconsciously trembled.


    After not getting an answer for a while, Ye Shuang nced at her, ¡°Proprietress, I¡¯m asking you a question.¡±


    ¡°She¡­she is my mother-inw.¡±


    Ye Shuang smiled: ¡°What a coincidence, where¡¯s your mother-inw? Ask her toe out, or else it will be the same if I go find her.¡±


    Ye Shuang didn¡¯t eat anymore, and stood up with her dagger.


    The proprietress ran to the back kitchen: ¡°Mom, mom,e out quickly.¡±


    An old woman with a head full of white hair was sitting on a stool under the eaves picking leeks; she said without raising her head, ¡°What¡¯s the fuss? As a grown person, you¡¯re not steady at all.¡±


    ¡°Mom, something big happened, someone specifically asked for you. I think they look like they can¡¯t be trifled with.¡± The proprietress came over and spoke in a low voice.


    The old woman¡¯s hand picking leeks paused, she said nonchntly, ¡°Where is the person?¡±


    Ye Shuang walked over with a smiling face: ¡°Hello, Madam, I came to ask you about something, let¡¯s talk inside.¡±<div>


    The old woman nced at the proprietress: ¡°Are you too idle?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±. The proprietress nced at the young man and woman, fearing her mother-inw would suffer.


    ¡°Do you think they would dare to kill in broad daylight? Go busy yourself, the front hall can¡¯t be left unattended.¡±


    The proprietress reluctantly walked away, looking back every three steps.


    The old woman remained seated, picking leeks skillfully with her hands, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The proprietress was peeking at the door, unable to hear clearly what the two were talking about, but for now, it seemed safe.


    ¡°Auntie.¡± Xiao Hong ran over.


    ¡°Auntie, let me ask you something.¡±


    With a happy face, the proprietress said, ¡°Why are all the inquiries today? Do you think this restaurant has be an information station?¡±


    The proprietress nced at the shining bracelet on her wrist, quite familiar, and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Is the guest upstairs who asked you to inquire?¡±


    Xiao Hong grinned.


    ¡°Is it about Master Ming Jing again?¡±


    Xiao Hong was surprised, ¡°Auntie, how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°That man with a mole on his chin came to inquire about Master Ming Jing a few months ago, it¡¯s really strange, why are they so obsessed with Master Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°She said that Master Ming Jing might be her aunt¡¯s long-lost daughter¡­¡±.


    Before Xiao Hong could finish her sentence, the proprietress interrupted her, ¡°What nonsense, Master Ming Jing is clearly Miss Zhu from the Zhus, what is she talking about?¡±

 Chapter 626: 331 Inquire (Second Update)

    Chapter 626: 331 Inquire (Second Update)


    Huang Chao settled down in the hospital, ying the role of a fussy olddy,fetching tea and water, super attentive.


    He didn¡¯t just do the chores of an olddy, he also grew a big mouth like an olddy, nagging all day long. Qu Feitai really wanted to use an iron to weld his mouth shut.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, what¡¯s going on between you and Ming Jing? People online are saying that the two of you are living together. It¡¯s not true, right? How old is she? She¡¯s not even of legal age yet! We can¡¯t do such a disgraceful thing, we¡¯ll get cursed for it¡­¡±


    Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, ¡°Shut up, what does this have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°I knew it couldn¡¯t be true. You¡¯re quite sensible, so I can rest assured. But¡­¡± Huang Chao nced around mysteriously and drew closer, ¡°Why did she show up at your house in the middle of the night?¡±


    There was excitement in Huang Chao¡¯s eyes as he eagerly gossiped, like a first-in-line paparazzo.


    As Qu Feitai was on the verge of exploding with anger, the door to the ward was suddenly knocked on and a person walked in.


    Huang Chao looked up, his mouth gaping wide open, utterly shocked.


    He had seen her back at Donghan Vige Entrance before but had never really seen her properly. He had thought she was a neer forced into the vige by some wealthy sponsor to suck Xiao Fei¡¯s blood, so he didn¡¯t have a good impression of her.


    Who would have thought that after the show aired, this girl, whom he had initially looked down upon, became the most popr person? Now even Xiao Fei had be someone trying to climb up the socialdder.<div>


    Especially after Xiao Fei¡¯s true identity was revealed, the situation took a dramatic turn, and he was now being treated like apdog.


    Huang Chao was furious at this.


    His only understanding of this current celebrity came from the hot searches and online articles byrge public ounts and marketing campaigns. Even though they praised her as a celestial being, Huang Chao didn¡¯t think much of it.


    He had seen too many beauties in the entertainment industry and had be quite discerning in his taste. He knew the tactics of her powerful backers, who must have hired countless fans and influencers to boost her reputation. Huang Chao could see through this kind of trick.


    Especially since she had mesmerized Qu Feitai and dragged the untouchable, cold-hearted man down from his pedestal, turning him into herpdog. This only solidified her goddess status even more. Only the naive Xiao Fei still didn¡¯t realize it and had be a stepping stone for her to climb up.


    Before this, he had no favorable impression of this youngdy.


    But upon meeting her in person today, Huang Chao understood.


    Ming Jing walked in carrying a thermos, and when she saw Huang Chao, she nodded her head politely.


    Qu Feitai made introductions, ¡°This is my agent, Huang Chao.¡±


    Huang Chao sat there dumbfounded, Qu Feitai was too embarrassed to look at him, and stealthily kicked him.


    Huang Chao immediately snapped back to reality and stuttered as he stood up, ¡°You¡­ hel-hello, my¡­ myst name is Huang, I¡¯m Xiao Fei¡¯s agent.¡±


    The young girl smiled softly, ¡°Hello, I am Ming Jing.¡±


    What a gentle and pleasant voice, like a golden oriole emerging from a valley, melodious and euphonious, heavenly music unmatched.


    Huang Chao, somewhat ttered, scratched his head: ¡°Uh, you¡¯re here to visit Xiao Fei, right? Please have a seat.¡±


    Huang Chao rolled up his sleeves and wiped the stool he¡¯d just sat on. His eagerness resembled that of an eunuch serving a princess in ancient times.


    Qu Feitai couldn¡¯t bear to look any longer.


    Ming Jing walked over and ced the thermos on the bedside table, ¡°This is porridge made by Wenwen. Your stomach has been empty for a long time, so you can only have some liquid food for now.¡±


    ¡°Please thank Wenwen for me,¡± Qu Feitai said.


    At that moment, a group of people walked energetically toward the ward from outside. Han Ye spoke to a group of young intern doctors behind him, ¡°You guys wait for me at the door.¡±<div>


    As soon as he left, a group of people began to excitedly discuss.


    ¡°Qu Feitai is in this room, Qu Feitai! I never thought I¡¯d be this close to him!¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s Ming Jing too! I saw her earlier carrying a thermos.¡±


    ¡°My God, they¡¯re absolutely perfect for each other, I¡¯m so smitten!¡±<div>


    The group was restless, secretly peering through the ss on the door, pushing and shoving each other, all very lively.


    ¡°Dr. Han.¡± Ming Jing spoke softly.


    Han Ye walked over with a smile, first checking Qu Feitai¡¯s injuries, ¡°You¡¯re recovering quite well. In a few days, you can have the stitches removed and be discharged from the hospital.¡±Qu Feitai smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Dr. Han.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve finished checking your injury; how about yours?¡± Han Ye looked up at Ming Jing.


    Qu Feitai immediately sat up straight and asked, ¡°How is your injury?¡±


    Ming Jing wore long sleeves, so no one could see the wound on her arm. Everyone had almost forgotten that just a few days ago, she had suffered a round of sulfuric acid attacks.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost healed,¡± Ming Jing answered nonchntly.


    Han Ye shook his head and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± This girl always liked to gloss over things.


    Ming Jing followed Han Ye out. As soon as they appeared, a group of intern doctors at the door gasped in awe, looking at Ming Jing with a mixture of curiosity and amazement.


    ¡°What are you all doing here? Go back to your work!¡± Han Ye yelled, and the crowd dispersed immediately.


    ¡°They¡¯re all interns, sorry for the embarrassment,¡± he apologized.


    Han Ye led her to his office, which was very tidy.


    Han Ye took out his tools and said, ¡°Let me see how the wound is.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing rolled up her sleeve, revealing the bandaged wound.


    Han Ye asked her to sit on a stool, and bent down to unwrap the gauze, ¡°It might hurt a little¡­ just bear with it.¡±


    Han Ye suddenlyughed, thinking that a ruthless person like her who could cut off rotting flesh would not be afraid of the pain of removing gauze.


    The gauze had stuck to the newly grown flesh, making it painful to tear apart. It was unbearable for most people. Han Ye first injected saline water into the gauze to make it easier to separate it from the wound.


    Although Ming Jing was not afraid of pain, Han Ye still treated her wound with great care and seriousness. As the best surgeon in Jiangzhou, he effortlessly handled the simple wound, and Ming Jing felt little pain throughout the process.


    ¡°The wound is healing well. I¡¯ll apply new medication today, change it again in a week, and arrange a surgery for you with Director Xie of the stic surgery department next month. She is an expert in her field and will definitely not leave any scars,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Han.¡±


    ¡°No need to be polite with me. But actually, I do need a favor from you,¡± Han Ye rubbed his hands together.


    Ming Jing put down her sleeve and said, ¡°Please go ahead, Dr. Han.¡±


    ¡°Well, your Heart Project is currently recruiting research projects, right? I have a college ssmate who came from the Berens International Laboratory. He¡¯s now forming a research team, and the subject is confidential for now. Although his team has no shortage of funding and receives strong support from the government, I think this opportunity would be good for both of you. Would you like me to introduce you to each other when you have time?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°Dr. Han, you are being very considerate, and I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I should be the one thanking you. With someone like you involved in scientific research and development, I see hope. It¡¯sforting that someone so young has such vision and ambition,¡± he said.


    ¡°At an academic medical conference in Jiangzhou at the end of the month, I¡¯ll invite him to meet you,¡± he added.<div>


    On the other hand, as soon as Ming Jing left, Huang Chao sighed, ¡°She¡¯s so much more beautiful than in the photos. No wonder you¡¯re sticking around in Jiangzhou. You¡¯d rather die under the peony flower and be a ghost with style, huh?¡±


    Qu Feitai kicked him and said, ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t talk nonsense! We¡¯re just friends!¡±


    ¡°Friends, that¡¯s great! The one who is close to the water gets the first pick. You¡¯re getting smarter,¡± Huang Chao teased.


    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Qu Feitai said, irritated.


    ¡°But seriously, she¡¯s so young and already aplished. Who knows where she will be in the future? I think you need to use some more aggressive moves, or else¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the future, but for now, we¡¯re just friends, and that¡¯s all,¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s expression turned cold.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t argue with you. Just focus on recovering,¡± Huang Chao said.


    Qu Feitai nced at the door and whispered, ¡°Chao, I need a favor from you.¡±


    Huang Chao immediately leaned in, excited.


    ¡°Help me look into the Qinglong Association.¡±


    Huang Chao was an excellent gossip, skilled at connecting with people and digging up information. Entrusting him with this task was fitting.


    ¡°The Qinglong Association?¡± Huang Chao stroked his chin, his eyes swirling with thoughts.


    ¡°Their former leader, Ran Bowen, and a woman named Yu Jiang by his side.¡±<div>

 Chapter 627: 332 Make Preparations

    Chapter 627: 332 Make Preparations


    ¡°Sister Xue, we¡¯ve found two groups of acquaintances here.¡±


    In a small inn at Siji Town, the cramped and dpidated room was hard to breathe in, with peeling walls and an unpleasant musty smell.


    Zhou Xue covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, standing by the window.


    At dusk, there were still many pedestrians on the street, and the distant Baitou Mountain revealed its delicate silhouette.


    Zhou Xue frowned.


    Xie Wei said, ¡°It¡¯s Zhu Xiangxiang and the Ye Jian siblings.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang is here to investigate Ming Jing¡¯s identity, and the Ye Jian siblings¡­¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯s eyebrows knitted together, ¡°The only possibility is that they¡¯vee for that bastard.¡±


    As for her, she was here to investigate the bastard from thirteen years ago.


    Things were getting weirder; three groups of people all ended up focusing on this obscure little town. All the clues seemed toe to an abrupt stop here.<div>


    ¡°Is it a coincidence?¡± A strong sense of unease grew in Zhou Xue¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Follow Ye Jian and see what he¡¯s found.¡±


    Both bastards were wanted by Madam, and she couldn¡¯t let either of them escape.


    After Xie Wei left, Zhou Xue gazed at Baitou Mountain in the distance. The mountain in winter appeared bare and barren, yet it looked more like a delicate young girl than an imposing peak.


    ¡°Baitou Mountain, Jiyue Temple¡­¡±


    The truth seemed to be getting more and more hidden behind clouds and mist.


    ©¤©¤


    Jiangzhou University, as the leading 985 and Double First-ss university in Jiangzhou Province and even the whole Southern Region, was obviously a heavenly ce eagerly sought by local and southern students.


    Located in the northern development zone of Jiangzhou, it covered over 8,000 acres, with a built-up area of more than four million square meters, eight faculties, forty-three colleges, and five tertiary A-level affiliated hospitals. Its doctoral and master¡¯s programs in primary disciplines were the cream of the crop, and its faculty was far ahead of other universities in the Southern Region.


    Recent days saw the Jiangzhou University forum being swamped with discussions. The university had earlier announced that the Wishful Thinking Foundation would hold a themed lecture on the 15th of this month. This event was a hot topictely, as everyone was specting whether Ming Jing woulde in person or if the idea was too exaggerated.


    A high school student giving a lecture to university students¡ªit was unthinkable.


    But if that person was Ming Jing, nothing would be impossible.


    As the time drew nearer, everyone was looking forward with anticipation, like excited fans about to meet their idols.


    The university auditorium was also decked out early, and advertisements were posted everywhere.


    ¡°Did you guys manage to get tickets for tomorrow¡¯s lecture? I only got one through connections. Now the prices have soared, and not only our university¡¯s students are scrambling for tickets, but also many fans from outside.¡±


    ¡°Is Ming Jing reallying? Isn¡¯t she still a high school student? What qualifications does she have to give a lecture to us, the top students of Jiangzhou University?¡± The girl who spoke seemed somewhat disdainful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? She just won a gold medal at the CMO and is guaranteed admission to Huaqing University. If you could get into Huaqing University, would you still care about Jiangzhou University? So, I guess we¡¯re not really losing out here.¡±


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s very pretty. I wonder who¡¯s prettier between her and our school¡¯s beauty queen.¡±


    Hu Guo¡¯er smiled at the remark: ¡°What¡¯s there topare between us?¡± Her tone still carried a hint of disdain.<div>


    The girls around Hu Guo¡¯er exchanged nces, saying nothing.


    Everyone had hailed her as the school beauty queen, but she seemed to have taken it to heart, thinking that even Ming Jing wouldn¡¯t measure up. Who gave her the audacity?


    Her father was one of the university¡¯s higher-ups, so no one dared to mess with her. Therefore, people could only grumble in their hearts, continuing to tter her outwardly.


    Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, and she dropped her chopsticks to catch up.<div>


    Everyone saw the tall and slender figure in the distance and instantly understood.


    Whenever Hu Guo¡¯er saw Jiang Jinchen, she was just like a cat spotting a mouse¡ªshe couldn¡¯t wait to pounce on and swallow him whole.


    That wasn¡¯t to say Jiang Jinchen was afraid of Hu Guo¡¯er. On the contrary, the scene of her being rejected in the library was still fresh in everyone¡¯s minds, and Hu Guo¡¯er wasughed at on the forum for three days.


    ¡°Our school¡¯s beauty queen really doesn¡¯t know how to be reserved. If only she could learn from Lin Ya, she might have had a chance.¡±


    ¡°Lin Ya is simply in close proximity to Jiang Jinchen. In my opinion, he isn¡¯t interested in either of them. I heard his family is a big n in Jingzhou, and they¡¯re very influential. Our beauty queen¡¯s family background isn¡¯t even worthy of tying Jiang Jinchen¡¯s shoes, let alone Lin Ya, whoes from a small town.¡±


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re just ying around, if she were really taken home, just imagine how Madam Jiang would kick her out. It¡¯s always like this on TV¡ªeither they throw money at her to leave their son, or¡­¡±

 Chapter 628: 332 Silk Preparations_2

    Chapter 628: 332 Silk Preparations_2


    A group of people started bantering about the school beauty and the school hunk¡¯s gossip.


    Hu Guo¡¯er chased after, losing sight of Jiang Jinchen, and stomped her foot in annoyance.


    Jiang Jinchen returned to the dormitory, where his roommates were showing off his ticket, and Charles Gao was gaming with his headphones on.


    Jiang Jinchen walked over and ced the packed lunch on Charles¡¯ desk.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Charles said without looking up.


    ¡°Jiang, this took me herculean effort to obtain. Tomorrow¡¯s lecture is on everyone¡¯s radar. If it wasn¡¯t for my ambiguous rtionship with the older sister from the news department, this ticket would¡¯ve long been swiped by others. How are you going to thank me?¡±


    Another roommate was trimming his nose hair. He was a prettyd with some feminine features who chuckled and said, ¡°At the very least, you should do a month¡¯s worth of sock washing. Socks washed by the school hunk are sure to smell fragrant.¡±


    Charles removed his earphones just in time to hear this, and promptly kicked over, ¡°Zhou Qin, enough, making Jiang wash socks, what a thought.¡±


    ¡°Brother Charles, why did you kick me? Ming Jing is every guy¡¯s ultimate fantasy. Can you say that you don¡¯t have some thought about it?¡±


    Charles took a deep breath, ¡°That was before.¡±<div>


    It¡¯s important for people to know their own worth.


    If Jiang Jinchen can¡¯t get it, why should he stir the pot?


    Jiang Jinchen quietly pulled a chair to sit down, took a book from the shelf, bowed down, and started reading.


    The others looked at each other. Li Jun waved the ticket in his hand and whispered, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Charles gave them a nce, ¡°How would I know?¡±


    With his back turned, Charles looked somewhat worried. He wasn¡¯t stupid. Ever since Ming Jing was attacked with sulfuric acid at thest press conference, Jiang Jinchen had been acting off.


    What exactly is that guy hiding from him?


    Zhou Qin leaned over and whispered in Li Jun¡¯s ear, ¡°Aren¡¯t both of them from Shengde High School?¡±


    Li Jun nodded.


    Shengde High School was very famous in Jiangzhou.


    ¡°Ming Jing is also a student at Shengde High School, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Li Jun nodded, a fact almost everyone knew.


    Thinking of something, Li Jun suddenly raised his head. The two looked at each other, and in each other¡¯s eyes, they saw the same understanding.


    So, they were old mes.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The sky was gloomy from early morning, with ayer of mist pervading the air, as if in an imaginarynd.


    Coming out of the dining hall after breakfast, sure enough, it started raining heavily.


    Zhou Qin frustratedly touched his hair styled with hair wax, ¡°I hate rainy days the most. My carefully styled hairdo will be ruined again. Didn¡¯t even grab an umbre¡­¡±


    Jiang Jinchen wordlessly took out an umbre from his coat pocket.<div>


    Zhou Qin¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°Preparation is the key, Jiang, you¡¯re awesome.¡±


    ¡°I reminded you all when leaving, but nobody heeded my words.¡± Jiang Jinchen said, his voice cold.


    Charles touched his nose awkwardly, ¡°The lecture doesn¡¯t start until ten, we still have time, let¡¯s go to the library to wait a bit.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen, with his umbre in hand, walked alone into the rain.<div>


    Zhou Qin stomped on the spot, wanting to catch up but not daring to.


    Living under the same roof, besides Charles, he and Li Jun were somewhat scared of Jiang Jinchen on a regr basis. They couldn¡¯t exin why, but this young man, younger than them, had an intimidating aura about him.


    Charles removed his jacket to hold over his head, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It might rain harderter.¡±


    The library was connected to the main hall. In the early morning, it was already packed; it seemed they all came for the lecture.


    Charles patted away the raindrops on his clothes. He looked miserablepared to Jiang Jinchen beside him who was calmly closing his umbre, stuffing it in the bag, and putting it back into his pocket. His hair was not messed up at all, and he perfectly nailed the cool, handsome-man attitude.


    ¡°Charles, did you alsoe for the lecture?¡± Charles looked up and saw an acquaintance, Li Qingyao.


    There were two other girls with Li Qingyao, probably her roommates, who stealthily nced at him and Jiang Jinchen, their eyes excited and nervous.


    Charles smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, we came toote, and there are no seats left in the library.¡±


    Li Qingyao teased, ¡°You and Jiang Jinchen go in, lots of people will give up their seats to you.¡±


    From Li Qingyao¡¯s tone, it seemed that she was quite familiar with Charles and Jiang Jinchen.


    Not only were Li Qingyao¡¯s two roommates shocked, but Zhou Qin and Li Jun were also stunned.


    Jiang Jinchen was the school hunk, so his poprity didn¡¯t need to be mentioned, but Li Qingyao was also the department flower of the news department. The news department was always the ce with the most beauties in the entire school. Since entering the school, Li Qingyao had been sitting on the throne of the news department flower, with numerous fans. However, she was quite low-key herself.


    <div>

 Chapter 629: 332 Make Preparations_3

    Chapter 629: 332 Make Preparations_3


    So it turned out that Li Qingyao, Jiang Jinchen, and Charles Gao were acquainted with each other, and for a moment, the gazes of the four people kept shifting between the three of them.


    Jiang Jinchen didn¡¯t go in, standing under the eaves at the entrance of the library, looking at the rain curtain, seemingly lost in thought.


    Li Qingyao exchanged a few pleasantries with Charles Gao, then went in with her roommates.


    ¡°Do you know Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao? You guys seem to get along very well?¡± Her roommate couldn¡¯t help but ask eagerly.


    Li Qingyao said indifferently, ¡°Junior high ssmates.¡±


    ¡°Childhood sweethearts, huh.¡±


    Li Qingyao shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t make wild guesses, we are just ssmates.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t get into Jiang Jinchen¡¯s circle. Besides Charles Gao, this young master didn¡¯t get close to anyone else.


    ¡°You have connections with them, which is much better than us. Now the campus beauty Hu Guo¡¯er and the department beauty Lin Ya are both fighting for the campus hunk. In my opinion, they are only fit to carry your shoes. Why would they matter if you make a move?¡±


    Li Qingyao couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry, ¡°Don¡¯t randomly spread rumors. Is there anything else in your heads besides gossip?¡±<div>


    ¡°This is gossip about the campus hunk! How can it be the same as ordinary people¡¯s gossip? People are betting on who will win the campus hunk in the school forum now. Hu Guo¡¯er and Lin Ya are toads wanting to eat swan meat. It¡¯d be weird if the campus hunk even looks at them, but just now, the campus hunk was looking at you.¡±


    Li Qingyao didn¡¯t know what to say about their thinking. College life was really too boring, which allowed them to have so much time and energy to waste on such boring matters.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s Lin Ya. I heard she¡¯s from a small town.¡± The roommate looked at a young girl walking over from the opposite side.


    She was a tall, slender, and pretty girl with clear, transparent, and beautiful skin. She had a pure temperament and a fresh first love face. She became very popr on the inte and had a very high poprity in the school because of a bare-face photo when she first entered the school. If it weren¡¯t for Hu Guo¡¯er taking the spot, the title of campus beauty would have been hers.


    Lin Ya was wearing a white down jacket, which made her look even more fair and beautiful. She walked into the study room with herpanion.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A ck car drove in the rain towards Jiangzhou University.


    Outside the big auditorium, the Academic Affairs Director Lin Tao and others were waiting in ce. Seeing a ck car approaching, they hurriedly picked up their umbres and greeted it.


    A young girl holding a transparent umbre got out of the car. Dense raindrops hit the umbre and sshed everywhere.


    Her ck trench coat entuated her slender waist, with the hem of the moon-like skirt fluttering. A few eager droplets of rain settled on her wet skirt, like shining dewdrops under the moonlight.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, you have finally arrived. Pleasee this way.¡± Lin Tao said respectfully.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The girl¡¯s gentle voice softened the cold wind and rain that greeted her face.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, you are too polite. It is our honor to have you here.¡± Lin Tao ttered Ming Jing without a trace. Despite her young age, she held an important position, especially her influence among young people. Her presence today was a great honor for them.


    Tao Xianxian held her umbre and followed behind, but after only one step, her umbre was snatched away.


    Tao Xianxian was stunned, looked up, and saw Du Ze¡¯s handsome but cold face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t keep the youngdy waiting.¡±


    Tao Xianxian pursed her lips and hurriedly followed. Du Ze¡¯s pace always matched hers.


    Entering the auditorium, Du Ze put away his umbre. Tao Xianxian saw his right shoulder soaked with rain and handed him a tissue from her bag, ¡°Wipe it.¡±


    Du Ze didn¡¯t take the tissue, put the umbre in the umbre rack by the door, flicked the water off his shoulder with his fingers, and followed Ming Jing with a few strides.<div>


    Tao Xianxian stuffed the tissue back into her bag and muttered, ¡°Still the same bad temper.¡±


    While waiting for the elevator, Lin Tao looked at Du Ze and Tao Xianxian with some hesitation and asked, ¡°Are you the top student Du Ze from the business school?¡±


    Du Ze nodded, ¡°Hello, Director Lin, I am Du Ze.¡±


    Lin Taoughed and said, ¡°It really is you, I thought you looked familiar. This is your girlfriend, I know. The two of you used to be the most famous couple in the business school, and the teachers are waiting to drink your wedding wine.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows and looked at Du Ze and Tao Xianxian.


    Du Ze¡¯s face remained expressionless, and his hand hanging by his side clenched slightly.


    Tao Xianxian smiled awkwardly, ¡°Director Lin, we already¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for remembering us, Director. The elevator is here; let¡¯s go in.¡± Du Ze interrupted Tao Xianxian.


    Tao Xianxian was stunned, subconsciously turned to look at Du Ze, and the man had already walked into the elevator with a nk face.


    Lin Taoughed and said to Ming Jing, ¡°These two used to be our school¡¯s movers and shakers. With their help, Ms. Ming Jing will have added strength.¡±


    The outstanding talents of the Business School, especially Du Ze, could have been directly rmended for further study, but he resolutely chose to enter society and became Ming Jing¡¯s driver and secretary. Back then, many peopleughed at him, but now they couldn¡¯tugh anymore.


    Du Ze was the smartest one, now the second-inmand of Zhu Group. When his ssmates were struggling in bigpanies for experience, he had already risen to the ranks of management, a step up to the sky.


    He was outstanding in ability, and all he needed was an opportunity. Now it seems that his vision was discerning, targeting potential stocks early on.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m just enjoying the achievements of your school¡¯s education.¡±


    The elevator went straight to the seventh floor of the auditorium. Ming Jing and Lin Tao walked out, Tao Xianxian followed a step behind, and lowered her voice, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Du Ze said indifferently, ¡°Better to do less rather than more. We are not the stars today.¡±


    He then strode forward to catch up with Ming Jing.<div>


    Tao Xianxian¡¯s heart pounded against her chest, but his calm, indifferent voice gradually calmed her down, like the bleak wind and bitter rain outside the window. The passion that had just risen was instantly extinguished.


    The thousand-person auditorium was filled, and all one could see were ck heads of people.


    Even though Charles Gao and Jiang Jinchen were sitting in a corner, they were still the most eye-catching presence, with many girls around them frequently looking back and stealing nces.


    At exactly ten o¡¯clock, when Ming Jing appeared on stage, the whole ce erupted in cheers.


    The scene turned into a fan meeting, with cheers rising wave after wave.


    Charles Gaoughed, ¡°It¡¯s really Ming Jing. I thought she wouldn¡¯t appear in public for a while after the incident at thest press conference.¡±


    Li Jun had a telescope since their position was too far back, and they couldn¡¯t see their faces without one. This telescope was borrowed from the astronomy club.


    ¡°She truly is my goddess, her temperament is just perfect.¡±


    Forget about Lin Ya, forget about Hu Guo¡¯er, just go to hell.

 Chapter 630: 333 False accusation

    Chapter 630: 333 False usation


    Ming Jing walked up to the podium, stood behind the lectern, and her gentle voice spread through every corner of the auditorium through the microphone.


    ¡°Hello seniors of Jiangzhou University, I am Ming Jing.¡±


    Almost the moment her voice fell, the apuse thundered from the audience.


    Hu Guo¡¯er sat in the second row in the middle, and from this angle, she could clearly see the person on the stage.


    While the people around her were marveling at Ming Jing¡¯s stunning beauty, Hu Guo¡¯er disdainfully curled her lips.


    What qualifications does a high school student have to give a lecture to college students?


    What she didn¡¯t know was that Ming Jing was specifically invited by the leadership of Jiangzhou University. She was not only a high school student but also a social celebrity and a pioneer in charity.


    Just this fact alone was enough for her to have a certain social status. The college students present, who were still relying on their parents for living expenses, only saw her morous appearance and highly respected social status; those who could think deeper would not ask such a foolish question.


    ¡°Maybe everyone is wondering what qualifications I, a high school student, have to hold a lecture for all the 985 elite students in attendance.¡±


    Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s face stiffened for a moment.<div>


    ¡°Instead of calling it a lecture, it¡¯s more like an exchange session. Today, as a friend, I will have an in-depth and simple exchange with you all. Today¡¯s theme is kindness.¡±


    ¡°Zeng Zi said: If a man loves kindness, although happiness may not be near, disaster will be far away. Kindness is a broad and general concept. Throughout the ages, countless literati have praised it; but few people truly understand what real kindness is.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s voice was soft and ethereal, and her tone was calm andposed. Soon, the entire auditorium quieted down, with no one whispering or using their phones, everyone listening carefully.


    If at first it was the power of a goddess¡¯ beauty, as Ming Jing gradually unfolded her arguments, everyone¡¯s minds werepletely drawn in, bing more and more absorbed, especially as she mixed in some easy-to-understand Buddhist concepts. In this world where everyone is rushing around, the young girl¡¯s soft and ethereal voice seemed like a heavenly chant, washing away all anxiety and troubles, transforming them into inner peace and tranquility.


    There was no dull preaching, and asionally she even told some popr short stories that made peopleugh and think at the same time.


    Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the session wasing to an end.


    ¡°Cultivate a kind heart to break a hundred evils, believe in kindness to create blessings, umte good deeds tirelessly, believe in hidden virtues that will be revealed over time, have a peaceful heart and know right from wrong. Therefore, nt good causes to reap good results, nt evil causes, and you will definitely get evil results. I hope that from now on, everyone will cultivate their body and mind, and make many good connections.¡±


    As everyone was still immersed in Ming Jing¡¯s voice and unable to extricate themselves, she quietly stepped down from the podium.


    When she left, the audience erupted in excitement.


    What is kindness? It is the righteous thoughts thate from within, the self-discipline of rectifying oneself and one¡¯s heart, and the tolerance of recognizing the greatness of the universe and still caring for the greenness of grass and trees.


    Listening to a man¡¯s words is better than reading ten years of books.


    When most people had left the auditorium, there were only a few student council members left cleaning the scene.


    Charles Gao nced at Jiang Jinchen, who had been silent all along, and patted him on the shoulder, ¡°I heard there¡¯s a new barbecue ce that just opened outside the school¡¯s back gate, and it¡¯s got good reviews. I¡¯ll treat you guys tonight.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen stood up and joined the cleaning crew with his sleeves rolled up.


    Charles Gao said to Li Jun and Zhou Qin, ¡°You guys go ahead and eat first. I¡¯ll wait for him.¡±


    Li Jun opened a mobile game, ¡°What¡¯s the point of eating alone if we¡¯re brothers? Let¡¯s take advantage of this time and y a round.¡±


    Zhou Qin quietly pulled down the rolled-up sleeves, he thought Li Jun was going to say it was the brotherly thing to do to help out.


    Apparently, he overestimated Li Jun.


    ¡°Xiao Ya, look who that is! I told you he must be interested in you. Is he doing it on purpose?¡±<div>


    Lin Ya took off her white down jacket, revealing a light blue striped knit long skirt, which outlined her slender figure. Her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, with a few strands falling by her temples, making her look even more gentle and pure.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ya shook her head and sternly said, ¡°A Wen, don¡¯t joke about such things.¡±


    A Wen sighed helplessly, ¡°Fine, fine, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re afraid of. Look over there.¡±


    A Wen pointed to Li Qingyao not far away, ¡°The flower of the journalism department. Now do you know how many people are eyeing the school¡¯s poster boy? Look, the school¡¯s flower is also here.¡±<div>


    Hu Guo¡¯er sat in thest row, not a member of the student council, holding her phone and watching short videos,ughing as she watched and sneaking a nce at Jiang Jinchen from time to time.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. Let¡¯s just focus on our own work.¡± Lin Ya bowed her head to work, looking indifferent.

 Chapter 631: 333 False accusation_2

    Chapter 631: 333 False usation_2


    A Wen pursed her lips, knowing what Lin Ya was worried about.


    She didn¡¯t have a father who was a school leader like Hu Guo¡¯er, nor did shee from a rich and beautiful family like Li Qingyao. It was said that she was admitted from a small town. Hu Guo¡¯er had caused her trouble more than once, and it was good that Lin Ya could be cautious and survive.


    With many people, the cleaning was quick, and the whole auditorium was cleaned in no time.


    Jiang Jinchen rolled up his sleeves and walked straight out of the auditorium, while Charles Gao and Zhou Qin hurriedly shut down the game and followed.


    As Jiang Jinchen walked past thest row, Hu Guo¡¯er immediately stood up, looking nervously at him, but watched as Jiang Jinchen expressionlessly walked past her.


    He didn¡¯t look at her from beginning to end.


    Hu Guo¡¯er bit her lip and saw Lin Yaing towards her, a trace of jealousy shing in her eyes.


    ¡°You little bitch, it must be because of you. I¡¯m warning you, stay away from Jiang Jinchen, or I won¡¯t let you stay in this school.¡±


    She had threatened many people she disliked with these words. Someughed it off, and others were trembling with fear.


    But for Lin Ya, who came from a small town, these words were undoubtedly devastating.<div>


    Her father was a promising school executive, and with a little effort, he could make Lin Ya suffer a lot. Everyone said that college was the best ce to be, and everyone¡¯s future was bright. However, only those who experienced it knew how evil people could be and how dark it was beneath the surface peace.


    Lin Ya turned a deaf ear to it, having heard such words too many times before.


    Seeing that Lin Ya had no reaction to this, her cold expression seemed like a mockery of Hu Guo¡¯er. The anger that had been building inside her heart suddenly erupted.


    As Lin Ya walked out of the auditorium, she caught a glimpse of a group of people walking from the right corridor from the corner of her eye. The distinctive moon-white skirt was particrly conspicuous.


    Jiang Jinchen and Charles Gao were standing together with four people near the elevator in front of her.


    Lin Ya squinted her eyes, calcting the distance between Hu Guo¡¯er and herself. She suddenly screamed and stumbled, and to bystanders, it looked like she was pushed out by someone.


    Lin Ya fell to the ground miserably, with a ¡°thud,¡± her forehead hit the floor. It was a severe impact, and blood gushed out instantly.


    Through the blurry, blood-streaked vision, Lin Ya saw the moon-colored skirt stopping less than a meter away from her.


    Several pairs of shiny, expensive leather shoes surrounded her, like stars surrounding the moon.


    Lin Ya yelled in anguish: ¡°Hu Guo¡¯er, do you really want to drive me to death? You use your father¡¯s power to oppress me, and that¡¯s fine, I can endure it all. But you should never have ruined my schrship, which is my only hope for survival. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll follow your wish¡­¡±


    Lin Ya¡¯s voice was filled with tears, and she suddenly got up and ran towards the window opposite her. Her determined and indignant expression was heartbreaking.


    Everyone was shocked by this sudden change. Just as Lin Ya climbed onto the window sill and was about to jump, Charles Gao, who was the closest, threw away his phone and lunged at her, embracing her as they both fell on the ground into a roll.


    Lin Ya pushed Charles Gao away and cried: ¡°Why did you save me? I don¡¯t see any hope anymore. What¡¯s the point of living?¡±


    The kneeling girl¡¯s forehead was covered in blood, making her skin even whiter. Tears mixed with blood rolled down her palm-sized face, and her desperate cries broke everyone¡¯s heart.


    Charles Gao tried tofort her for a moment and then looked up angrily at Hu Guo¡¯er standing at the door, confused: ¡°Under the broad daylight, you actually push someone to death. Is there now anymore?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen remained expressionless; ¡°ding¡± the elevator arrived on the fifth floor, but he didn¡¯t enter, and the elevator went back down again.


    Zhou Qin and Li Jun looked at each other; today¡¯s incident had escted.


    Hu Guo¡¯er immediately shook her hands: ¡°No¡­ it wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t push her.¡±


    Hu Guo¡¯er turned to A Wen and Li Qingyao and the others: ¡°You all saw it, right? I didn¡¯t even touch her.¡±<div>


    A Wen angrily questioned: ¡°Are you saying that Xiao Ya is deliberately framing you? Her face is injured. Could she really make a joke with her own face? You used to bully Xiao Ya, and she thought it was better to avoid trouble than provoke it, so she endured it. But she didn¡¯t expect that her restraint would only fuel your arrogance. Relying on your father as a school leader to do whatever you want, is there now left in this world?¡±

 Chapter 632: 333 False accusation_3

    Chapter 632: 333 False usation_3


    A Wen interrogated persistently, leaving Hu Guo¡¯er speechless.


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re in league with that slut Lin Ya! You all are ndering me!¡±


    ¡°nder you?¡± Lin Ya shook her head bitterly, ¡°Forget it, just consider it as ndering you.¡±


    Charles Gao clenched his fists, ¡°Hu Guo¡¯er, even now you¡¯re still arguing sophistically. Relying on your father being a school leader, you do whatever you want and bully your ssmates until they¡¯re driven to desperation. I¡¯d like to ask Professor Hu, is this how he educates his daughter? How can a person who can¡¯t even teach their own children be a role model for others?¡±


    This remark was too hurtful.


    Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s face changed slightly. She wasn¡¯t stupid; involving her father would mean trouble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I never bullied anyone using my connections. She threw herself out, I didn¡¯t push her. There¡¯s surveince here, you can check it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Lin Ya hung her head and choked, ¡°Forget it¡­¡±


    A Wen sneered, ¡°Check the surveince? With the power and connections of the Hu family, it¡¯s a piece of cake to tamper with the footage. In the end, Xiao Ya will be the one med and even jumping into the Yellow River won¡¯t clear her innocence.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you all¡­¡± Hu Guo¡¯er pointed at the group, her face flushing red, too angry to speak.<div>


    ¡°Principal Liu, today has been quite an eye-opener for me.¡± Suddenly, a gentle and smiling voice broke the tense atmosphere on the scene.


    Lin Ya and Hu Guo¡¯er looked at each other. The leading girl had a delicate face and a gentle smile. She was surrounded by four or five men, all high-ranking school leaders, including Vice Principal Liu Cheng.


    How long they had been listening quietly, nobody knew.


    In contrast to Ming Jing¡¯sposure, Liu Cheng¡¯s face was livid, and Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Uncle Liu¡­Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me uncle.¡± Liu Cheng scolded with a stern face, ¡°Look at the trouble you caused. You¡¯vepletely disgraced your father.¡±


    ¡°Principal Liu, if a child doesn¡¯t receive proper education, it¡¯s the father¡¯s fault. As the leader of a school, who bears the responsibility of educating others, you should understand that.¡± Ming Jing cleverly refuted Liu Cheng¡¯s words.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not stopped in time, it could lead to a major mistake. At that point, it will be toote for regrets, Principal Liu, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Ming Jing nced at Liu Cheng, and her clear eyes reflected his anxious face.


    Liu Cheng smiled, ¡°What Ms. Ming Jing said is true.¡±


    Ming Jing gave a faint smile and looked at Hu Guo¡¯er, ¡°If a person is kind and virtuous, even if fortune has not yet arrived, misfortune is already far away. It seems that my words earlier didn¡¯t get through to Miss Hu at all.¡±


    Hu Guo¡¯er, out of fury, snapped, ¡°Who do you think you are to lecture me?¡±


    Liu Cheng¡¯s face changed drastically. He shouted, ¡°Shut up and apologize to Ms. Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I¡¯m sorry, this child is ignorant and disrespectful. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Liu Cheng red at Hu Guo¡¯er.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°A child?¡±


    Liu Cheng¡¯s face turned awkward. It was embarrassing that the girl in front of him was even younger than Hu Guo¡¯er.


    ¡°When a child does something wrong, adults always cover up for them. Without constant progress, one can¡¯t achieve greatness. Today, you¡¯ve forced someone to jump off a building, but someday you could pick up a knife. You can cover one mouth, but you won¡¯t be able to silence them all. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll make a big mistake and then push all the me onto the child.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head, ¡°Little did you know that it¡¯s your own hands that put the knife in her grasp.¡±


    ¡°Principal Liu, I think I need to reconsider our cooperation project.¡± After finishing her words, Ming Jing left.<div>


    Liu Cheng¡¯s face changed instantly, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, please listen to my exnation!¡±


    Tao Xianxian and Du Ze hurriedly followed her.


    When Tao Xianxian passed Hu Guo¡¯er, she red at her fiercely.


    Ming Jing walked over to Lin Ya, nced at her, squatted down, and handed her a handkerchief, ¡°A girl¡¯s face, once it¡¯s scarred, isn¡¯t good.¡±<div>


    Lin Ya stared nkly as she took the handkerchief and covered her forehead wound.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Ya said softly, her heart leaping. It seemed she had made the right bet.


    ¡°You should thank yourself.¡±


    Lin Ya looked up, meeting the girl¡¯s profound gaze, as if she had seen through all her tricks.


    Lin Ya¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She held the handkerchief tightly and pressed her pale lips together.


    ¡°I hope you use your intelligence on the right path.¡± Only Lin Ya heard these words.


    As she was still in a daze, the girl in front of her had already stood up and left.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± She greeted Charles Gao and Jiang Jinchen in a tone like that of an old friend. The typically reserved school heartthrob showed a rare smile when he saw her.


    For the first time, Lin Ya found that the school heartthrob had such a charming smile when he was happy.


    People said he was cold, but it was just that the person he warmed up to wasn¡¯t you.


    Ming Jing looked at Li Qingyao, ¡°Sister Li, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    Amid her shocked roommates¡¯ gazes, Li Qingyao smiled and walked over, ¡°I dare not acknowledge you, my dear youngdy.¡±


    Ming Jing let out a faint smile.<div>


    ¡°Has A Xue caused you any trouble since childhood? She was spoiled by my younger aunt and her husband; her temper is awful. Only you could bear with her.¡±


    ¡°No, A Xue is very cute.¡±


    The group chatted andughed as they entered the elevator.


    Li Qingyao¡¯s two roommates exchanged nces, realizing her rtionship with Ming Jing was so good. She hadn¡¯t mentioned it before, keeping it to herself quite well.


    Zhou Qin and Li Jun leaned against the elevator wall, not daring to breathe.


    As Liu Cheng failed to catch up, he stared at Hu Guo¡¯er angrily, ¡°Why are you crying? Do you realize the trouble you¡¯ve caused today? Do you think Ming Jing is the same kind of little girl who bullies others? Our school is currently discussing a major cooperation with her foundation. You¡¯ve messed things up, and the whole n is ruined. Your father has really spoiled you!¡±


    Seeing Lin Ya, Liu Cheng immediately attempted to console her gently. Lin Ya was indifferent, and A Wen helped her leave.


    Hu Guo¡¯er tried to catch up, but Liu Cheng stopped her, ¡°What are you going to do? Haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble today?¡±


    Hu Guo¡¯er said indignantly, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of, Uncle Liu? What¡¯s so great about her, Ming Jing? Without cooperating with her, won¡¯t our school be able to continue? Do we have to look at the faces of a little girl? Is it shameful for a group of men like you?¡±


    Liu Cheng took a deep breath, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t argue with you. Tell your father all these words. I¡¯m done.¡±


    Liu Cheng walked away, his hands in the air.


    Lin Tao walked over and sighed, ¡°Guo¡¯er, you don¡¯t understand the ins and outs of this situation. That Miss Ming Jing, you think she¡¯s just a simple young girl. Her foundation involves governments and various financial groups. The election of our school¡¯s leaders is critical right now. Winning her support will be an immense advantage, but your interference¡­well, it will only benefit the other party.¡±


    ¡°If you had apologized, there would still be room for turning things around. Otherwise, not just your father¡ªit¡¯ll be a problem even for Principal Liu.¡±<div>


    Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Can a little girl like her really have so much influence?¡±


    Lin Tao secretly rolled his eyes.


    What an idiot!

 Chapter 633: 334 Beautiful people

    Chapter 633: 334 Beautiful people


    ¡°Xiao Ya, we finally saw that Hu Guo¡¯er take a beating this time, it¡¯s really satisfying, and we have to thank Ming Jing for that too. I never thought she would help us.¡± A Wen said, a bit incredulous.


    Lin Ya, holding her injured forehead, thought of those eyes that seemed to see through everything, feeling slightly uneasy.


    She knew everything, yet she still helped her.


    ¡°She¡¯s a good person.¡± Lin Ya whispered.


    ¡°You really believe that? I think it¡¯s all just marketing. But as long as Hu Guo¡¯er takes a beating, I¡¯m willing to change my mind about her for now.¡± A Wen said.


    Seeing that Lin Ya¡¯s forehead was still bleeding, A Wen angrily said: ¡°Hu Guo¡¯er is really going too far, being so ruthless. Let¡¯s post about this onler, stir up public opinion! A mouthful of spit from each of us would be enough to drown her, and even Professor Hu wouldn¡¯te out unscathed. In today¡¯s society, whoever controls public opinion is the boss. Let¡¯s see if she dares to bully you again.¡±


    Lin Ya pursed her lips: ¡°Forget about it. This time, she should have learned her lesson.¡±


    At first, Lin Ya just wanted to teach Hu Guo¡¯er a lesson, butter on, she realized that the oue might be more than what she had expected.


    And the variable in this equation was Ming Jing.


    As Lin Ya was getting her wounds treated in the medical room, A Wen, who was holding her phone, suddenly rushed in: ¡°Quick, look at the forum! Someone exposed the incident where Hu Guo¡¯er bullied you outside the auditorium! Everyone is scolding her! Who¡¯s the hero that did this?¡±<div>


    On the forum, someone anonymously exposed the incident of Hu Guo¡¯er bullying Lin Ya outside the auditorium, along with photos of Lin Ya bleeding from her head injury. The post even included photos of Lin Ya getting treated in the medical room. All of them were taken secretly, and the worse Lin Ya¡¯s situation was, the harsher people scolded Hu Guo¡¯er.


    Hu Guo¡¯er already had a bad reputation. She was used to being arrogant and abusive, but people could only express their anger without daring to speak up. Lin Ya, on the other hand, had a good reputation and was well-liked. Now, it seemed that everyone was turning against Hu Guo¡¯er, and she was being scolded harshly.


    Lin Ya looked around the empty medical room. Who was secretly taking pictures of her?


    There were quite a few people present at the time. Who could have done this?


    Lin Ya frowned as she fell deep into thought.


    However, on the same forum, there was an even more explosive post marked with a ¡°HOT¡± sign, and thousands ofments piled up in an instant.


    The eye-catching title was ¨C School Heartthrob Ming Jing and News Department Beauty Sharing Lunch in the Cafeteria!!!


    How were these people connected? The forum was going insane.


    Even in the photos, the heartthrob was no longer the unapproachable, ice-cold man when facing Ming Jing. His gentleness was terrifying, making people wonder if he was possessed.


    The news department¡¯s most low-key beauty, Li Qingyao, also had the brightest smile when facing Ming Jing. Her admirers were simply bbergasted.


    What was even more shocking was the rumored goddess, Ming Jing. She was now considered a national goddess, with her poprity and influence surpassing even today¡¯s hottest young celebrities in both the online world and real life. To everyone, this legendary figure was as distant as the moon. People imagined her to be an ethereal fairy, not of this world.


    But unexpectedly, she turned out to be good friends with the school heartthrob and the news department¡¯s beauty. Many people couldn¡¯t hide their surprise.


    Jiangzhou University had four cafeterias in total, located in the east, west, south, and north directions. Among them, the South Cafeteria served the most delicious food, especially the ramen stall, which was authentic, delicious, and affordable. Even those from the Southern Region who didn¡¯t like ramen queued up daily.


    But since it was too far away, not many people usually went there. However, today, the South Cafeteria was packed with people, and it had never been so lively before. Everyone was using their mobile phones to take pictures and videos.


    ¡°How can I let you pay for the meal in the cafeteria when you¡¯vee all this way? People might think I¡¯m stingy.¡±


    Li Qingyao was quite helpless about this.


    The three of them were standing in the line for ramen. Ming Jing smiled upon hearing Li Qingyao¡¯s words and looked around the bright and spacious cafeteria, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Jiangzhou University¡¯s cafeteria has the most authentic ramen. I¡¯ve wanted to try it for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve basically given a free advertisement to the owner. He must beughing his head off.¡±


    When it was Ming Jing¡¯s turn, the owner poked his head out from the window, his chubby face brimming with excitement and enthusiasm, looking rather adorable as he fumbled about.¡±<div>


    ¡°I never thought the goddess would grace my little shop. My ancestors must be giving their blessings. Rest assured, you and your friends can eat for free today, and it¡¯ll all be on me.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to run a business. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. My friend invited me today, so don¡¯t steal her thunder.¡±

 Chapter 634: 334 Beautiful person_2

    Chapter 634: 334 Beautiful person_2


    ¡°Yeah, boss, please don¡¯tpete with me.¡± Li Qingyao took out her meal card, just about to swipe it when a hand reached over her head and swiped first.


    Li Qingyao turned her head andughed, ¡°Even you arepeting with me.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen was the tallest among the group. He bent down and told the boss, ¡°Six bowls of ramen, thank you.¡±


    The boss swiped the card with a cheerful smile, ¡°The gentleman is treating, so I won¡¯t join the fun.¡±


    A bowl of ramen was five yuan. For six people, that¡¯s thirty yuan.


    The goddess was so down-to-earth even when eating.


    They found an empty spot for several people to sit down. Charles Gao kept his head down and hugged his phone the entire time. Suddenly, a smug smile appeared on his face. He put his phone in his pocket, stood up, and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy water. What does everyone want to drink?¡±


    Ming Jing said, ¡°Mineral water.¡±


    Li Qingyao said, ¡°I want mineral water too.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen nced at him, and Charles Gao hurriedly said, ¡°Understood, mineral water.¡±<div>


    Li Jun rubbed his palms nervously, nced at Ming Jing, ¡°You and Jiang¡­I mean Jinchen, are you guys close?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen picked up a napkin and began wiping the chopsticks one by one. At the mention of this, his eyebrows imperceptibly furrowed.


    Ming Jing nced at Jiang Jinchen andughed, ¡°He is my senior. He took care of me quite a bit when we were in high school.¡±


    Li Jun revealed an ¡®as I expected¡¯ expression, winked at Zhou Qin, and both of themughed together.


    There must be an affair.


    ¡°The press conference that day scared me to death. Are you hurt? I tried to call you, but your phone was off. It wasn¡¯t untilter that Xue¡¯er told me you were fine, and I finally felt relieved.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head lightly.


    ¡°I heard it has something to do with the Rans?¡± Li Qingyao lowered her voice and asked.


    Li Jun and Zhou Qin sitting opposite couldn¡¯t understand at all. They could only get information about Jiangzhou¡¯s wealthy families from newspaper gossip. As for the Rans, they had no clue.


    By the way, there was a senior named Ran Tenghui in their third year, who was someone not to be trifled with. Did the fact that he shared the samest name mean there was some connection?


    ¡°The Rans are too bold. Is there now in broad daylight?¡± Li Qingyao deeply loathed this, but there was no way. In Jiangzhou, mentioning the Rans made everyone¡¯s heart palpitate.


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s chopstick-wiping hand paused, and he nced at Ming Jing without making a sound. His lowered eyshes hid the emotions in his eyes.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°The ramen has arrived. Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Charles Gao came back with a bag of water and gave each person a bottle.


    As they ate, many people around them were secretly taking photos and recording videos. Li Jun and Zhou Qin were in the middle of it, feeling quite ufortable. They felt like monkeys in a zoo, yet the four people in front of them were extremely calm.


    On the other hand, Ming Jing gave Tao Xianxian and Du Ze half a day off, and both of them had mixed feelings as they revisited old ces.


    ¡°I wonder if the North Cafeteria¡¯s Happy Snail Rice Noodles are still open. I used to love their snail rice noodles the most, but you always disliked them.¡±


    Both of them held umbres, walking in the cold wind.


    Du Ze¡¯s expression was cold, and he didn¡¯t say a word.<div>


    Entering the North Cafeteria, it was still crowded. The snail rice noodle shop was still open, but with only a few customers.


    ¡°Senior sister? Is it really you?¡± A boy came over and hugged Tao Xianxian in surprise.


    Du Ze coughed, his expression even colder.


    Tao Xianxian awkwardly said, ¡°Xiao Xu, let me go first, everyone is watching.¡±<div>


    Xiao Xu released Tao Xianxian, excitedly saying, ¡°Senior sister, I thought I recognized the wrong person. I didn¡¯t expect it to be you.¡±


    Tao Xianxianughed, ¡°I came to the school to deal with some things. How about you? How have you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I heard you joined Zhu Group and quickly made it to the management team. That¡¯s amazing! You¡¯re now the legend of our college. Are you here with Ming Jing today? Where¡¯s Ming Jing¡­?¡± The boy looked behind Tao Xianxian.


    Tao Xianxian helplessly said, ¡°The youngdy went to have dinner with her friends.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ Senior Du Ze?¡± The boy seemed to have just discovered Du Ze, ¡°So you two are still together. It seems the rumors must be false.¡±


    Tao Xianxian was stunned, ¡°What rumors?¡±


    The boy coughed, ¡°It was said that you two broke up and you¡¯re with the young master of Ye Group.¡±


    Tao Xianxian smiled wryly, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too. How could senior sister be the kind of person who would abandon the old for new? You and Senior Du Ze are the legends of our business school, a perfect match made by heaven. Every year, the freshmen all pay their respects to both of you.¡±

 Chapter 635: 334 Beautiful person_3

    Chapter 635: 334 Beautiful person_3


    ¡°Worship us?¡± Tao Xianxian was dumbfounded, what was going on?


    ¡°You two are indeed the top performers. Each year it¡¯s either you or I dominating the first or second ce. Also, you both are a loving couple. Everyone worships you, wishing for academic progress and for Cupid to strike. If not you, then who?¡±


    Tao Xianxian nced at Du Ze, ¡°We may disappoint you, we¡¯ve¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you linger on, your snail vermicelli will be gone,¡± Du Ze interrupted her curtly.


    Effortlessly stopping Tao Xianxian halfway.


    Tao Xianxian won¡¯t be fooled this time. After dismissing Xiao Xu, she coldly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want people to know that we broke up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary to make it known to all, unless you want to be a hot topic in the forum, getting criticized by others.¡± As he finished his sentence, he moved towards the Snail Vermicelli window.


    Tao Xianxian knew Du Ze had always hated attention, but was it a strong enough reason?


    After spending four years together, there were times where Tao Xianxian couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in his head.


    And wasn¡¯t he the one who hated Snail Vermicelli? Why would he take the initiative to buy it this time?<div>


    Du Ze purchased two bowls, justified by remarking that it was not unreasonable to treat a ssmate to a meal.


    Tao Xianxian unpackaged a pair of chopsticks and handed them to him, Du Ze took them with grace.


    They both paused.


    Duze took them as if nothing happened, and stared at the snail vermicelli before him, frowning as if faced with a difficult problem.


    Tao Xianxianughed, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, you¡¯re notfortable eating this, give it to me, you better go buy fried rice.¡±


    Just as Tao Xianxian was about to take his bowl, Du Ze pped her hand away.


    ¡°If it can be loved by others, it must have its merits. If you can eat it, so can I,¡± he said.


    With that, he picked up a chopstickden with vermicelli and put it into his mouth, his expression suggesting that he was resigned to his fate.


    Tao Xianxian giggled, ¡°How was it, tasty?¡±


    Du Ze managed to swallow it, then took a gulp of water from his bottle.


    Tao Xianxianughed so hard, her belly ached, ¡°You, you¡¯re always so stubborn, not even ten bulls could drag you back.¡±


    Their breakup was due to a trivial matter. Neither of them was willing to back down, so their rtionship gradually faded. It happened to be graduation season, and they were both quite busy. After a month of no contact, they implicitly agreed to break up.


    Perhaps, subconsciously, they both prioritized their careers over their feelings.


    With his head down, Du Ze quickly finished his bowl of snail vermicelli, not even leaving a single drop of soup.


    He put his chopsticks down and took a deep look at Tao Xianxian.


    Tao Xianxian¡¯sughter faded away.


    Du Ze got up and left without saying a word.


    Tao Xianxian unwrapped another set of chopsticks, eating and crying at the same time.


    ¡°Du Ze, you are so arrogant. You will never bow to me. I must have been blind to fall in love with you.¡±<div>


    The tears in her eyes rolled into the bowl, the sour and spicy vor resembling her current mood.


    Life is a mix of vors, both sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy.


    ¡°Your pride is more important than me. Just live with your pitiful ego for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing, how do you intend to handle this Hu Guoer incident?¡± Li Qingyao asked.


    Several pairs of ears perked up at her words.


    Ming Jing wiped her mouth with a napkin, ¡°It¡¯s something the school leaders need to consider, it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Hu Guo¡¯er has a habit of bullying people. If you hadn¡¯t stumbled upon it today, it would have been brushed under the rug. However, considering Professor Hu¡¯s prestige, the school will likely overlook it, and she may not even receive a notification.¡± Li Qingyao said.


    Inside, Li Qingyao was perfectly clear that today¡¯s matter wouldn¡¯t be so easily dismissed. At the time, she clearly saw that Lin Ya had fallen by herself, but she didn¡¯t stand up to testify for Hu Guo¡¯er.


    Hu Guo¡¯er did deserve some lesson. The world wasn¡¯t ck and white; the fightback of the weak often required great courage.


    What surprised her was that Lin Ya was so maniptive.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some rumors about this Professor Hu,¡± Charles Gao whispered.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a purely good person. It¡¯s not surprising that his daughter turned out like this. Like father, like daughter.¡± Charles Gao said with some disdain.


    Li Qingyao raised her eyebrow at him, ¡°It seems like you want to stand up for Lin Ya? It¡¯s tough for a hero to pass the beauty.¡±


    Charles Gao coughed, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I just can¡¯t stand the sight of people taking advantage of their power.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Qingyao raised her eyebrow.


    She was more familiar with Charles Gao. The two of them had less to worry about and could still joke around.<div>


    Charles Gao blushed a little and quickly bent his head down to eat.


    In Li Qingyao¡¯s memory, Jiang Jinchen was as cold as an iceberg, and Charles Gao was as greasy as fried food. Their personalities wereplete opposites, but it was surprising that they could be good friends.


    After entering college, Jiang Jinchen became even more aloof while Charles Gao wasn¡¯t as greasy. After the rebellious adolescence, he had matured quite a bit.


    At that moment, Lin Tao walked over and stopped behind Ming Jing. He said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, the cafeteria food is too simple. Principal Liu has set up a banquet for you at the Dechang Building across the street. We hope you will grace us with your presence.¡±


    Everyone else watched in awe, saying nothing.


    From their perspective, this girl, who was younger than them, was already a celebrity with some social status. Even the school leaders, who they themselves respected, only bowed to her in subordination.


    At that moment, they all felt the difference in social hierarchy.


    The food in their mouths suddenly lost its taste.


    ¡°Please tell Principal Liu for me, a bowl of ramen is enough, he doesn¡¯t have to spend more on me.¡±


    Ming Jing chuckled, thinking of something, ¡°The incident with Gu Qingshan hasn¡¯t been long. May Principal Liu take this as a lesson.¡±


    The moment Gu Qingshan¡¯s name was mentioned, the entire cafeteria fell silent.


    Lin Tao gasped.


    He knew well how Gu Qingshan fell, this name became a taboo, something no one dared to mention.<div>


    Only she could mention it with such ease andposure.


    Mrs. Gu¡¯s niece had bullied Ming Jing¡¯s younger sister in school, this was a fuse, leading to a series of events.


    The incident between Hu Guo¡¯er and Lin Ya today was simr. If they really pursued it¡­


    Lin Tao was momentarily filled with fear.

 Chapter 636: 335 Doubt

    Chapter 636: 335 Doubt


    Suddenly the sound of a ringing phone disrupted the tense atmosphere.


    Ming Jing, under everyone¡¯s gaze, took out her phone from her coat pocket.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there right away.¡±


    Ming Jing hung up the phone and said to Li Qingyao, Jiang Jinchen, and Charles Gao, ¡°I had a great time at dinner today. I¡¯ll treat you all next time. I have to go now, I have something to attend to.¡±


    Li Qingyao stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll see you off.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen nodded slightly, ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily outside, be careful when driving.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded, then left with Li Qingyao.


    Lin Tao quickly caught up, holding up an umbre for Ming Jing.


    ¡°Director Lin, instead of spending time on this, you should be advising Principal Liu to straighten out the school¡¯s atmosphere. Don¡¯t let one or two bad apples tarnish the good reputation of a century-old prestigious school.¡±


    The car stopped in front of her, Ming Jing waved goodbye to Li Qingyao and got in.<div>


    Soon, the ck sedan disappeared in the rain and gradually became a small speck.


    Lin Tao looked at Li Qingyao, ¡°You and Ms. Ming Jing¡­.?¡±


    Li Qingyao quickly waved, ¡°Ming Jing and my cousin are good friends. She only had dinner with me because of my cousin. Please don¡¯t get the wrong idea, Director.¡±


    Li Qingyao quickly left after saying this.


    Lin Tao snorted, ¡°They¡¯re all so slippery.¡±


    He frowned, worrying about the potential fallout of the failed coboration and Principal Liu¡¯s wrath.


    In the end, it all came down to thex discipline of Professor Hu¡¯s daughter. If she had only bullied her ssmates in private, he might have turned a blind eye. But publically causing trouble for Ms. Ming Jing was crossing the line.


    This was someone who didn¡¯t tolerate any ill behavior, and considering the disrespectful words of Hu Guo¡¯er towards Ms. Ming Jing, her restraint was already incredibly admirable.


    In short, this problem wasn¡¯t going to be resolved easily.


    He wondered what Professor Hu woulde up with this time to help his daughter shirk responsibility. Ming Jing¡¯s words echoed in his mind ¡ª a father¡¯s failure to teach his child is a disgrace. Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s fate today was the result of Professor Hu¡¯s indulgence.


    As he returned to Principal Liu¡¯s office, he saw a group of people huddled around, hearing Professor Hu¡¯s heart-wrenching voice from inside.


    ¡°You still won¡¯t admit your mistake? How could I have a stubborn and unrepentant daughter like you? You¡¯re going to drive me insane.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault! Even if you beat me to death, I won¡¯t admit it.¡± Hu Guo¡¯er stubbornly retorted, her neck stiff.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Professor Hu raised his hand and pped her fiercely.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to drive me mad.¡±


    Hu Guo¡¯er covered her face incredulously, ¡°You actually hit me?¡±


    ¡°Old Hu, calm down. Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself.¡± Liu Cheng hastily stood up to defuse the situation. Unexpectedly, instead of defending his daughter, Professor Hu grabbed her and brought her to the principal¡¯s office. He made her write a letter of apology and admit her mistake, then apologize to Lin Ya and Ming Jing in person. What else could Liu Cheng say to that?


    But Hu Guo¡¯er behaved stubbornly, insisting she wasn¡¯t at fault and refusing to apologize, which enraged Liu Cheng even more.


    Did they all just wrongly use her?<div>


    Liu Cheng had heard of Hu Guo¡¯er¡¯s antics, and between Lin Ya and Hu Guo¡¯er, anyone would believe Lin Ya.


    ¡°Guo¡¯er, it¡¯smendable to admit your mistakes and change. If you continue like this, not only will you hurt yourself, but your father will be implicated. Think about how hard it was for him to raise you.¡±


    ¡°I did nothing wrong. No matter how many times you say it, I¡¯m still innocent. I didn¡¯t push her. She deliberately fell and framed me.¡± Hu Guo¡¯er was furious that no one, not even her normally doting father, believed her.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re really going to drive me to my grave.¡± Professor Hu suddenly clutched his chest and copsed to the ground.<div>


    The scene was chaotic, as no one had the mind to watch the drama unfold. While Professor Hu may have truly loved his daughter, it was a pity she didn¡¯t appreciate it.


    With a daughter like Guo¡¯er, Professor Hu¡¯s future looked bleak.


    Liu Cheng had no time to pursue responsibility further as he hurriedly called an ambnce to send Professor Hu to the hospital.


    Hu Guo¡¯er was utterly shocked, reduced to a tearful mess.


    ¡ª-


    The car entered the Zhus¡¯ Mansion, and Madam Zhou hurried to greet them.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhou, how is grandma?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Wu just left. She took the medicine and is resting now. Ma¡¯am had been worried about you, so I took the liberty of calling you.¡±


    Ming Jing walked into the living room, ¡°What did Dr. Wu say?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s getting old and it¡¯s mostly the same old issues. Last night, we received a few crabs as a gift, and knowing how much ma¡¯am likes them, I steamed two. I only let her eat half as you mentioned before that her spleen and stomach were weak and she shouldn¡¯t eat these cold foods. Who would have thought that she got hungry in the middle of the night and went into the kitchen to eat the remaining half crab herself? Since this morning, she hasn¡¯t been feeling well. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±

 Chapter 637: 335 Doubt_2

    Chapter 637: 335 Doubt_2


    ¡°Crab?¡± Ming Jing furrowed her brow. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know the elderly can¡¯t eat this?¡±


    No one in the Zhus liked crab, except for Granny Zhu. What was Zhu Wentao trying to do?


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Madam Zhou hesitated. ¡°The master probably didn¡¯t think that much. He didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Granny Zhu and asked, ¡°Did he not go out today?¡±


    Madam Zhou shook her head, ¡°Madam went out early to meet friends, Xiangxiang went on a trip with her ssmates. As for the young master, he¡¯s never idle when he¡¯s home.¡±


    Ming Jing nced upstairs, rolled up her sleeves and entered the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll make a stomach-soothing, spleen-strengthening porridge, and some medicinal cuisine. When Granny wakes up, I¡¯ll feed her a little.¡±


    Madam Zhou hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, let me assist you.¡±


    ¡°No need, Madam Zhou. Just take a break. You¡¯ve worked hard taking care of Granny all this time.¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. The youngdy was the hardworking and filial one, a thousand times better than Zhu Xiangxiang. Born into poverty, Zhu Xiangxiang grew up without a care in the world, taking Granny for granted. There was a cold distance between them, no blood rtion¡ªa white-eyed wolf who could never truly be part of the family.


    Li Juan popped out of the corner, cracking sunflower seeds, ¡°Miss is here.¡±<div>


    Madam Zhou shot her a nce. ¡°Get to work and stop adding chaos.¡±


    ¡°How can this be called chaos? Let me help Miss.¡± Li Juan expertly tossed a sunflower seed skin into the trash and walked into the kitchen, sleeves rolled up.


    The youngdy didn¡¯t chase her out, even telling her to wash vegetables. Despite not washing them thoroughly, the youngdy didn¡¯t me her, opting to patiently teach her how to wash them instead.


    Li Juan stared at the young girl¡¯s fair face within arm¡¯s reach, thinking that such a beautiful phoenix couldn¡¯t have been born to a family like the Zhus.


    She carefully surveyed the scene: Madam Zhou had returned to her bedroom, the master was in the study upstairs, and the steward was tending thewn.


    Li Juan lowered her voice. ¡°Miss, you returned to the Zhus in March, right?¡±


    Ming Jing was kneading dough, her slender fingers stirring the mixture with unassuming beauty. Li Juan found it hard to believe that someone could make even this process look so elegant.


    ¡°Yes, what do you want to ask?¡±


    Li Juan felt emboldened by the approachable tone. She leaned in and whispered, ¡°Miss, I suspect that you aren¡¯t their real daughter.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s hands momentarily halted, but her expression remained unchanged. ¡°Why?¡±


    Li Juan leaned forward mysteriously. ¡°The other day, I saw Zhu Xiangxiang talking to the master about something in the study. Later, I saw the DNA written on the paper Zhu Xiangxiang handed the master. I asked someone about it¡ªDNA is for paternity testing. They must be up to no good, Miss. You should make preparations.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her. ¡°Telling me this, aren¡¯t you worried Zhu Xiangxiang will get mad?¡±


    Li Juan grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I felt a strong connection with you, Miss. You¡¯re kind and filial, and I hate seeing good people being bullied. If you aren¡¯t their real daughter, then the Zhus are losing out.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, continuing to knead dough. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be careful, but don¡¯t tell anyone else about this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡±


    Li Juan carefully washed the spinach leaves ording to Ming Jing¡¯s instructions. After hesitating for a while, she said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve told you some big news. Can you do me a favor in return?¡±


    Ming Jing found her intriguing andughed. ¡°What do you need help with?¡±


    With so many influential people at her disposal and her kind nature, Li Juan instinctively felt that asking the youngdy was the right choice.


    Li Juan cautiously observed her surroundings before leaning in and whispering, ¡°I have a twin sister who has been missing for many years. I have searched for her for a long time, but I still have no news. Miss, this is her photo. I only trust you.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing looked at the picture. It depicted a refined, young woman wearing a white blouse, embodying the beauty and grace of a Jiangnandy.


    Their facial features were strikingly simr, but Li Juan appeared darker and more aged than her twin, looking as if she had aged an extra 20 years.


    ¡°We¡¯re twins. We looked identical except for the mole on her chin, which I don¡¯t have.¡±


    A closer look revealed the small, unobtrusive mole on the woman¡¯s chin in the picture.<div>


    The backside of the picturehad a name, identity card number, and ce of origin written on it.

 Chapter 638: 335 Doubt_3

    Chapter 638: 335 Doubt_3


    Li Chan.


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°What was she doing before she disappeared?¡±


    Li Juan thought for a moment, hesitated whether to reveal it, but eventually made up her mind to speak, ¡°She was a housekeeper in a wealthy family in Jingzhou. I don¡¯t know the exact name. She said she signed a confidentiality agreement and couldn¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you report to the police?¡±


    Li Juan¡¯s face fell, and she looked embarrassed, ¡°You think I don¡¯t want to report it? But I dare not¡­ ¡±


    Everyone has a past story they are reluctant to share. Without further probing, Ming Jing gently said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you find her. Just wait for my message.¡±


    ¡°Miss, I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± Li Juan was so touched she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°If you have any news, inform me right away.¡±


    Li Juan had been observing the Zhu family for a while. Apart from the indifferent olddy, none of them were easy to deal with. However, the recent arrival of the true heir seemed to be a genuinely good person, not just kind but also clever.


    For some reason, Li Juan felt a connection with her the moment they first met.<div>


    She was tired of hiding for so many years, and she didn¡¯t want to hide anymore. She was determined to find out the truth about what happened in the past and avenge it.


    Ming Jing finished preparing the medicinal meal and ced it in a warmer to keep it warm. The slow-cooking porridge on the stove mixed its mild fragrance with the bitterness of the herbs, creating a unique aroma.


    Ming Jing washed her hands and left the kitchen. She took out her phone from her pocket, took a photo of Li Chan¡¯s picture along with the ID number on the back, and sent it to Zheng Qing, asking her to help check it out.


    Zheng Qing replied with an OK.


    When the olddy woke up, Ming Jing served her a meal. They chatted for a while, and then the olddy went back to sleep.


    By this time, it was already dark outside.


    Dinner was set in the dining room, and Zhu Wentao finally came downstairs.


    Seeing Ming Jing, he seemed a little surprised and nced at Madam Zhou discontentedly, ¡°Ming Jing is back. Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡±


    ¡°I told Madam Zhou not to say anything. I¡¯m not a guest here. It¡¯s more important for you to focus on your work.¡± Ming Jing responded indifferently.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face changed slightly, but he said nothing and sat down at the table.


    At this moment, Lin Qing returned home and was overjoyed to see Ming Jing. She asked taking and asking questions about her.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s already sote, and it¡¯s pouring outside. Don¡¯t go back tonight. I have someone clean your room every day, and nothing has been touched. We¡¯ve been waiting for you to return.¡± Lin Qing had been looking younger and healthiertely.


    Zhu Wentao also chimed in, ¡°Yes, listen to your mother. This ce is always your home.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at Zhu Wentao with a seemingly amused expression, causing him to feel a sudden jolt in his heart and an inexplicable sense of guilt.


    Could she have already figured it out? That¡¯s impossible.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lin Qing beamed with joy, ¡°Madam Zhou, prepare the bed for Ming Jing and bring me the new cashmere duvet cover I bought.¡±


    Madam Zhou cheerfully responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhou, let me do it. You¡¯re old and your limbs are not as agile as they used to be. Can you still manage?¡±<div>


    Madam Zhou red back at Li Juan, ¡°I¡¯m still quite capable, you know? You¡¯re so clumsy; you might ruin the cashmere duvet cover, which would cost more than half a year¡¯s sry to rece.¡±


    Li Juan clicked her tongue, once again amazed by the extravagance of the wealthy family.


    Ming Jing opened the bedroom door, and everything was exactly as she had left it. There were few items in the room, making it appear even emptier now.


    The bed was adorned with a brand new set of bedding, soft and silky to the touch, impossible to resist.<div>


    The bathroom was stocked with toiletries, everything from toothbrushes and toothpaste to facial cleansers, shower gel, and towels.


    Lin Qing knocked on the door, ¡°Ming Jing, I did my best to prepare everything on short notice. If there¡¯s anything else you need, be sure to let your mother know.¡±


    Ming Jing looked back at the middle-aged woman standing awkwardly at the door and sighed softly.


    ¡°This is enough.¡±


    Lin Qing closed the door and came over to feel the bedding, ¡°A friend of mine sells bedding, and there are only ten sets of this top-grade cashmere set in Jiangzhou. I thought of you and your sensitive skin¡­ So I had my friend save one set for me. I didn¡¯t know when you¡¯d be able to use it.¡±


    ¡°I used to overlook your feelings. I understand that now. I¡¯m not asking for your forgiveness, but on the birthday of your grandmother, your mother wants to announce something to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Madam.¡± The cold voice of the young girl brought Lin Qing back to reality. The self-pity and self-deception felt like a bucket of cold water pouring down on her, leaving only destion in her heart.


    Lin Qing turned her head, and under the light, the girl¡¯s eyes were dark and deep, like the clearest spring water reflecting nothing but her own image.


    There was no sympathy in her gaze, only keen observation, like an outsider watching her wallow in self-pity and deception.


    Lin Qing opened her mouth, but no sound came out.


    ¡°It¡¯ste, Madam. You should get some rest.¡±


    Lin Qing forced a bitter smile, ¡°Alright, you go to rest as well.¡±


    After closing the bedroom door, Ming Jing sighed.<div>


    Sorry, Senior¡­


    Ming Jing took out her phone and dialed a number, but no one answered.


    Ming Jing put down the phone and went to the bathroom to wash up.


    When she came out, her phone buzzed with an iing call.


    ¡°Ming Jing, did you call me? I¡¯m sorry, I just finished work and saw your missed call.¡± A hearty female voice came through, apanied by the howling cold wind.


    The room was warm and cozy, and Ming Jing could almost feel the freezing cold weather outside through the wind.


    After a long silence, Ye Zhen spoke to herself, ¡°It¡¯s snowing heavily here. We had to climb up to an altitude of more than 3,000 meters for shooting. Many colleagues suffered from altitude sickness, but I was fine. Everyone said it was because of my good physical condition, but I have to thank Ming Xin for her excellent physical training.¡±


    Ming Jing stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, staring into the endless night sky that seemed to have no end.

 Chapter 639: 336 Ming Xin

    Chapter 639: 336 Ming Xin


    ¡°Ming Jing, Ming Jing, I found this wild rabbit on the mountain behind us. Since Master is not here, let¡¯s roast it. Our juniors are so thin, they need to nourish their bodies. It¡¯s so cold this winter, we need more food to get through it.¡±


    The young girl with big eyes, wearing a wide, washed-out robe, excitedly ran in holding an injured wild rabbit.


    Ming Jing was kneeling in front of the Buddha statue, her eyes filled withpassion as she looked at the struggling rabbit.


    Like a protective mother hen, the girl quickly hid the rabbit behind her back. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about how monks don¡¯t kill. I¡¯ve heard it so much my ears are calloused. The juniors are not like you ¨C they didn¡¯t grow up with such abundance, and need nourishment. They¡¯re so skinny, like little chicks. If you don¡¯t care about them, I will.¡±


    ¡°Senior, I¡¯ll recite a passage from the Rebirth Mantra, and you can go.¡± Ming Jing said.


    The girl immediately smiled. Thinking of something, she threatened fiercely, ¡°You must not tell Master. If you do¡­ I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. Hmph!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Two identical-looking young girls knelt on the meditation cushions. The more delicate and frail one choked out a sutra: ¡°¡­Deliver us from all suffering¡­Shariputra¡­ Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form¡­emptiness is not different from form, emptiness is not different from form¡­.¡±


    The girl racked her brain but couldn¡¯t remember the rest.


    The girl beside her softly reminded her. The young girl sitting in front of the Arhat statue slightly opened her eyes, and both girls trembled with fear. The more timid one burst into tears.<div>


    ¡°Second Senior, I¡­ I can¡¯t recite it. You can hit my hand with a ruler.¡± The girl shook her little hand, her small face filled with hidden terror.


    ¡°Second Senior, Ming Chen¡¯s body is not strong. Hit me instead, let me take her punishment.¡± Ming Ti rolled up her sleeve and confidently showed her tender palm, prepared to face death.


    Ming Jing calmly watched the two girls. Unable to endure the suffocating silence and pressure, at the brink of copse, a girl rushed in and sheltered the younger girls behind her, cursing Ming Jing.


    ¡°They¡¯re still so young! If they can¡¯t recite it, they can¡¯t recite it. Why do you have to hit them? Is your heart made of iron? They recite sutras every day, what does it matter if they don¡¯t know it by heart? Do you really want them to be nuns for life? Don¡¯t cry. When the eldest sisteres of age, she¡¯ll take you down the mountain. Let her devote her life to Buddha. We¡¯ll enjoy ourselves in the world.¡±


    As she spoke, she took the two girls by the hand and left.


    The two girls shook off her hand and knelt down on the meditation cushions. ¡°Eldest Senior, the Second Senior is doing this for our own good. We just can¡¯t memorize the sutras. We¡¯re too stupid. Please don¡¯t me the Second Senior.¡±


    The girl stomped her foot in anger. Her face flushed red from the cold winter, entuating her lively eyes and eyebrows. Like a small grass sprouting through the cracks in the stone, she emanated a powerful life force.


    ¡°What kind of spell have you cast on them? They listen to you so much it makes me furious.¡±


    ¡°Senior, without any skills, education, or family background, how can you survive in this world?¡± Ming Jing asked calmly.


    The girl choked on her words.


    ¡°The world is prosperous, but people¡¯s hearts are treacherous. It¡¯s not like the quiet solitude of the temple with ancient Buddha statues. Our juniors are learning discipline and self-improvement; though it is difficult, it will benefit them for their entire lives. Being born in the temple is both unfortunate and fortunate for them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at preaching, but my mouth can¡¯t beat yours. I hope it all turns out as you say.¡±


    The girl sat down on the meditation cushion, iming to watch over the juniors to ensure they weren¡¯t punished. But as she listened to the sutra, she soon fell asleep.


    The solemn Buddhist hall was no ce for a deep slumber, but she alone had the courage to do so.


    Her heart was pure and fearless, so full of life and warmth.


    Her name was Ming Xin, a disciple of Buddhism who drank wine, ate meat, and didn¡¯t recite sutras. She believed being born in the temple was her misfortune, but she refused to ept her fate. She was determined to leave the monastery and witness the world¡¯s prosperity so that her life would not be in vain.


    Outwardly strong but sensitive at heart, she would openly scold Ming Jing, but when there was something tasty to eat, she would always save some for her.


    She once said, ¡°You¡¯re the one I carried back. The first time I saw you, I was drawn to those eyes that weren¡¯t like a child¡¯s. Although I¡¯m your Senior and a few years older, do you know? I¡¯m more afraid of you than Master. But don¡¯t get me wrong ¨C my fear of you isn¡¯t the same as my fear of Master¡­.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 640: 336 Bright Heart_2

    Chapter 640: 336 Bright Heart_2


    ¡°You were never one to cry since you were little. Master and I once suspected that you had some disability, but you were too smart. You could learn anything after trying it just once. You taught me how to read and write, and although you were my junior, you felt more like another master to me. Sometimes I would see you kneeling alone in front of the Buddha statue, enduring day after day of bitter cultivation. It broke my heart ¨C even though you were just a child, you had lost your innocence and be like an old person.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re someone without feelings.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ming Jing, are you listening?¡± A cautious, young female voice came through the phone.


    This was her senior¡¯s voice, but her senior would never speak to her in such a tone.


    She was like the sun in the scorching heat, always so confident and cheerful.


    If it were her senior, she would definitely say: ¡°You silly girl, just say what you want to say, or let out the fart you¡¯ve been holding in. I can¡¯t stand your mysterious, timid appearance ¨C it makes me furious.¡±


    Ming Jingughed. Hearing Ming Jing¡¯sughter, Ye Zhen on the other end of the phone was shocked.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­ are you¡­ are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Are you free on New Year¡¯s Day? Come back to Jiangzhou.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to rush back.¡± Ye Zhen would crawl back if she had to ¨C it was rare for Ming Jing to actively need her.


    ¡°The weather in Snow Mountain has changed suddenly these days, be careful.¡±


    After talking for a few minutes, the phone indicated an iing call. Ming Jing hung up and answered the new one.


    ¡°Ming Jing, who is this Li Chan to you?¡± Zheng Qing asked bluntly.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°First, tell me who she is to you.¡± Zheng Qing seemed somewhat anxious.


    ¡°A nanny¡¯s sister from the Zhu family.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Zheng Qing seemed incredulous.


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°Is there a problem with her identity?¡±


    ¡°She has been dead for thirteen years in the system, and her household registration has already been cancelled long ago.¡±


    Thirteen years ago?


    With a slightly deep gaze, Ming Jing stared at the pitch-ck night and said calmly, ¡°What about Li Juan?¡±


    ¡°Same. Both sisters died thirteen years ago, and also¡­¡±


    Zheng Qing lowered his voice, hesitating for a while before saying, ¡°This familiar method, if I¡¯m not mistaken, was done by one of my colleagues. Li Juan¡¯s identity must not be simple. I¡¯ll look further into Li Chan, and you should pry Li Juan¡¯s mouth open. There¡¯s definitely a secret with these two sisters.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Li Juan was once again awakened by a nightmare and got out of bed.


    At three o¡¯clock in the morning, the entire Mingshan Garden was shrouded in silence. The lonely moonlight shone on the earth, reflecting a faint, cold light.


    Li Juan tucked a bundle of paper under her arm and hurriedly ran to a bare phoenix tree in the backyard.


    mes rose, and the fire instantly devoured the paper, illuminating Li Juan¡¯s resentful eyes.<div>


    ¡°Xiao Bao, you and your father should be living well on the other side. Once I¡¯ve avenged you, I¡¯lle find you. If you¡¯recking anything, just tell me, and I¡¯ll burn it for you.¡±


    Suddenly, a white skirt appeared in her sight, lifted by the night wind. It was even more eerie and frightening than the fire burned for the dead in the middle of the night.


    Li Juan fell down on her behind, scared, ¡°You¡­ what do you want to do?¡±


    The person approached, and Li Juan sighed with relief, ¡°So it¡¯s the youngdy. You scared me to death. I thought you were a ghost.¡±<div>


    Walking without making a sound in the middle of the night, wearing a white dress ¨C it was even more terrifying than a ghost.


    The hazy night was like a fog, making it difficult for her to see the girl¡¯s face ¨C a mysterious and blurry figure.


    ¡°You and Li Chan died thirteen years ago.¡±


    Li Juan didn¡¯t expect the youngdy to find out so quickly. She really found the right person.


    The fire gradually extinguished, leaving a pile of ashes and a few scattered sparks jumping in the night.


    Li Juan knelt before the ashes, ¡°Yes, I should have died thirteen years ago, but I was lucky and escaped. Unfortunately, my husband and one-year-old son weren¡¯t so fortunate. What sins did Imit in my past life that I must be tormented like this in this one?¡±


    Ming Jing listened quietly.


    Each teardrop contained the joys and sorrows, departures and reunions of the human world.


    At this moment, the seemingly heartless woman was nothing more than a pitiful person who had lost her husband and son in a great cmity.


    Tears rolled into the ashes, making a faint hissing sound before being vaporized.


    ¡°My sister went to Jingzhou to work when she turned 18. We had lost contact for two years before we found out she was working as a nanny for a wealthy family. This family paid her a high sry, and she could send arge sum of money back home every year. Our family built a new house, and everyone in the vige envied us for having such a capable daughter. Some jealous people would speak ill of my sister behind her back, but we all knew that my sister was not that kind of person. Sometimes I would ask her who she was working for, but she would always evade the question, saying she had signed a confidentiality agreement and that revealing any information about her employer would result in arge fine.¡±

 Chapter 641: 336 Bright Heart_3

    Chapter 641: 336 Bright Heart_3


    ¡°She left for ten years, and during that time, my father fell ill and passed away, she never came back, only sent some money. Gradually, I began to resent her, until the second year after I got married and had a child. One night, there was a heavy rain¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The sky was blue after the rain.


    Early in the morning, the Zhus¡¯ house had be lively, with Lin Qing getting up early and busying herself in the kitchen, something that was rarely seen before.


    Madam Zhouughed, ¡°This is what a family should look like.¡±


    Without Zhu Xiangxiang causing trouble, the atmosphere of the Zhu family finally returned to normal.


    Li Juan came out with a yawn, Madam Zhou pped her on the back, ¡°Youzy girl, it¡¯s alreadyte, remember you¡¯re here to work, not to be treated like ady. Be careful not to let Madam see yourziness, or she might kick you out.¡±


    Li Juan, with her huge dark circles under her eyes and somewhat red and swollen eyelids, retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam is kind-hearted and won¡¯t bear to kick me out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself and remember your ce.¡± Madam Zhou scolded.


    Li Juan let it in one ear and out the other. Seeing Zhu Wentaoing downstairs, she quickly handed him the freshly delivered newspaper.<div>


    ¡°Such ttery, who did you learn it from? This girl is more cunning than a monkey.¡±


    Interestingly, her performance pleased Madam, Sir, and even Zhu Xiangxiang. They all thought she was practical, capable, and smart.


    Madam Zhou was suspicious. How did this cunning girl end up homeless in her middle age?


    Ming Jing took Granny Zhu for a walk in the garden outside, and by the time they returned, breakfast was already served.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay and apany your grandmother for a few days? She thinks about you every day, and with you by her side, she¡¯ll recover faster,¡± Lin Qing said as she served Granny Zhu a bowl of mixed grain porridge and then served a bowl to Ming Jing.


    Now everyone in the Zhu family was eating healthily, consuming less extravagant food like fish, meat, abalone, and bird¡¯s nest, and more grains, vegetables, and fruits ording to Ming Jing¡¯s dietary prescriptions.


    Granny Zhu, understanding Ming Jing, said, ¡°Child, go do your things and don¡¯t listen to your mother. Don¡¯t let me, an old woman, hinder you.¡±


    At this moment, Zhu Wentao chimed in, ¡°Yes, listen to your mother. You rarely visit, so stay for a few more days.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, she agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lin Qing was the happiest and ate an extra bowl of rice.


    After the meal, Lin Qing didn¡¯t go out and stayed home to enjoy quality time with Ming Jing and Granny Zhu, watching TV.


    Upstairs, Zhu Wentao surveyed the surroundings, opened Ming Jing¡¯s bedroom door, quickly closed it, and hurried into the bathroom.


    The toothbrush had been used this morning.


    Zhu Wentao took out a sealed bag from his coat pocket, put the toothbrush in it, and reced it with an identical one.


    Picking up theb and examining it under the light, he finally found a strand of hair.


    Zhu Wentao carefully ced the hair in the sealed bag, left the bathroom as it was, and hurriedly left.


    As soon as Zhu Wentao came out, he bumped into Li Juan carrying a mop. His face darkened.


    ¡°Sir, did you enter the wrong room? Your room is over there, this is the youngdies¡¯ room,¡± Li Juan deliberately raised her voice to ¡°kindly¡± remind him.


    As expected, Zhu Wentao¡¯s face turned even darker. He coughed and said, ¡°I entered the wrong room, don¡¯t tell Ming Jing.¡±<div>


    He left after giving Li Juan a cold nce.


    Li Juan pretended to be frightened, shrugging her shoulders and lowering her head.


    Zhu Wentao smirked, nced at the three people downstairs who were none the wiser, and strode away.


    Li Juan slowly straightened up, her face showing no trace of timidity as she stared at Zhu Wentao¡¯s back and spat.<div>


    ¡°Having an affair with his own adopted daughter, how disgusting.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Zhou Xue went out to run errands, and Jiang Chun only heard about it the next morning.


    The news of Ming Jing visiting Jiangzhou University the day before had already spread like wildfire online. The most low-key but also the most handsome and impressive school hunk in the history of Jiangzhou University had entered the public¡¯s view.


    Pictures of the two eating in the cafeteria were circted all over the inte. Compared to the popr Qu Feitai with hisic-like, sexy looks, this school hunk from Jiangzhou University was a true ice-cold beauty, with an indescribable mncholic temperament, a noble air containing a hint of restraint and maturity, alluring in his calmness.


    The inte went crazy, everyone knew Ming Jing¡¯s personality, and the affection that this school hunk showed towards Ming Jing in subtle ways clearly indicated his interest. For a while, a group of CP fans suddenly emerged, all seeking for information about this school hunk.


    Jiang Chun mmed her chopsticks on the marble dining table with a loud ¡°smack,¡± causing the sound to pierce the air.


    Huahua, carrying a bowl of bird¡¯s nest, unconsciously shrank her shoulders.


    Madam was angry.


    It had been a long time since she had seen Madam this angry.


    Jiang Chun made a phone call, ¡°Clean up all the scandals about Jinchen on the inte, no more nonsense.¡±


    ¡°If it happens again, you¡¯ll be out of a job.¡±


    After hanging up, Jiang Chun took a deep breath, her expression gradually calming down.<div>


    ¡°Madam, your bird¡¯s nest,¡± Huahua respectfully handed it over.


    Jiang Chun nced at her, ¡°You knew about this already?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Huahua hesitated, ¡°Madam used to like Ms. Ming Jing very much, why suddenly¡­?¡±


    At the Zhus¡¯ previous wee dinner, Madam had specifically supported Ming Jing, and everyone knew how much she liked the Zhu family¡¯s real daughter.


    Overnight, Madam¡¯s attitude seemed to have changed.


    Jiang Chun stirred the bird¡¯s nest, ¡°I just don¡¯t want Jinchen¡¯s studies to be affected by his feelings. He¡¯s still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.¡±


    Huahua wanted to say that the young master was decisive and that it was normal for young boys and girls to have a crush. If Madam objected, it might backfire.


    However, she wisely chose to keep quiet.


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes narrowed. She would not allow anyone to hurt her son before she could find out more about Ming Jing.

 Chapter 642: 337 Unashamed

    Chapter 642: 337 Unashamed


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang walked into the living room, her pupils shrinking at the sight of three people watching television on the sofa together.


    But she quickly put on a smile, stepping forward, ¡°Did not expect Ming Jing to be here. If I¡¯d known, I would have returned earlier.¡±


    Li Juan took her bag, passing her a cup of warm tea.


    Granny Zhu nced at her before returning her attention back to the television. It was a family reality show, quite educational.


    Lin Qing coughed slightly, somewhat unnaturally, ¡°Where have you been these past few days?¡±


    ¡°I visited Jiuhua Mountain. They say the blessings from the Buddha are highly efficacious there. I asked for good health and longevity for Granny and my parents, wisdom for Shaodan, of course, improved grades for me and for me to be ever so more beautiful.¡±


    Lin Qing eximed with mock annoyance, ¡°With such many wishes, which one can Buddha really help you fulfill?¡±


    ¡°Where there is sincerity, there are blessings. I prayed with sincerity, so Buddha will definitely help.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s gaze shifted to Ming Jing, ¡°What do you think, Ming Jing?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, ¡°One act of worship eradicates sin, saying the Buddha¡¯s name ten times nts roots of kindness. The Buddha is in our hearts, our hearts are the Buddha, sincerity is more important than any act of worship.¡±<div>


    What does she mean by this?


    Zhu Xiangxiang had an uneasy feeling. Ming Jing¡¯s smile felt loaded and her words seemed to contain hidden meanings.


    Did she discover something?


    There¡¯s no way.


    Zhu Xiangxiang found herself unable to sit still, she quickly excused herself to go upstairs to change her clothes.


    Li Juan nced in Ming Jing¡¯s direction before heading upstairs with her cloth.


    Lin Qing sneaked a nce at Ming Jing. Seeing her normal expression, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°This type of man, is absolutely despicable!¡± Granny Zhu suddenly blurted out, Ming Jing reached out to pat her back and soothe her.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a TV show, why get so angry?¡±


    ¡°Did you not see the lower right corner? It¡¯s based on a true story, such men bring shame to their families.¡±


    Lin Qing smirked, ¡°Men are fickle in this world, they are all like pitch-ck crows.¡±


    The protagonist in the TV show cheated on his wife with her best friend while his wife was pregnant. When discovered, he abused his wife which caused her to miscarry. The child of seven months died in the womb, rendering the wife infertile for life. That¡¯s not all, the best friend and the protagonist then ousted his wife from their home. The wife, unable to bear the shock,mitted suicide by jumping from a building.


    If it were only yacting, the ending could be arranged at will. Good is rewarded with good and evil with evil, then the couple would have received their punishment and met a dismal fate.


    Yet in reality, the two led a carefree and happy life despite taking two lives. The police couldn¡¯t pin them down, thew couldn¡¯t bind them and all they faced were moral condemnations.


    However, to such morally bankrupt individuals, no amount of criticism would touch their conscience.


    Whether the Buddhist principle of good and evil receiving their respective just deserts really exists or not is still a question.


    Granny Zhu¡¯s face stiffened, Lin Qing was obviously speaking metaphorically.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s actions were partly her fault as a mother. Let Lin Qing vent, as long as it makes her feel better.


    Granny Zhu went from a daughter-inw to a grandmother and understood the difficulties of being the former. She tried to put up with Lin Qing wherever she could.<div>


    However, hearing that Zhou Ling had died, and that Zhu Wentao had returned home, he hadn¡¯t spent a night outside after that. He also quietly cared for Lin Qing.


    After all, they shared over two decades of sentiments, both were merely holding their breath, waiting for the other to concede.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang knocked on the study room door.<div>


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang pushed open the door and walked in, cautiously closing the door.


    The moment she turned around, her eyes welled up with tears which made her look pitiful and all the more adorable.


    Zhu Wentao furrowed his brows, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Dad, mom wants to send me abroad for studies and I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t cry out loud, but her tears were rolling down her face, down her pure white cheeks, glistening like crystal-clear pearls.


    This sight was enough to melt even the hardest of hearts.


    ¡°Studying abroad?¡± Zhu Wentao¡¯s fingers were moving across the edge of his cup.


    ¡°I¡­I just overheard mom¡¯s phone call, plus I saw a pile of overseas study application forms with my name on them in her room. I know my presence disturbs Ming Jing. She wants to send me abroad. I too shouldn¡¯t stay in the Zhu household any longer, but¡­ I really can¡¯t bear leaving you, mom, granny, and Shaodan. Can you please plead with mom on my behalf? I¡¯m willing to leave the Zhu household. I won¡¯tpete for anything with Ming Jing, but moving to a foreign country, a ce where I know no one¡­ where I might never see you and mom again, I¡­I just can¡¯t bear it.¡±

 Chapter 643: 337 Unashamed_2

    Chapter 643: 337 Unashamed_2


    Zhu Wentao stood up and gentlyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll go talk to your mother.¡±


    ¡°Wuwu~¡± Zhu Xiangxiang cried, burying herself in his arms, her sobs like a little kitten¡¯s, instantly melting people¡¯s hearts.


    Feeling the delicate body in his arms, Zhu Wentao stiffened for a moment, his hand awkwardly suspended in midair.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m the fake daughter, but I¡¯m the victim too. But what about Ming Jing? She¡¯s the one scheming to be the fake daughter; she lied to both you and mother and fooled everyone. Why does she get the love of my mother? I¡¯m not content, I¡¯m not content at all¡­.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words were filled with resentment and injustice, making people feel sorry for her.


    ¡°Growing up, I was always the daughter of the Zhus, loved by my parents. I thought I was the happiest little princess in the world until one day, Ming Jing appeared. She returned to the Zhus as the true daughter, took away everyone¡¯s attention, and even took away thepany dad had worked so hard to build. Everyone praised her as if she were a descended Bodhisattva. But does she truly have no ulterior motives? Her return to the Zhus was a calcted move, seizing the property of Zhu Group was just the first step, who knows what other schemes she has?¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes gradually grew darker, his palm falling on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore, Dad won¡¯t let her scheme seed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m being petty and suspicious; it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t bear to see you, mother, and Grandma being deceived by her. No matter how good she is, she¡¯s not your biological daughter. People¡¯s hearts are unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°On this trip, I actually went to Siji Town. Do you know what I found out?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head.


    ¡°Ming Jing is truly terrifying.¡±<div>


    Zhu Wentao asked urgently, ¡°What did you find out?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang made a frightened expression: ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t say.¡±


    Zhu Wentao spoke gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Dad is here. Dad will protect you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the man close in front of her, his gaze full of deep concern. She bit her pale lips, hesitated for a moment, and spoke softly, ¡°Ming Jing, she¡¯s a murderer¡­¡±.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Zhu Xiangxiang left the study, the sorrow on her face instantly vanishing, reced by a smug smile.


    She had to give Zhu Wentao a strong dose of conviction; otherwise, his hesitations would make him miss the opportunity.


    As for the murderer, huh.


    This was a dead end.


    There was no way for her to solve it.


    Unless she could prove Ming Xin¡¯s existence and clear herself of the murder suspicion, but at the same time, it would only strengthen the belief that she had been scheming to impersonate the true daughter all along.


    This time, I would like to see how you justify yourself.


    Don¡¯t me her for being ruthless; it was Lin Qing who did not leave anyone with a way out. In order to please Ming Jing, she would even go as far as to send her abroad.


    She was curious about what kind of expression Lin Qing would show when she learned the truth: her beloved daughter had been deceiving her all along.


    That scene must be a good one to watch.


    After Zhu Xiangxiang left, Li Juan emerged from a corner.


    The study¡¯s soundproofing was too good, she couldn¡¯t hear what the two had said, but from Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s barely suppressed smug smile, it was clear that she had no good intentions.


    She needed to tell herdy as soon as possible.


    Unexpectedly, Ming Jing was not surprised, ¡°On the first day of next month, it¡¯s grandma¡¯s birthday. It will be lively.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, Madam has been busy preparing for the event this past month. Since it¡¯s the Grandma¡¯s important birthday this year, a grand celebration is only right. I see she has written invitations filling several sacks; looks like she¡¯s nning to invite all the celebrities in Jiangzhou.¡±


    Ming Jing handed a wooden box to Li Juan, ¡°The night before the birthday banquet, give Grandma honey water.¡±


    Li Juan wiped her hands on her apron and carefully took the wooden box.


    A smart person wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions, just do as told.<div>


    Thedy would never harm anyone.


    Ming Jing walked to the French window, her head shrouded in dark clouds, the faint light piercing throughyers of clouds casting hazy rays.


    Cold wind swept across the bare treetops, leaving destion everywhere.


    ¡°The real winter ising¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Huang Chao gulped down several mouthfuls of water, wiped his mouth, and said bitterly, ¡°In order to obtain some information, I sold my dignity. It wasn¡¯t easy for me. Xiao Fei, how are you going topensate me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like the house in Swan City? I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    Huang Chao gasped, ¡°You¡¯re really generous, since you¡¯re so sincere, I won¡¯t sell you short.¡±


    Huang Chao walked to the door, looked around, carefully closed the door to the ward, and came over, lowering his voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t know until I checked, and I was shocked. The Qinglong Association is so powerful in Jiangzhou, they¡¯re like the local boss, even if the Heavenly Kinges, they hold no weight.¡±

 Chapter 644: 337 Unashamed_3

    Chapter 644: 337 Unashamed_3


    ¡°I know that, get to the important part.¡±


    ¡°Qinglong Association was established single-handedly by Ran Bowen more than thirty years ago. It is said that he was from the north, and his family of three brothers came to Jiangzhou due to drought in their hometown. At first, they were porters at the dock. Later, Ran Bowen got promoted based on his brute strength and intelligence and became the supervisor of the dock, whichid the foundation for his future career.¡±


    With his eloquent speech, Huang Chao had spent a week mingling in various casinos and nightclubs and finally had a clear understanding of the Qinglong Association and Ran Bowen¡¯s past and present life.


    ¡°Ran Bowen had two brothers, Ran Boxue and Ran Bocai. It was rumored that the rtionships among the brothers were strained, so Ran Bowen sidelined them. Apart from them, he had three confidants, the three Lu brothers, Lu Ji, Lu Shou, and Lu Chang. However, thirteen years ago, the most trusted Ji Chang suddenly betrayed Ran Bowen and sold him out. Ran Bowen went to Jingzhou to chase after him and then died in Jingzhou.¡±


    As Huang Chao spoke, his saliva sttered everywhere,pletely unaware of the serious expression on the young man¡¯s face in front of him.


    ¡°How did he die?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the secret of the Qinglong Association, I cannot find out. But it has something to do with the Yu Jiang you mentioned. She was a taboo within the Qinglong Association. Some say she was an undercover agent for the police, while others say she was an assassin sent by Ran Bowen¡¯s enemy. In any case, Ran Bowen¡¯s death is tied to Yu Jiang. She¡¯s really a ruthless woman! She went undercover for two years, which shows her patience.¡±


    Qu Feitai suddenly grabbed the bedrail with his fingers turning white from his grip. He took a deep breath and asked, ¡°What happened to Yu Jiang?¡±


    ¡°She disappeared after Ran Bowen died, and even the Qinglong Association has been unable to find her after so many years. She is probably dead by now.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s face turned pale as he held his breath.


    Huang Chao finally noticed something was wrong with Qu Feitai. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s with you? Don¡¯t scare me.¡±


    Qu Feitai suddenly gripped Huang Chao¡¯s hand tightly and said word by word: ¡°Find Yu Jiang, whether she¡¯s dead or alive, if she¡¯s dead, where is she buried?¡±


    ¡°Even the Qinglong Association doesn¡¯t know, how would I? Aren¡¯t you making things difficult for me? Besides, why are you suddenly interested in this woman? She would be in her thirties or forties now, old enough to be your mother! And her grave would probably have grass at least two feet high! Getting involved with the Qinglong Association¡¯s affairs is too dangerous! Curiosity killed the cat.¡±


    Huang Chao used to think that Jiangzhou was a bustling, fashionable, modern city, but after delving deeper, he found that under the morous surface, there were turbulent undercurrents that could easily lead to disaster.


    Why was Xiao Fei suddenly interested in such matters?


    Qu Feitai closed his eyes. The woman¡¯s beautiful, tragic smile seemed to be etched in his mind, impossible to shake off.


    Qu Feitaiy back down: ¡°How long until I can be discharged?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Han said we¡¯ll have to wait and see for another two days. Probably the 25th. Then it will be New Year¡¯s Day. We can go back to Jingzhou together.¡±


    ¡°Help me with the discharge procedures tomorrow.¡± Qu Feitai¡¯s tone was decisive and left no room for doubt.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll do as you say. I think your wound has healed quite well anyway.¡±


    Just then, there was a knock on the door of the hospital room. Huang Chao looked up, and his eyes suddenly lit up.


    Such well-proportioned chest muscles, perfect hips, and heavenly long legs ¨C a walking package of pheromones!


    Yun Mo entered expressionlessly and handed a gold-embossed invitation to Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Young Master, this invitation is from the Zhu family. On New Year¡¯s Day, Madam Zhu is celebrating her seventieth birthday, and she would like you to attend.¡±


    Qu Feitai took the invitation and opened it, revealing a rare smile.


    ¡°These are Ming Jing¡¯s handwriting.¡±


    Red paper and golden script, Qu Feitai¡¯s name was written with grandiosity, especially the character for ¡®fei,¡¯ which had the vigor of a soaring dragon.


    Qu Feitai nned to make a rubbing of these characters and use it as his autograph in the future.


    ¡°Madam Zhu? Isn¡¯t that Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s grandmother?¡± Huang Chao knew they wouldn¡¯t be going back to Jingzhou for New Year¡¯s Day now.


    This guy went crazy whenever Ming Jing was involved.


    Qu Feitai read the invitation several times before closing it and cing it on his chest.


    Yun Mo said: ¡°Young Master, I have prepared the gift for you.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll prepare it myself.¡± A gift for an elderly person couldn¡¯t be perfunctory, especially not for Ming Jing¡¯s grandmother.


    Yun Mo said nothing and turned to leave. Huang Chao hurriedly followed, ¡°Brother Yun Mo, wait for me¡­!¡±


    Yun Mo stopped, turned his head, and gave him a cold re.


    Huang Chao had no doubt that in the next moment, Yun Mo would charge up and strangle him to death.


    ¡°If I hear you call me like that again, I¡¯ll rip your tongue out.¡± With that, Yun Mo left with a disgusted look.


    Huang Chao held his chest and stared at the man¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°Even angry, he¡¯s so handsome! It¡¯s killing me¡­


    Qu Feitai thought for a while and then made a call.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Qu Feitai?¡± Zhao Qin was surprised and double-checked her phone, thinking she might have dialed the wrong number.


    This guy had threatened herst time, and now he was calling her on his own initiative.


    The sun must be rising in the west.


    ¡°Your mother is not having an easy life now, is she?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with you? You look down on us Rans, don¡¯t you? Why would you suddenly care about us?¡±


    Beggars can¡¯t be choosers. But why did Qu Feitai call her?


    ¡°Ming Jing was hurt in the arm; since she has let you off, do you think I would?¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s breathing hitched, followed quickly by a snicker. ¡°Who do you think you are? Just a singer who sells smiles, thinking you¡¯re something special?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Qu, and my original name is Qu Lanzhou.¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s mocking smile stuck on her face as it grew more distorted.


    ¡°What is your rtionship with Qu Lanting?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Qu Feitai leanedzily back on the bed, took an orange segment, and popped it in his mouth.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Zhao Qin gripped her phone tightly.


    She had known since long before not to mess with anyone from the Qu family.


    The Rans¡¯ fortunes took a turn for the worse after Ran Bowen died. The Qinglong Association¡¯s wealth did not evaporate overnight. After all, a dying camel is still bigger than a horse. However, they somehow got on the wrong side of the Qu family in Jingzhou and suffered relentless retaliation, leading to their downfall.


    She had never imagined that Qu Feitai was from the Qu family as they wouldn¡¯t have let one of their own enter the entertainment industry.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Help me find someone.¡±


    This kind of secret could only be known by insiders of the Qinglong Association.


    Qu Feitai looked at his open palm, knowing that from now on, he would never be able to hold a gun, forced to give up on his dream and selectively forget those memories.


    But when he saw Ming Jing, the sincere and clean girl, he dared not get close to her.


    He wanted to shatter the dream and pay back the debts he owed personally, so he could face her with a clear conscience and walk up to her cleanly.

 Chapter 645: 338 Pigeon Occupies

    Chapter 645: 338 Pigeon upies


    Enteringte December, the weather forecast predicted an uing cold front around New Year¡¯s Day, reminding everyone to bundle up when going out.


    At the end of December, senior high school students across the province began taking a three-day joint examination.


    Ming Jing returned to campus after taking half a month off.


    As time went on, the weather became colder and colder, a sticky, biting chill that was hard to bear.


    All the candidates throughout the city were separated and scattered across various exam sites in Jiangzhou, and Ming Jing was assigned to the neighboring Yi High School.


    Students rushed into the exam room, rubbing their hands for warmth, fortunately, there was heat blowing inside, causing everyone to shiver involuntarily.


    It was sofortable.


    ¡°I heard that it¡¯s snowing heavily in the north, with snow three feet deep. It¡¯s a pity that we in Jiangzhou can only hope for snow. My lifelong wish is to see heavy snow in the north.¡±


    ¡°Be content, it¡¯s so cold that your hands would freeze into icicles before you even stretch them out.¡±


    A group of people chattered around, each finding their designated seat and sitting down.


    Taking off their cotton-padded jackets, and removing hats, respectively.


    The joint exam was somewhat more rxed than regr exams, and the questions were generally simpler, so the candidates didn¡¯t feel much pressure and could still chat andugh.


    Xie Zhen looked up, saw Tang Wan, hesitated for a moment, and didn¡¯t say anything before walking into the ssroom.


    They hadn¡¯t talked for a long time and didn¡¯t expect to be in the same exam room again.


    When Xie Zhen entered, those who recognized her greeted her.


    ¡°Please take care of us, Xie Shen. We¡¯re counting on you.¡±


    Everyone stared at her with fervent eyes. Xie Zhen was used to it being next to Ming Jing and calmly walked to her seat.


    She was one of only two Yi High School students who scored well enough in thepetition to gain a spot in CMO, earning a silver medal, which was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations.


    Xie Zhen was a very ordinary student at Yi High School, not outstanding in looks or academics, and not particrly exceptional in her science ss either.


    However, such an average person unexpectedly achieved the same CMO silver medal as Zhao Heng, guaranteeing bonus points in the college entrance examination, which left many people in awe.


    When she returned from Jingzhou, Xie Zhen¡¯s poprity in school skyrocketed as everyone discovered her close rtionship with Zhao Heng and were envious of her.


    But looking at Xie Zhen¡¯s face, they reassured themselves that Zhao Heng probably treated her as a genuine friend. Since Xie Zhen¡¯s appearance posed no threat, female students didn¡¯t bother her and instead tried to get closer to her.


    Most of the reasons for this actually came from Ming Jing, which Xie Zhen was well aware of.


    When they were at the airport, her association with Ming Jing made the hot search, and she appeared in several photos featuring Ming Jing taken by paparazzi, proving that their rtionship was special, making many people envious.


    Although Xie Zhen was praised as a top student, she was not arrogant. She remained humble, cautious, and focused on her studies. Tang Wan, who used to always be by her side, seemed to have not interacted much with her for quite some time.


    When Tang Wan entered, she saw everyone surrounding Xie Zhen, asking questions and giving her the attention of a princess, making Tang Wan ufortable.


    Tang Wan endured the difort, walked to her seat, and threw her pencil case on the desk with a sharp sound.


    Everyone noticed her but pretended not to see, continuing to ask Xie Zhen questions.


    It wasn¡¯t until Ming Jing entered that the entire ssroom went silent as death.


    Xie Zhen suddenly stood up, her face full of excitement.


    ¡°Ming Jing, I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re in the same exam room.¡±


    Her usually dull eyes shone brightly as if seeing her idol.


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    The others were mostly seeing Ming Jing in person for the first time, and they were stunned by her beauty.


    She was taller than the average girl, like a slender willow tree in spring, tall and flexible. In such cold weather, everyone was wearing cotton-padded or down jackets, but she still wore her signature outfit. Her clothing had sold out online, and countless imitations emerged, but no one could replicate her effortless elegance.


    Even famous beauty bloggers failed to mimic Ming Jing¡¯s natural makeup, and supermodels in the same ck-and-white attire couldn¡¯tpare.


    This ¡°Ming Jing style¡± influenced the fashion world, and many fashion magazines studied her style, ultimately concluding that simplicity is the pinnacle of fashion.

 Chapter 646: 338 Pigeon Occupies_2

    Chapter 646: 338 Pigeon upies_2


    It¡¯s all about simplification and the eternal ssics of ck and white.


    However, in this society, people¡¯s hearts are burdened withyers uponyers of shackles, and all kinds of pressures are pouring down. Everyone desperately needs material desires to fill the void. Who can truly let go of everything and return to the simplest origin?


    Looking good is one thing, and admiration is another. If given another chance, they would still choose the gorgeous colors of blooming flowers and embroidered brocades.


    That¡¯s why Ming Jing is truly unique.


    Ming Jing sat in the only empty seat, with Tang Wan to her right, separated by an aisle.


    Others turned their heads to look at Ming Jing, but unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t take pictures with their phones in the exam room.


    At that moment, the proctor came in and was startled to see Ming Jing.


    The bell rang, and the exam officially began.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The heavy snow in Jingzhou came without warning.<div>


    As if overnight, the entire city was covered in white snow, dressed in silver.


    Bo Yuxun spent the night in his office, as his reputation had spread and Mayor Qian had begged him, even visiting his humble home, for him to perform surgery on his mother.


    The surgery was very difficult, and Bo Yuxun hadn¡¯t closed his eyes for a full day and night. Finally, he seeded inpleting the surgery at 3 a.m.


    Temporarily staying in the office for the night.


    In the morning, he was awakened by the chirping of the nurses outside the door. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was a world of snow-white.


    Bo Yuxun was stunned for a moment before suddenly sitting up.


    It was snowing.


    Rubbing his aching temples, Bo Yuxun sank his head on the sofa.


    Xu Shuhua pushed the door open, ¡°Awake?¡±


    Handing him a cup of steaming hot coffee: ¡°Mayor Qian sent a pennant to the hospital, praising you so much that I couldn¡¯t stand listening to it. Fortunately, you weren¡¯t there.¡±


    Bo Yuxun took the coffee and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s snowing.¡±


    Xu Shuhua looked at the man¡¯s lonely back and sighed.


    From other people¡¯s perspective, the sessful Dr. Bo was nothing more than a pitiful man who could not get what he wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just heard from Mayor Qian that he wants to introduce his younger aunt to you. You better be prepared mentally, so you don¡¯t offend anyone.¡±


    That Qian guy is really mean-spirited. Saving his mother¡¯s life and then trying to force a wife on him ¨C isn¡¯t that just disgusting?


    Does Dr. Bock women?


    ¡°I think you should hide for a few days. With your attitude, someone with a little self-awareness should get the hint.¡±


    Bo Yuxun sipped his coffee and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m leaving for Jiangzhou today.¡±


    ¡°Jiangzhou?¡± Xu Shuhua suddenly realized, ¡°I almost forgot. There¡¯s a medical conference at the end of the year in Jiangzhou, and as a top professional like you, you¡¯re highly sought-after. It¡¯s just as well to take this opportunity to avoid the limelight in Jiangzhou.¡±<div>


    Mayor Qian is well known to be henpecked, and it must have been his wife¡¯s request. But their family background is still not enough for the Bos.


    Xu Shuhua suddenly thought of something, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    He quickly left the room and returned with a box to give to Bo Yuxun.


    Bo Yuxun, puzzled, opened it. It was a silver silk ribbon embroidered with lotus flowers. Delicate, elegant, and noble, it was obviously a girl¡¯s belonging.<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s a well-known figure in Jiangzhou, maybe you¡¯ve heard of her ¨C Ming Jing, the real daughter of the Zhus from Jiangzhou.¡±


    Bo Yuxun shook his head, ¡°Not interested.¡±


    Xu Shuhua raised an eyebrow, ¡°During the Winter Camp in Jingzhou, your niece, Lianye, met her. One night, a critically ill patient was brought to the emergency room with sudden cardiac arrest. Ming Jing was the one who stepped up and saved the patient. In that situation, it was extremely dangerous, and the young girl¡¯s calmness under pressure was much like you in the past.¡±


    Bo Yuxun naturally liked kind people and nodded. ¡°She¡¯s a good seedling for a doctor.¡±


    ¡°This is the ribbon Ming Jing left behind when she was in Jingzhou. I found it, but I haven¡¯t had a chance to return it to her. If you meet her on this trip to Jiangzhou, help me give it back to her.¡±


    Bo Yuxun frowned at him, ¡°She¡¯s just a child? What are you up to?¡±


    Xu Shuhua shook his head, ¡°You really are out of touch; you don¡¯t even know the news. This real daughter is now a big name in our medical field. She founded a foundation with a project called The Heart Project, which involves the recent online controversy about a sulfuric acid attack at a press conference. It¡¯s not easy to exin in one or two sentences. Aren¡¯t you always tired of dealing with the government? Well, I think Ming Jing is a straightforward person. Your research team could work with her and save a lot of trouble with investments. Anyway, you won¡¯t be disappointed when you meet her.¡±

 Chapter 647: 338 Pigeon Occupies_3

    Chapter 647: 338 Pigeon upies_3


    ¡°We¡¯ll definitely meet Old Han this time in Jiangzhou. All four of us from our dormitory are bachelors and the best in our fields. How could this be? What¡¯s wrong with us?¡±


    Xu Shuhua furrowed his eyebrows and fell into contemtion.


    Bo Yuxun looked down at the ribbon in the box, soft and supple like a gentle fingertip. What kind of person could its owner be?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Bo Yuxun returned to the Bos and packed a few clothes. Huai Qing entered the room.


    ¡°Young Master, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Jiangzhou.¡±


    Huai Qing came over to help pack, and upon hearing the destination, paused: ¡°There is a Qinglong Association in Jiangzhou. They¡¯re not to be messed with. Young Master, please be careful.¡±


    Bo Yuxun coldly said, ¡°The Qinglong Association is not the most frightening thing.¡±


    Huai Qing nced at him and took an envelope out of his pocket, handing it to him.<div>


    ¡°This is the clue I¡¯ve found. The Jiangs had two maids back then. One was fired before the incident, and the other¡¯s whereabouts are unknown. The fired one died in a car ident the same year. The missing one is very suspicious. After investigating, I found that this maid named Li Chan is from Jiangzhou. I boldly suspect that the breakthrough clue lies with this Li Chan.¡±


    Bo Yuxun opened the envelope. Inside was a photo.


    The young woman in the photo was wearing a white shirt, her face elegant and charming.


    ¡°She also has a twin sister named Li Juan. Thirteen years ago, her entire family died in a mysterious fire.¡±


    As Huai Qing finished speaking, Bo Yuxun¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened, his fingers crumpling the photo without him realizing it.


    Huai Qing sighed, ¡°All the clues ultimately point to Jiangzhou. Young Master, that woman is ruthless. She wiped out all the evidence from that year. If she finds out that we are investigating what happened, she will definitely be harmful to you. You must be discreet and careful.¡±


    Bo Yuxun suddenly looked at Huai Qing, his sharp gaze making Huai Qing¡¯s heart jump.


    ¡°If she wiped out all the evidence from back then, how could you find it? Where did you get this photo?¡±


    Huai Qing lowered his head: ¡°I couldn¡¯t hide it from your eyes, Young Master. This photo and these clues were actually sent to me anonymously. I don¡¯t know who the other party is, but I think they should be on our side.¡±


    Bo Yuxun sneered, ¡°A mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind. It seems that a pair of eyes has been watching us in secret.¡±


    ¡°Let it be. As long as I can avenge Xia Xue, I¡¯m willing to be a pawn in someone else¡¯s game.¡±


    Bo Yuxun nced at the photo before setting it on fire. The ashes scattered in the wind, disappearing between heaven and earth.


    ¡°You stay at home, keep an eye on Bo Yujiang.¡±


    Huai Qing hesitated, ¡°Does Young Master suspect the Young Mistress?¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s lips curved coldly, ¡°She can deceive my mother, deceive my elder brother and sister-inw, but she can¡¯t deceive me. A Jiang and I are twins, and there is a telepathic connection between us. That time when I copsed after surgery at the age of 24, I knew that something happened to A Jiang.¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s expression became sad, ¡°A Jiang is who I lost, I owe her¡­ I¡¯ve been searching for her for twenty years without results. How could she have found her way back by coincidence? A three or four-year-old child wouldn¡¯t remember anything, yet she says she remembers the front door of the Bos. She deliberately came back to Bo family, and even the burns on her feet were identical to A Jiang¡¯s.¡±


    Huai Qing said, ¡°This shows that she has seen the real Young Mistress. This woman is so cunning.¡±


    When Bo Yujiang returned to the Bos, Bo Yuxun knew that she was not the real A Jiang. However, at that time, his mother was desperate for her daughter, and her appearanceforted his mother. Moreover, he was deeply affected by Xia Xue¡¯s death, so he left her with his mother and went abroad alone.


    Twelve years passed, and as long as the woman dutifully fulfilled her role, Bo Yuxun had tacitly epted her existence. As long as she didn¡¯t threaten the Bos or his mother, she would always be the beloved daughter of the Bos.<div>


    However, recently, Bo Yuxun had a feeling that A Jiang was still alive, somewhere in this world.


    He had to find A Jiang.


    He even suspected that A Jiang¡¯s disappearance and the return of this fake daughter to the Bos were all part of a conspiracy.


    In the vast world, how could one find a person who had been missing for more than 30 years? The only breakthrough was this fake daughter who had usurped A Jiang¡¯s identity.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. I will keep an eye on the Young Mistress.¡±


    Bo Yuxun carried his luggage out the door, and pink plum blossoms added a touch of color to the silver-d world.


    Bo Yujiang and Bo Lianye were building a snowman in the courtyard. Madam sat under the eaves with a nket on herp and a teacup in her hand, her eyes squinting inughter as she listened to theughter in the courtyard.


    ¡°Grandma, Aunt is bullying me!¡± Bo Lianye yfullyined, forming a snowball and throwing it at Bo Yujiang. Quick and agile, Bo Yujiang dodged the snowball, which hit Bo Yuxun instead.


    Bo Lianye was taken aback and quickly ran over to pat the snow off him, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, uncle. It wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Bo Yuxun said lightly.


    Bo Yujiang walked over, ¡°Are you going on a long trip, Second Brother?¡±


    Bo Yuxun crouched down next to Madam, adjusting the nket on her leg, ¡°Mother, I received an invitation to a medical conference in Jiangzhou. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to spend New Year¡¯s Day with you.¡±


    Madam patted his hand andughed, ¡°You go ahead. Your work is important. There are so many people at home anyway, it¡¯s lively.¡±


    Bo Yujiang¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Jiangzhou?


    Bo Lianye jumped excitedly, ¡°Uncle, can you take me with you? I want to go to Jiangzhou too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going for work, not to y. Stay home and be good, and take care of Grandma.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright.¡± Bo Lianye pouted, looking unwilling.


    Without even looking at Bo Yujiang, Bo Yuxun turned and left.


    Bo Lianye found it strange and quietly said to Bo Yujiang, ¡°Aunt, why do I feel that uncle¡¯s attitude toward you is a bit strange? Shouldn¡¯t the two of you be the closest?¡±


    It seemed as if the uncle waspletely ignoring Aunt.


    Uncle had been back in the country for more than a month, and it had always been like this.


    But ording to grandma, uncle doted on aunt the most. Something was off.


    Bo Yujiangughed awkwardly, ¡°Maybe your uncle doesn¡¯t know how to face me. After all, it was him who lost me back then.¡±


    Bo Lianye epted this exnation, thinking that the uncle needed more time.


    As she turned away, a cold gaze shed in Bo Yujiang¡¯s eyes, and she clenched her fists tightly within her sleeves.

 Chapter 648: 339 Aunt

    Chapter 648: 339 Aunt


    When Bo Yuxun got off the ne, Han Ye immediately gave him a big hug.


    ¡°Old Bo, it¡¯s been more than a decade, and you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    Ignoring the strange gazes around him, Han Ye forcefully punched him on the back.


    ¡°Time has really been kind to you. Your face hasn¡¯t changed a bit, unlike me.¡± Han Ye said with a touch of jealousy.


    How did he maintain himself so well? Walking in with a backpack into the university, no one would doubt him.


    Bo Yuxun showed a rare smile, ¡°Neither have you changed.¡± Still so funny.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head back to the hotel first.¡± Han Ye took the luggage from him.


    Bo Yuxun stepped out of the airport, looked at the sunset on the horizon, and paused for a moment.


    Jiangzhou was warmer than Jingzhou. The wind brushed across his face, making him feel a bit more gentle.


    ¡°What are you staring at? Get in the car.¡± Han Ye waved as he stood beside his Range Rover.


    Bo Yuxun smiled, and got into the car.


    ¡°Is this your first time in Jiangzhou?¡± Han Ye asked as he drove.


    Bo Yuxun took in the scenery outside the window and answered indifferently, ¡°No.¡±


    Chatting with Bo Yuxun was prone to awkward silences, so Han Ye racked his brains to think of topics for conversation.


    ¡°Oh, I have someone to introduce you to this time. You¡¯re definitely going to thank me for it, haha!¡±


    Bo Yuxun raised an eyebrow: ¡°Ming Jing?¡±


    ¡°Even you, who doesn¡¯t concern himself with the outside world, has heard about her. It seems our Miss Zhu¡¯s fame will soon break out of Asia and go international.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, that girl is a real treasure. Last time, at a press conference, her arm was sshed by concentrated sulfuric acid, but she didn¡¯t even take anesthesia. She evenined that I was clumsy, so she cut the rotten flesh from herself. Geez, her ruthlessness and skill would make her a great surgeon, just like you back in the day.¡±


    Bo Yuxun was stunned for a moment ¨C this was the second person to say that.


    It seemed the young girl was quite like him.


    Bo Yuxun was now genuinely intrigued.


    ¡ª


    The three days of exams quickly passed. Once they handed in theirst test paper, they all breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s the holidays.¡± They were excited just thinking about it.


    Xie Zhen walked up to Ming Jing, who packed her things, and the two left together.


    As they walked, they discussed the answers to the test.


    The people next to them didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    ¡°By the way, Ming Jing, I heard Granny Zhu¡¯s birthday is the day after tomorrow. I saved up money to buy her a gift, can you give it to her for me?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Come to Zhongdu Garden Hotel the day after tomorrow, and give the gift to Granny Zhu yourself.¡±


    Xie Zhen was thrilled: ¡°I¡­ Can I really go?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my friend, so of course you can.¡±


    Looking at the time, Ming Jing said: ¡°I have something else to do, so I¡¯ll leave first. See you the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Xie Zhen watched Ming Jing¡¯s receding figure, her feelings swelling for a long time.


    ¡°Congrattions, you finally managed totch onto a high branch.¡± A buzz-killing voice suddenly came, ruining Xie Zhen¡¯s good mood.


    Xie Zhen nced sidelong at the sarcastic Tang Wan: ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just a friendly reminder that the banquet the day after tomorrow will be bustling. You should be mentally prepared.¡±


    Xie Zhen frowned: ¡°Psycho.¡±


    Tang Wan didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it and hummed a tune as she walked away.


    Xie Zhen never realized before that Tang Wan was this kind of person.


    She snorted at the thought and didn¡¯t take Tang Wan¡¯s words seriously.


    Nonsense. Given Ming Jing¡¯s current reputation and status, a lot of people would attend her grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet just to save face. It only takesmon sense to know it¡¯ll be lively.


    ¡ª


    As New Year¡¯s Day approached, Lin Qing was busier than ever.


    Following Ming Jing¡¯s request to hold a big birthday banquet this year, they sent out hundreds of invitations. They had to arrange the menu and seating. Lin Qing¡¯s head was about to explode from all the details; a single oversight could easily offend someone.


    Mr. Shen and the Shens were certainly important guests and showed great respect to the Zhu family.


    Madam Jiang would also definitely attend, along with the rest of the Gao, Li, and Ye families.


    At the same time, Ming Jing and Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s ssmates needed to be amodated separately.


    In addition, arge group of rtives from the Zhu family¡¯s hometown would also attend. These rtives didn¡¯t keep in touch much, but this year was a rare asion for Granny Zhu and she specifically instructed them to invite their hometown rtives.


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t have a good impression of these people. They were a bunch of poor ghosts who used to bully her when she first married into the family. When the Zhu family became wealthy, they shamelessly attached themselves. Fortunately, Granny Zhu was tough and managed to fend them off ¨C they had not acted up for many years.


    As people get older, they tend to be nostalgic. Granny Zhu was ultimately too kind-hearted.

 Chapter 649: 339 Aunt_2

    Chapter 649: 339 Aunt_2


    Lin Qing had already arranged for someone to pick up the family from their hometown and had booked a hotel for them. They would be sent off immediately after the banquet.


    ¡°Madam, the security department says there¡¯s a woman named Lin Ya here to see you. She ims to be your niece.¡±


    Lin Qing was taken aback, ¡°Lin Ya?¡±


    Li Juan turned her head to look at Madam Zhou, who signaled for her to keep quiet.


    Years ago, due to some issues, Madam had a falling out with her family and hadn¡¯t kept in touch since. She had almost forgotten that she still had a brother from her maternal family.


    However, it was a half-brother with a different mother, and they weren¡¯t close. After the falling out, Lin Qing had cut off all contact with her brother.


    Why would they suddenlye now?


    Speaking of which, the falling out back then had something to do with Madam¡¯s niece. How dare she show up now?


    Lin Qing looked inexplicable and said after a while, ¡°No, let her go.¡±


    Li Juan turned to leave.


    As she was about to step out, Lin Qing suddenly said, ¡°Wait.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Bring her in.¡±


    People say that the olddy had a soft heart and was nostalgic, but she was no different.


    In Jiangzhou, which high-societydy didn¡¯t have the support of a powerful maternal family? Only she stood alone. Many peopleughed at her behind her back, but her parents had died early, and she was not close to her only half-brother, ming him countless times in her heart for being ipetent and unable to help her.


    After so many years, she lived a luxurious life in Jiangzhou while her brother remained peacefully in the small town, never seeking her out again. Whatever anger she had felt had long dissipated.


    Lin Qing changed clothes and went downstairs, only to see Li Juan leading a young girl in.


    The moment Lin Qing saw her, she was certain that this was her niece.


    It was because she looked so much like herself when she was young.


    But she was even prettier than Lin about_currency_float(¡®USD¡¯, ¡®GBP¡¯, 24.95)ing_when_she_was_young,=¡±qing was=¡±¡± young=¡±¡± with=¡±¡± bigger=¡±¡± and=¡±¡± brighter=¡±¡± eyes.


    Upon entering the Zhu¡¯s living room, the girl didn¡¯t look around. When she saw Lin Qing, her expression was visibly excited before she suppressed it. She called out emotionally, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m Xiao Ya.¡±


    This was Lin Ya¡¯s second visit to the Zhu household. It hadn¡¯t changed much since many years ago, but the woman in front of her now bore the traces of time on her face.


    Lin Qing stared at her for a long time before asking, ¡°How¡¯s your father? Is he in good health?¡±


    Lin Ya pursed her lips, ¡°My father has passed away.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s pupils shrank slightly, and she asked incredulously, ¡°He¡¯s passed away? When did that happen?¡±


    Lin Ya¡¯s tone was bitter, ¡°Two years ago, he had pancreatic cancer. It was only three months from when he was diagnosed to when he passed away.¡±


    Lin Qing copsed onto the sofa, dumbfounded. She said after a while, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°My father said you hated our family back then, and since that¡¯s the case, he didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you looking for me?¡± Lin Qing¡¯s sharp gaze focused on Lin Ya, trying to see through the girl¡¯s facade.


    The girl¡¯s face turned pale, and ayer of mist covered herrge eyes, ¡°My mother passed away from illness earlier this year too. She suffered a lot. I¡¯m all alone in this world. Before my mother died, she asked me to find you, saying that you are my only family in this world. She hoped you could take care of me. But I thought you probably wouldn¡¯t like me. It wasn¡¯t until I was epted into Jiangzhou University that I hesitated for a few months, wondering whether or not to find you. It was only when cousin Ming Jing saved me at school that I made up my mind to find you. If you don¡¯t want to see me, I¡¯ll leave now and never appear in front of you again.¡±


    Lin Qing looked at her incredulously, ¡°Your mother has passed away too?¡±


    So she was an orphan now.


    For an orphan from a small town to be admitted to Jiangzhou University, she must be truly outstanding.


    Lin Qing looked at this girl and realized she was not only intelligent and beautiful but also graceful and poised. She didn¡¯t seem any less impressive than Zhu Xiangxiang. The resentment in Lin Qing¡¯s heart was gone.


    This child was genuinely pitiful. What especially touched Lin Qing¡¯s heart was when she said that she was her only family in this world.


    This was her niece, who shared the same bloodline. No matter how heartless Lin Qing might be, she couldn¡¯t possibly turn her away.


    ¡°Precious child, you must have suffered a lot over these years.¡± Lin Qing walked over, took her hand, and felt the calluses in her palm. Her heart ached even more.


    ¡°You said Ming Jing saved you? What happened?¡±


    Lin Ya recounted in detail the incident that had taken ce outside the university auditorium that day, ¡°Cousin Ming Jing is really a good person. I think you must be very kind too, Auntie, to have raised such an exceptional daughter.¡±

 Chapter 650: 339 Aunt_3

    Chapter 650: 339 Aunt_3


    Lin Qing¡¯s face lit up with a smile, ¡°I can¡¯t take credit for that. Her master taught her well, and I¡¯m the one at fault for owing her too much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, there¡¯ll be plenty of time to make up for it in the future. You¡¯re her biological mother, she won¡¯t me you.¡±


    The words touched Lin Qing¡¯s heart. Seeing the face that resembled her younger self, she felt a growing sense of affection and satisfaction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave tonight, stay at home. I¡¯ll have someone arrange a room for you. The day after tomorrow is Granny¡¯s birthday celebration, and I¡¯ll bring you with me. From now on, you¡¯ll be my niece and Ming Jing¡¯s cousin. Nobody will dare bully you in Jiangzhou again.¡±


    Lin Qing was determined to keep her close, after hearing that even a school beauty dared to casually bully her. If Ming Jing hadn¡¯t happened toe across her that day, who knows what would have happened to this child.


    It was perfect timing as Zhu Xiangxiang had gone abroad, and her room could be given to Lin Ya.


    Ming Jing saving Lin Ya must have been due to their cousinly fate.


    Lin Ya graciously epted without any pretense of modesty.


    Lin Qing was pleased with her tact, for if she had any ulterior motives, she would have declined to show she wasn¡¯t after the Zhus¡¯ wealth. This girl simply agreed, which put Lin Qing at ease.


    Lin Qing instructed Li Juan to prepare a guest room, as she chatted with Lin Ya about various matters. Lin Ya responded appropriately, and the two quickly became as close as mother and daughter.


    Lin Qing slipped off her jade bangle from her wrist and put it on Lin Ya¡¯s: ¡°This is my gift to you, my niece. I hope you won¡¯t find it too offensive.¡±


    Lin Ya¡¯s wrists were thin, and the bangle almost slipped off. She hurriedly removed it and handed it back to Lin Qing, ¡°This is too valuable, Auntie, I cannot ept it.¡±


    ¡°You must take it since your aunt gave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie. I guess I¡¯ll have to put on some weight to wear such a beautiful jade bangle.¡±


    Lin Qing suddenly remembered that she had given Ming Jing a jade bangle when she first returned to the Zhus, but it had been too loose for Ming Jing, who was even thinner than Lin Ya. The bangle would fall off her wrist the moment she tried to wear it.


    She never saw Ming Jing wear it again, and when Ming Jing left the Zhu family, she returned everything, including that jade bangle.


    Lin Qing couldn¡¯t help but me herself. No wonder Ming Jing had never warmed up to her.


    Lin Qing received a phone call stating that there was an issue with the hotel hosting the banquet, which required her attention. She told Lin Ya a few things before rushing out.


    Lin Ya went to see Granny Zhu, who had a good impression of her and chatted happily.


    It got dark early in winter, and around five o¡¯clock, the sky began to dim.


    Lin Ya entered the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves, and said, ¡°Madam Zhou, let me help you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, Miss Lin. Please go on out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Miss Lin. Just call me Xiao Ya. I was never born a miss. I did all the cooking at home. Let Aunt and Granny have a taste of my skills tonight.¡±


    Madam Zhou nodded with a smile, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give Xiao Ya a chance to show off.¡±


    Lin Ya was efficient and tidy. Madam Zhou could tell she often did housework by the way she went about doing the tasks. She appeared every bit like a properdy, a true sister.


    Lin Ya quickly prepared four dishes and a soup. She picked up the soup pot with a smile and walked out, just as a young girl approached from outside.


    Lin Ya smiled and said, ¡°Is Cousin Xiangxiang back? Come and wash your hands, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was stunned, staring at the elegant figure standing next to the dining table with a apron tied around her waist, and asked in disbelief, ¡°What did you just call me?¡±


    She only had one cousin, Zhou Bao, so where did this cousine from?


    Lin Ya¡¯s smile was gentle and kind, ¡°I¡¯m Lin Ya from your Uncle Lin Feng¡¯s family in Qingfeng Town. We used to y together when we were young. Don¡¯t you remember, Cousin?¡±


    It took Zhu Xiangxiang a while to find her voice, ¡°You¡¯re Lin Ya?¡±


    Lin Ya¡¯s smile grew warmer, as she walked over and took Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s hands, ¡°It¡¯s touching that you still remember me. Are you still angry with me, Cousin? I was immature back then, but more than a decade has passed. No matter how angry you are, you should¡¯ve let it go by now, right? If you¡¯re still upset, you can hit me a few times, if you¡¯d like. We¡¯re blood cousins, after all. Even if we break our bones, we¡¯re still connected by tendons. You wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against me for the rest of your life, would you?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was so angry, her nose was almost crooked. Lin Ya¡¯sst words were clearly sarcastic.


    A sarcasm directed at how she was a fake.


    Just as Zhu Xiangxiang was about to shake off Lin Ya¡¯s hand, she caught sight of Madam Zhou pushing Granny Zhu out of the bedroom from the corner of her eye. Thinking quickly, her face broke into a smile, ¡°Cousin, what kind of nonsense are you talking about? I don¡¯t even remember what happened when we were young.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Cousin, you¡¯ve grown more and more beautiful.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, her face looking quite stiff and distorted.


    At that moment, Lin Qing and Zhu Wentao returned home one after the other. Lin Qing saw the two cousins being affectionate and her smile deepened.


    ¡°Uncle, hello. I¡¯m Xiao Ya.¡± Lin Ya greeted him respectfully.


    Zhu Wentao looked at Lin Ya and paused.


    She resembled a young Lin Qing so much, but with a touch more of gentleness and quiet beauty.


    No one would doubt their rtionship if they imed to be mother and daughter.


    Zhu Xiangxiang watched this scene thoughtfully.


    Once everyone was seated, Lin Ya calmly served soup for the three elders without any sign of panic. ¡°Granny, Madam Zhou mentioned that you have weak spleen and stomach. I made this yam and mushroom porridge specially for you. It¡¯s been simmering for a long time and is very light, fragrant, and nourishing for the spleen and stomach. Please try it.¡±


    Granny Zhu took a sip and nodded with satisfaction, ¡°The taste is quite good; you¡¯re very thoughtful, child.¡±


    ¡°Compared to Cousin Ming Jing, I¡¯m not so great. Don¡¯t praise me too much, Granny, or I might be arrogant.¡±


    Granny Zhuughed, ¡°You little girl and your sweet talk ¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang found it hard to swallow, even though the taste was excellent. ¡°Cousin, didn¡¯t your family decide not to have any dealings with our family? What brought you here all of a sudden? Nobody visits temples without reason.¡±


    Lin Qing frowned and scolded her, ¡°Xiangxiang!¡±


    Lin Ya gave a faint smile, looking at Lin Qing, ¡°I just wanted to see my aunt, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Only you know what you¡¯re up to. Zhu Xiangxiang put down her chopsticks, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± She then got up and went upstairs.


    Lin Qing sighed regretfully, ¡°I¡¯ve spoiled that child. Xiao Ya, don¡¯t take her seriously.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, that¡¯s not true. Cousin Xiangxiang is your precious daughter, and it¡¯s only natural for you to spoil her. By the way, where is Cousin Ming Jing?¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face stiffened slightly.


    Zhu Xiangxiang paused at the stairs, gritting her teeth with hatred.


    Lin Ya, that wretched woman, must havee here on purpose just to annoy her.

 Chapter 651: 340 Separation

    Chapter 651: 340 Separation


    Lin Ya cleaned up the dishes, cut some fruit, and apanied Granny Zhu in the living room to watch TV.


    Granny Zhu¡¯s favorite program was the eight o¡¯clock news channel¡¯s documentary series, which were all about family ethics and drama. Unfortunately, none of the Zhus liked to watch it with her. The new girl Lin Ya, however, seemed to enjoy it very much. She would massage Granny Zhu¡¯s shoulders and pour her tea, even more caring than a biological granddaughter.


    Granny Zhu held her hand: ¡°Dear child, you¡¯re a good girl. I heard about your situation from your aunt. From now on, you can think of the Zhu family as your own home and feel at ease.¡±


    With tears in her eyes, Lin Ya said, ¡°Granny Zhu, you¡¯re so good to me. I¡¯ve always envied others who had their own grannies, and now atst, I have one too. Don¡¯t worry; I will take good care of you.¡±


    Lin Ya embraced Granny Zhu.


    Granny Zhu was also touched. Zhu Xiangxiang was a thankless ingrate, Zhu Shaodan was a scoundrel, and Ming Jing was too cold to show intimacy. In Lin Ya, she finally got to enjoy some family happiness. Thinking about how this girl was now an orphan, she felt even more pity.


    After the show, Lin Ya tidied up the living room, helped Granny Zhu to her bedroom, before heading upstairs to her guest room.


    Li Juan was making the bed for her, and Lin Ya walked over to help.


    ¡°Sister Juan, thank you for taking care of me.¡±


    Li Juan felt a little embarrassed; this youngdy was really nice to talk to. If she was pretending, she had a deep mind. In a short time, the whole Zhu family was full of praise for her.


    Except for Zhu Xiangxiang, of course.


    ¡°You get some rest; I¡¯m right next door if you need anything.¡± Li Juan left after making the bed.


    Lin Ya went into the bathroom to wash up, and her phone in her pocket suddenly ¡°dinged.¡±


    Brushing her teeth, Lin Ya checked her phone.


    A Wen: Xiao Ya, where are you? Howe you didn¡¯te back to the dorm tonight? Did something happen to you?


    Lin Ya replied: I¡¯m at my aunt¡¯s house, and I¡¯ll be staying here for a few days. Don¡¯t worry.


    A Wen: Shocked expression! When did you get an aunt? I¡¯ve never heard you mention her before.


    Lin Ya¡¯s eyes sparkled like scattered stars in a gentle gxy: There¡¯s no need to mention it. I¡¯m just here to visit my aunt¡¯s house for Granny Zhu¡¯s birthday.


    A Wen: Oh, by the way, I have to tell you, since you weren¡¯t at school today, you missed a good show. Hu Guo¡¯er had to read an apology letter on the school radio station, haha! It was so embarrassing! I heard Professor Hu was so angry that he had a heart attack and is now in the hospital. It¡¯s a pity you didn¡¯t hear it firsthand.


    Lin Ya¡¯s lips curved: I hope she learns her lesson.


    Was it possible? Of course not.


    Professor Hu sacrificing his pawn to save his chariot, so the love of family was worth nothingpared to his own interests.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and Lin Ya went to open it.


    ¡°Cousin, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you looking for me sote?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang pushed the door open and walked in, then shut the door behind her.


    ¡°Lin Ya, what¡¯s your purpose ining to my house?¡±


    ¡°Cousin, what are you talking about? Of course, I¡¯m here to see my aunt.¡±


    ¡°You can fool my mother, but not me. I advise you to leave my house as soon as possible; otherwise, things will get ugly, and you¡¯ll only have yourself to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh? It seems my cousin is feeling guilty. Are you afraid I¡¯ll expose what happened back then, or are you afraid I¡¯ll¡­ take revenge?¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯d better know your ce.¡±


    ¡°You should know your ce, right? This is Ming Jing¡¯s house, not yours. You¡¯ve be so spoiled that even the Great Wall is not as thick as your skin.¡± Lin Ya flicked her hair, her expression gentle but with a hint of disdain.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenlyughed, ¡°In that case, just you watch. Not only Ming Jing, but I¡¯ll also make sure you and your cousin roll out of the Zhu family.¡±


    Lin Ya stared at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s retreating figure, eyes narrowed.


    She seemed to have something to rely on?


    Back in her room, Zhu Xiangxiang grabbed a flower vase and threw it to the ground, ¡°Why do all people have to be against me? Lin Ya, I¡¯ll never let you go.¡±


    Sucking in a deep breath, a dark and sinister smile suddenly appeared on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, Lin Ya.¡±


    ¡ª-


    Lin Ya remembered the first time she came to the Zhus with her father. There was a delicate little girl, dressed like a princess from the TV shows.


    She was extremely envious, and her aunt told her the little girl¡¯s name was Xiangxiang, and she was her cousin.


    ¡°Cousin, can I touch your dress?¡±

 Chapter 652: 340 Separation_2

    Chapter 652: 340 Separation_2


    ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    Just as she happily reached out her hand to touch the dress, the little girl held up her chin haughtily and said, ¡°This dress was bought by my mom from abroad. It¡¯s a limited edition. Do you know what that means? If you ruin it, selling you wouldn¡¯t be enough to make up for it.¡±


    She could never forget the mocking and disdainful smile on the little girl¡¯s face as she silently withdrew her poor hand.


    ¡°You can¡¯t touch this. It¡¯s a limited edition of Princess Belle. It¡¯s my favorite doll.¡±


    ¡°How can you be such a bumpkin? You want everything you see. You¡¯re really from a small town ¨C such a bumpkin face.¡±


    ¡°You ruined my dress, and¡­ How dare you hit me? Wuuwuu, I¡¯m going to tell my mom!¡±


    She stood there helplessly, she didn¡¯t do anything. Why did her cousin me her for ruining her dress and identally bumping her forehead into the table corner?


    Back then, she didn¡¯t understand what ¡°false usations¡± meant; she simply thought her cousin was strange.


    Her cousin cried and made a scene, causing her aunt to scold her harshly. She couldn¡¯t even defend herself.


    ¡°Look at the kind of child you¡¯ve raised! Full of lies and even hurting my Xiangxiang like this. Get out! Leave immediately! I never want to see you again!¡±


    Her father didn¡¯t say anything and just pulled her away from the Zhus.


    Before leaving, she nced back at Zhu Xiangxiang. The little girl peeked from behind Lin Qing, mischievously sticking out her tongue, and her eyes sparkled with the triumph of her mischief.


    ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t ruin her dress or push her,¡± she cried, standing outside the Zhus¡¯ gate.


    Her father crouched down and wiped the tears from her face: ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Xiao Ya. Dad believesyou. You¡¯re a good kid; you wouldn¡¯t lie.¡±


    For the next few years, this scene haunted her dreams and she couldn¡¯t forget it.


    Whenever she was restless at night, all the indignation and grievances turned into threads of hatred in her heart. She held her breath, just wanting to confront Zhu Xiangxiang one day.


    Why did you frame me?


    As she grew older, she understood that some evil deeds have no reason.


    However, back then, the proud and triumphant little princess was nothing but an impostor who stole someone else¡¯s nest.


    How ironic.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, this is only the beginning.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Ming Jing, wuuwuu, I can¡¯t bear to leave you!¡± Tao Xingxing pounced on Ming Jing, hugging her tightly.


    It turned out that Ming Jing hastily left the exam because Tao Xingxing had sent her a message, saying she had something very important to discuss.


    At first, she was greeted with a warm embrace.


    Ming Jing gently patted her back: ¡°That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t cry. We have advanced technology now; we can still video call each other.¡±


    Tao Xingxing couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°You already knew I was going abroad?¡±


    ¡°I met Uncle Tao at the hospital and heard him mention it.¡±


    ¡°Wuuwuu, I thought you would be reluctant to leave, but you¡¯re so heartless¡­¡± Tao Xingxing balled her small hands into fists and gently struck Ming Jing¡¯s back.


    Ming Jing let her vent.


    Tao Xingxing had cried for some time and finally got exhausted, slumping onto the sofa clutching a bag of chips.


    Even after crying like this, she didn¡¯t forget to eat ¨C a true foodie.


    ¡°My mom only told me this afternoon. I didn¡¯t agree, but she already started processing my withdrawal from school half a month ago. Yesterday, the final procedure waspleted, leaving me no choice but to ept. I hate them for wanting to take me abroad with them. I don¡¯t know anyone there, and I always fail my English exams. What am I supposed to do abroad?¡±


    They were leaving the day after New Year¡¯s Day, giving her no time to adjust.


    Talking about it made Tao Xingxing¡¯s eyes well up with tears again.


    ¡°Uncle Tao is being transferred for work and has to go abroad. Aunt Wu is willing to give up her career in China and apany Uncle Tao. Their love is touching. If they both go abroad and leave you here alone, would you be happy?¡±


    Tao Xingxing thought carefully and shook her head: ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave my parents.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and hugged her: ¡°The most helpless thing in the world is separation. There will always be an end to a gathering, and even I am just a passerby in your life. After you go abroad, you¡¯ll go to a new school, make new friends, and in a few days, you¡¯ll forget me.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? How can I ever forget you? You¡¯ll always be my best friend, and I have to be your best friend too.¡±

 Chapter 653: 340 Separation_3

    Chapter 653: 340 Separation_3


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    Tao Xingxing hugged Ming Jing¡¯s waist and sighed, ¡°Why do we have to part in life? It would be great if we could always be together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we have to grow up individually. You can experience a broader world by studying abroad, and Uncle Tao can pursue his dreams without worries. Your family will not be separated, and you¡¯re already very fortunate.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s gentle words offort finally made Tao Xingxing ept this reality.


    ¡°To ease your mind, I can tell you a secret. Next July, I will join the National Team topete in the IMO. I checked and found that the city where thepetition is held is less than 100 kilometers from the city where Uncle Tao¡¯sboratory is located. So, we can reunite in a foreignnd by then.¡±


    Tao Xingxing blinked and shouted excitedly, ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°Has the National Team roster been announced? You made it to the team! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Tao Xingxing spoke excitedly, even more thrilled than if she had made it herself.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°The roster hasn¡¯t been announced yet, but I have the confidence.¡±


    Tao Xingxingughed loudly, ¡°You¡¯re not humble at all now, but I¡¯m so fond of your confidence. It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    The two talkedte into the night, and Tao Xingxing didn¡¯t want Ming Jing to leave, since it was theirst night together in China and they would be apart for a long time. She still had so much to say to Ming Jing.<div>


    Ming Jing helped Tao Xingxing pack her bags, and she counted her collection of dolls with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t take these with me. Ming Jing, can you keep them for me? Please take good care of them.¡±


    Tao Xingxing took down the ivory pendant, ¡°My uncle gave this to me. Subconsciously, I think it¡¯s important to me, but it won¡¯t pass the security check, and I can¡¯t bring it abroad. Ming Jing, I¡¯ll give it to you. Let this pendant take my ce and be with you. Whenever you miss me, look at this pendant.¡±


    Ming Jing frowned.


    ¡°Oh, just take it.¡± Tao Xingxing stuffed the pendant into Ming Jing¡¯s hand, turned her back, and wiped her tears.


    Ming Jing held the pendant and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for you for now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    At night, the twoy in bed, and Tao Xingxing held Ming Jing¡¯s hand and talked for a long time before falling asleep.


    Ming Jing looked at the sleeping girl¡¯s peaceful face under the moonlight and got out of bed.


    She tucked her in and left the bedroom.


    The living room lights were off, and the hazy blue moonlight from the floor-to-ceiling window shone in, casting the silhouette of a woman sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°Is Xingxing asleep?¡±


    Ming Jing nodded.


    Wu Jiaqi patted the seat beside her, ¡°Sit.¡±


    Ming Jing walked over and sat down.


    ¡°Uncle Tao and some colleagues went out for drinks. They said a very skilled doctor from Jingzhou came to town. It¡¯s thanks to Dr. Bo that Uncle Tao can go abroad smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Let me be frank, once I take Xingxing abroad, we¡¯ll nevere back. Xingxing is innocent, and I won¡¯t let her get involved in any of those disputes or conspiracies. You must promise me to keep this secret. Otherwise, even as a ghost, I won¡¯t let you go.¡±


    At this moment, a gentle and straightforward woman, for the sake of her child, showed her ferocious fangs.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Aunt Wu, Xingxing is my best friend. I feel the same as you.¡±


    Wu Jiaqi saw the ivory pendant in her hand, her pupils constricting, ¡°She even gave you this? Well, never mind.¡±<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, or what your purpose is, but I¡¯m willing to believe in you once. I hope you keep your word.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Wu, don¡¯t worry. Xingxing will be happy and joyful all her life, just as you wish.¡±


    The girl¡¯s gentle voice seemed to contain endless strength. Wu Jiaqi looked deeply at her, but couldn¡¯t see her face clearly.


    Wu Jiaqi handed her a note, ¡°What you want is here.¡±<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    At 8 AM, Tao Xianxian arrived at the Taos¡¯ door with a bag of local specialties.


    ¡°Auntie, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were going abroad earlier? This is so sudden. I didn¡¯t have time to prepare. I bought some local specialties for you to take abroad. Let me know if you need anything, and I¡¯ll mail it to you¡­ Miss?¡±


    Tao Xianxian saw the girl having breakfast with Tao Xingxing in the dining room and was dumbfounded.


    Was she seeing things? Or was it just an illusion?


    Why would Miss appear at Uncle Tao¡¯s house?


    Tao Xingxing waved at her, ¡°Sister Xianxian, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Aunt Wu asked, ¡°Have you had breakfast? If not, eat with us.¡±


    Tao Xianxian washed her hands and walked over, feeling a little awkward.


    ¡°Miss? Howe you¡¯re here?¡±


    It seemed she had spent the night at Uncle Tao¡¯s house.


    How could she not know that Uncle Tao¡¯s family was so close to Miss?


    Ming Jing swallowed her food and said lightly, ¡°Xingxing and I are good friends. She is going abroad, so I came to see her off.¡±<div>


    Tao Xianxian suddenly understood, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    She hadpletely forgotten that Xingxing attended Shengde High School, where Miss was also a student. They must know each other. She just didn¡¯t expect them to be such good friends.


    Tao Xianxian carefully pulled out a chair and sat down, nibbling on a BBQ pork bun, secretly observing Ming Jing and Tao Xingxing¡¯s interaction.


    The two were really best friends.


    Tao Xianxian found it incredible. Xingxing was like a child who never grew up, while Miss was so mature it seemed unnatural. These two pr opposites managed to be best friends.


    Not long after, Tao Qian returned, gathered his things, and set off for the airport.


    Ming Jing arranged a car for them. At the airport, she gave Tao Xingxing a hug and patted her shoulder, ¡°Let me know when yound.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯m really leaving. You have to take care of yourself here. I¡¯ll see you in July next year.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Tao Xingxing hugged Tao Xianxian, ¡°Sister Xianxian, you need to find a boyfriend soon. Otherwise, my aunt will force you to go on blind dates, and the men there are all scum. They¡¯re not good enough for you.¡±


    Tao Xianxian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Tao Qian went to check in their luggage, and Wu Jiaqi waved at the two girls, ¡°You can go now. We¡¯re heading in. Let¡¯s go, Xingxing.¡±


    Tao Xingxing kept looking back, and Wu Jiaqi finally pulled her into the security check area.<div>


    At that moment, a young boy rushed in like the wind, scanning the area. With cupped hands around his mouth, he shouted, ¡°Xingxing, where are you?¡±

 Chapter 654: 341 Cross-year

    Chapter 654: 341 Cross-year


    Ming Jing and Tao Xianxian both looked at the young man in surprise, and Tao Xianxian was astonished, ¡°Does Xingxing have such a handsome little boyfriend?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Yan Chen and pointed in the direction of the security checkpoint, ¡°Xingxing just went in.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Yan Chen quickly chased after her.


    ¡°Xingxing, this is Yan Chen, where are you?¡±


    As soon as Tao Xingxing heard the call, she immediately rushed out of the security checkpoint, waved excitedly across the barrier tape, ¡°Yan Chen, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Yan Chen rushed over, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before going abroad? Were you nning to hide it from me forever if I hadn¡¯t heard it from someone else?¡±


    Tao Xingxing sighed, ¡°It happened so suddenly that I was taken aback.¡±


    Looking up again, Tao Xingxing¡¯s eyes were as bright as stars, ¡°I¡¯m very happy that you¡¯re here to send me off.¡±


    ¡°Xingxing, it¡¯s time to go.¡± Wu Jiaqi urged from behind.


    ¡°Yan Chen, I have to go. I¡¯m sorry, I might not be able to listen to your singing in the future. I wish you be a great singer.¡±<div>


    Yan Chen took off the pendant from his neck and stuffed it into her hand, ¡°Xingxing, you must wait for me. I will go abroad to find you.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Yan Chen left the airport with a gloomy look, ¡°Hey, kid, do you like Xingxing?¡±


    Yan Chen looked up to see the young woman who was with Ming Jing.


    Pressing his lips together, Yan Chen lowered his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Not bad, I approve of you, but you know that Xingxing likes singers, right? You have a good appearance and singing voice. I rmend you to sign with an agent.¡±


    Tao Xianxian handed him a business card, ¡°Young man, go give it a try.¡±


    Yan Chen epted the card and read the gilded words, muttering, ¡°Unspeakable Entertainment Agency?¡±


    With the card in hand, Yan Chen left with determination.


    Tao Xianxianughed as she watched the young man leave, and sighed, ¡°Youth is wonderful.¡±


    As Ming Jing left the airport, Tao Xianxian hurried to catch up, her expression bing serious, ¡°Miss, I was just looking for you. Mr. Zhu has been in contact with several shareholders recently, making subtle moves. Do you think we should¡­?¡±


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You and Du Ze just need to clean up the ounts and withdraw in time.¡±


    Tao Xianxian was stunned. What was the youngdy trying to do? Was she going to ignore the mess at the Zhus¡¯?


    But it was also fine; she worked for the youngdy, not for the Zhu Group. It would be even better if she could enter the youngdy¡¯s foundation.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± Tao Xianxian climbed into the car, ¡°Wind Chime Magazine has invited you to shoot the cover and attend the fashion g at the end of the year.¡±


    Wind Chime Magazine is considered the most authoritative presence in the fashion world. Ming Jing is now a celebrity in the fashion circle, and many magazines have extended olive branches to her. Butpared to Wind Chime Magazine, those other magazines were not up to par and not worth Ming Jing¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Editor Wen Na personally invited you, with great sincerity, and proposed that it would be a good opportunity to promote the foundation, including the fashion g at the end of the year, with the theme being charity.¡±


    No wonder Wen Na, a seasoned editor in the fashion circle for many years, could easily win people over with a few words.


    Ming Jing asked, ¡°When?¡±<div>


    ¡°Shooting for the magazine on January 5th, and the g event on the 12th. This year¡¯s venue is in Jiangzhou, which is your home turf, Miss.¡±


    ¡°ept it for me.¡±


    Tao Xianxian smiled, ¡°Miss, when you attend the event, the red carpet has always been the stage for actresses. You will definitely outshine all of them. None of those actresses in the entertainment industry canpare to you. As long as we spread the word, lots of big brands will sponsor your jewelry and clothing.¡±


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t waste too much energy on these matters. The car drove into the underground parking lot of Tonghe Shengshi.<div>


    Ming Jing got out of the car, and the driver continued to drive Tao Xianxian home.


    The underground garage was empty and cold, with flickering sensor lights and bone-piercing cold winding from an unknown direction, blowing Ming Jing¡¯s hair and dress hem.


    Ming Jing hesitated, squinting her eyes slightly.


    A murderous aura silently spread, like a dense, imprable.


    A shadow, as agile as a leopard, emerged from the depths of darkness, wielding a soft whip aimed straight at Ming Jing¡¯s neck.


    The soft whip was boneless yet more terrifying than the scythe of death. Under the dim sensor light, the barbs on the whip shimmered with a cold, eerie gleam, and just as the whip was about to wrap around Ming Jing, a shadow darted out in the nick of time, a long arm sweeping through the air and catching the whip with a bare hand.


    The young man dressed in ck blended with the night, exuding a cold and mysterious aura.


    Behind him, a young girl stood as immovable as a mountain, her white skirt fluttering in the night breeze, like a soft and beautiful dream.

 Chapter 655: 341 New Years Eve_2

    Chapter 655: 341 New Year¡¯s Eve_2


    ck against white, hard against soft.


    The young man snorted disdainfully, ¡°How dare these petty thieves attempt a sneak attack? They¡¯re practically begging for death.¡±


    With that, he yanked on the whip, causing a figure to stumble, who still didn¡¯t let go of the whip.


    Under themplight, the anguished and horrified face of a woman was revealed.


    ¡°Xi Yu, so you were in cahoots with this woman. Master Xiao trusted you for nothing.¡±


    The young man coldly replied, ¡°Only Miss is my sworn master whom I¡¯ll serve to the death.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what wrong I¡¯ve done to Mr. Ran that he goes to such lengths to have me killed.¡± The gentle voice of a young woman wafted around the empty underground parking lot, sending chills down people¡¯s spine.


    Ye Shuang gritted her teeth, ¡°Because you deserve to die.¡±


    She had found plenty of evidence at Siji Town, enough to conclude the startling truth that Master Xiao had been charmed by beauty and dared not act. Thus, she must act on his behalf and eradicate this scourge.


    ¡°Everyone is born equal. Why should I deserve to die? Kindly enlighten me, Miss Ye.¡±<div>


    ¡°What act are you putting on?¡± Ye Shuang snapped, ¡°I won¡¯t let you seed in your scheme. Give up any hope of that.¡±


    Ming Jing sighed sadly, ¡°You are truly pitiable¡­¡±.


    Hearing this, Ye Shuang red up in an instant like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t need your pity; you can go to hell.¡±


    With those words, a frigid light shed in her eyes, pointing in the air, she snapped out a dart towards Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing stood unmoving, a delicate smile on her lips. Standing amidst the dark, she remained still as a mountain even as death neared.


    With a swift kick, Eighteen knocked the dart away, burying it deep into the wall, causing the ster to ke away.


    ¡°Looking for death.¡± Cursing, Eighteen, armed with the whip, charged towards her.


    In a matter of seconds, Ye Shuang was tossed at Ming Jing¡¯s feet by Eighteen.


    Eighteen pulled out a tissue and meticulously wiped his fingers, his expression full of disgust.


    With her face burning in humiliation, Ye Shuang said, ¡°Just kill me.¡±


    ¡°Killing is against thew, are you encouraging me tomit a crime?¡± Ming Jing gazed down at her, ¡°Mr. Ran doesn¡¯t know about your attempt on my life, does he?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    Suddenly, several darts shot out of the darkness, stunning in their speed.


    Eighteen rolled over, shielding Ming Jing.


    With a faint ¡°rip,¡± a flying dart tore Ming Jing¡¯s skirt and embedded itself into the cement floor.


    Ming Jing pushed Eighteen away, slowly got up, bending over to pick up the torn piece of her skirt and the spinning dart made of mysterious metal.


    Five dartsy lined up on the ground, perfectly controlled in terms of strength and distance.


    ¡°What impressive control.¡± Ming Jing yed with the dart, a faint smile on her lips.


    ¡°She got away.¡± Eighteen immediately gave chase,<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Ming Jing called out to him.


    Eighteen ran his hand through his hair in frustration: ¡°Damn it.¡±


    Ming Jing handed him the dart, ¡°Who do you reckon it might be?¡±


    Instantly, a person came to Eighteen¡¯s mind: ¡°Ye Feng?¡±<div>


    He had faced off against Ye Feng in thest martial arts tournament. Despite his young age, this kid was extremely talented in martial arts and would surely be a force to reckon with in due time.


    Ming Jing turned to leave, ¡°You wonst time thanks to the advantage of speed. If the terrain was unrestricted, you wouldn¡¯t win against him.¡±


    Eighteen followed her, examining the dart in his hand, ¡°There are always bigger fish in the sea, more capable people out and about.¡±


    ¡°But they want to kill you.¡± A murderous look shed in Eighteen¡¯s eyes.


    Ming Jing chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, what awaits them is Ran Tengxiao¡¯s fury.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao wouldn¡¯t kill her-strictly speaking, not yet.


    ¨C


    ¡°Thud.¡± A pen holder hit Ye Shuang¡¯s forehead, causing her to prostrate on the ground, not daring to breathe.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting bolder, concealing your acts of murder. Are the police idling about? Can I, Ran Tengxiao, still cover the skies with one hand? Do you think she¡¯s just a little nun from Jiyue Temple?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao was furious indeed.


    ¡°Master Xiao, she has to die.¡± With her forehead pressed against the ground, Ye Shuang insisted on her standpoint.


    Ran Tengxiao aggressively kicked her, ¡°Presumptuous woman, you nearly ruined my n. How did I end up raising such an idiot?¡±


    Ye Shuang froze, ¡°n?¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin, waving her away, ¡°Go to Yunzhou. Jiangzhou is not for you anymore. You¡¯re not allowed back without my order.¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao, I¡¯m sorry. I realize my reckless actions disrupted your n. But I still believe that what I did was right, she must die. And Xi Yu, he¡¯s been deceiving you all along, colluding with that bastard, ingratiating himself with you with ulterior motives. You know well what he¡¯s after, it¡¯s time to cut him off.¡±

 Chapter 656: 341 New Years Eve_3

    Chapter 656: 341 New Year¡¯s Eve_3


    Ye Shuang knelt and bowed, before standing up to leave.


    Ye Jian nced at the wound on her forehead and scolded, ¡°What am I to do with you¡­ It¡¯s fine if you are going to Yunzhou. The Qinglong Association will surely face a turbulent period soon, it¡¯s better for you toy low for a while.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what exactly is Master Xiao¡¯s n?¡±


    ¡°For me to tell you so you can further disrupt it?¡±


    Ye Shuang pursed her lips, ¡°When I¡¯m not around, keep an eye on Master Xiao and make sure he doesn¡¯t grow any unnecessary affections towards that Ming Jing. She is nothing but a venomous woman.¡±


    Ye Jian sighed helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, they are just¡­.¡±


    Ye Shuang gave him a quick nce, ¡°Do you think Master Xiao would care for gossip?¡±


    She walked up to Ye Feng and patted his shoulder, ¡°Little Junior, I owe you a life. Please look after Master Xiao when I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Ye Feng waved his hand with a smile, ¡°Senior, you¡¯re too courteous, it¡¯s my duty.¡±


    Ye Shuang stiffened a bit, is this guy really happy about her departure?<div>


    Well, only with her departure can there be a ce for this kid.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Ye Shuang left, Ye Feng asked, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m a bit lost. Who exactly is this Ming Jing? Xi Yu is actually her man, is this girl really that powerful?¡±


    Ye Jian patted his head, ¡°Let¡¯s go see Master Xiao.¡±


    Ye Feng nodded and entered the Ran family¡¯s study for the first time.


    He looked around curiously, Ran Tengxiao was standing in front of a painting, his upright posture gave off a sense of loneliness.


    ¡°Master Xiao, my junior sister has left. This is my younger brother Ye Feng, he will guard your safety closely from now on.¡±


    Ye Feng followed his brother¡¯s example and greeted, ¡°Nice to meet you, Master Xiao, I¡¯m Ye Feng.¡±


    Ye Feng leaned closer to Ye Jian and asked, ¡°What is Master Xiao looking at?¡±


    Ye Jian signaled him to be quiet with his eyes.


    Ye Feng stuck his tongue out and made a teasing face.


    Seeing this, Ye Jian helplessly shook his head.


    ¡°My uncle, though he wasn¡¯t much of a schr, fancied himself refined, and collected many famous paintings. This masterpiece of the Fuchun Mountains, a famous artist¡¯s copy, once reached a record price at auction and was bought by a wealthy businessman from Yunzhou. Half a yearter, a huge fire broke out at the businessman¡¯s house and all the people and all the collected treasures were reduced to ashes in the fire.¡±


    Upon hearing Ran Tengxiao¡¯s indifferent tone, Ye Feng naively replied, ¡°The fire was set by your uncle.¡±


    Ye Jian was shocked and it was toote to cover his mouth.


    He immediately lowered his head, ¡°Master Xiao, my younger brother is too naive, please forgive him.¡±


    After saying this, he shot Ye Feng a threatening look, but Ye Feng didn¡¯t seem to care.


    However, surprisingly, Ran Tengxiao was not angry. He turned his gaze to Ye Feng andughed, ¡°So, you think my uncle was right or wrong?¡±


    ¡°Every man for himself, heaven shall annihte those who do not fend for themselves. If anyone is to me, me the businessman for hiding a precious jewel.¡± Ye Feng crossed his arms and responded casually.<div>


    To his surprise, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s face turned cold, he snorted, ¡°Behaving without any moral bottom line is no different from a beast. You are indeed still a child.¡±


    Ye Feng slightly held his lips back and lowered his head somewhat discontentedly.


    ¡°Master Xiao.¡± Ye Jian switched the topic, ¡°Tomorrow is Granny Zhu¡¯s birthday and she has sent invitations to all the major families in Jiangzhou. Almost all the elites in Jiangzhou will gather at the Zhongdu Hotel, but I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be peaceful tomorrow, because we ran into Zhu Xiangxiang in Siji Town.¡±


    ¡°The Zhu¡¯s fake heiress?¡± Ran Tengxiao chuckled.<div>


    ¡°Yes, she suspects Miss Ming Jing¡¯s identity and¡­ she has gathered enough evidence. I had someone follow her and found out ¡­¡±


    ¡°How interesting.¡± Ran Tengxiao sighed, his gaze fixed on the painting on the wall.


    ¡°Uncle, if this is a contingency n you left behind, I must say, I¡¯m growing more and more in awe of you.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThat night.


    Lin Qing, exhausted from head to toe, returned to the Zhu¡¯s residence. Her anxiety deepened as the banquet approached.


    This was the biggest banquet she had ever organized sinceing to Jiangzhou. She aimed for perfection in every aspect, which nearly exhausted her physically and mentally.


    It was the night of the New Year¡¯s Eve, and the Zhus¡¯ home was also decorated. Zhu Shaodan, who had been elusive, finally showed up.


    He seemed to like Lin Ya quite a bit, chatting with her and asking about her well-being.


    Upon Lin Qing¡¯s return, Lin Ya promptly served her prepared tea ¨C jasmine lily, which was known for calming nerves and relieving fatigue.


    Lin Qing patted her hand with a smile, ¡°Good child, you¡¯ve also had a long day. Take some rest now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired, Auntie. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve had your dinner yet. I saved it for you. Have some soup first, and I¡¯ll go heat up the meal.¡± With these words, she went into the kitchen.


    Lin Qing sighed, ¡°Such a good girl.¡±


    She turned her head and looked at Zhu Shaodan, who was sprawled on the sofa engrossed in his mobile phone. His irritating dyed green hair instantly infuriated Lin Qing.<div>


    ¡°Where have you been fooling around these past days? You¡¯re never home. Do you even remember your way back? And that green hair of yours, I really want to shave it off. You¡¯re constantly causing me distress.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan replied gleefully, ¡°Tomorrow Granny is celebrating her birthday, of course, I woulde back. How could I miss the show?¡±


    Lin Qing frowned, ¡°What show?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan snorted, ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your sister?¡± Lin Qing nced at Lin Ya bustling in the kitchen, feeling a bit upset.


    ¡°Not sure. It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve today, she probably went out with friends.¡± Zhu Shaodan then strolled upstairs clutching his phone not wanting to be interrogated further by Lin Qing.


    Lin Ya emerged from the kitchen with a meal, ¡°Auntie,e have your meal.¡±


    Upon seeing the meal, Lin Qing found it quite impressive, ¡°Did you make all of this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know you love shrimp wontons, Auntie. I specially bought fresh shrimps for the filling. I hope you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    Lin Qing took a bite and suddenly paused, ¡°This tastes exactly like how your grandfather used to make it.¡±


    The Lins had run a restaurant for generations in their small town. Lin Ya¡¯s grandfather, Lin Qing¡¯s father, was best at making shrimp wontons ¨C a taste that had been etched deep in Lin Qing¡¯s memory, quintessentially her father¡¯s. Unfortunately, her father had died long ago.


    ¡°My father taught me how to make it. I never met my grandfather, but dad always said he was a very good man.¡±


    A tear fell into Lin Qing¡¯s bowl: ¡°I have failed your family. As your aunt, I will make sure you¡¯re never wronged again.¡±<div>


    After dinner, Lin Qing went upstairs to rest. After Lin Ya had tidied up the kitchen, she saw Li Juan walking into Granny Zhu¡¯s room with a bowl of water.


    Lin Ya instinctively followed her in.


    ¡°Madam, this is the medicine that the young miss wished for you to take.¡±


    Granny Zhu nced at the pill and instantly felt a headache, ¡°I despise swallowing pills the most.¡±


    ¡°Young Miss is doing this for your good. Have it soon and get some sleep. Tomorrow is your big day, and it¡¯s going to be quite bustling.¡±


    Granny Zhu made a sour face from the taste of the pill. Li Juan quickly helped her swallow it down with some honey water.


    ¡°What kind of medicine is this? It¡¯s so bitter.¡±


    ¡°Good medicine always tastes bitter, that¡¯s how it benefits you. Drink honey water to alleviate the bitterness. I¡¯ve kept it warm in a cup for you. Remember to drink it if you get thirsty in the middle of the night already.¡±


    Li Juan closed the room door and left.


    Lin Ya frowned, remembering that Granny Zhu was supposed to be taking herbal medicine rather than pills.


    As the depth of the night receded and the first ray of dawn broke through the sky,


    A new year was upon them.


    Lin Ya felt a storm was brewing.<div>


    This was destined to be the final tranquil night.

 Chapter 657: 342 Grand Show (Explosive Update Notice)

    Chapter 657: 342 Grand Show (Explosive Update Notice)


    At 4 PM Jiangzhou time, arge number of traffic police were dispatched near Zhongdu Hotel in the city center to control traffic.


    Those who didn¡¯t know any better would¡¯ve thought some big shot was in the area.


    Turns out Granny Zhu, Ming Jing¡¯s maternal grandmother, was holding a birthday banquet at Zhongdu Hotel nearby. Almost all of Jiangzhou¡¯s elite had gathered, so it was no wonder traffic control was necessary.


    Online forums were discussing today¡¯s banquet and the scale of it, specting who would attend.


    Plenty of journalists were staking out the area around the hotel for a live broadcast. The number of viewers continued to grow, making it quite lively.


    ¡ª¡ª May Granny Zhu be blessed with health and a long life of a hundred years!


    ¡ª¡ª Our Goddess Ming Jing¡¯s maternal grandmother must be as kind-hearted and beautiful as her granddaughter. Wishing her a long and healthy life too!


    ¡ª¡ª In my entire life, I¡¯ve never seen so many luxury cars. It¡¯s eye-opening!


    This asion hadpletely taken over the discussion in the chat room and online forums, with heated debates everywhere.


    Lin Qing and Zhu Wentao were standing at the hotel entrance greeting guests. Lin Qing wore a red cheongsam with a burgundy mink shawl draped over her shoulders. Her makeup was elegant, and she looked festive and highly dignified as hostess.<div>


    It was quite cold at the entrance, so Lin Qing couldn¡¯t help but rub her hands together. Seeing her, Zhu Wentao took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.


    Lin Qing gave him a re but didn¡¯t say anything since it was too cold to care otherwise.


    ¡°Madam Ye.¡± Lin Qing greeted her with a warm smile.


    The entire Ye family had arrived, with Ye Lan and Ye Cheng following their parents. Nowadays, the happiest person in Jiangzhou was Madam Ye, surrounded by a loving family and well-behaved children.


    ¡°Madam Zhu, it¡¯s quite a grand event today. You should take care of yourself and not get too tired.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Madam Ye. I¡¯ll be sure to take it easy. Please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Where is Granny Zhu? I¡¯d like to offer her my birthday wishes first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± Lin Qing led Madam Ye and Ye Lan to the adjacent lounge.


    Madam Ye asked, ¡°Is Ms. Ming Jing here?¡±


    Lin Qing replied with a smile, ¡°Of course she is. It¡¯s just that Granny Zhu forgot her favorite teacup at home, so Ming Jing went back to get it.¡±


    ¡°Sending someone else to fetch it would¡¯ve been enough. But Ming Jing went personally. You won¡¯t find another child as filial as her in all of Manjiangzhou.¡± Madam Ye praised her sincerely.


    Lin Qing¡¯s smile grew even warmer.


    Inside the lounge, Granny Zhu was apanied by a young girl instead of Zhu Xiangxiang. Madam Ye was taken aback, ¡°Who is this¡­?¡±


    Ye Lan eximed in surprise, ¡°Lin Ya? What are you doing here?¡±


    Both Madam Ye and Lin Qing looked at Ye Lan, ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    Lin Ya smiled and walked over, ¡°Senior sister.¡±


    Ye Lan exined, ¡°Lin Ya is my junior sister from school. We know each other from the student council.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s smile grew wider, ¡°I see. Xiao Ya is my niece, but she¡¯s quite timid. Ye Lan, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to look after her at school.¡±


    Madam Ye suddenly understood, ¡°No wonder she looks so much like Madam Zhu. They¡¯re close rtives!¡±<div>


    Ye Lan¡¯s gaze swept over Lin Ya¡¯s face. Lin Ya had dressed up specially for today, wearing a Chanel-inspired dress and styled her hair to emphasize her natural purity. She looked every bit the picture of an elegantdy.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, Madam Zhu. Lin Ya is smart and sensible, very popr at school. If people knew she was Ming Jing¡¯s cousin, no one would dare to bully her.¡±


    Ever since the incident with Hu Guo¡¯er half a month ago, the entire school had lost face, even the respectable Professor Hu. With any chance of promotion now slim, they could only me Lin Ya ¨C or more urately, Ming Jing.


    Who would¡¯ve thought this seemingly quiet junior sister was hiding such a secret connection? Fortunately, Ye Lan hadn¡¯t had any conflicts with her in the past, making it less awkward now.<div>


    ¡°Senior sister, you¡¯ve been a great help to me at school. When I first joined the student council, there was so much I didn¡¯t know. You patiently taught me everything, bit by bit. Thank you, senior sister.¡±


    Lin Qing smiled with satisfaction, ¡°Ye Lan is kind-hearted and capable. You should learn from her.¡±


    Ye Lan couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward. Was Lin Ya mocking her on purpose?


    It didn¡¯t seem that way.


    Ye Lan thought to herself that Lin Ya was quite tactful.


    After Madam Ye offered her birthday wishes to Granny Zhu, she went to the adjacent room to rest. The room was stocked with fruits and snacks, and attendants frequently arrived to refill the teapot with hot water.


    Madam Ye took a sip of tea, wiped her mouth, and finally said, ¡°I find that young girl called Lin Ya quite impressive, and she even happens to be Ming Jing¡¯s cousin. She¡¯s more like a youngdy than that fake rich girl. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯d never heard of her before.¡±

 Chapter 658: 342 Grand Show (Explosive Update Notice)_2

    Chapter 658: 342 Grand Show (Explosive Update Notice)_2


    Ye Lan casually said, ¡°She¡¯s from a small town.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being from a small town? The Zhus also started from a small town, look at their birthday banquet, so grand and impressive. Everyone envies them. It¡¯s because they produced a remarkable person in Ming Jing. As long as someone has a connection with Ms. Ming Jing, they¡¯ll surely benefit from it.¡±


    This Lin Ya is different from Zhu Xiangxiang, they are blood-rted.


    As for Zhu Xiangxiang, to put it bluntly, she¡¯s like a sparrow upying a swallow¡¯s nest. It¡¯s even an overstatement to call her a sparrow, she¡¯s more like a little moth. Who in Manjiangzhou would take her seriously?


    Lin Ya is Ming Jing¡¯s legitimate cousin. Just look at how Madam Zhu favors her; Zhu Xiangxiang might fall out of favor soon.


    ¡°Yeah, Madam Zhu isn¡¯t a fool. At first, it was difficult for her to part with her adoptive daughter of more than a decade, but time is the ultimate test of people¡¯s hearts. Eventually, she¡¯ll see who¡¯s good and who¡¯s not.¡±


    At first, when Madam Ye heard Madam Zhu didn¡¯t like Ming Jing and favored the fake one instead, she cursed Madam Zhu for being kicked in the head by a donkey, saying that she¡¯d regret it sooner orter.


    The door opened, and Madam Gao and Gao Jia walked in.


    Ye Lan affectionately linked arms with Gao Jia, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    Gao Jia said irritably, ¡°I didn¡¯t want toe, but my mom dragged me here. Oh, did you just see Lin Ya? I didn¡¯t expect her to be Zhu Mingjing¡¯s cousin. I always wondered why Ming Jing would help her for no reason. If Hu Guo¡¯er knew this, her nose would be all twisted from anger.¡±<div>


    After finishing her sentence, sheughed with malicious glee. She had disliked Hu Guo¡¯er for a long time and felt that Hu Guo¡¯er thought too highly of herself at school. Now, it served her right to hit a dead-end.


    Ye Lan looked at the woman beside Madam Gao and asked, ¡°Is that your second aunt?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my second aunt is in poor health and doesn¡¯t usually attend social gatherings. But she said that after drinking the medicine Charles Gao gave her, her health improved a lot. It turned out the prescription was from Zhu Mingjing, so my second aunt is very grateful to Ming Jing. She insisted oning to this banquet no matter what.¡±


    Ye Lan said, ¡°Ms. Zhu is really kind-hearted.¡±


    Gao Jia pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything, as they were on someone else¡¯s territory.


    Soon, an elegant young girl entered, and Gao Jia waved, ¡°Ningning.¡±


    Ye Lan nced at the girl, ¡°Your cousin came too?¡±


    Bai Weining came over and said with a smile, ¡°Sister Ye Lan, long time no see, you¡¯re even more beautiful thanst time we met.¡±


    Ye Lan touched her cheek andughed, ¡°Ningning, you¡¯re the one who has grown more beautiful. Now you¡¯re a big star, I wouldn¡¯t even dare recognize you when you go out.¡±


    Bai Weining sat down and linked arms with Gao Jia, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m so bored. When will the banquet start?¡±


    She had just looked around but didn¡¯t see Brother Qu. Was he noting tonight?


    No way, he¡¯s in Jiangzhou, he must not miss this event.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer. At the very least, we have to wait for everyone to arrive. The stars haven¡¯t even shown up yet. We¡¯re just here to make up the numbers.¡± Gao Jia was cracking melon seeds while turning on the TV with the remote control, searching for a recently popr drama to watch.


    A clich¨¦ drama about wealthy families, full of cheating scandals and car idents, with pping faces left, right, and center. It was a non-stop thrill. Madam Ye and both Madam Gaos, who were chatting, were attracted by the TV screen, and they stopped talking, devoting their full attention to the drama.


    The rich second generation abandoned his childhood sweetheart from a well-to-do family, in favor of a poor Cindere who has nothing but kindness. They even turned against their family for her.


    The three Madams¡¯ mouths twitched.


    ¡°These dramas really corrupt kids, transmitting the wrong values. Only a rich second-generation guy who¡¯s been kicked in the head by a donkey would prefer a Cindere over his childhood sweetheart from an equally wealthy family. Is this possible in real life?¡± Madam Gao grumbled.


    Fortunately, she had no sons and didn¡¯t have this worry.


    Madam Gao and Madam Ye exchanged looks, empathizing with each other.<div>


    Bai Weining giggled, ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re wrong. What¡¯s wrong with pursuing free love? I think the male lead is very brave. A nned life is not interesting. With Cindere, there are endless possibilities for the days ahead.¡±


    Madam Gao spoke earnestly, ¡°Ningning, you¡¯re still too young and na?ve. In fairy tales, the prince and Cindere live happily ever after, but what happens next? Those tales never continue because, after marriage, reality sets in. The couple¡¯s vastly different backgrounds and educations would cause friction, attracted only by the novelty at first. Once the novelty fades, conflicts emerge, and life bes trivial. It would only end in an awkward situation.¡±

 Chapter 659: 342 Grand Show (Explosive Update Notice)_3

    Chapter 659: 342 Grand Show (Explosive Update Notice)_3


    Bai Weining still disagreed: ¡°Being alive, of course we should pursue passionate love. Even if it ends in regret, it¡¯s still worth it in this life.¡±


    Both Madam Gao shook their heads at the same time, only Madam Ye smiled.


    The two madams looked at Madam Ye¡¯s smile and felt ufortable in their hearts.


    Both were in marriages for business alliances, but Madam Ye had love marriage. Ye Zheng worked hard to build their family business from scratch and always stood by Madam Ye.


    But how many couples in the world are like that?


    Even the couple who struggled together in the Zhu Group ended up with an affair, right?


    Madam Ye said: ¡°Do you remember what Master Ming Jing said? Marriage and fate are based on past life connections. In this life, we have thoughts, and in the next life, we have affinity. No matter what, it¡¯s destiny. We should cherish itby ourselves.¡±


    The two Madam Gao had nothing to say.


    ¡°What a lively gathering with all the madams here.¡± Madam Li entered with Li Qingyao.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    The Zhu family.


    Ming Jing took a cup and left.


    She ran into Zhu Xiangxiang who had just returned.


    Zhu Xiangxiang had dressed up carefully, looking radiant and proud.


    As they met, she blocked Ming Jing¡¯s way.


    Raising her hand, she brushed the slightly curled locks beside her temple and twirled it around her finger.


    ¡°This dress of yours is pretty nice. Today¡¯s banquet technically celebrates Grandma¡¯s birthday, but in reality, it¡¯s a stage for your fame and fortune ¡ª you urged mom to make this banquet big, just to show how great you are, right?¡±


    Ming Jing smirked: ¡°What do you really want to say?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang said word by word: ¡°I will let you know what it¡¯s like to lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows: ¡°It seems I have saved you several times, does it feel right to return kindness with enmity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just upholding justice.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang said without blushing or panting.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll wait for the good news.¡± Ming Jing left with a faint smile.


    Zhu Xiangxiang snorted, ¡°What a thing.¡±


    Li Juan approached with little steps: ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, you¡¯re back, when are we going to the hotel?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang nced at her: ¡°What did Ming Jinge back for?¡±


    ¡°To get a cup for the olddy, what¡¯s wrong, Miss Xiangxiang?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang squinted at her: ¡°You were almost frozen to death on the side of the road when I brought you back, which allowed you to live such a good life.¡±


    Li Juan immediately said with a ttering face: ¡°I, Li Juan, have no way to repay Miss Xiangxiang¡¯s life-saving grace, and I¡¯m willing to die for you.¡±


    ¡°Remember that. Tonight, I have something for you to do. If you seed, you can choose from my collection of jewelry, and I¡¯ll give you a set of real estate, enough for you to live worry-free for the rest of your life.¡±<div>


    Li Juan immediately looked overjoyed: ¡°Really? That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll do whatever Miss Xiangxiang asks me to.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang was very satisfied with her understanding.


    Upstairs, Zhu Shaodan came down yawning, and seeing Zhu Xiangxiang, he immediately jumped over: ¡°How¡¯s it going? Is everything arranged?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang tiptoed to adjust his cor: ¡°Tonight, all the major celebrities in Jiangzhou will be here, including the major media covering the banquet. Be steady, don¡¯t disgrace the Zhu family.¡±<div>


    Zhu Shaodan pursed his lips: ¡°Is it me who disgraces the Zhu family?¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s almost time, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Li Juan¡¯s eyes darted around as she followed quickly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At six o¡¯clock, most of the guests had arrived, and the finale characters made their appearance.


    Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen, the newly arrived Mr. Hu, Mr. Shen¡¯s couple, and Madam Jiang finally arrived, setting off the climax of the party.


    This was also Jiang Chun¡¯s first appearance in front of the camera, the woman who controlled half of Jiangzhou¡¯s power was unveiled.


    ¡ª¡ªWow, this madam has such an amazing aura, her figure is so good. She must be a powerful person to appear after Mr. Shen.


    ¡ª¡ªHuh? The guy next to her looks familiar; isn¡¯t he the recently famous school hunk of Jiang University? Could she be the school hunk¡¯s mother?


    ¡ª¡ªThey do look alike, so they¡¯re genuinely mother and son. Rumors say Jiang school hunk has a prominent background, and the rumors do not seem fake. It¡¯s just that thisdy looks very powerful¡­


    ¡ª¡ªLook up the Jiang family of Jingzhou and you¡¯ll be shocked. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild, it¡¯s already a great honor to have them here.


    Then thisment was quickly deleted by the system.


    Bai Ziyan, Song Yinzhang, and Qu Feitai arrived together. Three handsome men with their own talents were always the most popr wherever they went.<div>


    Of course, Qu Feitai¡¯s arrivalpletely ignited the climax of tonight¡¯s event.


    The live broadcast room was full ofments, and the inte was paralyzed for a moment.


    This was the power of a top superstar.


    Even the scene became agitated because of his arrival.


    Jiang Chun paused and looked back: ¡°The young man from the Qu family.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s face was cold, taking a nce and then withdrawing his gaze: ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Jiang Chun nced at him: ¡°Do you want to greet your friends?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Jiang Jinchen turned around expressionlessly, his tall and straight back exuding coldness.


    Jiang Chun smiled and walked in gracefully under the respectful gazes of Lin Qing and Zhu Wentao.


    Xie Zhen fiddled with her newly bought dress, which was the most expensive one she had ever bought. But among these wealthy people adorned with pearls and gems, she looked incredibly in.


    At the entrance of the hotel¡¯s red carpet, she didn¡¯t have the courage to step on it.


    As she was about to leave, someone grabbed her braid: ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Xie Zhen turned around: ¡°Zhao Heng?¡±<div>


    Zhao Heng was wearing a suit, looking tall and handsome. His hair was slicked back and shiny, giving off a mature charm.


    ¡°Hmm, am I so handsome that you can¡¯t even recognize me?¡± Zhao Heng suddenly leaned in close to Xie Zhen, staring at her face.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heartbeat quickened, and she shyly lowered her eyes: ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    Zhao Heng suddenly reached out, and Xie Zhen¡¯s heart almost jumped out of her throat.


    ¡°Your mascara is not well applied, it¡¯s all clumped together.¡± Zhao Heng pinched the lumps of mascara on his fingertip.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s face flushed red, and she felt extremely embarrassed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Later, I¡¯ll find someone to redo your makeup. I¡¯ll take you in; you¡¯re Ming Jing¡¯s friend, be confident, and don¡¯t disgrace her.¡±


    Xie Zhen pursed her lips, her confusion quickly soothed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered.


    Thinking about not letting down Ming Jing, she stood tall and followed Zhao Heng onto the red carpet.

 Chapter 660: 343 Curtain (First Watch)

    Chapter 660: 343 Curtain (First Watch)


    Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin got out of the car, ¡°Tut tut, what a scene. The Zhus are really something now, but they¡¯re still just upstarts at heart, being from such a small town.¡±


    Speaking of the Zhus, they weren¡¯t really a top-tier family in Jiangzhou. The different strata of great families had rankings, and the Zhus were only a lower-ranking one.


    But after the true and fake heiresses appeared, with the reputation of the real heiress, Ming Jing, rising, the Zhus also gained fame. They are now quite a hot topic.


    Zhao Qin adjusted her shawl with a gloomy, indescribable expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ye Shuang had been banished to Yunzhou. When she asked Xiao Hua for news, it turns out that Ye Shuang had tried to assassinate Ming Jing, and Xi Yu had indeed, turned out to be Ming Jing¡¯s man.


    With Xi Yu¡¯s protection, Ye Shuang naturally couldn¡¯t seed.


    Ye Shuang isn¡¯t a fool, so why would she try to assassinate Ming Jing for no reason?


    There must be something behind this.


    Zhao Qin furrowed her brows, always feeling like she had overlooked something.<div>


    Then a Rolls-Royce stopped behind them, and Li Jiaojiao squinted to see who it was.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this? What a show.¡±


    A chauffeur in uniform got out of the car, walked to the back, and respectfully bowed to open the rear door.


    A beautiful foot wearing a red high heel stepped out first. The red was so bright and passionate that it made the red on Zhao Qin seem dull inparison.


    A red skirt fluttered, and a petite, exquisite youngdy bent down and walked out of the car. In the middle of winter, she wore a red dress, bare-chested, and backless. Although beautiful, it was also freezing¡­


    The appearance of this youngdy immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.


    Wearing clothes like this in winter was really an act of bravery.


    Especially now with the cold front, today¡¯s temperature had dropped below zero.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s brain was frozen. She never expected that the weather would be so cold. Her face was stiffened, meaning that no facial expression could be made. In the eyes of others, she was a cold, emotionless beauty.


    A suit jacket was draped over her shoulders. Liu Muxue turned her head to look. In the hazy twilight, the young man had an elegant, clean face, fluid jawline, and his eyebrows had a touch of red vermilion, making him look even more handsome. His eyes were like they had been washed with water, clean and clear.


    His lips were thin, with abret making him look somewhat sexy. People say that those with thin lips are fickle, but he happened to be an extremely gentle man.


    But his gentleness was, after all, merciless for Liu Muxue.


    ¡°It¡¯s too cold. Don¡¯t catch a cold,¡± the young man said softly, as if even the cold wind passing by him was a little more gentle.


    Liu Muxue hummed, ¡°I don¡¯t need your fake kindness!¡±


    Although she said this, she tightened the jacket around her shoulders anyway.


    The two walked up the red carpet. Liu Muxue mumbled, ¡°Why did youe? Can you handle this kind of event?¡±


    ¡°I promised my mother I would take good care of you.¡±


    Hearing him say this, Liu Muxue got even angrier. ¡°Mother? You say it so affectionately, but she¡¯s my mom, not yours!¡±


    The young man didn¡¯t take her words to heart.<div>


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s gaze was fixed on the young man with a red mole in the middle of his eyebrows, with deep amazement surging in her eyes.


    She blocked Liu Muxue¡¯s way with a smirk, ¡°Ms. Liu, we meet again.¡±


    Liu Muxue was too cold to make small talk and grunted, trying to ignore her and walk in.


    Li Jiaojiao blocked her path, her gaze falling on the young man beside her, ¡°Won¡¯t you introduce us, Ms. Liu?¡±<div>


    With his tall and slender figure, the young man looked even more handsome up close. His eyshes were longer and denser than a girl¡¯s, like a small fan, fluttering and touching Li Jiaojiao¡¯s heart.


    Liu Muxue squinted at Li Jiaojiao, seeing her unblinkingly staring at Liu Jingyun. The rms in her heart rang, and she became angry.


    But she soon broke into a bright, indescribable smile.


    Liu Muxue affectionately hung onto Liu Jingyun¡¯s arm. Under Liu Jingyun¡¯s bewildered gaze, she spoke softly through her red lips.


    ¡°His name is Liu Jingyun, my¡­ childhood husband. How about that, do you like him?¡±


    Liu Jingyun was stunned and turned to look at her.


    Li Jiaojiao frowned, ¡°Childhood husband? Are you kidding me? What era is this? How could such absurd things still happen?¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes and said irritably, ¡°Whatever I do with my man is my business. If you have the guts, go ahead and sue me! Anyone who dares to covet what¡¯s mine better weigh their worth before they even consider it, hmph!¡±


    After saying this, she walked past Li Jiaojiao with Liu Jingyun on her arm.


    Li Jiaojiao took a deep breath, ¡°She¡¯s really too arrogant.¡±

 Chapter 661: 343 Curtain (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 661: 343 Curtain (First Watch)_2


    Zhao Qin watched everything from the sidelines and said, ¡°Patriarch Liu had no sons, so the n elders forced him to divorce his wife and remarry. Patriarch Liu deeply loved his wife and didn¡¯t want to divorce her, so he adopted the son of his half-brother.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°So this man is Patriarch Liu¡¯s adopted son? He¡¯s Liu Muxue¡¯s nominal brother?¡±


    More than that, he is also Liu Muxue¡¯s blood-rted cousin.


    Li Jiaojiao sneered, ¡°She actually lied to me, what a fake husband. But your information channels are pretty good, even knowing such news from a remote ce like Liuxian Town.¡±


    Zhao Qin entered the hotel, ¡°Liuxian Town is not an ordinary ce, don¡¯t forget what my mother¡¯s Zhuque Hall does.¡±


    ¡ª-


    After the end of the exchange meeting, Bo Yuxun was surrounded by a bunch of people before he could leave the convention center.


    It took a lot of effort for Han Ye to rescue Bo Yuxun, ¡°Hurry up, or else we won¡¯t be able to leaveter if we get stuck.¡±


    Han Ye drove his Land Rover out of the convention center¡¯s parking lot, ¡°How about it, quite an eye-opener, right? Your fame as Dr. Bo in Jiangzhou is even louder than mine as the top surgeon. Everyone knows Bo Yuxun but not me, Han Ye. Ah, why was I born after Yuxun¡­


    ¡°Just drive carefully,¡± Bo Yuxun reminded him.


    Seeing the car heading for the side road instead of the elevated highway, Bo Yuxun frowned, ¡°This isn¡¯t the way back to the hotel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to a fun ce.¡± Han Ye stepped on the gas pedal, driving through the peak-hour traffic as if it was empty.


    The car drove into Zhongdu Hotel, Han Ye threw the car key to the parking attendant, and walked up the red carpet with Bo Yuxun.


    ¡°How about it, lively, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Bo Yuxun looked around at the media and the huge banner hanging not far away.


    ¡°It¡¯s the 70th birthday of Grandma Zhu?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t tell you beforehand to give you a surprise. Little Ming Jing specially sent me an invitation, so thoughtful. We have to give her some face.¡±


    Both of them, dressed in formal suits and tall, slender figures, exuded elegance. Bo Yuxun, in particr, had a jade-like face and a refined demeanor, whose graceful movements overshadowed all other male guests.


    Compared with this man, handsome young men like Qu Feitai and Jiang Jinchen appeared much immature.


    They bothcked the worldly-wise maturity that came with time, which was the real weapon to win hearts.


    As the two men passed by, the media whispered to each other, discussing the identity of this male guest, but no one knew who he was.


    ¡°I recognize Dr. Han, but I¡¯ve never seen that extraordinary man before. He must be Dr. Han¡¯s colleague.¡±


    ¡°There was a medical exchange conference at the convention center today. I heard from a colleague that Dr. Bo from the Jingzhou General Hospital was invited. That must be him.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Bo? Is it the Dr. Bo I know?¡±


    ¡°I heard that he is a genius in the medical field, and a top surgeon. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so young and handsome.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not young, almost forty, just well-preserved. At most, he looks like he¡¯s in his early twenties, even more exaggerated than eating preservatives.¡±


    ¡°Bo? That¡¯s not amon surname.¡±


    Meanwhile, online, after Bo Yuxun¡¯s brief appearance, the handsome mature man went viral. After digging up his background,izens were amazed.


    He could rely on his good looks, but he chose to rely on his abilities. Such a handsome and sessful man was a sought-after prize everywhere, especially since his beauty was so extraordinary that it would have dominated the entertainment industry.


    Netizens were resourceful, and soon someone found out that Dr. Bo came from the Jingzhou Bos, a top family. With the addition of his impressive background, Dr. Bo¡¯s halo shone even more brightly. People couldn¡¯t help but admire Ming Jing¡¯s powerful connections, as even the Jings from Jingzhou came to celebrate her grandmother¡¯s birthday.


    The spacious first-floor hall,rge enough to amodate over a thousand people, was decorated with huge crystal chandeliers that emitted dazzling light. The magnificent golden dragons coiling around the pirs, the soft Persian carpets on the floor, and the warm spring-like atmosphere within the hall contrasted with the howling cold wind outside.


    A music band was seated on the east side tform, with pianos, cellos, violins, and saxophones taking turns performing. The music was sometimes soothing and gentle, sometimes grand and passionate, hovering in the hall and adding elegance to the scene.


    Liu Muxue let out a breath, finally feeling alive again.

 Chapter 662: 343 Curtain (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 662: 343 Curtain (First Watch)_3


    Throwing her coat at Liu Jingyun, Liu Muxue didn¡¯t seem the least bit grateful: ¡°If that woman talks to you just now, you mustn¡¯t pay her any attention. Otherwise, I¡¯ll leave you in Jiangzhou and never let you go back.¡±


    Liu Jingyun smiled slightly, his eyes clear and bright.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Liu Muxue frowned.


    She hated his silence the most, as if she looked like a clown to him.


    ¡°You can hang around on your own. I¡¯m going to find Ming Jing and my cousin. Remember to call me if anything happens.¡± With that, she waved and was about to leave.


    After two steps, she thought that Li Jiaojiao was not easy to deal with and brought Liu Jingyun back.


    ¡°Starting from now, do not leave me further than a meter, or you will face the consequences.¡± Liu Muxue warned angrily.


    Liu Jingyun just smiled without a word.


    As Li Jiaojiao entered the hall, she was stunned: ¡°So many people?¡±


    Each of them seemed to be important figures.<div>


    Zhao Qin was also a little surprised.


    The Zhus did not send her an invitation. She was from the Rans, and everyone knew about the previous drama between Ming Jing and her family, resulting in a feud.


    But she still wanted to join in on the excitement today.


    A few days ago, she saw Zhu Xiangxiang while shopping. Zhu Xiangxiang and Tang Wan were together, conspiring about something.


    Zhao Qin sensed something was wrong. Zhu Xiangxiang was never a simple character.


    Later, she stopped Tang Wan and subtly asked a few questions. Tang Wan quickly revealed her motives.


    Zhao Qin was shocked, and many unreasonable things suddenly made sense.


    So, regardless of anything, she was just here to watch the show today.


    The more people there were, the more exciting the drama would be.


    ¡°That¡¯s Madam Jiang. We should go over and say hello to her.¡± Li Jiaojiao looked at Jiang Chun, who was surrounded by a group of madams, and wanted to pull Zhao Qin over.


    Zhao Qin brushed off her hand and frowned, ¡°You go ahead, I won¡¯t be joining you.¡±


    The Rans and Jiang Chun were now in open conflict. Outsiders may not know, but Zhao Qin was very clear.


    Going there now would only result in getting ridiculed by Jiang Chun. She didn¡¯t have the thick skin for that.


    Li Jiaojiao pursed her lips: ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll stay and keep youpany.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s eyes fell on Han Ye and Bo Yuxun, who had just entered, and her eyes lit up instantly.


    ¡°That man in the blue suit is so handsome! Who is he? Howe I¡¯ve never seen him in Jiangzhou before?¡±


    ¡°The one next to him is Dr. Han, the top surgeon in Jiangzhou. As for the one beside him¡­¡± Zhao Qin shook her head: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before either.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao touched her hair and was about to approach them when someone else got there first.


    ¡°Liu Yaxin, this old woman, just divorced and can¡¯t wait to find a man. She doesn¡¯t even bother to look at her own appearance.¡±<div>


    In modern society, marriage and divorce aremon urrences, but it is rare for both parties to end things on good terms. Liu Yaxin¡¯s marriagested less than three months before they divorced. During the divorce, her ex-husband demanded half of her property, but Liu Yaxin refused. The couple had a big fight and became theughingstock of the whole Jiangzhou.


    Although Liu Yaxin sessfully divorced, her energy was severely depleted. A small security guard achieved a considerable leap in his social ss through marriage and is now a little rich man worth tens of millions. After the divorce, he was surrounded by women, living a good life, and it is said that Liu Yaxin was furious.


    ¡°Dr. Han, I have to thank you for my father¡¯s surgeryst time. May I know who this gentleman is¡­?¡± Liu Yaxin¡¯s eyes fell on the man beside Han Ye with a shy look.


    <div>

 Chapter 663: 344 Bo Family (Second Shift)

    Chapter 663: 344 Bo Family (Second Shift)


    Han Ye had grown ustomed to this situation.


    As long as Bo Yuxun was present, none of the women would notice other men.


    Han Ye raised an eyebrow and nced at Bo Yuxun.


    ¡°This is my¡­ college ssmate, Dr. Bo from Jingzhou,¡± Han Ye introduced sinctly.


    Liu Yaxin¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, and her gaze towards Bo Yuxun became more passionate.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, nice to meet you. My name is Liu Yaxin.¡± Liu Yaxin reached out her delicate hand.


    Han Ye added, ¡°The heiress of Xinrong Real Estate.¡±


    As expected, this supplementary remark deepened the smile on Liu Yaxin¡¯s lips, and her slightly raised chin conveyed just the right amount of pride.


    Dr. Han was really considerate to add that phrase.


    After all, she couldn¡¯t introduce herself as the heiress of Xinrong Real Estate without sounding like she was boasting.<div>


    Han Ye scratched his nose, well, maybe Ms. Liu misunderstood him. He was reminding Bo Yuxun that Xinrong Real Estate wasn¡¯t even fit to attend to his shoes.


    After all, Bo Yuxun had never shown any warmth to women who threw themselves at him. Even the rich and powerful daughters of Jingzhou couldn¡¯t get the time of day from Bo Yuxun, let alone a simple Jiangzhou real estate heiress.


    What surprised him even more was that Bo Yuxun actually nodded quite gently: ¡°Ms. Liu, nice to meet you.¡±


    Han Ye almost popped out his eyes. Had Bo Yuxun¡¯s personality changed over the past decade?


    Liu Yaxin sneakily nced at Bo Yuxun, quickly looked down and then couldn¡¯t help but look up at him again. The flirtatiousness in her eyebrows couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, is this your first time in Jiangzhou? Let¡¯s add each other on WeChat. If you have time, I can show you around. There are lots of fun ces in Jiangzhou.¡±


    She had already taken out her phone and quickly switched to scanning mode.


    Bo Yuxunughed, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Liu.¡±


    But his hands were in his pockets, not moving at all.


    Liu Yaxin¡¯s smile faltered a little. Did Dr. Bo not understand her hint?


    ¡°Dr. Han, Dr. Bo, I didn¡¯t know you were both here.¡± A man came over and started chatting with Han Ye and Bo Yuxun, leaving Liu Yaxin out in the cold.


    Liu Yaxin¡¯s face turned the color of liver, and she watched Bo Yuxun being pulled into the crowd with an upset look on her face.


    ¡°I was one step away from getting his WeChat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, there will be other opportunities.¡± Liu Yaxin took out a powderpact from her purse, opened it and fixed her makeup in front of the mirror.


    The face of Li Jiaojiao appeared in the mirror, and Liu Yaxin turned her head.


    ¡°Ms. Li, Ms. Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Liu, we haven¡¯t congratted you for escaping your misery yet. Seeing your goodplexion now, I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Liu Yaxin heard the sarcasm in the other¡¯s tone and curled her lip, ¡°Thanks for your concern, Ms. Li. I¡¯m doing well.¡±


    ¡°Really? I must say, Aunt Liu¡¯s taste in men is quite questionable. Even picking one with my eyes closed would be better than your ex-husband by a thousand times. Aunt Liu, when you choose a man next time, make sure to keep your eyes open and don¡¯t make the same mistake.¡±<div>


    Liu Yaxin¡¯s nose was almost crooked with anger. She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, ¡°Ms. Li, with that much energy to spare, you should focus more on yourself.¡±


    With that, she turned around and walked away in her high heels. After taking a few steps, she almost twisted her ankle and stumbled, clutching onto a passing waiter in a very embarrassing manner. All the surrounding eyes were drawn to her, and Liu Yaxin wished she could hide in a crack in the ground.


    ¡°What a joke. A woman who got dumped by a petty security guard, daring to set her sights on Dr. Bo.¡± Li Jiaojiao sneered.


    She had heard Han Ye¡¯s introduction earlier and knew that the man was Dr. Bo from Jingzhou.<div>


    ¡°Zhao Qin, this Dr. Bo guy is not bad, right?¡± Li Jiaojiao showed a coy expression on her face.


    Zhao Qin withdrew her gaze: ¡°He¡¯s a college ssmate of Dr. Han¡¯s, so he should be around forty years old. He¡¯s old enough to be your father.¡±


    Li Jiaojiaoughed, ¡°What does that matter? Age can¡¯t stop true love. I like this Dr. Bo, and I must chase him.¡±


    Zhao Qin didn¡¯t know what to say to that, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao was the type of girl whose values followed her looks; whatever she did was short-lived, even chasing men. Just now, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Liu Jingyun, and now she¡¯s interested in Dr. Bo. She was truly a wavering grass, swaying with both sides.


    The arrival of Dr. Bo had also caused a subtle disturbance in the lounge.

 Chapter 664: 344 Bo Family (Second Shift)_2

    Chapter 664: 344 Bo Family (Second Shift)_2


    ¡°Dr. Bo, is he the one from the Bos in Jingzhou?¡± asked Madame Guo Han, Madam Gao¡¯s second sister-inw, somewhat surprised.


    Madam Yang Yan, Madam Gao, squinted her eyes, ¡°Second sister-inw, what, do you know him?¡±


    The mother of this second sister-inw¡¯s cousin just happened to marry into the high society of Jingzhou, so she was more familiar with the news from Jingzhou than ordinary people.


    Madam Li and Madam Ye perked up their ears at the same time.


    Bai Weining was scrolling through her phone and saw that Qu Feitai had already arrived. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out when she heard these people mention Dr. Bo, and was a bit surprised: ¡°Uncle Bo is here too?¡±


    Yang Yan looked at Bai Weining, ¡°Ningning, do you know this Dr. Bo?¡±


    Bai Weining nodded, ¡°Of course I know him. Uncle Bo is the biological uncle of my best friend, Yezi. Her father is Bo Yujian, a name you all should be familiar with.¡±


    Everyone was naturally familiar with this name and was even more surprised: ¡°So Dr. Bo is the biological brother of Mr. Bo? Howe he came to Jiangzhou? When did the Zhus get connected with the Bos?¡±


    Bai Weining smirked inwardly at the ignorance of these high societydies, who didn¡¯t even know Uncle Bo.


    For a moment, the few women¡¯s eyes changed when they looked at Bai Weining. They almost forgot that she was the daughter of Bai family in Jingzhou. Although she was from a side branch, she was much more powerful than the ones present here.<div>


    After all, those who could make a name in Jiangzhou would not be even at the bottom of the hierarchy if they went to Jingzhou.


    Bai Weining slightly raised her chin, with an appropriate air of pride, ¡°Uncle Bo is a medical genius and holds a significant position in the international medicalmunity. He just returned to the countryst month and now works in the General Hospital of Jingzhou. You all know Mayor Qian, right? His mother needs a heart surgery, and only Uncle Bo can perform it in the country. Mayor Qian visited Uncle Bo three times and even wanted to introduce his younger aunt to him, but she¡¯s not worthy of the Bo family¡¯s threshold.¡±


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Gao Jia sneered, ¡°Then, this Uncle Bo must be quite old and have grown-up children, right?¡±


    Madam Yang Yan, Madam Ye, and Madam Li sighed at the same time.


    Guo Han suddenly said, ¡°This Dr. Bo is still single and has no spouse.¡±


    As soon as she finished, there was an uproar all around.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, ordinary women can¡¯t catch Uncle Bo¡¯s attention.¡± Bai Weining¡¯s tone was faintly smug.


    Gao Jia and Ye Lan looked at each other, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this Uncle Bo have some hidden disease?¡±


    Bai Weining frowned her delicate brows, ¡°Cousin, what nonsense are you talking about? It¡¯s just that he hasn¡¯t found the right person yet. In Jingzhou, there are many rich and powerful women who want to marry him. He prefers to be single rather than settle for less, not because he has any hidden diseases.¡±


    Li Qingyao leisurely drank a sip of tea, ¡°With such high standards, no wonder he¡¯s still a single dog in histe forties.¡±


    Bai Weining couldn¡¯t bear to hear others talk about Bo Yuxun like that and retorted, ¡°When you meet Uncle Bo, you won¡¯t think so anymore.¡±


    ¡°Such a lively discussion we have here!¡± Liu Muxue pushing the door of the lounge.


    Li Qingyao immediately stood up in surprise, ¡°Little Snow, howe you¡¯re here too?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I got an invitation from Ming Jing.¡± Liu Muxue first hugged Madam Li and called out affectionately, ¡°Auntie, I missed you so much.¡±


    Madam Li happily patted her back, ¡°You always know how to surprise others. Why didn¡¯t you inform me beforehand so I could send someone to pick you up?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that ruin the surprise?¡±


    Madam Ye looked at Liu Muxue and suddenlyughed, ¡°Madam Li, aren¡¯t you going to introduce her?¡±


    Madam Li held Liu Muxue¡¯s hand, ¡°This is my niece, Liu Muxue. Little Snow, meet thedies.¡±<div>


    Liu Muxue greeted them gracefully, ¡°Greetings to all the Madams.¡±


    ¡°Your niece is so beautiful and looks a lot like Madam Li. Madam Li is blessed!¡±


    Yang Yan stared at Liu Muxue and suddenly smiled, ¡°Are you from Liuxian Town¡¯s Lius?¡±


    Madam Li¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade, ¡°I am ashamed to face you all, this girl was spoiled by her parents and doesn¡¯t know any manners.¡±<div>


    A few of the women looked at each other. They had all heard of Liuxian Town but had never seen it. It seemed quite mysterious.Even the Lius are friends with her, this Ms. Zhu is really amazing.


    ¡°Cousin.¡± Liu Muxue affectionately put her arm around Li Qingyao.


    Li Qingyao introduced her to Ye Lan and Gao Jia.


    Ye Lan smiled, ¡°So you have such a beautiful cousin in hiding.¡±


    Gao Jia only heard them talking about Liuxian Town, thinking that Liu Muxue was just from a small town. She didn¡¯t even bother to look her in the eye.


    ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go find Ming Jing. I haven¡¯t seen her in a long time; I miss her.¡±


    Li Qingyaoughed, ¡°She¡¯s the host today and is very busy. She won¡¯t have time to entertain you. Just sit quietly.¡±


    Liu Muxue pouted unhappily.


    Ye Lan asked with a smile, ¡°Cousin Muxue, how did you and Ms. Zhu meet?¡±


    Liu Muxue sat down without caring about Bai Weining¡¯s expression next to her. She picked up a snack and took a bite, ¡°Mmm, osmanthus cake from Zuifei Dessert. Ming Jing knows me best.¡±


    Gao Jia nced at her,pletelycking manners.


    ¡°Oh, you asked how I met Ming Jing? We both got into CMO, won gold medals, and joined the national team together. I¡¯m the only one who fought side by side with her.¡±


    ¡°Turns out you¡¯re a hidden genius, Muxue.¡±<div>


    Ordinary people can only look up to those who can make it onto the national team.


    ¡°Just a little better than ordinary people. Oh, right, the Uncle Bo you were just discussing, his niece Bo Lianye went to winter camp with us.¡±


    Liu Muxue turned her head with a smile to Bai Weining, ¡°Ms. Bai, haven¡¯t you heard Bo Lianye mention this?¡±


    Bai Weining smiled, ¡°How could she have mentioned such a trivial thing to me?¡±


    She thought way too highly of herself.


    ¡°Really? Seems like your rtionship with Bo Lianye isn¡¯t that great.¡± Liu Muxue pursed her lips.


    Bai Weining was speechless. This annoying girl that popped up out of nowhere was so rude. Didn¡¯t she know that being in a group with Lianye was not equal to being equal with her?


    Did she not know what the Jings from Jingzhou represented?


    ¡°Oh, right, I remember Bo Lianye¡¯s aunt, the doctor you were all talking about, her twin sister, what¡¯s her name, Bo something Jiang, she¡¯s about to be my sister-inw. I¡¯ll be sure to invite you all to the wedding.¡± Liu Muxue casually said and grabbed another osmanthus cake.


    Wow, this is so delicious.


    When ites to connections, who¡¯s afraid of who?


    Not only Bai Weining but everyone in the room was surprised.


    Madam Li thought for a moment, ¡°Which brother of yours is it? How haven¡¯t I heard about it?¡±<div>


    There were many people in the Liu family, especially in Liu Muxue¡¯s father¡¯s generation. There were countless cousins, and they were all social elites.


    The Lius valued family ties. Cousins were no different from brothers.


    Liu Muxuepared two fingers to her eyes, ¡°The one who wears sses, who never came in second ce from childhood, a professor in the Mathematics Department at Huaqing University, Vice-Chairman of the Hua Country Mathematics Association¡­ Liu Xiangyue, that nerd.¡±


    This long introduction left everyone speechless again.


    Her brother is so amazing.


    Bai Weining couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Uncle Liu is your real brother?¡±


    Because she was too shocked, her voice sounded overly sharp.


    Liu Muxue gave her a look, ¡°Or is he your brother?¡±

 Chapter 665: 345 Fragrance of Heart (Third Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 665: 345 Fragrance of Heart (Third Watch of the Night)


    Bai Weining, due to her rtionship with Bo Lianye, has always referred to Liu Xiangyue as Uncle Liu.


    Doesn¡¯t that make her of lower rank than Liu Muxue?


    It seemed Liu Muxue also realised this and chuckled, ¡°Dear niece, call me aunt for once.¡±


    Bai Weining was a bit embarrassed.


    Li Qingyao reluctantly said, ¡°Okay, Xiao Xue, stop teasing Ms. Bai.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking with her. Isn¡¯t she good friends with Bo Lianye? Bo Lianye respectfully calls me aunt whenever she sees me. If she doesn¡¯t, then she better not brag about her close rtionship with Bo Lianye outside.¡±


    Liu Muxueughed heartily at the sight of Bai Weining¡¯s furious face.


    Don¡¯t think she was oblivious to the gossip on the inte. Bai Weining¡¯s marketing with Qu Feitai included repeated attempts to belittle Ming Jing.


    How far could she possibly get by bing best friends with Bo Lianye, that little innocent girl? Birds of a feather, it is.


    Of course, Bai Weining thought the same way.<div>


    Being good friends with Ming Jing, they indeed had a lot inmon, including their detestable faces.


    Ye Lan was in awe. Ms. Liu was indeed formidable, not only was she quick-tempered, but her background was also intimidating.


    At that moment, Madam Ye stood up, ¡°We have been chatting for quite a while, let¡¯s go out and walk about.¡±


    Ye Lan came over and followed Madam Ye outside.


    Liu Muxue, Madam Li and Li Qingyao also left.


    Guo Han patted Bai Weining¡¯s hand and pulled her to go outside.


    Yang Yan was thest to leave, nudging Gao Jia and whispering, ¡°Did you hear that? This Dr. Bo is indeed an outstanding man. If you don¡¯t want your father to arrange a marriage for you, you should seize this opportunity.¡±


    Gao Jia was annoyed, ¡°Mom, Dr. Bo is almost forty, about the same age as you. You¡¯re not embarrassed, but I am.¡±


    To her surprise, Yang Yan chuckled. ¡°What do you know? If you could marry into the Bo family, not only the socialites in Jiangzhou, but even those in Jingzhou would envy you to death. Furthermore, older men know how to cherish their loved ones more than the immature youngsters do. Trust me, I know more than you do. Forget about Jiang Jinchen, his mother, Madam Jiang, is not easy to deal with. If you marry into that family, you¡¯ll be at her mercy. Do you think Jiang Jinchen would dare to defy his mother for you? Dr. Bo, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t. Therefore, listen to your mother, you won¡¯t go wrong.¡±


    Gao Jia was mortified. Her mother¡¯s proposal of marrying a nearly forty-year-old man was ludicrous. Even the man¡¯s exceptional medical talent and influential family background couldn¡¯t offset the fact that he could be a nearly bald, middle-aged uncle.


    However, when Bai Weining pointed to a man in a crisp suit among a sea of people, Gao Jia noticed he was not fat and had tall, straight posture. The suit fit him wlessly; enhancing his noble demeanor.


    He was not bald, his thick ck hair was meticulously groomed.


    He was standing under a chandelier, his handsome features appeared god-given. His eyes, brows, lips, nose, everything was perfect. His high nose bridge gave his face a three-dimensional look. His clean jawline, below a long neck, was apanied by a prominent Adam¡¯s apple.


    Though handsome he was, his looks were not effeminate. Instead, his sharp eyebrows gave him an extremely handsome look.


    There¡¯s an old saying: ¡°He who drinks morning dew of magnolia and feasts on the falling petals of autumn chrysanthemums is as radiant as jade and transcendent.¡±


    This man had the eyes of cold stars, brows like sharp swords, mature and stable in demeanor. His actions were reflective of the noble upbringing of a wealthy family and the multifaceted ability of a social elite.


    In between his casual conversations, he didn¡¯t know how many hearts he had captured.


    Gao Jia was dumbfounded, ¡°Is that Dr. Bo?¡±


    He didn¡¯t look his age at all, anyone would believe it if you said he was in his early twenties.<div>


    Yang Yan was even more satisfied, ¡°A good man like him is hard to find, even with antern.¡±


    The socialites of Jiangzhou are in for a treat.


    Ye Lan and Li Qingyao were also shocked. Ye Lan grabbed Madam Ye¡¯s arm. Madam Ye winced in pain, turned to nce at Ye Lan, and seeing her gawking at Dr. Bo, she understood.


    Looking around at the socialites, all were eager and restless.<div>


    Though Dr. Bo seemed ideal, her daughter might not be capable of handling him.


    Li Qingyao whispered in Liu Muxue¡¯s ear, ¡°Is he really almost forty? He looks incredibly well-preserved.¡±


    ¡°God is biased.¡± Liu Muxue said.


    ¡°He is incredibly handsome, why hasn¡¯t he married yet? This is unbelievable.¡±


    With his background, career, and looks, it¡¯s hard to find fault in him. He is the perfect man. It¡¯s hard to believe a man like him is still single almost at forty. Aren¡¯t his family worried? There must be something wrong with this Dr. Bo.

 Chapter 666: 345 Fragrance of Heart (Third Watch of the Night)_2

    Chapter 666: 345 Fragrance of Heart (Third Watch of the Night)_2


    ¡°Could he be gay?¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s pupils swirled: ¡°That makes sense, otherwise it can¡¯t be exined.¡±


    Li Qingyao felt relieved.


    ¡°Madam, madam¡­?¡± Madam Shen called out several times, only to see Madam Jiang staring nkly in one direction, her gaze deep and cold, which inexplicably made Madam Shen feel a bit scared.


    While they were talking, Jiang Chun suddenly spaced out, and Madam Shen called her several times but she didn¡¯t snap out of it, so she followed her gaze to look over.


    Madam Shen¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this young gentleman before. Such a divine demeanor, I¡¯ve never seen it in my life.¡±


    The man seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head to look this way.


    Across the vast sea of people, their eyes met.


    Jiang Chun suddenly smiled, took a ss of red wine from a passing waiter, and slowly walked away.<div>


    ¡°Yuxun, I heard you returned to the country, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    The people surrounding Bo Yuxun saw Jiang Chun and automatically made way for her.


    In the circle of the crowd, only Jiang Chun and Bo Yuxun were left.


    One was a dignified and beautiful woman, and the other was tall and handsome, making a pleasing picture.


    Bo Yuxun suppressed the coldness in his eyes, smiled at his lips, and raised his ss of red wine: ¡°Madam, nice to see you well.¡±


    Jiang Chun yfully retorted: ¡°Why are you calling me madam? You used to call me sister Lan. We grew up together, there should be no formality between us.¡±


    The people around were shocked. It turned out that Dr. Bo was a childhood friend of Madam Jiang.


    Bo Yuxun raised his eyebrows, deep in his ck eyes was like a swirl of ck mist, dark and inscrutable.


    ¡°Madam is now high-ranking, and Yuxun is just a humble doctor, how dare I be familiar with Madam?¡±


    Jiang Chun sighed: ¡°Yuxun, even you are joking with me, I really miss the old times. Back then, you were the little boy following me around calling me sister. In the blink of an eye, you have be a renowned doctor and I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Madam, do you still remember my twin sister?¡± Bo Yuxun¡¯s chewing muscles slightly bulged, his gaze fixed on Jiang Chun¡¯s face.


    ¡°She used to love to stick by Madam when she was young.¡±


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes flickered: ¡°You mean that girl A Jiang. Speaking of which, she is a hard-luck child, but fortunately, her hardship has finallye to an end.¡±


    ¡°The hardship hase to an end?¡± Bo Yuxun lowered his eyes, suppressed the clouds in his eyes, and a cold smile floated on his lips.


    He said it as if it was a casual remark.


    ¡°Oh, do you also know this youngdy of the Zhu family?¡± Jiang Chun said as if she were chatting idly, her tone didn¡¯t reveal any anomalies.


    Bo Yuxun replied indifferently: ¡°I just met her tonight.¡±


    Jiang Chun raised her eyebrows: ¡°This girl, is a rare one. Once you meet her, you will never forget.¡±


    Bo Yuxun squinted slightly, he had various rumors about Jiang Chun¡¯s high regard for and care of the true heiress of the Zhu family after a few days in Jiangzhou. It seemed that the two must be birds of a feather.<div>


    ¡ª-


    ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Bo. He¡¯s here too.¡±


    Bai Ziyan pulled Qu Feitai intending to go to greet Bo Yuxun.


    Qu Feitai shook off his hand: ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Uncle Bo is chatting with Aunt Lan? Why are you so eager to join in?¡±<div>


    Qu Feitai looked at Bo Yuxun: ¡°In my memory, Uncle Bo is a cheerful and smiling sunny boy. How did he change so much?¡±


    Bai Ziyan patted his shoulder: ¡°More than a decade has passed. Even a pig would have been reincarnated seven or eight times, and I feel that Uncle Bo being like this is the most reliable. But with him here, we handsome young men don¡¯t stand a chance. s, mature men are the most attractive.¡±


    The girls who were circling around them at the beginning, most of whom must have been attracted to Qu Feitai, had now, like weathercocks, all turned toward Uncle Bo after his appearance.


    Bai Ziyan nced at Jiang Jinchen, who had been silent all this time: ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you recently? You seem absent-minded?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen batted his eyelids, his ck pupils exuded a inexplicably cold air, that made Bai Ziyan shiver abruptly.


    This kid is getting weirder and weirder.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen looked at Qu Feitai: ¡°How¡¯s your body after the surgery? I¡¯m sorry, I was busy with apetition during that time and couldn¡¯t manage to visit you.¡±


    Qu Feitai hooked his lip: ¡°I recovered a long time ago.¡±¡±Well, with a goddess by his side taking care of him, he probably wishes he could buy a bed in the hospital. It¡¯s no wonder his injury is healing so quickly.¡±


    Qu Feitai hit Bai Ziyan with a punch: ¡°Shut up. Nobody would mistake you for a mute if you keep quiet.¡±


    Bai Ziyan clutched his chest in fury: ¡°You really hit me?¡±


    ¡°Alright stop the fuss,¡± Song Yinzhang grabbed Bai Ziyan, ¡°mind your manners.¡±


    Bai Ziyan huffed, ¡°This boy is sticking his nose way too high in the air.¡±<div>


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s hand at his side clenched into a tight fist.


    Qu Feitai checked his wristwatch, ¡°It¡¯s nearly seven.¡±


    The banquet was about to begin.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Where the hell has that girl gone? She hasn¡¯t been seen all day.¡±


    The banquet was about to start and Zhu Xiangxiang was nowhere to be found.


    Lin Qing hadn¡¯t seen her sincest night.


    The girl had started to stay out all night. With her busy schedule, Lin Qing didn¡¯t have any time to discipline her.


    Granny Zhu huffed, ¡°This is the fine daughter you brought up.¡±


    Neither Zhu Xiangxiang nor Zhu Shaodan turned out well under Lin Qing¡¯s care, while Ming Jing and Lin Ya, who were raised outside, were all extremely exemry.


    Granny Zhu thought to herself, fortunately, Ming Jing was raised outside, or else she would¡¯ve been spoiled by Lin Qing too.


    Thinking about how unfair it was to Ming Jing, she hurriedly changed her train of thought.


    Lin Qing¡¯s face was deathly pale.<div>


    Today was the olddy¡¯s birthday, she wouldn¡¯t dare to talk back.


    Ming Jing bent down and pinned a beautifully blooming chrysanthemum to Granny Zhu¡¯s chest.


    Granny Zhu patted her hand, ¡°Good child, get ready to push me out.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded with a smile.


    Lin Ya stood behind Granny Zhu and retreated a step when she heard this, maintaining a low profile with extreme tactfulness.


    Li Juan walked into the room. On seeing her, Lin Qing immediately asked, ¡°Did you find her?¡±


    Li Juan shook her head: ¡°Miss Xiangxiang and Master Shaodan left at four in the afternoon. I thought they¡¯de to the hotel, maybe they¡¯ve gone out to y.¡±


    ¡°y? These two reallyck any sense of propriety. I¡¯ve been too indulgent, haven¡¯t I? I¡¯ve given them too much freedom that they¡¯ve be unaware of their boundaries.¡± Lin Qing was indignant.


    Lin Ya gave Li Juan a sidelong nce, her lips curling up slightly.


    This servant was pretty interesting. She heard that Zhu Xiangxiang brought her home. She thought Li Juan was on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s side, but those innocent words were actually quite vindictive.


    The always silent Zhu Wentao gave a cough: ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time. We¡¯ll discuss the children¡¯s issuester.¡±


    Lin Qing could only swallow her resentment for now, nning to send Zhu Xiangxiang abroad immediately after the banquet; that child was bing intolerable.


    Lin Qing looked at Ming Jing and smiled, ¡°You look beautiful today, you¡¯re your mother¡¯s eternal pride.¡±<div>


    After saying that, she gently patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand. Her eyes were filled with deep affection.


    Ming Jing cast her eyes downward, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    After saying this, she pushed Granny Zhu out, leaving Lin Qing behind.


    Lin Qing was confused: ¡°What on earth did she mean by ¡®sorry¡¯?¡±


    Lin Ya slightly narrowed her eyes; she had a sense that something was amiss.


    Lin Qing held Lin Ya¡¯s hand: ¡°Go out there with your Aunt.¡±


    Lin Ya looked touched: ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡±


    Being Madam Zhu¡¯s niece and Ming Jing¡¯s cousin, the outsiders would respect her more.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s gaze flitted over Lin Ya¡¯s face before he turned around nonchntly, exiting arm in arm with Lin Qing.


    Li Juan stared at the backs of the three people, her gaze mainly fixated on Lin Ya. Subconsciously, she touched her pocket.


    ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, you¡¯re so malicious. People who do bad things will get their retribution. Amitofo¡­Buddha, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It¡¯s all because of the bad people. You have to judge fairly.¡±

 Chapter 667: 346 Hubbub (Fourth Watch)

    Chapter 667: 346 Hubbub (Fourth Watch)


    ¡°Wow, what a grand banquet with so many important people. The Zhus are really impressive.¡±


    In an inconspicuous corner, Cao Yue gave the astonished girl beside her a nce.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Zhus who are impressive, but the Zhu family¡¯s youngdy who is impressive, you know?¡±


    The little girl nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Yes, the Zhu family¡¯s youngdy is the most impressive. She¡¯s also your savior, Sister Yueyue.¡±


    The little girl, called Liu Jia, was a new intern at Apple Video. As tonight¡¯s banquet attracted a lot of attention from all walks of life, Cao Yue, the leading actress, was also invited. Before leaving, the editor-in-chief assigned her a task to bring the new intern to gain some experience and each write an article when they returned.


    Cao Yue had no choice but to bring her along.


    Seeing this inexperienced girl, Cao Yue couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Do you know how to write the article?¡±


    Liu Jia thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about something like ¡®A gathering of famous figures at the Zhu family¡¯s banquet, reshuffling of the Jiangzhou elite?¡¯ Or ¡®A single-handed change in Jiangzhou¡¯s elite circle, a history of transformation from a nun to a phnthropist?''¡±<div>


    Cao Yue looked at her seriously. This girl had a strong news sense.


    At this moment, Liu Jia pointed to the front, ¡°The birthday star has arrived.¡±


    Bai Weining bounced happily to Qu Feitai: ¡°Brother Qu, long time no see.¡±


    Bai Ziyan patted Qu Feitai on the shoulder with deep meaning: ¡°You better take care of yourself.¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have toe for Granny Zhu¡¯s birthday. Ming Jing and I are good friends.¡± The girl in front of him was wearing a white dress, her hair styled in a princess braid, looking cute, innocent, and beautiful. A deserving top idol of her generation.


    Qu Feitai said coldly, ¡°Step back.¡±


    Bai Weining tiptoed, almost leaning on Qu Feitai¡¯s body. Qu Feitai had his back against the wall and had nowhere to retreat.


    Bai Weining pouted and obediently took a step back.


    ¡°Brother Qu, I knew you woulde.¡± Bai Weining¡¯s eyes curved, and she had a dimple on her cheek as she smiled.


    Bai Ziyan rubbed his arm: ¡°So cheesy~¡±


    Qu Feitai had always been popr among girls, and people couldn¡¯t help but feel envious when they saw them around him.


    However, Qu Feitai was not looking at her, but toward the golden door deep in the hall.


    At this moment, the door slowly opened, and light poured out.


    Ming Jing slowly pushed Granny Zhu out from the pools of light.


    Countless eyes immediately turned to her figure.


    Some people were drinking red wine when their eyes suddenly went wide, spilling wine from the corner of their mouths, oblivious to it.


    Some people, who were originally slouching, suddenly stood upright with deep astonishment on their faces.


    In this world of fame and fortune, with makeups and masquerades, true intentions were hidden behind smiling masks, and schemes were tucked away within polite exchanges.<div>


    So many faces were close at hand, yet their expressions were indiscernible¡ªonly coldness and emptiness filled the air.


    But when that girl in white entered the light, she was like a dream that had been yearning for years, unable to be fulfilled in the sleepless nights.


    There were blue skies, white clouds, endless grasnds, fresh air, and bright sunlight. The endless blueke with sunlight shining on its surface created countless ripples like twinkling stars in the night sky.


    In the dream, there was the call of a childhood mother, the irretrievable memory of youth, the luby sung by a grandmother apanied by the evening breeze, and the ringing of the wind chime on the windowsill.<div>


    The purest innocencey in the loud cry heralding one¡¯s birth.


    But as the years went by and the environment, society, and rtionships changed, people grew tired of running and became lost in their desires. Slowly, they forgot where they had left that innocent heart.


    The girl, immacte and bathed in dazzling light, seemed almost transparent.


    Crystal clear and like zed ss.


    Though beautiful, zed ss possesses no warmth.


    The young girl¡¯s eyebrows resembled blooming lotus flowers, delivering salvation andpassion to all beings.


    It was as if having even a hint of desire would be an unforgivable sin.


    In the awe of the crowd, people held deep respect, not daring to let their hearts indulge in any wicked thoughts.


    Of course, this did not apply to those who were inherently evil.


    Qu Feitai stared at that figure in white and murmured, ¡°Who in this world is truly worthy of white clothes¡­¡±


    While everyone else was looking at Ming Jing, only Bai Weining was staring at Qu Feitai from beginning to end.


    Brother Qu, as long as you turn around, you can see me. Why do you insist on gazing at someone whose eyes don¡¯t have you in them?


    <div>

 Chapter 668: 346 Hubbub (Fourth Watch)_2

    Chapter 668: 346 Hubbub (Fourth Watch)_2


    You¡¯re so proud, why would you give up your dignity for a woman?


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Snap¡±, the ss in his hand slipped and fell to the ground; Bo Yuxun suddenly came back to his senses and squatted down to pick it up.


    His fingers trembled uncontrobly.


    Jiang Chun squinted his eyes and a sneer formed at the corner of his mouth.


    He waved his hand, and the waiter hurriedly crouched down: ¡°Sir, let me take care of this. Don¡¯t cut your fingers.¡±


    Bo Yuxun squatted there, for a long time withouting back to his senses.


    It was quiet all around, and he heard his own heart beating wildly.


    Illusions appeared in his brain, some fuzzy images shed by, his breath suddenly quickened, he couldn¡¯t help but grab the shattered ss on the ground, but he didn¡¯t notice, blood flowed from his fingers and dripped onto the carpet, disappearing.


    The waiter eximed, ¡°Sir, your hand is bleeding?¡±<div>


    Bo Yuxun seemed not to hear, just squatting there dazedly.


    Until the noise around came, everyone started talking about this Miss Zhu.


    Striking looks,passionate heart, exceptional intelligence and rxed demeanor, she was God¡¯s most outstanding creation and the unique view in the world.


    ¡°Wee everyone to our grandmother¡¯s birthday party. On behalf of the Zhu family, I would like to thank you all foring,¡± said Lin Qing with a smile, standing there with the grace of a mistress, and copingfortably.


    At first, everyone was attracted by Ming Jing, and when Lin Qing spoke, they realized that there was an attractive young girl standing beside her. At first, they thought it was Zhu Xiangxiang, but upon close inspection, the girl was much more beautiful than Zhu Xiangxiang, her eyes resembling Lin Qing¡¯s. They looked like mother and daughter standing together.


    Someone spected that this might be Lin Qing¡¯s illegitimate daughter.


    What a ridiculous family the Zhus were.


    And the fake heiress was nowhere to be seen. Had she lost favor?


    Granny Zhu held Ming Jing¡¯s hand, her eyes squinted withughter, ¡°Last year, the whole Jiangzhou knew that our Zhu family found our real heiress who had been lost outside. This child has been back for almost a year, I won¡¯t say how excellent she is, everyone can see it. With such a good granddaughter, our Zhu family¡¯s ancestors are smoking green smoke.¡±


    That was true, everyone knew that whichever family Ming Jing belonged to, that family¡¯s ancestors would definitely be smoking green smoke.


    The Zhus were really lucky.


    Ming Jing stood beside Granny Zhu with her eyes downcast, silent andposed from beginning to end.


    Everyone admired this young girl¡¯s steady temperament even more. Tonight was Granny Zhu¡¯s birthday party, and she stood there quietly without stealing the limelight. She didn¡¯t wear makeup or dress up, still wearing her never-changing white dress. Yet, among the heavily made-up women present, not one could surpass her in appearance.


    The limelight was not something to be fought for. Wherever she stood, she was the center of attention.


    Charles Gao, who was standing beside Madam Gao, was shocked to see the girl beside Lin Qing. Wasn¡¯t she Lin Ya?


    What was her rtionship with the Zhu family or Madam Zhu?


    Charles Gao had a daring spection in his heart.


    Madam Gao nced at him, not unaware of her son¡¯s thoughts. She used to disapprove, but now it seemed that she had been shortsighted.


    Madam Gao patted Charles Gao¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°If you like her, pursue her boldly. Your mother supports you.¡±<div>


    Charles Gao hesitated, somewhat dumbfounded.


    That was all high school stuff, young and frivolous, self-righteous. Now it was simply unbearable to look back.


    Ming Jing was like a flower on a high peak, only to be admired from a distance, not to be yed with. Just thinking about it felt like a desecration of the goddess.


    Besides, Ming Jing was too unrealistically good. He felt it was better to keep his feet on the ground and his heart steady.<div>


    He thought to himself, only a cool freak like Jiang Jinchen could get together with Ming Jing. Besides, he had already seen Jiang Jinchen¡¯s intentions, and as brothers they should help each other out.


    That¡¯s why he had let her go a long time ago.


    Charles Gao¡¯s eyes rolled, and he asked quietly, ¡°Mom, are you serious?¡±Madam Gaoughed: ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! I¡¯ll bring her home, and you mustn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    Madam Gao gave him a sidelong nce: ¡°As long as you have the ability, I¡¯ll beat drums and set off firecrackers.¡±


    Charles Gao was relieved: ¡°You just wait.¡±


    Madam Gao was delighted, and she had great confidence in her son¡¯s charm.


    At that time, who in Manjiangzhou wouldn¡¯t envy her? The thought of it made her feel triumphant.


    Ming Jing said softly, ¡°Granny, today is your seventieth birthday, and you are the protagonist.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Granny is happy.¡±


    Granny Zhu was indeed happy, so she chatted a bit more.


    Having an elder in the family is a treasure. Granny Zhu was wise and magnanimous, and her affection for Ming Jing moved everyone.


    ¡°Alright, Mom, what are you crying for on such a joyful day? There¡¯s plenty of time ahead.¡± Lin Qingforted her gently.<div>


    Bo Yuxun slowly straightened up, and the servant handed him a handkerchief to wrap his wound. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t deep, and the bleeding stopped quickly.


    ¡°Yuxun, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Jiang Chun asked with some concern.


    Her furrowed brows made her look genuinely worried.


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse as he replied indifferently, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Madam. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re alright. Ming Jing, this girl, has grown up in a nunnery since childhood and has suffered a lot. In fact, she¡¯s quite simr to A Jiang. Now they¡¯re both enjoying better days.¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s pinky finger moved slightly as he hooked his lips, ¡°Oh, so you appreciate her a lot.¡±


    ¡°She is a good child¡­¡±


    Just as these words were spoken, a sharp voice suddenly came from the broadcast, ¡°You¡¯ve all been deceived by Ming Jing, she¡¯s a liar, a murderer!¡±


    This ferocious voice was apanied by ear-piercing shrieks from the broadcast, clearly drifting into every corner of the hall and into everyone¡¯s ears.


    The scene instantly erupted inmotion.


    Jiang Chun raised an eyebrow, the yful and ruthless smile on her lips appeared briefly.


    ¡°Outstanding people will always encounter jealousy. This poor child is really pitiable¡­¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s face changed drastically as she turned to the security guards, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Find the troublemaker.¡±<div>


    Lin Ya stepped forward and frowned, ¡°Auntie, that voice¡­ sounds like Zhu Xiangxiang, my cousin.¡±


    At first, Lin Qing didn¡¯t recognize it, but after Lin Ya¡¯s reminder, she was furious, ¡°What is this girl ying at? I¡¯ve been too indulgent with her. Does she even know what kind of asion this is? What can she gain by causing such a scene and framing Ming Jing?!¡±


    Granny Zhu took a deep breath and patted Ming Jing¡¯s hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Granny is backing you up, and no one will hurt you.¡±


    Ming Jing remained calm from beginning to end, smiling gently. She squatted down and pulled the nket on Granny Zhu¡¯sp, ¡°Granny, I¡¯m fine. No matter what you hear or seeter, don¡¯t get angry. You have to believe me, I¡¯ll always be your granddaughter.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up at Granny Zhu with a smile.


    Granny Zhu gazed deeply into her eyes, as if she sensed something. She held Ming Jing¡¯s hand tightly and nodded with difficulty.


    ¡°Alright, Granny promises you.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face was filled with anger, ¡°What is this child doing? There are so many guests here, won¡¯t theyugh at us?¡±


    Lin Ya whispered to Lin Qing, ¡°Auntie, let the security guards catch her first. The most important thing is to calm down the guests at the scene. You are the hostess, you absolutely can¡¯t panic.¡±


    Lin Qing gratefully nced at Lin Ya, took a deep breath, and spoke loudly, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let me exin. I don¡¯t know which mad person wants to cause trouble on an asion like this. A murderer? That¡¯s just an absurd lie. If I find out who is ndering my daughter like this, I won¡¯t let them off the hook.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯sst sentence revealed a touch of viciousness.


    She was truly enraged.


    <div>

 Chapter 669: 347 Expose (Fifth watch of the night)

    Chapter 669: 347 Expose (Fifth watch of the night)


    ¡°Ming Jing has deceived all of you, she is not the real daughter of the Zhu family, she is an imposter.¡±


    In the broadcast, this voice full of gnashing teeth dropped a bombshell.


    It was like a muffled thunder, booming in the sky.


    Everyone present was too shocked to react.


    Zhao Qin sipped her red wine leisurely.


    Indeed, the Zhus spent a lot of money on this.


    What a pity.


    Li Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°This is Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice? She¡¯s got guts! But if it¡¯s true¡­ Tsk, tsk.¡±


    This so-called phnthropist may end up in shame and be despised by everyone.


    Liu Muxue crushed a ss cup with her bare hand.<div>


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang you slut, how dare you nder Ming Jing! I¡¯ll rip your mouth apart!¡±


    Under the astonished gazes of Li Qingyao and Liu Jingyun, Liu Muxue pushed through the crowd and rushed out, pointing at the ceiling and shouting: ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, get out here! You coward, hiding in the shadows and causing trouble out of jealousy for Ming Jing! You¡¯ve lost your mind, using such despicable tactics! Just hiding in the shadows, you¡¯re nothing more than a rat in a sewer, jealous of others¡¯ sess! If you have guts,e out and confront me face to face!¡±


    Lin Qing stomped her foot in fury: ¡°That damn girl, she¡¯s driving me crazy! Where¡¯s the security? Hurry up and catch her! Don¡¯t let her spout nonsense anymore!¡±


    Lin Ya nced at Zhu Wentao, who lookedpletely calm andposed.


    Looking back at Ming Jing, she felt even more strange. Today, she was being ndered in front of so many guests, yet she seemedpletely unaffected. Such a state of mind was not something an ordinary person could have.


    ¡°Xiao Xue,¡± Ming Jing stopped Liu Muxue.


    Liu Muxue put her hands on her hips. ¡°Ming Jing, wait and see. If I don¡¯t tear apart Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s foul mouth today, I won¡¯t be surnamed Liu! What a piece of trash!¡±


    There was an uproar at the scene, but not many people believed her.


    Zhu Xiangxiang must be crazy, what kind of ce does she think this is?


    People couldn¡¯t agree with the upbringing of the Zhu family.


    Everyone just took it as a joke.


    Granny Zhu, who had been mentally prepared, seemed very calm. She red at Lin Qing, ¡°This is the kind of thing you raised? Even a white-eyed wolf has more conscience than her!¡±


    This time, Lin Qing had no words to refute.


    She had invited a wolf into her home.


    Ming Jing whispered: ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, juste out. Hiding in the shadows is pointless.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, it¡¯s pointless, but I¡¯m afraid if I show myself, you¡¯ll have someone catch me, forcibly covering my mouth so that the public will never know the truth. I won¡¯t be deceived by your two-faced schemes anymore.¡±


    This young voice in the broadcast was full of bitterness, especially the meaning behind her words¡ªit was shocking.


    The guests looked at each other, and Madam Ye murmured: ¡°Could this be true? Is Zhu Xiangxiang out of her mind?¡±


    Ye Lan said: ¡°Who knows? I think the Zhus are deeply involved in this. This evening¡¯s banquet won¡¯t be boring.¡±<div>


    Gao Jia grabbed a handful of melon seeds and leaned leisurely against a pir, ncing at Li Jiaojiao and Zhao Qin, before smiling and approaching them.


    ¡°Jiaojiao, I just saw you. Do you think this Zhu Xiangxiang has gone crazy?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao hooked her lips: ¡°Flies do not bite seamless eggs. I think Zhu Xiangxiang must have been driven to desperation. After all, even rabbits bite when they¡¯re cornered.¡±


    Gao Jia shifted her gaze to Zhao Qin: ¡°Ms. Zhao, I heard you and Ming Jing have a good rtionship. Do you know any inside information?¡±<div>


    ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    Gao Jia pouted. She guessed that Zhao Qin must be the happiest person right now.


    After all, the Rans had alreadypletely fallen out with Ming Jing.


    Maybe this whole scene was staged by the Rans, but either way, she was happy to watch the drama unfold now.


    Ming Jing had offended the Rans, and there would be some hard times ahead. And this was just the beginning.


    Qu Feitai straightened his body, looked in Ming Jing¡¯s direction, and immediately rushed out.


    Bai Weining was surprised: ¡°Brother Qu, what are you going to do?¡±


    As she was about to chase after him, Bai Ziyan stopped her immediately.


    ¡°Bai Weining, are you a follower or something? Can¡¯t you see that Xiao Fei doesn¡¯t like to get involved with you? Everyone¡¯s in a bad mood right now, just behave yourself.¡±


    Bai Weining pouted: ¡°Second brother, I¡¯m angry too! Ming Jing¡¯s such a good person, how could anyone bear to nder her?¡±


    Bai Ziyan hooked his lips: ¡°Really? You should at least pretend to be a little more convincing. You can hardly hide the schadenfreude in your eyes. Do you think your second brother is a fool?¡±


    ¡°Second brother, how could you wrong me like this?¡± Bai Weining¡¯s eyes reddened, looking wronged.


    <div>

 Chapter 670: 347 Unmask (Late Night)_2

    Chapter 670: 347 Unmask (Late Night)_2


    Bai Ziyan rolled his eyes, ¡°Oh please, I¡¯m not falling for your act.¡±


    Bai Ziyan turned to Song Yinzhang, ¡°Keep an eye on her, I¡¯m going to find Xiao Fei.¡±


    He spun around, only to find Jiang Jinchen had disappeared, ¡°Where is Jinchen?¡±


    Song Yinzhang replied, ¡°He just went out with Xiao Fei.¡±


    The door to the broadcast room was locked from the inside, the hotel manager was frantic, something big was about to happen today.


    ¡°Break it down,¡± the manager ordered the security.


    At this point, a teenager pushed through the crowd, announcing, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    The manager turned around and eximed, ¡°Qu Feitai?¡±


    No one was unfamiliar with this face.


    Qu Feitai, emanating an aura of unapproachability, charged at the door and kicked it.<div>


    The broadcast room was sealed with a metal door, and it didn¡¯t break open with one kick.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, step away. Let me handle this.¡±


    The manager saw another young man, armed with an electric chainsaw, making his way through the crowd.


    The manager recognized the teenager. He had arrived with Madam Jiang and must be her son.


    Qu Feitai nced at him and took a step back.


    Jiang Jinchen aimed the electric chainsaw at the lock, and as it whirred, sparks flew. The lock was sliced open.


    Jiang Jinchen handed the chainsaw to the manager and kicked open the metal door.


    The manager, clutching the chainsaw conscientiously ensuring he didn¡¯t injure himself, remarked, ¡°This kid is smart, the chainsaw, a tool of construction workers, came in handy¡±.


    With nothing blocking their way, the metal door mmed against the wall with a deafening crash.


    However, Zhu Xiangxiang was not in the broadcast room. There was only a microphone pointed toward a speakerphone which disyed an ongoing call ¨C apparently, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice was being transmitted through the speakerphone.


    ¡°She¡¯s crafty,¡± Jiang Jinchen walked over and quickly turned off the microphone before addressing the person on the other end of the phone, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, do you realize what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Jinchen?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang chuckled.


    ¡°Of course, I know what I¡¯m doing. You like her, don¡¯t you? Today, I¡¯ll show you how detestable your so-called kind and gentle goddess can be.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Qu Feitai snatched the phone, his voice chilly, ¡°You¡¯re in deep trouble.¡±


    ¡°You must be Qu Feitai? Good, everyone¡¯s here.¡±


    The line was disconnected with a click.


    Qu Feitai and Jiang Jinchen looked at each other, both their faces pale. This was not good¡­


    Outside the hotel, it was freezing cold.<div>


    But inside the lobby, it was as warm as spring.


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s voice was heard over the loudspeaker, and then it cut off.


    Jiang Chun frowned, ¡°What is this child up to?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, dare you reveal the truth to everyone?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice echoed over themotion in the crowd.<div>


    The crowd turned their heads towards the voice to see Zhu Xiangxiang, dressed in exquisite fashion, stepping out of the crowd.


    Everyone looked at her with disgust and contempt.


    How dare she defame Ming Jing, the Zhus had been too kind to her.


    Someone shouted, ¡°What an ungrateful creature, Madam Zhu, you were too soft on this illegitimate child. Now you see the trouble she¡¯s caused?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Ms. Ming Jing is not someone this lowlife can nder. She overestimates herself. She made a scene at Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s banquetst time, and she¡¯s doing it again. She¡¯s unbelievable.¡±


    Listening to the people condemn and insult her, Zhu Xiangxiang did not show any signs of anger. ¡°How pitiful you ignorant people are, being cheated and yet helping the cheater count the money. You will soon be ashamed of the words you¡¯ve just spoken.¡±


    Lin Qing red furiously, ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang, shut up. I have been too indulgent with you, allowing you to nder Ming Jing over and over.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang walked to the center of the hall, under the crystal chandelier. She said with some sadness, ¡°Mother, ever since Ming Jing returned, you¡¯ve stopped caring about me. I know I shouldn¡¯t be greedy, I¡¯m willing to step back. I won¡¯tpete with Ming Jing over anything. I¡¯ve been so obedient, so why do you still want to send me abroad?¡±


    What on earth was she saying? What does she mean by ¡®notpeting with Ming Jing¡¯?


    All those things are rightfully Ming Jing¡¯s. This lucky girl has been reaping the benefits of wealth and privilege for sixteen years, and instead of being grateful she dares to make demands. How shameless can she get?


    Also, she resents the idea of studying abroad? How shameless of her. How many people from impoverished families get the opportunity to study abroad? The Zhus have arranged everything for her, and she¡¯s still not satisfied?

 Chapter 671: 347 Unmask (Late Night)_3

    Chapter 671: 347 Unmask (Late Night)_3


    The city wall isn¡¯t as thick as your shameless face.


    What a case of gratitude turning into hatred over a tiny matter.


    The Zhus must have had eight generations of bad luck to raise such an ungrateful creature.


    Lin Qing pointed at Zhu Xiangxiang, too angry to speak.


    So she had been holding a grudge all this time, hiding it beneath her fa?ade.


    ¡°Dear Xiangxiang, your Aunt sent you abroad for your own good. It¡¯s not cousin Ming Jing¡¯s fault that the two of you don¡¯t get along. Your Aunt has already arranged your visa, school, and even the host family you¡¯ll stay with, ensuring you won¡¯t suffer a single bit. Why can¡¯t you understand your Aunt¡¯s painstaking efforts? Besides, you¡¯re already lucky enough. Greed is not good, attempting too much is bound to end in failure. What you¡¯re doing hurts your Aunt deeply.¡±


    Lin Ya patted Lin Qing¡¯s back gently to soothe her while shaking her head and sighing.


    She didn¡¯t know that Lin Qing had arranged for Zhu Xiangxiang to go abroad, but that didn¡¯t stop her from saying so.


    Hearing Lin Ya¡¯s words, Lin Qing became even angrier. Indeed, greed is not good. She had been kind enough to Zhu Xiangxiang, not throwing her out of the Zhus¡¯ home and treating her like a privileged youngdy. Yet, she still wasn¡¯t satisfied, causing such a huge embarrassment today.


    Her face was utterly humiliated, and from today on, the Zhus would be theughingstock of Manjiangzhou.<div>


    It was only then that the crowd realized that this young girl, who looked like Lin Qing, was her niece.


    ¡°Shut up, you! Who do you think you are to lecture me?¡±


    ¡°If she can¡¯t teach you a lesson, I will.¡± Liu Muxue furiously charged forward and without any hesitation, pped Zhu Xiangxiang across the face with all her might.


    The loud p startled everyone, making them instinctively feel the pain on their faces.


    It also felt satisfying, the young girl in red, like a ball of fire, attracted the interest of quite a few young men.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was caught off guard by the p, and her meticulously styled hair fell apart, making her look quite disheveled.


    Zhu Xiangxiang covered her face, ¡°How dare you hit me?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with hitting you? I still want to tear your mouth to shreds so you can¡¯t spout nonsense, you shameless little bitch.¡± Liu Muxue grabbed her hair, and Zhu Xiangxiang let out a sharp scream as they started to fight.


    Everyone watched this ridiculous scene, speechless.


    The situation was bing increasingly absurd.


    Liu Muxue took off her high heels and hit Zhu Xiangxiang on the head with the heel, ¡°You little bitch, if I don¡¯t teach you a lesson, you won¡¯t know how tough I am.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± A young man rushed out of the crowd, pushed Liu Muxue away, and protected Zhu Xiangxiang behind him.


    ¡°Oh, here¡¯s her lover. Boy, you really should visit an eye doctor, treating a broken thing like her as a treasure. If you don¡¯t need your eyes, please donate them to the blind.¡±


    This green-haired guy was hard to look at, and Liu Muxue had no words in response. Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s taste was as poor as her conscience.


    There was real cause for concern.


    ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s my sister. I¡¯m Zhu Shaodan, the young master of the Zhus. My sister isn¡¯t wrong. That woman isn¡¯t my real sister; she¡¯s an imposter.¡± Zhu Shaodan pointed at the silent Ming Jing and shouted aloud.


    After all this time, the person at the center of this drama had remained silent from start to finish. This was too unusual.


    Now that her younger brother stepped forward to identify her, those who were more sensitive noticed the oddity of the situation.


    The girl in white stood there quietly, her face showing no sadness or joy, no worry or anger, as though she were an outsider.<div>


    No one wanted to believe that such a lovely girl could be a scheming fraud.


    Someone must be framing her.

 Chapter 672: 348 Life Story (Pre-dawn)

    Chapter 672: 348 Life Story (Pre-dawn)


    ¡°Zhu Shaodan, stop messing around and get over here.¡±


    Lin Qing instantly regretted her decision, Zhu Xiangxiang really wanted to bring down the whole Zhu family.


    She hadn¡¯t considered the consequences at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m not messing around,¡± Zhu Shaodan snorted coldly, ¡°I have evidence.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan then turned around and yelled, ¡°Bring them in.¡±


    Then, a young girl led two people in.


    Xie Zhen hid in the corner, wanting to step out and defend Ming Jing, but worried she wasn¡¯t worthy. She breathed a sigh of relief when Liu Muxue stepped out.


    It wasn¡¯t until she saw the girl who came in that she gasped ¡°Tang Wan?¡±


    Thinking back to what Tang Wan had said mysteriously after the exam that day, Xie Zhen immediately understood.


    ¡°So she¡¯s in cahoots with Zhu Xiangxiang, trying to frame Ming Jing.¡±<div>


    Zhao Heng frowned, ¡°Stay put, I¡¯ll go find Mr. Shen.¡±


    Shen Zhou stepped out and said, ¡°Madam Zhu, is this how you raise your children in the Zhu family? You allowed my sister to be humiliated like this, are you trying to disrespect our Shen family?¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby snorted coldly: ¡°Ming Jing, let¡¯s go. We won¡¯t tolerate this nonsense from the Zhu family.¡±


    Ming Jing patted Elder Theodore Shelby¡¯s hand and looked at Shen Zhou.


    Shen Zhou understood Ming Jing¡¯s gaze, but he really couldn¡¯t figure out what this girl was up to.


    She wouldn¡¯t let herself be wronged, but today¡¯s drama was truly baffling.


    Lin Qing¡¯s face froze, Ming Jing was her own daughter and her heart also ached.


    When Lin Qing saw the three people who walked in, her gaze fell on the oldest woman among them, ¡°Zhao Xiaohui?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui had never been in such a big event with so many people, scared to her bones, and wishing she could just run away.


    For those who didn¡¯t know who Zhao Xiaohui was, Zhu Xiangxiang exined loudly, ¡°Zhao Xiaohui is my biological mother. As everyone knows, sixteen years ago, Madam Zhu and my mother were simultaneously inbor in a clinic in Qingfeng Town. Both gave birth to a baby girl, but due to a nurse¡¯s mistake, the two baby girls got switched. I was brought back to the Zhu family while my mother brought home the real Zhu family¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Everyone listened to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s exnation as if it was a story, it was too far-fetched and bizarre.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, my mother had a child out of wedlock, and recklessly opposed societal norms. My grandmother, thinking of my mother¡¯s well-being, secretly sent the child away without my mother¡¯s knowledge. She¡¯d heard about a nunnery on Baitou Mountain which took in homeless baby girls, so with a heavy heart, she left the baby at the door of the nunnery.¡±


    Everyone knows that Ming Jing came from the Jiyue Temple on Baitou Mountain. If the Jiyue Temple hadn¡¯t closed, its threshold would have probably been trampled by now.


    Was there any significance to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words? Didn¡¯t this just confirm Ming Jing¡¯s identity?


    As if guessing what everyone was thinking, Zhu Xiangxiang smirked, a look of smugness in her eyes.


    She looked at Ming Jing, who also looked back at her.


    Their eyes met, and Zhu Xiangxiang was slightly taken aback to see her still so calm.


    But soon, she would lose her calm.


    ¡°My mother has held the real heiress of the Zhu family. Can you tell everyone, what special features does the real heiress have?¡±<div>


    Zhao Xiaohui lowered her head.


    Zhu Xiangxiang whispered, ¡°At this point, you have no other option but to help me.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui closed her eyes, gritted her teeth and said, ¡°The real Zhu family¡¯s daughter has a butterfly birthmark on her upper back.¡±


    Lin Qing was taken aback. She hadn¡¯t held her own daughter since she was born, she didn¡¯t even know her daughter had a birthmark and had to learn about it from a stranger.<div>


    At that moment, a voice rang out from the crowd, ¡°I¡¯ve ridden horseback with Ms. Zhu and have seen her back when we changed clothes ¨C there¡¯s no butterfly birthmark. You really shoulde up with a better lie.¡±


    Everyone turned to see Zhao Qin.


    She was from the Rans, and couldn¡¯t be expected to say anything good if she opened her mouth. It was kind of her not to side with Zhu Xiangxiang to harm Ming Jing.


    Moreover, who knew if this Zhao Xiaohui was just bbering nonsense? All she had was her words; after all, she might be the only one who had seen the real heiress of the Zhu family.


    Zhao Xiaohui was questioned, and quickly said, ¡°I swear to God, if I¡¯m lying, may I die a horrible death.¡±


    But dared to swear, which made everyone hesitant.


    ¡°Ming Jing, do you dare to bare your back for everyone to see? You don¡¯t, because there is no birthmark on your back, you¡¯re an imposter.¡±

 Chapter 673: 348 Life Story (Pre-dawn)_2

    Chapter 673: 348 Life Story (Pre-dawn)_2


    Zhu Xiangxiang pointed at Ming Jing and said loudly.


    Lin Qing stood in front of Ming Jing, furious and desperate, ¡°Shut up! I won¡¯t let you hurt my daughter again!¡±


    ¡°Mom, I know it¡¯s hard for you to believe this, but Ming Jing is not your and dad¡¯s daughter. Your real daughter has been silenced by her! She is such a ruthless killer, but she pretends to be kind. Has she ever called you mother? No, because in her heart, you are not her real mother at all! Not only you, but the whole Zhu family is just a stepping stone for her.¡±


    Lin Qing was stunned, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re talking nonsense. If Ming Jing is not my biological daughter, then who is?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at the young girl who had entered with Zhao Xiaohui. Her rural and simple dress was out of ce in this high-end and luxurious banquet.


    The girl, feeling very ufortable, tugged at her cotton jacket. When Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her, she immediately looked up at Zhu Wentao and said with astonishment, ¡°Are you Mr. Zhu?¡±


    Zhu Wentao nodded, ¡°I am.¡±


    The girl covered her mouth in disbelief, ¡°You and Master Ming Xin look so much alike. It seems that Master Ming Xin is your biological daughter.¡±


    Lin Qing immediately rushed over, ¡°What did you say? Who is Ming Xin? Exin clearly!¡±


    The girl was startled, ¡°Madam, I¡­ I¡¯m just an ordinary citizen in a small town at the foot of Baitou Mountain. Please don¡¯t do this, I¡¯m scared.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang patted her shoulder, ¡°Xiao Hong, don¡¯t be afraid, speak slowly.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s words seemed to give Xiao Hong courage, so she slowly said, ¡°Master Wu Xin¡¯s senior disciple Master Ming Xin often came down the mountain, I¡¯ve seen her many times. She looks very simr to Mr. Zhu. But after Master Wu Xin passed away in the winter beforest, I never saw Master Ming Xin again. Then, there was news that Master Ming Jing became the real daughter of the Zhus¡­¡±


    Xiao Hong¡¯s voice got lower and lower, but everyone could still hear her clearly.


    Lin Qing couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Ming Xin? Are you sure?¡±


    Xiao Hong raised her hand, ¡°I swear, if I tell a lie, let me be struck by thunder.¡±


    Lin Qing lost her soul, ¡°No¡­ You must be lying. I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    Everyone was watching this turn of events, for a moment not knowing who was right and who was wrong.


    Zhu Xiangxiang raised her voice and said word by word, ¡°I have here a freshly prepared DNA identification report from the testing agency. The samples taken were from Ming Jing and dad. To be on the safe side, I also took some of your hair and had it tested. Both results show that she is not rted to you or dad by blood.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang handed the two documents to Lin Qing, ¡°I would never lie to you. There are handwritten signatures from the identification personnel inside. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can take her for identification right now.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s fingers trembled as she opened the documents, and then she suddenly crumpled the report into a ball and threw it at Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face, cursing, ¡°Fraud! You¡¯re a fraud!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang picked up the crumpled paper and smoothed it out, ¡°Mom, you need to stop lying to yourself. She killed your real daughter. She¡¯s a murderer. Otherwise, let her reveal the truth about Ming Xin.¡±


    Lin Qing suddenly turned her head and looked at Ming Jing, walking towards her step by step, ¡°Is what she said true?¡±


    She suddenly remembered the apology Ming Jing had offered before the banquet started.


    And Ming Jing¡¯s attitude before, she had never called her mother. Lin Qing had always thought Ming Jing had no desire or emotions because of her years of Buddhist practice and never forced her.


    It turns out that everything had traces to follow, she just never thought that she would be deceived.


    Lin Qing¡¯s heart suddenly seemed to be hollowed out, as the pain tore at her.


    When she found out that her beloved husband had betrayed her, she was just disappointed, but now, it was real pain.


    ¡°Where is Ming Xin? I¡¯m asking you, where is your junior sister Ming Xin?¡±


    When they first returned to Jiangzhou, she had brought back her three junior sisters, but Ming Xin was nowhere to be found. At that time, she only felt it was strange, but she never deeply thought about it.<div>


    Lin Ya nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, so this was her n.


    ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be anxious. Don¡¯t you know what kind of person Ming Jing is?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, say something!¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly, and she sighed softly.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang raised her eyebrows in triumph, she couldn¡¯t speak because everything was true.


    Everyone was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, could it be that what Zhu Xiangxiang said was true?

 Chapter 674: 348 Life Story (Pre-dawn)_3

    Chapter 674: 348 Life Story (Pre-dawn)_3


    It¡¯s impossible, how could Ming Jing possibly be that kind of person?


    Liu Muxue spat on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face and scolded, ¡°You wretch, what nonsense are you talking about? I could forge a pile of those so-called appraisal reports! Who are you trying to fool? Do you think everyone here is an idiot?¡±


    ¡°Whether or not I¡¯m lying, let Ming Jing hand over Ming Xin, and everything will be clear.¡±


    That¡¯s right, the key point now is Ming Xin, but where is Ming Xin?


    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible that the young nun found out that her senior was actually a wealthy heiress, and she became jealous because she could only be a little nun in the mountains. So she had the idea of taking her senior¡¯s ce. But because Ming Xin resembles Mr. Zhu, in order to prevent being discovered, she killed Master Ming Xin? Tsk tsk, it seems that this Master Ming Jing is nothing more than a hypocritical and ruthless individual after all.¡± Edward Feng said loudly, setting the tone for the matter.


    Everyone was incredulous, but they had no way to refute it.


    Jiang Chun shook her head, ¡°Ming Jing, I¡¯ve always believed that you were a good child. Is there apelling reason behind your actions? Just tell us, we will understand.¡±


    Apelling reason? No matter how great the reason, deception was still wrong.


    Why did she do charity work? Wishful Thinking Foundation, The Heart Project? All had the character ¡®heart¡¯ in them.


    This realization was terrifying.<div>


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s gaze on Ming Jing changed. She was no longer apassionate master, but a false, cruel, and unpredictable person.


    Madam Ye muttered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Madam Jiang quite fond of Ming Jing? Why doesn¡¯t she say something on Ming Jing¡¯s behalf?¡±


    The one sentence just now was fanning the mes and pouring oil on the fire.


    Qu Feitai clenched his fists. Ming Jing was now besieged on all sides, with everyone using her and not trusting her.


    Qu Feitai rushed forward and stood in front of Ming Jing, pointing at Zhu Xiangxiang and said, ¡°You have been targeting Ming Jing for quite a while now, haven¡¯t you? You must have been preparing this farce for a long time. What a painstaking effort! However, it¡¯s a pity that others won¡¯t fall for your tricks. I know what kind of person Ming Jing is, better than you do. She wouldn¡¯t even bring herself to kill an ant, let alone a person! You¡¯re ndering her, and you¡¯ll get youreuppance.¡±


    The involvement of the famous Qu Feitai made this farce even more sensational. The crowd couldn¡¯t help but stir with excitement.


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed until she had tears in her eyes, ¡°The one who will get theireuppance is her, and she, who will be struck by lightning and die miserably. Ask her if she dares to tell where Ming Xin is? It¡¯s because she¡¯s guilty, she dares not let Ming Xin appear. She is the murderer, who killed Ming Xin to cover up her lies.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Qu Feitai roared angrily.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to nder her.¡±


    ¡°I used to like and admire you so much, but I never thought that you would turn out to be such a despicable person blinded by lust, unable to distinguish right from wrong. I was so blind to have liked you before.¡±


    Qu Feitai¡¯s fists clenched with a cracking sound.


    Ming Jing sighed, ¡°Qu Feitai, step aside.¡±


    Qu Feitai turned back and looked at her with heartache.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but I can handle it myself.¡± Ming Jing came out from behind Qu Feitai and adjusted her skirt.


    Her movements were smooth and graceful, with an indescribable noble elegance.


    On her immacte skirt, the faint silver lotus pattern flickered, as if ethereal lotuses were blooming as she moved.


    So noble and transcendent, she seemed otherworldly.


    Facing nder and usations, she remained calm andposed, and now she finally stepped forward.<div>


    Looking at the unparalleled beauty, everyone found it hard to believe that she could be the hypocritical and ruthless person that Zhu Xiangxiang described, who would take someone¡¯s life.

 Chapter 675: 349 Attack (Seven More)

    Chapter 675: 349 Attack (Seven More)


    ¡°Yueyue, what¡¯s going on now? A battle between the real and fake heiress? Fake heiress exposes the true identity of the real heiress, and the real heiress turns fake in an instant?¡± Liu Jia was almost dizzy from her own words.


    ¡°Top celebrities love to protect? Even if I betray everyone, I¡¯ll be with you. We¡¯re going to make the headlines tomorrow. We got the first-hand news, our bonus this month is going to double.¡±


    Liu Jia quietly took out her phone to take pictures after she spoke.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Cao Yue stopped her from taking pictures, ¡°Are you crazy? You dare to spread gossip about Miss Zhu? Do you not want to work anymore?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we part of the media? Isn¡¯t it our duty to report the truth to the public? If we don¡¯t report it, other media will. Better let our own people reap the benefits.¡±


    Liu Jia muttered softly, ¡°Besides, what kind of ¡®Miss Zhu¡¯ is she, anyway?¡±


    After tonight, this famouspassionate youngdy, the so-called phnthropist, would most likely be ruined.


    ¡°You¡­ you stop it.¡± Seeing her verbal warning didn¡¯t work, Cao Yue moved to snatch her phone.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was now on Ming Jing, and no one cared about the two people in the corner.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    Bo Yuxun quietly watched the white-clothed girl not far away.


    For a moment, he thought A Xue was standing in front of him.


    But A Xue was more charming and bright, while she was calm and devoid of sorrow and joy.


    Like a lofty and emotionless Buddha statue.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t rush to speak, her eyes swept through the crowd one by one. Some people worried, some watched, some were indecisive, and some were even pleased with her misfortune, as if they could already see her pitiful state.


    All living beings, neverplete.


    Among the crowd, she saw an elegant and mature man.


    Only his gaze was the most unique.


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, and while he was still baffled, she looked at the distraught Lin Qing in front of her.


    ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang is right, I am not your biological daughter.¡±


    Lin Qing swayed slightly, and Lin Ya hurriedly supported her.


    ¡°Ming Jing, my cousin¡­ you¡­?¡± Lin Ya was very shocked.


    Why did she admit it? It would be difficult to recover now.


    ¡°Wow!¡± The scene suddenly became lively. Ming Jing¡¯s words were like a bomb thrown into a tranquilke, exploding and sshing water everywhere, causing everyone to feel disoriented.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, has she gone mad? She¡¯s admitting it herself.¡±


    ¡°Why would she do this? She¡¯s clearly not that kind of person¡­¡±


    ¡°Not that kind of person? Are you worms in her stomach? Do you think you know her well? I think she was just coveting the Zhus¡¯ wealth, deliberately pretending to be a virtuous person. All her charity works were just to cover up her guilt. Those wealthy businessmen who worked with her weren¡¯t fools. They simply gave her money to boost her reputation? I think there must be some shady secrets. It¡¯s said that there were ¡°thin horses¡± in Yangzhou in ancient times. I guess she¡¯s nothing but a Jiangzhou ¡°thin horse¡±, pretending to be pure and virtuous, but who knows how dirty she is inside, how many men¡¯s beds she has been in. Disgusting¡­¡±


    This sharp and shrill voice was extremely harsh, falling clearly into everyone¡¯s ears, causing the scene to pause for a moment.<div>


    Being called a ¡°thin horse¡± of Jiangzhou¡­ That was just too insulting.


    ¡°A so-called mob is those who blindly follow the crowd, not thinking deeply. Once someone takes the lead, their thoughts will unconsciously follow that person.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. I always found it strange that there could be such a kind person in this world, givingrge sums of money to charity. Later, when I found out she had close ties with the big shots, I felt it was strange. She¡¯s a youngdy, it¡¯s not normal for her to be hanging out with a bunch of old men all the time instead of going to school. But now it all makes sense. If she really is a ¡°thin horse,¡± it¡¯s horrifying. It¡¯s definitely the biggest scandal of the year.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was strange the Shens took her in. Why would the Shens be so kind to her for no reason? I guess Elder Theodore Shelby and Shen Zhou were both seduced by this snake-hearted woman. Love is like a knife above the head¡­¡±<div>


    Elder Theodore Shelby trembled with anger at the surrounding gossip.


    Shen Zhou patted the elder¡¯s back, ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, let¡¯s just wait and see. She won¡¯t let herself be taken advantage of.¡±


    ¡°These people are so vulgar. Ming Jing has helped so many people in the past. Why don¡¯t these people speak up when they receive her help? Now when they see Ming Jing is in trouble, they jump out and talk nonsense, buzzing like annoying flies.¡±

 Chapter 676: 349 Attack (Seven More)_2

    Chapter 676: 349 Attack (Seven More)_2


    Shen Zhou said, ¡°It¡¯s not a loss to see these people¡¯s true faces on this asion.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby looked at Ming Jing, who was all alone. Facing so many doubts and abuses, she could still smile.


    How strong must this girl¡¯s mentality be?


    ¡°Li Jiaojiao, did you eat shit? Your mouth is so stinky.¡± Liu Muxue red at the person who first called Jiangzhou a thin horse and threw her high heels at the crowd.


    Her aim was spot on, and Li Jiaojiao was hit on the forehead by the heel of the high heels before she could dodge.


    Her forehead swelled up instantly.


    Li Jiaojiao held her forehead, her eyes red with pain.


    The next moment, Liu Muxue rushed over, grabbed Li Jiaojiao¡¯s hair and yanked it violently, cursing as she pulled, ¡°Fuck you, you filthy bitch, what do you think you are, to curse Ming Jing? You¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time, huh? I think you were the happiest one of all. Jiangzhou thin horse, my ass.¡±


    Liu Muxue, despite her small size, was quite strong. She pped Li Jiaojiao on both sides of her face, leaving her dazed.


    The crowd around was stunned by Liu Muxue¡¯s wildness.<div>


    But no one came to help Li Jiaojiao.


    Zhao Qin frowned and shouted, ¡°Liu Muxue, stop it! This is not the ce for you to run wild.¡±


    Liu Muxue, holding Li Jiaojiao¡¯s hair in one hand and her high heels in the other, pointed at Zhao Qin: ¡°I almost forgot about you. If she dared to do this, wasn¡¯t it because you instigated her? You must be insanely jealous of Ming Jing because Xi Yu likes her and not you. Xi Yu is not blind to like a despicable and vicious thing like you!¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s face turned green instantly, and she gritted her teeth and yelled, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    The onlookers got another juicy piece of gossip.


    Xi Yu? This name was both strange and familiar.


    Liu Muxue spat, ¡°What right do you have to tell me to shut up? The hotel isn¡¯t yours. I¡¯m warning you, behave yourself. And you.¡± Liu Muxue patted Li Jiaojiao¡¯s swollen face.


    ¡°From now on, if you dare to say anything more, I¡¯ll have someone kill you.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s tone was full of ferocity, making people¡¯s hearts jump.


    Others might not be aware of Liu Muxue¡¯s background, but Zhao Qin was. She knew that Liu Muxue was not joking and was entirely capable of it.


    Liu Muxue let go of Li Jiaojiao, elegantly put on her high heels, flicked her curls, turned around and left with a swan-like stride.


    Li Qingyao¡¯s mouth had not closed from start to finish, ¡°Is my cousin so fierce?¡±


    Liu Jingyun¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a single hand resting on his chest, ¡°Amitofo¡­good, good.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao, devastated, yelled, ¡°Liu Muxue, I will never let you go.¡±


    Liu Muxue rolled her eyes, ¡°This youngdy will be waiting.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s shrill voice was very ear-piercing, ¡°Everyone heard it, right? She admitted it herself that she is the imposter.¡±


    Liu Muxue red at Zhu Xiangxiang, who immediately felt her scalp tingle and instinctively hid behind Zhu Shaodan.


    Lin Qing looked at Ming Jing with heartache, ¡°Why did you do this? Where¡¯s my real daughter, give her back to me.¡±


    Ming Jing said lightly, ¡°My Senior sister, Ming Xin, is your biological daughter.¡±<div>


    Lin Qing pointed at her, not saying anything for a long time, but the pain in her expression was poignant to behold.


    ¡°What¡­what did you do to her?¡±


    Ming Jing looked at Lin Qing quietly, ¡°Do you also think I killed my senior sister?¡±


    Lin Ya hastily advised, ¡°Auntie, you must not listen to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s one-sided words. You¡¯ve been with Ming Jing for so long, don¡¯t you know what kind of person she is? Others can misunderstand her, but you can¡¯t.¡±<div>


    Lin Qing shook her head, ¡°I want to believe you, but what you¡¯ve done, how can I believe?¡±


    Ming Jing remained silent.


    ¡°She can¡¯t say anything now, right? Because she is the murderer. Mother, don¡¯t be fooled by her anymore. Lin Ya, you¡¯re still speaking for this woman now, are you in the same gang with her? You¡¯ve cut ties with the Zhus, yet suddenly you show up to acknowledge your rtives. Who knows if it¡¯s a conspiracy? After all, everyone knows that at Jiangzhou University, Ming Jing helped you before.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang tried to turn the heat on Lin Ya.


    As expected, Lin Qing looked at Lin Ya suspiciously.


    Lin Ya sighed, ¡°Xiangxiang, my cousin, I know you still hold a grudge against me because of what happened when we were kids. Fine, it¡¯s my fault foring to the Zhu¡¯s and having unrealistic dreams. I should be alone and end my wretched life.¡±

 Chapter 677: 349 Attack (Seven More)_3

    Chapter 677: 349 Attack (Seven More)_3


    Lin Ya let go of Lin Qing¡¯s hand, her fair little face holding back her grievances, her eyes red and teary.


    Lin Qing instinctively grabbed her hand: ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go. Auntie has only you left.¡±


    Lin Ya cried and threw herself into Lin Qing¡¯s arms, ¡°Auntie, I can¡¯t bear to leave you either. I really didn¡¯t have any other intentions when I came to the Zhu family. I just wanted to be with you because you¡¯re my only rtive in this world.¡±


    ¡°I no longer have a biological daughter. Auntie only has you left. You can¡¯t leave me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her teeth in hatred. Lin Ya was really cunning, ying the emotional card at this time, and Lin Qing fell for it.


    She could only temporarily give up on attacking Lin Ya for now. It didn¡¯t matter; she still had a big gift prepared for Lin Ya. Lin Qing would definitely regret her actions at this moment.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you plotted and pretended to be the real daughter, and ruthlessly killed Ming Xin to prevent your secret from being exposed. You, a murderer, deserve to be despised! I¡¯ve already called the police, and they are on their way. Get ready to rot in jail!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang jumped out and pointed at Ming Jing, shouting angrily.


    Actually, Zhu Xiangxiang wasn¡¯t sure if Ming Xin was really dead, but it didn¡¯t stop her from framing Ming Jing. As long as Ming Jing went to jail, the public wouldn¡¯t care if she was wronged or not; she would never be able to clear her name.


    Zhu Shaodan chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, a murderer.¡±


    Tang Wan had been silent since the beginning, but at this crucial moment, she had to do something, otherwise, her efforts during these past days would be wasted.<div>


    ¡°Madam Zhu, there is something you don¡¯t know. Zhao Xiaohui was brought here by her. How else could it be such a coincidence that Zhao Xiaohui saw Zhu Xiangxiang in the hospital and thought she was her long-lost biological daughter? She asked Zhao Xiaohui toe to the Zhu family to take Zhu Xiangxiang away and gave Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s stepfather a sum of money to defile Zhu Xiangxiang. That way, Zhu Xiangxiang would never oppose her again. Poor Zhu Xiangxiang still doesn¡¯t know the truth.¡±


    As Tang Wan finished speaking, there was another uproar.


    Now, they were numb from all of the shocking revtions and had mentally prepared themselves.


    However, the viciousness of this woman was beyond their imagination.


    Looking so beautiful yet having such a ruthless heart, using such despicable methods to destroy a girl was utterly infuriating.


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Tang Wan in surprise, and both of their eyes shed a hint of smugness.


    Zhu Xiangxiang feigned shock and said, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Then, she looked at Zhao Xiaohui with a wronged expression, ¡°Is what she said true?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui was dumbfounded. Where did all thise from? This twist wasn¡¯t in the script!


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned to the crowd and threatened in a low voice, gritting her teeth, ¡°Know your ce. There¡¯s no turning back now.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s shoulders trembled, ¡°I¡­I¡­I¡­¡±


    Her stammering was enough for the onlookers to make wild guesses.


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, standing quietly in her ce, elegant and unparalleled in her white dress. In the face of gossip and nderous usations, she never furrowed her brows.


    She wore no jewelry, and her face was free of makeup, showing her natural beauty and purity.


    Alone, she stood strong against all odds.


    Even amidst the swirling rumors, she remained as steady as a mountain.


    ¡°In this world, good is good and evil is evil. I, Ming Jing, have a clear conscience towards heaven and earth and act with integrity in the face of people¡¯s hearts. When the dayes to discuss causes and effects before Buddha¡¯s golden body, I have nothing to fear.¡±


    Her cold and clear voice was like jade beads falling, awakening the deaf.


    ¡°The Nirvana Sutra says: rewards for good or evil deeds follow one like a shadow, the causes and effects of the three realms alwayse full circle. Even after a hundred thousand eons, the karma from one¡¯s actions will not disappear, and when conditionse together, one will still suffer the consequences.¡±<div>


    ¡°Amitabha Buddha.¡±

 Chapter 678: 350 Various States (Eight More Updates)

    Chapter 678: 350 Various States (Eight More Updates)


    The young girl plucked a flower with one hand, her fingers rolling prayer beads between them one by one.


    Her eyebrows had a gentle yetpassionate arch, giving rise to all that is good and destroying all that is evil.


    Let the world nder, insult, deceive and defame me, I fear nothing.


    d in spotless white, my heart like ss, pure andpassionate.


    Alone and unencumbered, my heart unattached.


    Seeking nothing, fearing no loss.


    Gradually, the jeers died down; everyone gazed at the girl in white, feeling like fools who had been dancing.


    Maybe¡­ they had really wronged her.


    As soon as this thought arose, anger stirred in everyone again, egged on by Zhu Xiangxiang and Tang Wan.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s hearts wavered back and forth, torn between two minds.<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡±


    Qu Feitai and Liu Muxue stood on either side of her, like guardians protecting her.


    Ming Jing looked at them; of all the people who questioned her, only these two stood unwaveringly by her side.


    ¡°Ming Jing, let me take you away from here. We¡¯ll go back to Jingzhou, and as long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let anyone bully you.¡±


    Qu Feitai grabbed Mingjing, ready to leave.


    ¡°Ming Jing,e with me to Liuxian Town. I¡¯m the boss there, and if anyone dares to say anything about you, I¡¯ll bash their heads in.¡± Liu Muxue grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s other hand.


    Ming Jing stood her ground, calmly saying, ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    As she spoke, she shook her arms lightly, both Qu Feitai and Liu Muxue felt their arm go numb and let go of Ming Jing involuntarily.


    ¡°Having the two of you as my friends is my greatest fortune in this life,¡± Ming Jing smiled faintly.


    Liu Muxue¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, ¡°Ming Jing, why would you say that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with you, too, Ming Jing,¡± Bai Ziyan ran over. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me, we¡¯re good buddies, and I can¡¯t stand by when a brother is in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Song Yinzhang joined in.


    ¡°Ming Jing!¡± Xie Zhen pushed through the crowd and rushed over, ¡°I will always believe in you unconditionally.¡±


    Zhao Heng followed behind Xie Zhen, expressing everything with his actions.


    Ming Jing scanned the young faces in front of her, ¡°Today my reputation is ruined, and you choose to stand with me. Are you not afraid to be at odds with the world?¡±


    ¡°Not afraid,¡± Xie Zhen shook his head resolutely.


    ¡°The people of this world are all fools, so easily swayed by a madman¡¯s instigation to question you. I disdain to associate with such fools. I won¡¯t listen to others, I only trust my own heart.¡±


    Liu Muxueughed and pped Xie Zhen on the shoulder, ¡°Well said. A bunch of self-righteous fools.¡±


    Liu Muxue¡¯s words made the implicated fools in the crowd feel anger and guilt.<div>


    Jiang Jinchen stood on the edge of the crowd, clenching and unclenching his fists, taking a step forward.


    Jiang Chun nced at him.


    Jiang Jinchen looked back at Jiang Chun and, in the end, took that step forward.


    He chose to be a disobedient child.<div>


    ¡°Ming Jing,¡± Jiang Jinchen walked in front of her and looked deeply into her eyes.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Senior, you don¡¯t have to do this. Madam will be angry.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit back and watch you be wronged. What do you n to do with today¡¯s incident?¡±


    He knew that Ming Jing must have a way to deal with it, as she was so smart that it was impossible for her not to have seen through Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s scheme.


    She could have stopped it from the beginning, but she allowed the situation to escte to such a serious level, which was contrary to Ming Jing¡¯s character.


    This could only mean that Ming Jing wanted toy her cards on the table.


    Only Zhu Xiangxiang, who was still so smug, had no idea that she had fallen into the trap of a mastermind.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows and the two shared a knowing smile.


    ¡°Thank you all for your understanding and support. I will repay your kindness when the opportunity arises.¡±


    Xie Zhen cried, leaning on Liu Muxue¡¯s shoulder.


    Qu Feitai calmed down, seemingly understanding something. He nced at Jiang Jinchen, pursed his lips and clenched his fists.


    At this moment, someone shouted, ¡°Make way, make way, the police are here to handle the case.¡±


    Everyone looked up and saw several uniformed police officers walking in, led by none other than the famous police captain Li Ling. He had handled countless major cases and his reputation precedes him in police circles. As the story goes, he has a piercing gaze that could tell whether or not a person hadmitted a crime with one look. He had recently returned from Yunzhou after tracking down a gang of criminals.<div>


    As soon as everyone saw him, they unconsciously tightened up, feeling nervous even though they had done nothing wrong.


    Today¡¯smotion had drawn the attention of Li Ling, and the matter wouldn¡¯t be resolved easily.

 Chapter 679: 350 Varied Shapes (Eight more updates) _2

    Chapter 679: 350 Varied Shapes (Eight more updates) _2


    ¡°Who called the police?¡± Li Ling¡¯s eyes swept over those present, heads bowing wherever his gaze fell.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stepped forward quickly, ¡°Sergeant Li, I called for the police.¡±


    Li Ling¡¯s handsome features could be easily mistaken for a schr¡¯s. He certainly didn¡¯t seem like a rough cop. His eyes wererge and bright yet subtly restrained, always revealing a hint of mystery when looking at people. It made people feel inexplicably nervous, as if they were being seen throughpletely.


    Zhu Xiangxiang pointed at Ming Jing, ¡°She¡¯s the murderer, she killed her senior, the heiress of the Zhu family, Ming Xin.¡±


    Li Ling turned and looked at Ming Jing. From the moment he entered, he noticed this girl. Slightly squinting his eyes, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence?¡±


    ¡°Evidence? Take her in for questioning and you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous! The police seek solid evidence when handling cases. Are we no different from mobsters if we detain people without reason?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang replied, ¡°Officer Li, everything I say is true. You police shouldn¡¯t let personal feelings overrule thew.¡±


    ¡°Personal feelings overrule thew? Are you referring to me?¡± Li Ling nced at Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang felt a chill at her heart and quickly added, ¡°I mean, Sergeant Li, you mustn¡¯t let the general public lose faith. If she is guilty, let thew punish her.¡±


    ¡°Determining guilt or innocence is not your call. What you¡¯ve said is just spection.¡± Li Ling walked over to Ming Jing, taking big strides. Qu Feitai immediately obstructed his path.


    ¡°Mr. Qu, please step aside and cooperate with my work.¡±


    ¡°Brother Li, Ming Jing is innocent.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out whether she¡¯s innocent or not after the investigation.¡±


    Ming Jing stepped out from behind Qu Feitai, ¡°Officer Li, what do you want to ask? I will fully cooperate.¡±


    ¡°When was thest time you saw your senior?¡±


    A female officer behind Li Ling turned on a recorder, pulled out paper and pen, and began taking notes.


    Upon seeing this as a live investigation, the crowd perked up.


    ¡°A month ago.¡±


    ¡°At what location?¡±


    ¡°Jingzhou.¡±


    ¡°Can you contact her now?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang eximed loudly, ¡°She¡¯s lying, she¡¯s the best liar! Officer, don¡¯t be deceived by her, arrest her quickly!¡±


    Li Ling nced back at her, ¡°Are you instructing me on how to conduct an investigation?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang choked, ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to be deceived by her, Officer Li. Ming Xin is gone because of her. How could she get away with it just by talking?¡±


    The recording female officer said coldly, ¡°Any disturbance during a police investigation will result in punishment for obstructions tow enforcement.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang had no choice but to shut up unwillingly.


    Liu Muxue grinded her teeth, finding Zhu Xiangxiang extremely annoying.


    Li Ling asked, ¡°Did you witness thisdymitting a murder? Or did you see Ming Xin¡¯s dead body? Or else why do you so boldly dere that thisdy has killed someone?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang stuttered, ¡°Although I did not witness her murdering, Ming Xin has disappeared and it must have something to do with her. It is more than likely she¡¯s met with misfortune¡­¡±


    Li Ling interrupted her impatiently, ¡°If you can handle the case by yourself, then why do we need the police? Go home.¡±


    Li Ling turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait, Officer, please don¡¯t go. I promise to keep quiet. You go on with the questions.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang hurriedly stopped Li Ling.


    This cop had quite a temper.


    ¡°Investigations require evidence. If further evidence proves that Ming Xin is not dead or her death is unrted to thisdy, then you havemitted defamation. Do you acknowledge that?¡±Zhu Xiangxiang instinctively retorted, ¡°How could she possibly have nothing to do with with it?¡±


    Li Ling raised his brows, ¡°I¡¯ll emphasize again, police investigations rely on evidence. Currently, there¡¯s no evidence proving this youngdymitted murder. Yet you insist she killed Ming Xin and demand her life. If it¡¯s proven that she is unrted, she can sue you for defamation. ording to Criminal Law Article 246, intentionally fabricating and spreading facies to degrade others and tarnish their reputation is a severe offense, punishable by up to three years in prison, detention or surveince, or deprivation of political rights.¡±


    Li Ling¡¯s severe and cold voice struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instinctively making everyone tense as they felt the harshness of thew.


    So, the crime of nder was indeed severe.


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t defame her, Mr. Policeman, please don¡¯t scare me.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang finally realized that this policeman was siding with Ming Jing. Just now, when Qu Feitai conversed with him, he sounded very familiar and even referred to him as ¡®Brother Li¡¯. This Li Ling waspletely biased.


    ¡°Thew is impartial; you say I am scaring you? Are you suggesting that I am joking about thew?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang was left speechless and cornered.


    ¡°Officer, the most important thing now is to find Ming Xin. If Ming Xin is alive, Ming Jing can naturally clear her name. Otherwise, she is the prime suspect,¡± Tang Wan stepped in.


    Zhu Xiangxiang realized she had been baited by this policeman, she shouldn¡¯t have toussled with him over the crime of defamation, or else she would have been framed.


    Arguing with a policeman about criminalw was just humiliating.


    Li Ling nced at Tang Wan, ¡°It seems like all of you are hoping that something has happened to Ming Xin?¡±


    Lin Qing flinched, ring at Zhu Xiangxiang and Tang Wan, gritting his teeth in anger.


    Regardless of what was happening with Ming Jing, these two were definitely not good individuals either.


    ¡°No, officer, you shouldn¡¯t wrong us¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a wrong usation or not, all of you know in your hearts,¡± Li Ling turned again to look at Ming Jing.


    ¡°From what I understand so far, Ming Xin is the senior you grew up with. You¡¯ve lived in the mountains for a long time, and the only person in this world who might be in contact with her is you. So, I am asking, can you make contact with Ming Xin?¡±


    This Ming Xin was not a social person, her information was not on the system. Nowork of rtionships, no family or friends, even if she quietly died one day, no one would know.


    Except for Ming Jing.


    Zhu Xiangxiang notwithstanding, from a motive perspective, Ming Jing was indeed the most suspicious concerning Ming Xin¡¯s disappearance.


    On the way here, he had already learned all that had happened here.


    Ming Xin was the real heiress of the Zhus, while this widely-known heiress was in fact an impostor.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was mistakenly taken due to circumstances beyond her control and was being condemned by the public. But Ming Jing, who was well aware of the truth, even more so, faced public censure.


    Now with the disappearance of Ming Xin, no matter how you looked at it, Ming Jing appeared more like a malicious conspirator.


    In his line of work, priding himself on urately reading people, he knew how fickle human hearts could be, driven to unimaginable depths of evil.


    But now, looking at the calm andposed girl in white before him, he, a public servant who knew thew by heart and was deeply engrained with the importance of evidence, for the first time, felt that evidence wasn¡¯t needed.


    Facing countless stares, Ming Jing calmly said, ¡°Officer Li, my senior sister, she¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard someone cursing my death?¡± Suddenly, a brisk female voice rang out, instantly drowning out all themotion at the scene.


    Unnoticed by anyone, Ming Jing¡¯s hand, holding the prayer beads, paused slightly.


    She lowered her gaze, a sigh escaping from her lips.


    The voice was full of vigor and power, drowning out the voices of everyone present. Everybody turned instinctively towards the source of the sound.


    A graceful young girl in in clothes strode in, holding a little girl in her arms and apanied by two simr-looking little girls. All four of them were dressed in washed-out in clothes, but their faces were rosy, their spirits high, their eyes clear, and there was a lively aura about them as they walked.


    Ming Jing stared at the approaching young girl, as if the grand hall awash with gold and jade had suddenly morphed into a dpidated old nunnery.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, junior, your senior sister will protect you.¡±

 Chapter 680: 351 Weeping Blood (Nine More Times)

    Chapter 680: 351 Weeping Blood (Nine More Times)


    Ming Jing felt that if Senior was born in ancient times, she must be a chivalrous woman traveling around the world with her sword.


    Champion of the weak against the strong, possessing a chivalrous heart.


    She always pats her chest and says, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, juniors, your senior will protect you.¡±


    Even though she is also just a thin and weak young girl, she never fears hardship or fatigue and takes on all the burdens from Master without a word ofint. She raises her three junior sisters like both a father and a mother, even though she herself is just a child.


    She says, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, junior, your senior will protect you.¡±


    She walks over with big strides, a heartyughter on her face, like the sun, always giving warmth and a sense of security.


    Ming Jing smiles faintly, ¡°Senior ¡­ ¡±


    With Ming Jing calling out the name, everyone is shocked.


    Could this not be the Ming Xin who has always been talked about by others? The senior sister of Ming Jing, Ming Xin?


    Xiao Hong¡¯s face looked as if she had seen a ghost, ¡°Master Ming Xin? Are you not dead?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang and Tang Wan both go pale, and Zhu Xiangxiang, staring at Ming Xin¡¯s face, says in disbelief, ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    Ming Xin puts down Ming Yi in her arms, turns her head to look at Xiao Hong, and says with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, did you wish for my death?¡±


    Xiao Hong stutters, ¡°No¡­ no, Master Ming Xin, you misunderstood.¡±


    Ming Yi, with his short legs, dashes towards Ming Jing, hugs her big leg and acts cutesy, ¡°Ming Jing, they are all bullying you. Big sister, third sister, fourth sister and I are here to protect you. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Ming Jing smiles and gently touches her head, ¡°Xiao Wu is good, Ming Jing is not being bullied.¡±


    ¡°No, I heard everything. They are all bullying you, especially that bad woman.¡± Ming Yi turns her head, ring fiercely at Zhu Xiangxiang. The little girl is cute even when she is angry.


    Lin Qing stares at Ming Xin, ¡°You ¡­ you are Ming Xin?¡±


    Lin Ya looks at Ming Xin, then at Zhu Wentao. No need for a DNA test anymore, this face itself is the proof.


    Ming Xin gives her a nce, then moves her gaze onto Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face, ¡°Your name is Zhu Xiangxiang, right? I¡¯ve heard of your name. Were you the one who was using my sister of murdering me just now?¡±


    Li Ling raises his eyebrows, takes a step back, and finds a good ce to watch the show.


    The policewoman leans in close to him and whispers, ¡°Captain Li, this case ¡­¡±


    Li Lingughs, ¡°Not everyone can witness such a great drama.¡±


    The policewoman falls silent and closes her notebook.


    Zhu Xiangxiang mumbles, ¡°You are still alive. It¡¯s your sister, Ming Jing, who stole your identity and took everything from you. She is the root of all evil.¡±


    Ming Xinughs and nods, ¡°I know that. It was me who let here back in my stead.¡±


    As Ming Xin¡¯s words fell, the crowd erupted.


    Lin Qing¡¯s pupils constricted, so it was like this?


    Zhu Xiangxiang lets out a sharp scream, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Did Ming Jing threaten you to say this? As long as you tell the truth, the police are here. They will bring you justice. You will reim what belongs to you and be the youngdy of the Zhus. You no longer have to live in the mountain nunnery, fearing for your life.¡±


    Ming Xin frowned as if she was moved. Zhu Xiangxiang took this as encouragement and continued, ¡°You were born a youngdy from a wealthy family, but ended up at the nunnery because of a misfortune. Your sister Ming Jing, upon knowing your past, coveted thevish and luxurious lifestyle and imitated you to return to the Zhus. I believe you were also kept in the dark by her. Now that the truth has been revealed, you are the youngdy from a wealthy family. You have been deceived by her.¡±


    Ming Xin turned her head to look at Ming Jing, her back facing Zhu Xiangxiang. Zhu Xiangxiang, seeing this, had a triumphant look in her eyes, thinking Ming Xin was nothing but an easily manipted fool. Even if she returns to the Zhus, she wouldn¡¯t be a match for her.


    ¡°Junior, living under the same roof with such a stupid person must be quite the challenge. Luckily I didn¡¯te back. Otherwise, I might¡¯ve beaten her to a pulp.¡± Ming Xin jokingly shadow boxes as she speaks.


    Xie Zhenughs with her hand over her mouth, ¡°Sister Ming Xin is so humorous.¡±


    Liu Muxue had met Ming Xin when she was in Jingzhou. Thus, from the very beginning, she found Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s usations ludicrous. And now, with Ming Xin¡¯s return, all rumors are self-defeating.


    The smile on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face froze. She had been yed by Ming Xin.


    Ming Chen snorts, ¡°Bad woman, trying to sow discord between big and second sister, do you even deserve it? Look at your own reflection!¡±


    ¡°Ignore her, Ming Chen. Let¡¯s hang out with the second sister.¡±


    The two ran to Ming Jing¡¯s side, one on each side embracing her, ¡°Second sister, we, together with the big sister, are here to back you up. You are the best second sister in the world, and I will not allow anyone to nder you.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 681: 351 Weeping Blood (Nine More)_2

    Chapter 681: 351 Weeping Blood (Nine More)_2


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang shouted, ¡°How could you let Ming Jing pretend to be you ande back? Is there anyone in this world who would rather endure hardships in a nunnery than return to a wealthy family and be their daughter? This simply doesn¡¯t make sense. You must¡¯ve been deceived by her and intentionally said this in order to reduce her guilt.¡±


    What Zhu Xiangxiang said made sense. Ming Xin didn¡¯t look like a fool. How could she give up being the daughter of a wealthy family and choose to stay deep in the mountains, eating only vegetarian food and chanting scriptures?


    It didn¡¯t make logical sense.


    Ming Xin sighed, and her expression showed a trace of sadness: ¡°Two winters ago, Master couldn¡¯t make it through and left us forever. I was so heartbroken that I became seriously ill. My junior sister tended to me day and night, even risking her life to collect medicine for me from the back mountains. Fortunately, Buddha protected her, but my illness was still incurable. Then a stranger came to the nunnery. My junior sister was clever and quickly discovered that this person was a detective sent by the Zhus. She told me what she had learned, urging me to go back to the Zhus, so that my illness might be cured.¡±


    Ming Xin¡¯s expressions and tone were very moving, making everyone feel as if they were there, witnessing the loving sisters. They couldn¡¯t help but be emotional as tears filled their eyes.


    ¡°But I knew my days were numbered and didn¡¯t want to go back to my family, making my parents and rtives experience the grief of an elder burying a younger. In their eyes, that¡¯d be a huge blow. The only thing I couldn¡¯t let go of were my junior sisters. I wanted to make arrangements for their future so even without me, they could have a ce to live in this world, have families and friends, and live a normal life. So, I had a daring idea of letting my junior sister, Ming Jing, return to the Zhus in my stead, to repay my parents¡¯ kindness. I trusted her deeply as she was the closest person to me in this world. Besides, I believed that my never-met parents would also love her. She¡¯s gorgeous and intelligent; no one could dislike her. With this, my parents would have a daughter, my junior sister would have a family, and my younger sisters would have someone to rely on. I could then leave this world with no worries.¡±


    As Ming Xin spoke, tears streamed down her face, and the people at the scene were soon crying openly.


    ¡°I shared this idea with my junior sister, but she firmly disagreed and even scolded me for my wild thoughts. It was only after my desperate pleas and even threats to kill myself that she reluctantly obliged. In order to keep this secret buried forever, I decided to leave this world with it, but my illness suddenly improved after my junior sister left. Iter learned that she had found, in ancient scriptures, Buddhism¡¯s sacred treasure ¡ª the Vajra Bell, which could save my life. However, this sacred treasure is Hanshan Temple¡¯s guardian treasure and wouldn¡¯t be easily loaned to her. Thinking this was an impossible task, she even left a challenge in attempts to make her back down and hand-copy all eighty volumes of the Avatamsaka Sutra in just twenty days, 144,000 verses in total. However, her perseverance and determination impressed Hanshan Temple¡¯s Master Jue Ming, and he agreed to lend her the Vajra Bell. It must¡¯ve been her sincerity that moved Buddha, who graced me with renewed health.¡±


    After listening to Ming Xin¡¯s words, there was silence on the scene for a long time.


    ¡°I rememberst year, when Ming Jing was recording a variety show, she went to Hanshan Temple with the crew. In the afternoon, while everyone else left, she stayed behind and disappeared for twenty days. It turns out she stayed in the temple to hand-copy the Buddhist scriptures, writing over a hundred and forty-four thousand words in twenty days? Who can do that?¡±<div>


    There was silence again.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    No one could do it. It was almost an impossible task for anyone.


    ¡°I remember now, it¡¯s true. It turns out that Ming Jing saved Ming Xin. What a feat, no one else can achieve this kind of heroic deed.¡±


    A clear and resonant voice rose above all the noise, ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. Day after day, she tirelessly transcribed the Buddhist scriptures. Her devotion can be seen from heaven and earth.¡±


    Everyone looked at Qu Feitai, who was present at the scene, confirming that Ming Xin was telling the truth.


    ¡°Master Liu Jingyun, is that right?¡± Qu Feitai looked towards Liu Jingyun in the crowd.


    A slim and gentle youth stepped out and put his palms together, ¡°Sisters Ming Jing and Ming Xin have kind hearts and good deeds, they¡¯re not afraid of difficulties to save each other. Their sincere actions have moved our Master and even Buddha. This is the good karma they sowed and the good fruit they reaped.¡±

 Chapter 682: 351 Weeping Blood (Nine More)_3

    Chapter 682: 351 Weeping Blood (Nine More)_3


    Someone recognized him: ¡°He really is Master Jing Yun from Hanshan Temple, the eldest disciple of Master Jue Ming, and he also appears in his daily meals.¡±


    ¡°It seems that he has returned to secr life too, is it popr for monks to return to secr life nowadays?¡±


    Liu Jingyun looked at the girl who spoke, smiling: ¡°For those who cultivate, it¡¯s not about the environment, where there is Buddha in the heart, everywhere is purend.¡±


    The girl¡¯s face turned red, and she shyly lowered her head.


    Now everyone was sure that what Ming Xin said was true.


    Ming Xin¡¯s gaze swept around the room; she was young, but her eyes were quite majestic, finally resting on Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face.


    ¡°What kind of person my junior sister is, I know better than any of you, so who are you to gossip about her? She has been devoted to Buddha since she was a child. If I hadn¡¯t forced her to leave the mountain, she would have spent her life quietly in front of the ancient Buddha in the nunnery. She¡¯s even closer to me than my own sister, wouldn¡¯t I care about her?¡±


    ¡°When she returned to the Zhus, did she ever do anything unforgivable? Mr. Zhu, your phndering ways brought many debts upon yourself, causing Zhu Group to be on the brink of bankruptcy. It was my Junior sister who put in painstaking efforts to turn the tide and save the Zhus from the brink of copse. Not only did you not reflect on your actions, but you also colluded with Zhu Xiangxiang to betray my sister, leading her to unrighteousness.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face was pale with anger, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes on Zhu Wentao changed instantly.<div>


    Yes, everyone remembered the peril that the Zhu Group had gone through; it was Ming Jing who stepped up and smoothed over the troubles of the Zhu Group, even elevating it to a higher level.


    Zhu Wentao never spoke up for Ming Jing from beginning to end, it really seemed that something was fishy.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ming Xin paid no attention to Zhu Wentao and turned to look at Lin Qing. Lin Qing¡¯s eyes were full of emotion, and she hurriedly stepped forward.


    Ming Xin stepped back: ¡°Madam Zhu, when my sister returned to the Zhus, I know you despised her in many ways. But my sister¡¯s resolve was strong, and she didn¡¯t care. Instead, she was always filial to you. You treated her this way even though she was born beautiful and intelligent. If I hade back to the Zhus at that time, you would have despised me even more. My sister has nothing to regret, but I would have been truly heartbroken. In this sense, my sister has done me a great favor.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s tears flowed down her face as she vehemently denied: ¡°No¡­It¡¯s not like that, listen to your mother¡¯s exnation.¡±


    ¡°You favored this fake daughter at every turn, even forcing my sister to endure countless humiliations. Later, this fake daughter joined forces with a mistress, poisoning your soup and almost killing you. Have you forgotten? If it wasn¡¯t for my sister¡¯s superb medical skills, your grave would have grown three feet high by now, and where would you find the airs to hold such a grand banquet today? Yet after all that, you not only didn¡¯t me this scheming wolf, but you also favored her even more. What kind of logic is this? If it had been me who had returned to the Zhu family, I would not have had the skills to save the Zhu family from the brink of copse, nor the intelligent mind or the superb medical skills. I¡¯m afraid I would have died in Madam Zhu¡¯s ce, and the Zhu family would have long been reduced to chaos.¡±


    Ming Xin¡¯s words were heart-wrenching and soul-stirring.


    Everyone listened with their hearts pounding, shocked by the revtion.


    They all felt indignant for Ming Jing ¨C how could someone with such intelligence and skill not only survive the den of wolves that was the Zhu family but also elevate the Zhu family from the brink of copse to even greater heights, only to be repaid with such callousness?


    Unconcerned with the truth or with asking questions, Zhu Wentao and Zhu Xiangxiang teamed up to expose Ming Jing in front of the many guests, framing her for murder and pushing her into a corner. This was more heartbreaking than taking her life.


    Wait, did Zhu Xiangxiang really try to poison Madam Zhu? My God, this is too shocking and appalling.

 Chapter 683: 352 Reversal (Ten More Updates)

    Chapter 683: 352 Reversal (Ten More Updates)


    Zhu Xiangxiang shrieked, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense, you¡¯re ndering me, I¡¯ve never poisoned my mother.¡±


    Lin Qing turned her head towards Zhu Xiangxiang, deeply disappointed in her daughter after reflecting on everything in a short period of time.


    ¡°Still being stubborn when cornered.¡± Ming Xin pulled out a recorder.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, feeling that something was amiss, lunged towards Ming Xin in an attempt to snatch the recorder. Ming Xin sidestepped, and Zhu Xiangxiang missed, stumbling and almost falling to the ground.


    Ming Xin turned on the recorder with a smirk.


    Conversations flowed out from the recorder. Two women¡¯s voices could be heard; one filled with seduction and the other, filled with nervous caution, which was easily recognized as Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice.


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head fiercely as herst hope shattered upon hearing the recording.


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s expression changed dramatically, his eyes fixated on Ming Xin.


    Ming Xin turned towards Zhu Wentao, ¡°Mr. Zhu, this voice must be familiar to you.¡±


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Zhu Wentao spat through gritted teeth.<div>


    ¡°I should be asking you that. What do you really want? What has my junior done to the Zhus to deserve such a fall from grace?¡±


    Lin Qing had assumed Zhu Xiangxiang had been tricked by Zhou Ling, but upon hearing the recording, she realized it was all on purpose. She was dumbfounded, her face pale.


    She pointed at Zhu Xiangxiang, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re worse than an animal, a sinner¡­¡±


    Everyone was stunned by the turn of events. The instigator was Zhu Xiangxiang, and she even intended to murder her mother. This was utterly scandalous even to animals.


    Zhao Xiaohui was shocked, she had always known that Zhu Xiangxiang was no good, but she hadn¡¯t expected her to be this cruel. Byparison, it seemed like Zhu Xiangxiang had been merciful to her, which left Zhao Xiaohui unsure whether to cry orugh.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even Zhu Shaodan, no matter how despicable, would never poison his own mother. He looked at Zhu Xiangxiang in disbelief, ¡°Is this true? Did you really poison mom?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang shook her head desperately, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, it was Ming Jing who falsely used me.¡±


    Li Ling, who had been watching the show until now, stepped forward and said, ¡°Although a recording can¡¯t be used directly as physical evidence, it can be submitted for forensic analysis to verify its authenticity and whether it has been edited.¡±


    Turning towards Lin Qing, he added, ¡°As the victim, you can report this. Despite the length of time that has passed since the incident, justice is always served. This should deter those with malicious intentions.¡±


    His words were thest straw for Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly turned to look at the silent Ming Jing, screaming, ¡°You tricked me, you¡¯ve always been pretending. You pretended to forgive me, lowered my guard, and secretly recorded me. You¡¯re so cunning, don¡¯t let her fool you.¡±


    At this point, Zhu Xiangxiang was still trying to fool everyone into turning against Ming Jing. Whether you call it delusion or courage was up for debate.


    ¡°You¡­ how could you be so ridiculous¡­¡± Ming Xin couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud.


    Ming Jing stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ming Xin. She looked coldly at Zhu Xiangxiang who had nowhere to retreat to, head held high, looking back at her.


    ¡°Madam Zhu treated you as precious as a pearl, even willing to wrong her own daughter in order to protect you. Youmitted the unforgivable sin of harming her. I shouldn¡¯t have had hope for you. You ended up harming others and yourself.¡±


    ¡°What are you good for? Pretending to bepassionate when you¡¯re actually petty and malicious. Your supposed sister asked you to rece her while she made up for your mistakes. You¡¯re just after the wealth of the Zhu family. Your sister is so naive, fooled by you.¡±


    Ming Xin couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and gave Zhu Xiangxiang a p, ¡°Can¡¯t you understand what people are saying? Do you find self-deception entertaining? My junior and I grew up together, I know her better than you do. Who are you to pity her? You¡¯re insane, driven mad by greed.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan didn¡¯t help Zhu Xiangxiang this time. He stared at Ming Xin without blinking, having no doubt that she was his real sister.


    Because his face was very simr to hers.<div>

 Chapter 684: 352 Reversal (Ten More Updates)_2

    Chapter 684: 352 Reversal (Ten More Updates)_2


    It should be said that both siblings looked more like Zhu Wentao, especially Ming Xin, whose facial features were as if carved from the same mold.


    ¡°You¡¯re Zhu Shaodan, right? I heard you¡¯ve been bullying my junior sister a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Feeling a bit guilty subconsciously, Zhu Shaodan touched his nose, ¡°It¡¯s her fault for being an imposter.¡±


    Ming Xin grabbed his ear right away, ¡°You dare to talk back? Is my junior sister someone you can bully?¡±


    Subconsciously, Zhu Shaodan cried out, ¡°Ouch, let go quickly¡­¡±


    Ming Xin snorted, ¡°You seem to have a good rtionship with this Zhu Xiangxiang. So, you were in on poisoning your own mother, too?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan quickly waved his hands, ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me, don¡¯t wrong me. I had no idea she was going to poison my mother. That¡¯s my real mother, even if I¡¯m a scoundrel, I wouldn¡¯t be so heartless.¡±


    ¡°At least you know yourself.¡±


    Ming Xin let go, and Zhu Shaodan gasped while rubbing his ear.


    Zhu Shaodan red at Zhu Xiangxiang fiercely, ¡°I never thought you were like this. I must have been blind. You don¡¯t deserve to be my sister.¡± He then slipped behind Ming Xin with a ttering expression.<div>


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve seen the light now, can you please forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me sister.¡± Ming Xin frowned in disgust, staring at his green hair, her eyes full of revulsion.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was dumbfounded, not expecting Zhu Shaodan to be so unreliable.


    Tang Wan quietly took a step back, sensing that the situation was unfavorable. It was all Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fault for being careless and not figuring out Ming Xin¡¯s background before attempting a coup.


    Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s calm demeanor from beginning to end, Tang Wan knew that Zhu Xiangxiang, the fool, had fallen into their trap.


    ¡°Why is it like this? The paternity test sent to our house¡­¡± Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly looked up at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right, I sent it to you.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned pale, barely able to stand, and Zhao Xiaohui, who was closest to her, hurriedly helped her.


    ¡°You¡­ you set me up.¡±


    ¡°I had no choice but to return to the Zhus back then. Now that everything is settled and my senior sister has recovered, I shouldn¡¯t be taking the ce of the Zhu family¡¯s daughter. Seeing you wracking your brains to find fault with me, I couldn¡¯t bear it, so I helped you out. Now you¡¯ve got what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Got what I wanted? What a nice ¡®got what I wanted.¡¯ No matter how righteous you appear, Ming Jing, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re a hypocritical, vicious, and scheming person. Today everyone sees your true colors; they won¡¯t remember the good in you, only that you¡¯re someone who posed as a rich family¡¯s daughter out of greed for wealth and fame. Just wait for your downfall.¡±


    With a faint smile, Ming Jing remained unmoved, ¡°In what I do, I don¡¯t seek fame or fortune, I¡¯m open and honest, and I have a clear conscience. When others nder and deceive me, it¡¯s their ignorance, not my fault. Since that is so, why should I worry about downfall?¡±


    The young girl stood quietly, dressed in white, open and calm.


    A person without desires or fears, without sorrows or joys, her heart was stronger than steel, harder than iron. In this world, there was no weapon ornguage that could hurt her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you have no weaknesses, no fears. Are you a monster?¡± This woman was truly terrifying; she was always one step ahead in calctions, making her appear as a fool in contrast.


    The girl held a flower in one hand, her beautiful face pure and full ofpassion, ¡°I once made a great vow before Buddha to devote my life to spreading the Buddhist teachings, saving all beings, walking the red dust, promoting good and stopping evil, being free from suffering and attaining happiness, gaining immeasurable merits, and not falling into hell in the next life.¡±


    There was a moment of silence at the scene, as everyone looked at the white-d girl, admiration growing in their hearts. The brilliant chandelier cast a splendid glow overhead, falling on her, but only a pale golden aura remained.


    She was enveloped in the golden light, and for a moment, she looked like a solemn Buddha statue.At this moment, everyone just wanted to prostrate themselves on the ground, pay their highest respects, and never dared to harbor even a trace of disrespect in their hearts.


    The oue of this y today is already clear.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s usations no longer exist, and the so-called real and fake daughters are nothing but a well-intended lie. The bond between Senior and Junior sisters is touching. Ming Jing¡¯s return to the Zhus to seek wealth is groundless.


    On the contrary, it is due to Ming Jing that the Zhus have been able to prosper, while without her, they might have met withplete ruin and lost all their wealth.


    She is the benefactor of the Zhu family.


    Zhu Xiangxiang turned her head and saw everyone looking at Ming Jing with eyes full of devotion, as if she was the light of faith.<div>


    It made her almost want to vomit blood in anger.


    Zhao Xiaohui closed her eyes, steeled her heart, and said loudly, ¡°I was lying to everyone just now. It was¡­ it was Xiangxiang who taught me to say that. It wasn¡¯t Ms. Ming Jing who found me. On the contrary, after she found out about my identity, she not only helped me a lot, but also saved my son¡¯s life. He¡¯s Xiangxiang¡¯s biological brother, but she heartlessly left him to die. If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Ming Jing, my son would be dead by now. I¡¯m sorry for following her and ndering you, Ms. Ming Jing¡­¡±.


    She remembered what the police officer had just said about the crime of nder. Today¡¯s events are difficult to resolve peacefully, and no matter what, she cannot be arrested, as she still needs to take care of Yangyang.


    So, Xiangxiang, I can only apologize to you.


    Zhu Xiangxiang did not expect Zhao Xiaohui to betray her as well. Her trembling finger pointed at Zhao Xiaohui and said, ¡°You are my real mother¡­¡±.


    Zhao Xiaohui retorted, ¡°I only gave birth to you but didn¡¯t raise you. They say that giving birth is nothingpared to raising a child, and you are so ruthless towards the foster mother who has done so much for you. How much affection can you have for me? When I pleaded with you to save your brother, you refused. That¡¯s when I knew how merciless and cold-blooded you are as a daughter.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s wordspletely condemned Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s sins, and from then on, she could no longer hold her head up in Jiangzhou.


    Lin Ya sighed, ¡°Cousin Xiangxiang, what goes aroundes around, why did you do this to yourself?¡±


    ¡°You shut up.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang red at her viciously, trembling with anger at the sight of the schadenfreude in Lin Ya¡¯s eyes.


    In that instant, Lin Qing seemed to have aged by ten years.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Xiangxiang, I never thought you would be such a person. You poisoned me, but considering the sixteen years I¡¯ve raised you, I can let bygones be bygones. But you shouldn¡¯t have set a trap for Ming Jing today of all days. In your eyes, the honor and reputation of the Zhu family, as well as the lives of me and grandma, mean nothing to you. You are simply too cold-blooded and selfish. Ming Jing has saved you more than once, and you repay kindness with enmity. Do you have any conscience left?¡±


    Being pushed to this point, Zhu Xiangxiang had nothing to fear anymore, ¡°Did I ask her to save me? Didn¡¯t she save me just to show off how kind and magnanimous she is? She should be thanking me for giving her the opportunity to save me, otherwise where could she disy her kindness?¡±


    ¡°p!¡± Lin Qing went up and gave her a fierce p in the face.<div>


    ¡°How could you say something so shameless? You are a disobedient, unfilial, treacherous, and ungrateful thing, worse than an animal¡­¡±.


    Hating to the extreme, Lin Qing harshly pped herself, leaving everyone dazed by this p.


    ¡°It¡¯s the mother¡¯s fault for not teaching, not raising her child properly. I¡¯ve made a mistake¡­¡±.


    Ming Xin frowned, walked over and grabbed Lin Qing¡¯s arm, ¡°Stop hitting yourself. Punishing yourself for someone else¡¯s mistake is the most foolish thing to do.¡±


    Lin Qing stared at the face close to her, her lips trembling, unable to speak for a long time.


    ¡°Ming Xin, I¡­¡±.


    She was too ashamed to face her daughter after the usations she had made earlier.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s deal with the troubles in front of us first, and we can discuss anything elseter.¡± Ming Xin pursed her lips and turned her head away.


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t dare to face her, and neither did Ming Xin dare to face Lin Qing.

 Chapter 685: 353 Collective Judgment (Eleventh Update)

    Chapter 685: 353 Collective Judgment (Eleventh Update)


    Zhao Qin sighed in regret, ¡°What a pity, a good n was ruined.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang, that stupid good-for-nothing girl.


    Li Jiaojiao covered her forehead, gritted her teeth and stared at Liu Muxue beside Ming Jing, a cold light flickering in her eyes.


    ¡°So, she just got away with it? The real heiress turned into a fake one, lied to everyone, and still, everyone forgives her. Is it because people are too tolerant or her acting is too good?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do?¡± They were out of options.


    Ming Xin yed the emotional card so well that everyone fell for it. As long as she insisted, Ming Jing would be invulnerable like an iron bucket.


    Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t understand; human nature was selfish. How magnanimous must Ming Xin be to do such a thing?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Or were they lying together?


    But why would Ming Xin help a Junior who had betrayed and deceived her?


    It was hard to fathom the human heart, Zhao Qin didn¡¯t believe Ming Xin could be so forbearing.<div>


    The sound of pping broke the silence, and everyone looked in the direction it came from.


    Jiang Chun pped while saying, ¡°The deep love between sisters is so touching. It reminds me of my sister. Ming Xin, though your intentions are good, have you ever thought about how you¡¯re deceiving your parents and causing them the pain of losing their daughter twice? It¡¯s really not right.¡±


    By pressing this issue of virtue, they could make sure people couldn¡¯t catch a breath.


    Ming Xin nced at Jiang Chun and smiled: ¡°Madam, you were once a daughter and had close sisters too, so you should understand me. My mother already has a well-behaved and lovely daughter by her side. All I wanted was to provide my Junior with a ce to settle down, nothing more. But now, after all the twists and turns, it seems the result isn¡¯t too bad, as it has revealed people¡¯s true nature.¡±


    Jiang Chun narrowed her eyes. This girl had a sharp tongue.


    Ming Xin didn¡¯t know Jiang Chun¡¯s identity, but her position and demeanor suggested she was not a simple person, and her words were oddly ambiguous, not a good person to deal with.


    Ming Xin turned around, walked step by step to Granny Zhu, knelt down, and solemnly kowtowed three times.


    ¡°Granny, I am Ming Xin.¡±


    Ming Jing came over and knelt down beside Ming Xin.


    ¡°Senior has returned everything to its rightful owner. Ming Jing had no intention of deception. Please, Granny, forgive her.¡±


    Only at this moment did everyone remember that the gathering that night was for the birthday celebration of the Zhu family¡¯s matriarch.


    The birthdaydy wore festive clothes, and despite the turmoil in the family, Lin Qing was in utter distress, while Granny Zhu remained particrly calm andposed, with a rosy and radiantplexion.


    Granny Zhu held both Ming Xin¡¯s and Ming Jing¡¯s hands, ovepping them, and repeatedly praised them.


    ¡°Good, good, my two lovely granddaughters. Today is truly a day to celebrate.¡±


    Granny Zhu seemed to be open-minded, and with that single sentence, the matter was settled.


    Ming Xin showed a big white-toothed grin.


    ¡°Granny, I heard from my Junior that you treated her exceptionally well. You truly are my dear Granny.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my sweet granddaughter.¡± Granny Zhu hugged Ming Xin tightly, looking at her lovingly.


    ¡°You¡¯re too thin. You must have suffered a lot during the years you were away. Granny won¡¯t let you suffer any more from now on.¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you, Granny, you¡¯re so kind.¡± Ming Xin felt the tenderness of the olddy, and her heart softened a little.


    Not everyone in the Zhu family was bad.


    Granny Zhu pulled up Ming Jing: ¡°Although you¡¯re not my biological granddaughter, you¡¯ve been taking good care of me, always being filial and sensible. From now on, you and your Senior will both be legitimate heirs of the Zhu family. You¡¯ll always carry the surname Zhu.¡±


    Everyone thought that age really made her wiser.<div>


    ¡°Thank you, Granny,¡± said Ming Jing softly.


    Everyone was delighted.


    ¡°No!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang seemed to go mad.


    ¡°People say that I¡¯m the fake heiress who usurped the nest. I¡¯ve carried this stigma for so long, yet she is the one who actually usurped the nest. Why would you forgive her? Why? How have you treated me? It¡¯s not fair. Life is not fair!¡±


    Granny Zhu mmed her cane on the floor, producing a loud thud. The room was silent for a moment.


    Zhu Xiangxiang subconsciously shrunk her neck in fear.


    Granny Zhu slowly stood up from her wheelchair, with Ming Xin and Ming Jing quickly supporting her from both sides.


    Granny Zhu shot a sharp nce at Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Our family never mistreated you. Even your foster mother treated you better than before, fearing that you would think too much about it. You¡¯ve been pampered ever since you were little, the pearl in the Zhu family¡¯s palm. But what about my biological granddaughter, Ming Xin? Look at her hands.¡±

 Chapter 686: 353 Collective Judgment (Eleventh Update)_2

    Chapter 686: 353 Collective Judgment (Eleventh Update)_2


    Granny Zhu raised Ming Xin¡¯s hand: ¡°At such a young age, her hands are full of old calluses and scars left by frostbite. Living in the deep mountains since childhood, taking care of several children, never attended a day of school, never had a beautiful dress, yet you had a whole wardrobe full of beautiful dresses. Just a casual dress of yours was worth half a year¡¯s food for the children. You looked down on dresses that still had their tags on them. Since your childhood, you attended aristocratic schools, learned the violin, learned dancing, when you were hungry, the servants in your house would get up in the middle of the night to make you snacks, you had chauffeurs for transportation, countless pieces of jewelry, and every year for your birthday, your foster mother would throw a grand party for you¡­¡±


    ¡°And Ming Xin, what kind of life has she had since she was a child? Do I need to say more? What are you still not satisfied with? What have you been wronged about? It seems that the Zhus have been too good to you, so good that you feel entitled to it all. The Zhus don¡¯t owe you anything, human hearts are never content, and you are greedy, extremely selfish, heartless, and worse than an animal. How dare youin about injustice? How dare youin about injustice? How dare you show your face!¡±


    Granny Zhu took a fierce breath, Ming Xin raised her hand to pat Granny Zhu¡¯s back.


    ¡°Granny, don¡¯t be angry, she¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    Everyone was furious. Yes indeed, the Zhus had shown you endless kindness, they didn¡¯t owe you anything, but they let you lead a life of luxury. You had no right toin.


    Their real daughter was living a truly miserable life.


    You¡¯ve taken advantage for sixteen years, not grateful enough, and you still have the nerve toin, and look at what you¡¯ve done.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned pale, wanting to argue, but Granny Zhu wouldn¡¯t give her a chance to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at. Today, in front of all the guests, I, Zhao Hui Lan, dere that the Zhus will cut all ties with Zhu Xiangxiang from now on. From now on, you are not allowed to act under the name of the Zhus, nor are you allowed to use the surname Zhu. Your mother¡¯s surname is Zhao, so you will follow her surname, Zhao Xiangxiang.¡±


    Changing surnames on the spot, Granny Zhu was ruthless.<div>


    But it must be said that this move was powerful, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face was more colorful than a palette.


    Don¡¯t hit someone in the face, Granny Zhu was striking at her heart.


    Lin Ya sighed, ¡°Xiangxiang, what have you done to yourself, sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you pretend to feel sorry for me, it makes me sick.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang sneered.


    Lin Ya¡¯s face was full of grievance: ¡°You really are unreasonable.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang could see the smugness in Lin Ya¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t fight Ming Jing, but she wouldn¡¯t have any trouble dealing with a little character like Lin Ya, right?


    ¡°Enough, Zhu Xiangxiang, you¡¯ve deceived me for so long. I defended you on every asion, treating you like my own sister. In your eyes, am I just like a fool?¡± Zhu Shaodan jumped out and pointed at her, scolding.


    Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°Shaodan, even you think so?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the pretentious one, you¡¯ve been fooling me from the start, making me your pawn to fight Ming Jing. You¡¯re so jealous that you¡¯ve lost your mind, and I regret helping you.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan wasn¡¯t a fool, after all, she wasn¡¯t his real sister. Thinking about it, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s past kindness to him was nothing but maniption.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang felt what it meant to be abandoned by all. She was utterly defeated today, but she still had onest trump card.


    A crazy smile appeared in Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes as she pointed at Ming Jing and shouted: ¡°You¡¯re nothing but an illegitimate daughter! Your mother didn¡¯t want you and threw you away at Jiyue Temple. Do you know that you¡¯re an illegitimate daughter? Do you know that you were despised and abandoned by your parents? Hahaha, no matter how outstanding and powerful you are, you can¡¯t wash away the sins of your birth. Your mere existence in this world is a disgrace.¡±


    Ming Jing was unmoved.


    Ming Xin immediately stood in front of Ming Jing, pointing at Zhu Xiangxiang and cursing: ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a rabid dog. Security, drag her out.¡±


    The scene erupted in another round of gasps.


    Even now, being an illegitimate daughter was a title that people despised and looked down upon.


    So Ming Jing was actually an illegitimate daughter?


    Qu Feitai shouted angrily: ¡°What is security doing? Get this madwoman out of here!¡±


    Security rushed in to drag Zhu Xiangxiang away, but she struggled like a madwoman, biting the security guards, leaving them hesitant to approach.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at Xiao Hong, who had been silent with her head down, ¡°Tell me, is Ming Jing really an illegitimate daughter?¡±


    Xiao Hong was on the verge of tears, but could Zhu Xiangxiang still give her the money she had promised, given the state she was in now?


    Zhu Xiangxiang rushed over and violently shook Xiao Hong: ¡°Hurry up and speak, hurry up.¡±


    Xiao Hong, feeling nauseous from the shaking, quickly said: ¡°I¡¯ll speak, I¡¯ll speak, just let me go.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang let go of her, and Xiao Hong coughed before saying under Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s murderous gaze: ¡°That day, I overheard my grandmother talking with someone. Master Ming Jing¡­ she was abandoned by her biological mother since she was an illegitimate child. Her mother thought she was a burden and left her at the entrance of my family¡¯s restaurant. My grandmother took pity on her and sent her to Jiyue Temple.¡±


    After Xiao Hong finished speaking, she sneakily nced at Ming Jing: ¡°Master Ming Jing, what I said is true. You were four years old back then, probably about thirteen years ago in winter. My grandmother still has the clothes you wore at that time.¡±


    Ming Xin looked worriedly at Ming Jing; she truly didn¡¯t know about this.


    Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t help butugh, disdainfully curling her lips: ¡°So, she¡¯s a bastard.¡±


    The pasts of the five sisters from Jiyue Temple were tragic; if investigated, almost all of them were abandoned orphans.


    Therefore, no one was surprised. Who would end up in a nunnery if their lives were going well?


    It was just that it was hard to believe that the abandoned illegitimate child was Ming Jing, as it was difficult to associate her with such an image.


    Even if Ming Jing became powerful in the future, being publicly exposed like this would leave a stain on her life that could never be erased.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti exchanged nces, feeling somewhat baffled.


    Ming Chen found it strange; she remembered that her eldest sister had mentioned that she had carried Ming Jing back to the temple personally. She had also said that Ming Jing had never cried since she was a baby, had never shed a tear as she grew up, and that they had once suspected that she was congenitally deficient.


    So how could this person now im that Ming Jing was brought into the temple when she was four years old?


    It was somewhat contradictory.


    Ming Chen thought it was another ploy by Zhu Xiangxiang to frame Ming Jing, and was about to speak when Ming Ti gave her a re and shook his head.<div>


    Ming Chen could only temporarily hold back.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a bastard, admit it,¡± Zhu Xiangxiangughed triumphantly, as if she finally found a sense of superiority over Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing gently shook her head, a look of sorrow on her face.


    ¡°Why should an innocent baby bear the sins of the parents? What is the logic in that?¡±


    ¡°You mock and attack me with the same background as you, covering your own eyes, catching sparrows. You are pitiful and ridiculous.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yes, Zhu Xiangxiang was really insane and obsessed.


    ¡°How could I be the same as you? Your father abandoned your mother, your mother abandoned you, you¡¯re just a bastard¡­¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s voice suddenly stopped, interrupted by a deep and maic male voice that prated through the crowd like a wave, clearly reaching everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Who dares to say that the youngdy of the Ran family is a bastard?¡±


    The chandelier hanging from the dome suddenly emitted dazzling, brilliant light. The sound of music became distant and blurred, as if suddenly being in a fantasy world, giving people an unreal feeling.


    It seemed as if time had suddenly frozen, everything standing still, only the white-dressed girl¡¯s skirt fluttering lightly in the air.


    Ming Jing raised the corners of her lips, her dark and clear eyes like pools of dense ink, seemingly unfathomable.


    The world is like a chessboard with unpredictable changes.<div>


    And in this game of chess, who is the yer and who is the pawn?


    You finally¡­ still came.

 Chapter 687: 354 Astonishing the World (Twelve More)

    Chapter 687: 354 Astonishing the World (Twelve More)


    Zhao Qin frowned, the voice sounded so familiar.


    As everyone was still stunned, a group of well-trained men in ck rushed in. They were divided into two teams, entering one after another from the left and right, with eight people on each side. After entering, they stood in their designated positions and turned simultaneously.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Each of them stood up straight with a fierce expression on their faces, scaring the timid ones to make a sound.


    Someone finally noticed the symbol on their left arms and screamed, ¡°Qinglong Association?¡±


    ¡°Tap, tap, tap,¡± the sound of leather shoes stepping on the floor echoed clearly in everyone¡¯s ears.


    The atmosphere at the scene was suffocating.


    Everyone¡¯s hearts were raised by the sound of the slow footsteps.


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened as she turned to look at the entrance.


    When Bo Yuxun heard the three words ¡°Qinglong Association,¡± her pupils shrank suddenly, and she too turned to look at the entrance.


    Qu Feitai clenched his fists, eyes locked on the entrance.<div>


    Everyone turned their attention to the entrance at the same time.


    Apanied by the approaching footsteps, a man in a suit walked in slowly.


    His figure was tall and straight, like polished jade and sleek bamboo; much like the ancient aristocratic young masters, his every movement was gentle and graceful.


    With handsome brows and eyes, his demeanor was like jade.


    His peach blossom eyes seemed to smile yet not, indulging in both thin and deep sentiment.


    Everyone was astonished, feeling a chill in their hearts subconsciously.


    Wasn¡¯t this the famous Master Xiao?


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared nkly at the approaching man, ¡°Master Xiao¡­?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was very surprised. Why would Master Xiaoe here? The Zhus had not even sent him an invitation.


    Zhao Qin stepped forward and asked, ¡°Cousin, why are you here?¡±


    Her cousin had never attended such events, and no one dared to send him invitations.


    Because if you couldn¡¯t afford to offend him, it was better to avoid him.


    Ran Tengxiao did not respond to Zhao Qin, surveying the entire room with his eyes. Wherever his gazended, it sent shivers up everyone¡¯s spines.


    ¡°Who just said my Ran family¡¯s young miss is a bastard? Come out.¡± He finally spoke.


    Ran family¡¯s young miss?


    Everyone looked at Zhao Qin, wasn¡¯t she the young miss of the Ran family? Although she had thest name Zhao, everyone knew that when it came to the young miss of the Ran family, she was undoubtedly the one.


    Moreover, Zhu Xiangxiang had just ridiculed Ming Jing as a bastard, what did it have to do with Zhao Qin?


    Could it be that Master Xiao had heard it wrong and thought people were bullying his cousin?


    Zhao Qin furrowed her brows, feeling that something was not quite right. She stepped out and said, ¡°Cousin, no one scolded me, you¡¯ve got it wrong.¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips, a cold smile on his face: ¡°You¡¯re surnamed Zhao, are you a member of the Ran family?¡±


    His words were like a p in her face, leaving Zhao Qin¡¯s cheeks burning with humiliation.


    ¡°Cousin¡­ what do you mean by that?¡± She asked hesitantly.


    Suddenly, she realized something and turned to look at Ming Jing incredulously.<div>


    ¡°Are you referring to Ming Jing?¡± Zhao Qin¡¯s voice trembled.


    Zhao Qin¡¯s words were like a bomb, the room exploded with shock.


    Zhu Xiangxiang doubted her own ears, ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    How could Ming Jing be the young miss of the Ran family?


    Could it be that she was the illegitimate daughter of Ran Tengxiao¡¯s father, who had been lost outside the family?


    Upon this realization, Zhu Xiangxiang felt like vomiting blood.


    Tang Wan spoke in a low voice, ¡°What a coincidence. If she¡¯s really the young miss of the Ran family, we are done for!¡±


    Tang Wan¡¯s legs trembled. This was the Ran family after all, and the famous Master Xiao could kill a person as easily as killing an ant.


    She now regretted following Zhu Xiangxiang and getting involved in this mess. Not only did she not get any benefits, but she also offended the Rans.


    No, she wasn¡¯t even worthy of offending the Rans.


    Jiang Chun squinted her eyes slightly, ¡°Mr. Ran, what do you mean? Ming Jing is your family¡¯s young miss? Are you mistaken?¡±


    Her heart sank as she gritted her teeth and understood everything.


    So the lowly bastard Ran Bowen left behind was Ming Jing.<div>


    Jiang Chun took a deep breath to suppress the anger in her chest and nced at Ming Jing.


    Even now, she still appeared calm.


    It turned out that tonight¡¯s drama was not to clear Ming Xin¡¯s name, but to pave the way for Ming Jing¡¯s return to the Ran family.


    Even at such a young age, she had such deep and intricate ns, and Jiang Chun hadn¡¯t detected any of it.


    Well, well, well.


    Ran Bowen, you indeed have a capable daughter.


    Ming Xin subconsciously grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand, even though she didn¡¯t know what was going on. However, she would always unconditionally believe in Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing gently patted her hand and then stroked the heads of Ming Chen and Ming Ti, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, your second sister will never leave you.¡±


    Qu Feitai frowned, ¡®Was Ming Jing a member of the Ran family? Was she Ran Tengxiao¡¯s sister?¡¯


    Almost everyone had the same thoughts.


    Jiang Jinchen suddenly had a bad premonition. He looked at Jiang Chun, and as if sensing his gaze, she turned to look at him.

 Chapter 688: 354 Astonishing the World (Twelve More)_2

    Chapter 688: 354 Astonishing the World (Twelve More)_2n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Jiang Jinchen understood her gaze.


    ¡°No¡­¡± He staggered back a step, his handsome face deathly pale.


    Bai Ziyan quickly supported him, worriedly asking, ¡°Jinchen, are you alright?¡±


    Why was his reaction so strong to Ming Jing being a part of the Ran family?


    Although the Rans were not good people, it wasn¡¯t something Ming Jing could decide. With the protection of the Ran family, Ming Jing would no longer beughed at or bullied in the future.


    Just when everyone was immersed in the news and couldn¡¯te to their senses, Ran Tengxiao smiled slightly, walked in front of Ming Jing, and bowed slightly.


    ¡°Little Aunt, I¡¯ve finally found you. Let¡¯s go home with me.¡±


    What did he call her? Little Aunt?


    Everyone thought they had misheard.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s little aunt, ording to seniority, wouldn¡¯t she be the sister of Ran Yang and Ran Qing? Could she be the illegitimate daughter of Ran Bocai and Ran Boxue who had been lost outside?<div>


    This was too absurd.


    Jiang Jinchen clenched Bai Ziyan¡¯s arm tightly with his fingers. Bai Ziyan was in pain, but seeing him in so much pain, he couldn¡¯t bear to shake him off.


    He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Ming Jing would be Ran Tengxiao¡¯s aunt. Her status is so high now that she can walk sideways in Jiangzhou.¡±


    Li Ling narrowed his eyes. He had heard of Ran Tengxiao¡¯s name but had the first encounter in person under this circumstance.


    This girl named Ming Jing could give people surprises indeed.


    The Ran family? It was a wolf¡¯s den. With her kind-heartedness and righteousness, it would be hard to predict her future once she enters.


    Shen Zhou murmured, ¡°No entry into the tiger¡¯s den, no gain of its young. So this is your n.¡±


    Zhao Qin rushed over, ¡°Cousin, she¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s daughter? That¡¯s impossible. Are you mistaken?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao straightened up, ¡°She¡¯s not my grandfather¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s my granduncle¡¯s daughter. She belongs to the most noble bloodline in our Ran family, and you should call her Little Aunt as well.¡±


    Who was Ran Tengxiao¡¯s granduncle?


    Everyone looked at each other, somewhat confused about the rtionshipwork of the Ran family.


    At this moment, a sharp voice suddenly sounded, ¡°It¡¯s Ran Bowen! She¡¯s actually Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter! My God¡­¡±


    Ran Bowen?


    This name that had disappeared for thirteen years was finally recalled by the public once again.


    A long time ago, in Jiangzhou, this was a name that made people tremble with fear. It was no exaggeration to say that it could stop children from crying and people from talking.


    He was a hero who founded the Qinglong Association barehanded and made a name for himself in the world.


    There were many legends about him, and many people in the audience had witnessed Ran Bowen¡¯s demeanor when he was alive. Even now, he had been dead for more than a decade, but he still cast a deep shadow over people.


    This was a character whose name would make people¡¯s breath tremble.


    Ming Jing was actually Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter? This was too incredible.<div>


    Madam Ye rolled her eyes and almost fainted.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ye Lan hurriedly supported her.


    Madam Ye¡¯s expression was a mixture ofughter and tears, ¡°Your grandfather offended Ran Bowen with just one sentence back then and suffered a broken leg at the hands of Ran Bowen. Not long after, he passed away with depression.¡±


    That¡¯s why she hated the Ran family, but why did Ming Jing have to be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?<div>


    Could a wicked man produce a great kindness?


    Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the son of a mouse can dig holes¡­


    How could she ept this?


    Ye Lan was also speechless, ¡°How could this be? How could this be?¡±


    Who could mess with the Ran family?


    Madam Gao staggered, and Charles Gao hurriedly supported her.


    Madam Gao helplessly said, ¡°Forget it, my son, give it up. Our family can¡¯t afford to climb up to the Ran family. One misstep could cost your life. I can¡¯t take that gamble.¡±


    Charles Gao smiled bitterly, ¡°Are you all so afraid of the Ran family?¡±


    Madam Gao quickly covered his mouth, ¡°She¡¯s Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter! My god, who was he?!¡±


    The daughter-inw that they almost had slipped away.Charles Gao coughed and nced at Li Jiaojiao beside him, ¡°Well, you can still run away if you want¡­¡±


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s face turned pale, and she seemed on the verge of copse.


    She kept muttering to herself, ¡°Impossible¡­Absolutely impossible¡­¡±


    Zhao Qin was about to cry, her voice sharp and distorted, ¡°How could she be my uncle¡¯s daughter? He has been dead for more than a decade.¡±<div>


    She was so angry that her whole body trembled, and she would not allow it.


    Ran Tengxiao nced at her indifferently, ¡°After my uncle¡¯s first wife passed away, he learned from his experience, and in order to prevent enemies from threatening him with his wife and children, he had always kept them well-protected. No outsiders knew about their existence. After my uncle died, the mother and daughter disappeared. I only recently learned the truth from my Uncle Lu Chang. After a thorough investigation, I finally confirmed that Ming Jing is my uncle¡¯s daughter who had been living outside our family. She is the legitimate youngdy of the Ran family. Are you doubting me, or are you doubting my uncle?¡±


    With thest sentence, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s indifferent rhetorical question implied authority and a warning, making Zhao Qin¡¯s face suddenly turn pale.


    Ran Tengxiao did not look at her again but turned to Ming Jing with a smile, ¡°Little aunt, I¡¯m sorry for scaring you tonight.¡±


    Everyone then looked at Ming Jing.


    Throughout the whole time, she remained calm.


    Everyone wondered what could make her panic in this world.


    This was the real definition of calmness in the face of cmity.


    However, at this moment, Qu Feitai suddenly rushed out and stood in front of Ming Jing.


    The tall and straight young man looked extremely pale.


    He shook his head in panic, ¡°There must be a mistake. You must be mistaken. How could Ming Jing be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter? Absolutely impossible¡­¡±


    Thest four words were almost shouted out.


    Why, why was she Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter? Qu Feitai desperately told himself that it was just a joke.<div>


    Ran Tengxiao snorted and looked contemptuous, ¡°Mr. Qu, please show some respect. Ming Jing is indeed the youngdy of the Ran family, and it is not your ce to interfere.¡±


    Ming Jing sighed softly. No one could understand his fear better than her.


    That gunshot years ago pierced through Yu Jiang¡¯s shoulder and hit Ran Bowen.


    The six-year-old Qu Feitai killed Ran Bowen.


    If she was Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, there would be a deep blood feud between the two of them.


    Ming Jing pressed her fingers against Qu Feitai¡¯s neck, and he turned his head, looking at Ming Jing incredulously.


    Ming Jing saw the pain, despair, and disbelief in the young man¡¯s pitch-ck eyes.


    Then he slowly fell down.


    Ming Jing caught him and shouted, ¡°Xiao Bai!¡±


    Bai Ziyan immediately rushed over, ¡°Ming Jing, has this kid gone mad?¡±


    ¡°Take him away and find Yun Mo. Leave Jingzhou early tomorrow morning.¡±


    Bai Ziyan took over Qu Feitai and looked at Ming Jing worriedly, ¡°You by yourself¡­¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You go ahead.¡±<div>


    Bai Ziyan and Song Yinzhang took Qu Feitai and left.


    Bai Weining red at Ming Jing resentfully, stomped her foot, turned around, and quickly caught up with Bai Ziyan.


    As everyone watched the scene unfold, they didn¡¯t know how to react.


    Not only Qu Feitai, but everyone else also found it hard to ept.


    How could Ming Jing, who was so kind and great, be the daughter of a terrible viin?


    As it had been since ancient times, blood ties ran deep. No matter how many good deeds she had done, all people would know was that her father was a notorious viin.


    Did her evil bloodline mean all her past good deeds were just a disguise?


    It was terrifying to think about.


    Ming Jing flicked her skirt and looked up at Ran Tengxiao.


    Their eyes met.


    Both understood each other¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Mr. Ran, are you sure I¡¯m your little aunt?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao smiled faintly, his eyes unfathomable, ¡°Or does my little aunt look down on the Ran family and not want to return? That¡¯s your home, after all.¡±

 Chapter 689: Arrogance (Thirteen More Updates) 355

    Chapter 689: Arrogance (Thirteen More Updates) 355


    The entire room fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop in the hall of a thousand people.


    Liu Jia lowered her voice and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Why have I never heard of this Ran family before?¡±


    Why does everyone seem to act so mysteriously?


    Is it because she is ignorant?


    She is from out of town and has recently conducted an in-depth study of the local wealthy families in Jiangzhou. She doesn¡¯t recall any family with thest name Ran. Thisst name is quite rare, and she wouldn¡¯t forget it.


    Cao Yue hurriedly covered her mouth, ¡°Lower your voice. If someone from the Ran family hears you, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Liu Jia blinked and pulled Cao Yue¡¯s hand away, ¡°So, does that mean the Ran family is more powerful than the Zhus?¡±


    Cao Yue looked at her as if she were an idiot, ¡°There¡¯s noparison at all.¡±


    Before Ming Jing returned, the Zhus were just a low-ranking wealthy family, iparable to the deeply-rooted families such as the Lis, the Gaos, and the Lis. They were always mocked for being small town upstarts with no status in the circle of the rich, often ridiculed as nouveau riche.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s previous title as Jiangzhou¡¯s number one socialite had more self-promotion and marketing than substance, no one really cared, and now it seems like even more of a joke.<div>


    Wealthy families value education a lot. Their children attend private schools since a young age, immerse in bilingual environments, and receive various artistic training. At the very least, they must develop one special talent, and their academic performance is generally top-notch. Basically, the younger generation of Jiangzhou¡¯s wealthy families have gotten into Jiangzhou University on their own merit. They still need to rely on themselves to forge ahead while their family can only provide support. In the exam room, everyone is on equal footing.


    But the children raised by the Zhus, with Zhu Xiangxiang as a failed example, will be frequently mentioned and criticized in the future. Zhu Shaodan is another counterexample. That ostentatious green hair of his is just too eye-catching. He and Zhu Xiangxiang plotted this evening¡¯s scene without considering that this is their great-grandmother¡¯s birthday celebration. This child is almost beyond salvation.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When ites to educating children, the Zhus have utterly failed, so how much heritage could they have? No wonder people look down on them.


    As for the Ran family, there will never be a second Ran family in Jiangzhou.


    That¡¯s the difference.


    ¡°Master Xiao, how could she be your aunt? Don¡¯t you want to investigate further? She pretended to be the daughter of the Zhus, so pretending to be the daughter of the Rans must not be difficult for her, right? She¡¯s a repeat offender, don¡¯t believe her.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang was almost going mad. This had to be false, it had to be¡­


    Ming Jing was so good at deceiving people, and her ability to y dead in ce of someone else came in handy.


    She must be trying to deceive the Ran family this time too.


    Zhao Qin quickly chimed in, ¡°Cousin, this matter is of great importance, and we must investigate thoroughly. We can¡¯t decide so hastily.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrow, ¡°Mr. Ran, did you hear that? So you should go back.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nced at Zhu Xiangxiang, she eagerly stepped forward with a brightened expression.


    He quickly shifted his gaze away,nding on Zhao Qin¡¯s face, his indifference made Zhu Xiangxiang feel like an insignificant weed by the roadside.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face turned stiff.


    Looking into Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes, Zhao Qin gradually crumbled, ¡°Cousin¡­¡±


    ¡°Do my cousin and the Zhus think I¡¯m as gullible as them? Fooled by a young girl so easily?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s tone was breezy, but it made Zhao Qin and the Zhus change their expressions simultaneously.


    Zhu Wentao and Lin Qing: This is too insulting!


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows were cold, and she said indifferently, ¡°Mr. Ran, please show some respect.¡±


    ¡°Little aunt, I¡¯m not cursing you. I mean, the Zhus are blind and can¡¯t recognize Tai Mountain. You should leave the darkness and join me. Let¡¯s go home together.¡±<div>


    Leave the darkness? Tsk, he has the nerve to say that.


    His Ran family is the biggest den of wolves and tigers.


    What Xie Zhen knows about the Ran family is only from Zhao Qin. Although she is just the niece of the Rans, even Li Jiaojiao tries to curry favor with her, which shows how powerful the Ran family is.


    Now that Ming Jing has transformed into Zhao Qin¡¯s little aunt, doesn¡¯t that mean even Zhao Qin won¡¯t dare to bully her anymore?<div>


    After a verticalparison, Xie Zhen can somewhat figure out the weight of the daughter of the Rans.


    In short, she¡¯s more powerful than all the other daughters present.


    This kind of power is meant in a literal sense, not because of their high status, but because they are not to be trifled with¡­


    Xie Zhen reassured herself, ¡°From now on, no one will dare to bully Ming Jing.¡±


    Liu Muxue cast a triumphant nce at Li Jiaojiao, who was indeed about to cry from fear.


    How delightful! She had never been so happy before.


    Jiangzhou¡¯s ¡°thin horse¡± Li Jiaojiao, just wait, after tonight, you¡¯ll really be a thin horse.

 Chapter 690: 355 Arrogant (Thirteen More Updates)_2

    Chapter 690: 355 Arrogant (Thirteen More Updates)_2


    Mr. Shen sighed, feeling tired after watching the drama unfold for so long.


    ¡°What a twist of fate, a truly big surprise.¡± He nced at Shen Zhou after saying this.


    Their eyes met, and they bothughed at the same time.


    Madam Shen shook her head: ¡°How could she be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?¡±


    She really didn¡¯t have a good impression of Ran Bowen, and Ming Jing didn¡¯t look like his daughter at all from any angle.


    But reality is often absurd.


    ¡°How much merit has Ran Bowen umted to have such a daughter? Bah, he doesn¡¯t have any merits to speak of.¡±


    ¡°Going home? Do I, a bastard, have a home?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao narrowed his eyes; his gaze suddenly fell on Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Just now, it was you who said my little aunt was a bastard, right?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s legs trembled, and she instinctively took a step back, shaking her head desperately: ¡°No¡­it wasn¡¯t me.¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao stood in the center of the hall, tall and graceful, and said with a slight smile: ¡°Ye Feng.¡±


    A young man in a ck short double-breasted jacket emerged like a ghost. It was a cold winter day, but he was bare-armed, exposing his strong muscles.


    The appearance of the young man startled everyone present. No one noticed when he had appeared. The fear of the unknown sent a chill up their spines.


    ¡°Hehe, you dare to curse our youngdy as a bastard. You¡¯re as good as dead.¡±


    At first nce, he seemed like an adorable young man with a small braid on his head, giving him a unique style. But in just three steps, he reached Zhu Xiangxiang. Before she had a chance to scream, he grabbed her by the throat, lifting her with one hand.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fear was magnified, her feet left the floor, and her hands grabbed the young man¡¯s arm. That arm was like steel and iron, impervious to des and spears.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s eyes widened, filled with fear.


    Shrill screams filled the room. This audacity to kill in broad daylight was outrageous.


    Some of the timid ones had already fainted.


    As a police officer, Li Ling couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch a murder happen right before his eyes. He drew his gun at the young man¡¯s head and shouted, ¡°Let her go, now!¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Li.¡± Ran Tengxiao curled his lips: ¡°It¡¯s just a lesson for a loose-tongued person. There¡¯s no need for such a fuss.¡±


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao, it¡¯s broad daylight with so many eyes watching. Don¡¯t cross the line!¡±


    His arrogance was infuriating. The Rans were indeed too arrogant, constantly treading on the edge of thew.


    Zhu Shaodan stared at the scene, dumbfounded.


    He knew Ye Feng, who had lost to Xi Yu at the Martial Arts Conference. But Ye Feng was a martial arts genius, Zhu Shaodan could never catch up to him, even if he dedicated his whole life to training without stopping for food or rest.


    He wasn¡¯t entirely heartless towards Zhu Xiangxiang. After all, they had grown up together. Seeing her so helpless now, he felt a little pity for her.


    But if he were to stand up, would Ran Tengxiao kill him too in a fit of rage? After all, he had bullied Ming Jing quite a bit in the past.


    Zhu Shaodan was close to tears.


    At this moment, Ming Jing spoke indifferently, ¡°Are you going to kill someone in front of me?¡±<div>


    ¡°This woman insulted you, my little aunt, and thus insulted the Rans. We cannot be merciful toward such people, otherwise, everyone will think we Rans are easy to bully.¡±


    The Rans easy to bully? That was theugh of the century.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s actions were a warning to everyone present that the Ran¡¯s youngdy should never be bullied.


    ¡°Her retribution should be left to herself to bear. It is not for you to decide. Let her go.¡± Ming Jing said coldly.<div>


    By this time, Zhu Xiangxiang was already rolling her eyes, losing consciousness, and was on the verge of death.


    Li Ling disengaged the safety on his gun and sternly shouted: ¡°If you don¡¯t let go, I¡¯ll shoot.¡±


    His insolence was unbearable.


    Mr. Shen stepped forward and said, ¡°Mr. Ran, do you want to cause a death here? Where would that ce your aunt?¡±


    Lin Qing turned her back and didn¡¯t want to watch anymore. She was utterly disappointed in her daughter, but she still couldn¡¯t bear to see her die right before her eyes.


    Lin Ya never expected the situation to escte to this extent. Zhu Xiangxiang would not onlye away empty-handed but also lose everything in the process.


    Now she might be dragged down with Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhao Xiaohui opened her mouth, ¡°Xiangxiang ah¡­.¡±


    She was still her flesh and blood after all, and her tears streamed down like a flood.She instinctively wanted to rush over, but Xiao Hong quickly held her back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go, you¡¯ll die too.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui hesitated for a moment.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti hid behind Ming Xin, daring not to watch this scene.


    Ming Chen secretly peeked through his fingers, looking extremely excited.<div>


    Although this thought was dangerous, it would be better for this wicked woman who repeatedly framed Ming Jing to die sooner rather thanter. When the time came, he would recite the Rebirth Mantra for her to have a better life in her next reincarnation. It would be better for her to be reborn as an animal, as a cow or a horse in her next life to repay Ming Jing¡¯s kindness.


    ¡°Ran Tengxiao.¡± Ming Jing called out his full name this time.


    ¡°If you let her go, I¡¯ll go back with you.¡±


    Everyone inwardly eximed, thinking this was a bad deal since Zhu Xiangxiang had just framed her. To save Zhu Xiangxiang and go back to the Rans¡¯ house didn¡¯t make sense.


    Just let Zhu Xiangxiang die; she was wasting air by being alive.


    Ran Tengxiao waved his hand: ¡°Let her go.¡±


    Ye Feng smirked and suddenly loosened his grip. Zhu Xiangxiang fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string.


    Ye Feng frowned in disgust and pped his hands: ¡°Boring.¡±


    No one came forward to help Zhu Xiangxiang. Instead, they all moved back as if she were the gue.


    Only Zhao Xiaohui rushed over, picked up Zhu Xiangxiang, and said with concern, ¡°Xiangxiang, don¡¯t scare mom.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui pointed at Ye Feng and yelled, ¡°You are the murderer, don¡¯t leave, the police need to arrest him!¡±


    Li Ling coldly ordered, ¡°Put your hands up and stay still.¡±


    Ye Feng grinned, ¡°Officer, I didn¡¯t kill anyone. Don¡¯t falsely use innocent people.¡±<div>


    Everyone shivered watching the scene.


    Filled with ruthless malice, this seemingly innocent young man made people feel a chill down their spines.


    The more innocent his smile, the more fear grew in people¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°Are you a good person?¡± Li Ling pocketed his gun and tried to grab Ye Feng. However, he couldn¡¯t catch Ye Feng easily, and the two began to fight.


    Li Ling was shocked at Ye Feng¡¯s immensebat skills despite his young age. After a few bouts, he hadn¡¯t gained any advantages.


    Everyone watched the scene, with their hearts pounding.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang coughed violently. As she opened her eyes and saw Zhao Xiaohui, she cried, ¡°I almost died.¡±


    Her voice was hoarse beyond recognition.


    Zhao Xiaohui hugged her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Mom will protect you. Let¡¯s leave this ce.¡±


    Ye Feng stepped back and smiled at Li Ling, ¡°Officer, you had me wrong.¡±


    Li Ling nced at the now awoken Zhu Xiangxiang, went up to her, squatted down, and checked her condition.


    ¡°How do you feel? Do you need to go to the hospital?¡±


    Although she wasn¡¯t a good person, no one had the right to take away her life.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang, terrified, shook her head: ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡­.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She was like a frightened bird.


    It seemed she waspletely shocked by the situation.


    Li Ling clenched his fist, finally realizing the extent of the Rans¡¯ arrogance and dominance in Jiangzhou.


    In front of so many people, they toyed with human lives like it was a joke, and everyone seemed to have be desensitized to it. No one stood up to condemn them, just trying to save themselves in the situation.


    Ming Jing walked over, squatted down, and checked her pulse, ¡°It¡¯s fine, just a little frightened. Take her down to rest.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui tearfully said, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I¡¯m so sorry, I really can¡¯t face you.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and patted her shoulder, ¡°Who can clearly tell right from wrong in this world? I know you did it for Yangyang. After you take her home, be sure to discipline her.¡±


    ¡°I know, thank you for understanding, Ms. Ming Jing.¡± Zhao Xiaohui hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly sat up and madly tried to strangle Ming Jing¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You go die¡­¡±

 Chapter 691: 356 Tearing Apart (Fourteenth Update)

    Chapter 691: 356 Tearing Apart (Fourteenth Update)


    Everyone then saw Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly sit up, like a reanimated corpse, and reach out with lightning speed to grab Ming Jing¡¯s neck.


    However, before her hands could touch Ming Jing¡¯s neck, they were hit by a stone that suddenly appeared, causing Zhu Xiangxiang to cry out in pain. She fell backwards,nding on the ground in a most undignified manner.


    ¡°Rumble.¡± The stone rolled to Ming Jing¡¯s feet.


    It was a ck pebble, the kind that filled a flower pot in the corner of the hall.


    Ran Tengxiao squinted, looking around. Finally, he saw a teenage boy leaning against a pir to the northwest, his arms crossed.


    The young man had his hat low, blending into the crowd.


    The stone that popped up out of nowhere startled everyone, sending chills down their spines.


    Ye Feng stared nkly and then suddenly shouted towards the northwest, ¡°Xi Yu.¡±


    People turned towards the direction he indicated, but all they saw was a clueless Ye Cheng. No one else.


    The name Xi Yu seemed familiar; it was heard not long ago in Liu Muxue¡¯s conversation and seemed to be involved in a love triangle with Ming Jing and Zhao Qin.<div>


    This man, who could urately hit Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s wrist with a stone and then disappear, showed exceptional control and power.


    Where did all these skilled peoplee from?


    Ye Feng gave chase, shouting, ¡°Get out here, you coward, always hiding in the darkness. I challenge you.¡±


    Everyone watched as the young man who previously had an innocent smile suddenly lost his temper and moved away, careful not to provoke this ill-omened person.


    Zhao Qin was rmed, ¡°Xi Yu? Is Xi Yu also here?¡±


    She looked around but couldn¡¯t spot Xi Yu anywhere.


    But who else could¡¯ve thrown that stone just now?


    Zhao Qin gave a wry smile and looked at Ming Jing not far away, resigned to the reality.


    Ran Tengxiao wouldn¡¯t joke about such things.


    Zhao Xiaohui helped Zhu Xiangxiang up while she feigned madness again. Zhao Xiaohui apologized to Ming Jing, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, this girl knows no better. Please don¡¯t take it personally. I will teach her properly in the future.¡±


    Ming Jing stood up and behind her, there came the mockughter of Ran Tengxiao, ¡°It is rumored that you, Ming Jing, are the incarnation of Bodhisattva, with greatpassion. The rumors are indeed true. Even when faced with someone scheming against her, she shows great magnanimity. How awe-inspiring. However, has she ever heard of the story of Mr. Dong Guo?¡±


    One¡¯s kindness to enemies is one¡¯s own folly.


    The Rans, least of all, need kindness.


    Ming Jing chuckled softly, ¡°Good and evil have their own justice. It isn¡¯t just about our words. It¡¯s natural for the strong to prey on the weak. Speaking of humanity to a wolf is like ying the lute to a cow. Good and evil restrain oneself, not others. To ask otherwise is putting the cart before the horse.¡±


    Listening to Ming Jing, the audience pondered her words.


    A master truly has a unique way of thinking.


    ¡°You are right, I¡¯ve learned something.¡±


    Everyone watched him, feeling rather unused to his behavior.


    ¡°So, Ming Jing, you¡¯re Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter¡­¡± Jiang Chun squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.<div>


    Saying the three words ¡®Ran Bowen¡¯, she gnashed her teeth almost audibly.


    With her back to the crowd, her eyes shed with a hint of ruthlessness. She stared at Ming Jing, her smile more gentle than ever.


    Everyone shivered without any clear reason.


    The heating was fully on in the hall, yet everyone felt an uncanny chill up and down their spines.<div>


    Ming Jing looked up at Jiang Chun.


    Her eyes were clear, like ake in spring with gentle ripples stirred by the wind. But beneath those ripples was a deep, cold abyss.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, Madam.¡±


    Jiang Chun shook her head with a sigh, ¡°You fooled me so well.¡±


    ¡°You are mistaken, Madam. I also just found out. Regardless of whose daughter I am, I am always Ming Jing. After all, you liked me for who I am, not my identity. With your wisdom and apprehension, surely you wouldn¡¯t think less of me because of that.¡±


    Suchmendation was quite the tall hat to wear.


    ¡°I fear that Ming Jing, once the daughter of the Rans, would not acknowledge me. To be associated with the Rans is not something ordinary people can aspire to.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you tter me.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Everyone listened to the cool, polite dialogue between the two. Their smiles were warm and gentle, but somehow, the conversation felt off.


    It sent mysterious shivers down everyone¡¯s spines.


    Li Qingyao whispered, ¡°Why do I feel like Madam Jiang is very angry?¡±

 Chapter 692: 356 Tearing Apart (Fourteenth Update)_2

    Chapter 692: 356 Tearing Apart (Fourteenth Update)_2n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Her tone was strange when she spoke.


    Madam Li nced around and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s rumored that Mr. Ran Bowen had something to do with Madam Jiang¡¯s husband¡¯s death.¡±


    Of course, it was just a rumor, but it was enough to exin something.


    Li Qingyao¡¯s eyes widened, and she subconsciously looked at Jiang Jinchen.


    Didn¡¯t he and Ming Jing have a deep-seated hatred between them?


    ¡°Great, today¡¯s banquet is so wonderful. The Zhus found their real daughter, and Ming Jing also found her family. A happy ending for everyone.¡±


    A happy ending?


    That¡¯s really a preposterous joke!


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and the show is over. It¡¯s time to leave, don¡¯t you think, Mr. Shen?¡±


    Mr. Shen smiled, ¡°Please, Madam¡­.¡±<div>


    Jiang Chun walked away and nced at Ming Jing with a smile as she passed her.


    ¡°Bluees from the indigo, yet is superior to the indigo. Not bad, you have your father¡¯s style.¡±


    This sentence could scare someone to death.


    Ran Bowen was an evil man, and Ming Jing had nothing inmon with him from head to toe.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, looking extremely gentle, ¡°Safe travels, Madam.¡±


    Jiang Chun stared at the face in front of her, hooked her lips, and slowly turned to look at Jiang Jinchen.


    Jiang Jinchen walked over and left with Jiang Chun. From beginning to end, he never looked at Ming Jing.


    He was as silent as a stone statue, and under the light, his face was even paler than a freshly painted wall.


    Lin Qing still didn¡¯t forget to send Jiang Chun away, Jiang Chun sneered at her, ¡°Madam Zhu, just stop there. Congrattions on getting three good daughters, each one better than thest. You¡¯re very lucky, Madam Zhu.¡±


    These words, no matter how you listened to them, were full of sarcasm.


    Lin Qing forced a smile, ¡°Sorry, Madam. I¡¯m sorry for the embarrassment tonight. My Zhu family didn¡¯t entertain you well. We will visit to apologize another day.¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Jiang Chun left these three words and walked away.


    Mr. Shen sighed and left with Madam Shen, who had aplicated look in her eyes.


    This evening¡¯s banquet was finally over.


    Ran Tengxiao stood nearby, and those who knew him didn¡¯t daree over to talk. They quickly left in a hurry.


    In the blink of an eye, most of the guests had left.


    Once outside, they all let out a sigh of relief and started to gossip with theirpanions.


    Elder Theodore Shelby and Shen Zhou walked up to Ming Jing. Elder Theodore Shelby said, ¡°Ming Jing, your brother and I will go back first. You go back to the Rans, and if anyone dares to bully you, let your dad know. We won¡¯t let them off easily!¡±


    His words were full of implication, and he nced at Ran Tengxiao.<div>


    Ran Tengxiaoughed and said, ¡°Elder Theodore Shelby, are you not indirectly scolding me?¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby snorted, ¡°Ming Jing is your little aunt, so by generation, shouldn¡¯t you call me grandpa? Good grandson, call me grandpa and let me hear it.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    Shen Zhou quickly pulled Theodore Shelby away, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go back. Ming Jing knows what to do.¡±<div>


    You shouldn¡¯t be plucking hairs from a tiger¡¯s tail. This man¡¯s temper is explosive.


    Ming Jing helped Elder Theodore Shelby up, ¡°Let me see you out.¡±


    Elder Theodore Shelby sighed, ¡°For no reason, how did you be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter? That old man¡­¡±


    Realizing it wasn¡¯t appropriate, he changed his words, ¡°What virtue and ability does Ran Bowen have to deserve a daughter like you? I guess he must beughing all the way in hell right now.¡±


    Ran Bowen was not a man who would go to heaven. If there really was a hell, he was probably suffering in one of itsyers now.


    After sending the old man to the car, Shen Zhou closed the car door and turned to look at her.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it, just call me. No matter if it¡¯s Master Xiao or ate-night snack, the Shens won¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Alright, big brother. It¡¯s veryte. You should go back. Father needs to sleep and recharge.¡±


    After Shen Zhou¡¯s car left, Ming Jing stood there for a while. There were still many people in the parking lot, and seeing Ming Jing sending Shen Zhou away, they started to sneak nces at her.


    Li Jiaojiao came over in a daze, and there were many holes in the parking lot ground. She identally stepped on one and fell to the ground very awkwardly.


    Li Jiaojiao screamed, and just as Gao Jia wanted to help her, someone else had already squatted down before her.


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s face crumpled in pain, and when she looked up and saw the person in front of her, she screamed and took a step back.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t touch me.¡± She shivered.<div>


    Ming Jing smiled gently, ¡°Miss Li, the ground is cold. Get up quickly.¡±


    It was as if she didn¡¯t hold any grudge against Li Jiaojiao¡¯s previous words and actions.


    Li Jiaojiao stared at her suspiciously, ¡°I¡­ I scolded you so much before, and you¡¯re not angry?¡±

 Chapter 693: 356 Tearing Apart (Fourteenth Update)_3

    Chapter 693: 356 Tearing Apart (Fourteenth Update)_3


    ¡°Why should I be angry? After all, Miss Li didn¡¯t target me on purpose, right?¡± The young girl¡¯s eyes were so gentle and bright in the night, even the bone-chilling wind seemed to soften as it passed by her.


    Li Jiaojiao stared nkly for a while before saying, ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. You won¡¯t take revenge on me in the future, will you?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°It¡¯ste, Miss Li, you¡¯d better go home. Do you want me to arrange a driver to take you back?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no need.¡± Li Jiaojiao¡¯s face reddened as she quickly lowered her head and left.


    Ming Jing dusted off her hands and looked up to see Gao Jia nearby.


    ¡°Miss Gao.¡±


    Gao Jia smiled awkwardly and hurriedly lowered her head to leave.


    Ming Jing shook her head with a chuckle, looking at the stars in the sky.


    There were only a few sparse stars hanging in the night sky, like pairs of twinkling eyes.


    ¡°Stars, look at the beauty of tonight¡¯s night¡­¡±<div>


    As Ming Jing re-entered the hall, Tang Wan, who had been sneaking away, noticed Ming Jing approaching. She was instantly pale with fright.


    However, Ming Jing passed by Tang Wan as if she didn¡¯t see her.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This kind of disregard was even worse than being pped.


    Tang Wan turned and stared at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure.


    She was tall and slender,cking the graceful curves of a young girl, but she was calm andposed, like a cool breeze on a summer night that brushed away any impatience.


    Tang Wan¡¯s cheeks burned.


    In Ming Jing¡¯s eyes, she wasn¡¯t even worthy to be an opponent.


    What was the point of everything she did tonight?


    Looking at Zhu Xiangxiang, who seemed to be out of her mind, Tang Wan suddenly felt ridiculous.


    A bunch of fools and lunatics.


    Tang Wan turned around and walked into the night without looking back.


    In the hall, Ming Jing saw a tall and mature man standing under the light.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, it¡¯s an honor to finally meet you in person.¡±


    Bo Yuxun narrowed his eyes, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I¡¯ve heard so much about you, and tonight has been quite an eye-opener. Your reputation is well-deserved.¡±


    He looked at the face before him, which was strikingly simr if he covered her eyes.


    Even her eyes gave him a familiar feeling, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he¡¯d seen them before.


    Whether it was her gentle appearance or some sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, Bo Yuxun felt a strong affinity for the girl before him and couldn¡¯t help but want to get closer.


    Even if she was Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, the offspring of an unspeakable viin.


    Bo Yuxun felt it was a pity, why did she have to be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?<div>


    What a twist of fate.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, you tter me. I¡¯ve long admired your name, and I apologize for any offense tonight. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me, and perhaps I can host you another day.¡±


    Bo Yuxun smiled and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be staying in Jiangzhou for a few more days, so I look forward to your invitation.¡±


    In Jiangzhou, the only family that dared topete with Jiang Chun was the Rans.<div>


    He needed the Rans¡¯ support, but working with Ran Tengxiao was like making a deal with a tiger. Now, this girl named Ming Jing stood before him.


    Regardless of her past rtionship with Jiang Chun, the revtion of her background today had destroyed their friendship.


    This girl was far from simple; judging from Jiang Chun¡¯s defeated expression, she hadn¡¯t expected to be outmaneuvered by Ming Jing.


    Cooperating with the Rans was fraught with danger, but Bo Yuxun believed that even if this girl was a tiger, she was at least a kind and principled one.


    ¡°Dr. Bo?¡± Ran Tengxiao approached, ¡°The Bos from Jingzhou, it¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Ran.¡±


    Just then, Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly fell at Lin Qing¡¯s feet, crying and begging, ¡°Mom, I was wrong. Please don¡¯t kick me out. I¡¯ll be obedient and stoppeting with Ming Jing. Please let me stay by your side.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohui¡¯s emotions were a mix of feelings. No matter how good her birth mother was, she couldn¡¯tpare to a wealthy adoptive mother.


    The child still didn¡¯t understand. She was beyond help.


    Lin Qing pushed her away, pointing outside and shouting, ¡°Get out! I never want to see you again!¡±


    ¡°Mom, I really know I was wrong, please.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang clutched Lin Qing¡¯s leg, sobbing uncontrobly.


    ¡°I admit I was blind and misguided. Please give me another chance, will you?¡±


    Ming Xin frowned in disgust, ¡°If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first ce?¡±<div>


    ¡°Sister Ming Xin.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang swiftly grabbed Ming Xin¡¯s leg, ¡°Please, Sister Ming Xin, persuade mom to let me stay. I¡¯ll turn over a new leaf and be a good person.¡±


    ¡°Pah, your words are nothing but fart! My sister saved you countless times, but you¡¯re still the same, like a dog that can¡¯t change its habit of eating shit!¡± Ming Chen scolded.


    ¡°Dad.¡± Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her silent father Zhu Wentao, ¡°Dad, you told me Ming Jing stole thepany you worked so hard to build, that you were unhappy with her, and let me help you do this. Now mom and grandma are ming me; please say something for me.¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s face turned ashen, and he kicked her away, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Shut up!¡±


    Lin Qing stared at Zhu Wentao.


    From the start, Zhu Wentao tried to make himself inconspicuous, and everyone nearly forgot his existence. It turned out he was the real culprit.


    Zhu Wentao hurriedly tried to exin, ¡°Qing¡¯er, let me exin¡­¡±


    ¡°Exining what? Do you think I¡¯m a fool? Zhu Wentao, I really underestimated you.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked at themotion on the other side and couldn¡¯t help smirking, ¡°This drama is like an olddy¡¯s foot wraps ¨C smelly and lengthy.¡±


    ¡°Dog eat dog, fascinating, truly fascinating.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked at Ming Jing, ¡°Congrattions on escaping the den of tigers and wolves.¡±


    However, it was just jumping from one den into another.


    There was nothing to congratte, Bo Yuxun thought silently.<div>


    ¡°No, dad, you can¡¯t abandon me like this. You personally collected the samples for the paternity test, and in order to get Ming Jing¡¯s hair, you deliberately brought back crabs¡­¡±


    Zhu Wentao¡¯s eyes darkened, and he immediately covered Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mouth, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Granny Zhu solemnly said, ¡°Let her go and let her continue.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s crazy, don¡¯t believe what she says. Li Juan, drag her away!¡±


    Li Juan, who had been hiding and watching the scene for an unknown amount of time, immediately ran out when she heard her name.


    Granny Zhu shouted sternly, ¡°I¡¯ll see who dares to touch her, let her speak!¡±


    Li Juan immediately stood still, focusing her gaze inward.


    Bo Yuxun had no interest in the Zhu family¡¯s mess, and as he prepared to leave, he identally scanned and noticed Li Juan standing in a corner.


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened.


    What did Zhu Wentao call her just now?

 Chapter 694: 357 Relics (Fifteen More Updates)

    Chapter 694: 357 Relics (Fifteen More Updates)


    Zhu Xiangxiang crawled to Granny Zhu¡¯s feet, ¡°Granny, you have a weak spleen and stomach. Dad brought home a few crabs which you must crave for so long. You would definitely eat them and feel ufortable. Ming Jing is filial to you and would definitelye back to see you. We can then arrange for her to stay and easily get her hair sample. Granny, what I said is true. I was also forced by my dad. Please forgive me this time for telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhu Wentao¡¯s face turned pale, and he quickly walked over to hit Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Granny Zhu raised her crutch and pointed at him, sternly saying, ¡°I dare you toy a hand on her!¡±


    Zhu Wentao said helplessly, ¡°She¡¯s just acting crazy now, biting anyone. Mom, you can¡¯t believe her.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t believe her, should I believe you? Weren¡¯t those crabs you brought back? Weren¡¯t they meant for me to eat? Zhu Wentao, you even dare to plot against your own mother. There¡¯s nothing you wouldn¡¯t do in this world. I think you¡¯re just hoping for this old woman to die¡­ it¡¯s a sin¡­¡±


    Lin Ya and Ming Xin quickly went over to appease the olddy.


    Today¡¯s upheaval seemed to not affect the olddy much, but this time she was truly hurt by Zhu Wentao. She suddenly looked several years older.


    ¡°Mom.¡± Zhu Wentao honestly knelt down, ¡°I know I was wrong. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a son like you. Get out!¡±


    Granny Zhu turned her head and didn¡¯t even want to nce at him.<div>


    Suddenly, Granny Zhu covered her chest, her face turning pale, and she could hardly breathe. Ming Xin quickly shouted, ¡°Ming Jing, something¡¯s wrong with Granny¡­¡±


    However, Bo Yuxun was the first to step in front of Granny Zhu, squatting down to check her pupils and pulse. He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°The olddy must have taken some heart-protecting medicine before. There¡¯s nothing seriously wrong with her body. Just don¡¯t move her for now. Let her rest in a quiet and well-ventted environment, away from any source of irritation, and her body will recover slowly.¡±


    Lin Ya subconsciously looked at Ming Jing, thinking about the pill that Li Juan had given the olddyst night.


    No wonder Grandmother was still as stable as Tai Mountain despite the shocks.


    This cousin is far from simple, and everything that happened today might have been within her expectations.


    Lin Qing quickly said, ¡°Thank you, Dr. Bo.¡±


    She had overheard everyone¡¯s discussion before; this doctor was not an ordinary one, even the mayor of Jingzhou had to beg him toe out of retirement.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is my duty. I¡¯ll apany the olddy and be on standby if anything happens.¡± Bo Yuxun said gently.


    Lin Qing¡¯s face lit up in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s great, thank you so much, Dr. Bo. We will surely repay you another time.¡±


    ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no need to be polite. This is the duty of a doctor.¡±


    Lin Qing thought Dr. Bo was such a nice person, and she felt more and more satisfied with him.


    The hotel manager wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly arranged for a room.


    Ming Jing pushed the wheelchair while Ming Xin, Ming Ti, and Ming Chen led Ming Yi. Bo Yuxun walked at the end, following the manager to the resting room.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Seeing the people walking away, Lin Qing pointed at Zhu Wentao and scolded, ¡°I thought you had changed, but you¡¯re actually worse than before. She¡¯s your own mother! If anything happens to her, you won¡¯t be able to live a peaceful life.¡±


    ¡°And, thanks to you and Zhu Xiangxiang, what you¡¯ve done will be known all over Jiangzhou tomorrow. I can¡¯t take this shame. Don¡¯t ever appear in front of me again. I don¡¯t want to see either of you.¡± Lin Qing left without even bothering to look at them.


    Lin Ya sighed, ¡°Uncle, aunt is truly hurt this time. It¡¯s fortunate that cousin Ming Xin is back. You two, take care of yourselves.¡±


    As she spoke, she left with Lin Qing.


    Zhu Wentao noticed Ran Tengxiao¡¯s gaze and panicked, not hesitating to chase after his mother, shouting while running, ¡°Mom, Mom, I was wrong. Please forgive your unfilial son¡­¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sneered softly.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang dared not stay either. She was afraid that Ran Tengxiao would settle the score with her and followed hastily.


    Zhao Xiaohui sighed, and just as she was about to follow, her phone rang. It was the hospital.


    The nurse said on the phone that Yangyang¡¯s body was in trouble, she was shocked and didn¡¯t bother about Zhu Xiangxiang anymore. She hurriedly hung up the phone and ran outside.


    In the blink of an eye, only Ran Tengxiao and Zhao Qin were left in the hall.<div>


    Eight imposing men guarded the door, looking like door gods.

 Chapter 695: 357 Relics (15 more updates)_2

    Chapter 695: 357 Relics (15 more updates)_2


    Zhao Qin gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Cousin, since she¡¯s your father¡¯s daughter, you should have killed her to eliminate future problems. Are you going to let herpete with you for the position?¡±


    ¡°Cousin, we live in the age of the rule ofw now. Don¡¯t always talk about fighting and killing. Have you not noticed that Sergeant Li hasn¡¯t gone far?¡±


    Li Ling really hadn¡¯t left; he had been observing Ran Tengxiao in secret. Now that he was pointed out, he showed no embarrassment.


    ¡°Mr. Ran is quite perceptive.¡± Could a man with bloody hands say such words without feeling ridiculous?


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aw-abiding citizen. In the whole Jiangzhou, who pays more taxes than me?¡±


    That was true.


    But he also had a habit of cing thew below his authority.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± Li Ling left after speaking.


    Ran Tengxiao squinted, ¡°The young man is full of energy. Look into his background.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±<div>


    Ye Jian found a chair, ¡°Master Xiao, please sit.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked around, ¡°Where¡¯s Ye Feng?¡±


    ¡°He went to chase Xi Yu.¡±


    ¡°Call him back, that silly boy, with his strong limbs and simple mind, he can¡¯tpete with Xi Yu.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sat down in the chair, looking at the magnificent hall. Just a moment ago, it was full of people and luxury; now it was empty, leaving only destion.


    ¡°I will discipline my junior brother more strictly in the future.¡±


    ¡°How can you restrain a wild horse? If it¡¯s tamed, it loses its nature.¡±


    Ye Jian nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Did you see the look on Jiang Chun¡¯s face?¡± Ran Tengxiao began tough.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her so diposed. She must be extremely resentful right now, probably venting her anger by smashing things. She admired and liked her junior so much, but it turned out to be the daughter of her husband¡¯s killer. Our omnipotent Madam Jiang will start having headaches.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s satisfied with the big gift I¡¯ve sent her?¡±


    Ye Jian didn¡¯t dare to make a sound; he couldn¡¯t figure out what his master was thinking.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing¡­ ¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nced at him, and Ye Jian immediately corrected himself, ¡°The youngdy is Master Wen¡¯s bloodline, given the drama tonight, the entire Jiangzhou and even the whole country will know about it tomorrow. I¡¯m afraid it will affect her reputation. Do we need to¡­ ¡±


    Ye Jian thought of the inte term ¡°water army.¡±


    ¡°Do the people of The Rans have a good reputation to speak of?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s words left Ye Jian speechless. Which member of The Rans didn¡¯t have a notorious reputation? Even if you used a ton of ¡°water army,¡± you couldn¡¯t wash it away.


    Zhao Qin didn¡¯t stay long and left the hotel soon after.


    As soon as she left the hotel, she called Ran Qing. Ran Qing had been confined at home by Ran Tengxiao since thest incident, and her days were filled with eating and sleeping.<div>


    She had trouble sleeping and took a sedative every night. Now it was 10 pm, and Ran Qing should have been asleep, but she answered the phone.


    ¡°Mom, there¡¯s trouble.¡±


    Ran Qing was about to take her medication and asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you at The Zhus¡¯ banquet? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, she turned out to be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter.¡±<div>


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ran Qing dropped her ss of water on the floor, shattering it. She ignored the water sshing on her foot and hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you sure? Ran Bowen has been dead for over a decade. Where did a daughtere from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. My cousin came in person. He wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this. Ran Bowen hid his wife and daughter very well back then, and my cousin only found her recently.¡±


    Ran Qing asked, ¡°Who did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing, the President of the Jockey Club, Ming Jing. If not for her, you wouldn¡¯t have been confined at home now, right?¡±


    Ran Qing¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°How could it be her?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, it absolutely impossible¡­ How could she be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Ran Qing had heard rumors about Ran Bowen having a mistress who had given birth to a child for him, but she had never seen the woman and assumed it to be gossip. Who would have thought that it would be Ming Jing?


    Ran Qing suddenly remembered another rumor, ¡°Ran Tengxiao picked her up in person?¡±


    ¡°Not only did he pick her up in person, but he also taught a lesson to the people who scolded her.¡±


    Would Ran Tengxiao be so idle? This man was even more ruthless than Ran Bowen in his heyday.


    Ran Bowen, although notorious in front of the world, still had a lingering presence within the Qinglong Association. After all, he was the founder of the Qinglong Association.


    If his bloodline still lived, they would be the rightful young master of the Qinglong Association.<div>


    How could Ran Tengxiao tolerate the existence of this child? He must have wanted to kill her.


    But in front of everyone, he respectfully went to pick her up.

 Chapter 696: 357 Relic (15 more updates)_3

    Chapter 696: 357 Relic (15 more updates)_3


    What does this mean?


    This child has a use, or perhaps she holds something in her hands that Ran Tengxiao wants.


    ¡°Qinglong Order.¡±


    Zhao Qin was stunned, ¡°Qinglong Order? What is that?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    With a ¡°smack,¡± she pped the back of the chair. The woman almost clenched her teeth and said, ¡°She¡¯s actually Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter. Since she left the mountain, it¡¯s been a trap every step of the way. She¡¯s fooled all of us. What does she want, to avenge Ran Bowen?¡±


    Jiang Chun¡¯s chest heaved violently, the taste of betrayal was truly unbearable.


    And the person who had betrayed her was the very enemy she wished to rip apart.


    Thepartment fell silent. The young man sat in the single seat by the window, silent as a statue.


    He reached out to lower the window, letting the cold wind pour in and dispel the stuffiness of thepartment.<div>


    Jiang Chun nced at him, ¡°Jinchen, I know you can¡¯t ept it, but she is indeed the daughter of the man who killed your father. I wanted to see you together before, but now it seems there¡¯s no fate between you.¡±


    Her initial intuition was right, thankfully she stopped it early, preventing Jinchen from falling deeper and deeper into the trap.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find the best girl in the world for you, one who is truly worthy of you.¡±


    Jiang Chun grasped Jiang Jinchen¡¯s hand but couldn¡¯t help furrowing her brows, ¡°Why is it so cold? Close the window quickly, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen withdrew his hand and looked out the window at the night.


    ¡°You killed Ran Bowen, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Jiang Chun¡¯s eyes sank suddenly, withdrawing her hand slowly, ¡°Everyone knows that Ran Bowen was killed by his confidant, Yu Jiang.¡±


    ¡°Yu Jiang is your man, isn¡¯t he?¡± Jiang Jinchen suddenly turned his head, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable.


    Jiang Chun said disbelievingly, ¡°Jinchen, are you ming me? You know Ran Bowen was the enemy who killed your father, your father was such a good man, do you know how miserable his death was? He had such great ambitions and dreams, but he died an unjust death because of Ran Bowen. He didn¡¯t even know you existed. Didn¡¯t Ran Bowen deserve to die? I only regret not cutting him into a thousand pieces.¡±


    ¡°Ran Bowen deserved to die, but Ming Jing is innocent. Do not take your anger out on her.¡±


    ¡°Jinchen, do you still have her in your heart right now? Can you face your father?¡±


    ¡°When will the cycle of vengeance end? You killed Ran Bowen, but Ming Jing put this debt on my head. What about you? All the hatred should have ended when Ran Bowen died. It shouldn¡¯t continue to spread.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen¡¯s hands on his knees clenched tightly into fists.


    Jiang Chun narrowed her eyes and suddenlyughed, regaining her usual elegance and grace, raising her hand to smooth back her disheveled hair from her temples.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, the hatred shouldn¡¯t continue to spread. She is her, Ran Bowen is Ran Bowen. I was confused for a moment. She is a good child, not like Ran Bowen.¡±


    Jiang Chun dispelled the coldness in her eyes and smiled faintly, ¡°We¡¯re home, hurry upstairs and take a hot bath, and go to bed early.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen got out of the car, walked through the courtyard, and entered the living room with long strides.


    Jiang Chun stood in the courtyard, a small tree half a man¡¯s height stood bare, its branches stretching out like a person. It looked strangely eerie at first nce.


    She stood in front of the small tree, stroking the branches with her hand. Her gentle expression was like caressing her lover¡¯s face.<div>


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow anyone to harm our son.¡±


    So, she must die.


    ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside, Madam. Let¡¯s go into the room.¡± Zhou Xue draped a coat over Jiang Chun¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Where is Night Hawk? Why won¡¯t hee when I call him? Has his wings hardened and no longer regards me as Madam?¡±<div>


    ¡°Well¡­, Night Hawk is on a mission in Yunzhou.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe his lies. Tell him that I still have Yu Jiang¡¯s belongings in my possession. If he obediently cleans up the Rans for me, I will give it to him. Otherwise¡­¡±

 Chapter 697: 358 Cause and Effect (Part One)

    Chapter 697: 358 Cause and Effect (Part One)


    ¡°Auntie, your husband has been kneeling outside the room for an hour now. Granny is not seriously hurt, and after all, he is still her biological son. Even if she¡¯s angry, she¡¯ll eventually forgive him.¡± Lin Ya whispered persuasively.


    Thinking of Ming Xin, Lin Qing¡¯s expression softened considerably, and she asked: ¡°Where is Zhu Xiangxiang¡­No, Zhao Xiangxiang?¡±


    Madam had already changed her surname, so from now on, she would be called Zhao Xiangxiang. She was no longer worthy of being a member of the Zhus.


    Lin Ya pursed her lips, ¡°Xiangxiang is also kneeling at the door.¡±


    ¡°Let her get lost! No amount of begging will help. In my eyes, she¡¯s just a white-eyed wolf.¡± Lin Qing couldn¡¯t help but get angry when she thought about tonight¡¯s events.


    Lin Ya hurriedly advised, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be angry. Now that Ming Xin is back, you must take care of yourself. There are still many good days ahead for you and Ming Xin. It¡¯s not worth getting angry over people like her.¡±


    It had to be said that Lin Ya¡¯s words were on point, Lin Qing nodded and agreed: ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not worth getting upset over someone like her. If she wants to kneel, let her kneel.¡±


    The manager had prepared the best presidential suite in the hotel. Granny Zhu was settled in the bedroom, Ming Xin and Ming Jing apanied her inside, Bo Yuxun was there too, while Ming Chen and Ming Ti were holding Ming Yi and watching TV in the living room.


    Lin Qing looked at the three young girls and couldn¡¯t help but feel teary-eyed. She sat down beside them and stroked Ming Chen¡¯s hair.


    The little girl wasn¡¯t wearing a wig; after a year, her hair had grown quite a bit and was ck and shiny like silk, really beautiful.<div>


    Ming Chen turned her head and looked at Lin Qing, smiling: ¡°Auntie Lin, why are you crying?¡±


    As she said this, she pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.


    Lin Qing took it and wiped her tears, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Auntie wants to ask you, is your senior sister, Ming Xin, good to you all?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she is.¡± Ming Chen¡¯s soft and sweet voice was adorable.


    ¡°My elder sister is the best sister in the world. She has taken care of us since we were young. It can be said that we all grew up under her care. In our hearts, she is like our mother. Now she has found her mother, and we are truly happy for her. She had a hard life before, and I hope Auntie Lin can be good to her in the future; she is really the best, kindest person in the world.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s held back tears broke free, and she covered her face, turned her back, and sobbed.


    Ming Chen blinked, turned her head, and exchanged nces with Ming Ti.


    She herself was still a child, and it was hard to believe how she managed to take care of three younger children, enduring so much suffering from a young age.


    She owed so much to this child.


    Ming Xin nced at Bo Yuxun; the man was carefully feeding Granny Zhu with water. And he then took Ming Jing to the balcony and carefully closed the balcony door.


    ¡°How did you suddenly be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter? This is just unbelievable.¡±


    On the open-air balcony at midnight, it was freezing cold, and Ming Xin¡¯s voice was slightly trembling. However, the young girl opposite her remained calm andposed; shrouded in the night, her face was obscured, hidden as if behind a veil of mist.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t directly answer her question and said gently, ¡°Now that you¡¯re back to the Zhus, Madam Zhu will make it up to you for all her guilt and shame. Zhu Xiangxiang won¡¯t be able to make any more waves, and from now on, it will only be good days.¡±


    Ming Jing turned around, leaving Ming Xin with her back view: ¡°You should stay in the Zhus¡¯ house in ce of your senior sister.¡±


    Ming Xin, or should I say, Ye Zhen, was slightly startled, ¡°You¡­are you really willing to let me stay in the Zhu family in ce of Ming Xin?¡±


    ¡°All things in this world work by fate. You and your senior sister must have a special connection. Therefore, it¡¯s better to let everything take its course.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay together? The Rans¡­ The Rans are like a den of wolves and tigers¡­¡±


    Ye Zhen had also heard some rumors about the Rans; to her, they were even scarier than wolves and tigers. Ming Jing, a delicate young girl as beautiful as a flower, would be devoured alive if she entered there.


    ¡°I have to go to the Rans.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing turned around, brushed off the cold dew from her skirt, and smiled slightly: ¡°I suppose Madam Zhu has been waiting for quite a while; you should go see her.¡±


    Ye Zhen subconsciously grabbed Ming Jing¡¯s hand: ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a little scared.¡±


    Ming Jing patted her hand gently: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll be with you.¡±


    Ye Zhen nodded, took a deep breath, and followed Ming Jing off the balcony.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Granny Zhu was already asleep, Bo Yuxun stood up and saw the two peopleing in and gestured towards the door.


    The three of them quietly left the bedroom.


    After closing the bedroom door, Bo Yuxun looked at Ming Jing and said: ¡°Granny Zhu¡¯s health is no longer a problem. As long as she¡¯s taken care of properly, her weak stomach, caused by eating some crab, will recover quickly. It seems that Ms. Ming Jing is quite skilled in caring for others.¡±

 Chapter 698: 358 Cause and Effect (Part Two)

    Chapter 698: 358 Cause and Effect (Part Two)n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Dr. Bo, you¡¯re too kind. These were just simple folk remedies. It¡¯s good to hear that Madam is alright now. Dr. Bo, you¡¯ve had a long day and it¡¯s gettingte. Why not stay in the room next door for the night? Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll have someone send you back to your hotel.¡±


    ¡°If you insist, I shall do as you say.¡±


    Bo Yuxun left the room and saw Zhu Wentao and Zhu Xiangxiang kneeling outside the door, raising an eyebrow at them.


    The manager approached respectfully, ¡°Dr. Bo, please follow me.¡±


    Bo Yuxun looked around but did not see the servant named Li Juan, thinking he could try againter.


    The manager arranged a room next door, also a suite but slightly smaller than the presidential suite.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, if you need anything, just give me a call and I¡¯ll be right there,¡± the manager handed him a business card with both hands.


    Dr. Bo, who came from Jingzhou, had a great reputation and was said to be from a prominent family there.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    After the manager left, Bo Yuxun went to the bathroom for a shower. As hot water ran down his body, the fog began to rise, and images of a woman¡¯s expressions crossed his mind.<div>


    Finally, it turned into a pure and indifferent expression of a young girl.


    Why would such simr faces exist in the world?


    Why did those eyes always give him a familiar feeling?


    What secretsy hidden beneath this mysterious young girl?


    ©¤©¤


    Seeing Ming Xin and Ming Jing emerge, Lin Qing stood up subconsciously, her expression somewhat bewildered.


    ¡°Madam¡­¡± Ming Xin began.


    ¡°My daughter.¡± Lin Qing cried out heart-wrenchingly as she threw herself at Ming Xin, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°My daughter, it¡¯s all my fault. I will never leave you again.¡±


    Lin Qing looked at Ming Jing, who smiled and took her leave.


    Ming Chen and Ming Ti witnessed this scene, wiping tears from their eyes, happy that their eldest sister had found her mother.


    But where was their mother?


    Ming Jing walked up to Ming Chen and Ming Ti and patted their heads.


    ¡°Second sister, you won¡¯t leave us, right?¡± Ming Chen and Ming Ti hugged Ming Jing from left and right, drowsy Ming Yi rubbing his eyes while hanging on Ming Jing like a kangaroo.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave us, Second sister.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t leave you. But it¡¯ste, and you should go to bed.¡±


    Ming Jing led the three to the adjoining room, and after much effort, they finally fell asleep. It was already early morning.


    Many people had a sleepless night tonight, and Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to think about how lively it would be onler.


    Leaving the room, Ye Jian said, ¡°Miss, Master Xiao is still waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Let him go first. Once I settle the matters with the Zhu family, I will return.¡±<div>


    ¡°This¡­¡± Ye Jian nced at Zhu Xiangxiang and Zhu Wentao not far away, bowed in response, and quickly turned to leave.


    ¡°Cousin.¡± Lin Ya came out of the room and said a bit embarrassed, ¡°Grandma and Aunt told me that you¡¯ll always be part of the Zhu family, and I should still call you cousin.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day, too. Cousin, you should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. So many things happened today. I still feel like I¡¯m dreaming. Cousin, you should rest early, too.¡±<div>


    Lin Ya didn¡¯t make any more small talk, having realized that her cousin was not a person who enjoyed chatting with others. Talking too much could make people impatient. Of course, her cousin wouldn¡¯t show it, but Lin Ya needed to know when to stop.


    As Lin Ya turned to leave, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh when she reached Zhu Xiangxiang. In a kind voice, she advised, ¡°Xiangxiang, just leave. No matter how long you kneel here, Aunt and Grandma won¡¯t forgive you. The trouble you¡¯ve caused this time is far too great.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Who gave you the right to lecture me?¡± Zhu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth and spat angrily.


    She was hungry and tired, but she couldn¡¯t allow herself to fall.Lin Ya stopped in front of Zhu Xiangxiang, looking down at her and shook her head, ¡°Why don¡¯t you understand? Even if cousin Ming Jing is not the true daughter of the Zhus, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re a fake one. Between you and Ming Jing, who do you think aunt and grandmother would choose?¡±


    ¡°Get lost, don¡¯t talk nonsense here, just get out,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang cursed.


    Lin Ya shook her head with a sigh and left.


    Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her fists, and as she raised her head, she saw Ming Jing approaching.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face froze instantly.


    Ming Jing ignored both of them and walked past them from behind.


    This kind of disregard was even more unbearable than being pped in the face.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Zhu Xiangxiang called out to her.


    Ming Jing stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around.


    The dim light in the corridor flickered uncertainly.<div>


    ¡°You must be really pleased deep down that my father and I have fallen into your trap.¡±


    Who would have thought she would turn out to be Ran Tengxiao¡¯s aunt?


    Just thinking about it made Zhu Xiangxiang tremble with fear.


    ¡°Those who persist in evil will only bring about their own destruction. Take care of yourself in the future.¡±


    Understanding such a stubborn person was beyond Ming Jing, and without bothering to argue, she continued on her way.


    Zhu Xiangxiang muttered, ¡°Why is she Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?¡±


    After falling for Ran Tengxiao, she had asked Zhu Shaodan to help her learn about the Ran family history. Naturally, she was no stranger to Ran Tengxiao¡¯s father, Ran Bowen.


    Everything that Ran Tengxiao had now belonged to Ran Bowen.


    Just thinking about all of that eventually going to Ming Jing drove her mad with jealousy.


    ¡°Father, we¡¯vepletely failed this time.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you still have the nerve to say that,¡± Zhu Wentao wished he could strangle her.


    Zhu Wentao had knelt for a while, tired, he got up and went to rest.


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared at Zhu Wentao¡¯s retreating figure with a gloomy gaze.<div>


    Li Juan secretly ran to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s side, ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, can you still give me the money you promised?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang stared at her, suddenly remembering there was still something she hadn¡¯t done. Even a temporary satisfactory thing would do.


    Zhu Xiangxiang said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then transfer the money to me now, and I¡¯ll do it right away.¡±


    Li Juan took out her phone, ¡°I don¡¯t want the house anymore, just convert it into money for me. Here¡¯s the QR code for payment.¡±


    Li Juan opened the VX payment code and disyed it in front of Zhu Xiangxiang.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°I¡¯ll send you half first, and the other half after the task ispleted.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do, what if you don¡¯t acknowledge the debt afterward?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about who brought you back to the Zhus?¡± Was she forgetting who helped her and thinking anyone could bully her now?


    Li Juan smirked, ¡°Miss Xiangxiang, just because I call you miss, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re still the daughter of the Zhus. You¡¯re not even a Zhu anymore. Face reality. I¡¯m willing to help you this one time out of old friendship, but if you don¡¯t trust me, then forget it.¡±


    Li Juan got up to leave, and Zhu Xiangxiang immediately grabbed her, ¡°I agree, but I don¡¯t have that much money on me. In my room at the Zhu¡¯s, there¡¯s a locked box in the wardrobe. The key is in the pocket of a doll on the bed. Inside, there are some jewels, which should be enough for you to livefortably for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Since Miss Xiangxiang is so sincere, I¡¯ll help you this one time.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed triumphantly, since everyone in the Zhus¡¯ family couldn¡¯t tolerate her, she would make sure nobody got any peace.<div>


    Lin Qing, Lin Ya, Zhu Wentao, none of you will get away with this.


    As for Ming Jing, she would settle the score with herter.

 Chapter 699: 359 Ruthless (Second Update)

    Chapter 699: 359 Ruthless (Second Update)


    ¡°Madam, Junior really is a good person, she didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. It was me who asked her to do this. If you have to me someone, me me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you still calling me Madam?¡± Lin Qing chided helplessly.


    Ye Zhen pursed her lips, and under Lin Qing¡¯s encouraging gaze, she spoke, ¡°Mother¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Lin Qing burst into tears, engulfing her in a second embrace.


    ¡°Mom has let you endure too many grievances in the past, I won¡¯t let it happen again.¡±


    Feeling the maternal love from the woman, Ye Zhen hesitated before gently cing her hand on her back.


    She would let herself be selfish this time.


    ¡°How could Mom ever me you? Ming Jing is such a wonderful person. I¡¯ve seen it all. It would be absolutely heartless of me to me her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow.¡±


    After seeing her off to rest, Lin Qing came out to find Zhu Xiangxiang kneeling at the door.<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang was almost asleep, but when she saw Lin Qing, she immediately lunged forward, embracing Lin Qing¡¯s legs, ¡°Mom, forgive me, I genuinely know I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me mother.¡± Lin Qing disgustedly flung off her hand, ¡°When you orchestrated all of this behind my back, there wasn¡¯t even a thought of me being your mother, was there? The mother-daughter bond between us is now severed. Go find Zhao Xiaohui, she¡¯s your real mother. The Zhus and I have done everything rightfully possible for you over the years.¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s tone was cold and devoid of past warmth. She turned to the young girl by her side, speaking softly, ¡°Xin, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ming Xin nodded, affectionately tucking herself under Lin Qing¡¯s arm as they left together.


    Zhu Xiangxiang watched as they left, seeing Lin Qing¡¯s erstwhile maternal love now directed towards another girl. It felt like a hole had been torn open in her heart from which a cold wind blew.


    On the deste in, the mes of jealousy burned fiercely.


    ¡°No, Mom. You can¡¯t be so ruthless towards me. I¡¯m the daughter you raised from a young girl, remember? You taught me to walk, to talk, to write. Seventeen years of familial love, how can it be severed just like that?!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang desperately lunged forward.


    Lin Qing paused briefly but did not look back, ¡°When you were poisoning me, did you think about my kindness in raising you? When you revealed Ming Jing¡¯s identity and framed her as a murderer, did you consider the mother-daughter bond? You can¡¯t me me for my ruthlessness, when you were the first to betray. All of this, you brought onto yourself.¡±


    With that said, she left without hesitation, pulling Ming Xin quickly away.


    Zhu Xiangxiang copsed into sobs. Only when they hadpletely disappeared did she wipe her tears and slowly rise.


    ¡°You¡¯ve forced me into this.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    News spread slowly across the inte, but due to some inte trolls, the term ¡®Ming Jing the fake heiress¡¯ trended even before the banquet ended.


    Needless to say, it was Zhu Xiangxiang who bought her way into the trending list.


    She had already bought out a marketingpany, intending to use this opportunity to drag Ming Jing down.


    Ming Jing was extremely popr in the entertainment industry, holding a great deal of influence.


    Once the topic broke, fans who had been eagerly watching Ming Jing¡¯s movements were shocked, all utterly disbelieving.


    How can Ming Jing be a fake heiress?


    At that moment, the inte trolls started stirring the pot. Major forums online were in chaos and the trending search exploded.<div>


    Just as the online arguments died down, someone anonymously posted on a forum. The headline was eye-catching ¡ª Fake Heiress? NONONO, let¡¯s unveil the past and present of the ck Ind youngdy.


    The story was that in a summer over thirty years ago, there was a severe drought in the north. Farmers were unable to harvest their crops. In a vige belonging to the Rans, three brothers decided to head south to look for work. They arrived in the prosperous Jiangzhou and began working as dock loaders¡­


    The story was long, but the readers were captivated and pleaded for updates from the post¡¯s author.


    When they got to the end, no one was leftughing.<div>


    The forum went silent, no one was discussing anymore whether Ming Jing was a legitimate or fake heiress, as it had be irrelevant.


    Some inte trolls on Weibo continued to howl that Ming Jing was a fake heiress who had deceived everyone, making her unforgivable.


    People watching these trolls had looks of sympathy.


    They were begging for trouble.


    Yet, the thought that the merciful and beautiful girl could have such an astounding past was simply too unbelievable.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She was as beautiful and unattainable as the moon in the sky, making people want to worship her from the bottom of their hearts.

 Chapter 700: 359 Ruthless (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 700: 359 Ruthless (Second Update)_2


    But Ran Bowen was a downright viin whomitted every evil deed from murder to arson, so much so that people seemed to spit contemptuously in passing by his grave.


    These two individuals, pr opposites, should never have crossed paths in their lifetimes.


    Yet inconceivably, these two diamentrically different people turned out to be biological father and daughter.


    It was simply too hard to ept.


    One exceedingly good, the other remarkably evil.


    One could hardly distinguish how much evil was mixed in with the good and how much good hid within the evil.


    Being Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, she could indeed inherit everything from him, including his sworn enemies.


    One could easily imagine that her life would no longer be peaceful in the years toe.


    Who knows how many people envied this extraordinarily thrilling life she led.


    ¡ª¡ªThe current leader of the Qinglong Association was Master Xiao, who was rumored to be extremely handsome, even surpassing the popr male stars in the entertainment industry. Yet, upon meeting her, he would have to respectfully greet her as ¡®aunt¡¯.<div>


    ¡ª¡ªWhat an intriguing life this pompous youngdy now had, she could strut about in Jiangzhou with impunity.


    Naturally, online news disclosed that Ming Jing¡¯s senior sister, Ming Xin, was the true heiress of the Zhus, touching many by the sisterly sentiment they disyed at the banquet, rather than getting swept away by the maniptive online sentiment.


    Of course, everyone also came to know of Qu Feitai¡¯s loss ofposure at the banquet.


    ¡ª¡ªMy poor Xiao Fei, he must be heartbroken now.


    ¡ª¡ªMost people probably wouldn¡¯t ept the daughter of the infamous Ran Bowen. Only because it was Ming Jing, the outrage wasn¡¯t as great. If you knew anything about Ran Bowen, you¡¯d understand the kind of atrocities he¡¯smitted. Xiao Fei probably couldn¡¯t ept it for the time being for just that reason.


    ¡ª¡ªSuch a riveting couple. This is going to be one hell of a roller-coaster.


    At a hotel in Jiangzhou presently, Yun Mo gazed at the unconscious young man lying on the bed and demanded, ¡°What on earth happened?¡±


    Bai Ziyan ran his fingers through his hair, ¡°Ming Jing is Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter. Xiao Fei fell into some kind of frenzy after learning about it; he simply cannot ept it.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Bai Ziyan stuttered in response to the chilling gaze of the man before him, ¡°What¡­what¡¯s wrong, Brother Yun?¡±


    ¡°Who did you say is Ming Jing¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Ran Bowen, the notorious figure in Jiangzhou.¡±


    He didn¡¯t understand why everyone seemed so shocked. What difference did it make whose daughter Ming Jing was? Wasn¡¯t she still Ming Jing?


    With a stern face, Yun Mo said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Bai, for bringing our young master home. It¡¯ste; you should leave.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m staying at this hotel. Once Xiao Fei wakes up, you must let me know, Brother Yun.¡±


    Yun Mo nodded, and as soon as Bai Ziyan left, he immediately called Qu Lanting.


    Turned out, Qu Lanting had already received the news.


    ¡°How is Xiao Fei?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing knocked out the young master. From the sounds of it, the young master was deeply shocked this time.¡±<div>


    ¡°She really is Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter; I didn¡¯t see thating. When Ran Bowen died years ago, Xiao Fei was there. His fingerprints were found on the only gun at the scene¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s something I have to tell you, the young master has been asking me about that incident recently. He remembered everything. He has always believed that he killed Yu Jiang. I told him that Yu Jiang was not dead, to alleviate his guilt. But it seems the young master never gave up, he has been secretly investigating Yu Jiang. Now with the revtion of Ming Jing¡¯s lineage, the young master assumes there¡¯s past blood feud between them, and it¡¯s causing him great torment he can¡¯t ept.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Yu Jiang¡­ this was all part of Jiang Chun¡¯s game, with Xiao Fei inadvertently being made a pawn. More than a decade has passed, and I thought everything had settled. I didn¡¯t expect Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter to appear now¡­¡±


    After a moment of contemtion, Qu Lanting said, ¡°That girl is not simple, we couldn¡¯t find any information on her, but she definitely is here for Jiang Chun. Jiangzhou is no longer safe, you should immediately take Xiao Fei back to Jingzhou.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Yun Mo swiftly left the hotel carrying Qu Feitai, bumping into Bai Weining in the hotel lobby.


    ¡°Brother Yun, are you taking Brother Qu back to Jingzhou?¡± Bai Weining stopped them.


    Yun Mo furrowed his brows, ¡°Ms. Bai, what¡¯s the matter?¡±Bai Weining touched her lips, ¡°Can I¡­ Can I go back with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be convenient. Mr. Bai is still upstairs. Ms. Bai, you can return to Jingzhou with Mr. Bai. I have to leave now since I have something to attend to.¡±


    He quickly took his leave after speaking.


    By the time Xiao Fei woke up, it might be toote to go.


    Bai Weining stared at Yun Mo¡¯s retreating back. Why was Yun Mo so eager to bring Qu Feitai back to Jingzhou?


    It seemed that even Brother Qu didn¡¯t want Xiao Fei to stay in Jiangzhou. If Ming Jing, as the heiress of The Zhus, still had a 0.1% chance, then The Qus would definitely not agree now.


    No family would ept the daughter of Ran Bowen.


    At this moment, her cell phone rang. Bai Weining took a look at it and answered with a smile, ¡°Yezi, it¡¯s sote. You haven¡¯t gone to bed yet?¡±


    ¡°I saw the news online. Weren¡¯t you also at the banquet of The Zhus? What exactly happened?¡± asked Bo Lianye.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story and can¡¯t be exined in one or two sentences. I can tell you slowly when I return to Jingzhou.¡±<div>


    ¡°Is Ming Jing really¡­Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?¡±


    This name was quite influential in Jingzhou. Many people would not find it unfamiliar.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Ran Tengxiao came to get her in person. There¡¯s no mistake.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true¡­¡± murmured Bo Lianye.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I saw Uncle Bo at the banquet too. When did Uncle Bo get acquainted with The Zhus?¡±


    ¡°What? Uncle Bo was there too?¡± Bo Lianye eximed in shock.


    ¡°When I left, Uncle Bo was still there. I don¡¯t know about now. What you don¡¯t know is that when Uncle Bo appeared, thedies of Jiangzhou were almost drooling over him. They couldn¡¯t wait to throw themselves at Uncle Bo.¡±


    Bo Lianye curled her lips. ¡°The noble youngdies of Jingzhou don¡¯t catch Uncle Bo¡¯s eye, let alone those from Jiangzhou.¡±


    ¡°Text me when you¡¯reing back. I will pick you up from the airport.¡±


    After Bo Lianye hung up the call, she turned around and saw Bo Yujiang standing behind her.


    ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re still awake?¡±


    ¡°Were you talking to Ningning?¡± Bo Yujiang walked over and poured a ss of water.


    ¡°Yes, she went to Jiangzhou to attend The Zhu¡¯s banquet tonight. Let me tell you something big. Ming Jing is not really The Zhu¡¯s heiress. Her senior sister is. Do you know who she really is?¡± Bo Lianye said excitedly.<div>


    Bo Yujiang smiled calmly, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can you believe she¡¯s Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter? Do you know who Ran Bowen is, aunt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of him. So that¡¯s how it is. She really doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± Bo Yujiang¡¯s hand, grasping the ss, trembled slightly. She dropped her gaze to hide the storm in her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover. How good can Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter be?¡± Bo Lianye curled her lips, her expression contemptuous.


    They were just some low-ss people. They were not fit for high society and could only show off in remote and poor ces.


    Bo Yujiang took her ss of water and returned to her room. As soon as the door closed, her face instantly turned grave.


    The daughter of Ran Bowen? How could this be possible?


    Was she back for revenge?


    Bo Yujiang squinted her eyes, her fingers caressing the smooth surface of the ss.


    But she chuckled suddenly, her lips curling into a mocking smirk.


    After all, Ran Bowen died at the hands of Yu Jiang. If she wanted revenge, she could only find Yu Jiang.


    Regrettably, the grass on Yu Jiang¡¯s grave had been changed three times over.


    Bo Yujiang raised her ss and made a toast to thin air.<div>


    ¡°A Yu, don¡¯t me me. You brought it all on yourself.¡±

 Chapter 701: 360 Pregnancy (First Update)

    Chapter 701: 360 Pregnancy (First Update)


    The manager didn¡¯t dare to arrange a room for Zhu Xiangxiang, so she could only sit at the entrance of the corridor, rubbing her sore legs while feeling the cold wind.


    At this point, she was homeless.


    Originally, she thought that as long as she brought down Ming Jing, even if Ming Xin¡¯s life or death was uncertain, and Lin Qing was angry at her, she could beg for forgiveness. Lin Qing would eventually forgive her for their past mother-daughter rtionship.


    That was her reliance all along, so she didn¡¯t have any reservations.


    Unexpectedly, she ultimately overestimated Lin Qing¡¯s feelings for her.


    It was true that they had no blood rtionship, and the previous poisoning incident had been exposed by Ming Xin, so it was inevitable that Lin Qing would be angry and resentful towards her.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that Ming Xin was still alive and appeared just in time. From her behavior, she didn¡¯t seem impulsive and brainless like Xiao Hong had described.


    On the contrary, she was very good at acting, skillfully controlling the audience¡¯s emotions. With just a few words, she stirred everyone¡¯s emotions. Zhu Xiangxiang couldn¡¯t help but suspect that she must have been a film queen in her previous life, her acting was so good.


    Now, Ming Xin and Ming Jing were like an iron bucket, temporarily unable to break them apart. Moreover, the Rans were backing Ming Jing from today on, so she could no longer touch her at all.


    She had lost everything and was expelled from the Zhus.


    Selling out Zhu Wentao didn¡¯t even earn her a single good word.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face was gray and defeated. She couldn¡¯t help but angrily hit the wall, taking a sharp breath from the pain.


    At this moment, the door of the corridor suddenly creaked open. Li Juan sneaked in, lowering her voice and calling, ¡°Miss Zhu Xiangxiang?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Li Juan hurried over, under the flickering sensor light, her eyes shone with a strange light.


    ¡°Miss Zhu Xiangxiang, I¡¯ve done just as you said, will Madam find out and kick me out of the Zhus?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as you don¡¯t say anything, she won¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Li Juan¡¯s eyes rolled around, ¡°Miss Zhu Xiangxiang, don¡¯t you want to see it with your own eyes?¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang showed a disgusted face, ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡±


    On second thought, it would be good to take a photo for evidence. That way, that bitch Lin Ya would never dare to raise her head in front of her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s have a look.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiangughed smugly and walked out the door.


    Li Juan followed behind her, stopping in front of a door at the end of the hallway. She whispered, ¡°The door is not locked, Miss Zhu Xiangxiang, you go in quickly. I¡¯ll watch the door for you. If anyonees, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang looked at her with satisfaction, turned around, pushed the door open, and went in.


    As soon as Zhu Xiangxiang entered, Li Juan immediately closed the door, chuckling to herself, ¡°Miss Zhu Xiangxiang, please enjoy the big gift I¡¯ve prepared for you. Don¡¯t thank me too much.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s shrill, out-of-control voice came from inside, ¡°What are you doing? Open the door, Li Juan, you liar!¡±


    Li Juan held the door shut and said, ¡°Miss Zhu Xiangxiang, I think Ms. Ming Jing was right in saying that those who do evil will eventually die. This is my gift to you. You wanted me to help you harm others? I want to live a few more years. You should bear the bitter fruit you¡¯ve brewed yourself.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang screamed, and suddenly there was silence, followed by the sound of someone being dragged.


    Li Juan pressed her ear against the door and listened. With no more movement, she covered her mouth and snickered.


    She turned around, and a man was standing behind her, quietly staring at her.


    Li Juan¡¯s heart nearly leaped out of her chest, ¡°Dr. Bo, you scared me to death.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Bo Yuxun quietly.


    Li Juan¡¯s eyes darted around, ¡°The gentleman is hungry and told me to order somete-night snacks.¡±


    Bo Yuxun nodded, ¡°Good, I¡¯m hungry too. Help me order something as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Dr. Bo.¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The man turned and walked away after he spoke.


    Li Juan looked up and touched her chest, that was a close call, almost discovered.


    Ten minutester, Li Juan knocked on Bo Yuxun¡¯s door, holding thete-night snack.


    ¡°The door is unlocked,e in.¡±


    Li Juan turned the doorknob and walked in with a bowl of noodles.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, the hotel¡¯ste-night snack only has noodles, it¡¯s a bit simple, please make do with it.¡±


    There was a poached egg, two shrimp, a few green vegetables, and a sprinkle of chopped green onions on the noodles. The aroma was refreshing.


    Bo Yuxun sat on the sofa, holding a book in his hand, dressed in a white shirt and ck trousers. His simple and elegant figure was lit up by themp, with his cold and handsome eyebrows appearing as gentle as jade. Li Juan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    The handsome man was the treasure of all mankind. It was said that he was nearly forty, but he looked as youthful as a man in his early twenties.

 Chapter 702: 360 Pregnancy (First Update)_2

    Chapter 702: 360 Pregnancy (First Update)_2


    Bo Yuxun closed the book upon hearing her words, looked up at her, and tapped the table with his slender fingers.


    ¡°Leave it here.¡±


    Li Juan put the noodles on the table, ¡°Well, Dr. Bo, I¡¯ll go out first then.¡±


    As Li Juan turned to leave, the man spoke unhurriedly, ¡°No rush.¡±


    Li Juan¡¯s eyes widened suddenly, and an unbelievable thought emerged in her mind.


    Alone together in the dead of night¡­ could Dr. Bo be interested in her?


    My goodness, Li Juan suddenly covered her mouth, suppressing the excitement in her heart.


    The surprise came so quickly!


    Never mind talking, she would start by removing her clothes.


    Li Juan¡¯s hand had reached the first button below her cor when a calm, maic male voice reached her from behind, deep and elegant like a cello, exuding an indescribable sense of luxury.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°You are Zhu¡¯s servant, and your name is Li Juan, right?¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Li Juan responded with a hum, not realizing that her charm was so powerful even Dr. Bo knew her name.


    Naturally, Bo Yuxun didn¡¯t know that the woman facing away from him was already filled with indecent thoughts. He hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you have a sister named Li Chan?¡±


    His words were like a curse, and in an instant, all sounds disappeared.


    Li Juan stared nkly in ce, suddenly turned around, and stared intently at the clean, elegant, and handsome man sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°Who are you? How do you know about her?¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s eyes slightly condensed, and indeed it was her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get excited, I have no ill intentions. I¡¯m investigating a person from thirteen years ago who may be rted to your sister¡¯s disappearance. I¡¯ve been looking for her for a long time, and now it seems the clue lies with you. Can you tell me what you know?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes were sincere, and his tone was gentle, not at all like someone with ulterior motives.


    Li Juan stared at him warily, ¡°Why should I trust you?¡±


    Bo Yuxun sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I can say to gain your trust, but I truly have no ill intentions. If you want money or anything else, I can provide it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything, I just want to know my sister¡¯s whereabouts and who the enemy that wiped out my family is.¡± Li Juan clenched her teeth and said.


    Bo Yuxun nodded, ¡°I know, your son and husband, and your inws, all died in that fire. I have a rough idea who your enemy is.¡±


    Li Juan immediately asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°This person, you can¡¯t afford to provoke.¡± Bo Yuxun warned.


    Li Juan clenched her fists and said word by word, ¡°No matter who they are, I will have my revenge.¡±


    ¡°It seems we are on the same path then.¡±


    Li Juan stared at him seriously for half a minute, in the long silence, neither of them spoke first.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, you are a renowned doctor, and I¡¯ve always admired doctors the most in my life. I¡¯ll trust you this once.¡±


    Li Juan sat down across from him, ¡°As a gesture of goodwill, please tell me your story first, Dr. Bo.¡±


    Bo Yuxun smiled bitterly, ¡°She is my lover. Back then, I gave up the chance to study abroad to be with her. When she found out, she broke up with me, saying she didn¡¯t want to hold back my future. I couldn¡¯t change her mind and left the country heartbroken for over a decade. Recently, however, I discovered that she was forced to break up with me, and that person ruined her entire life.¡±


    As Bo Yuxun spoke, his eyes grew increasingly somber.


    ¡°So, it turns out Dr. Bo is also a devoted lover,¡± Li Juan sighed.


    ¡°Indeed, my sister dide back to find me back then. On that rainy night, she brought a woman to my house and asked me to take her in¡­¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s expression immediately tightened. It was A Xue¡­Li Juan¡¯s eyes gradually filled with memories: ¡°My sister has been a nanny for wealthy families in Jingzhou all these years and hasn¡¯te back in ten years. One day, she suddenly brought back a pregnant woman. I thought that she was hiding a mistress for her employer, so I didn¡¯t allow her to enter our home¡­¡±


    Bo Yuxun muttered, ¡°What did you say? A pregnant woman?¡±


    Li Juan nodded, ¡°Yes, a woman who was heavily pregnant, almost due to give birth.¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s breath trembled, and, thinking about something, he immediately took out his wallet from his pocket. Li Juan noticed that his hand was shaking, unable to securely hold the small wallet, even though this was the hand used to perform surgical operations.


    Bo Yuxun opened the wallet and handed a ck and white photo from thepartment to her, his voice hoarse, ¡°Is it her?¡±


    Even after more than a decade, Li Juan still clearly remembers the stunning face of the woman when her hood was blown off by the wind and revealed by a sh of lightning.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her,¡± Li Juan said decisively.


    Bo Yuxun couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°She was pregnant?¡±


    Bo Yuxun slumped on the sofa and was immersed in an extremelyplex emotion. With a look of mixed crying andughter, sorrow and joy, Li Juan¡¯s mood also became heavy watching him.


    ¡°What month was it?¡± Bo Yuxun suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining like two ming balls.


    ¡°November 22nd, that day was Xiaoxue, one of the 24 sr terms, and it rained heavily.¡± Li Juan thought to herself, could the child in that woman¡¯s womb be Dr. Bo¡¯s child?


    She was frightened by her own thought.


    ¡°November 22nd¡­¡± Bo Yuxun muttered, suddenly holding his head and pounding it painfully.


    ¡°Ah Xue, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    So, when you left me back then, you were already pregnant.


    How much pain have you endured all by yourself?


    Li Juan immediately encouraged him, ¡°Dr. Bo, don¡¯t be sad. When my sister took her away, she was about to give birth. The child is still alive and is thirteen years old this year. As long as we find my sister, we will definitely find the whereabouts of your wife and child. Then, your family will be reunited.¡±


    Bo Yuxun gradually calmed down from the tremendous shock. He was determined to find Ah Xue and their child.


    ¡°Thank you for telling me all this, it¡¯s very important to me. If you have any difficulties in the future, you can tell me.¡± Bo Yuxun handed her a business card.


    ¡°This is my business card. Call me if you need anything.¡±


    Li Juan took the card with both hands.


    Many people would want Dr. Bo¡¯s phone number.


    ¡°I have asked Ms. Ming Jing to look into my sister¡¯s situation, and I believe we will have results soon.¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing?¡± Bo Yuxun thought of the face that resembled Ah Xue and took a trembling breath, immediately standing up excitedly.


    It¡¯s not right. His child would be thirteen this year, while Ming Jing is seventeen. Besides, she was only revealed as Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter tonight. How could she possibly be his daughter?


    Bo Yuxun sat down in disappointment. He must be going crazy.


    Many people in the world resemble each other. Ming Jing and Ah Xue might just be a coincidence after all.


    ¡°By the way, Dr. Bo, you said earlier that you know who my enemy is. Can you tell me now?¡±


    ¡°I can tell you, but you must not act impulsively.¡±


    Li Juan nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Her ten plus years of wandering life had already worn down her impulsive nature. To take revenge, one must be patient.


    Bo Yuxun pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°You know the person. They were among the guests tonight.¡±


    Li Juan frowned. This person must be from Jingzhou. As far as she knew, there weren¡¯t many guests from Jingzhou tonight.


    Qu Feitai, Mr. Bai and Ms. Bai, but these people were about the same age as Ms. Ming Jing, so it couldn¡¯t be them.


    Li Juan suddenly looked up, disbelieving, ¡°Madam Jiang?¡±

 Chapter 703: 361 Pictures (Second Revision)

    Chapter 703: 361 Pictures (Second Revision)


    Lin Qing walked out of Granny Zhu¡¯s room, ¡°Thank you so much, Dr. Bo. You are such a good person.¡±


    Lin Qing sighed again in admiration.


    The man in front of her was perfect beyond any critique.


    She had just got up in the morning when Dr. Bo checked Granny Zhu¡¯s blood pressure and was chatting with her cheerfully when Lin Qing arrived.


    But after taking a closer look, Lin Qing couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dr. Bo, did you not sleep wellst night?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes were darkened but still handsome, only his expression appeared slightly haggard. Lin Qing thought that Dr. Bo wasn¡¯t used to sleeping in a hotel bed and felt guilty.


    Bo Yuxun was stunned for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡­¡± Just then, a sudden scream came from a room nearby. Despite the good soundproofing of the hotel, the scream still reached Lin Qing¡¯s ears.


    Lin Qing furrowed her brows, why did this voice sound so familiar?


    At that moment, Lin Ya and Ming Xin also came out of their rooms, and Lin Ya pointed to the room nearby, looking confused, ¡°The sound came from Uncle¡¯s room.¡±


    Lin Qing didn¡¯t want to meddle in Zhu Wentao¡¯s business. Even if he died outside, she wouldn¡¯t spare him a nce. However, the shrill scream lingered in her mind, and she couldn¡¯t shake it off.<div>


    As if possessed, Lin Qing took a step forward.


    The door was surprisingly unlocked when she twisted the doorknob.


    Lin Ya and Ming Xin nced at each other and instinctively followed her.


    Bo Yuxun stood still, and Li Juan walked over to him with an excited expression, even winking at him.


    ¡°Good morning, Dr. Bo.¡±


    Bo Yuxun shook his head helplessly.


    Suddenly, there was a sharp, furious scream from Lin Qing inside the room. Rage, shock, pain, and otherplex emotions were all contained in that scream, making anyone who heard it shudder involuntarily.


    ¡°You¡­ You despicable bastards, I¡¯ll kill you both!¡±


    Lin Qing looked around for a knife, and when she couldn¡¯t find one, she picked up a flower vase from the table and stormed over, smashing it onto Zhu Wentao¡¯s head.


    Zhu Wentao didn¡¯t have time to exin, and copsed on the bed, blood oozing from his head.


    Zhu Xiangxiang, who had been frantically searching for her clothes, was stunned by the sudden vase smash, and stood there in a daze.


    Lin Qing grabbed Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s throat and choked her tightly, ¡°You slut! He¡¯s your father! Have you no shame? This is a sin!¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang fell onto the bed, her breathing becamebored, and her face flushed red.


    The woman in front of her had bloodshot eyes and appeared to be going mad, as if she really wanted to strangle her to death.


    Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s fear grew exponentially. She wanted to exin, to scream, but she was being falsely used.


    But Lin Qing didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak at all.


    Lin Ya and Ming Xin walked in and saw this scene, both dumbfounded.


    Fortunately, Ming Xin reacted quickly and pulled Lin Qing away, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t kill her.¡±


    Her heart wasn¡¯t that of an inexperienced girl. She was used to these kinds of situations, but this scene was indeed shocking and scandalous.<div>


    Although they were not rted by blood, they were still considered father and daughter in the eyes of outsiders, and more than a decade of affection between them wasn¡¯t false either.


    But now, they were in bed together, which was utterly absurd.


    Zhu Xiangxiang finally got the chance to breathe and immediately fell to her knees, gasping for air.


    Ming Xin tossed a towel to her and coldly said, ¡°Put this on.¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiangxiang immediately wrapped the towel around her and squatted on the ground to pick up her clothes.


    Ming Xin looked at the unconscious Zhu Wentao on the bed, sighed, took out her phone and dialed 110.


    One trouble after another, what the hell was going on with the Zhus?


    Lin Ya blinked her eyes and finally found her voice, ¡°Xiangxiang, he¡¯s your father?¡±


    At this point, Zhu Xiangxiang knew that exining was useless.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No one would believe her.


    Looking at Lin Qing¡¯s shocked and pained expression, Zhu Xiangxiang reveled in her revenge.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, just like what you saw. The Zhus couldn¡¯t ept me, right? So I found another way to enter. Are you satisfied now?¡±


    Lin Qing¡¯s fingers trembled uncontrobly, her rage reaching its peak, ¡°You¡­ you slut, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Ming Xin quickly held her back and said to Lin Ya, ¡°Take care of Mom.¡±


    Lin Ya immediately walked over and supported Lin Qing, her hands also trembling.


    Zhu Xiangxiang was nothing short of insane.


    Ming Xin walked up to Zhu Xiangxiang, and her taller stature immediately dominated the other woman.<div>


    With a vicious p, Ming Xin struck Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face.


    ¡°I thought you were just a selfish person at most, but now it seems that you¡¯re rotten to the core. You can actually say something so shameless. I feel embarrassed for you.¡±

 Chapter 704: 361 Pictures (Second Revision)_2

    Chapter 704: 361 Pictures (Second Revision)_2


    Zhu Xiangxiang covered her face, her eyes filled with resentment as she stared at Ming Xin: ¡°You should have died out there. Why did youe back? You stole my mother, my identity, and my everything. I hate you.¡±


    Ming Xin didn¡¯t want to discuss such a pointless issue with such a foolish person. She turned around and checked Zhu Wentao¡¯s breathing. Fortunately, he was still alive.


    ¡°Xiao Ya, take Mom back to the Zhu¡¯s house first and calm her down. I¡¯ll be back once I¡¯ve handled everything here. Please take good care of her. I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    Lin Ya nodded solemnly: ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of my aunt.¡±


    She forcefully led Lin Qing away. Otherwise, Lin Qing would be too provoked and might really kill this pair.


    Li Juan peeked her head around the doorway. Zhu Xiangxiang saw her and immediately pointed at her, yelling, ¡°Li Juan, you liar! How dare you deceive me, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± and she rushed towards Li Juan.


    Li Juan exined, ¡°Miss Zhu, please don¡¯t falsely use me. You were the one who wanted to get into Mr.¡¯s bed. Otherwise, how could someone have knocked you out and sent you to his bed? It won¡¯t help to dump all the dirt on me now. No one will believe it.¡±


    Having not walked far, Lin Ya heard Li Juan¡¯s words and narrowed her eyes.


    It seemed that there was more than meets the eye in this situation.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ve had to witness such a scene. I need to handle¡­ ¡±<div>


    Seeing Ming Jing walking towards her, Lin Ya immediately said, ¡°Ming Jing, you¡¯re finally here. Something serious has happened.¡±


    Bo Yuxun saw Ming Jing again, feeling quiteplex.


    Knowing that she is not his daughter but still can¡¯t help but feel fond of her.


    Ming Jing nced at the pale and pained Lin Qing, ¡°You take Madam back home first, my senior and I will handle everything.¡±


    Seeing Ming Jing¡¯s arrival, Lin Ya felt reassured, knowing that her clever cousin must have already understood everything that was going on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡± Lin Ya took Lin Qing away.


    Ming Jing raised her eyes to look at Bo Yuxun: ¡°Dr. Bo, I have some matters to deal with right now. Please excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Bo Yuxun raised an eyebrow: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go check on Madam Zhu.¡±


    He turned around and headed back to the suite.


    He was a smart man and understood the hint.


    ¡°You liar, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Zhu Xiangxiang pounced on her like a madwoman. Li Juan, who worked hard every day, although thin, was much stronger than the delicate little girl Zhu Xiangxiang. In a few moves, she had Zhu Xiangxiang restrained.


    ¡°Miss Zhu, you shouldn¡¯t act like a mad dog biting people indiscriminately. It¡¯s not a good look.¡±


    A shadow appeared before them, blocking the light.


    Li Juan and Zhu Xiangxiang both shuddered. They hadn¡¯t heard any footsteps, but it was possible that they were too absorbed in their argument to notice.


    Li Juan turned her head and saw a white skirt, the silver lotus pattern on it shimmering like waves.


    Li Juan involuntarily held her breath, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing¡­ ¡±


    At that moment, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head, and her clothes were disheveled as Li Juan pressed her down to the ground. This was probably the most humiliating moment of her life.


    Her face pressed against the cold floor, she struggled to glimpse a pair of white shoes.


    The shoes were embroidered with Sichuan silk, and the moon-white color was like the radiance of moonlight, exuding an unspeakable elegance.<div>


    Not a speck of dust was on them.


    And she was experiencing the most shameful and humiliated moment of her life.


    Overwhelmed by humiliation, Zhu Xiangxiang clenched her teeth and bit her lower lip hard, suddenly thinking of the day Ming Jing returned to the Zhu¡¯s house.


    Back then, she was bald-headed and wearing shabby clothes, making people disgusted, while Zhu Xiangxiang was the pearl of the Zhu family.<div>


    In less than a year, everything had changed dramatically.


    Ming Jing nced at the room and quickly grasped what had happened and what the current situation was.


    ¡°Ming Jing.¡± Ming Xin approached her, her expression anxious.¡±What in the world is this?¡± No wonder Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to stay in the Zhus¡¯ home. She felt suffocated after being there for just half a day.


    Ming Jing went over and checked on Zhu Wentao, ¡°Did Madam Zhu hit him?¡±


    There were broken pieces of a flower vase on the floor.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s furious. She might have killed both of them if given the chance. I probably wouldn¡¯t be any better than her in this situation. I¡¯ve already called 120, the ambnce should be here soon.¡±


    Instead of stopping Zhu Wentao¡¯s bleeding, Ming Jing walked over to the window and opened it to let in some air. The cold wind rushed in, dispelling thescivious atmosphere in the room.


    ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± Ming Jing stood by the window, looking down at the morning market below.


    The entire city was covered in ayer of mist, creating a dreamlike scene.


    Li Juan coughed, let go of Zhu Xiangxiang, and stood up.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, it¡¯s as you saw¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? There¡¯s a smell of aphrodisiac incense that has been burned in the room. Do I need to check the surveince?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s cold voice, apanied by the chilling wind, frightened Li Juan so much that her knees buckled, and she immediately knelt on the floor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Ming Xin raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    She didn¡¯t even notice the smell, Ming Jing was truly clever.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, what happened is this¡­¡± Li Juan honestly recounted the entire story, no longer daring to say a single good word for herself. Ming Jing¡¯s eyes were like fire, she couldn¡¯t hide anything from her. Lying would only show her own stupidity.


    Ming Xin shook her head after listening: ¡°This is what I call hurting others and ultimately hurting oneself. Zhu Xiangxiang, if you hadn¡¯t wanted to harm Lin Ya, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation.¡±


    Zhu Xiangxiang knelt on the ground without any signs of wanting to struggle anymore.


    All the resentment and grievance were meaningless in front of the immacte Ming Jing.


    Ming Xin secretly nced at Ming Xin: ¡°Ms. Ming Xin, you¡­ don¡¯t me me, right?¡±


    After all, she had also schemed against her biological father. Ms. Ming Xin probably wouldn¡¯t be very happy about it.


    The real Ming Xin would probably be very angry, but Ye Zhen didn¡¯t feel much.


    Zhu Wentao was a true scumbag. Taking this opportunity to show Lin Qing his true nature also seemed good.


    But Ming Xin still had to pretend to be angry to some extent. After brewing up some emotions, Ming Xin hummed, ¡°The Zhus have treated you well, and you clearly had better ways of handling this, but you chose the dumbest one. Even if my dad is a scumbag, it¡¯s not your ce to calcte against him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Ming Xin, you are right. I will be more careful in the future.¡±


    The ambnce arrived quickly, and the medical staff put Zhu Wentao on a stretcher. Ming Xin followed the ambnce and left.<div>


    Seeing that the situation had nearly resulted in deaths, the manager didn¡¯t have the nerve to gossip and instead carefully attended to the guests.


    Ming Jing nced at Zhu Xiangxiang: ¡°Take her out of the hotel.¡±


    The manager thought to himself, the youngdy¡¯s words were polite, but didn¡¯t it mean to kick the person out of the hotel?


    The manager immediately called for two security guards to drag Zhu Xiangxiang out.


    Zhu Xiangxiang didn¡¯t yell or scream. She pushed away the two security guards: ¡°I¡¯ll leave on my own.¡±


    The security guards looked at each other, followed her, and watched her leave the hotel before returning to their posts.


    Li Juan walked up to Ming Jing: ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, there¡¯s something I need to tell you. Last night, Dr. Bo asked about my sister¡¯s situation. It turns out that the woman my sister brought back years ago was Dr. Bo¡¯s girlfriend, and the child in that woman¡¯s belly was Dr. Bo¡¯s.¡±


    Dr. Bo was very popr, and if the news of him having a child spread, it would cause an explosion.


    However, it was unknown if the child was still alive now.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and she subconsciously touched the beads on her wrist. She calmly nodded, ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°He must have also told you who was responsible for wiping out your whole family back then. Since you know, don¡¯t be impulsive, but seek your revenge slowly.¡±


    Li Juan immediately asked, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, do you have any clues? Where is my sister now? Is she dead or alive?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 705: 362 Different Paths (First Update)

    Chapter 705: 362 Different Paths (First Update)


    Bo Yuxun opened the door, and Ming Jing was standing outside.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, thank you for your help, I am taking granny home now.¡± Ming Jing walked into the room. Granny Zhu was already dressed and sitting in a wheelchair.


    Seeing Ming Jing, she immediately reached out affectionately to sp her hand.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Dr. Bo is really a good person, he has no family or friends in Jiangzhou, always living in hotels isn¡¯t ideal. There are so many empty rooms at home, let him live there.¡±


    Granny Zhu is sharp-eyed, she knows he is a precious gold-crowned son-inw. The belle of Manjiangzhou are all spring-hearted and if they can reel him in, they would have captured all hearts in Manjiangzhou.


    ¡°Granny, this isn¡¯t appropriate. You don¡¯t need to worry about Dr. Bo¡¯s amodation. I will arrange it.¡±


    Granny Zhu suddenly remembered there were only women at home. It would be improper to have a single man like Dr. Bo live there. She had been thoughtless.


    Bo Yuxun spoke: ¡°There¡¯s no need, I¡¯m quitefortable living in a hotel.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Bo, the driver I arranged is waiting downstairs. Pleasee down with us.¡± Ming Jing pulled the nket over Granny Zhu¡¯sp and pushed the wheelchair out of the room.


    Li Juan was following behind holding a bag.<div>


    Bo Yuxun just shook his head with a smile, following them out of the room.


    While waiting for the elevator, he stared at Ming Jing beside him, lost in a trance.


    Why would there be two people in the world who looked so simr?


    His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden ring from his phone. Bo Yuxun looked at it.


    It was Han Ye calling.


    Not long after the party beganst night, Han Ye was called back to the hospital. A severely ill patient arrived who needed immediate surgery. The resident doctors had little experience, and the patient¡¯s identity was not simple. To be cautious, the hospital gave him a call.


    When Han Ye finished the surgery, it was already midnight, and he spent the night in the on-call room. As soon as he woke up, he heard the nurses who just started their shifts chattering about the Zhu family¡¯s banquetst night.


    It is now the talk of the town.


    ¡°Is Ming Jing really Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?¡± Han Ye¡¯s voice was trembling as he asked this question.


    He was a native of Jiangzhou. During his high school years, the Qinglong Association was at its most rampant. One could argue these were the darkest times. One of his friends died in a gang fight, yet the perpetrators faced no punishment. When he attended his ssmate¡¯s funeral, seeing his grey-haired parents crying, he finally understood the true nature of evil.


    This incident had a significant impact on his life, making him harbor ill feelings towards the Ran family.


    He never expected that fate would y such a trick¡ªMing Jing turned out to be Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter.


    Thinking of the image of Ming Jing carving out necrotic tissue without batting an eyelid, it seemed her cruelty was indeed inherited.


    But Ran Bowen was outwardly tough whereas Ming Jing was internally tough.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk when I get back, I¡¯m in the elevator now, the signal isn¡¯t good.¡± Hearing Han Ye ask about Ming Jing¡¯s background as soon as he picked up, for some reason, Bo Yuxun felt ufortable whenever he heard Ran Bowen¡¯s name.


    He hung up as soon as he finished speaking.


    The elevator went down, and the space inside was quiet.


    Li Juan watched her nose and nose watched her heart, head drooping silently, barely noticeable.


    She snuck nces at Ming Jing, then at Bo Yuxun. Them standing together, he so handsome, she so beautiful, it was like a pleasing painting.<div>


    But why did something feel off the more she looked?


    They gradually began to look alike¡ª an ineffable feeling.


    A married couple look?


    Tsk tsk, they had toorge an age gap, more like father and daughter.<div>


    Yes, definitely a father-daughter vibe.


    But, Ming Jing had no daughter-like aura. It felt more like siblings.


    Yes, that¡¯s it. It felt like siblings. The two of them standing together really did look like siblings.


    Especially their eyes, which were very simr. Both had the ssical almond shape, except Ming Jing¡¯s eyes wererger and rounder, pure and lustrous, which disrupted the eye shape and softened the intensity and allure. Furthermore, her steady elegant eyebrows gave an impression of an ancient misty mountain, calm and long-standing, running like a gentle river.


    The slightly lifted corners of her eyes were softened by the tip of her eyebrows, as if a sharp de had been sealed by sands of time, everything restrained to tranquility.


    Dr. Bo¡¯s eyes were slightly narrower, making them seem very vivid. they were the most charming part of his face. When he was gentle, he looked passionate and romantic, but when he was not smiling, he appeared stern, making people¡¯s hearts beat faster and feel fear.


    With different personalities and habits, their eyes were distinct at a cursory nce. But upon careful observation, there was a hint of a problem.

 Chapter 706: 362 Different Paths (First Update)_2

    Chapter 706: 362 Different Paths (First Update)_2


    Though their eyes moved in opposite directions, they all came to the same conclusion.


    Li Juan wondered in her heart, is Ming Jing really not Dr. Bo¡¯s daughter?


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the parking lot, Ming Jing and Bo Yuxun got into their cars and left separately. Ming Jing took Granny Zhu back to the Zhus¡¯ residence, while Bo Yuxun returned to the hotel where she was staying.


    After changing her clothes at the hotel, Bo Yuxun set off for the hospital.


    When they arrived at the Zhus¡¯ residence and settled Granny Zhu, Ming Xin called to inform them that Zhu Wentao had lost a lot of blood from his head and was undergoing emergency surgery, the result of which might be dangerous.


    Upon returning home, Lin Qing went insane, throwing all of Zhu Wentao¡¯s belongings out and rushing to Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s room to smash her violin, then packing up all her clothes, bags, and cosmetics, and throwing them into the trash can.


    Then she called the renovationpany for an immediate home makeover, transforming the house beyond recognition.


    Since they could no longer live in that house, and with Lin Qing¡¯s emotions out of control and the renovation team making noise every day, Ming Jing decided to bring Granny Zhu to Tonghe Shengshi for a better rest.


    Madam Zhou and Li Juan apanied her, while from then on, Ming Jing would no longer live there. She had previously worried about her juniors being left unattended, but now that Granny Zhu was staying there, they could keep each otherpany.<div>


    In the afternoon, Ming Xin called to inform them that Zhu Wentao was out of danger, but whether he would wake up or not remained uncertain, as Lin Qing had hit him too hard.


    In the meantime, the police hade to investigate, but Ming Xin managed to deal with them.


    In just half a day, she was already overwhelmed.


    As expected, the life in a rich family was not easy.


    After settling Granny Zhu, Ming Jing headed to the hospital.


    Outside the ICU, Ye Zhen said helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this situation. Ming Xin must be so heartbroken when she finds out¡­¡±.


    ¡°Although Senior doesn¡¯t recite Buddhist scriptures, she has been exposed to Buddhism since childhood and is open-minded. The boundless kindness and mercy can hardly be repaid. Everything in the world is caused by its own reasons, and now Mr. Zhu has reaped the bitter fruit he sowed, ming no one else,¡± Ming Jing said calmly.


    Ye Zhen looked at the young girl¡¯s pure andpassionate face and thought of Ming Jing¡¯s background. Her father was Ran Bowen. If Ran Bowen were still alive, what would Ming Jing¡¯s attitude be towards her evil father?


    She was genuinely curious if the thoughts of Ming Jing and Ming Xin, who had grown up in Buddhism since childhood, were really different from ordinary people.


    Ming Jing was indeed very kind and good to everyone, but Ye Zhen felt that her kindness was rather indifferent and ruthless.


    Ming Jing always advocated thew of cause and effect, and although everything had its consequences, many fruits never matured, and instead fell into the mud to be dposed into fertilizer.


    Ming Jing seemed like an outsider who remained sober while watching everyone else. She didn¡¯t care for personal feelings, only cause and effect. This made Ye Zhen think that she was actually a very frightening person.


    Ming Jing showed mercy to everyone and everything, even to ants.


    In her eyes, the lives of humans and ants were of equal importance.


    In her world, it was not that everyone was equal; instead, all things were equal.


    ¡°I only asked for three days off, and I have to return to the crew the day after tomorrow. Considering the current situation at the Zhus¡¯ residence, I can¡¯t leave temporarily. Thankfully, I have almost finished filming my scenes, so it won¡¯t make a difference if I finish the restter,¡± she said, hoping to muster enough courage to ask the director for a few more days off.


    Fortunately, her performance was good, and the director was very satisfied with her, so he would probably grant her small request.


    Ming Jing didn¡¯t say anything; it was time for her to shoulder the responsibilities of the Zhu family.


    Ye Zhen, having been through the challenges of bncing career and family, had her own way of measuring things.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought Granny Zhu back to Tonghe Shengshi and decided to keep Mr. Zhu¡¯s situation a secret from her for now, as her health can¡¯t handle it. You can visit her if you miss her. Madam Zhu¡¯s emotions are unstable now. Although Lin Ya is apanying her, she is no substitute for you, her real daughter. I¡¯ll have someone look after things here, so you should return to take care of Madam Zhu.¡±


    Ye Zhen looked at her and asked, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and said, ¡°I have my own ce to go.¡±


    Ye Zhen wanted to tell her not to go back to the Rans¡¯ residence. But considering that Ming Jing never listened to anyone and she had her own ideas, she was, after all, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s aunt, so he probably wouldn¡¯t harm her, right?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    After Ye Zhen left, Ming Jing sat alone outside the ICU for a while and then stood up to leave.


    As she walked out of the hospital, Ming Jing slowly made her way to the main gate.


    Han Ye and Bo Yuxun came out of the administration building, and Han Ye suddenly pointed at Ming Jing in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ming Jing? What is she doing at the hospital?¡±


    Bo Yuxun said, ¡°Mr. Zhu was taken away by an ambnce this morning; it must have been to this hospital.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Wentao?¡± Han Ye raised his eyebrows, seemingly catching a whiff of gossip.Bo Yuxun told her to keep quiet, ¡°Don¡¯t pry so much, let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Bo Yuxun walked up to Ming Jing and asked, ¡°Free now? Let¡¯s have a meal together.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Dr. Bo, Dr. Han.¡±


    Han Ye touched his nose; in just one night, the young girl in front of him had changed her identity.


    Upon thinking that she was Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, he felt a little ufortable.


    Even though he knew Ming Jing was innocent.


    ¡°Dr. Bo has helped me a lot. I haven¡¯t properly thanked you yet. What would you like to eat? I¡¯m treating Dr. Bo and Dr. Han today as a way to express my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind. It was just a simple act, not worth mentioning.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head with a smile, ¡°I wonder if Dr. Bo likes Jiangnan cuisine?¡±<div>


    Bo Yuxun looked at the sky, ¡°It¡¯s so cold today, it¡¯s perfect for a firepot.¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking too.¡±


    The two looked at each other andughed, sharing an indescribable understanding.


    Han Ye felt something was a bit off, and wondered how the two suddenly became so familiar with each other.


    Han Ye said, ¡°I know a good firepot restaurant nearby. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    The three of them had just walked out of the hospital when a man in ck got out of a parked ck car and quickly walked up to Ming Jing.


    ¡°Miss, Master Xiao is still waiting for you at home. Pleasee back with me.¡±


    Upon hearing that name, Han Ye immediately became alert.


    Bo Yuxun naturally recognized the man, having seen him with Ran Tengxiaost night.


    The foggy weather made the girl¡¯s face appear even more ethereal and unclear.


    Even her voice seemed to be shrouded in a thinyer of mist.


    ¡°Then let him keep waiting.¡± Ming Jing said as she walked around Ye Jian and left.


    Han Ye nced at Ye Jian. In Jiangzhou, perhaps only Ming Jing would dare to make Ran Tengxiao wait.<div>


    Impressive. Han Ye couldn¡¯t help but admire Ming Jing for daring to make Ran Tengxiao take a step back.


    Ye Jian stared at the receding figures of the three before calling Ran Tengxiao.


    ¡°You said she¡¯s with Bo Yuxun and Han Ye?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the three of them went into a firepot restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. This Dr. Bo from Jingzhou seems to have some special interest in my little aunt. Well, she is such a beautiful woman, no man wouldn¡¯t be captivated by her.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao knew men too well because he was a man himself.


    ¡°Do doctors always have this much free time? Why is the Bo family from Jingzhou joining in the fun?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The firepot had half spicy red oil and half light white broth.


    The bubbling hot steam quickly caused their eyshes to be covered in mist.


    Han Ye ordered ten boxes of fatty beef rolls, ten boxes ofmb rolls, brains, yellow throat, and tripe all in one go. He imed that he couldn¡¯t enjoy himself without meat, especially when eating firepot.


    After ordering, he looked at the two of them drinking tea across the table,ughed awkwardly, and handed the tablet to Ming Jing, ¡°Ming Jing, you order.¡±


    Ming Jing took the tablet, ordered a few items, and handed it to Bo Yuxun.<div>


    Bo Yuxun ordered a few items as well, following her choices, and ced the order.


    Han Ye raised his eyebrows, ¡°Your tastes seem to match quite well, making me look like a glutton here.¡±


    Bo Yuxun¡¯s food preferences leaned towards light vors and he ced importance on health. In this aspect, he was indeed simr to Ming Jing.

 Chapter 707: 363 Same Return (Second Watch)

    Chapter 707: 363 Same Return (Second Watch)


    ¡°I wanted to introduce you two to each other before, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be closer than I thought,¡± Han Ye half-jokingly said.


    Bo Yuxun pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°I heard that your charity foundation hasunched the Heart Project, dedicated to supporting medical research? At present, research is bing increasingly difficult. Your initiative benefits the country and its people, and it¡¯s rare for someone of your age to have such foresight. ¡±


    Like many people who questioned her atst night¡¯s banquet, she cooperated with various business groups to raise the status and funds for her foundation. This allowed her foundation to allocate funds reasonably, which is a good model, but it¡¯s also where corruption can happen. There¡¯s no one in the world who won¡¯t be tempted by money. There¡¯s no real selfless love; countless people use charity as a pretext to defraud and exploit others.


    Where money is concerned, there will always be greed, extravagance, and corruption.


    These businessmen are all shrewd, selfish, and profit-driven. They prioritize their own interests and can sacrifice everything for it.


    If this person was Ming Jing, one would never have to worry about it.


    Now that her identity as Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter has been exposed, who knows how many people will still believe in her. But at this moment, Bo Yuxun chooses to believe in what he sees with his own eyes.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, you¡¯re too kind,¡± Ming Jing put down her ss, not knowing if it was due to the mist, her eyes were clear and shimmering like they had been washed by water.


    ¡°I have spent a long time living in a hospital. There, you can see all kinds of people. Buddha said that there are eight sufferings in life: birth, aging, sickness, death, resentment, separation from loved ones, unfulfilled desires, and a myriad of other unavoidable circumstances. Sickness is the most inexplicable suffering. A newborn baby has congenital heart disease, and the joyful parents are faced with a devastating loss. A promising master¡¯s student from a top university is about to marry his girlfriend of eight years, only to have his life cut short by a liver cancer diagnosis. A father, who has worked hard to raise and educate his children, is forced into a desperate situation by uremia when his children want to repay his kindness, and countless families are ruined by huge medical expenses, eventually losing everything. These helpless situations in the world are constantly being staged in small hospitals every day. What did these sick people do wrong? What did their families do wrong?¡±


    Both Bo Yuxun and Han Ye were stunned, staring at the young girl sitting opposite them.<div>


    ¡°There is no distinction between high and low in a profession, but only doctors are the most admirable to me. Whether for fame or fortune, they are the real angels who save lives and heal the wounded. Dr. Bo and Dr. Han, as outstanding representatives of this noble profession, have my sincere admiration. I am not a savior, so I cannot alleviate all the suffering in the world. I can only contribute my humble efforts. If I can alleviate the pain of even one person, I will bring a little more happiness.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s boundless love will bring her infinite blessings,¡± Bo Yuxun sincerely said.


    Mingjing shook her head with a smile, ¡°Medical development relies on the advancement of scientific research. It¡¯s difficult to achieve significant breakthroughs in medical research domestically. We have no shortage of talent butck a solid economic foundation and rtively advanced research equipment. Take medical equipment used in hospitals, for example, they are all imported from abroad at high prices, which are all included in patients¡¯ medical costs, indirectly raising the cost of medical treatment and surgery. While wealthy families can afford such expenses, poor families might face insurmountable struggles. If we could develop our own medical equipment, we could save patients a considerable amount of extra expenses. Scientific research equipment needs even more financial support. Milestones like the artemisinin (APL) and the world¡¯s first synthetic crystalline bovine insulin are the results of the relentless efforts of numerous researchers. Dr. Bo, I believe you know how difficult this road is.¡±


    Bo Yuxun smiled bitterly, ¡°I spent a long time in Berens Laboratory abroad. Compared to domesticboratories, the economic foundation determines the superstructure, which is applicable everywhere. Where do our researchers fall short of theirs? It¡¯s not that we¡¯re inferior, but that they have already learned to run while we¡¯re just starting. We have to work ten or even a hundred times harder not to be left behind. Falling behind will result in severe consequences, especially in high-end scientific research. Our country has already realized this and is vigorously supporting medical research and treating researchers well. But as you said, this road is long and difficult. It¡¯s my good fortune to meet like-minded teammates on this long journey. On behalf of countless families and frontline researchers, I sincerely thank you.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 708: 363 Same Return (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 708: 363 Same Return (Second Watch)_2


    Bo Yuxun poured a ss of water, picked it up, and said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s drink water as if it¡¯s wine, cheers to you.¡±


    This toast was different from ordinary ones, celebrating the eternal spirit, the soul that would be remembered for generations, and the sincere thoughts that could be felt across a thousand miles.


    Ming Jing picked up the ss, ¡°Dr. Bo, it¡¯s just a humble contribution from me, not worth mentioning. You are the real hope.¡±


    Han Ye found the meat he was eating tasteless, so he picked up his water ss to join in on the fun, ¡°Then I shall wish you two a delightful coboration. With one having wealth and the other having talent, you two form a perfect match, unparalleled in the world.¡±


    Ming Jing and Bo Yuxun exchanged smiles across the mist, and they saw the same determination in each other¡¯s eyes.


    It turned out that he was not alone in this world.


    ¡ª


    The news of Ming Jing and Bo Yuxun eating hot pot together spread like wildfire. Jiangzhou was not that big, and Ming Jing did not deliberately hide her whereabouts. Meanwhile, Bo Yuxun had be the target of manydies in Manjiangzhou, who wished to track his every move.


    Now that the news of the twoughing and chatting over hot pot had spread, many people at home gritted their teeth, grinding the name ¡°Ming Jing¡± between their mrs, feeling a mixture of anger, hatred, and helplessness.


    Could they me Bo Yuxun for having poor taste? Impossible, they could only praise him for his excellent eye for people.<div>


    There was nothing wrong with Ming Jing, from her head down to her toenails, other than her background.


    However, this very background, which people criticized the most, was also what they were most wary of. Apart from cursing Ming Jing behind her back, there was little else they could do.


    People had to curse behind her back because the Qinglong Association was always listening. What if they were overheard, and the madman Ran Tengxiao came looking for trouble?


    Gao Jia smashed two flower vases at home. The more she thought about what her mother had said, the more she felt that her marriage partner was iparable to Bo Yuxun. Except for being younger than him, he was unworthy of even carrying Bo Yuxun¡¯s shoes. Also, when the two men stood together, their ages suddenly seemed to get reversed.


    At the moment of uncertainty, Gao Jia heard the news of Bo Yuxun and Ming Jing eating hot pot together. For her, it was as if a delicious piece of meat she could not have but didn¡¯t want her most detestable rival to have either.


    Madam Gao instructed the maid to clean up the broken pieces on the floor and then smiled at Gao Jia, tapping her forehead, ¡°You¡¯re foolish. Ming Jing is Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, and the Bo family is a well-established, respectable family from Jingzhou. Granny Bo came from a true Schrly Family background, so her standards are high. If she could fancy the Rans, I would write my name in reverse.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s the use of Granny Bo¡¯s opposition? As long as Dr. Bo is in love, there is hope. What chance do I have ofpeting with Ming Jing?¡±


    Damn it, even a math genius wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out any probability of winning against Ming Jing.


    ¡°Why do you need topete with her? She has inherited everything from Ran Bowen, including his enemies. Do you know how many enemies Ran Bowen has?¡±


    Madam Gao made an exaggerated expression, ¡°Enough to circle Qujiang, the higher-profile she is, the more likely she is to die. Little do they know that she has be a thorn in the side for many people.¡±


    Madam Gao leisurely sipped her tea, having not missed Madam Jiang¡¯s performancest night. Thinking of a sensational case many years ago, she revealed a triumphant smile.


    Ming Jing, her death was certain.


    In winter, night falls early, and by 5 p.m., the sky was already dark.


    In the north of Jiangzhou, there was a vast estate covering hundreds of acres. It included mountains,kes, a horse track, an open-air swimming pool, and arge flower field.


    There were no residents for miles around the estate.


    Because this estate is called The Rans¡¯ Manor.


    It¡¯s a simple and straightforward name.


    Years ago, Ran Bowen had invited several feng shui masters to choose this ce as his residence.


    With a mountain as the ck Tortoise Xuanwu, a spacious Ming Hall as the Vermillion Bird Zhu Que, Green Dragon on the left and White Tiger on the right, it formed an enclosure that gathered the winds and energies, making it an excellent location in terms of feng shui.<div>


    Ran Bowen even built a merit archway for himself at the entrance of the manor. The man had thick skin indeed.


    The arrival of a ck car broke the tranquility of the manor¡¯s entrance.


    Seeing a strange car approaching, the sentries came over to drive them away.Those who enter or exit either have registered license tes or have made appointments beforehand. Is this person unaware of the Ran family¡¯s rules?


    Moreover, it¡¯s not a luxury car, definitely not someone extraordinary, so they can be unreserved in their attitude.<div>


    ¡°Hey, you better leave. This is not a ce for you guys.¡± The guard impatiently shooed them away, as it was too cold outside, and he wanted to return to the booth to warm up.


    The car window rolled down halfway, and a faint light shone on the delicate, snowy white face, soft and gentle smile of the young girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Ran Tengxiao.¡±


    The cold wind brushed her face, yet it seemed much gentler, but still iparable to the rippling softness in her voice.


    Daring to call Master Xiao by his full name? The guard thought this woman was simply reckless.


    He took a closer look, and the vulgarity he had just uttered was suddenly stuck in his throat, amazed by the stunning beauty of the girl.


    Her eyes gently lifted, like a scattered milky way.


    ¡°You¡­ what do you want with Master Xiao? Do you have an appointment?¡± the guard stuttered.


    He couldn¡¯t help but steal nces at her.


    Ming Jing gave a slight smile, ¡°I am Ming Jing.¡±


    The guard was somewhat puzzled, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what your name is¡­ without an appointment, you can¡¯t go in¡­ ¡±


    Another guard noticed something wrong and came over. He immediately kicked hispanion discreetly and motioned for him to shut up, and then bowed and said, ¡°So it¡¯s the young miss who has returned. My brother is blind and didn¡¯t recognize you. I hope you won¡¯t mind, miss. I¡¯ll open the door right away.¡±


    He hurriedly opened the roadblock and bowed ny degrees, ¡°Wishing you a smooth journey, miss.¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the young girl¡¯s gentle voice fell on his ears.


    Mao Er thought, this young miss was so polite even to a gatekeeper like him. She must be such a kind person. But with such a personality, she wouldn¡¯t survive in the Rans¡¯ household.


    Not until the taillights of the car disappeared in the distance did one of them grumble, ¡°Why did you kick me? Nobody can go in without an appointment¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You fool, I told you to read the news but you keep ying games on your phone. That was Master Wen¡¯s biological daughter, and even Master Xiao has to call her aunt. You¡¯re such a fool.¡± He smacked him on the head a few times and still didn¡¯t feel good enough.


    ¡°The first time she visited, you offended her. I don¡¯t think you can even keep your job as a gatekeeper without angering others. You¡¯re a genius.¡± Mao Er rebuked.


    ¡°Which Master Wen?¡±


    ¡°How many Master Wens are there in the Ran family?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Realizing what he was talking about, the other person¡¯s knees suddenly weakened, ¡°Master Wen¡¯s daughter? My god, she¡¯s actually Master Wen¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Mao Er sighed, ¡°Who would have thought that Master Wen had a daughter in this world? But in the Ran family, being too kind won¡¯t survive.¡±


    He secretly wiped some sweat on behalf of the young miss he had just met.


    The Rans¡¯ main vi was located on the highest ground, with no obstructions or barriers, and it looked like a lonely ind in the darkness.


    On a geomantic peak, when the wind blows, the energy scatters, an ill omen.


    As soon as the car stopped, a group of people hurriedly emerged from the vi and stood by the door. All dressed in ck, their posture was straight and their faces full of sternness. They were people to be respected from a distance.<div>


    Ye Jian opened the car door, ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve finally returned. Master Xiao has been waiting for a long time.¡±


    Ming Jing got out of the car and looked at the brightly lit living room in front of her. It seemed like many people were there.


    She gave a faint smile, brushed the fringes of her skirt that the night breeze had blown apart, and walked in withposure.

 Chapter 709: 364 The Old Man (Midnight)

    Chapter 709: 364 The Old Man (Midnight)


    The scene in front of her was more like a pce than a vi. Ran Bowen, with his vast wealth and arrogance, believed himself to be the king of Jiangzhou and spared no expense in building this enormous pce for himself.


    The building was designed in a European style, with towers at every corner, the porch and the hall rising high into the sky, forming a tiered skyline. The Baroque-style towers loomed majestically in the night.


    The staircase leading to the living room was long, the ground beneath it covered in a soft red carpet. The hem of her skirt swayed gracefully over the stairs, the ssical Corinthian colonnade seemed like solemn soldiers guarding this pce.


    The reliefs on the porchplemented the golden dragons on the columns, creating a ssical and mysterious ambiance.


    After thirteen years, Ming Jing once again set foot on this familiar path.


    Five feet from the left column was a dent where a bullet had been hidden.


    Ran Bowen conducted his business with no regard for consequences, amassing numerous enemies, many of whom were desperate fugitives.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In the summer of the year Yu Jiang first joined him, as Ran Bowen prepared to leave his home, he was attacked, and a bullet narrowly missed his head.


    It was Yu Jiang¡¯s quick reflexes that saved Ran Bowen, pulling him aside just as the bullet grazed his ear and lodged itself into the column.


    After that narrow escape, Ran Bowen further ced his trust in Yu Jiang.


    Ran Bowen left the bullet in the column, never ordering it to be removed or the column fixed.


    He wanted to see it every time he left his home, reminding himself with that bullet.


    This name once struck fear across thend, infamous far and wide.


    But with the passage of time, all has vanished with the wind, the mighty reduced to mere bones, but the legend he left behind never faded.


    All grudges, love, and hatred begin in the past, are born in the present, and end in the future.


    Upon reaching thest step, she saw the brightly lit hall before her, filled with people, some sitting, some standing. Among them were familiar faces and strangers, all giving her a peculiar andplicated look.


    Following the events ofst night, the Qinglong Association was thrown into disarray because of a young girl¡¯s name.


    From the highest ranks to the lowest minions, everyone was shaken and couldn¡¯t stop talking about this person. Somemented, some scorned, and some rejoiced in secret.


    Ran Bowen used to be their faith, their king.


    His death signified the fall of an era and the copse of their beliefs, leaving them leaderless.


    Now, the return of the princess marked the beginning of a new age or the ultimate copse of their faith. That remained uncertain.


    At this moment, as they watched the young girl in white, walking unhurriedly and gracefully amidst a sea of sparks, their hearts were filled with a multitude ofplex emotions.


    Thirteen years had seen countless changes, people leaving, joining, dying, and being born anew. The past was no more, and the return of the old master held no sway over the new one.


    Some people stole nces at the man sitting in the main seat, noticing his unchanged expression and even a trace of a smile. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was thinking.


    Could it be a real recognition of kinship?


    Master Xiao was not someone who valued family bonds. In the Ran family, such things were the least necessary.


    For a moment, the entire hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.


    ¡°Little aunt, you¡¯ve finally returned home.¡±


    As Ran Tengxiao spoke, everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat, their backs crawling with chills, feeling a sense of eerie unease.


    Everything was in chaos,plete chaos.


    The young girl stopped, smiling faintly, ¡°Is this my home?¡±


    ¡°As the daughter of Grandpa Bo, this is naturally your home. Come, let me introduce you to some of the younger generation.¡±


    Among the three brothers of the Ran family, they each had huge estates but only one child; Ran Boxue had a son, Ran Yang, who was the father of Ran Tengxiao and Ran Tenghui. Ran Bocai had a daughter, Ran Qing. However, after bing wealthy, Ran Bowen brought the elders from his hometown and rebuilt the family tree, established ancestral temples, and built monuments. He even had a biography written about himself, full of praise and aplishments.


    Under Ran Bowen¡¯s protection, these elders spent their twilight years in peace. His cousins and other rtives worked in the Qinglong Association, and at first, they knew their ce. After Ran Bowen¡¯s death, they ran amok for some time, trying to take control of the family and even attempted to assassinate Ran Yang, but they failed. After Ran Tengxiao took over, they were subdued through iron-handed methods, obediently doing their jobs without stirring up any more trouble.


    ¡°This person, by the order of seniority, should call you great-aunt.¡±


    A man in his thirties stepped out from the crowd, looking rather ordinary but good-natured. He bowed to Ming Jing and respectfully said, ¡°Hello, great-aunt; my name is Ran Lun, and I work in Master Xiao¡¯s Xuanwu Hall.¡±

 Chapter 710: 364 The Old Man (Midnight)_2

    Chapter 710: 364 The Old Man (Midnight)_2


    ¡°Introduce yourselves one by one.¡± Ran Tengxiao waved his hand.


    ¡°Madam, my name is Ran Hong, I¡¯m twenty-two years old, born in the year of the tiger. I work for Aunt Qing¡¯s Zhuque Hall.¡± This man¡¯s eyes were shifty, constantly ncing at Ming Jing¡¯s face and swallowing his saliva more than once.


    ¡°Aunt, my name is Ran Gong, and I work in Baihu Hall.¡± He had a thin face and looked cunning.


    These people, facing a young girl much younger than themselves and calling her ¡°madam¡±, showed no shame and were quite adaptable.


    It¡¯s only because Ran Bowen¡¯s seniority was so high, and Ming Jing was his daughter, that even the current head of the Rans had to call her aunt, not to mention these people.


    These few people were among the best of their generation, working for the Qinglong Association, just to make a living. Since the incident of assassination of Ran Yang, Ran Tengxiao no longer trusted them, and they even suffered from exclusion.


    Ming Jing nodded and smiled, ¡°Hello everyone, I am Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you are really beautiful, much more beautiful than those female celebrities.¡± Ran Hong stared at her face with wide eyes.


    Ran Tengxiao hooked the corner of his lips, ¡°Ran Hong, aren¡¯t those female models and actresses enough for you to y around with?¡±


    Ran Hong grinned, ¡°Compared with Madam, they¡¯re not even worthy of carrying her shoes¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a teacup smashed into his forehead, apanied by Ran Tengxiao¡¯s furious roar, ¡°Get the hell out of here.¡±


    Ran Lun¡¯s head hung even lower, and Ran Gong¡¯s mouth slightly raised, a trace of mockery shed in his eyes, quickly hidden away.


    Ran Hong didn¡¯t understand why Ran Tengxiao suddenly got angry and could only obediently leave. Before he left, he couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces at Ming Jing.


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes and gave Ye Jian a signal.


    Ye Jian¡¯s mouth twitched, and he left quietly.


    Soon, there was a pig-like scream from outside the door, apanied by the sound of rolling down¡­


    Ran Lun subconsciously felt a pain in his back and hung his head even lower.


    ¡°Oh, Young Master Hong, why don¡¯t you watch your step? You¡¯ve fallen down such a high flight of stairs, you won¡¯t be able to get out of bed for half a month.¡± That was Ye Jian¡¯s voice.


    Ran Tengxiao leisurely sipped his tea, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m sorry to make youugh.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and sat down on the sofa opposite Ran Tengxiao, a simple action that made many people¡¯s eyes widen.


    She had the guts to sit at the same level as Master Xiao.


    But seeing Master Xiao without any resentment, even smiling more heartily, made them even more confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, quite interesting.¡±


    Indeed interesting, when Ran Bowen was still alive, these junior masters were arrogant, relying on Ran Bowen¡¯s old feelings and not a few of them had bullied the young Ran Tengxiao. After just a few years, these people were like mice, and Ran Tengxiao was the cat.


    These people were all trembling with fear, living quite a difficult life indeed.


    ¡°Being able to make my auntugh is their honor.¡±


    ¡°I also have a good-for-nothing younger brother whom you must have met before. I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s gone off to now. I won¡¯t mention him. As for your cousin, Aunt¡¯s daughter, Ran Qing, you must not be a stranger to her. She had done something wrong before and is now reflecting on it at home. I didn¡¯t let here today to avoid troubling you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know a lot about the Qinglong Association, so I won¡¯t introduce them one by one. This is Lin Feng, the current master of Baihu Hall.¡±


    From the crowd, a tall, thin middle-aged man stepped forward, ¡°Lin Feng pays his respects to Miss.¡±


    His standing position was the closest to Ran Tengxiao, showing that this man was highly trusted by him.


    Ming Jing nodded with a smile, ¡°Uncle Lin.¡±


    Lin Feng hurriedly waved his hand, ¡°Miss, you tter me.¡±


    Calling him Uncle Lin was a difference in generation. Wouldn¡¯t that mean Master Xiao would have to call him grandfather?


    Ran Tengxiaoughed, ¡°Auntie, you can¡¯t just call anyone with your status, just call him by his name.¡±


    ¡°This is Wan Xiang, Auntie Qing¡¯s confidant, currently temporarily managing Zhuque Hall on her behalf.¡±


    A strong man in his forties with a fierce appearance stepped forward, ¡°Paying respects to Miss.¡±


    He showed little respect and looked somewhat disdainful in his lowered eyes.


    No one looked up to a youngster in this ce, where power was everything.


    No matter if she was Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, times have changed, and it wasn¡¯t like 13 years ago.


    Ming Jing showed a gentle and amiable attitude, nodding calmly, ¡°Master Wan.¡±¡±Alright, we¡¯ve all met, it¡¯ste, let¡¯s all go back and rest.¡± Ran Tengxiao waved his hand to dismiss the guests.


    Everyone took their leave one by one.


    As they exited the Rans¡¯ living room and breathed the cold night air, they all breathed a sigh of relief.


    Lin Feng was the calmest among them.


    Ran Gong stopped Wan Xiang: ¡°Hall Master Wan, did you notice that our Master Xiao¡¯s attitude towards this youngdy is quite unusual?¡±


    Wan Xiang nced at him: ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Ran Gong cursed secretly in his heart and whispered: ¡°This youngdy has an excellent reputation outside, very different from the notorious Qinglong Association we belong to. I¡¯m just thinking, is it because of this that Master Xiao brought her back?¡±


    This was the most puzzling point for everyone. At first, when people heard that Master Xiao had found Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, the initial shock was followed by a surge of questions. ording to Master Xiao¡¯s character, he should have secretly killed her after finding her, so why would he openly wee her back? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Everyone came up with three possible reasons.


    Firstly, Master Xiao¡¯s heart was stirred by familial affection, and he wanted to acknowledge kinship.


    However, the likelihood of this was only one in ten thousand.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Secondly, the youngdy had a good reputation, which could help to clear the family name.


    But did the Rans need it? They were so dark that no bleach could save them.


    Thirdly, the youngdy had some utilitarian value.


    Wan Xiang gave him a look: ¡°Do you think Master Xiao cares about these things?¡±


    ¡°I know Master Xiao doesn¡¯t care, of course.¡± Ran Gong nced around cautiously, then whispered to Wan Xiang: ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing some rumorstely, which might have something to do with the youngdy¡¯s return.¡±


    Ran Gong looked around warily, ¡°There¡¯s still time, let¡¯s go to the bar and have a few drinks. I heard there are some new arrivals¡­¡±


    The two walked away arm in arm.


    Ran Lun went straight home, behaving as if he didn¡¯t know anyone.


    As Lin Feng was driving out of the manor, he saw Ran Hong limping along in the shadows, bruised and battered, looking utterly pathetic.


    Ran Hong saw Lin Feng¡¯s car and waved, hoping for a ride, but the car whizzed past him.


    Ran Hong was left with a mouthful of exhaust fumes.


    Lin Feng looked in the rearview mirror and smirked.


    Soon, Lin Feng¡¯s brows furrowed.


    He was uncertain of what Master Xiao was thinking at the moment.


    The youngdy¡¯s status was awkward. She could have been dealt with quietly outside, as there were many other ways to handle the Qinglong Order.


    However, Master Xiao insisted on bringing her back with much fanfare. How was he going to wrap up this grand game n?


    Moreover, this youngdy seemed simple, but she was far from it.


    Lin Feng only hoped Master Xiao wouldn¡¯t end up losing both thedy and his troops.


    ¡ª


    The living room quieted down.


    Ran Tengxiao raised his hand, ¡°Xiao Hua.¡±


    A pretty young girl came out, ¡°Master Xiao.¡±


    ¡°Have you prepared the room?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°Little aunt, Xiao Hua is Butler Ran¡¯s daughter. From now on, she¡¯ll take care of your daily needs.¡±


    Xiao Hua smiled: ¡°Greetings, Miss, my name is Ran Yunhua, but everyone calls me Xiao Hua. Let me show you to your room.¡±


    Ming Jing nodded with a smile: ¡°Alright.¡±


    Just then, a drunken voice came from outside: ¡°Drink, keep drinking, Xiao Mei, who do you really like ¡­¡±


    Immediately after, a wobbly young man was brought in by Ye Jian, who said helplessly: ¡°Master Xiao, Young Master Hui is drunk.¡±

 Chapter 711: 365 Sin Mirror (Second Update)

    Chapter 711: 365 Sin Mirror (Second Update)


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes were cold and disgusted as he said, ¡°Throw him out.¡±


    Last time, he almost froze to death, and even an iron body wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it if it happened again.


    When Ran Tenghui saw a fairy in white, he immediately pushed Ye Jian away, stumbled towards Ming Jing, and said dazedly, ¡°Fairy¡­are you here for me? I¡­I have everything you need¡­marry¡­marry me¡­.¡±


    Before he even got close to Ming Jing, Ran Tengxiao stretched out his long leg and kicked Ran Tenghui, sending him flying.


    Ran Tenghui let out a miserable scream, rolling on the ground for a few rounds. Finally, the pain overcame the alcohol, and his drunkenness lessened a little.


    ¡°Drunk, huh? Bring me a basin of cold water, let¡¯s see how drunk he is.¡±


    Ran Tenghui immediately got up obediently from the ground, ¡°Brother, brother, I was wrong, I won¡¯t drink alcohol again.¡±


    ¡°The person you should apologize to isn¡¯t me, it¡¯s aunt.¡±


    Ran Tenghui was stunned for a moment, remembering the mockery at the dinner table, and nced at the white-robed girl nearby. This was his second encounter with her.


    The first time was at the horse racing field, and the experience was very unpleasant.<div>


    ¡°What aunt, she¡¯s just a brat. Ran Bowen has been dead for so many years, and you still treat his daughter as a treasure? Brother, when did you be so cowardly?¡±


    Ran Tenghui straightened his back and touched his almost-dislocated nose. Thinking about the fact that this kick happened because of this damned niece, he felt extremely resentful at the bottom of his heart.


    Ye Jian¡¯s mouth twitched, as Master Hui was as dumb as a pig, as always.


    Ming Jing smiled slightly, ¡°Thend you¡¯re standing on right now and the house you¡¯re living in used to belong to your so-called Ran Bowen. Your elder brother is respectful to his elders and cares for the young, and he takes great care of me, his niece. On the other hand, you, the little nephew, disappoint me. It seems that the upbringing in the Ran family is nothing more than that.¡±


    ¡°What right do you have to lecture me?¡± Ran Tenghui pointed at Ming Jing¡¯s nose and cursed.


    Xiao Hua raised her eyebrows and nced at Ran Tengxiao, then her gaze fell on Ming Jing.


    This youngdy could stillugh even when someone pointed at her nose and cursed her.


    The extended finger went ¡°crack¡± as it broke, apanied by Ran Tenghui¡¯s scream and Ran Tengxiao¡¯s cold voice, ¡°Wash your mouth before you speak. Next time, it won¡¯t be as simple as a finger.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s lips curled up, and she turned and walked upstairs.


    Xiao Hua hurriedly followed her, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t mind Master Hui¡¯s words. He¡¯s always had this temperament, and he has received many lessons from Master Xiao since he was young.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t bother arguing with a junior.¡±


    Xiao Hua sneaked a nce at her. The young girl¡¯s skirt seemed to radiate brilliance as she walked, the silver hidden lotus pattern appeared so lively that it was indescribable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen ady as beautiful and noble as you, Miss. I wonder how beautiful your mother could be.¡±


    When looking at Ming Jing, it was obvious that the madam must have been an incredibly beautiful woman who made Ran Bowen willingly hide her in a golden house.


    Xiao Hua opened the door at the end of the second floor, ¡°Miss, this is the room in the Ran family with the best lighting andyout. Earlier, Master Xiao had ordered the room to be renovated and instructed me to buy many things for a girl¡¯s room. I don¡¯t know about your tastes, Miss. Please take a look and see if you like it.¡±


    This was a suite of over a hundred square meters, with elegant and luxurious decoration, and many famous paintings hanging on the wall.


    Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window, the night sky was an endless web.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Take all the paintings off the wall and leave only one.¡±


    Xiao Hua ordered her men to remove the paintings, ¡°Miss, which one do you think is most suitable to keep?¡±<div>


    Ming Jing took a nce and fixed her gaze on a painting in the west. A ghost-faced demon raised a butcher knife, under which a man knelt on the ground. Beside him, a huge pot was boiling limbs and a bleeding head. The painting was delicate and abstract, but the content was terrifying, making one shudder at a nce.


    ¡°This painting is a bit scary and not suitable for a delicate youngdy like you, Miss. Let¡¯s remove it.¡± Xiao Hua felt ufortable at a single nce and ordered someone to take down the painting.


    ¡°Hell is empty and the devils are on earth. This is ¡®Hell Transformation,¡¯ a famous Buddhist mural imitated by the modern master Zhuang Yizi. The original paintinges from the painting saint Wu Daozi. People fall into hell, victims of their own karma. This serves to teach and purify the hearts of the world, urging them to not create more evil deeds. The ten Yama pces, yearning for oblivion and reincarnation. There are ny-six paintings in total, with only karma following them. This is the first piece, the Sin Mirror tform.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 712: 365 Sin Mirror (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 712: 365 Sin Mirror (Second Update)_2


    With the ethereal voice of the young girl falling silent, Xiao Hua couldn¡¯t help but shiver.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Why did it feel so eerie, sending chills down her back?


    For the Rans to hang this kind of painting in their house was utterly ironic.


    Especially when it came from the mouth of Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, the Miss known for herpassion.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly: ¡°The Supreme Being said misfortune and fortune have no door; they are summoned by oneself, retribution of good and evil follows you like your shadow. Although all phenomena are void, karma is not. Aside from this one, take down the rest.¡±


    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t dare to say anything, promptly ordering the others to remove all the other paintings.


    Only the Hell Transformation¡¯s Sin Mirror tform was left hanging.


    Looking at it in the night, the green-faced ghoul with bared fangs and fearsome expression was truly terrifying. She felt goosebumps even at a single nce.


    Yet, the delicate Miss admired it with great interest.


    What kind of peculiar taste was this?<div>


    ¡°Do you know what the Sin Mirror tform is?¡± Ming Jing suddenly asked.


    Xiao Hua shook her head, looking clueless.


    ¡°After passing through the Ghost Gate, at the right of King Qin Guang¡¯s hall, there is a tform three meters high, holding a mirror ten meters round, hanging toward the east, with seven characters inscribed: ¡®No good soul stands before the Sin Mirror¡¯. The Sin Mirror is born of the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth. In front of it, one¡¯s soul cannot hide anything. From birth to death, from youth to old age, you can clearly see how many good or bad deeds one hasmitted in their lifetime.¡±


    Dressed entirely in unblemished white, the girl lifted her chin slightly, her eyes filled with a deep meaning that Xiao Hua didn¡¯t understand as she gazed at the ghoul in the painting.


    ¡°All the sins of one¡¯s life are embedded in the heart, guided by the mind in every action. As one dies and their soul arrives at the Sin Mirror tform, all their sins in life will be reflected, revealing their true form. They cannot deceive or escape. King Qin Guang will then judge them and depending on the severity of their sins, they will be sent to different hells to suffer and pay for their karma, enduring various kinds of tortures, ceaselessly.¡±


    Xiao Hua was on the verge of tears: ¡°I¡­I haven¡¯t done anything bad in my life. I don¡¯t want to go to hell.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly, gentlyforting Xiao Hua¡¯s frightened feelings: ¡°Charity and good deeds umte merits, karma never misses a bit. The deeds youmit in this life determine your future fate. It¡¯s not arranged by Heaven nor controlled by gods. It all depends on what your own heart does.¡±


    Xiao Hua nodded earnestly: ¡°I will definitely follow the Miss¡¯s example and be a good person, umting good karma.¡±


    Ming Jing gently patted her head: ¡°You are a smart, good child.¡±


    Xiao Hua blinked, her fear fading. Gaining confidence, she asked, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen the Miss¡¯s eyes somewhere before?¡±


    These eyes gave her a strong sense of familiarity, but she couldn¡¯t recall where.


    ¡°Really? Where have you seen them?¡±


    Xiao Hua scratched her head, confused: ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Then go to sleep. Maybe you will see her in your dreams.¡±


    Only after stepping outside did Xiao Hua realize that although she was older than the Miss, in front of her, she felt like a child. It was strange.


    From today on, she decided to be a good person, not wanting to suffer in hell after death.


    Be a good person like the Miss.


    It sounded somewhaticaling from someone of the Rans, but Xiao Hua believed that the Miss would be the faith of her life. If the Miss could do it, then she certainly could too.


    Just as she was about to go to sleep, she was summoned to Master Xiao¡¯s study by Ye Jian.<div>


    Master Xiao asked, ¡°What did you two talk about?¡±


    Her mission for staying by the Miss¡¯s side was to act as an informant, reporting all the Miss¡¯s words and actions to Master Xiao. Before, Xiao Hua had been utterly loyal to Master Xiao, but now¡­


    Xiao Hua shook her head: ¡°We didn¡¯t talk about anything.¡±


    Ye Jian red at her: ¡°When Master Xiao asks you, shouldn¡¯t you tell the truth?¡±<div>


    Regardless, Xiao Hua shook her head: ¡°The Miss is a very, very kind and gentle person. I won¡¯t betray her.¡±


    Being a tactful person might lead to a longer life, but she felt that honestly expressing her thoughts was the simplest way to survive in aplex environment.


    As expected, Ran Tengxiao didn¡¯t get angry after hearing her words. Instead, heughed. ¡°Take good care of her from now on, and go out.¡±


    Xiao Hua gleefully left.


    Ran Tengxiao curled his lips: ¡°My little aunt can really bewitch people¡¯s hearts. In such a short time, she turned my people against me. Given time, what will happen?¡±


    ¡°The future days, presumably they won¡¯t be boring.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing stood in front of the painting, her fingertips rolling the prayer beads.


    There are no virtuous souls in front of the Sin Mirror tform.


    So where does a sinful soul like hers return?


    Single-handedly holding a flower, peaceful andpassionate: ¡°The human body is precious, the Buddha¡¯sw is rarely heard, like a blind turtle meeting a wooden hole, a thousand years of solitary light, the sun howls, the universe is bright, the good and evil karma are all beckoned by the man.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Mist enveloped all around, and Xiao Hua felt like she had returned to her carefree childhood days.<div>


    She was Butler Ran¡¯ste-born daughter, Butler Ran spoiled her the most. Even Ran Bowen was particrly fond of her. She held more prestige than Zhao Qin, the youngdy of the Rans. For instance, if Zhao Qin broke a flower vase, she would tremble with fear. But Xiao Hua never had such worries. Ran Bowen wouldn¡¯t me her and even worry if she cut her hands on the shards.


    In the Rans, she was half a youngdy.


    Her favorite pastime was to y in the small garden on the east side. One day, a homeless dog came from somewhere. The Rans had rules ¨C they couldn¡¯t keep pets, especially dogs. But the poor puppy was just too heartbreaking, so she secretly hid it in the garden and snuck it her own rations.


    One day, the puppy disappeared. She was terrified, fearing that someone might discover and beat it to death.


    She anxiously searched for it everywhere, then she saw a woman crouching at the edge of the flower bushes. Her puppy was bleeding from its legs, she dashed over furiously: ¡°You hurt my puppy, you are a bad person.¡±


    The woman raised her head. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the flowers, falling into her eyes, scattering around like the milky way.


    She had never seen such beautiful and gentle eyes, and she was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Aunt Yu Jiang¡­.¡±


    The woman touched her head: ¡°You are always so impulsive. The puppy ran around everywhere and was injured by a mousetrap set by the florist in the field. If I hadn¡¯t found it in time, it would have been thrown out by the florist.¡±


    Only then did she notice that the woman was holding a bandage in her hands, tending to the wound on the puppy¡¯s leg.


    The puppy was nestled at the woman¡¯s feet, its moist eyes staring at her face; it couldn¡¯t resist sticking out its tongue to lick her hand.


    The puppy that had been so cautious of her despite her nurturing for so many days was now treating her with such affection. This surprised her and left her feeling a bit sour inside.


    ¡°Alright, take it away, hide it well, and don¡¯t let anyone find out.¡±<div>


    The puppy didn¡¯t want to leave, biting the woman¡¯s trouser leg, his eyes pleading.


    The woman stroked the puppy¡¯s head: ¡°I¡¯m too busy to take care of you. Follow this youngdy, she will surely take good care of you.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Yu Jiang, why doesn¡¯t Master Wen allow keeping dogs?¡± she asked curiously.


    The woman blinked her eyes, which were full of charm and dazzling beauty.


    ¡°I¡¯ll secretly tell you, but you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else. Because Master Wen was bitten by a dog.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe the reason was so trivial and was left speechless.


    The woman stroked her head with a smile: ¡°Don¡¯t be like the saying ¡®a man who is bitten by a snake fears a rope for ten years,¡¯ Xiao Hua. Be a brave girl¡­.¡±


    Xiao Hua suddenly woke up from her dream, her forehead covered in sweat.


    She finally remembered. The youngdy¡¯s eyes looked very much like Aunt Yu Jiang¡¯s.


    Thinking of what she said before she left¨Cthat she could meet her in a dream, Xiao Hua was startled into breaking out in cold sweat.


    A gust of wind blew, it was chilly.

 Chapter 713: 366 Immortal Moon (First Watch)

    Chapter 713: 366 Immortal Moon (First Watch)


    The night was getting deeper, and the street of bars became livelier.


    Music shook the heavens, lights dazzled the eyes, smoke mixed with the scent of alcohol and make-up, forming this extravagant nightlife.


    Young men and women in the dance floor twisted their waists energetically, indulging in unrestrained passion.


    Wearing sexy and revealing uniforms, the dancers performed various challenging moves on the steel pole, eliciting cheers and apuse from the crowd.


    This ce was the paradise for young people, but also the hell of depravity and indulgence.


    People relied on alcohol to numb their senses, coveting those fleeting moments of excitement to soothe their restless souls and catch a glimpse of happiness in the endless emptiness of the world.


    They bragged about enjoying life¡¯s pleasure while itsts, drinking and reveling every night, never getting tired of their debauchery.


    Such scenes happened every day and night.


    Zuihong Bar was even more boisterous than usual tonight.


    It was said that several new dancers had arrived, all with seductive figures and pure-looking faces; true beauties with devilish charms.<div>


    When these dancers stepped on stage wearing masks, the atmosphere reached its peak.


    In the corner booth, Wan Xiang eximed, ¡°The Qinglong Order?¡±


    The opposite Ran Gong quickly turned his head and scanned the surroundings. The music was too loud, and everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the dancing women on stage, so no one noticed their conversation.


    ¡°Brother Wan, lower your voice. If someone hears us, it will cause trouble. This is the top secret of the Qinglong Association. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know about it, even though you are a trusted person of Aunt Qing?¡±


    Wan Xiang put down his wine ss, his face darkening gradually.


    ¡°I always thought it was just a rumor.¡±


    ¡°Our Master Wen had deep thoughts, or how could he create such a huge family business in Jiangzhou and dominate for decades? No offense, but at his peak, even celestial beings had to yield to him. And now, this Master Xiao may have some tricks up his sleeve, but he is still far behind Master Wen in ruthlessness.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is the Qinglong Order?¡± Wan Xiang asked.


    Wan Xiang had saved Ran Qing¡¯s life and was trusted by her. Unlike Ran Gong, who grew up in the Ran family, Wan Xiang was not well-acquainted with its inner workings.


    Ran Gong nced around the room, then leaned closer to Wan Xiang and whispered something. Wan Xiang¡¯s pupils contracted slightly.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Yu Jiang?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, who in the Qinglong Association doesn¡¯t know?¡±


    Ran Gong pinched a peanut and tossed it into his mouth, ¡°When I was a child, I often saw Yu Jianging in and out of the Rans¡¯ residence. Once I fell asleep in the garden and overheard her conversation with Master Wen. At the time, I didn¡¯t understand it, but after pondering it for over a decade, I finally figure out the meaning.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh, as long as you have the Qinglong Order, you have the entire Qinglong Association. Even Master Xiao can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Wan Xiang nced at him, ¡°Why are you telling me such an important secret?¡±


    Ran Gong sighed, ¡°Master Xiao doesn¡¯t trust us, and we can¡¯t fight against him. We just have to be honest and make a living. As for you, Brother Wan, you are young and talented, and have helped Aunt Qing solve so many troubles. She should have handed Zhuque Hall over to you long ago, but there is still no news. Brother, I feel sorry for you. In my opinion, not only Zhuque Hall but also Baihu Hall should be yours. That Lin Feng only knows how to tter others, and he has no abilities to speak of. He can¡¯t bepared with you, Brother Wan. It¡¯s just that he is favored by Master Xiao.¡±


    Wan Xiang knew that his words were meant to provoke his ambition, yet he still fell for it. Such is human nature.


    Greed and desire are never-ending.<div>


    ¡°So, what does the Qinglong Order have to do with the youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. Master Wen divided the Qinglong Order into two halves. He kept one half with him, which disappeared after his death. Yu Jiang was the only one at the scene at that time, so why do you think Master Xiao has been looking for her all these years? Master Wen¡¯s half of the Qinglong Order must be with her. As for the remaining half, just think about who else would have it.¡±


    Such an important thing must be entrusted to the most trusted and important person.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    For Ran Bowen, a man full of suspicion, the only possibility is that he left it for his daughter.<div>


    That¡¯s why Ran Tengxiao brought Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter back in the open, in order to trick her into revealing her half of the Qinglong Order.


    With this exnation, everything made sense.


    Wan Xiang pondered for a moment, ¡°Has there been any news about Yu Jiang?¡±


    The youngdy was right in front of them, but the whereabouts of Yu Jiang, who had been missing for nearly 14 years, remained a mystery, leaving them to wonder whether she was alive or dead.

 Chapter 714: 366 Immortal Moon (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 714: 366 Immortal Moon (First Watch)_2


    Ran Gong shook his head: ¡°There¡¯s no news, but we can analyze it from another perspective. Why did the Rans bring the fierce retaliation of the Qus in Jingzhou after Master Wen¡¯s death? There¡¯s a story in it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that, wasn¡¯t it said that Master Wen had offended the Qus earlier?¡±


    ¡°If that were true, the Qus would hardly dirty their hands. Let me tell you, the inside story is rted to the Qus¡¯ young master. After Ji Chang rebelled and fled, Master Wen wanted to capture his son to threaten Ji Chang, but the information was wrong and the wrong little boy was caught. That little boy was actually the runaway young master of the Qus.¡±


    Wan Xiang was so shocked he almost dropped his jaw, and admired Ran Gong greatly.


    Wan Xiang was not stupid, and he immediately guessed: ¡°You mean, when Master Wen died, there were not only Yu Jiang at the scene but also that young master of the Qus?¡±


    Ran Gong showed a teachable smile, ¡°Maybe the truth of that year is known only to the young master of the Qus.¡±


    Ran Gong saw Wan Xiang¡¯s expression growing more and more solemn and threw out another bomb: ¡°The young master of the Qus, he and our Miss are rumored to be lovers. Say his name, you must know him.¡±


    Wan Xiang muttered: ¡°Qu Feitai¡­ ¡±


    His daughter¡¯s room was full of posters of this celebrity, who was always talking about how handsome this star with the surname Qu and how good his singing was. After the rumored affair, he heard his daughter cursing a girl named Ming Jing at home. Never did he think that the two would know each other in this way.


    ¡°Come on, drink up, andter we¡¯ll call some girls to ease Master Wan¡¯s boredom tonight.¡±<div>


    Wan Xiang raised his ss: ¡°Brother, let¡¯s get drunk tonight.¡±


    After a few drinks, the two became best friends who wore the same trousers. Ran Gong patted his shoulder: ¡°Big brother, you must not tell anyone about the things I told you, otherwise I won¡¯t be able to keep my life.¡±


    ¡°I understand, don¡¯t worry.¡± Wan Xiang¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, calcting in his heart.


    Wan Xiang shed a hint in his eyes, snapping his fingers, ¡°Go, bring those neers on the stage to me and let Master Wan take a look.¡±


    Neither of them could be offended, and the waiter hurried to call them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Soon, the proprietress of the bar came over with a sexy demeanor: ¡°Ah, who are these? It turns out to be Young Master Ran and Master Wan! The neers don¡¯t know the rules yet, and haven¡¯t been trained well, so don¡¯t offend the two of you. I¡¯ll train them a little more¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Madam Boss, our Master Wan loves wild and untamed girls, so cut the crap and bring them over quickly.¡±


    The bossdy was a bit embarrassed, pondered for a moment, and said: ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll bring them right over.¡±


    Soon she led two young girls wearing revealing clothes and rabbit masks on their faces toe over.


    ¡°Xianxian, Yueyue, this is Young Master Ran, and this is Master Wan, serve them well, and dare not offend both Masters, or I will skin you.¡±


    One was honest, and the other was lively. The lively one bumped the other girl, who then fell onto Wan Xiang¡¯s side andughed sweetly, holding Ran Gong¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Young Master Ran, nice to meet you, my name is Xianxian.¡±


    Ran Gong stared at the mask on her face: ¡°Your bossdy sure knows how to think, making it look like an ancient selection of the»¨¿ý.¡±


    The girl giggled: ¡°Young Master Ran, you¡¯re so funny, but you¡¯re early. The princess selection is in three days.¡±


    The so-called princess selection was an event promoted by these nightclubs, simr to the ancient selection of»¨¿ý, to raise the girls¡¯ value, to sell them at a good price.


    ¡°How many of you are in this group?¡±


    ¡°There are ten of us sisters. At that time, Young Master Ran, you must vote for me, remember I am number eight, Xianxian.¡±


    Ran Gong touched the mask on her face, ¡°You are so well-behaved, Young Master will of course support you.¡±


    The girl opposite was very clumsy, hanging her head like a quail.<div>


    Under the lights, her exposed skin was truly as smooth as cream, like the finest mutton fat white jade.


    Wan Xiang touched her, and the girl immediately bounced up, his face instantly turned gloomy.


    The girl shrank her shoulders and shivered.Ran Gong snorted andughed, ¡°There¡¯s a defiant girl here.¡±


    ¡°Master Wan, don¡¯t be angry. Yueyue is a bit timid. Yueyue, quickly apologize to Master Wan.¡± Xianxian pinched her thigh hard under the table.<div>


    The girl just stood there stiffly, fiddling with her hands but not saying a word.


    Wan Xiang waved his hand in disdain, ¡°Get lost, bring me someone sensible. Your boss really doesn¡¯t know how to do business anymore. What kind of goods do you find?¡±


    The girl immediately ran away as if she¡¯d been pardoned.


    Xianxian sat down next to Wan Xiang with a smile, her small hands caressing his chest, and she cooed, ¡°Master Wan, don¡¯t be angry. Xianxian is here to apany you¡­¡±


    In a corner of the bar¡¯s backyard, the girl crouched on the ground, sobbing.


    A pair of feet stood in front of her, handing her a tissue, ¡°Why are you crying? If Honghong sees you, you¡¯ll get beaten up. It¡¯s better to behave. Just smile, it¡¯s not that difficult. Let me teach you.¡±


    The girl covered her ears with both hands and turned her head away.


    The other person got angry, crouched down, grabbed her hair and forced her to face herself, ¡°Face your fate. Once you¡¯re in here, don¡¯t think about getting out. You¡¯ll have to stay in the mud for the rest of your life. If you don¡¯t listen, you¡¯ll end up like Zhenzhen.¡±


    The girl¡¯s mind shed with images of a girl¡¯s death, and tears fell like broken beads.


    ¡°I want to go home. I want to find my parents. They¡¯ll definitely save me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be naive. If you don¡¯t want to cause trouble for your family, just behave. There might still be a chance.¡±


    ¡°Can we call the police? I didn¡¯t volunteer for this, they forced me¡­¡±


    Before finishing her sentence, she was immediately silenced by the other person, who nced warily around and whispered angrily, ¡°If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me with you.¡±<div>


    The girl crouched on the ground in despair, ¡°Do I really have to ept my fate?¡±


    Xianxian patted her on the shoulder, ¡°There¡¯s only one way now. Three dayster, on the night of the Princess Selection, be smart and find a rich guy with a good personality. Make him crazy about you. With your looks, it won¡¯t be difficult. When the timees, Honghong might let you off the hook.¡±


    This was the only way.


    Alerts were raised in the front yard at this moment. Xianxian frowned, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Another girl hurriedly ran out of the break room, followed by several young and beautiful girls, ¡°They say a big shot has arrived. Honghong asked us toe over.¡±


    The ten of them were led into arge room, and Xianxian nced around, looking at the one-way ss in front of her.


    She knew that a big shot must be standing behind that ss, observing them.


    Xianxian lowered her head, trying to reduce her presence.


    Behind the ss, Honghong respectfully asked, ¡°Ms. Zhou, is there anyone you¡¯re satisfied with?¡±


    Zhou Xue looked around and stopped her gaze on a slightly wooden girl, ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    Honghong nced at her, ¡°Her name is Yueyue. She¡¯s the most beautiful one in this batch, but she¡¯s dumb.¡±


    Zhou Xue smiled, ¡°Being stupid is okay, we can train her. I¡¯m more afraid of those who think they are smart.¡±


    As she spoke, her gaze passed over the girl who was lowering her head beside her.<div>


    ¡°Ms. Zhou, rest assured, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take care of it.¡±


    Zhou Xue sat down on a chair, picked up the tea to drink, thought of something, and put it back down again.


    She had heard that the tea in ces like this, always contained some additives.


    Her expression turned somewhat disgusted for a moment.

 Chapter 715: 367 Evil Door (Second Update)

    Chapter 715: 367 Evil Door (Second Update)


    The second day, it was a rare sunny day.


    Today was also thest day of the New Year¡¯s Day holiday.


    Early in the morning, the Rans¡¯ servants began to get busy.


    There used to be only two masters in the Rans¡¯, but now there was one more. However, it was just one more mouth to feed.


    After Ran Bowen¡¯s death, all the servants had been reced except for Butler Ran. They had heard of Ran Bowen but had never seen him. In their eyes, they only had one master, Ran Tengxiao. As for the daughter of the previous master, not many of them had any respect for her.


    A mountain cannot hold two tigers.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Rans¡¯ mountain could only have one master.


    When Ming Jing went downstairs, Ran Tengxiao was sitting at the dining table in the dining room, eating breakfast while listening to the radio.


    The dining room had an eight-meter-long table, and outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was an endless racecourse. At this moment, servants were cleaning thewn on the racecourse.


    Ran Bowen sat at the head of the table, and the sunlight shone on him through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The young man¡¯s handsome face was as if carved by a knife.<div>


    Hearing footsteps, the man looked up at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡±


    The current time was 7:05 in the morning.


    Ming Jing pulled out the chair opposite Ran Tengxiao and sat down. The servant asked, ¡°Would the youngdy prefer Chinese or Western breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Chinese, thank you.¡±


    Soon her table was full of various Chinese breakfast dishes.


    There were soy milk and doughnuts, porridge and buns, rice noodles and pancakes, all kinds of dishes from all over the country, making the simple breakfast look extravagant.


    Ming Jing frowned, ¡°Except for porridge and buns, please remove the rest.¡±


    ¡°Youngdy, did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    ¡°I slept well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, so grandfather will be relieved.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time, after breakfast, let Xiao Hua show you around the estate. Get to know the environment, and from now on, this is your home.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth: ¡°Youngdy, take your time. I have some matters to handle. We¡¯ll have lunch together.¡±


    Having said that, he stood up and left.


    Ye Jian picked up the coat and quickly followed Ran Tengxiao out of the door.


    Ming Jing looked away, slowly eating her breakfast.


    ¡°Youngdy,¡± Xiao Hua yawned and walked up to her.


    Ming Jing wiped her mouth and stood up, walked out of the living room, andughed, ¡°Did you see the person you wanted to see in your dreamst night?¡±


    Ming Jing stood behind the pir, touching the indentation.<div>


    Hearing this, Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes widened instantly: ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re amazing! I really dreamed of her, and her eyes look so much like yours!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled faintly: ¡°What kind of person was she?¡±


    Xiao Hua stared at Ming Jing¡¯s side face. Under the morning light, the girl¡¯s skin seemed as transparent as crystal, delicate and vulnerable.<div>


    ¡°She¡¯s a very gentle person, especially kind. I¡¯ve never met an aunt as gentle and easy to talk to as her. When I was with her¡­¡±


    Xiao Hua closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her cheeks.


    ¡°It felt like being bathed in a spring breeze, just like the feeling the youngdy gives.¡±


    Xiao Hua took a deep breath: ¡°Even your scents are simr.¡±


    An idea shed through Xiao Hua¡¯s mind, and she suddenly thought of an incredible possibility.


    Could the youngdy be the daughter of Yu Jiang and Master Wen?


    She was frightened by her own thoughts.


    Ming Jing turned around and walked down the side stairs.


    Xiao Hua stared at Ming Jing¡¯s retreating figure, her white skirt casting silver ripples in the morning light, like a blooming lotus as she walked.


    How could she think of such a thing?


    How could the youngdy possibly be Yu Jiang¡¯s daughter? When Yu Jiang came to Master Wen¡¯s side, the youngdy was almost two years old.


    It¡¯s probably just a coincidence.


    Ming Jing walked around the racecourse, revisiting old ces. The blue sky was still the same, and the mountains in the distance stood tall in the morning light.<div>


    In the stables, a horse suddenly bolted out. The horse trainer, who was feeding hay, was startled. This horse was usually the most honest one. How could it suddenly go crazy like this? He quickly dropped what he was holding and chased after it.


    But the horse ran too fast, and within the blink of an eye, it was more than ten meters away.The horse master quickly rode a horse to catch up.


    Seeing that the horse was about to hit someone, one of them recognized her as the little daughter of Butler Ran. The horse master turned pale with fright and shouted urgently, ¡°Get out of the way, get out of the way, the horse is out of control!¡±


    If anything happened to Butler Ran¡¯s daughter, his ten lives wouldn¡¯t be enough topensate.


    Xiao Hua saw the charging horse and her legs went weak with fear.


    The horse was moving fast, charging ahead without giving the opponent a chance to react.


    In the winter morning, a gentle breeze blew, the temperature slightly warmed up, yet one¡¯s breath still transformed into a white mist.


    The young girl in a white dress stood on the greenwn, making the white dress seem even more pure and white as snow. Her sleeves fluttered in the wind, giving her an ethereal air.


    Without panicking, the girl stood there calmly, bing the most beautiful scenery in the quiet winter morning.


    She curled up her right thumb, ced it by her lips, and suddenly a sharp whistling sound pierced the silence of the sky, breaking the tranquility of the racetrack.


    The crazed horse was about to collide with Ming Jing when it heard the whistle. The horse instantly raised its front hooves, neighing loudly, like a sword piercing the mist, finally weing the dawn.


    The horse raised its hooves high, and Xiao Hua almost felt the breath from the horse¡¯s mouth on her face, mixed with the smell of grass, somewhat nauseating.


    Then, the horse put down its front hooves, walked gently to Ming Jing, lowered its head, and nudged her palm affectionately.<div>


    Ming Jing smiled and touched the horse¡¯s head: ¡°Yufeng, even you have aged.¡±


    Xiao Hua stared in shock: ¡°Miss, how do you know its name is Yufeng?¡±


    The horse master jumped off his horse, quickly walked over to take Yufeng away. Yufeng snorted uneasily.


    ¡°You damned hoof, what¡¯s the point in running around? Go back with me honestly.¡± The horse master scolded.


    Ming Jing said faintly, ¡°Let go.¡±


    The horse master red at her: ¡°Be careful, this horse is very strange. Watch out that it doesn¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯m warning you out of kindness.¡±


    Xiao Hua rolled her eyes: ¡°What nonsense, the horse is as obedient as a quail in front of Miss.¡±


    Yufeng moved closer to Ming Jing, raising its head. In its eyes, Xiao Hua saw a hint of grievance.


    This horse had a spiritual nature.


    ¡°Miss?¡± The horse master was taken aback, took a closer look at her, and remembered her performance inst year¡¯s horse race.


    Who would have thought that the president of the Jockey Club would turn into the youngdy of the Rans?


    It was said that she had a unique way of taming horses, and even Yufeng, which had always been difficult, was obedient in front of her now.


    Ming Jing smiled and touched Yufeng: ¡°You said it¡¯s strange, what¡¯s strange about it?¡±<div>


    The horse master¡¯s attitude improved a lot, ¡°This is an old horse. It usually doesn¡¯t get along with others, doesn¡¯t let people touch it, nor ride it. Master Xiao cannot even manage it. It¡¯s more arrogant than a princess, but for some reason, Master Xiao insists on keeping it.¡±


    And it¡¯s well fed and taken care of. Strange, isn¡¯t it?


    But even more peculiar, besides the aforementioned problems, this old horse is usually very obedient. It stays quietly in the stables, sunbathing, sleeping, and enjoying an early retirement life.


    But this morning it suddenly went wild.


    And then, it encountered the youngdy of the Rans.


    Xiao Hua said, ¡°I know Yufeng. It has been with the Rans since I was little. It was very fierce when it first arrived, and it seems like Aunt Yu Jiang¡­¡±


    Xiao Hua immediately shut her mouth, turning pale. This name was taboo in the Rans¡¯ house.


    If Master Xiao heard her, she would be dead.


    The horse master instinctively asked, ¡°Yu Jiang, what?¡±


    This was the first time he had heard this name.


    ¡°Never mind, Miss, Yufeng seems to like you a lot.¡±


    Ming Jing touched Yufeng¡¯s head and suddenly leapt onto its back, gracefully and effortlessly, leaving Xiao Hua dumbfounded.


    The horse master was also stunned. Yufeng didn¡¯t let anyone ride it. Except for the saddle, it had no other equipment. The youngdy had mounted it without any help, a very impressive move.


    Ming Jing tugged gently at the reins, and Yufeng raised its front hooves high, neighing loudly.


    In the morning light, the young girl sat upright on the horse, her white skirt flying like a dance, her beautiful face covered with a thinyer of frost, exuding a refreshing coldness. In the sunlight, she looked stunningly beautiful.


    ¡°Yufeng, it¡¯s been more than ten years. Let me see if you¡¯ve lost any of your skills.¡±


    Yufeng neighed in response and galloped forward, with Ming Jing giving free rein. In an instant, they were far away.


    The figure of the girl in white sitting on the horse¡¯s back was slender but unparalleled, soft yet firm.


    Not far behind the flower bed, a man stared intently at the white figure on the racetrack, his clenched hands with bulging veins on the back.


    Ye Jian did not dare to remind him.


    Just as Master Xiao was about to leave the estate, he suddenly ordered to turn back. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw the scene.


    This youngdy of the Rans seemed to be an enigma.

 Chapter 716: 368 Account Calculation (First Update)

    Chapter 716: 368 ount Calction (First Update)


    ¡°Yufeng, as the saying goes, an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li. You¡¯re still as fiery in your old age as in your prime.¡±


    The maiden¡¯s voice carried on a heartyugh, resonating between heaven and earth. With the morning sun apanied by a gentle breeze, dust danced in the light, her white skirts fluttering against the wind. A figure, a horse, both brimming with joyousughter.


    A picturesque scene, beautiful as a painting.


    Before long, Ming Jing returned atop her horse, abruptly halting it and perching on the horse¡¯s back. She looked upon a man at a distance.


    Their eyes met across the several meters between them, one hid inquisitiveness, the other expressed indifference.


    ¡°What a riding technique, young miss!¡± the horse trainer eximed. ¡°Yufeng has been so docile under yourmand. It leaves me in awe.¡±


    This Yufeng, a horse that wouldn¡¯t even let Master Xiao approach, was effortlessly controlled by the young miss. How perplexing.


    Ming Jing replied with a faint smile, ¡°Horses intelligently bond with humans. But especially fierce horses like Yufeng, they only serve one master in their lifetime.¡±


    Ming Jing dismounted and gently stroked Yufeng¡¯s head, ¡°Off you go.¡±


    With lingering affections, Yufeng nudged Ming Jing¡¯s arm unwilling to leave. Ming Jingughed and said, ¡°I¡¯lle to see you again tonight. Be a good boy.¡±<div>


    As if understanding, Yufeng ceased his steps, watching Ming Jing as she walked away.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Xiao Hua took a few more nces at Yufeng, ¡°Miss, Yufeng has really taken a liking to you.¡±


    It was a curiosity indeed.


    Turning her head to see Ran Tengxiao, Xiao Hua quickly lowered her head and respectfully greeted, ¡°Master Xiao.¡±


    Ran Tengxiaoughed, ¡°Yufeng, the most unsociable horse, took an immediate liking to Lady Ming at first sight. What a remarkable bond you two share!¡±


    ¡°Really? I also feel a strong connection.¡±


    Ming Jing dusted off her skirts, nonchntly replying.


    Ran Tengxiao looked intently at her face, trying to unravel a lost truth, but to his disappointment.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to have left? Why did youe back?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao said, ¡°I suddenly remembered I forgot to take a file¡­¡±


    This reasoning fell t as he turned and entered the living room, with Ye Jian hastening to follow.


    Ming Jing couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as a car pulled up in front of her.


    Xiao Hua asked, ¡°Miss, are you going out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t be having lunch at home today. Please pass the message to Master Xiao for me.¡±


    With these words, she stepped into the car, and it drove off, leaving behind a trail of dust.


    Xiao Hua stood rooted in ce for a moment before turning around, spotting Ran Tengxiao as he stared nkly in the direction that the car had disappeared.


    He walked behind a pir, reaching up to touch a dent on it.


    A bullet was hidden inside ¡ª a bullet that had grazed past her temple and lodged itself into the pir years ago.


    It was this bullet that had gained her the trust of Ran Bowen.<div>


    Why was she bing more and more like you?


    ¡°Ye Jian, how is the investigation I asked you to conduct going?¡±


    Keeping his emotions masked, Ran Tengxiao got into the vehicle, with Ye Jian quickly taking the passenger seat.


    Master Xiao had assigned him many tasks, but by intuition, he knew Master Xiao was asking about Yu Jiang.<div>


    ¡°We currently have two leads. One is the young master of the Qus who is being closely guarded by his family to shield him from this dispute. The other is Madam Jiang. She took over her grandfather¡¯s WT16, an intel department responsible for surveince during wartime. Despite peace currently prevailing, and despite government ns to dissolve or merge the WT16, Madam Jiang has pulled strings to keep it operational and further improve it. Using it as cover, she has secretly cultivated arge group of spies. They are skilled and all have codenames. Yu Jiang is one of her spies, codename: Rain God. I also found out that a famous female star in the entertainment industry called Zheng Qing is one of WT¡¯s spies, codename: Green Luan. She and Rain God are both under Night Hawk and are serving Madam Jiang.¡±


    ¡°I know all that.¡± Ran Tengxiao replied coldly, ¡°What about Yu Jiang? She needs to be found, dead or alive.¡±


    Ye Jian was silent for a moment, ¡°Master Xiao, please calm down. I already have some leads. Just give me some more time. I am sure I can find Yu Jiang¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t appeared for many years; the only possibility was that Madam Jiang had silenced her for good.


    Ye Jian couldn¡¯t say that. The investigation was focused on Jingzhou, which was not Ran territory. It made the investigation very difficult, as they had to be wary of Madam Jiang¡¯s people.


    The good news was, he already had some clues. Yu Jiang hadn¡¯t died back then, but was gravely injured. He had found the hospital where she had been treated, although all traces and records had been thoroughly destroyed. But in today¡¯s world, as long as something has existed, it leaves a trace.

 Chapter 717: 368 Account Calculation (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 717: 368 ount Calction (Second Update)_2


    Previously, a female star named Liang Yanran in the entertainment industry suddenlymitted suicide. Monthster, it was revealed that she was murdered by her manager and her boyfriend. The news shocked the entire entertainment industry and was considered the biggest scandal of the year. He would not normally pay attention to gossips in the entertainment industry, but by chance, he saw a post that exposed Xue An. At first, he simply nced at it, but then he discovered something strange hidden within it.


    Xue An¡¯s white moonlight, the timing and location of his hospitalization, coincided with Yu Jiang¡¯s condition after his injury. He remembered Master Xiao saying, ¡°So many coincidences can¡¯t be coincidental.¡±


    He followed the lead on Xue An and the more he investigated, the more shocking it became. The white moonlight of Xue An that year must have been Yu Jiang. But after he was discharged from the hospital, the clues about Yu Jiang¡¯s whereabouts were severed, and Xue An disappeared from the world after the scandal broke out.


    Now, as long as they could find Xue An, they could find clues about Yu Jiang.


    And Xue An, whether before or after his disappearance, always had a ¡°hand¡± behind him. This was also the direct evidence that made him believe that Xue An¡¯s disappearance was rted to Yu Jiang.


    ¡°Xue An?¡± Ran Tengxiao muttered the name with a dark expression in his eyes.


    The warm carriage seemed to turn into an icy, snowy world in an instant.


    ¡°Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I must find this person.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, next week is my birthday. Can I invite you to my birthday party?¡±<div>


    The man, holding textbooks under his arm, smiled and gently touched the little girl¡¯s head, speaking softly, ¡°If I¡¯m not busy that day, I¡¯lle to your birthday party.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± The little girl happily ran off, joined two other girls who looked exactly like her in the distance, and left the campus whileughing and chatting.


    The sun was setting, and the man stood on the railing in front of the teaching building. The setting sun shone on his face, giving him a gentle glow.


    Zhao Xueying looked up from her students and stopped in the middle of sending a text message. She raised her hand to sweep the hair away from her temple and walked over smiling.


    ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, do you have time tonight? Let¡¯s have dinner together. A new restaurant serving stone pot rice opened at the east gate of the school. I heard it¡¯s good.¡±


    Cen Ning had been at the school for nearly a month and was very popr among the single female teachers. She didn¡¯t want to let the other women to gain an advantage.


    Cen Ning smiled slightly and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Zhao. I have to prepare lessons tonight and won¡¯t have time. Maybe next time.¡±


    Zhao Xueying looked disappointed, but quickly smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Cen Ning is so dedicated and takes his teaching seriously. The students really like you. I believe you will soon be a regr teacher.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Cen Ning nodded and turned to leave.


    Zhao Xueying watched the man¡¯s retreating figure in the sunset and sighed, ¡°Mr. Cen Ning has such a great temperament. He doesn¡¯t look like a teacher but rather a celebrity.¡±


    Even some parents of the students had asked for his WeChat ID when they met him.


    Cen Ning didn¡¯t live in the staff dormitory, he rented an apartment near the school. When he returned home from work, the sky was alreadypletely dark.


    He didn¡¯t turn on the light, slumped on the sofa, and reached for a pack of cigarettes on the table. He took one out and held it up to his lips.


    The me ¡°snapped¡± and lit the cigarette. The tiny spark flickered in the darkness.


    After a long time, the phone ¡°beeped¡± a few times with iing messages.


    Apart from one person, only the school¡¯s leadership and colleagues knew his phone number. At this time, it wouldn¡¯t be about official business.


    Cen Ning looked at his phone after a while and gave a bitter smile.


    It turned out to be a news push notification.


    A marketing ount he followed often had sent him a piece of explosive news. Unexpectedly, it quickly stirred up a storm in the entertainment industry. The news wasn¡¯t rted to anything else, but because the person in the news had a deep connection with a popr figure recently.<div>


    However, as he read on, Cen Ning¡¯s expression gradually became serious.


    His fingers trembled slightly, and the cigarette burnt to the end, almost scorching his fingers.He immediately put out the cigarette in the ashtray.


    Alone in the dark, he sat for a long time, extinguishing one cigarette after another in the ashtray.


    ¡ª¡ª<div>


    Some marketing ounts revealed that thetest Lady Yu had been chosen: it was none other than the recent hot topic, Ming Xin ¨C the real daughter of the Zhus and Ming Jing¡¯s senior.


    This news set off a storm in the entertainment industry, stirring the curiosity of many ordinary people who didn¡¯t usually pay attention to entertainment news.


    Yu Dawei¡¯s influence in the entertainment industry was enormous, and his decision to produce a new film had drawn attention from all quarters.


    The selection of the new Lady Yu was particrly intense, with fiercepetition between various capital groups.


    Rumor had it that a neer had already been chosen.


    Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Ming Xin, a popr figure recently and the true daughter of the Zhus.


    Having grown up in a nunnery since childhood, she was the true heiress of the Zhus, as well as a close senior to Ming Jing.


    No one would have thought she¡¯d be the new Lady Yu.


    For a while, heated debates erupted online, along with various conspiracy theories.


    After all, Ming Xin had neither educational background nor good looks. She had no advantage in the entertainment industry, so many people spected that Ming Jing had used some tactics to promote her senior.


    The entertainment industry was nowadays a chaotic mess; all sorts of strange creatures were trying to make money here. Ming Xin had no particr talent, but given the Zhus¡¯ or Ming Jing¡¯s current capabilities, promoting Ming Xin towards sess in the entertainment industry wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. This, however, outraged the public.


    If she had no talent, then she shouldn¡¯t be seeking a share of the pie¡ªshe was simply going against the audience¡¯s interests.


    As a result, Ming Jing¡¯s reputation also suffered, as many people used her of being arrogant. Some questioned whether Ming Xin, who had no acting skills or good looks, would rely on capital resources to run rampant in the entertainment industry.<div>


    Had she been chosen by Yu Dawei based on her own abilities? What a joke.


    Born and raised in a mountainous area, the young nun probably didn¡¯t even know what acting was.


    Additionally, some of the artists whose actresses didn¡¯t get chosen by Yu Dawei found the decision hard to swallow. Their managingpanies hired water armies to muddy the waters in hopes that if Ming Xin were reced, their own artists might get the chance. This further resulted in a smear campaign against Ming Xin and Ming Jing.


    Thements online were unbearable to read.


    ¡°Found it! The first marketing ount that broke the news is affiliated with Yamei Media¡¯s brokeragepany. Thergest shareholder of thispany is Gong Qiang,¡± Zheng Qing said, snapping his fingers. ¡°This old bastard dares to mess with my people. It seems the lesson I taught himst time wasn¡¯t enough. Find all the dirt on his artists and release it all¡ªI¡¯ll keep him busy wiping butts for a year.¡±


    Ming Xin frowned and said, ¡°As I recall, Xiao Wenwen apanied Gong Qiang.¡±


    Zheng Qing snorted, ¡°Xiao Wenwen, huh? Time to settle old and new scores together.¡±


    Her team was now very well-established, so once she issued an order, they would swiftly execute it. She stopped her assistant Xiao Wen, who was about to leave.


    ¡°By the way, get in touch with Director Yu¡¯s side. We will fully cooperate with the film crew¡¯s promotional campaign,¡± she said.


    Zheng Qing made several phone calls,pletely engrossed. Once everything was arranged, she looked up to see a certain person leisurely drinking tea on the sofa and couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed.


    ¡°Miss Ran, is the tea in my office to your liking?¡± she asked sarcastically.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This cunning girl, with a mind deeper than the ocean, had managed to rope her in as well.


    The time hade to properly settle this score with her.<div>

 Chapter 718: 369 Joke (2nd Update)

    Chapter 718: 369 Joke (2nd Update)


    Ming Xin focused on her breath, trying to minimize her presence.


    ¡°Average.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to the Rans and drink? They have all kinds of Junshan Silver Needle and Pre-Ming Longjing, much more high-ss than the tea avable in my little ce. My small temple can¡¯t afford to serve you, such a big Buddha.¡± Zheng Qing snatched up the teacup in Ming Jing¡¯s hand and sat down opposite her with a huff.


    Ming Xin stood up: ¡°I feel a bit stuffy, I¡¯m going out for a walk.¡±


    She disappeared in a sh.


    Ming Jing picked up another cup, rinsed the tea, brewed the tea, and poured the brown tea soup back into the jade porcin cup.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry, have some tea to cool down.¡±


    Zheng Qing gulped down the tea and mmed the teacup back onto the table with a ¡°pop.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what are you nning?¡±


    ¡°No particr ns, just doing what ady of the Rans should do is enough.¡±<div>


    ¡°It seems that your days as the Rans¡¯dy are quite good.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°How¡¯s the preparation for Wind on the Clouds?¡±


    ¡°All the funds are in ce. As for the director, we originally wanted to invite Li Shun, but he had no schedule. What do you think of An Yang and Zhang Maoke?¡±


    Li Shun was a top director, on par with Yu Dawei. He had turned down several invitations, probably because he thought too little of such amateur productions.


    An Yang was a rising director in recent years, but his unique style took nitpicking to the extreme; shooting a film was like doing grunt work, one scene could be shot for three months. He was sarcastically referred to as ate-stage procrastination director, and many projects were aborted, causing investors to flee. Most risk-averse investors wouldn¡¯t approach him.


    However, he was also the most likely to produce a blockbuster hit, depending on whether there were any gamblers.


    Zhang Maoke, on the other hand, was more conservative, being neither the best nor the worst.


    Ming Jing casually said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go with An Yang.¡±


    ¡°You really think An Yang is feasible? Have you calcted it? It¡¯s going to be a blockbuster, right?¡± Zheng Qing asked eagerly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the future, but rather than spinning in ourfort zone, why not take a gamble? We might get unexpected results.¡±


    ¡°Miss, that¡¯s an investment of billions, I¡¯ve put all my worth into it, and I¡¯ve begged and cajoled several investors. If you mess this up, my son¡¯s milk money will be gone. Will you raise my son for me then?¡±


    It was indeed a crazy gamble to bet billions.


    ¡°No venture, no gain. There¡¯s always a risk in doing anything, it just depends on the size.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, A Yu said the same thing.¡± Zheng Qing eyed Ming Jing suspiciously.


    Ming Jing lowered her gaze, calmly sipping her tea.


    ¡°An Yang is temperamental, and you might need to put in some effort to sign him. I¡¯ll send you the script within three days; bring it with you when you approach him. Your chances of sess might be higher.¡±


    Distracted by Ming Jing¡¯s interruption, Zheng Qing stopped thinking about her previous question.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a director, how dare he be so arrogant with such a huge investment project?¡±


    ¡°Geniuses always have some quirks, let alone an entric one.¡±<div>


    ¡°By the way, speaking of Bo Yujiang, this woman demanded to see the script and wanted to meddle in the screenwriting work. I refused outright. She¡¯s obviously not an easy one to handle.¡±


    ¡°No need, let here.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow at her: ¡°You said so, I¡¯ll agree then.¡±


    Ever since seeing Bo Yujiangst time, she had been feeling uneasy, dreaming of A Yu several times and secretly investigating Bo Yujiang. However, the mysteries surrounding this person were simply too numerous. Her records before returning to the Bos were falsified, and Zheng Qing recognized a familiar touch in the process.<div>


    It was WT¡¯s method, and Bo Yujiang¡¯s background also had traces of WT. Things were getting moreplicated.


    Moreover, Bo Yujiang¡¯s face, which was surgically altered to resemble A Yu, might reveal the truth behind A Yu¡¯s death once the enigma around Bo Yujiang was unraveled.


    However, for the time being, it was best not to tell Ming Jing.


    Zheng Qing pulled open the drawer, took out a USB sh drive, and handed it to Ming Jing: ¡°The things you wanted are all in here.¡±¡±The situation in the Ran family isplicated, with numerous open and covert struggles, especially Ran Tengxiao, who is cunning and treacherous. You might think you¡¯ve deceived him, but you never know if he¡¯s actually ying along with your n. In any case, you should never let your guard down while you¡¯re in the Ran family. If anything seems wrong, be sure to contact me.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    With the joint statement from Director Yu Dawei and the me¡¯s crew, Ming Xin¡¯s identity as Lady Yu is nailed to the signboard, causing half doubt and half expectation from the outside world.


    The biggest highlight of Ming Xin is that she is Ming Jing¡¯s senior sister and the real daughter of the Zhus. In the words ofizens, her appearance and figure are not eye-catching in the entertainment industry. Ming Jing would have been more reliable than her senior sister if she had promoted herself, definitely outshining all the actresses in the entertainment industry. However, Ming Jing does not have such ambitions.


    Out of respect for Ming Jing, the public is willing to give Ming Xin a chance, maybe she has a talent for acting? After all, even Yu Dawei came forward to speak for her, and everyone has witnessed how hard his temper is and how unyielding he can be with the capital.


    While people were still questioning and expecting on one hand, the other side¡¯s hot search list had already exploded three times, and public attention was instantly drawn to the newer and more exciting news. Nobody cares about how good Ming Xin¡¯s acting is and whether she has the capital worth promoting.


    ¡ª¡ª Yamei Media¡¯srgest shareholder, Mr. Gong, exposed for illegal trading!


    ¡ª¡ª Xiao Wenwen, a habitual third-party home wrecker!


    ¡ª¡ª Xiao Wenwen pped by Mr. Gong¡¯s wife on set and shamefully fled!


    Xiao Wenwen can be considered a rising startely. Although she was previously in a vortex due to a subtle insinuation against Ming Jing on a show, and shamed by the love affair between her and the married man, after a period of low profile, she came back stronger. With much effort spent on marketing, her previous dark history was washed away and her reputation spruced up online, gradually regaining the momentum of a rising star.<div>


    However, not long after, her cover was blown again. This time, no amount of water army can help. The public will not forgive her again.


    And with the previous ck materials being dug up, there¡¯s no chance for her to turn things around.


    Later, a few more actors were exposed with scandals, and people were curious about what was going on today. Everyone was like jackals in a melon field¡­


    ¡°Again, you¡¯re going to such a messy ce, don¡¯t you have any sense of being an idol? If you don¡¯t want to be famous, just get lost.¡±


    Standing in front of Zheng Qing is a young man with a guitar on his back, giving off a cool street style vibe.


    Ming Xin pulled A Wen who just passed by and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    A Wen helplessly said, ¡°It¡¯s Dong Jiahe. He used to perform in bars, but Brother Qing told him to quit and focus on preparing for the audition show. Who would¡¯ve known that he¡¯d sneak there behind Brother Qing¡¯s back? That ce is too chaotic, and if he bes famous and gets exposed, it¡¯ll be a huge handicap.¡±


    Among the four neers signed by Brother Qing, Dong Jiahe was the most disobedient and was bound to cause trouble sooner orter.


    The young man¡¯s lips were pursed, and his stubbornness showed in his cold, determined eyes. ¡°Can I get my sry for one year in advance?¡±


    Zheng Qingughed incredulously, ¡°One year¡¯s sry? How bold of you to ask. What value have you brought me? Why should I advance you one year¡¯s sry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already written the song for the audition.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think your song will definitely be popr? Do you think you¡¯re the next Qu Feitai? Remember your identity; you¡¯re just a trainee now. If I catch you at a bar again, I¡¯ll terminate our contract, and you can live at the bar for all I care.¡±


    Zheng Qing left after dropping his ultimatum.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    The young man stood silently in ce, his lips tightly pursed.


    Zheng Qing mmed the door of his office and instructed Xiao Wen, ¡°Go find out if he¡¯s been in any trouble at the bartely.¡±


    That ce was a nest of dragons and snakes, gathering ce for all kinds of riffraffs. This kid was foolish and might be easily deceived.


    Xiao Wen replied efficiently, ¡°I¡¯ll investigate right away.¡±


    Zheng Qing loosened his cor, feeling annoyed.


    Ming Jing stood up, ¡°You should rest early, too. I¡¯m going back now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you downstairs and get some fresh air, none of these kids put my mind at ease.¡±


    Thinking of something, Zheng Qing¡¯s face showed a rare smile, ¡°Speaking of which, that young man you rmended, Yan Chen, is quite good. He has great potential. If Dong Jiahe doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯m thinking of promoting Yan Chen for the audition show.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    The elevator opened, and Ming Xin yawned and walked out first. Zheng Qinggged behind and lowered his voice to ask, ¡°I almost forgot to ask you, what¡¯s the deal between you and that Dr. Bo?¡±


    Ming Jing crooked her lips, ¡°Friends.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that simple? No other thoughts?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her usually gentle tone instantly sank, ¡°You can¡¯t joke about this.¡±<div>


    Zheng Qing found it a bit strange since she didn¡¯t react so much when he used to tease her about Ming Jing and Qu Feitai, or even Shen Zhou.

 Chapter 719: 370 Chessboard (First Update)

    Chapter 719: 370 Chessboard (First Update)


    Something unusual must indicate a hidden mystery. Could there be something going on between Ming Jing and Bo Yuxun?


    ¡°When did you be such a gossipmonger?¡± Ming Jing asked coolly.


    Zheng Qing touched his hair, which was heavily coated with hair wax, and shed what he thought was a charming smile.


    ¡°Have you forgotten what I do for a living? Digging up people¡¯s secrets is my specialty. No one in Jiangzhou can hide their affairs from my watchful eyes.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought you spent every night sleeping under other people¡¯s beds.¡± Ming Jing left a snarky remark and got into her car, leaving Zheng Qing behind.


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re finally capable of talking back. This mysterious Dr. Bo must be something special. I¡¯ll have to find a chance to meet him.¡± Zheng Qing stroked his chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Boss, we have news about Xue An.¡± A voice came over the earpiece.


    Zheng Qing turned around with a grin, but his eyes were icy cold.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°He wasst seen on Huai¡¯an Road in Jingzhou, getting into a ck Toyota sedan. The license te was fake and we couldn¡¯t find any information on the owner, but ording to the GPS system, the car was once within 50 meters of your location.¡±<div>


    Zheng Qing hooked up the corner of his mouth: ¡°I see. And where is Xue An now?¡±


    ¡°After that, he went to a stic surgery clinic in Jingzhou and disappeared without a trace.¡±


    ¡°Send me the location of that clinic.¡±


    It seemed that Xue An had undergone stic surgery.


    Night Hawk, what are you up to?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ming Jing, do you want toe in? My mother¡¯s not doing welltely, and thest incident hit her too hard.¡±


    The car stopped outside The Zhus¡¯ gate, and Ming Xin looked back at Ming Jing before getting out.


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°Let her take her medicine on time, and don¡¯t worry about grandma. I¡¯ll take care of her.¡±


    Ming Xin sighed, got out of the car, and walked into the Zhus¡¯ residence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Ming Jing instructed the driver.


    ¡°Your cousin is back.¡± Lin Ya, wearing an apron, peeked out from the kitchen and nced at Ming Xin¡¯s side.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your cousin Ming Jinge back with you?¡±


    ¡°She went back to The Rans.¡± Ming Xin rolled up her sleeves and walked into the kitchen: ¡°What are you cooking? Can I help?¡±


    ¡°Your aunt is not feeling well, so I¡¯m making her favorite shrimp wontons. This recipe is a secret passed down through the Lin family. Cousin, let me teach you because you¡¯re one of us.¡±


    Ming Xin smiled: ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°First, remove the veins from the shrimp. To pick the freshest shrimp, select those with a bluish-ck hue on their backs. After buying live shrimp, soak them in water with a little vinegar and baking soda to preserve their texture when cooking¡­¡±


    Lin Ya exined patiently, and Ming Xin listened attentively. Soon, their rtionship grew closer.


    ¡°By the way, I read that you¡¯re starring in Director Yu¡¯s new movie. Congrattions, you¡¯re going to be a Lady Yu now.¡±<div>


    ¡°Thank you, cousin. It was just a lucky coincidence.¡±


    ¡°The entertainment industry isplicated, and I was worried for you as a young girl. But with Ming Jing looking after you, no one would dare to bully you.¡± Lin Ya spoke sincerely. She had read manyments online, and bing a Lady Yu was no easy feat. Ming Jing must have worked hard behind the scenes for Ming Xin.


    Frankly speaking, Ming Xin was not exceptionally pretty or shapely. Ming Jing would be better suited to be a star.


    ¡°Junior is intelligent and capable, and I have much to learn from her. I¡¯ve just returned to Jiangzhou and essentially have no clue what¡¯s going on. Junior might not always have the time to help me, so I hope you can guide me on familial matters.¡±<div>


    Lin Ya replied helplessly: ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t be so formal. I only have my aunt and you as rtives. Your problems are mine, too. Just focus on your acting and trust that I¡¯ll take good care of your mother.¡±


    Ming Xin smiled: ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re so kind.¡±


    Lin Ya patted her hand: ¡°The wontons are done. Let¡¯s take them to your mother. She¡¯ll be so happy to see you.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Cousin, my mother has realized her mistake. Please let her out.¡± Zhao Qin pleaded bitterly, but Ran Tengxiao remained unmoved.


    Not until they heard Xiao Hua¡¯s excited voice from outside, announcing, ¡°Miss is back.¡±


    Zhao Qin immediately straightened up, wiped away the unshed tears, and put on the proud appearance befitting ady.

 Chapter 720: 370 Chessboard (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 720: 370 Chessboard (Second Update)_2


    However, Xiao Hua¡¯s mention of the term ¡°Miss¡± was like a resounding p on her face, making it burn hot.


    Ming Jing slowly approached, the brilliant lights couldn¡¯t match the girl¡¯s eyebrows for even half a moment.


    With a smile on her lips, she was as gentle as a spring breeze brushing one¡¯s face.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Ms. Zhao who hase. Xiao Hua, get the tea.¡±


    Xiao Hua secretly nced at Zhao Qin¡¯s expression, as expected, the temper could not be held on this miss¡¯s face, so herplexion changed instantly.


    Xiao Hua quickly went to brew the tea.


    When did she, Zhao Qin,ing back to the Rans¡¯ house be an outsider here?


    Zhao Qinughed in anger: ¡°What an impressive position, one would think you are the true master of this Ran family.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao blew away the foam on the tea, ignoring thement and watching from the sidelines.


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Am I not?¡±<div>


    ¡°You ¡­!¡± Zhao Qin pointed at her; ¡°Where do you ce my cousin? He is the true master of the Ran family. You are just a bastard child! What right do you have to order others around in the Ran family?¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly: ¡°Bastard? Ms. Zhao, did I hear that right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a bastard born to Ran Bowen and an unidentified woman. Do you really think you¡¯re a precious daughter?¡± Zhao Qin couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. It was infuriating and hateful to see Ming Jing so arrogant upon entering.


    Ming Jing smiled and looked at Ran Tengxiao: ¡°Nephew, did you hear that? Someone just called your little aunt a bastard.¡±


    ¡°p¡± Ran Tengxiao put the lid on the teacup, and Zhao Qin¡¯s heart trembled subconsciously.


    ¡°Cousin ¡­¡±


    ¡°Herst name is Ran, mine is also Ran. What is your surname?¡± Ran Tengxiao spoke lightly.


    Zhao Qin bit her lower lip tightly, ¡°Cousin, she¡¯s just a bastard, why do you need to be so ¡­¡±


    The teacup suddenly smashed at Zhao Qin¡¯s feet, sshing her foot with scalding tea. Zhao Qin was frightened and took a big step back.


    ¡°Your surname is Zhao. Please remember your identity. It¡¯s not your ce to order people around in the Ran family. Also, my little aunt is the daughter of my grandfather. If I hear those two words again, don¡¯t step into this house ever again.¡±


    ¡°Ye Jian, see the guests off.¡±


    Zhao Qin looked at Ran Tengxiao¡¯s indifferent face, her heart sinking to the bottom.


    ¡°Cousin, I was wrong.¡± She bowed her head awkwardly and admitted her mistake in time.


    ¡°The person you should be apologizing to is not me.¡±


    Zhao Qin clenched her teeth and turned to Ming Jing, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have called you a bastard. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Knowing one¡¯s wrong and making amends is the greatest virtue. Ms. Zhao, please have a seat.¡±


    Ming Jing sat down, Xiao Hua brought the tea over, and Ming Jing drank a sip, ¡°You are here for your mother, right?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhao Qin kept her face cold and remained silent.


    Ming Jing smiled and nced at Ran Tengxiao: ¡°Sister Qing must have realized her mistake by now. It¡¯s not right to always keep her locked away. In the past, she didn¡¯t know my identity, but now that she knows, she must be full of remorse. How about having her over for dinner this weekend? Since I came back, I haven¡¯t met all the people in the Ran family. By holding a family feast, we can all have a good time. What do you say?¡±<div>


    ¡°Since it¡¯s my little aunt¡¯s wish, let¡¯s do it that way.¡±


    There was no joy in Zhao Qin¡¯s heart, Ming Jing¡¯s words were clearly indicating the identity of the master of the Rans. Tomorrow¡¯s family feast would surely be a trap.


    Zhao Qin sat for a while before leaving, Xiao Hua showed her out, she turned back and red at Xiao Hua: ¡°Now you¡¯re listening to her words.¡±


    Xiao Hua helplessly smiled, ¡°I have no choice, she is, after all, the legitimate Miss of the Ran family, and Master Xiao personally brought her back.¡±<div>


    ¡°Humph, then you should grasp onto her leg tightly, and see how long she can be proud.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, be careful with your words.¡±


    Zhao Qin left irritably.


    Not until the car left the manor did Zhao Qin¡¯s face gradually calm down, as a cold smile appeared on her lips.


    Today¡¯s test has achieved its purpose.


    Her cousin did indeed indulge her.


    Buddha said: If you want to take something first, you must give it first.


    As for my cousin¡¯s chess game, let me give you a helping hand.


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Zhao Qin has been spoiled by Aunt Qing, and she has a bad temper. Don¡¯t take her words to heart. I¡¯ll have a word with herter.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t argue with a child.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s mouth twitched, looking at her calm and serene expression, he was at a loss for words.


    The child in your mouth is older than you.


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange the weekend family banquet properly. It¡¯s gettingte, so you should rest early, Aunt.¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao got up and walked into the study.


    Xiao Hua returned after seeing the guest off, and saw Ming Jing sitting alone in the living room, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll heat up the water, you can take a bath and have a good night¡¯s sleepter.¡±


    Ming Jing stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. How old are you this year?¡±


    ¡°Neen.¡±


    ¡°Where do you go to school?¡±


    Xiao Hua smiled and said, ¡°Jiangzhou University.¡±


    Everyone thought Xiao Hua was just the daughter of a butler in the Ran Family, but she was actually a top student at Jiangzhou University.


    ¡°When Missst went to Jiangzhou University for a lecture, I couldn¡¯t go because I had something to do with my club. It¡¯s really a pity.¡±


    ¡°What major are you studying?¡±


    ¡°Administrative Management. I¡¯m in my third year now. Miss, when I graduate, I can help you.¡± Xiao Hua¡¯s face was filled with an enthusiastic smile.


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded, ¡°In the future, you won¡¯t have to do these trivial things, you¡¯re not a servant of the Ran Family.¡±


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re too kind. But I¡¯m more than happy to do these things. If it weren¡¯t for Master Wen saving my father back then, I wouldn¡¯t be here today. Miss, you can rest, I¡¯ll go heat the water.¡±


    With that, she hopped up to the second floor.<div>


    Ming Jing sat and drank some tea. Butler Ran was loyal to Ran Bowen, but after Ran Bowen¡¯s death, he still firmly held his position as the butler, and Ran Tengxiao didn¡¯t touch him at all.


    This butler was not simple.


    ¡ª-


    After the New Year¡¯s Day holiday, the weather became colder and colder.


    The sky at seven o¡¯clock in the morning was covered with ayer of grayish fog, making it impossible to distinguish the directions of east, west, south, and north.


    Outside the house, it was freezing, but inside it was warm like spring.


    The crystal chandelier above cast brilliant rays of light, Ran Tengxiao took a sip of coffee and heard Xiao Hua call out, ¡°Miss, are you going to school today?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked up, his gaze suddenly fixed.


    He was used to seeing her in a white dress, this was the first time he had seen her in a school uniform.


    The school uniform of Shengde High School was famous nationwide, fashionable in design, and highlighted the youthful beauty of a girl.


    Slowly walking down the stairs, those straight and slender legs were really eye-catching.


    Her hair was like the finest ink, ck and glossy, tied up in a bun on her head, revealing a full and smooth forehead. The fine soft hair at the hairline framed her face shape well, making people exim that even her hair was just perfect.


    It appeared to be her own hair, with no signs of any wig.<div>


    If it weren¡¯t for those deep, ck eyes, he might not have recognized her. Stepping out, she was a young and beautiful girl.


    Ran Tengxiao frowned as he watched her, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±


    Is the principal of Shengde High School sick? In such cold weather, students dress like this ¨C they are going to school, not a fashion show.


    Xiao Hua covered her mouth and snickered, Master Xiao¡¯s appearance was really funny, asking Miss if she was cold, obviously a straight man¡¯s thinking.


    Ming Jing sat down across from Ran Tengxiao, and as the servants served breakfast, she took a sip of water to moisten her throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    ¡°Not eptable.¡± Ran Tengxiao ordered Xiao Hua, ¡°Get her a coat, no, a down jacket.¡±


    Xiao Hua nced at Ming Jing and ran up the stairs quickly.


    Ming Jing calmly ate her breakfast.


    Ran Tengxiao almost forgot that his young aunt was still a high school student.

 Chapter 721: 371 Climbing (Second Revision)

    Chapter 721: 371 Climbing (Second Revision)


    Soon, Xiao Hua brought down a white long down jacket, and Ming Jing finished breakfast.


    She put on the down jacket, picked up her backpack, and left.


    Ran Tengxiao stood up and took the coat from the servant: ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nced at her, ¡°Are you this polite at the Zhu¡¯s house too?¡±


    ¡°Is Master Xiao always this nice to everyone?¡±


    A faint retort choked Ran Tengxiao for a moment.


    The man snorted: ¡°Except for you.¡±


    It turns out she also has a sharp-tongued side.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s car is a luxurious business sedan, big and spacious, low-key yetvish.<div>


    After Ming Jing got in the car, Ran Tengxiao followed and ordered the driver, ¡°Drive to Shengde High School.¡±


    The atmosphere in the car was particrly silent, and the driver hardly dared to breathe.


    Ran Tengxiao ced his fingers on his knee and tapped lightly, ¡°At the banquet that day, didn¡¯t you think Qu Feitai¡¯s reaction was a bit exaggerated when he learned that you were the granddaughter of my grandfather?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips: ¡°My grandfather once went to Jingzhou to catch Ji Chang¡¯s son but caught a runaway boy by mistake due to incorrect intelligence. Do you know who this boy is?¡±


    Ming Jing looked sideways at the hazy scenery outside the window, her eyes reflecting a misty hue.


    ¡°Xi Yu must have told you already. That person was Qu Feitai, the real identity of the young master of the Qu family. In other words, at the scene of my grandfather¡¯s death, aside from Yu Jiang, there was also Qu Feitai.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the guy had such a strong reaction. So there is such a deep connection between you two. He must hate our Ran family to the marrow of his bones.¡± Ran Tengxiao sighed.


    ¡°He made a big fuss trying to pursue you before, but I thought he was nice; but he still wasn¡¯t good enough for you. It¡¯s better this way; his thoughts arepletely severed.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked at her and said with a mock smile, ¡°You didn¡¯t fall for that boy, did you?¡±


    ¡°If you have free time, open Weibo. It¡¯s full of celebrity gossip to satisfy your curiosity.¡±


    ¡°Stop the car.¡±


    The driver hurriedly hit the brakes.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost at the school. I¡¯ll walk the rest of the way. You can go back.¡± Ming Jing pushed open the car door, got out, and left with her backpack.


    Ran Tengxiao lowered the car window, watching the girl¡¯s figure gradually moving away, and hooked his lips.


    ¡°Her temper is quite big. It seems you really have something special for that boy.¡±


    The moment Ming Jing entered the campus, it caused a sensation in the school.


    After the sulfuric acid incident, she had never appeared in the school again; followed by the surprising twists and turns at the Zhu family¡¯s birthday party.


    With a three-day holiday, everyone ate their fill of gossip.<div>


    Only a few days had passed, but seeing Ming Jing again felt like looking at a long lost person.


    Everybody looked at her with a reverence mixed withplexity; full of regret and sorrow.


    A beautiful woman could be so pitiful.


    No matter how powerful the Ran family was, they were still not considered an upstanding family.<div>


    After learning of the evil deeds Ran Bowen hadmitted, their view of Ming Jing worsened.


    Even Zhao Qin, an outsider rted by the Rans, could be so arrogant, and the Rans¡¯ legitimate daughter could probably tear down the school, and no one would dare toin.


    Before, people used to joke around and greet Ming Jing, but now, as they walked, everyone looked down when they saw her, and after she passed, gathered in groups to whisper behind her back.


    Ming Jing ignored them, walked into the ssroom, and sat down.


    Song Yinzhang nced at her, his expression somewhatplex: ¡°Has Xiao Fei contacted you?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    Song Yinzhang sighed, ¡°I called him several times, but no one answered, and then the phone was turned off. I¡¯m really scared something happened to him. That day he was in such a terrible state; I¡¯ve never seen Xiao Fei so out of control.¡±


    In fact, Song Yinzhang had a feeling that Xiao Fei¡¯s kidnapping back then had something to do with Ran Bowen, and he wondered what kind of evil fatey between him and Ming Jing.


    ¡°The Qu family will take care of him.¡±


    Ming Jing took out her textbook and began to preview the English vocabry words for the next ss.


    Song Yinzhang looked at her, wanting to ask her what Xiao Fei meant to her.


    After some thought, he still kept silent in the end.In the end, Xiao Fei¡¯s wishes were in vain.


    At the school cafeteria during lunchtime.<div>


    Li Jiaojiao found Zhao Qin, ¡°I heard she¡¯s already back at the Ran family, is Master Xiao really going to ept her?¡±


    Zhao Qin snorted, ¡°I¡¯m not the worm in my cousin¡¯s belly, how would I know?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao looked worried, ¡°I used to talk trash about her a lot. Will she get back at me?¡±


    Zhao Qin nced at her, ¡°Look at you, scared like that. Can she hit you or what?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Qin, you have to cover for me. You two are rtives at least, she might give you some face.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Qin¡¯s face darkened as she nced at her disdainfully, ¡°Rtives?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d said the wrong thing and kept talking, ¡°I heard from my mom that Ran Bowen is Ming Jing¡¯s real father. The things he did in the past were quite eye-opening. As his daughter, she must be quite something. I used to be ignorant of her worth, but now I know my mistake¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhao Qin mmed her chopsticks down, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Li Jiaojiao was dumbfounded, ¡°Zhao Qin¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhao Qin took a deep breath, ¡°Why are you afraid of her? My cousin taking her back is just a temporary solution. She won¡¯t be arrogant for long.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao hesitated, ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±


    Zhao Qin picked up her chopsticks again, sneered, ¡°Just wait and see, the real drama is yet toe.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao seemed to understand something from her words. She wasn¡¯t stupid after all.<div>


    Master Xiao and Ming Jing weren¡¯t in the same camp ¨C there couldn¡¯t be two masters on one mountain.


    ¡°What if she climbs up to the high gates of Jingzhou?¡± Li Jiaojiao asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? The news of her having dinner with Dr. Bo came out the day before yesterday. There are even photos from the scene. This Dr. Bo is the young master of the Bo family in Jingzhou. His motheres from the century-old schrly aristocratic Murong family in Jingzhou, and his father has countless honors. There¡¯s no other family in Jingzhou that couldpete. If the Bos be her backing, then things will be very unfavorable.¡±


    Zhao Qin frowned, disdainful, ¡°Would a family like the Bos be interested in her? What a joke.¡±


    There were so many rules in high society, everything was about being well-matched. Ming Jing was Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter, and no one in Jiangzhou would want her, let alone Jingzhou.


    What a daydream!


    ¡°Maybe not, given her looks and means. Can you really be sure you can stop her if she¡¯s determined?¡±


    It was true.


    Ming Jing had outstanding looks, temperament, intelligence, and wits. If she really wanted to do something, who could stop her?


    Zhao Qin asked, ¡°Dr. Bo hasn¡¯t returned to Jingzhou yet?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s still staying in Jiangzhou. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of Ming Jing.¡±


    Zhao Qin scoffed, ¡°Someone as renowned as him must be incredibly busy. Why does he have so much free time?¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡¯m not the worm in Dr. Bo¡¯s belly, how would I know? Anyway¡­¡± Li Jiaojiao nced around and lowered her voice, ¡°Granny Gao was hospitalized yesterday, and I heard Madam Gao met Dr. Bo at the hospital. She begged him to oversee Granny Gao¡¯s operation, and he actually agreed. Now the Gaos have a connection with him. They¡¯re going all out.¡±


    ¡°Gao Jia?¡± Zhao Qin sneered.


    ¡°Wishful thinking for a toad to eat swan meat.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Zhao Qin shot her a nce, ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t you have any ideas?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s face turned red, and she looked shy, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re unsettled with all the excitement in Jiangzhou. You think you can remain calm? You brought up Dr. Bo yourself. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao giggled, ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from Zhao Qin. If someone is going to benefit from it, I might as well benefit myself, right?¡±


    ¡°But Bo Yuxun is almost forty, while you¡¯re in the prime of your youth. Is it worth it?¡±


    ¡°For anyone else, it wouldn¡¯t be. But for Dr. Bo, it¡¯s more than worth it.¡± Li Jiaojiao had collected a lot of information about Dr. Bo in the past few days. The more she looked, the more infatuated she became.


    Compared to Jiang Jinchen and Qu Feitai, these young men were too immature. Mature men had the most appeal.


    Zhao Qin rolled her eyes, ¡°How do you want me to help you?¡±


    Li Jiaojiao whispered a few words in her ear, ¡°We have to act fast. If we wait for him to return to Jingzhou, it¡¯ll be toote.¡±


    Zhao Qin looked at her in surprise, ¡°You¡¯ve got guts.¡±


    ¡°No pain, no gain. In this situation, I have to strike first.¡±


    Li Jiaojiao¡¯s gaze caught Ming Jing walking in the cafeteria, and she smirked.

 Chapter 722: 372 Face off (first watch of the night)

    Chapter 722: 372 Face off (first watch of the night)


    Tao Xingxing had gone abroad, and Ming Jing was left on her own.


    Without her constant chatter, it took some getting used to.


    The cafeteria had been lively as usual, but the moment she came in, it was as if someone turned on a mute button ¨C the ce became silent instantly.


    The cafeteria, capable of holding a thousand people, was now utterly quiet.


    Everyone looked at her and then subconsciously nced at Zhao Qin.


    How should their rtionship be sorted out?


    Zhao Qin¡¯s mother was Ming Jing¡¯s cousin, so shouldn¡¯t Zhao Qin call her aunt?


    It was an incredible thought.


    The Rans¡¯ rtionships were truly a mess.


    Ming Jing ordered a meal and found an empty seat to sit down and eat quietly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    After a while, people found it boring to watch her. She seemed so calm, making the onlookers feel like monkeys in a zoo.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go say hello to your little aunt?¡± Li Jiaojiao joked, realizing it wasn¡¯t appropriate right after saying it, she coughed to cover it up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything just now.¡±


    Zhao Qin¡¯s eyes were gloomy as she asked, ¡°Where is Zhu Xiangxiang?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it seems like she disappeared after the banquet at the Zhus¡¯ house. I guess she¡¯s too embarrassed to show her face. It¡¯s already good that the Zhus didn¡¯t sue her.¡± Li Jiaojiao said with disdain.


    She and Zhu Xiangxiang were old enemies. Comparatively, Zhu Xiangxiang¡¯s misfortune brought her more joy.


    ¡°I heard her biological mother¡¯s family has a bunch of problems ¨C a younger brother with leukemia and a troublesome stepfather. She has nothing left once she¡¯s away from the Zhus.¡± She even had a lot of debts.


    Zhao Qin asked, ¡°What about Ming Xin?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of her, she¡¯s an interesting character. She¡¯s now Lady Yu, the actress. You know Yu Dawei, right? Ming Xin has no idea about her ce in the world, daring to join the entertainment industry with such a in face. Ming Jing must¡¯ve spent a fortune to appease this senior sister of hers.¡±


    Ever since Ming Xin was revealed to be Lady Yu, various conspiracy theories emerged.


    The main reason was that she didn¡¯t look like an entertainer.


    There was also the truth behind the ¡®real rich girl¡¯ issue. No matter how good the sisterhood seemed, it couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure of public opinion.


    Zhao Qin hooked her lips, ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    There was a big ss in the morning, and Lin Ya hurried back to the dormitory to change her clothes, with breakfast for her roommates in hand.


    Since everyone was always rushing into the ssroom at thest minute and never had breakfast, Lin Ya would asionally buy breakfast for her roommates when she had time.


    As she approached the door, she suddenly heard her name from inside, and her hand on the door handle paused.


    ¡°No wonder Ming Jing helped herst time, turns out she¡¯s Ming Jing¡¯s cousin. Pretending to be so poor all the time, anyone who believes that is a fool.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s earned so much sympathy through this act, hogging all the schrships and grants. Isn¡¯t the Zhu family¡¯s money enough for her to spend?¡±<div>


    ¡°Hey, you guys are going too far. Xiao Ya has helped you a lot, and you¡¯re badmouthing her behind her back. Have you no shame?¡±


    ¡°The flunkies of the department¡¯s belle are really dedicated. Do you really think you can cling to the Zhu family¡¯s legs? Why don¡¯t you take a look in the mirror at yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­¡± Li Jiawen rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight.


    At that moment, the dormitory door was suddenly pushed open. Everyone looked at each other as they saw who had entered, and the atmosphere grew awkward.<div>


    Lin Ya walked in expressionlessly and handed the breakfast to Li Jiawen, ¡°Hurry up and eat, then we can go to ss.¡±


    Li Jiawen opened her mouth, ¡°Xiao Ya¡­¡±


    Lin Ya went to open her wardrobe and found her clothes had been rummaged through. There was an oil stain on a white down jacket, clearly worn by someone.


    ¡°Who touched my clothes?¡±


    No one responded. Those who were putting on makeup continued, and those who werebing their hair kept at it.


    Li Jiawen pointed at the girl applying makeup, ¡°It was Xu Lin. She wore your clothes on a date with a guy the other day, and I caught her.¡±


    Xu Lin¡¯s face changed, ¡°When did I ever steal someone else¡¯s clothes? Why are you ndering me? Plus, Lin Ya¡¯s clothes are all cheap stuff from the streets. Do you think I would like them? What a joke.¡±


    Lin Ya touched the down jacket, ¡°This jacket was my 16th birthday gift from my mom, I¡¯ve never dared to wear it.¡±


    Although the down jacket wasn¡¯t a big brand, it looked really nice, matched herplexion, and had a fashionable and ssic design. Xu Lin had asked where she bought it the first time she wore it.


    Xu Lin sneered.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re Madam Zhu¡¯s niece, Ming Jing¡¯s cousin. Would you care about a down jacket?¡±


    ¡°Apologize.¡± Lin Ya said in a deep voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said it wasn¡¯t me. Why are you so insistent on ming me¡­¡±<div>

 Chapter 723: 372 Pairing off (First watch of the night)_2

    Chapter 723: 372 Pairing off (First watch of the night)_2


    Lin Ya picked up the scissors from the pen holder and took out one of the wool coats from Xu Lin¡¯s wardrobe. She then snipped off part of the sleeve.


    Xu Lin couldn¡¯t stop it in time, her entire body trembled angrily, her face blushing, ¡°Lin Ya, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    This was her favorite coat, identical to Ming Jing¡¯s. It had taken her a month of scrimping to buy. Now, she had to watch as a hole was cut into her beloved coat right before her eyes.


    Xu Lin¡¯s eyes turned red, she had murderous intentions towards Lin Ya.


    Lin Ya spoke lightly: ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to. It¡¯s just a coat, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t look so heartbroken. Your family runs a business, right? A coat won¡¯t break your bank.¡±


    Grinding her teeth in anger, Xu Lin retorted: ¡°Lin Ya, you think you¡¯re invincible now that you¡¯re clinging to the Zhu family?¡±


    Lin Yaughed: ¡°I never said that, but if that¡¯s what you all believe, then I suppose you¡¯re not entirely wrong. Madam Zhu is my aunt and Ming Jing is my cousin. I never mentioned this before because I didn¡¯t think it was necessary, and none of you ever asked me. But now that you know, stop creating unnecessary drama. You wouldn¡¯t want the shoe to be on the other foot.¡±


    Saying this, Lin Ya picked up some clothes from the wardrobe and walked into the bathroom.


    Leaving everyone stunned, Xu Lin¡¯s face turned into an ugly shade of green.


    After changing her clothes, Lin Ya packed her down jacket to have it cleaned at a dry cleaner¡¯s after ss.<div>


    ¡°Xiao Ya, you¡¯re really something. You should have seen Xu Lin¡¯s face. She was so mad, served her right.¡±


    Lin Ya walked hurriedly into the lecture hall hugging her textbooks. Everyone¡¯s gaze changed when they saw her.


    Lin Ya found an empty seat and sat down, ¡°Let¡¯s not mention her anymore. Professor Li is about to arrive, and Ipletely forgot about the extra homework.¡±


    Lin Ya bent over quickly to catch up on the work. Professor Li was quite strict, getting caught by him meant social death.


    The Computer Department was mainly male, especially in the big sses, several sses together made for a significant gender imbnce.


    Looking around, it was truly a case of her being the only rose among the greens.


    ¡°Your drawing is wrong. Professor Li just covered itst lesson. If he catches you making such a basic mistake, you can say goodbye to getting highest honors this term.¡±


    A teasing voice sounded overhead. Lin Ya paused, and looked up.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    Charles Gao raised an eyebrow: ¡°Surprised?¡±


    Lin Ya pursed her lips.


    At that moment, Professor Li entered the room with his lecture notes under his arm.


    The first thing he did upon entering was to collect the homework.


    Lin Ya turned pale. Just then, her drawing was snatched away. Charles Gao waved his own drawing and grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll help you this time, but you owe me a treat.¡±


    Lin Ya watched in astonishment as Charles Gao added her name to his drawing and handed it in.


    Li Jiawen nudged her secretly and whispered, ¡°Charles Gao must be into you. You should seize this opportunity.¡±


    Lin Ya nced at Jiang Jinchen in front of her and said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    Just as expected, Charles Gao was scolded harshly by Professor Li, facing social death in front of the whole faculty.


    Lin Ya thought to herself ¡®What if that were her?¡¯¡­ Just thinking about it made her scalp go numb. Her sense of gratitude towards Charles Gao grew a little.<div>


    By the end of the lesson, it was lunchtime. Everyone rushed to the canteen, leaving the ssroom empty.


    Charles Gao said with a mischievous smile, ¡°I did you a huge favor, it wouldn¡¯t be too much to ask for a meal in return, right?¡±


    Lin Ya nodded, ¡°What do you want to eat? It¡¯s on me.¡±Charles Gao suggested, ¡°Order some ramen. Thest time Ming Jing came, she seemed to enjoy it.¡±


    The corner of Lin Ya¡¯s mouth twitched. A bowl of ramen only costs five yuan. Charles Gao certainly knew how to save money.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s likely to be crowded now. Wait for me at the entrance of the canteen. I¡¯ll drop my clothes off at the dry-cleaners and be back shortly.¡±


    Charles Gao replied with a beaming smile, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    Jiang Jinchen picked up his school bag and left without ncing at Charles Gao.


    Lin Ya nced at Jiang Jinchen, ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, I¡¯ll go to the dry-cleaners with you.¡±


    Li Jiawen had already silently sneaked off. It¡¯s known that being a third wheel invites cmity.


    The two of them strolled through the campus. It was the peak hour after ss and the paths were filled with students. Seeing the two of them walking together, many looked on in surprise.


    Both of them were campus celebrities, especially Lin Ya who had just been revealed on the campus forum as the niece of the Zhus and Ming Jing¡¯s cousin. This information had shocked the entire school who marvelled at Lin Ya¡¯s ability to keep secrets. To everyone¡¯s surprise, she was now with Charles Gao.


    Charles Gao was the son of Gao Group, a wealthy second-generation heir, incredibly handsome, and only second to Jiang Jinchen in poprity on campus. Plenty of girls admired him.


    ¡°I was surprised when I saw you at the Zhu¡¯s banquet, I didn¡¯t expect you to be Madam Zhu¡¯s niece.¡±


    Lin Ya replied nonchntly, ¡°Aunt and I haven¡¯t met for a long time. It¡¯s not that I deliberately hid it, it just didn¡¯t seem necessary.¡±


    Charles Gao looked at her and chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re right. Most people respect the powerful and despise the weak. With the support of the Zhus, you can avoid many troubles in the future.¡±


    ¡°By the way, have you seen Ming Jing recently?¡±<div>


    Lin Ya shook her head, ¡°No, she¡¯s already returned to the Rans.¡±


    Charles Gao sighed, ¡°Who would have imagined Ming Jing was actually Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Big sister, that Lin Ya is starting to show off just because she¡¯s the niece of the Zhus. You must teach her a lesson¡­ What¡¯s so great about the Zhus¡­¡±


    Liu Ying, annoyed by the nagging, responded, ¡°If Lin Ya is the niece of the Zhus, what¡¯s that got to do with me? If you¡¯re really that free, go find new members. Look at our drama club, it¡¯s dying out. Meanwhile, the photography and art clubs next door are thriving. As the president, I¡¯m worried.¡±


    Xu Lin retorted, ¡°Thest time we recruited, you chose her. She didn¡¯t give you any face and she doesn¡¯t even take you, the club president, seriously.¡±


    Liu Yingughed, ¡°Listen, dear, you don¡¯t need to stir up trouble here. You said she¡¯s the niece of the Zhus. Would I dare provoke her? Even if she ps me in the face, I wouldn¡¯t dare. Her cousin is Ming Jing, the youngdy of the Rans. Xu Lin, haven¡¯t I treated you well? Why are you trying to set me up?¡±


    Xu Lin¡¯s face flushed at being exposed.


    Liu Ying turned her head and immediately smiled upon seeing someone approaching, ¡°Xiao Hua, we haven¡¯t seen you in ages! Come join us, our drama club needs you!¡±


    Xu Lin saw a girl of a sweet disposition approaching, her face lighting up with two dimples when she smiled, giving her an incredibly adorable look.


    She has never met this person before.


    The girl nced at Xu Lin with a smirk, ¡°I heard you were discussing our Miss? What, has our Miss upset you?¡±


    Liu Ying quickly waved her hands, ¡°Oh no, we wouldn¡¯t dare. We were just making a joke.¡±<div>


    The girl¡¯s eyebrows slightly lifted. For some reason, Xu Lin¡¯s heart missed a beat. The girl had an aura of unspoken authority about her.


    ¡°Even our Miss is not spared from your idle jokes, you guys really have a lot of free time.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Ying managed an uneasyugh, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because Lin Ya, that niece of the Zhus, somehow offended my junior here, who has been ranting to me about it. They¡¯re all kids and inevitably hot-blooded. Xiao Hua, don¡¯t take it to heart. It¡¯s absolutely not about going against your Miss.¡±


    Xiao Hua startedughing, ¡°You¡¯re referring to Lin Ya? The ¡®campus belle¡¯ of theputer science department, right? Though our Miss has no blood ties with the Zhus, Madam Zhu acknowledges her. Naturally, the niece of the Zhus would be our Miss¡¯s cousin. So, junior, could you exin to me how our Miss¡¯s cousin has offended you?¡±

 Chapter 724: 373 Magazine (Second update)

    Chapter 724: 373 Magazine (Second update)


    The youngdy in front of her had a lovely and well-behaved face, and even her tone seemed extra sweet and gentle. But when she silently looked at you, Xu Lin felt a chill run down her spine.


    She keeps addressing her as ¡®our young miss¡¯, could she be from the Ran family?


    Xu Lin turned pale with fear, ¡°No¡­nothing, just a minor disagreement, no need to trouble Ms. Ran.¡±


    Xiao Hua cheerfully said, ¡°That¡¯s good. I remember Lin Ya as a good student with both excellent academic and moral conduct, she definitely wouldn¡¯t purposely give you a hard time.¡±


    What she was insinuating was, it is clearly you who are small-minded.


    Xu Lin nodded in agreement.


    Xiao Hua nced around, ¡°It¡¯s been so long, the drama society has be so dested, it¡¯s heartbreaking.¡±


    Liu Ying sighed, ¡°Our drama society isn¡¯t really popr, the rehearsals are hard and tiring, no one really likes toe. But it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re back, Xiao Hua. You are the drama society¡¯s icon.¡±


    Xiao Hua took off her coat, ¡°Give me the member list and the script.¡±


    Liu Ying hurriedly handed them to her.<div>


    Xiao Hua went to sit down on a chair beside and attentively read through them.


    Xu Lin secretly asked Liu Ying, ¡°Is she from the Ran family?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of Butler Ran. Be careful what you say, don¡¯t implicate me.¡±


    Xu Lin curled her lip, ¡°So she¡¯s just a butler¡¯s daughter.¡± She thought she was the youngdy of the Ran family.


    But if she were the youngdy of the Ran family, she wouldn¡¯t be constantly addressing her as ¡®our young miss¡¯.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    So, she¡¯s just a servant from the Ran family.


    Liu Ying noticed the disdain on her face, opened her mouth to say something, but eventually kept quiet.


    Some people are just asking for trouble, and there¡¯s no stopping them.


    After finishing reading, Xiao Hua sighed, ¡°It seems our drama society needs a makeover.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Ming Jing, do you know how infuriating An Yang, that old fox, is? He actually declined my invitation. Who does he think he is? How dare he act so arrogant in front of me.¡±


    Through the phone, Ming Jing could tell how furious Zheng Qing was.


    ¡°Did you bring the script to his doorstep?¡±


    ¡°As soon as he heard that it¡¯s a smallpany, he refused to see me. These directors, are their souls made of stone? Or are they stones from a cesspool, stinky and hard, I¡¯ve never been so humiliated.¡±p>


    Ming Jing chuckled, ¡°Just wait, soon he will contact you himself.¡±


    ¡°You have a solution?¡±


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    The next day was the photo shoot for Wind Chime Magazine. Ming Jing didn¡¯t want to miss school, so she made arrangements with the photo shoot team to get the pictures taken during lunch and the naptime session. They had no reason to refuse.


    The shoot was in a photography studio in Jiangzhou. When Ming Jing arrived, the setup wasplete.<div>


    The photographer was renowned in the industry, having shot countless A-list stars. Under his lens, these stars had achieved the pinnacle of their performing career. He was not only well-known but also highly sought-after in the industry.


    The photographer was a young and handsome man, fashionable. He had beenzily leaning against the wall ying with his camera but straightened up upon seeing Ming Jing.


    A young woman approached, ¡°Hello Ms. Ming Jing. I am Xiao Wang, the assistant editor-in-chief of Wind Chime Magazine. Our theme for today¡¯s shoot is ¡®Man and Nature¡¯. The shooting proposal has already been sent to your assistant, and if you have any objections we can continue to discuss it.¡±


    Ming Jing took the tablet from Tao Xianxian¡¯s hand, ¡°Your concept is good, but the style is a bit rigid. Nature epts everything, it¡¯s not about being conventional or sticking to norms. My makeup artist will handle the style, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±<div>


    Xiao Wang was startled, ¡°This¡­ alright.¡±


    When the magazine invited Ming Jing, she was Ms. Zhu. Now she¡¯s Ms. Ran, whatever Ms. Ran did was right, whatever she said was right. If you can¡¯t afford to offend, then avoid.


    Ming Jing turned to the photographer who had been staring at her, ¡°You must be the photographer Xie Jiang. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. About the shoot, I have some ideas I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡±


    If stars were too opinionated during a photo shoot, advising the photographer and makeup artists, it was considered a grave taboo in the industry.


    But she was not just any star, even if they changed the photographer, no one darein.


    The named Xie Jiang cheerfully approached, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, the honor is mine.¡±


    Such symmetry, such a full skull, absolutely perfect.


    He had shot so many female stars, none had such perfect features and temperament. She was born for the camera.


    Xie Jiang rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He could foresee this would be the pinnacle of his career.


    After a few words, Xie Jiang was stunned. She knew her stuff, discussing angles of light and shadow andposition with him. Xie Jiang started wondering whether he had wasted his past years not knowing as much about photography as this teenage girl.


    ¡°I appreciate your efforts, Mr. Photographer.¡±


    Ming Jing gave Tao Xianxian a nce, and Tao Xianxian made a phone call. Soon, a group of people entered and started to set up in an orderly fashion.


    Xiao Wang, Xie Jiang, and the rest of the staff were dumbfounded.<div>


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Excuse me while I get my makeup done, please wait.¡± After that, she turned around and boarded a mobile home parked nearby.


    Xiao Wang gulped, ¡°Is this the style of a real heiress? So extravagant.¡±


    Xie Jiang chuckled, ¡°This is striving for perfection. The proposal by your magazine didn¡¯t meet thedy¡¯s standard, so she had to do it herself. This attitude, I like it.¡±


    In the mobile home, Zheng Qing was holding a makeup brush, excitedly rubbing her hands together, ¡°Finally, I can put my skills to use.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 725: 374 Spiritual

    Chapter 725: 374 Spiritual


    Xiao Wang nced at his watch from time to time: ¡°It¡¯s been more than half an hour. Is Ms. Ran ready yet?¡±


    They would have to ept whatever the cover photo session produced this time.


    Fortunately, Ms. Ran was currently very popr and highly talked about, even more so than top-tier celebrities. The editor had put in a lot of effort to schedule her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But Ms. Ran was not like an ordinary celebrity; she had her own team and was not to be trifled with.


    Xie Jiang adjusted the camera andughed, ¡°Don¡¯t rush. It¡¯s not that simple to do a makeover, especially for someone of her status.¡±


    The set was almost ready, with blue skies, white clouds and vibrant flowers, like an instant return to spring¡¯s warm and blooming days. The clusters of flowers were stunningly beautiful.


    Xie Jiang eximed, ¡°These are all real flowers.¡±


    Where could you get so many real flowers at this time of year?


    Ming Jing¡¯s assistant brought over a cage covered with a cloth, looking quite mysterious.


    Xie Jiang asked, ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡±<div>


    Tao Xianxian smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll see soon.¡±


    The more she said that, the more curious Xie Jiang became.


    Suddenly, Xiao Wang eximed, ¡°How beautiful.¡±


    Xie Jiang turned his head to look at the entrance. In the foggy winter weather, a girl dressed in vibrant flowers, with clouds like silk, slowly walked over, as if a fairying from a mythical world.


    Her ck hair was styled in a delicate braid, adorned with a few fresh and simple flowers on the side, making her neck look even more slender and her skin as white as snow.


    As she approached, Xie Jiang held his breath, fearing that even breathing might disturb the fairy in front of him.


    Is this Ming Jing?


    When Ming Jing appeared in front of the camera, she usually didn¡¯t wear makeup. A young girl¡¯s face full of cogen didn¡¯t need any cosmetics; makeup would only be a burden.


    But the girl in front of him had light blue eyeshadow that made her eyes as wide as the sea, clear blue and able to embrace everything. People were rendered speechless, lost in those mysterious eyes.


    Her red lips were like the peony at its most beautiful bloom, unrivaled and as fragrant as a national treasure.


    A vine stretched from her corbone to her right ear, like the handiwork of a divine artist, creating a perfect and stunningly beautiful atmosphere on her fair skin.


    A light blue water lily adorned the girl¡¯s brow; the pure nature of the lotus, untainted by the mud it grows from. It subdued her lip color, creating a fairy-like appearance with an icy jade-like texture, as if she had just walked out of a mythical world.


    Such ultimate beauty, purity, and seduction were interwoven like ice, fire, summer, and winter, making her seem like a goddess high above the mortal world, sacred and untouchable.


    It took Xie Jiang a while to find his voice, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing? Is that you?¡±


    He was afraid that speaking louder would disturb the goddess in front of him.


    This goddess was not like any other.


    The young girl smiled slightly, ¡°Mr. Xie.¡±


    When she smiled, Xie Jiang felt as if all the flowers in the world had bloomed.


    ¡°Your makeup is truly amazing,¡± Xie Jiang sincerely praised.<div>


    The theme of this issue was the rtionship between humans and nature, and Ming Jing¡¯s floral goddess look fit the theme perfectly, far surpassing the magazine¡¯s proposals.


    Ming Jing walked into the flower-filled photography studio, and without even striking a pose, she was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Tao Xianxian removed the cloth from the cage, revealing several butterflies inside. She opened the cage, and the butterflies eagerly flew out.


    Xiao Wang eximed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s actually butterflies.¡±<div>


    It was impressive to see butterflies in the winter.


    Tao Xianxian exined, ¡°These are artificially bred butterflies. We have to return them after the shoot.¡±


    Under these conditions, it would not be suitable for the butterflies to survive.


    The butterflies fluttered their wings for a moment, then flew straight towards Ming Jing. Onended on the fresh flower in Ming Jing¡¯s hair, while another settled onto the vine on Ming Jing¡¯s corbone.


    The young girl extended her slender fingers, and a butterfly perched on her pale fingertip. Light cascaded from above, casting shadows on her eyebrows, the corners of her eyes, and on the butterfly on her fingertip.


    The holy goddess smiled gently, like a deity who embraced all creatures. Even a humble butterfly was a spirit in its own right.


    Xie Jiang excitedly pressed the shutter, his eyes filled with eagerness and passion, constantly changing angles, never pausing his shutter finger.


    Under the lens, a series of stunning photographs came to life.


    ¡ª


    After the photo shoot, Ming Jing picked up the cage, and the butterflies seemed to obey hermand. They entered the cage one by one, following her fingers.


    Xiao Wang watched this scene, his face full of wonder, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, how do these butterflies listen to you so well?¡±


    Ming Jing closed the cage and smiled, ¡°All creatures have spirits. They know that I won¡¯t hurt them.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 726: 374 Spiritual_2

    Chapter 726: 374 Spiritual_2


    At this moment, the crouching girl was so gently beautiful that it was unbelievable. Being close to her, Xiao Wang felt her kindness, and his heart was filled with an indescribable sense of being touched.


    Seeing was indeed believing. No matter how many rumors one heard, they couldn¡¯tpare to witnessing things with one¡¯s own eyes and experiencing them deeply.


    Indeed, all things were sentient; people could lie, but animals wouldn¡¯t. A person could pretend or act to be good, but they couldn¡¯t deceive the eyes of animals.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, you¡¯ve truly opened my eyes today,¡± he said.


    Ming Jing covered the cage with cloth, handed it to Tao Xianxian, and stood up, saying, ¡°Will Director An Yang be at the fashion event on the 12th?¡±


    The fashion g was organized by Wind Chime Magazine. There were many year-end events, with celebrities often rushing around, but as an industry benchmark, Wind Chime Magazine always set the trend, with many big names, first-line stars, and international supermodels attending, making it the highest-profile event in the entertainment industry.


    Xiao Wang hesitated, then said, ¡°Director An Yang doesn¡¯t usually like attending this kind of event, but coincidentally, he¡¯s friends with our editor-in-chief, so he¡¯ll definitelye to show support.¡±


    Although An Yang¡¯s fame in the industry was not as high as Yu Dawei¡¯s, his unique style made it easier for him to produce blockbusters. Every actor who coborated with him performed at their best, and countless actors yearned to work with him. However, for outsiders, An Yang was not as attractive as Yu Dawei.


    Xiao Wang didn¡¯t understand why Ming Jing suddenly asked about Director An Yang, but she was also on the guest list for the fashion g on the 12th.


    He could already anticipate the headlines that day.<div>


    Although she was not part of the entertainment industry, her ability to stir up controversy was stronger than that of publicity-seeking celebrities.


    ¡°I see, I like An Yang¡¯s film ¡®Kite¡¯,¡± she said.


    Leaving half of her words unsaid, she whetted his appetite.


    Xiao Wang didn¡¯t expect Ming Jing, a girl like her, to like such an old movie. Although ¡°Kite¡± was An Yang¡¯s famous work, it was hard to understand. It was only those who were older and had life experience who could resonate with the film.


    The magazine shoot was divided into covers and inner pages; one set wasn¡¯t enough. Another set was nned with Xie Jiang to be shot at the polo field the next afternoon. As it was gettingte, Ming Jing removed her makeup and headed back to school in a car.


    Changing into her school uniform, just as she was about to get out of the car, Zheng Qing called out to her: ¡°Down jacket.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and looked at the white down jacket Zheng Qing handed her, giving a helpless smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside; just looking good won¡¯t do.¡±


    She put on the down jacket before getting out of the car.


    Entering the school gate, the bell announcing the end of the noon break rang. The quiet campus started to regain its vitality, with first-year students ying around in the corridor.


    Two boys rushed down from the first-year teaching building and ran into Ming Jing head-on. The two of them were startled.


    ¡°S-Senior sister, hello.¡±


    They lowered their heads and were about to leave.


    ¡°Stop right there.¡±


    The duo¡¯s legs trembled; Zhou Xiang tried to slip away, but Ji Dagui held him back and gave him a sign.


    Ming Jing slowly turned around, her gaze falling on their faces.


    ¡°Why are you two so nervous?¡± she asked.


    Ji Dagui scratched his nose and snickered, ¡°We were just startled by your otherworldly beauty, senior sister.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ming Jing¡¯s gaze rested on Zhou Xiang¡¯s face: ¡°Where¡¯s Zhu Shaodan?¡±<div>


    The two boys¡¯ faces fell; she was indeed asking about Zhu Shaodan.


    ¡ª-


    ¡°Coo coo~¡± From outside the wall of the small grove beside the restroom, a few cooing sounds of birdcalls.


    Ji Dagui nced at the girl beside him and pinched his nose, trying to ignore the smell.<div>


    ¡°Coo coo~¡±


    Then, a school bag came flying in first. Ji Dagui and Zhou Xiang quickly stepped aside.


    Looking at Ming Jing, she waspletely unmoved, as steady as a mountain.


    The two of them awkwardly touched their noses simultaneously.


    After a rustling noise, a boy leaped onto the wall. Through the dappled tree shadows, he saw a few people standing below. Heughed loudly and jumped off the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    He brushed his hair back, and the first thing he saw was a pair of ck boots. This young woman had really thin legs; did Zhou Xiang and Ji Dagui¡¯s grandchildren have such thin legs?


    Looking up, he realized these legs were long¡­ Oh, a short skirt?


    A girl?


    Zhu Shaodan hesitated for a moment, then suddenly looked up to see a face as beautiful as a fairy, her lips curling into a faint smile.


    Zhu Shaodan paled in shock and fell onto his butt.


    ¡°You¡­ It¡¯s you?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 727: 374 Spiritual_3

    Chapter 727: 374 Spiritual_3


    Zhou Xiang and Ji Dagui exchanged nces and secretly slipped away.


    They¡¯ve heard about the Zhu family¡¯s situation and even know more about the inside story.


    Zhu Shaodan used to be at odds with Ming Jing, but now things have changed, Ming Jing is Ran Tengxiao¡¯s aunt, and Zhu Shaodan¡¯s idol is Ran Tengxiao.


    What a twisted fate.


    They better look out for themselves.


    Ever since the banquet at the Zhu family, Zhu Shaodan had disappeared.


    He often managed to go off the grid, and the people of the Zhu family were used to it, so they didn¡¯t bother about him.


    Ming Jing gazed deeply and said indifferently, ¡°Madam Zhu is ill, and Mr. Zhu is lying in the hospital ICU. With such a big event happening in the Zhu family, shouldn¡¯t you go back and check on them?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan was taken aback, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head in disappointment, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have had any expectations for you.¡±<div>


    Zhu Shaodan murmured, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan shivered and quickly said, ¡°Sis, I said you look exceptionally beautiful today, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go home right now and take care of my parents.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan turned and walked away.


    ¡°The Zhu family would still go on without you, attend your afternoon sses first.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan frowned and made a bitter face but didn¡¯t dare to disobey.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll walk you to your ssroom.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan hurriedly waved his hand, ¡°No need, I¡¯m not unfamiliar with the way back to the ssroom¡­¡±


    It would be embarrassing if his ssmates saw this scene.


    Ming Jing nced at him indifferently, and Zhu Shaodan dared not speak anymore.


    He honestly followed behind Ming Jing.


    Along the way, Zhu Shaodan received many curious gazes, and he viciously red back at them.


    ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out if you keep staring.¡± A perfect ruffian style.


    Everyone quickly averted their eyes, wondering how such a world of difference could exist between the siblings; now the mystery was solved.


    Oh, it turns out they are not blood-rted.


    Ming Jing looked back at him and said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t bring the Qinglong Association style to school, you¡¯re a student, not a gangster.¡±


    Her gentle voice carried a severe tone, which made Zhu Shaodan¡¯s heart jump unconsciously.


    Alright, now you¡¯re the youngdy of the Ran family, I can¡¯t afford to mess with you, whatever you say is right.


    ¡°I know.¡± Zhu Shaodan mumbled.<div>


    ¡°Say it louder.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan shouted, ¡°I know!¡±


    All the students in the building were dumbfounded.


    The previously fearless and arrogant high school bully, now acting like a quail, was truly an eye-opening sight.<div>


    Ming Jing watched Zhu Shaodan walk into the ssroom, sit down, lean on the table and turn his head away in a huff.


    Ming Jing shook her head, then left the ssroom before the bell rang.


    ¡°Big Brother Dan, your sister personally came to walk you to school, we don¡¯t have such good fortune.¡±


    The speaker was the most mischievous boy in the ss, who has always been secretly jealous of Zhu Shaodan, seizing any opportunity to mock him.


    Zhu Shaodan grabbed a textbook from the table and threw it at him, ¡°Do you want this fortune?¡±


    The boy swiftly dodged and chuckled, ¡°Of course, I want it, but I¡¯m not that lucky. Big Brother Dan, don¡¯t take for granted what you have. Ask anyone in the ss who doesn¡¯t want a sister like Ming Jing.¡±


    All the students in the ss raised their hands in unison.


    It felt like a p in the face for Zhu Shaodan, and his cheeks burned with shame.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even blood-rted, yet Ming Jing is still willing to take care of you, you should count your blessings.¡± The boy rolled his eyes, calling Zhu Shaodan a fool.


    Zhu Shaodan snorted and turned his head away.


    ¡°What should Zhao Qin call Ming Jing?¡± A girl in the ss asked her deskmate in a whisper.


    ¡°You¡¯re the silly one, Zhao Qin¡¯s mom is Ming Jing¡¯s cousin, you should be asking what Zhao Qin should call Ming Jing.¡±


    The ss knew little about the Ran family, they only knew that Zhao Qin¡¯s mom was a member of the Ran family, and just by having such a rtionship Zhao Qin could already act freely within the school. Imagine how powerful the legitimate heiress Ming Jing must be.<div>


    As the girl counted on her fingers, she said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make Ming Jing her aunt?¡±


    As the elder sister of the school bully, she sounds pretty powerful.


    ¡°Big Brother Dan is Ming Jing¡¯s brother, what should Zhao Qin call him then?¡± The curious girl asked.


    Zhu Shaodan, who was already in a terrible mood, paused for a moment upon hearing thisn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    That¡¯s right, why didn¡¯t he think of that?


    He was one generation above Zhao Qin.


    ¡°Haha, Zhao Qin doesn¡¯t even call Ming Jing. Do you expect her to call Big Brother Dan? What a joke. Even school bullies have their dignity.¡± The boy¡¯s sharp voice was very harsh.


    Zhu Shaodan grabbed another textbook and threw it at him again, ¡°No one would take you as a mute if you keep quiet.¡±


    However, the boy dodged, and the textbook flew directly at a figure entering the ssroom door, hitting right on the head.


    The room went quiet.


    Soon after, the ssroom erupted with the furious roar of their homeroom teacher, ¡°Who did that? Get out here now!¡±

 Chapter 728: 375 Opposition

    Chapter 728: 375 Opposition


    ¡°Dr. Bo, thank you so much! You are truly a miracle worker and a modern-day Hua Tuo. You¡¯re a great benefactor to our family. Tomorrow night at seven o¡¯clock, we¡¯ve arranged a dinner for you at the Dechang Building. We hope you will be able to attend¡­¡±


    Madam Gao was too enthusiastic, and Bo Yuxun said helplessly, ¡°Madam Gao, you praise me too highly. Unfortunately, I¡¯m busy tomorrow night, but I appreciate your kind offer.¡±


    He pretended to get a phone call and quickly left.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, please wait, I still have something to tell you¡­¡± Madam Gao went after him, but Bo Yuxun was already gone.


    Gao Jia reluctantly looked away, ¡°Dr. Bo declined. What should we do now?¡±


    Madam Gao smiled: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take it slow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he might return to Jingzhou soon.¡± Gao Jia looked worried.


    The more she interacted with Dr. Bo these past few days, the more she realized he was an outstanding man, especially when he was in his doctor persona ¨C patient and professional with his patients, exuding the charm of a mature man in his profession.


    ¡°I asked your aunt to find out some information. Mayor Qian of Jingzhou is very fond of Dr. Bo and wants him to marry his younger aunt. Dr. Bo is most likely staying in Jiangzhou to avoid Mayor Qian. As time goes by, Mayor Qian wille to his senses. So don¡¯t be anxious, Dr. Bo won¡¯t be returning to Jingzhou anytime soon.¡±


    Gao Jia couldn¡¯t help but sigh about how sought after Dr. Bo was.<div>


    ¡°But if he doesn¡¯t even fancy Mayor Qian¡¯s younger aunt, would he like me?¡± Gao Jiacked confidence.


    ¡°My daughter is of course the most beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Gao Jia saw someone approaching and called out stiffly.


    Gao Yang nodded with a straight face, ¡°How¡¯s Mom doing?¡±


    Madam Gao snorted, ¡°Oh, so you still remember that your mother is ill?¡±


    Gao Yang didn¡¯t want to argue with her, ¡°I came as soon as the meeting was over.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Madam Gao said coldly, ¡°You¡¯ve really worked hard.¡±


    Gao Yang frowned, suppressed his anger, and red at Gao Jia, ¡°Liu Shaoquan invited you out. Why didn¡¯t you go?¡±


    Gao Jia¡¯s marriage partner was Liu Shaoquan, the young master of the Liu Group.


    Hearing his name, Gao Jia immediately grimaced, ¡°I don¡¯t like him. I made it clear to himst time. Can¡¯t he understand what people say?¡±


    ¡°Who do you like then? Dr. Bo? You really don¡¯t know your own worth, do you? Do you think it¡¯s easy to marry into a prestigious family in Jingzhou? You have an idea of what your aunt¡¯s life is like in the Bai family, and there are still dozens of families like the Gao family between them and the Bo family. Shaoquan is your best option.¡±


    ¡°Is it the best option for your business? You¡¯re just selling your daughter¡­¡±


    ¡°p!¡± A pnded hard on Gao Jia¡¯s face, and Gao Yang, trembling, pointed at her, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Madam Gao immediately stood in front of Gao Jia, ¡°How dare you hit my daughter? I¡¯ll fight you!¡±


    Madam Gao lunged at Gao Yang, and the scene became uglier.


    The news of the couple¡¯s quarrel soon reached Han Ye¡¯s ears.


    ¡°This couple is really interesting. They¡¯re arguing right outside the sickroom of the elderly mother,pletely disregarding their image.¡± Han Ye handed a cup of hot coffee to Bo Yuxun.


    Bo Yuxun took it and ced it aside, then looked down at the medical case.


    Han Ye teased, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay at our hospital? Our dean would really want you to do that. So many patients and their families havee to see you these few days. Soon, I, the top surgeon in Jiangzhou, will be overshadowed.¡±<div>


    Bo Yuxun didn¡¯t look up and said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d want to fight me to the death.¡±


    ¡°Am I that petty? What¡¯s the purpose of us studying medicine? To save lives and mend the wounded. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re more famous, and people only recognize you.¡±


    ¡°But the Gao family is clearly using the olddy as bait, and they¡¯re really desperate. You, the fat fish, took the bait.¡±


    ¡°Granny Gao¡¯s heart failure is getting more and more severe, and her pacemaker surgery can¡¯t be dyed. I only perform surgery based on the patient¡¯s condition, not their family.¡±<div>


    Han Ye paused and checked Granny Gao¡¯s medical records.


    ¡°The Gao family caught a dead rat this time.¡±


    Han Ye found it amusing, ¡°Owing a life-saving favor, only to repay it with her body? Haha, oh Bo, you¡¯re like a piece of fat meat, attracting attention everywhere you go from a pack of hungry wolves. Why do I suddenly feel a little sorry for you?¡±


    Han Ye¡¯s tone was full of schadenfreude.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go back to Jingzhou, and you¡¯ll have to condescend to our small hospital, dealing with a bunch of demons and monsters. The road ahead is long and arduous¡­¡±

 Chapter 729: 375 Opposition_2

    Chapter 729: 375 Opposition_2


    Bo Yuxun ignored him, noticing an issue with a patient¡¯s past medical history. ¡°Can we still contact this patient named Zhang Qiao?¡±


    Han Ye took a look and said, ¡°This patient isn¡¯t under my care, as you know, I never go to the outpatient clinic. He¡¯s Mr. Liu¡¯s patient. What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°The patientins of chest pain, chest tightness, palpitations, and shortness of breath, which often urs at night. He has a history of high blood pressure for many years, has good lifestyle habits, doesn¡¯t smoke, and drinks alcohol asionally. At his age, his condition is unusual. Mr. Liu only had him do a chest X-ray and ruled out dangerous diseases. He should have done a CT scan and MRI to further rify the condition,¡± said Bo Yuxun.


    ¡°Hey, the tension between doctors and patients is high right now, and MRI is expensive. If we let patients do a lot of tests without finding any problems, patients will still cause trouble for us, using our hospital of scamming. Mr. Liu is also an experienced senior, he couldn¡¯t have made such a basic mistake,¡± Han Ye replied.


    Bo Yuxun frowned and shook his head, ¡°The patient was treatedst February, almost a year ago. I¡¯m worried that the patient¡¯s situation isn¡¯t optimistic.¡±


    Han Ye looked at Bo Yuxun. He used to have a nickname called ¡°Judging Yama¡± because his intuition was more urate than high-tech instruments. Everyone suspected that he had some exceptional abilities, like X-ray vision, which also made him famous quickly, praised as a living Yama who snatches people from Yama¡¯s grasp.


    Since he saw that there was a problem, there must be a problem.


    Han Ye picked up the medical record, which had a phone number on it. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to contact them right away.¡±


    But the patient couldn¡¯t be contacted, and the news reached Mr. Liu¡¯s ears. Mr. Liu thought Bo Yuxun was deliberately making trouble for him, and he became angry, visiting Bo Yuxun to mock and ridicule him.


    ¡°Mr. Liu, that¡¯s too much. Dr. Bo is also thinking for the patients¡¯ sake. If nothing is wrong, then everyone will be happy. If there is, it¡¯s still a life at stake. Are you saying that your dignity is more important than a person¡¯s life to you?¡± Han Ye directly retorted.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    He used to respect Mr. Liu as a senior, but his respect only invited ridicule, so there¡¯s no need to save face for him.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re just distorting the facts. How could the patients I diagnose have any problems? Dr. Bo, don¡¯t look for trouble.¡±


    Bo Yuxun didn¡¯t get angry, but said kindly, ¡°What you said is right, Mr. Liu. You are my senior, and I was being presumptuous.¡±


    Mr. Liu got a cold response and snorted, ¡°Young man, don¡¯t be too arrogant. There are higher mountains and more capable people.¡±


    After Mr. Liu left, Han Ye said angrily, ¡°This old man just relies on his seniority.¡±


    Bo Yuxun made a phone call, but no one answered after a few rings.


    ¡°Did you remember that phone number?¡± Han Ye almost forgot that Bo Yuxun had an eidetic memory.


    Bo Yuxun listened to the mechanical female voiceing from the phone, saying helplessly, ¡°Let¡¯s leave it to fate.¡±


    Night fell, but the hospital was still brightly lit.


    The intensive care unit on the top floor was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, and no one was around.


    Bo Yuxun stood outside the ICU, looking at the unconscious man on the bed, with tubes all over his body. He stood for a moment, and then headed to leave. At that moment, a hurried footsteps approached.


    Bo Yuxun turned his head to see a boy in a high school uniform running towards him, followed by a girl walking at a normal pace.


    The girl was wearing a high school uniform, with a tall and thin figure. She was wearing a white down jacket and carrying a backpack on her shoulder. The light shone on her, casting a soft glow on her entire body, making her beautiful and gentle beyond belief.


    Bo Yuxun was somewhat stunned, as if he saw A Xue walking towards him.


    Even though the two havepletely different characters, why does he always see A Xue¡¯s shadow in Ming Jing?


    Bo Yuxun frowned in thought.


    ¡°Dr. Bo,¡± Ming Jing greeted as she walked over.


    ¡°Just got out of school?¡± Bo Yuxun unconsciously softened his tone.


    Ming Jing nodded, ¡°I brought Shaodan to see Mr. Zhu.¡±<div>


    Bo Yuxun looked at the boy, immediately frowning.


    He had no good feelings about this boy during the banquet. He stood with Zhu Xiangxiang against their family and was impetuous in his words and actions.


    Bo Yuxun didn¡¯t realize that his evaluation of a person¡¯s character was entirely based on their attitude towards Ming Jing.


    While Zhu Shaodan looked in through the ss door, his eyes reddened. With his fists clenched, he turned to Ming Jing, ¡°Why did my dad¡­why did he be like this? Who did this? I won¡¯t let him go!¡± A trace of fierceness shed in the boy¡¯s eyes.<div>

 Chapter 730: 375 Opposition_3

    Chapter 730: 375 Opposition_3


    Ming Jing furrowed her brows: ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    Zhu Shaodan adamantly said: ¡°I have to know.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ming Jing pulled him to one side, and after a while, a young man¡¯s angry growl was heard: ¡°Zhu Xiangxiang¡­ How dare she.¡±


    ¡°I told you the truth, but don¡¯t act impulsively and do something stupid. Now that Madam Zhu is sick, it¡¯s your Senior who is holding up the Zhus. As the Zhus¡¯ only pir of support, impulsiveness won¡¯t solve problems. You¡¯re already sixteen years old, and it¡¯s time to grow up after all this time.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan hung his head, his sharpness gone, like a deted ball, listless and downcast.


    ¡°When will my dad wake up?¡±


    Bo Yuxun walked over and said, ¡°Mr. Zhu has injured his nervous system in the brain. Many famous neurosurgeons have consulted on his case, but no one can say for sure when he will wake up. It depends on fate now.¡±


    Zhu Shaodan didn¡¯t notice Bo Yuxun at the banquet that day, so this was his first time seeing the man in front of him, thinking he was Ming Jing¡¯s friend.


    He looked dignified, graceful, and full of mature charm, yet his face was extremely young, his speech eloquent and refined, with an air of nobility.<div>


    Zhu Shaodan looked doubtful: ¡°You¡¯re a doctor?¡±


    The man nodded.


    Zhu Shaodan nced at Ming Jing with some impatience, but she pretended not to see it: ¡°You should go back. Staying here is useless. Madam Zhu might feel better seeing you.¡±


    Or, maybe worse.


    As Zhu Shaodan passed by Ming Jing, he lowered his voice and said: ¡°This man is good, suitable to be my brother-inw.¡±


    Ming Jing gave him a cold nce, and Zhu Shaodan had never seen her look so fierce before. He was startled, and quickly slipped away.


    Bo Yuxun awkwardly touched his nose, who asked for his hearing to be too good?


    Ming Jing closed her eyes and took a step back, speaking faintly: ¡°I apologize, Dr. Bo, my junior brother is reckless in his speech and making jokes. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Bo Yuxun smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, children speak without thinking.¡±


    Still innocent at sixteen or seventeen, it¡¯s hard to know if he was being sarcastic orplimentary.


    Bo Yuxun nced at his wristwatch, ¡°It¡¯s still early, let me treat you to a cup of coffee.¡±


    When Gao Jia left the hospital, she saw Bo Yuxun¡¯s back and instinctively rejoiced, wanting to go up and greet him. She turned her gaze and saw the girl beside him, her face changed instantly.


    She quietly followed the two, watching them enter a cafe, and saw through the ss window that they were chatting happily.


    Dr. Bo was always calm, and she had never seen him smile, but when he faced Ming Jing, he was so gentle. This scene deeply hurt Gao Jia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ming Jing¡­¡±. Gao Jia gritted the name between her lips and teeth, with a hint of hatred.


    The night wind was chilly, and the hangingnterns under the eaves swayed as the light flickered unreliably. The shifting, mottled light cast shadows across the courtyard, adding a sense of destion and strange eeriness.


    ¡°Madam.¡± Zhou Xue walked over and draped a coat over the woman¡¯s shoulders.


    In front of the woman was a half-human-tall dead tree, casting a ghostly shadow under the mottled light, that inexplicably made one¡¯s heart tremble and back shiver with cold.


    Zhou Xue lowered her gaze, ¡°Bo Yuxun has been staying in the hospital, and he met Ming Jing tonight. The two are now chatting happily in a cafe, but as for what they¡¯re talking about, it¡¯s hard to know for now.¡±<div>


    ¡°What do you think the two of them would talk about?¡±


    ¡°I dare not specte.¡±


    Bo Yuxun was investigating the events of that year, and he might already have some clues. And Ming Jing, she and Madam had a deep-seated hatred between them.


    With these two together, what could they talk about? They could guess even with their toes.<div>


    Besides, was Bo Yuxun really staying in Jiangzhou just to avoid Mayor Qian? This excuse might work for others, but it seemed ridiculous to the Bos.


    Ten Mayor Qians were not enough for the Bos to even carry their shoes.


    ¡°Do you think Ming Jing is really Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter?¡± The woman suddenly asked softly.


    Zhou Xue was taken aback, ¡°There¡­ shouldn¡¯t be any falsehood, right? Ran Tengxiao personally confirmed it. He is not the same as the Zhu family.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ran Tengxiao was not like those fools in the Zhu family, and he wouldn¡¯t be so easily fooled.


    The woman curved her lips and raised her hand to gently touch the dead branches, her tender expression like caressing her lover¡¯s face.


    ¡°No matter who she is, since she has chosen to stand against me, there is no turning back.¡±


    A long sigh dissipated into the night.


    ¡°What a pity, I actually admired you so much.¡±


    Zhou Xue lowered her gaze without saying a word, her heart uneasy.


    ¡°How is the matter going?¡±


    The woman turned around, her eyes colder and darker than the chilly winter night.


    <div>

 Chapter 731: 376 Restlessness (Part 1)

    Chapter 731: 376 Restlessness (Part 1)


    The car entered the estate, followed by a red SUV.


    The red SUV came up, the window rolled down, revealing Xiao Hua¡¯s excited smile from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Miss, what a coincidence.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled helplessly: ¡°Be careful.¡±


    After parking the car, Xiao Hua immediately ran over: ¡°Miss, when you have some free time, I¡¯ll take you for a drive, my driving skills are pretty good now, I even have a racing license.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the imposing SUV, which seemed mismatched with Xiao Hua¡¯s petite figure.


    ¡°Did you modify it yourself?¡±


    Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Miss, you¡¯re amazing, you figured that out.¡±


    ¡°Front bumper withpetition bar added, greatly increasing stability and protection, single spare tire and rear bumper lighten the rear axle load, preventing excessive steering under extreme conditions, full body spray-coated with diamond armor, enhancing corrosion and wear resistance. I didn¡¯t know you were interested in this.¡±


    Xiao Hua gave a thumbs up: ¡°I¡¯m impressed with you, Miss, you even know this stuff, and you haven¡¯t gotten your driver¡¯s license yet, right?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Not old enough yet.¡±


    ¡°Next month, our car team has a race, I¡¯ll take you to join the fun, you¡¯ll definitely like it.¡±


    The two of them chatted andughed as they walked into the living room, where an old man with white hair and beard sat opposite Ran Tengxiao. Seeing the twoing in, Butler Ran squinted and stood up, respectfully saying, ¡°Miss.¡±


    ¡°Daddy.¡± Xiao Hua ran over with a happy face: ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡±


    Butler Ran¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°Behave yourself in front of Master Xiao and Miss.¡±


    Xiao Hua stuck out her tongue and quietly stepped back.


    Ming Jing walked over and smiled slightly: ¡°Butler Ran, you¡¯re an elder of great virtue and high reputation, no need for such formality, just call me Ming Jing.¡±


    ¡°The Rans have their own rules; Miss, please be careful with your words.¡±


    The atmosphere was tense for a moment.


    Ran Tengxiao waved his hand: ¡°Alright, our little aunt has been in school all day and must be tired. Get some rest early.¡±


    Ming Jing turned and went upstairs.


    Xiao Hua quietly followed, ¡°My father has always been so strict, Miss, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled: ¡°Although Butler Ran is a butler, he¡¯s also a half-member of the Rans, and an elder my father respects. How could I me him?¡±


    Butler Ran, full name Ran Bohao, was Ran Bowen¡¯s distant cousin. He had apanied Ran Bowen in building their territory from the beginning and was always loyal. After Ran Bowen¡¯s death, it was Ran Bohao who stabilized the situation and suppressed the rebellious Rans, allowing Ran Tengxiao to take his position as leader.


    Perhaps that¡¯s why Ran Tengxiao didn¡¯t touch this old butler.


    ¡°Uncle Hao, where were you just now in your story?¡±


    Ran Bohao lowered his head: ¡°I heard Yu Jiang mention once that her hometown is in Yunzhou. I went to Yunzhou this time and found quite a few things. At the foot of Liang Mountain in Yunzhou, there¡¯s a vige called Wenzhuang. I showed them Yu Jiang¡¯s photo, the figure and eyes matching, but the face was different.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s fingers lightly tapped on his knee, his eyes gradually deepened.


    ¡°So, she changed her appearance.¡±


    Her face didn¡¯t match those eyes, which had puzzled him for a long time.


    Ran Bohao continued: ¡°A child told me that the vigers there all worship the Rain God. I initially thought the vigers prayed for rain due to drought, butter I found that this Rain God was not what I thought, it was a person.¡±


    ¡°Rain God¡­that¡¯s her codename in WT.¡± Ran Tengxiao murmured.


    ¡°Liang Mountain is a vast primeval forest with countless fierce beasts. Even the most well-equipped scientific expeditions can¡¯t get out intact. The vigers at the foot of the mountain are attacked by wild beasts every year, many of them dying under their hooves. One year, when the beasts ravaged the crops and killed vigers, and the situation was more violent than ever before, a young woman descended from the sky, subdued all the beasts, and taught the vigers how to control the animals. She then disappeared. From then on, the vigers no longer suffered from beast attacks and lived happily and peacefully. In gratitude for her kindness, they set up a longevity tablet for her and worshiped her every morning and evening as the Rain God because they heard herpanion call her A Yu in the mountains.¡±


    Ran Bohao narrated the story in detail.


    In order to find all these clues, he had put in a lot of effort. The area was remote, and the vigers were ignorant and backward. They regarded him as an intruder, but he finally gained their trust and obtained this information.


    ¡°Liang Mountain, A Yu, Yu Jiang, Jiang Yu, WT¡­the truth is bing clearer.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao thought for a moment: ¡°Uncle Hao, you¡¯ve worked hard on this trip, get some good rest for a few days.¡±


    Ran Bohao nced at the second floor and whispered, ¡°With the Miss back, the Rans are lively again. There will be a lot to do in theing days.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao nced at him and smiled: ¡°What do you think of my little aunt, Uncle Hao?¡±


    Ran Bohao lowered his head, ¡°Miss is smart and beautiful, like a fairy, not for us toment on.¡±¡±Uncle Hao, don¡¯t be so modest. The youngdy is the daughter of your old master. If anyone in the world knows Master Wen the best, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao, you tter me. Master Wen is history, and you are the future of the Rans.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao felt quite bored and waved his hand: ¡°Go and rest.¡±


    Old fart, always good at kissing ass.


    Ran Bohao turned around and left.


    Ran Tengxiao sat alone for a while, looking up at the dazzling lights on the ceiling, his mind foggy.


    Yu Jiang, just how many more surprises do you have that I don¡¯t know about?


    Closing his eyes, the woman¡¯s smile appeared in his mind. When she smiled, her eyes narrowed slightly, like the gentle breeze in spring, tender and clear.


    Those eyes gradually ovepped with another pair of eyes, whose owner also had the most gentle and clear gaze.


    One with feelings, one without.


    Ran Tengxiao suddenly opened his eyes, both hands tightly gripping the sofa.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Daddy, where have you been this time? You were gone for so long; I missed you.¡± Xiao Hua diligently massaged Ran Bohao¡¯s shoulders, speaking sweetly.


    ¡°I went out to do some business. You¡¯re already so grown up, why do you still act like a child? How will you shoulder the responsibilities of the Rans in the future?¡±


    Xiao Hua was stunned: ¡°What responsibilities? What are you joking about, Dad? With the youngdy and Master Xiao here, what does the Rans have to do with me? I¡¯m just living off them.


    Ran Bohao couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated: ¡°When will you ever grow up?¡±


    Xiao Hua said unhappily: ¡°Dad, I¡¯m almost twenty, I¡¯m already an adult. Why do you always treat me like a child?¡±


    ¡°If you could be a bit more mature, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about you at my age.¡±


    Xiao Hua nibbled on an apple: ¡°Old man, have you ever heard the story of ¡®The Man who Worried about the Sky Falling?¡¯ Worry less and you¡¯ll live longer. Daughter advises you, don¡¯t think about all those messy things, or else I¡¯ll take you back to our hometown to enjoy your old age tomorrow. Although, I¡¯d be reluctant to leave the youngdy.¡±


    Ran Bohao nced at her: ¡°You seem quite fond of this youngdy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the youngdy is an extremely gentle and kind person. I really like her. She¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let someone sell you and still help them count the money.¡± Ran Bohao snorted and turned his head away.


    ¡°Go, go, don¡¯t disturb my sleep.¡±


    Xiao Hua closed the bedroom door and raised an eyebrow.


    In the room, Ran Bohao¡¯s face suddenly darkened.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing stood in front of the painting, her expression pious and her hands sped together.


    ¡°Good and evil, fortune and misfortune, follow one like a shadow. Hell and heaven, you reap what you sow. Life and death, where to go? Countless beings, cause and effect are not in vain.¡±


    ¡°Buddha¡¯spassion, deliver all beings from suffering¡­¡±.


    The room was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, and the young girl knelt down on the floor, beginning her long practice.


    The long night eventually passed, and when the first ray of sunlight prated the curtains and fell onto the floor, the young girl slowly opened her eyes.


    Wiping away all the dust, the pearl shined brilliantly with an unparalleled dazzling light.


    ¡°Good morning, youngdy.¡± Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes brightened when she saw Ming Jinging downstairs.


    ¡°Youngdy, you seem to have be even more beautiful.¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her skin was crystal clear, her eyebrows were like mountains with a misty haze, her eyes like the moon¡¯s refreshing color, her cheeks slender, yet with a strange girlish innocence. Her every movement was graceful and elegant, indescribable.


    Her beauty was restrained andposed, unhurried, like aged wine, getting richer and more fragrant with each sip.


    However,tely it had suddenly be intense, like a peony in full bloom, almost impossible to keep under control.


    With just one nce, Xiao Hua¡¯s heart was already restless.


    Just amazing, this youngdy is so dangerously beautiful.

 Chapter 732: 377 Earl (Second Update)

    Chapter 732: 377 Earl (Second Update)


    ¡°Miss, you can take my car to school this morning. I¡¯ll give you a ride,¡±


    Ming Jing sat down: ¡°Will it hold up your time?¡±


    ¡°No, with my speed, twenty minutes on the elevated road is enough.¡±


    Shengde High School is in the north and Jiangzhou University is in the south, they are more than ten kilometers apart from north to south.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xiao Hua was very excited. Seeing Ran Tengxiaoing downstairs, she cheekily stuck out her tongue, slipped into the kitchen, stuffed a sandwich into her bag, and then went to the garage from the back door.


    ¡°I heard you are shooting for the Wind Chime Magazine?¡± Ran Tengxiao, sitting across, casually asked.


    ¡°Doing a promotion for the foundation,¡± Ming Jing said casually.


    Ran Tengxiao nodded, ¡°I have some connections in the entertainment industry. If you need help, feel free to mention.¡±


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After wiping her mouth, Ming Jing picked up her school bag. ¡°Take your time, I¡¯m going to school now.¡±


    She left as soon as she finished talking.


    Ye Jian came over and said, ¡°Miss mentioned it to the stables yesterday, she¡¯s going there for outdoor shooting at noon today.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao took a napkin and wiped his mouth, ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the stables for a long time. The weather is nice today, I could take Yufeng there for a walk.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xiao Hua pulled open the backseat door, but Ming Jing walked directly to the copilot seat, opened the door, and got in.


    Xiao Hua was dumbfounded, then quickly excitedly got into the car.


    Ming Jing saw a notebook on the copilot seat, picked it up to look at it, her eyebrows slightly raised.


    ¡°A Midsummer Night¡¯s Dream, are you interested in drama?¡±


    ¡°Miss, you even know this. Actually, I am a member of the Drama Club. For the New Year¡¯s Art Festival, the school requires our Drama Club to put on a show. Previous shows weren¡¯t very well-liked, so I had to rearrange. Everyone is fed up with Romeo and Juliet. This kind of happy-ending love story should fit the atmosphere of the New Year. What do you think, Miss?¡±


    The car slowly drove out of the mansion.


    ¡°A Midsummer Night¡¯s Dream is one of Shakespeare¡¯s masterpieces and has a huge influence on international drama history. The story is good, but the eternal theme of love is indeed a bit cliche.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all of today¡¯s films, television, and songs about love? Everyone just likes to watch these.¡±


    Thinking of something, Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up: ¡°Miss, I saw The Count of Monte Cristo in your room the other day. Do you really like this ssic? The core of this story is revenge. The dramatic conflict is intense, and the audience should like it. Why not perform The Count of Monte Cristo?¡±


    She just thought of this suddenly.


    Between A Midsummer Night¡¯s Dream and The Count of Monte Cristo, she prefers thetter. Not only is it rarely staged as a y, which ensures novelty, but its storytelling also engages the audience emotionally.


    Ming Jingughed, ¡°You¡¯re the boss, whatever you decide.¡±


    ¡°Miss, can I ask a favor of you? If you agree, I¡¯ll pick you up and drop you off at school every day, rain or shine. I¡¯d be at your beck and call.¡±


    Ming Jingughed and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve already guessed what you are going to ask.¡±


    ¡°Miss is the smartest. I knew I couldn¡¯t hide anything from your discerning eyes.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Jiang had heard before that the racetrack in Jiangzhou was impressive, but only when he came in person did he realize it was even more so than he had imagined.


    The taste of extravagant wealth was evident everywhere. The view of the endless racetrack. It must be quite liberating to gallop on horseback.


    A man in a suit came to greet him: ¡°You must be Mr. Xie, the photographer. I am in charge of the stables, and my humble surname is Liu. The Miss had notified us in advance. Please follow me.¡±


    Xiejiang followed him with his gear alongside his assistant. Behind them, Xiao Wang followed at a respectable distance. It was as if they were visitors marveling at the spectacles in Grand View Garden.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°To the north are the stables, and to the south is the racetrack. Our racetrack spans several hundred acres and is thergest in Asia. You see, the north-facing stands can amodate 30,000 spectators,¡± Manager Liu proudly introduced as they walked.


    Xie Jiang nodded, ¡°I saw thepetition at the end of October.¡±


    Manager Liu took a look at him, ¡°Mr. Xie, are you interested in horse riding?¡±


    Xie Jiang¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Can I learn?¡±


    ¡°Of course, wait till the shoot is over. I will arrange a coach for you. Riding a horse is actually quite simple, especially for someone with a physique like Mr. Xie, you should pick it up quickly.¡±


    Xie Jiang rubbed his hands together, keen to start.


    Manager Liu first took the three to the lounge. The lounge was on the second floor, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see the endless racetrack.


    It was mealtime, and Manager Liu led a waiter pushing a food cart into the room.


    ¡°Miss is on her way here. Please have lunch first.¡±


    Eight dishes and a soup, both refined and delicious.


    The three were surprised by the attentive service.


    ¡°I heard that the Rans own the stables,¡± Xiao Wang mumbled through mouthfuls of food.


    ¡°You¡¯re stating the obvious; everyone in Jiangzhou knows that,¡± said Xie Jiang¡¯s assistant.


    ¡°The racecourse is tied in with gambling and is a veritable gold mine. What¡¯s more, the racecourse is not even the most profitable investment in Ran family¡¯s portfolio.¡±


    The assistant eximed, ¡°How wealthy must the Ran family be?¡±


    Xiao Wang nced out of the window. On the racetrack, a man dressed in ck equestrian attire was high atop a horse¡¯s back. His back was tall and confident, so eye-catching that it was impossible to look away.

 Chapter 733: 378 Wishes

    Chapter 733: 378 Wishes


    Xiao Wang leaned against the ss window, her eyes glued to the scene outside.


    ¡°Wow, so cool¡­¡±


    Horse riding, a game for the rich. The majority of the members here were wealthy and privileged. This man, even from far away, exuded a captivating aura of nobility, his charm off the charts.


    The assistant scoffed, ¡°Shallow¡­¡±


    Just then, Manager Liu walked over and said, ¡°Miss is ready, please follow me.¡±


    The three of them followed closely behind Manager Liu.


    Underneath the unfettered sunlight, the vast open riding field stretched as far as the eye could see.


    The sounds of hooves ¡°clip-clop, clip-clop¡± approached rapidly and gracefully. The three of them looked up to see a man riding towards them against the sunlight.


    They squinted, the sunlight unusually bright to their eyes.


    A youngdy in red riding attire gradually emerged from the sunlight, revealing an enchantingly beautiful face. Her brows and eyes were spirited and heroic, yet brimming with a strong allure, like the most dazzling peony in spring¡ªa breathtaking beauty.<div>


    Her eyes, however, were cool and clear, radiating pride and warmth under the winter sun.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡± The youngdy reined in her horse, and it neighed brightly as its hooves lifted high up.


    All three of them were stunned.


    Xie Jiang was the first to recover, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, this is Violent Wind, right? Indeed, it¡¯s a fine horse.¡±


    The horse was top-notch and had made its name in thestpetition.


    Violent Wind seemed to understand, snorting and raising its front hooves, its head held high and proud.


    Ming Jing stroked Violent Wind¡¯s head, ¡°That¡¯s right; its name is Violent Wind.¡±


    Xiao Wang stared dumbfounded; this was apletely different side of Ms. Ming Jing. Astride her horse, she was confident, spirited, and at ease¡ªlike a pearl, shining brilliantly once the dust was brushed away.


    Xie Jiang wanted to touch Violent Wind, but the horse snorted and sprayed hot breath in his face. Xie Jiang awkwardly withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, I want to take some photos of you riding the horse. Could you arrange for a coach? I need to ride along with you.¡±


    The assistant interjected, ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Xie Jiang smiled, ¡°This is a great opportunity, one that¡¯s not to be wasted. I believe these photos will shake the fashion world.¡±


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow, ¡°You don¡¯t have any horseback riding experience, do you, Mr. Xie?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, I can learn on the spot and make a sacrifice for art.¡± Xie Jiang patted his chest, fearless.


    Ming Jing called over Manager Liu and arranged for an experienced coach to teach Xie Jiang on the spot.


    Xie Jiang was a quick learner, and he picked up the basics in no time.


    During the shoot, the coach and Xie Jiang shared a horse, while Xie Jiang took pictures of Ming Jing with a digital camera, capturing her most natural poses.


    The shooting process went smoothly. After reviewing the pictures, Xie Jiang took several more shots of Violent Wind to wrap up the shoot.


    Violent Wind was surprisingly intelligent; it even struck poses when it knew it was being photographed, which amazed everyone.<div>


    Just then, another ¡°clip-clop, clip-clop¡± sound of hooves reached their ears. As they turned their heads, Violent Wind suddenly grew restless, pawing at the ground.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A tall, brown horse charged towards them, its aura ferocious. Xie Jiang and Xiao Wang instinctively took a step back.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, be careful! Move out of the way.¡±


    Ming Jing stood her ground. The horse stopped when it reached her, rubbing affectionately and obediently against her arm, as if asking for attention.<div>


    Ming Jing patted its head, ¡°Yufeng, what brings you here?¡±


    Another man on horseback arrived, his voice maic and deep, ¡°The weather is nice today, and staying at home all the time is no fun, so I decided to bring it out for a walk.¡±


    Xiao Wang looked at the man on horseback and suddenly covered her mouth.


    She had only seen him once before, from a distance, and he was even more handsome up close.


    With sharp brows and star-like eyes, he exuded an imposing energy, as if he had just walked out of a novel about a domineering CEO.


    Ming Jing shot him a nce, ¡°Yufeng is getting old, don¡¯t tire it out.¡±


    Violent Wind suddenly rushed over, pushing Yufeng aside to stand next to Ming Jing, as if showing off something.


    Yufeng looked somewhat wronged, staring pitifully at Ming Jing.


    Xie Jiang watched, astonished.


    Were even the horses getting involved now?


    Ming Jing patted Violent Wind¡¯s head, ¡°Behave, don¡¯t make a fuss, it¡¯s your senior.¡±


    Violent Wind was in its prime, like a rising sun, while Yufeng¡¯s days were numbered, setting inexorably in the west.


    Snorting, Violent Wind looked down on Yufeng as if to say it wouldn¡¯t stoop to its level, then flicked its tail and swaggered away.<div>

 Chapter 734: 378 Wish_2

    Chapter 734: 378 Wish_2


    It was only then that Yufeng had another chance to approach Ming Jing.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± the man on the horse asked.


    Xie Jiang stared at the man, curious about his identity, as he seemed very familiar with Ming Jing.


    ¡°Mmm, have you had lunch?¡±


    The man shook his head and smiled: ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±


    Xie Jiang and Xiao Wang exchanged nces.


    Ming Jing patted Yufeng on the head, ¡°Thank you, teacher, there¡¯s still time, you can y around at the horse farm, I¡¯ll find some coaches to teach you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Ming Jing.¡±


    Ming Jing swung herself onto Yufeng¡¯s back and rode away.


    The man immediately followed on horseback, with Violent Wind snorting a few times, very unhappy about it.<div>


    Xiao Wang secretly asked the coach: ¡°Who is that man?¡±


    The coach had a profound look on his face and remained silent.


    Xie Jiang said, ¡°Do you need to ask? With such demeanor and bearing, it can only be that guy from the Rans.¡±


    That guy from the Rans?


    Xiao Wang had a sh of insight and suddenly drew a gasp of cold air.


    Incredulously, she said: ¡°The legendary Master Xiao?¡±


    So it was him.


    Xiao Wang immediately turned her head to look.


    The two rode side by side, the girl slender and beautiful, the man tall and upright like a pine, gradually receding into the distance under the sunlight, just their silhouettes were a perfect match.


    This Master Xiao had been demonized in the rumors, as if it were unforgivable and he was the cause of children crying at night, but unexpectedly the real person was so handsome and gentlemanly, not at all like a viin, but rather like a schr with the world at his fingertips.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Then isn¡¯t he Miss Ming Jing¡¯s nephew?¡± She initially thought he was Ming Jing¡¯s suitor and almost made a mistake.


    ¡°In terms of seniority, that¡¯s right. It seems that we can¡¯t trust rumors.¡±


    Xiao Wang sighed, ¡°Why do they have to be aunt and nephew? Otherwise, it would be such a perfect match, but a forbidden love would also be very exciting¡­¡±>


    Xie Jiang coughed, ¡°What are you girls thinking about all day long?¡±


    It was offensive to his senses.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Do you know where the name of the horse clubes from?¡± Ran Tengxiao gazed at the horizon and spoke in a low voice.


    Ming Jing replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s named after Yufeng, the horse you are riding now. A long time ago, it was a wild horse, and an old friend happened to discover it in the mountains and brought it back.¡± Ran Tengxiao¡¯s tone softened unconsciously when he mentioned that old friend.<div>


    Ming Jing hooked her lips: ¡°An old friend?¡±


    ¡°She praised Yufeng for being wild yet noble and named it Yufeng. The horse was loyal to her and never let anyone else touch it except her. Once, I tried my luck and sneaked a touch, and almost had two ribs broken.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes were filled withughter as he thought of the past.


    ¡°But the first time Yufeng met you, it was affectionate without any grudge. What do you think?¡±<div>


    Ran Tengxiao suddenly turned to look at Ming Jing, his eyes sharp and containing a chilling scrutiny. Under such powerful pressure, few people could withstand it.


    The girl on the horse had a faint smile on her lips, seemingly unperturbed and unaffected by the pressure.


    ¡°Perhaps Yufeng wants to find a second master? The Buddha speaks of fate, and this is the fate between Yufeng and me.¡±


    ¡°You called out its name urately the first time you met.¡± The other party pushed aggressively.


    ¡°I had heard people at the horse farm mention it before. Violent Wind,pared to Yufeng back then, was be up there in every aspect.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao suddenlyughed, ¡°Do you know who that old friend is?¡±


    ¡°Yu Jiang.¡± The girl spoke lightly.


    There was a momentary stagnation in the air.


    Ran Tengxiao was frozen in ce, his horse breathing hot and restless beneath him.


    Ming Jing rode at a leisurely pace, seemingly unaware of the oddity beside her.


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes grew darker, and he spurred his horse to catch up: ¡°You look a lot like her.¡±


    Ming Jing hooked her lips, her eyes shimmering with colors in the sunlight.


    ¡°Is that so? But I heard that she killed my father.¡±<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s right, this matter of gratitude and resentment cannot be separated from an old friend of yours.¡±


    With her crimson lips, Ming Jing said softly, ¡°Madam Jiang.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°It seems that you really know everything.¡±


    ¡°Back then, my father killed Jiang Heng, and Madam Jiang sent WT¡¯s agent Jiang Yu, disguised as Yu Jiang, to infiltrate my father¡¯s side, incite internal strife within the Qinglong Association, and kill my father when the opportunity arose. The association was on the verge of copse until your appearance, when it got back on track. However, the appearance of me, the daughter of their enemy, will surely rekindle Madam Jiang¡¯s hatred, and the future will not be peaceful.¡±


    When he heard the name Jiang Yu from her mouth, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he stared intently at her side profile, feeling a strange sensation in his heart.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 735: 378 Wish_3

    Chapter 735: 378 Wish_3


    ¡°It seems you know more than I do. How much do you know about Jiang Yu?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yu¡­¡±. Ming Jing gazed at the drifting clouds in the sky, her smile tinged with inexplicable sadness.


    ¡°Pitiful people must have hateful aspects, aplete fool who was used, it¡¯s better not to mention her.¡±


    ¡°She is not a fool.¡± Ran Tengxiao asserted decisively.


    Ming Jing raised an eyebrow at him, nomittal.


    Ran Tengxiao calmed the surging emotions in his chest and said slowly, word by word, ¡°She had no control over her own fate; being chosen by Jiang Chun was not her wish, nor was killing the patriarch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not her, how do you know it wasn¡¯t her wish?¡±


    ¡°Her eyes are very simr to yours. Just as I believe you to be a good person, everyone has their own helplessness, and she had no choice.¡±


    Ming Jing suddenlyughed, her eyes sparkling like shards of crystal, ¡°I never knew that the cold-hearted Master Xiao of the rumors would also have a tender side. Knowing that there is someone in the world who understands her would probably make her smile even in the afterlife.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened, his hands gripping the reins tightly: ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, she is dead.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Ran Tengxiao¡¯s breath caught.


    ¡°How could she possibly die?¡±


    ¡°She died thirteen years ago, her body reduced to ashes. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been searching for her all these years without sess, neither seeing her alive nor finding her corpse.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao suddenly grabbed her arm, not giving her any chance to escape, looking down at her from atop his horse, staring intensely into her eyes.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Ming Jing calmly met his gaze, saying unhurriedly, ¡°No particr reason. I have my own intelligencework.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao¡¯srge hand gripped Ming Jing¡¯s wrist tightly, unconsciously increasing the pressure as he did so. The young girl¡¯s skin was too delicate, and soon a red patch appeared.


    However, Ran Tengxiao remained oblivious, deeply gazing into the eyes before him.


    They were so simr.


    Yet, these eyes were too clear and too ruthless.


    It seemed as if everything and nothing existed within them.


    He truly must be mad!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ran Tengxiao released his grip, seeing therge red mark on her wrist, his eyes slightly darkened.


    Ming Jing appeared unaffected, her eyes fixed on the path ahead, saying indifferently, ¡°We both know who was behind the sulfuric acid attack at thest press conference. Madam Jiang couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, and my appearance will only make her rage grow exponentially. The Rans rise and fall together; at this point, our best strategy is to unite and face the enemy together.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what kind of terrifying opponent you¡¯re facing? And you still have the mood for romantic entanglements.¡± The young girl¡¯s cold tone carried a faint hint of mockery.


    She never would have imagined that Ran Tengxiao would harbor feelings for Yu Jiang; it was truly ludicrous.


    Ran Tengxiao furrowed his brow, his expression turning serious, saying in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to deal with this crazy woman for a long time.¡±


    Ming Jing said lightly, ¡°She¡¯s already made her move.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao looked at her in astonishment, she truly was no ordinary girl; her informationwork was even more extensive than his.


    ¡°The Qinglong Association has been entrenched in Jiangzhou for many years, with deep roots and a solid foundation. It¡¯s difficult to uproot thempletely, so it¡¯s best to dissolve them from within, just like how Yu Jiang infiltrated them for two years and subtly incited internal strife within the Qinglong Association more than a decade ago. No matter how strong a house may be, if its foundation is shaken, its copse can¡¯t be far behind. She¡¯s always been good at using small things to achieve big results, and this time is no exception.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know her quite well?¡±


    Ming Jing scoffed, ¡°A confident and arrogant woman, who thinks she can manipte everyone like pawns. In this game, let her see who the real pawn is.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    As soon as her words were spoken, she lightly nudged the horse¡¯s belly, and with a soft shout, Yufeng carried her away into the distance.


    The young girl sat gracefully atop the horse, her lithe and elegant figure alive with unbridled freedom.


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes slightly but said nothing, ¡°So even I am just a pawn on your chessboard¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing is here; Mr. Qing is in the office, please go right in.¡±


    Xiao Wen was very busy, not having a moment to spare; no one in the office had any time to nce at Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing walked to the office door and heard an angry roaring from within: ¡°Dong Jiahe, you motherfucker, answer the phone for me!¡±


    Then Zheng Qing came out, looking up to see Ming Jing he paused, ¡°You came just in time,e with me.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Why are you so angry? What happened?¡±


    Zheng Qing loosened his cor and exhaled a stale breath, ¡°That damn kid met a dancer at a bar and even wants to give up his debut opportunity for her. It¡¯s infuriating. I swear I¡¯ll break his legs.¡±


    ¡°A dancer?¡±


    Zheng Qing scoffed, ¡°A hostess. This kid is talented; I can¡¯t stand by and watch him ruin his future.¡±

 Chapter 736: 379 Find something

    Chapter 736: 379 Find something


    In the evening rush hour on Jiangzhou Avenue, rows of irritable private cars waited in line, moving only a few hundred meters in half an hour, even slower than snails.


    Suddenly, a blue sports car shot past the emergencyne like a lightning bolt, leaving only a trace. The driver had a cigarette between his fingers, the wind blew off his wig, and took the cigarette end with it.


    The other drivers were like petrified chickens.


    ¡°That¡¯s way too arrogant¡­¡±


    ¡°All of us are honestly queuing, and only he gets special treatment. Where are the traffic cops? Take him down!¡±


    ¡°Look at that car, a Lamborghini. Must be a rich second-generation with a background, don¡¯t mess with it.¡±


    In the car, Zheng Qing stepped on the gas pedal and drifted perfectly at the next intersection.


    Ming Jing held the handle on the roof and said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re viting traffic regtions.¡±


    Behind them, a traffic cop chased them on a motorcycle, with the thrill and excitement of a blockbuster movie.


    Zheng Qing smirked. ¡°Compared to the time when I raced with A Yu in the overseas ck market, this is nothing.¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head andughed: ¡°You just said it was in the past, and this is Hua Country. You should obey the traffic rules and be aw-abiding civilized person.¡±


    ¡°At the very worst, I just have to pay a fine. I can¡¯t wait that long.¡±


    At a few intersections, Zheng Qing shook off the traffic cop, and finally stopped in front of a bar.


    The valet came up respectfully, ¡°Our store is holding a princess selection event tonight. ording to the rules of our store, all guests who enter the store must wear masks.¡±


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow and threw the keys to the valet. ¡°Park it first.¡±


    There were people handing out masks at the door. Zheng Qing grabbed two of them, handing one with a lily flower to Ming Jing.


    The mask could only cover her eyes and nose. When Ming Jing put it on, the bar staff looked over and saw a slender woman standing quietly under the light. A silver lily bloomed extravagantly at her temples as the night unfolded behind her, exuding a mysterious charm.


    The staff handed Zheng Qing a bronze medal, with an enchanting female profile engraved on it and the number fifteen on the back.


    Zheng Qing asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give her one?¡±


    The staff coughed, ¡°These bronze medals are only for gentlemen to vote with tonight. Ladies don¡¯t have voting rights.¡±


    Zheng Qing scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re discriminating. Isn¡¯t your boss a woman?¡±


    The staff¡¯s face turned a little awkward. The boss was indeed a woman, and there was nothing to say.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Her voice was soft like a spring breeze. The staff¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she walked past him. She had a straight, cold and noble back. Even with her face covered, she left an unforgettable impression, stunningly beautiful.


    He stared straight at her back until she disappeared at the entrance, still unable to recover.


    Zheng Qing fiddled with the bronze medal, grumbling, ¡°A crappy bar with all these fancy gimmicks.¡±


    Walking down the long corridor, the dazzling lights made it hard to keep their eyes open. Zheng Qing instinctively raised his hand to cover them.


    ¡°Damn, how long has it been since I¡¯ve been to a ce like this? It¡¯s still as eye-irritating as always.¡±


    Zheng Qing nced at Ming Jing and saw her unperturbed and still calm, which reassured him a little.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have brought you here if I had known earlier; you¡¯re too young for this kind of scene.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s interesting?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Aren¡¯t you a renunciate who¡¯s detached from the four realms? Aren¡¯t you afraid of Buddha¡¯s punishment?¡± She¡¯s such a mystery sometimes.


    ¡°Life is full of trials, and the mind is undisturbed, so will people not act in vain.¡± Ming Jing smoothed her skirt and walked in indifferently.


    There were many people in the hall, all wearing masks, and the women were all scantily d. Ming Jing, dressed modestly, became an exception.


    The moment she entered, all eyes fell on her. Some people, even with their faces covered, could not hide their elegance.


    The men¡¯s eyes were eager.


    Zheng Qing took a step forward and naturally wrapped his arm around Ming Jing¡¯s shoulder, his gaze provoking the surrounding crowd.


    Seeing she had a malepanion, everyone showed regret.


    ¡°Damn, these little bastards dare to hit on you.¡± Zheng Qing cursed.


    Ming Jing noticed an empty seat and walked straight over.


    Once they were seated, Zheng Qing looked at her suspiciously, ¡°You seem to be very familiar with this ce?¡±

 Chapter 738: 379 Job Search_3

    Chapter 738: 379 Job Search_3


    Just as Xianxian said, she treated the elongated heads below like pig heads, and indeed, the pressure in her heart was relieved.


    The ten people walked to the middle of the stage, facing and turning their backs on the audience below.


    Each person had a number te on them, and they introduced themselves starting with number one.


    ¡°Hello everyone, I am number one, Jiajia, the Jiajia of a dreamy encounter. I like dancing¡­.¡± As soon as the words fell, there was a striptease on the spot, with splits as they undressed, and the whistles and screams came and went, wave after wave, threatening to lift the roof off.


    ¡°I hope you all support me and cast your votes for me.¡± The girl spread her arms and bowed gracefully.


    Loads of flowers were thrown at her, and endless shouts of ¡°Jiajia¡­ Jiajia¡­¡± filled the air.


    Zheng Qing, with a sunflower seed spitting its shell,ined, ¡°What kind of shit is this? Just undress to show talent? In ancient times, you had to be proficient in everything like qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting when selecting a courtesan.¡±


    Then came a pole dance by number two, a somersault by number three, and a few lines of a little ditty by number four¡­ which all drove the foul-smelling men¡¯s minds offpletely, almost making Zheng Qing vomit.


    Looking at Ming Jing sitting opposite, she was calmly appreciating the performance, her fingers tapping along with the rhythm.


    ¡°MD, it¡¯s an erotic song, not for children to listen to.¡±<div>


    Ming Jing smiled, ¡°If you appreciate it with an artistic perspective, it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Zheng Qing stared in amazement.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    This girl always shattered her expectations time and again.


    ¡°I am number eight, Xianxian, my talents are not worth showingpared to the previous sisters.¡± The girl on stage covered her mouth with a sweet-smelling voice that captivated the souls of those who heard it.


    Then the girl took out a short xiao from behind and quickly yed a beautiful tune that gradually suppressed the noise in the room.


    The music was poignant and mournful, which made people feel deste and indifferent, ipatible with the shy scene.


    Ming Jing raised her eyebrows, ¡°Moon Over the Han Pce.¡±


    Zheng Qing looked at the girl ying the xiao, ¡°At least this one looks decent.¡±


    Ming Jing gazed at the girl on stage, her eyebrows slightly knitted.


    The ancients used music to express their feelings because music could convey thoughts, and she could hear helplessness and sadness in this girl¡¯s music¡­


    Thest note fell, the girl bowed, and the apuse thundered.


    Compared to the frivolous performances before, this xiao performance was refreshing and exciting, and many people showed interest in their eyes for a while.


    The girl took a step back and stood in line with the other nine.


    The girl at the end bit her pale lips and ventured out, her shoulders hunched as if she were a frightened rabbit.


    ¡°What are you afraid of, we won¡¯t eat you, haha¡­.¡± A teasingugh echoed, followed byughter from everyone.


    The girl stuttered, ¡°I¡­ my name is Yueyue, and I don¡¯t have any talents¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then take off your clothes, that¡¯s a talent.¡±@@novelbin@@


    There were jeering voices below, and under the mask, the girl¡¯s face was pale.<div>


    Her small hands nervously grasped the hem of her skirt. With a group of men jeering around her, she stood in the center, like a helpless and fragile little rabbit surrounded by a pack of wolves.


    Zheng Qing mmed the table and stood up, ¡°All of you shut up, a bunch of grown men bullying a little girl, do you have no shame?¡±


    Her voice was clear, instantly suppressing all the jeers.


    In the blink of an eye, all eyes turned to her. The man who started the jeering sneered, ¡°Oh, a heroes to the rescue, the little girl is lucky today.¡±<div>


    Yueyue gratefully looked at the man who spoke up for her. The scene was dimly lit, and she couldn¡¯t see his face, but she felt his figure was exceptionally tall.


    Zheng Qing snorted, ¡°You grown men, with hands and feet, flirting with a little girl, don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re quite interesting. Do you know where this is? What are we all here for? Are you sick in the head?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your TM head that¡¯s sick.¡± Zheng Qing grabbed a wine bottle from the table and threw it at the man. Her aim was good enough that the bottle grazed the man¡¯s ear and smashed into the wall behind him.


    The wine bottle smashed to the ground with a ¡°pah,¡± shattering into pieces.


    The scene was silent.


    The man¡¯s knees went weak, and he quickly became angry and ashamed, pointing at Zheng Qing and cursing, ¡°You dare to do it, are you trying to die?¡±


    Zheng Qing stepped on the table with one foot and sneered, ¡°I hit you for having such a stinky mouth, it¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    The man was furious, ¡°Security, tie this guy up for me, I have to teach him a lesson today.¡±


    Zheng Qing suddenly kicked the table, and it flew right out. Instantly, the room panicked, and people screamed as they avoided her.


    ¡°Come on, do you think I¡¯m scared of you?¡±


    Ming Jing sat unmoved in her seat, the dim and flickering light unnoticed by anyone.


    Wan Xiang nced over, snorting, ¡°Daring to cause trouble here, simply ignorant of one¡¯s own limits.¡±<div>

 Chapter 741: 380 Yearning_3

    Chapter 741: 380 Yearning_3


    Aunt Hong walked over and waved her hand, signaling the staff to move away.


    ¡°Young Master, do my girls not catch your fancy?¡±


    Zheng Qing curled his lips: ¡°Should I call you Aunt Hong, or should I just call you a madam of a brothel?¡±


    The more urate term would be a pimp.


    Zheng Qing found it revolting even just to nce at her.


    Aunt Hong was taken aback, then started tough: ¡°Young Master, are you joking with me? This is a nightclub, not a charity.¡±


    ¡°Look at the men here, which one isn¡¯t mad about them. They enjoy the thrill of being pursued and even more so, the pleasure of conquering men. Young Master, if you fancy anyone, I can arrange for her to apany you tonight. Being chosen by you would be her good fortune.¡±


    Zheng Qing cleared his ears: ¡°Fine, I fancy the girl at table ten, she¡¯s the one.¡±


    Aunt Hong raised her eyebrows: ¡°Young Master has good taste. I¡¯ll have Yueyue prepare herself to apany you tonight.¡±


    ¡°May I know your honorific?¡±


    ¡°Just call me Mr. Zheng Qing.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zheng Qing.¡±


    As Aunt Hong stood up to leave, her gaze slid over a girl in the corner who had been silent the whole time. The lighting was dim and the girl was wearing a mask. She couldn¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face clearly, but judging by her figure and outfit, she was quite young. Even though she hadn¡¯t spoken, she had an imposing presence that couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    Aunt Hong felt a strange sensation, unconsciously frowning.


    ¡°May I ask who this youngdy might be¡­?¡±


    Zheng Qing lets out a snort: ¡°My friend doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed.¡±


    Aunt Hong nodded: ¡°I see.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she left. As she walked past the man in ck, she lowered her voice and instructed: ¡°Keep an eye on table 18.¡±


    First causing a fuss, then mysterious arrivals, definitely not good news.


    Zheng Qing took a sip of his drink, and clicked his tongue: ¡°Seems likeing here tonight was worth it.¡±


    Ming Jing grabbed his bottle: ¡°Drink less, you¡¯ll aplish nothing with your tolerance.¡±


    ¡°I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Back in the day, A Yu and I could drink any man under the table¡­A Yu¡­.¡±


    Zheng Qing leaned back in his chair, his cheeks flushed and his eyes a bit hazy.


    It¡¯s not the wine that intoxicates, but the drinker himself.


    Ming Jing shook her head: ¡°You¡¯re always this boastful.¡±


    Zheng Qing paused: ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    The alcohol numbed his brain, the words not registering immediately, but he had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Same words, same tone, a hint of helplessness, a trace of indulgence.


    Ming Jing just smiled and shook her head: ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t let your personal matters interfere with your mission here tonight.¡±


    All of sludden, Zheng Qing grabbed her wrist, his eyes piercing into hers as he asked insistently: ¡°Repeat what you just said.¡±


    Ming Jing ced her hand on his forehead: ¡°Qingqing, you¡¯re drunk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be drunk and never wake up,¡± Zheng Qing chuckled.


    ¡°Only when I¡¯m drunk can I see you.¡±


    ¡°A Yu¡­.¡±


    His head tilted ever so slightly and he abruptly fell asleep.


    Lost for words, Ming Jing let out a faintugh: ¡°Still the same old you.¡±


    Zheng Qing had a peculiar constitution. He couldn¡¯t tolerate alcohol too well and would ck out temporarily, but he recovers quickly, persevering through however much liquor he had to down.


    Ming Jing ced a hand on Zheng Qing¡¯s back, her gaze prating through the crowded room,nding on the unknown.


    Two minutester, Zheng Qing rubs his eyes and sits up, ¡°What just happened?¡±


    Ming Jing hands her a ss of water, ¡°Do you remember you came to find someone?¡±


    Zheng Qing gulped down the water and wiped her mouth, ¡°That brat better pray I don¡¯t find him, or else I¡¯ll break his leg.¡±


    Ran Gong approached with a ss of wine, chuckling as he asked: ¡°Mr. Zheng Qing?¡±


    Zheng Qing shot him a nce, said irritably: ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Ran Gong gritted his teeth, the kid was being cocky.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ran by surname. I believe that encounters are fated. I enjoy making friends, and seeing that Mr. Zheng Qing is a straightforward man, I¡¯ve decided to make your acquaintance.¡±


    Zheng Qing nced at Ming Jing as she raised her eyebrow, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re from the Ran family. How are you rted to Ran Tengxiao?¡±


    This person actually dared to address Master Xiao by his name!


    Ran Gongughed, ¡°In a way, Master Xiao is my cousin.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    ¡°Oh, so that would make you the nephew of Ms. Ran?¡±


    Mrs. Ran? Was he referring to Ming Jing?


    ¡°Does Mr. Zheng Qing know my aunt?¡±


    How did Ming Jing always know such odd people?


    ¡°More than just acquainted¡­¡± the grinding of his teeth suggested they had some deep grievance.


    Ran Gongughed, ¡°My aunt is young and naive, has she offended Mr. Zheng Qing somehow? Please forgive her if she did.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a devoted nephew.¡±

 Chapter 742: 381 Good Show

    Chapter 742: 381 Good Show


    ¡°Your nephew is certainly filial.¡±


    Ran Gong¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he looked unconsciously at the person shrouded in shadow, unable to see their face, only the white skirt under their coat, which had an indescribable elegance in this bustling nightclub.


    @@novelbin@@


    ¡°Nephew?¡±


    He had a guess in his heart but dared not confirm it for the time being.


    The person sat in the shadows, quiet and unassuming, yet exuding a powerful pressure.


    ¡°That¡¯s your so-called ignorant little aunt,¡± Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes gleamed with mischievous excitement as he enjoyed the myriad expressions on Ran Gong¡¯s face.


    Ran Gong¡¯s face first showed shock, then joy as he hurried forward two steps: ¡°Is it really my little aunt?¡±


    Zheng Qing stretched out a long leg, perfectly blocking Ran Gong¡¯s advance.


    ¡°Hold on, do you think you can just see your little aunt whenever you want?¡±


    Ran Gong frowned, ¡°Little aunt, what are you doing here? Does Master Xiao know?¡±


    This ce was not suitable for a proper youngdy.


    ¡°I came to find someone,¡± a gentle, cool voice emerged from the shadows, like a spring breeze.


    ¡°Looking for someone? May I ask who Little Aunt is looking for? I have some connections in this bar, you can tell me and I¡¯ll help you find them.¡±


    ¡°Dong Jiahe, she used to be a singer here.¡±


    Ran Gong gestured for his men, ¡°Go find a singer named Dong Jiahe.¡±


    He bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Little aunt, please wait patiently, the result wille soon.¡±


    Zhang Zhao had been watching Zheng Qing¡¯s table intently, seeing Ran Gong walk over and exchange a few words before bing obsequious, his brow furrowed even deeper.


    Ran Gong was a regr here, even Aunt Hong gave him some face, his surname alone was enough to make him unbridled in Jiangzhou, let alone a small nightclub.


    But were there people he feared?


    He looked closely, realizing that it wasn¡¯t Zheng Qing he was wary of, but rather the young girl whose face couldn¡¯t be seen in the shadows.


    Who could she be?


    Does Jiangzhou have such a notable character?


    For ordinary people, the Rans might be distant, but the Jiangzhou upper ss knew of them, especially those who frequented bars and casinos, they viewed the Rans as a sacred and awe-inspiring presence.


    Although Ran Gong was not a core figure of the Rans, his surname alone was enough to earn their respect.


    This was the influence of the long-established local power in Jiangzhou.


    Wan Xiang walked over with a wine ss, ¡°Why waste so much time talking to him? Just simply teach this colorblind fool a lesson.¡±


    He had always disliked this brat, now influenced by the alcohol.


    ¡°Brother Wan¡­.¡± Ran Gong desperately tried to signal him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you, kid? Having a nervous breakdown?¡± Wan Xiang stepped on the coffee table in front of Zheng Qing, pointing at him.


    ¡°You may be arrogant, but even if you were a dragon, you¡¯d still have to coil around me.¡±


    Wan Xiang poured wine on his shiny leather shoes, a malicious smile on his face.


    ¡°Sir, my shoes are dirty, help me clean them, and I won¡¯t pursue this matter.¡±


    Everyone was waiting for the show to unfold.


    Aunt Hong tried to remain neutral, not wanting to be the viin, but Wan Xiang was a tough character, the current master of Zhuque Hall, with only Master Xiao above him.


    If he was determined to make someone miserable, that person would be in deep trouble.


    Ran Gong hesitated to speak.


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Did I hear you right? You want this young master to polish your shoes?¡±


    Wan Xiang pointed at himself, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Even if Ran Tengxiao himself was here, he wouldn¡¯t dare to speak to me like that. What do you think you are?¡±


    Everyone was stunned by the arrogance in Zheng Qing¡¯s words, daring to mention Master Xiao so openly, utterly outrageous.


    Ran Tengxiao again!


    A hint of ruthlessness shed in Wan Xiang¡¯s eyes, and a sinister smile emerged.


    He pointed at the wine stain on his leather shoes, ¡°Paper won¡¯t clean it, you¡¯ll have to use your tongue.¡±


    Zheng Qing turned his neck, ¡°There¡¯s still a chance for you to apologize now.¡±


    Wan Xiangughed, ¡°Don¡¯t refuse to toast, only to drink a forfeit.¡±


    Before Wan Xiang could finish, Zheng Qing suddenly sprang up, kicking Wan Xiang in the chest. Wan Xiang had a robust build, weighing at least 170-180 pounds, while Zheng Qing seemed slightly frail. Comparing their physiques, two Zheng Qings might not even equal one Wan Xiang.


    Yet, astonishingly, this frail young man casually kicked arge man several times his size and sent him flying.

 Chapter 744: 381 Good Show_3

    Chapter 744: 381 Good Show_3


    Who on earth was this man?


    Zheng Qing lifted the wine bottle with his empty hand and poured it on his own boot. ¡°Ah, my shoes are dirty. Boss Wan, would you help me clean them up? It¡¯d be better if you used your tongue.¡±


    Wan Xiang¡¯s face turned green: ¡°In your dreams.¡±


    Zheng Qing¡¯s dagger came an inch closer, a thin line of blood appearing on Wan Xiang¡¯s neck. Zheng Qing sneered: ¡°The knife is blind.¡±


    ¡°You dare! You¡¯remitting murder! Killing means paying with your life.¡±


    Zheng Qingughed as if he¡¯d heard something funny. ¡°Boss Wan, are you joking? How many lives are held in the hands of your Qinglong Association? Do you need me to list them one by one? When in Rome, do as the Romans do ¨C I¡¯ll y by the rules of your Qinglong Association.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being an enemy of the Qinglong Association and the Rans? Young man, don¡¯t be too arrogant,¡± warned Wan Xiang gravely.


    ¡°I came here in high spirits to have fun, but Boss Wan insists on making things difficult for me. I¡¯ve got to save face too ¨C I can¡¯t let people p me on one cheek and then offer them the other. Boss Wan, being a man who values face, should be deeply empathetic.¡±


    Wan Xiang¡¯s face became stiff, his anger trapped.


    ¡°It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Here¡¯s a proposal: with Master Wen as our witness, let¡¯s take a step back, shake hands, and make peace. As the saying goes, ¡®No fight, no acquaintance.¡¯ Boss Wan, Mr. Zheng Qing, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to make friends with Boss Wan,¡± Zheng Qing snorted.


    By then, Aunt Hong had already set up thedder. Wan Xiang wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°It was my mistake for not recognizing the great man. I¡¯ll make friends with you.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Zheng Qing put away his dagger and sat down with disdain. ¡°I¡¯m not interested. Get lost, and don¡¯t show up in front of me again.¡±


    Wan Xiang nced at him deeply, waved his hand, and turned around: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lao Wu nced at Zheng Qing and quietly left from the corner.


    Ran Gong wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and took a step forward. ¡°Miss, you were frightened tonight.¡±


    Aunt Hong¡¯s eyshes fluttered, and she subconsciously touched the broken hair at her temples.


    ¡°Miss? If I¡¯m not mistaken, this youngdy is Master Wen¡¯s daughter, the newly-acknowledged Miss Ran?¡±


    Everyone was shocked at these words.


    A burst of exmations ensued.


    The Miss Ran was here, and the man who made Wan Xiang suffer a setback was her man.


    Wasn¡¯t this like the flood washing away the temple, an in-house fight?


    Zheng Qing stabbed his dagger into the tea table and sat down confidently.


    ¡°Is it a big deal for the Miss Ran to have some fun?¡±


    The next day¡¯s Weibo hot search was about to explode, with headlines like ¡°Miss Ran goes to a nightclub, evil nature exposed without reservation?¡±


    Aunt Hongughed: ¡°We are honored by the Miss¡¯s presence. Had we known earlier, we would have made preparations. As it is, I¡¯m afraid this was not suitable for the Miss.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone disperse. The air isn¡¯t flowing well with everyone crowding around, the Miss doesn¡¯t like it.¡± Zheng Qing waved his hand.


    Although the crowd dispersed, they continued to discuss and gossip about the Miss.


    Most of the people who came hadn¡¯t seen the real face of the Miss, but they had heard various rumors about her from various channels.


    She was rumored to be beautiful,passionate, and highly intelligent¡­


    Everyone tried hard to widen their eyes, wishing they had x-ray vision to see through the darkness and glimpse the young girl¡¯s beauty.


    However, they were disappointed.


    She seemed like a cloud of mist, hidden in the darkness, making her even more mysterious.


    Only the hem of her dragging skirt was left for people¡¯s boundless imagination.


    At this moment, a person walked up to Aunt Hong and whispered a few words in her ear. Aunt Hong narrowed her eyes and nced at Ran Gong.


    Ran Gong nodded his head.


    Aunt Hong suddenlyughed: ¡°It turns out that the Miss came here to find little Dong. This is really like the big water flooding the Dragon King¡¯s temple.¡±


    ¡°Dong Jiahe is a signed artist at my friend¡¯spany. If Aunt Hong has met him, could you tell me his whereabouts?¡± The young girl¡¯s voice was gentle and calm, like a cool breeze on a summer night sweeping away the heart¡¯s impatience.


    Aunt Hong ordered her subordinates: ¡°Go, bring little Dong here.¡±


    Facing Ming Jing and Zheng Qing, she sighed: ¡°Little Dong has been singing in my club for several years. I know a little about his background ¨C hees from a poor family. However, he is talented and hardworking, and he¡¯s bound to seed one day. Later, I heard that he was signed by apany, and he left my club. A few days ago, he suddenly returned and fell in love with a girl at the club. The two of them insisted on eloping. As you know, this small business of mine relies on the girls signing voluntary contracts. They can¡¯t just leave whenever they want.¡±


    ¡°Young Dong is too naive to understand the stakes involved. Unfortunately, these past few days I have been busy, so I had no choice but to lock him up. I was nning to contact his family or agent toe and pick him up once things had settled, when coincidentally, you arrived.¡±

 Chapter 745: 382 Flattering words

    Chapter 745: 382 ttering words


    Aunt Hong gave a perfect exnation to the cause and effect without any logical ws.


    ¡°Restricting personal freedom is illegal,¡± sneered Zheng Qing, pulling out a dagger and ying with it in his hand.


    It¡¯s somewhat absurd to talk aboutw with such a person.


    Aunt Hong sighed, ¡°I¡¯m helpless, if I let him go, he would sneak back and make troubles. The girls here are all doing regr jobs. They signed a contract. How can I tolerate him taking them away as he pleases? Even if he sued, I¡¯m still in the right.¡±


    Decent work? How absurd for these four words toe from a woman like her.


    Zheng Qing nced at the young girls arguing fiercely on the viewing tform, ¡°Are they volunteering?¡±


    ¡°Look at you, Mr. Qing. Could I force them? They are all living lives, if I can stop them for a day, could I stop them for a lifetime?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take the girl number eight for example: Her adopted father owed debt from gambling and the debt collectors were at her doorstep. To pay the debts, he sold his daughter to me. This child had a hard life, but at least she had food to eat here. If she continued to live with her adopted father, who knows if she could even survive. She was crying every day when she first arrived. But she¡¯s smart, realizing her situation, she epted her fate. You see, did I force her?¡±


    ¡°So you are a great benefactor then.¡±


    ¡°I am far from that, I am just trying to make a living, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Well, you really should have been a storyteller with that mouth of yours,¡± contradicted Zheng Qing.


    Zheng Qing raised his chin and pointed to the girl number ten: ¡°And her?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ ¡± Aunt Hong was somewhat hesitant.


    ¡°Not yet evolved a story?¡± Zheng Qing changed his sitting posture, ¡°No rush, take your time. I have plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°Indeed Mr. Qing, you really have a fondness for Yueyue. I¡¯ll tell you the truth. I found this child washed up on the beach. After carefully nursing her for many days, she woke up saying she had lost her memory, her past wiped outpletely. This isn¡¯t a charity organization. I can¡¯t afford to sustain ayabout. But she was willing to stay, so I let her stay here to learn and grow.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hand her over to the police? What if her rtives are looking for her?¡±


    Aunt Hong sighed, ¡°How I wish I could just call the police. I¡¯m an orphan myself. If I can help reduce the number of orphans in the world, so much the better. But the police couldn¡¯t trace her history, so they reluctantly let me take her back.¡±


    Zheng Qing frowned, growing restless. No matter what he said, the adversary would always have a barrage of reasons waiting for you.


    The final result was announced. When the spotlight fell on the girl, her pale and beautiful face was full of panic. She stood there, still and awkward, eliciting even more frantic shouts from the crowd.


    Aunt Hong smiled contentedly, ¡°Just as expected, Yueyue did not disappoint.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Zheng Qing chuckled, ¡°A fallen princess with amnesia, interesting¡­ ¡±


    One of her subordinates walked hurriedly to Aunt Hong¡¯s side, he whispered something and her face turned pale rapidly.


    ¡°What did you say? He ran away?¡±


    The subordinate lowered his head, ¡°We¡¯ve sent people to chase, he won¡¯t get far.¡±


    Aunt Hong hid her surprise and smiled, ¡°Mr. Qing, Miss, I apologize. Little Dong ran away. I¡¯ll send people to chase him right now and make sure to return him today.¡±


    Zheng Qing waved his hand, ¡°No rush.¡± He kept his eyes fixed on Yueyue on the grandstand,pletely fascinated by her.


    Aunt Hong narrowed her eyes, ¡°Please wait a moment, Mr. Qing. I¡¯ll arrange it for you right away.¡±


    She hurriedly left as soon as she finished speaking.


    As soon as she stepped away, Zheng Qing kicked back, his feet on the coffee table, his arms crossed, a sly smile on his face, ¡°This is getting more and more interesting.¡±


    Ming Jing looked at the young girls on the grandstand, full of pity, ¡°Such prime of youth wasted so. It¡¯s a crime.¡±


    Voluntary? Pull the other one.


    ¡°The casino and nightclub have always been intertwined. Once they spot a suitable person, they will bait him at the cards table, causing him to lose everything until he recklessly sells his daughter. The selected girl would have no choice but to stay, falling into the abyss under the dual weight of family and fate. She¡¯s not the first, and she won¡¯t be thest.¡±


    Zheng Qing hooked his lips, nced at Ming Jing, ¡°Then use these young girls to gain benefits, squeeze them for all they¡¯re worth. Your dear nephew sure has a good scheme going, making a habit of trampling on women to climb to the top.¡±

 Chapter 746: 382 Crafty words_2

    Chapter 746: 382 Crafty words_2


    After a long silence, a faint voice of a young girl emerged from the shadows: ¡°The three realms are full of suffering, like a burning house. Fear overwhelms as one deeply observes good and evil, and one who fears will notmit evil deeds, ultimately bringing peace and happiness¡­¡±


    The cold, ethereal chanting was easily drowned out by the noise at the scene, but it fell inside Zheng Qing¡¯s ears without missing a word.


    Zheng Qing cleared his ears: ¡°All you always do is recite sutras, mydy. Can Buddha save these poor girls?¡±


    Zheng Qing used to be intrigued, but recently grew more and more annoyed. Her youth should not be bound by ancient scriptures and Buddha. She embodied the old saying ¡°being free of desire brings resilience¡± perfectly, yet Zheng Qing hoped she could live like a real teenager, withughter and tears, sorrow and joy ¨C not necessarily smart, but living her life with all her heart.


    ¡°Buddha cannot save everyone, people must save themselves.¡±


    ¡°If I can save myself, what¡¯s the point of worshiping Buddha?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, ¡°Ice cannot be exined to summer insects.¡±


    Zheng Qing choked, displeased at being on the receiving end.


    A man approached Zheng Qing and bowed respectfully: ¡°Please follow me, both of you. Aunt Hong has already made all the arrangements.¡±


    Zheng Qing and Ming Jing exchanged a nce, and Ming Jing gracefully stood up, walking leisurely into the light.


    The young girl¡¯s face was hidden behind a lily mask, her delicate facial features barely discernible, elegant and captivating, making the other girls on the stage look ordinary inparison.


    The light of a firefly could neverpete with the sun and moon.


    A group of men in ck silently followed her, none daring to overstep her by even a step.


    Although she was as gentle as a spring breeze, her presence seemed to exert an invisible pressure that made the not-sorge meeting ce feel suffocating.


    ¡°Who¡­is she? Why does everyone seem so scared of her?¡±


    From the stands, a girl quietly asked, secretly envious of the girl¡¯s untainted aura.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know her? She¡¯s the long-lost daughter of the Rans, said to be Ran Bowen¡¯s girl.¡±


    ¡°Who is Ran Bowen?¡± This name had long been forgotten over the years.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know who Ran Bowen is, you must have heard of Master Xiao.¡±


    Hearing Master Xiao¡¯s name, everyone held their breath involuntarily.


    ¡°Master Xiao even calls her ¡®aunt.''¡±


    ¡°Why is she so young?¡± She seemed even younger than them.


    It was a mystery how Master Xiao, in his twenties, could have an underage aunt. This added to her air of intrigue, attracting envy and jealousy from all the girls.


    Xianxian murmured, ¡°So she¡¯s the daughter of the Rans.¡±


    While they struggled to survive among the filth, she was born into the nobility of Rome with the reverence of all. How unjust fate could be.@@novelbin@@


    Coming to her senses, Xianxian turned her head to see Yueyue had disappeared.


    ¡°Yueyue¡­¡± Xianxian instinctively chased after her, but Jiajia pulled her back.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Mr. Zheng Qing clearly likes Yueyue, can you stop her from climbing up thedder with Aunt Hong?¡±


    Xianxian clenched her fists: ¡°But Yueyue doesn¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what she wants; this is our fate. Mr. Zheng Qing is powerful and well-connected; this could be her chance to change her destiny.¡±


    ¡°No, I must see for myself to be at ease.¡± Xianxian chased after her.


    ¡ª


    The light was blurry and ambiguous, a faint aroma floated in the air.


    Zheng Qing looked around and spotted an excessivelyrge bed, curling his lips in disdain.


    He reached under a tablemp and pulled out a small ck dot blinking with a faint red light.


    Child¡¯s y.


    He subsequently found simr devices in the potted nts in the corner and the chandelier above, tossing them all into the toilet and flushing them away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring a knife to a gunfight in front of me.¡±


    The door opened, and a young girl with her head down walked in.


    As she entered, the door closed instantly behind her.


    With the sound of the door closing, the girl trembled nervously.


    Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on the pendant on her wrist.


    ¡°I heard Aunt Hong say she found you by the seaside; where are you from?¡±


    The girl bit her pale lips but remained silent.


    Zheng Qing softened his tone: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t hurt you. Tell me the truth, and I¡¯ll help you get home.¡±


    The girl suddenly raised her head, her lifeless eyes shing with a glimmer of hope before quickly dimming again.

 Chapter 748: 383 Misunderstanding

    Chapter 748: 383 Misunderstanding


    Aunt Hong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she waved her hand, ordering her subordinates, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Miss¡¯s words?¡±


    The men immediately carried Dong Jiahe out.


    ¡°Miss, please have some tea.¡± Aunt Hong personally handed a teacup to Ming Jing.


    Ming Jing did not ept it, silently looking at her.


    Aunt Hong¡¯s face gradually grew ufortable; indeed, she was Ran Bowen¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Although I do not interfere in the affairs of the Qinglong Association, my father founded it with his own hands. I cannot stand by and watch it be destroyed by you.¡±


    Aunt Hong¡¯s hand holding the teacup trembled. Didn¡¯t she hear wrong?


    Was Miss joking?


    Although it was true that Ran Bowen founded the Qinglong Association, it was also destroyed by him. If it weren¡¯t for Ran Tengxiao, the Qinglong Association would have perished long ago.


    ¡°Miss, you are wrong in saying that. In this world, not everything is ck or white. If it were, the Qinglong Association would have been banned decades ago, and there would be no glory today.¡±


    Not to mention acting pretentious in front of her, this youngdy was too naive.


    ¡°Not ck or white, not good or evil, heaven is clear, and retribution is certain.¡± The girl smiled faintly, holding a flower with one hand, looking solemn and pure as a Buddha statue.


    Aunt Hong was stunned in ce.


    Noises came from the neighboring room, and their volume gradually increased, causing embarrassment for the young and inexperienced girl.


    The girl in front of her remained calm and unaffected.


    Aunt Hongughed, ¡°I thought Mr. Zheng Qing and Miss¡­ It turns out that I misunderstood.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at her with a faint smile, and Aunt Hong awkwardly lowered her head.


    Half an hourter, Zheng Qing came out with a satisfied look, hugging Yueyue, who had her head down, her face flushed with shame and anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the girl away.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Aunt Hong seemed reluctant.


    ¡°Mr. Zheng Qing, Yueyue signed a contract with me. You can eat, but you are taking both the bowl and the pot. There is no such thing as this.¡±


    Zheng Qing nced at her, ¡°What should I do to let her go?¡±


    Aunt Hong took out a contract and handed it to Zheng Qing, ¡°Mr. Zheng Qing, please take a look.¡±


    Zheng Qing opened it and took a look, then scoffed, ¡°You are openly robbing money, treating me like a fool?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zheng Qing, it¡¯s clearly written in ck and white, with Yueyue¡¯s handprint. If you don¡¯t admit it, then I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zheng Qing snorted coldly, ¡°I will take her away first, and I will have someone send you the moneyter.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work. There are rules for everything. Mr. Zheng Qing, don¡¯t make it difficult for me.¡±


    Yueyue secretly caught hold of Zheng Qing¡¯s clothes, pitifully lowering her head.@@novelbin@@


    Zheng Qing held her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I promise to take you away, and I will definitely take you away.¡±


    Zheng Qing spoke in a deep voice, ¡°I recently invested in a business, and I am a little tight on cash. How about I pay a deposit first? As soon as my funds return, I will immediately transfer the money to you.¡±


    Aunt Hong was about to say no, but Ming Jing came out.


    Aunt Hong nced at her, ¡°For Miss¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll give Mr. Zheng Qing face. I hope you keep your word.¡±


    After saying that, she nced at Yueyue with a smile, ¡°You are a lucky one. Follow Mr. Zheng Qing, and there will be more blessings in the future.¡±


    Yueyue pursed her lips and lowered her head.


    ¡°Yueyue¡­¡± Xianxian chased after her, holding Yueyue¡¯s hand with a worried face.


    Yueyue spoke softly, ¡°Xianxian, don¡¯t worry, Mr. Zheng Qing is very good to me, he wants to take me away from here.¡±


    Xianxian looked at Zheng Qing cautiously, would this man really treat Yueyue well?


    Zheng Qing raised his eyebrows, ¡°You are the girl who yed the flute.¡±


    The girl who was sold by her adopted father to pay off his gambling debts.


    Xianxian nodded, ¡°Yes, Mr. Zheng Qing, will you always be good to Yueyue?¡±


    ¡°Xianxian, do not be disrespectful.¡± Aunt Hong scolded sternly.


    Yueyue held Xianxian¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Xianxian, wait for me, I will definitely save you.¡±


    Xianxian shook her head, ¡°As long as you have a good life, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    Xianxian looked up and met the eyes of Miss Ran. Thetter gently smiled and looked away.


    It wasn¡¯t until the three people left that Xianxian, as if drained of all her strength, leaned weakly against the wall.


    Aunt Hong touched her temples and smirked, ¡°Mr. Ran is waiting for you in room 302. Don¡¯t keep him waiting too anxiously.¡±


    Xianxian tightly bit her lower lip, her small face pale.


    ¡°Aunt Hong¡­ I¡­ I suddenly feel a bit unwell¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Aunt Hong¡¯s eyes gradually turned cold, ¡°Your adoptive father sold you to me, not for you to enjoy a good life here. Remember your status.¡±

 Chapter 750: 383 Misunderstanding_3

    Chapter 750: 383 Misunderstanding_3


    Mingyue shook her head: ¡°Sister, you¡¯re mistaken, I¡¯m not a bad person.¡±


    Xiao Wen stared at the girl¡¯s innocent face, her heart sinking to the bottom in an instant.


    Could it be Mr. Qing¡¯s girlfriend?


    It could only be that possibility.


    Although the girl was beautiful, her clothes were really indecent. So Mr. Qing likes this type.


    Xiao Wen ced the suit on the living room sofa and walked over to scrutinize her.


    ¡°Are you Mr. Qing¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    Girlfriend?


    Mingyue¡¯s face turned red instantly, shaking her head desperately: ¡°No¡­ no, sister, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±<div>


    ¡°Is it that shameful to be with Mr. Qing?¡±


    ¡°No, Sister¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Xiao Wen didn¡¯t listen to her exnation and suddenly wrinkled her nose. ¡°What¡¯s burned?¡±


    Xiao Wen pushed Mingyue away and rushed into the kitchen, quickly turning off the gas.


    The egg in the frying pan on the stove waspletely burnt.@@novelbin@@


    Mingyue lowered her head: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±


    Xiao Wen choked back: ¡°I haven¡¯t med you yet. Why are you acting like I¡¯m bullying you?¡±


    ¡°Sister¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me sister. We don¡¯t even know who¡¯s older.¡±


    Mingyue pursed her lips.


    At this moment, Zheng Qing came out of the bedroom and greeted the two at the kitchen door.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Finishing her words, she went into the bathroom.


    The two froze at the same time. Clearly, the person who had juste out of the bedroom was a woman.


    Xiao Wen turned her head and looked at Mingyue with sympathetic eyes.


    Mr. Qing really likes to y around.


    Mingyue looked somewhat at a loss and muttered, ¡°Is she¡­ Mr. Qing¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    Xiao Wen shook her head and rolled up her sleeves, heading into the kitchen.


    ¡°You go rest, I¡¯ll make breakfast.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t bear to look at the girl¡¯s expression any longer.


    In the bathroom, after relieving herself, Zheng Qing finally came to her senses as she stood in front of the mirror.


    She touched her face and her long hair, looking as if she had been struck by lightning.


    No one had ever visited their home, so she always kept her disguise off, forgetting that now there was another person at home.


    Just now, Xiao Wen had seen her face clearly.


    Zheng Qing quickly calmed down. It was impossible for either of them to think that Mr. Qing was a woman. This scandalous reputation could only be borne by Mr. Qing.


    Zheng Qing opened the bathroom door and calmly returned to the bedroom.


    After finishing her makeup, she tidied up and came out again.


    Xiao Wen prepared breakfast: ¡°Mr. Qing, let¡¯s have breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Xiao Wen smiled: ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Looking at the closed bedroom door, Xiao Wen tentatively asked, ¡°Mr. Qing, isn¡¯t your girlfriend going to eat?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like to see strangers.¡±


    Xiao Wen was taken aback. The woman had just greeted them, looking so beautiful, and even familiar, resembling a female celebrity.


    While eating breakfast, Zheng Qing said, ¡°Dong Jiahe is in the hospital. Go visit himter.¡±


    Xiao Wen suppressed her surprise: ¡°Understood, Mr. Qing.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Li from Hanhai invited you for afternoon tea. Do you want to¡­?¡±


    Hanhai is the investor of thepany¡¯s new project. Now the project is about to start, there¡¯s certainly no good intention behind Mr. Li¡¯s invitation. She could easily guess he would probably try to arrange his mistresses into the project.


    ¡°Cancel it.¡±


    Xiao Wen agreed: ¡°Mr. Qing, ording to the n, the press conference is next week. If we can¡¯t invite An Yang, the major investors won¡¯t be satisfied.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Zheng Qing finished her milk, nced at the quiet Mingyue, ¡°When you have time, take her to the mall to buy some clothes, and arrange for her daily needs.¡± She then pushed a bank card to Xiao Wen.


    ¡°I have something to do, I¡¯ll leave first. You stay with Xiao Wen for the next few days.¡±


    Zheng Qing instructed a few more things, took a call, and rushed away.


    ¡°Mr. Qing is really nice to you.¡± Xiao Wen stared at the girl¡¯s young and beautiful face, her eyes filled with envy.


    With such a beautiful face, she could be a star.


    Mingyue pursed her lips: ¡°It¡¯s my honor to have met Mr. Zheng Qing?¡±


    Xiao Wen raised an eyebrow, these days, mistresses had be quite self-righteous.


    ¡ª-


    In Jingzhou, it was freezing cold, and the eaves were covered with a thickyer of icicles early in the morning.


    The Qu family¡¯s servants were cleaning the snow in the yard and carefully removing the ice on the ground. It wouldn¡¯t be good if their master stepped on it.


    At this time, the sound of things breaking upstairs came, clear in the quiet morning.


    The servants didn¡¯t react or even raise their heads to look.


    It was the Qu family¡¯s daily routine, and everyone was used to it.


    No wonder their young master had white hair at such a young age. With such an unruly brother, how could he not develop white hair?


    ¡°Qu Lanting, you¡¯re uwfully imprisoning a person. You¡¯re breaking thew, and you¡¯re still a civil servant. You¡¯re knowingly breaking thew.¡±


    ¡°Qu Lanting, let me out¡­ ¡°

 Chapter 754: 385 Scripts

    Chapter 754: 385 Scripts


    Jiangzhou.


    It was another ordinary Saturday.


    A Cadic parked at the entrance of the vi.


    @@novelbin@@


    The car window was half down, revealing a woman¡¯s capable and beautiful face.


    ¡°Hello, myst name is Dai, and I¡¯m here to deliver Ms. Ming Jing¡¯s dress.¡±


    Mao Er remembered: ¡°The youngdy informed us in advance, pleasee in.¡±


    As he finished speaking, the barrier was raised.


    Dai Xi gratefully smiled, starting the car and drove in through the gate.


    The assistant in the co-driver¡¯s seat looked at the green hills and clear waters outside the window and eximed, ¡°Is this the reputed Ran family residence? It¡¯s so extravagant, upying an entire mountainside.¡±


    Many people knew little about the Rans, but after Ming Jing¡¯s background was exposed, they actively or passively learned about the family. The more they found out, the more astonished they were, but none of it could bepared to seeing it in person.


    Then the assistant worriedly said, ¡°I heard the head of the Ran family is quite terrifying. What if he doesn¡¯t like us¡­?¡±


    Why did it feel like stepping into a wolf¡¯s den?


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, we were invited by Ms. Ming Jing, she won¡¯t let anything happen to us.¡±


    Men dressed in ck uniforms roamed the estate from time to time, walking with regr steps and serious expressions, giving an oppressive feeling.


    When they reached a triumphal arch, a man in ck stopped them, saying they couldn¡¯t drive any further and had to walk instead.


    The two of them had no choice but to get out of the car and walk inside, carrying their belongings while admiring the scenic surroundings, making the trip worthwhile.


    As they approached a castle-like building that seemed straight out of a fairy tale, both of them were stunned.


    A sweet-looking young girl came out with a smile, ¡°Are you Ms. Dai? The youngdy has been waiting for you for a while now, follow me.¡±


    Dai Xi remained calm, while her assistant¡¯s legs were already wobbly.


    Xiao Hua led them to a resting room on the second floor, where Ming Jing was sitting in front of a tea table, making tea with graceful movements.


    ¡°Ms. Dai, it¡¯s been a while since west met.¡±


    Dai Xiughed, ¡°It¡¯s really hard to see Ms. Ming Jing these days.¡±


    Ming Jing handed her a cup of tea, which Dai Xi received with both hands.


    Dai Xi got to the point after drinking the tea, ¡°I personally designed and made the dress for Ms. Ming Jing to wear at tomorrow¡¯s event. I brought it here for your inspection, and if there is anything unsatisfactory, we can make adjustments.¡±


    Dai Xi took the gift box from her assistant, opened the lid, and shook out the dress. The moonlight-white dress glittered brilliantly, an incredibly beautiful sight that no girl would dislike.


    Ming Jing tried it on her upper body, and the fit was perfect, tailored precisely for her, without any ws.


    Dai Xi couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°This dress is one-of-a-kind in the whole world. I made it as a gift for Ms. Ming Jing to express my gratitude for your promotion of our brand and taking care of us over the past half year. Of course, a single dress could never fully repay you, but please ept this small token of my appreciation.¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s expression remained calm, but she nodded with a smile, ¡°I like it very much.¡±


    Dai Xi didn¡¯t stay long at the Ran¡¯s residence and left for the Zhu¡¯s house to deliver a dress to Ming Xin as well.


    That¡¯s right, Ming Xin was also attending tomorrow¡¯s fashion event. Now signed to a filmpany as Lady Yu, it would be her first official appearance in front of the media.


    It was Ming Jing who had asked Dai Xi to prepare Ming Xin¡¯s dress.


    Dai Xi left the Rans and hurried to the Zhus¡¯ residence.


    She paid a visit to Madam Zhu, Lin Qing, whom she had thought would be in high spirits after finding her biological daughter. But instead, she found Lin Qing looking pale and haggard.


    ¡°Madam, have you fallen ill? Have you seen a doctor?¡±


    Feeling gratitude for Lin Qing, it pained Dai Xi to see her like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to die¡­ cough, cough¡­¡± After a few words, Lin Qing started to cough and cover her mouth.


    At that moment, a young girl entered the room with a bowl of medicine, ¡°Auntie, it¡¯s time to take your medicine.¡±


    The girl was tall and pretty, with a pure and refined appearance, catching everyone¡¯s eye.


    Since she called Lin Qing Auntie, it turned out she was Lin Qing¡¯s niece. Why hadn¡¯t Lin Qing mentioned her before?


    The girl saw Dai Xi and smiled slightly, ¡°Auntie Dai, hello, my name is Lin Ya.¡±


    Her manners were elegant, and Dai Xi couldn¡¯t help but look at her a few more times.


    When Lin Qing heard that it was time for her medicine, her face immediately darkened.


    ¡°Auntie, my cousin specifically asked me to make sure you drink your medicine in front of me, or else I can¡¯t exin it to her.¡±


    Only then did Lin Qing¡¯s expression soften, grumbling, ¡°It¡¯s so bitter.¡±


    Lin Ya took out some prepared honey citrus, ¡°These are your favorite honey oranges from Xu¡¯s. You can only have them after you finish the medicine.¡±

 Chapter 755: 385 Script_2

    Chapter 755: 385 Script_2


    Lin Qing reluctantly drank the medicine, her eyebrows furrowed tightly from the bitterness. Her face finally eased after sucking on a honey orange.


    Thinking of something, she said unhappily: ¡°Is Xin¡¯er at the hospital again?¡±


    Lin Ya gently patted Lin Qing¡¯s back, helping her to rx, and smiled: ¡°Auntie, you should rest.¡±


    With others present, Lin Qing didn¡¯t say much and soon grew tired, lying down and falling asleep.


    Dai Xi was sitting in the living room on the first floor, waiting for Ming Xin. Lin Ya brought up some tea and snacks that she personally prepared, sitting down to wait with Dai Xi.


    ¡°Please excuse my bold question, but how old is Miss Lin this year?¡±


    ¡°Auntie Dai, you¡¯re my aunt¡¯s friend and my elder. Just call me Xiao Ya. I¡¯m neen this year.¡±


    Dai Xi was quite impressed with her, ¡°Are you attending college?¡±


    Lin Ya smiled, ¡°I¡¯m currently a freshman at Jiangzhou University.¡±@@novelbin@@<div>


    ¡°What major are you studying?¡±


    ¡°Computer Science.¡±


    This was Jiangzhou University¡¯s top major, with admission scores nearly on par with Huaqing University. Those who were admitted were no ordinary individuals.


    This girl was not only beautiful and emotionally intelligent but also smart. Indeed, quite rare.


    While the two were chatting, Ming Xin returned.


    Having seen the beauty of Ming Jing and Lin Ya, one¡¯s first impression of Ming Xin might be a bit disappointing.


    It seemed that the inte had it right: with such an appearance, she wasn¡¯t suitable for entering the entertainment industry.


    However, who wouldn¡¯t envy her for having such a powerful junior? There was no room for jealousy.


    Ming Xin had heard that Dai Xi was here to deliver her gown, and her face lit up with a brilliant smile.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    The girl¡¯s smile was infectious, and although she was not as exquisite as Lin Ya, she was a sunny, energetic young woman with her own style.


    Dai Xi took out the gown for her to try on. The measurements of Ming Xin¡¯s figure were provided by Ming Jing. With Dai Xi¡¯s skillful hands, the gown was surprisingly fitting.


    The clothes for Ming Jing were mostly crafted by Dai Xi herself, so the gown for Ming Jing was bound to be perfect.


    It seemed that the rtionship between Ming Jing and her senior was as good as the rumors said.


    Tomorrow¡¯s fashion g was an annual red carpet battle in the entertainment industry, a must-win ground for female celebrities. A month ago, many female stars had already extended olive branches to her studio, hoping to have her personally design their gowns.


    However, apart from the gowns for Ming Jing and Ming Xin, she had assigned the design work for other stars to the designers under her brand. Her brand philosophy was uniqueness. Celebrities feared wearing the same outfits, and with Ming Jing¡¯s influence, her fashion brand had be sizzling hot among the stars, even more popr than foreign brands.


    Lin Ya looked at the gown on Ming Xin¡¯s body and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    The little ck dress was fluidly cut, elegantly designed, and sophisticated, exuding a ssic air. ck was this year¡¯s trend, a fashionable whirlwind that Ming Jing had initiated. The waist-entuating design highlighted the youthful exuberance of a young girl. Ming Xin¡¯s figure was tall and well-proportioned, not the kind of sickly thin poprly pursued. She was healthy and vibrant, as if the dress was tailored just for her.


    Ming Xin looked at the girl in the mirror, her eyes slightly unfocused.


    Liang Yanran was a top actress who dominated the red carpet with her exclusively worn superseasonal haute couture from top brands. Known as the fashion queen, she would overshadow other actresses whenever she appeared.


    Touching the minimalist ck dress, Ming Xin couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of warmth in her heart.


    The past was merely a prologue.


    Her new journey in the entertainment industry would begin with this little ck dress.


    It represented Ming Jing¡¯s expectations and blessings for her.


    ¡°Junior, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Miss, we have just received fresh lychees by air transport.¡±


    ¡°Miss, you must be tired. Let me give you a shoulder massage. I¡¯ve learned from professional technicians¡­¡±


    Xiao Hua circled around Ming Jing, trying to please her. Ming Jing helplessly said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you with me tomorrow, okay?¡±


    With a surprised expression, Xiao Hua said, ¡°Miss, you actually guessed what I was thinking! We really have such a connection! I¡¯ll be your assistant tomorrow.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and began writing a script.


    Xiao Hua busied herself with pouring tea and fetching water, not daring to disturb Ming Jing at all.


    She noticed a thick stack of papers nearby with threerge characters on the cover that were very eye-catching.


    Wasn¡¯t this the title of a popr novel?


    Wind on the Clouds; she used to stay upte in high school reading it and had shed countless tears for the tragic love story of the protagonist.


    ncing at Ming Jing, who was absorbed in typing at herputer, she didn¡¯t pay attention to Xiao Hua at all.

 Chapter 758: 386 Surgery_2

    Chapter 758: 386 Surgery_2


    Zhou Xue looked up and saw a man wearing gold-rimmed sses, cultured and refined, with an elegant demeanor.@@novelbin@@


    Zhang Yunfang choked back sobs as she said, ¡°Auntie, he is my teacher.¡±


    The man extended his hand, ¡°Hello, I am Fangfang¡¯s ssmate and math teacher, Cen Ning.¡±


    Zhou Xue shook his hand briefly and then let go, she asked calmly, ¡°Were you the one who brought my brother to the hospital?¡±


    The man pushed up his sses on the bridge of his nose, a simple action exuding an indescribable charm.


    ¡°Today is Fangfang¡¯s birthday, I was invited to her birthday party. When we were about to leave, Mr. Zhang suddenly fell ill. I hurriedly called an ambnce and brought him to the hospital.¡±


    Apart from Zhang¡¯s father, he was the only adult present among all the youngsters of Zhang Yunfang¡¯s age that night.


    Zhou Xue nodded, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Cen Ning, for helping our family so much.¡±


    ¡°No need to be polite, it was just a small effort.¡±<div>


    Zhou Xue looked at him earnestly and found that he was also looking at her. His eyes behind the sses were warm, crystal clear, calm and bright, frank and sincere.


    Zhou Xue felt a strange sensation in her heart but didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, shifting her gaze away somewhat ufortably.


    A smile deepened at the corner of the man¡¯s lips.


    At that moment, the door to the operating room opened, and a nurse hurried out, ¡°Who is the family member of Zhang Qiao?¡±


    Zhou Xue rushed forward, ¡°I am.¡±


    The nurse took a look at her, ¡°What is your rtionship with the patient?¡±


    ¡°He is my brother, what exactly is wrong with my brother?¡±


    The nurse handed her a critically ill patient notification form to sign, and Zhou Xue¡¯s hand was trembling as she held the pen.


    After signing and handing it back to the nurse, the nurse asked several more questions, such as patient¡¯s allergies to any medication, previous medical history, and Zhou Xue told her everything she knew.


    ¡°My brother has always been very healthy and has never even had a cold or fever. What disease does he have?¡±


    The nurse sighed, ¡°The patient has acute myocardial infarction caused by long-term hypertension. If he had been brought here a few minutester, even the Daluo Immortals couldn¡¯t save him. Now his condition is critical, and he must undergo PCI treatment within 90 minutes of admission¡­¡±


    ¡°Nurse, no matter how much it costs, please save my brother¡­¡±


    ¡°The patient¡¯s condition is not very good, and this surgery carries a high risk, so the family should still be prepared mentally¡­¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°No¡­¡±


    The nurse¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Dr. Bo?¡±


    Zhou Xue turned her head abruptly, and a handsome man in a white coat walked towards her. He said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve already reported to the dean, I will perform this surgery.¡±


    The young nurse was overjoyed and hurriedly introduced him to Zhou Xue, ¡°Your brother is so lucky. This is the internationally renowned surgeon Dr. Bo. With him performing the surgery, your brother will surely be out of danger.¡±


    It was indeed inappropriate for a nurse to give such guarantees to the family, but Bo Yuxun had already be a legend in the circle, and it was not surprising to hear such praise.


    Zhou Xue naturally recognized Bo Yuxun; he had deep entanglements with Madam, and one day they would stand on opposing sides.


    She never thought that one day he would perform surgery on her brother.


    Zhou Xue¡¯s emotions were mixed at that moment.


    But for her brother¡¯s sake, she had to lower her pride.


    ¡°Dr. Bo, please, I beg you to save my brother,¡± Zhou Xue pleaded bitterly.


    The tall and handsome man responded indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s my duty. I will do my best.¡±


    With those words, he walked into the operating room without looking back.


    Zhou Xue sat disoriented on a stic chair, and a cup of hot milk tea was handed to her.


    She looked up and saw the man squatting in front of her, pushing the milk tea into her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Dr. Bo¡¯s reputation. With him handling the surgery, your brother will surely be safe. For Fangfang¡¯s sake, you have to hold on.¡±


    Zhou Xue looked at the little girl leaning on her, rubbing her sleepy eyes but not daring to fall asleep, her heart ached.


    She held Fangfang in her arms and gently patted her back, ¡°Go to sleep, your dad will be fine, I promise.¡±


    Only then did the little girl fall asleep peacefully.


    Zhou Xue took the milk tea, and the heat from the cup chased away the cold in her palm, as warmth flowed through her veins to her entire body.


    ©¤©¤


    Three hourster, the light in the operating room finally went out.


    Zhou Xue stood up immediately with Zhang Yunfang in her arms.


    Zhang Yunfang seemed to sense something, rubbed her eyes and opened them.


    Bo Yuxun walked out in his surgical gown, and in response to Zhou Xue¡¯s anxious inquiry, he said softly, ¡°The surgery was very sessful. He has now been transferred to the intensive care ward, and if there are noplications within 24 hours, he will be out of danger.¡±

 Chapter 761: 387 red carpet_2

    Chapter 761: 387 red carpet_2


    Huang Chao stepped back and said with a nce, ¡°Perfect, I really admire my own handiwork.¡±


    Bai Ziyan joked, ¡°With skills like these, you¡¯re really wasting your talents as a manager.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Bai, you have good taste.¡± Huang Chao used a contour brush to sweep across Qu Feitai¡¯s cheekbones.


    ¡°Your face has be all thin, haven¡¯t you been eating well these days? It¡¯s heartbreaking to see how skinny you have be.¡±


    Huang Chao?s miraculous skills perfectly concealed the haggard color on Qu Feitai¡¯s face, however¡­


    Huang Chao looked at his eyes, ¡°Xiao Fei, you¡¯ve changed. There¡¯s ayer of sadness in your eyes now.¡±@@novelbin@@


    He was no longer the Xiao Fei he used to know.


    Qu Feitai forced a smile on his lips, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°People change.¡±<div>


    Bai Ziyan took a moment to check Weibo, ¡°Xiao Fei, Ming Jing will also be attending tonight¡¯s event.¡±


    Bai Ziyan didn¡¯t dare look at his face but to his surprise, Qu Feitai was calm.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The three in words from him made Bai Ziyan feel a whirlwind of emotions beneath.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Promptly at six, the stars began to arrive at the red carpet, surrounded by media, with all tforms ready to live broadcast.


    The moment the first star, Duan Xiaoxiao, stepped onto the red carpet, the great drama of the evening slowly began.


    The celebrities invited to tonight¡¯s event, big and small, famous and not-so-famous, totalled over a hundred.


    To save time, those less known stars all walked the red carpet together. Some were dressed provocatively to grab attention, others even wore three-pieces swimsuits on the red carpet. It was low-ss but seeded in stunning viewers, and they were immediatelymbasted and made headlines.


    Netizens eximed how they hurt their eyes. This minor celebrity achieved her goal, she didn¡¯t care about the bacsh but just wanted the notoriety.


    The more she was criticised, the higher her poprity, the more attention she received.


    Soon enough, theizens startedpiling personal information on this ¡®swimsuit celebrity¡¯.


    ¡°Pan Jingjing, inte celebrity. Used to boost herself with a sham socialite status, got exposed and ruined her reputation. Now someone with blind eyes must have put her forward. Doesn¡¯t the event¡¯s organizationmittee review their guests? They just let anybody in; it¡¯s hurtful to see my beloved idols share the space with such a person.¡±


    ¡°That stic face, the double eyelids are so deep they could row a boat, the chin is so sharp it could stab someone. Just one look is an insult to my eyes, Oh mom, save me¡­¡±


    ¡°This woman¡¯s infamous for living off men, she¡¯spletely washed up in the inte scene in Jiangzhou. If you have money, you¡¯re in. What kind of standards can such a person possibly have? I really feel sorry for all the male celebrities tonight.¡±


    Upon hearing about her glorious past, fans of male celebrities were on tenterhooks.


    Pan Jingjing¡¯s audacious move tonight seeded in creating quite a sensation, making inte users all over the country remember her name, even though it was in infamy.


    But in this era, where the number of views matter above all, an infamous name was still a name. The conversion of views into cash was a tangible benefit.


    Child star Han Ying followed closely, stepping onto the red carpet. This household name child star grew up very handsome, coupled with his excellent academic performance, his frequent appearances in TV shows solidified his poprity, making him a hot favourite.


    He was cheerfully waving his hand, greeting the media as he walked.


    ¡°Wow, Han Ying is so handsome, seems like he has grown taller sincest time.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s 1.8 meters at 16, what magic potion did he take? He really can¡¯t grow any taller. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be hard for him to act alongside female actresses.¡±


    ¡°Why did Han Ying walk so fast? This is not a race to get home for dinner, hey¡­..¡±


    Within half a minute, Han Ying disappeared at the end of the red carpet.


    The media looked at the blurry figure in the camera and were at a loss of words.


    The inte exploded with discussions due to Han Ying¡¯s unconventional red carpet appearance. It was filled with friendly banter.


    Compared to the no-bottom-line inte celebrities, the child star who grew up before the nation¡¯s eyes was more appealing.


    ¡°Ahh Zhao Ninghan! Tonight¡¯s look is killing me¡­¡±


    Walking onto the red carpet next was one of the current top actresses, Zhao Ninghan. Having reached her current status, she was naturally beautiful, with a gorgeous and dignified style, a very pleasing countenance.


    Previously, she was always overshadowed by Liang Yanran. But since Liang Yanran¡¯s death, it had be Zhao Ninghan?s world. However, rumors about her and a much younger male celebrity were spreading rampant, and although it helped boost her poprity, it also had a negative impact on her reputation.


    The next celebrity to step onto the red carpet was the currently popr idol, whoever it was, their fans were so enthusiastic that the integged as soon as they stepped onto the red carpet.


    Following him were the popr young actor Li Junyi, the rising starlet Xie Yiming, as well as the famous veteran artist Zou Jingyu, who strode on the red carpet along with his long-time partner, the nationally acimed host, Zhao Xinrong.

 Chapter 762: 387 red carpet_3

    Chapter 762: 387 red carpet_3


    Next up were international supermodel Linda and famous director An Yang.


    ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s Zhou Zhengru, the Zhou Yingdi! We¡¯ve been waiting for so long and finally get to see him. It¡¯s been so hard to meet him after he went into seclusion to film.¡±


    ¡°Director Yu looks energetic. He must be here to promote the new movie.¡±


    ¡°Is the girl between the two the new Lady Yu? Ming Jing¡¯s Senior? She doesn¡¯t look as bad as everyone says. At least, her figure is great, not worse than a supermodel. She looks healthy too.¡±


    ¡°The little ck dress looks so good, as if it was tailor-made for her, a perfect clothes hanger.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that saying go? You may not believe in Director Yu, but you can¡¯t deny his taste. Whoever he picks can¡¯t be that bad. People online are too harsh. Senior looks pretty, very memorable, a hundred times better than those made-by-surgery faces.¡±


    ¡°Senior looks good, and there¡¯s no one like her in the entertainment industry. I believe she¡¯ll definitely be popr. Trust me, I¡¯ve never been wrong.¡±


    ¡°Looking at her face, her forehead is full, her cheekbones are prominent, her ears are thick, and her lips are kind. This is the best fortune or even a wife¡¯s luck. The one who marries Senior will be blessed.¡±


    Ming Xin walked the red carpet apanied by Yu Dawei and Zhou Zhengru. Everyone expected her to be nervous and anxious, some even waiting to see her make a fool of herself, but they were all disappointed.<div>


    The young girl was confident andposed, handling everything with ease. Even her poses in front of the media cameras were skillful, capturing the best angles, her candid smile immortalized on film. When people look back, it will undoubtedly be a ssic snapshot.


    ¡°Is she really a neer on the red carpet for the first time? How can she have a more powerful aura than Zhao Ninghan? Strange.¡±


    ¡°I love Senior so much. She¡¯s not the conventional beauty type. Her beauty is so unique, and she¡¯s so pleasing to look at. It¡¯s like the Buddha¡¯s blessed face, very kind and blessed.¡±


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d see her embarrassing herself, but instead, she¡¯s well-matched with the film emperor and looks like his lovely wife. I can already picture it.¡±


    ¡°This couple looks perfect together, an older man and his young wife, a match made in heaven.¡±


    Among them, there were some haters with unpleasant words, but they were quickly silenced.


    Zhou Zhengru had a good reputation in the industry and had never been involved in any scandals with female celebrities. Pure and untainted, he was still single in his thirties, with a high status and actual achievements. His love life wouldn¡¯t affect his career. His fans, like him, were very content in their lives, urging him to find a virtuousdy, get married, and have a baby, so they could watch him on childcare variety shows.@@novelbin@@


    If a scandal involving Ming Xin arises, the fans would not be against it. The girl is a wealthy second-generation, with a talented Junior, and though her figure and appearance are not exceptional, they¡¯re more than enough. As Lady Yu, she is a clean te and will definitely be able to avoid the underhanded rules of the entertainment industry. Such a girl would make a suitable sister-inw, and there¡¯d be no reason to oppose the match.


    After the triopleted their walk down the red carpet, another beauty appeared.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Luo Ziyin! She hasn¡¯t been seen in ages. Her face still looks so beautiful.¡±


    The woman in her thirties wore an elegant purple dress, exuding grace and beauty. Her face was adorned with delicate makeup, and time seemed to have been unusually kind to her, leaving no trace of age.


    Luo Ziyin, once known as the number one beauty in the entertainment industry, and even now, still held that title. Over a decade ago, her fame reached every corner of the streets. However, she gradually faded from the scene, rarely attending events. She appeared in a film every year or two, ying the flower vase role in big productions, dutifully fulfilling her duty as a vase.


    As a result, her only achievement in the industry seems to be her beauty.


    Now, in the era of online celebrities, the entertainment industry is undergoing rapid changes. More and more neers have taken over her fan base, coveting her status. Gradually, more and more of the audience began to forget her existence, but every time she appears, they can never forget the amazement and emotions she brought over a decade ago.


    At that moment, someone said, ¡°A peerless beauty that could rival Su Yinci over a decade ago.¡±


    As the words fell, everyone was shocked.


    Even Luo Ziyin on the red carpet had a slight change in her expression.


    Su Yinci, an unfamiliar name. Nowadays, media practitioners have a short time in the industry, feeling a strange familiarity with this name yet knowing nothing about it.


    For those who have been in the business for a long time, they gasped in surprise, red at the person who spoke, and whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve got a death wish, bringing up that person.¡±

 Chapter 764: 388 Starlight_2

    Chapter 764: 388 Starlight_2


    ¡°I¡¯d dly be a vegetarian for ten years to trade for a face like that in my next life¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a good deal? I¡¯d rather be a vegetarian for my whole life.¡±


    ¡°How much good karma must she have umted in her past life for the Heavens to bless her with such a stunning appearance in this life?¡±


    The inte was filled with amazed exmations and discussions, quickly topping the trending charts.


    Ming Jing paid no attention to the media, she just calmly walked on the red carpet. At the moment, she wasn¡¯t a celebrity, but merely a guest at an event. This red carpet was not a path to stardom, just an ordinary path.@@novelbin@@


    She walked with poise and confidence, oblivious to the gazes all around her. None of the fickleness and short-sightedness of the entertainment industry could be seen in her. She was like the gently rolling clouds in the spring sky, the cool breeze rustling through the leaves on a summer afternoon, the brilliant sunlight in the frosty winter air ¨C subtly permeating the heart and soul.


    Ming Jing saw the woman in the purple dress standing opposite her, gave a slight smile, and walked past her into the venue.


    Luo Ziyin quickly turned around, picked up her skirt, and hurriedly followed.


    Guided by the staff, they arrived at the interview area.<div>


    The host was an acquaintance, Cao Yue, who was paired with a male co-host.


    Seeing Ming Jing approaching, Cao Yue¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.


    The male host was so captivated that hepletely forgot his lines.


    ¡°Young Miss¡­,¡± Cao Yue muttered softly.


    Her professionalism quickly kicked in, ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, wee.¡±


    She sneakily pinched the male host beside her, and he finally remembered his script.


    Ming Jing stood in front of the signing board, elegant and poised, dazzling in her starry gown.


    A staff member handed her a microphone, and she took it with both hands, lightly saying ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The staff member blushed and backed away.


    She was the only one among all the celebrities that night who said thank you and took the mic with both hands. So polite, truly lovable.


    Cao Yue secretly nced at her script, with some tricky questions. Although it was not meant to trip her up, for someone who was not in the entertainment industry, it was quite harsh. Did the organizers not fear offending the young miss of the Rans?


    Of course, all they wanted was to grab attention, and they didn¡¯t believe that the Rans could reach their tentacles into the entertainment industry.


    At this point, Luo Ziyin walked over. She was supposed to be interviewed separately from Ming Jing, with each person getting about a minute of interview time, just enough to show their face and sign their name before going inside. However, no one expected Luo Ziyin to dawdle, arriving with Ming Jing at the same time.


    Having no choice, they had to arrange for the two to be interviewed together.


    A staff member gave Luo Ziyin a microphone, and she stood next to Ming Jing.


    At this moment, thements quickly refreshed¡ª


    ¡°Why does Luo Ziyin look so annoyed? Who is she showing attitude to? Does she really think she¡¯s such a big shot?¡±


    ¡°Standing together, Ming Jing shows her up so badly. Is this the so-called number one beauty?¡±


    ¡°I guess she realized that she¡¯s aged and is showing attitude because of that? In the end, her narrow-mindedness is showing.¡±


    ¡°Just now, Ming Jing said thank you to the staff member who handed her the microphone, and took it with both hands. So polite. Luo Ziyin, on the other hand, took it with one hand without even saying thank you and had a sour face. You can see the difference in quality right away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯tpare Luo Ziyin with Ming Jing. Ming Jing is pure and innocent while Luo Ziyin has too many dark secrets. They are worlds apart, and there is simply no basis forparison.¡±


    ¡°Right, at least Luo Ziyin¡¯s dad nevermitted murder or arson. Of course, she can¡¯tpare to an underworld princess, huh.¡±


    ¡°To the person above, when bashing someone, abide by martial ethics. Do you have any evidence that Ming Jing¡¯s fathermitted murder or arson? Besides, what does this have to do with her? I think you just couldn¡¯t find anything else to criticize her for and came up with this.¡±


    ¡°Evidence? Do I need evidence? Just ask the people of Jiangzhou. Everyone knows Ran Bowen is capable of anything. You¡¯re all putting Ming Jing on a pedestal, the heavens are unjust. She will face retribution sooner orter.¡±


    There were many simrments, but they were quickly drowned out by the fans¡¯ praise and did not cause any ripples.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, on behalf of your many fans, may I ask you a question?¡± Cao Yue asked cautiously.


    Ming Jing gave a slight smile, ¡°What would you like to ask?¡±


    Cao Yue nervously gripped the microphone, ¡°What is your ideal partner like? This is really what theizens want to know.¡±


    At this moment, everyone inside and outside the venue perked up their ears.


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about that.¡±


    This answer was too perfunctory, and everyone was disappointed for not getting the answer they were looking for.

 Chapter 767: 389 Tolerance_2

    Chapter 767: 389 Tolerance_2


    A seat away was Zhou Zhengru, who nced at Zhao Ninghan. Everyone else was oblivious, but he noticed.


    That was not Luo Ziyin¡¯s seat; it belonged to Ming Jing.


    ¡°Ms. Zhao, take a step back, and the sky will be wide open. Causing a scene won¡¯t end well, and it won¡¯t look good for your reputation,¡± Zhou Zhengru spoke softly.


    Ming Jing was Ming Xin¡¯s junior, and Zhou Zhengru wanted to protect her while also avoiding a public conflict.


    Zhao Ninghan curled her lips, ¡°Zhou Yingdi, you usually don¡¯t meddle in others¡¯ business. Why, can¡¯t hold back any longer? Seems that Ms. Ming Jing is quite special to you.¡±


    Zhou Zhengru frowned, his tone no longer gentle, ¡°Ms. Zhao, I¡¯m saying this for your own good.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d like to thank Zhou Yingdi,¡± Zhao Ninghan sat there, unmoving.


    It was bad enough to be overshadowed by Luo Ziyin, but being dominated by an amateur was something Zhao Ninghan couldn¡¯t swallow.


    She had worked tirelessly to build her current status, and if word got out that she was being overshadowed by an amateur, it would be humiliating.<div>


    Zhao Ninghan, recently gued by scandal, knew little about Ming Jing¡¯s extraordinary background. She only recalled that Ming Jing had gained some fame after taking part in a variety show a few months ago and hadter been exposed as the daughter of a prominent Jiangzhou family.


    Being from Jiangzhou and a wealthy family was no big deal to Zhao Ninghan, and she didn¡¯t pay it much attention.


    She simply thought the organizers were ipetent, and felt the need to remind them.


    Seeing her refuse to budge, Zhou Zhengru also gave up on further persuading. Some people are just bent on self-destruction, and nothing can stop them.


    The editor-in-chief, Wen Na, was the initiator and person in charge of the event. Upon hearing reports from staff members that Zhao Ninghan had taken Ming Jing¡¯s seat, she cursed and walked out with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Ninghan, my dear, I apologize for the mishap. The person who arranged the seating didn¡¯t show proper discernment, and I¡¯ve spoken to them. That said, this seating n is set, and changing it would look bad online. If people find out that you took someone else¡¯s seat, it might hurt your reputation. You know howizens can be, they won¡¯t even listen to your exnation. I¡¯m just looking out for you¡­ ¡±


    Wen Na, known for her ability to navigate among celebrities and deft social skills, managed to make Zhao Ninghan waver in just a few sentences.


    Zhao Ninghan wasn¡¯t stupid and quickly understood, yet she remained seated. ¡°Sister Wen Na, I¡¯ve been through a lot of scandals before. A few hatefulments fromizens won¡¯t do me any harm. But if I give in today, I¡¯ll lose facepletely. I came here today out of respect for you, and you¡¯ve always taken good care of me. I just didn¡¯t expect you to make such a blunder for me. Are you saying that I, Zhao Ninghan, am worse than an amateur? Whose face are you pping here?¡±


    This was a matter of dignity, and she couldn¡¯t back down.


    Wen Na narrowed her eyes, her tone hardened: ¡°Ninghan, this Ms. Ming Jing is not someone we can afford to mess with. I just tried to warn you.¡±


    Zhao Ninghan sneered: ¡°What, is she involved in the underworld or something? No matter who she is, she must follow the rules. An amateur trying to outshine me? She must be dreaming.¡±


    Wen Na nced up and saw Ming Jing entering. She immediately left Zhao Ninghan to greet her personally.


    Zhao Ninghan watched as Wen Na abandoned her, then turned her head and went white with rage.


    The editor-in-chief of a top magazine was actually fawning over an amateur so shamelessly; it was absolutely ludicrous.


    As she looked at that amateur, Zhao Ninghan suddenly felt a pang in her chest, her brows deeply furrowed and her face darkened.


    No one noticed Pan Jingjing in the corner, streaming live with her phone. The camera was initially pointed at Zhao Ninghan. Though the distance made it difficult to hear what was being said, it seemed that they were having an argument.


    Pan Jingjing quietly exined: ¡°Zhao Ninghan took someone else¡¯s seat, and Wen Na is trying to drive her away. Too bad, Zhao Ninghan doesn¡¯t get it, haha¡­ ¡±


    Since the event had not officially started, the official live stream had not been activated, so people wanting to know what was happening inside had to rely on Pan Jingjing¡¯s stream.


    Although live streaming was considered lowbrow and celebrities were reluctant to participate, a shameless inte celebrity like Pan Jingjing, who tried every means to gain attention, was not so concerned. She started the live stream to attract viewers, and soon, fans who heard the news rushed into her live stream room.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 768: 389 Tolerance_3

    Chapter 768: 389 Tolerance_3


    Having heard Pan Jingjing¡¯s exnation, everyone went wild with barragements ¡ª


    ¡°Whose seat did Zhao Ninghan take? Luo Ziyin¡¯s? They¡¯re pretty much equal, right? Couldn¡¯t the organizer just ce them together? What poor organization!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Ninghan¡¯s actions aren¡¯t very decent, huh? Taking a seat in front of all these people and leaving the other person nowhere to sit? Is she just tearing their faces apart directly?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, she¡¯s not giving her any face at all, I love it!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Ninghan is so bold, isn¡¯t she afraid of offending the organizer?¡±


    ¡°Am I the only one who thinks she¡¯s a bit brainless? It¡¯s obvious she¡¯s going to offend people. She doesn¡¯t have much to fight with Luo Ziyin, and the organizer doesn¡¯t need to offend her for Luo Ziyin¡¯s sake. I think she took Ming Jing¡¯s seat.¡±


    These words woke everyone up.


    ¡°Sis, wake up! You¡¯re courting death by taking Ming Jing¡¯s seat. Do you still want to survive and step out of Jiangzhou?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I thought it was boring at first, but it¡¯s getting interesting now.¡±<div>


    ¡°Front row selling melon seeds, beer, and small stools¡­¡±


    Most of thements were teasing; after all, no matter how powerful the Rans are, it¡¯s not like they would go around killing and setting fires. Moreover, ording to their info, the Rans have already transformed and are no longer involved in gangster activities. They are now an industrial conglomerate group with a different management style from regr corporations. Their business is stillw-abiding and they are one of Jiangzhou¡¯srgest taxpayers. People¡¯s fear of them has been overly demonized.


    Pan Jingjing joined in on the fun, turning the camera and saying, ¡°Ming Jing¡¯s here! Look at our editor-in-chief Wen Na, she¡¯s running up to meet her. Ms. Ming Jing has so much face.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze at the scene instantly fell on Ming Jing.


    ¡°Ms. Ming Jing, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    Wen Na¡¯s eyes shed slightly, and she sighed, ¡°We originally arranged a seat for you in the first row, but Ninghan misunderstood¡­ Ms. Ming Jing, this was an oversight on our part, and it caused you trouble. I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this a tant seat grabbing?


    If someone with a temper had gotten up there, they would have torn the other person apart since they had power and influence and nothing to worry about.


    However, the girl in front of them was unexpectedly calm, unruffled, and smiled lightly.


    ¡°Editor-in-chief Wen, you¡¯re being too serious. I¡¯m here tonight for a charitable cause; where I sit doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    She looked around and walked to the second row, sitting down in Zhao Ninghan¡¯s seat.


    Ming Jing¡¯s move stupefied Wen Na.


    Was she too easygoing? Wen Na hadn¡¯t even had a chance to use the emergency ns she had thought up in her head.


    She was stuck between breathing in and out, nearly suffocating.@@novelbin@@


    Nobody else expected her to let the matter go so easily. She didn¡¯t cause any trouble for Zhao Ninghan or the organizers¡­


    She naturally sat down in Zhao Ninghan¡¯s seat, as if it was just an ordinary seat and had no significance in terms of status.


    Her nonchnt demeanor left everyone in awe, and they could see that she wasn¡¯t avoiding trouble with Zhao Ninghan out of fear, but she simply didn¡¯t care about such a trivial seat.


    If just a seat could represent one¡¯s status, then that status was too cheap.


    She possessed a kind of calm confidence. Wherever she sat, she would be the center of attention.


    The moon hanging in the sky doesn¡¯t lose its brightness because of its position. Instead, people on the ground follow the moon¡¯s path, looking up at it with reverence.


    Zhao Ninghan¡¯s face turned pale. She would have preferred if Ming Jing hade up and argued with her, causing a scene, which would have drawn attention to both of them.


    But instead, Ming Jing didn¡¯t even look at her, as if she was just a wildflower or weed on the side of the road, not worth her time and energy.


    The seat she had fought so hard for didn¡¯t matter to Ming Jing at all.


    This kind of indifference felt like a p on Zhao Ninghan¡¯s face, making her cheeks burn.


    Zhou Zhengru curled her lips; such a broad-minded girl could use her steadiness to adapt to any changes and win any battle.


    Just by looking at Zhao Ninghan¡¯s enraged appearance, one could see the magical power of this method.


    Only those who truly possess status don¡¯t care about a mere seat, while those whock it cling to it like a lifesaving straw.


    Ming Xin excitedly wrapped her arm around Ming Jing¡¯s: ¡°Junior, this is great, we can sit together now.¡±


    As a neer, Ming Xin was seated beside Zhao Ninghan, which showed the organizers¡¯ respect for both Ming Jing and Yu Dawei.


    Ming Jing smiled faintly: ¡°Senior.¡±


    The affectionate scene between the sisters was captured by the camera.


    Meanwhile, in Pan Jingjing¡¯s live-streaming room, people were cursing up a storm.


    As magnanimous as Ming Jing was, it highlighted how petty and narrow-minded Zhao Ninghan was in contrast. Her past image was shattered, and foul words filled the air.


    Even her own fans couldn¡¯t praise her with a clear conscience.


    This time, she went too far.


    People could somewhat understand her stealing Luo Ziyin¡¯s seat or even Ming Jing¡¯s, but now that Ming Jing had let it go, the public couldn¡¯t let it go.


    Ming Jing¡¯s tolerance was like a sharp sword that pierced Zhao Ninghan¡¯s heart.


    All the filthiness and dirtiness wereid bare in front of the spotless beauty and had nowhere to hide.

 Chapter 771: 390 Life_3

    Chapter 771: 390 Life_3


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Junior is really practicing Buddha¡¯s teachings through her actions.


    Are oranges sour? Of course, they are.


    If your heart is not sour, then the orange will not be sour, applying the same logic to life.


    With no obstacles in your heart, there¡¯s nothing to fear.


    The indoor camera captured the lovely scene of the two sisters sneaking to eat oranges. Ming Xin looked like a little mouse stealing oil, while Ming Jing appeared serious, her contrasting cuteness made people unable to resist adoring her.


    The tacit understanding between the two sisters was particrly endearing.


    Zhao Ninghan felt suffocated, wishing she could flee in panic. Almost all the seats in the venue were upied, and her seat was right in the center of the first row. She felt that everyone¡¯s eyes were on her, and she could not tell whether their intentions were good or bad.


    The burning white light overhead made her back feel hot, sweat formed on her forehead, and her palms were sticky.@@novelbin@@<div>


    Just then, Wen Na came out holding a microphone, alleviating her embarrassment.


    ¡°Wee to tonight¡¯s fashion event and annual charity donation conference. I am Wen Na.¡±


    Thunderous apuse filled the venue.


    Wen Na was well-connected in the entertainment industry, and tonight¡¯s gathering was attended by many big names. Most were there out of respect for Wen Na, making this an annual entertainment industry tradition.


    Zhao Ninghan frowned. Celebrities doing charity work was amon sight. Each year, the charity donation event was initiated by Wen Na. She acted as an intermediary between the stars and various charities, gaining both fame and fortune.


    For Zhao Ninghan and most of the celebrities, this event was just a formality. First, they showed respect to Wen Na, who had control over many fashion resources. Maintaining a good rtionship with her was crucial for their standing in the fashion industry. Second, donating to charity improved their personal reputation. After the event, the celebrities would issue press releases, boasting about their contributions. After all, having donated so much money, why not brag about it?


    ¡°Some people question my motives for doing charity work, calling it a show. I never bothered to exin myself because I do not care about other people¡¯s opinions. I only care about whether I can face myself with a clear conscience.¡± Wen Na sighed and continued.


    ¡°You may not know this, but I was born in a remote mountainous area in Yunzhou. Until I was ten years old, I had never seen what the world beyond the mountains was like. The so-called school I attended was a dpidated building, with all the vige¡¯s students mingling together and only one eighty- or ny-year-old schr teaching us Chinese and arithmetic. As he was old, deaf, and toothless, his speech was unclear, and we would often miss words when reciting passages. Finally, when I was thirteen, a college student who came to teach in the countryside reced the old schr. He told me that beyond the mountains, there were bustling high-rise buildings, boundless seas, and fascinating experiences. He told me that only by leaving the mountains could I change my fate.¡±


    The audience was captivated by her words.


    Nobody knew that Wen Na, the powerful editor who ruled half the fashion world, had such a childhood.


    With a slight smile, Wen Na said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve always kept my teacher¡¯s words in mind. I wanted to change my fate, and I desperately wanted to see the world beyond the mountains. So, I walked ten kilometers every day along mountain roads to attend junior high school in town. My family couldn¡¯t afford to support me, so I picked up trash on the streets. My ssmatesughed at me and ostracized me, but I didn¡¯t care because I knew that for me, leaving the mountains was far more important than bickering with my ssmates. Their limited perspective meant that they were doomed to be surrounded by mountains for the rest of their lives.¡±


    ¡°At the age of twenty, I received an offer from Leeds University¡­ At the age of twenty-four, I won the most important fashion award of my life. Finally, I saw the world beyond the mountains, and just like my teacher said, it was truly wonderful. At the age of twenty-five, I returned to my hometown and saw my former ssmates¡¯ children still sitting in the crumbling building, listening to their teacher tell them about the world beyond the mountains. They yearned for it, but the harsh reality kept them from advancing. At that moment, my heart ached.¡±


    ¡°Pardon my presumption, but watching them, I was reminded of the saying ¡®frog in the well.¡¯ Limited by their harsh environment, they believed that the little sky they could see was all there was, unaware that the world was so much more vast. From that day on, I made a vow in my heart to help all the children in the mountains bravely step out of the mountains, break free from their impoverished lives, and rediscover the meaning of life.¡±


    Wen Na¡¯s calm voice, transmitted through the microphone, reached every corner of the venue. The audience was left speechless, weighed down by the gravity of her words.


    Everyone had thought that Wen Na¡¯s passion for charity was fueled by a desire for fame and fortune, but no one had expected such an extraordinary backstory.


    For a moment, they were all touched, and their gazes at Wen Na gradually changed.


    Her image instantly became more impressive.


    The world is full of benevolent deeds, and everyone can nt the seeds of freedom.

 Chapter 775: 392 Changes

    Chapter 775: 392 Changes


    What? Thepany¡¯srgest shareholder is Master Xiao from the Rans¡¯ family?


    Zhao Ninghan had just finished reading about the high rise of the Rans¡¯ family. This Master Xiao represented abination of power and wealth in Jiangzhou, and she had not expected him to be involved in the entertainment circle.


    Zhao Ninghan choked, ¡°Mr. Li, thepany can¡¯t just abandon me like this. Please listen to my exnation¡­¡±


    ¡°What exnation? Just look at how many people are scolding you online. Master Xiao has already made it clear this time that I can¡¯t protect you. Take care of yourself.¡±


    The other party hung up the phone.


    Zhao Ninghan listened to the busy signaling from her phone, her heart sinking to the bottom.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep or rest to help you handle your diva attitude. When your career was on the rise, you became infatuated with love. I begged and pleaded to help you deal with the media. Finally, you were stable, only to get involved in a scandal with a pretty boy. Do you know how many people are eyeing your position and want to bring you down? Instead, you¡¯re blinded by lust. I¡¯ve done everything I could for you over the years. From now on, take care of yourself.¡±


    The agent left her statement, turned around, and walked away, not wanting to help her anymore.


    ¡°Madam Xu, can you help me think of a solution? We¡¯vee through so many hardships together over the years; you can¡¯t leave me at this critical moment.¡± Zhao Ninghan rushed over and grabbed her agent¡¯s hand, pleading desperately.<div>


    ¡°I warned you a long time ago, yet you insisted on not listening. What can I do? You had to mess with Ming Jing instead of someone less dangerous. Even if she didn¡¯t mind, her nephew is a vengeful person. Are you trying to get me to die with you?¡±


    The agent shook off her hand and left without looking back.


    Zhao Ninghan stumbled out of the venue, her spirit shattered. In an instant, arge group of media surrounded her. shbulbs went off everywhere, almost blinding her.


    The questionsing from all directions overwhelmed her. Journalists carrying microphones and cameras appeared like voracious vampires, their eyes filled with crazed greed, wishing to devour her flesh and drink her blood.


    Zhao Ninghan was inplete disarray, crashing about within the tightly-packed crowd. ¡°Get out of my way¡­ all of you, get out of my way!¡±


    She used all her strength to scream, but it was like throwing a small stone into the vast ocean¡ªno response at all.


    Her disheveled appearance was fully captured by the cameras.


    Mediamentary¡ªthe fall of an era and the rise of a new star.


    Liang Yanran and Zhao Ninghan¡¯s time had passed. The future belonged to the young.


    Ming Xin¡¯s first official appearance left an excellent impression on the public. The media bluntly praised her as the one who would usher in a new era.@@novelbin@@


    As for the future star of the entertainment circle, she was currently enjoying herself on the snack street. ¡°Stinky tofu! I love stinky tofu the most!¡±


    Ming Xin¡¯s eyes sparkled. Holding two skewers of grilled squid in her hands, she pointed at the stinky tofu and said, ¡°Boss, give me a portion of stinky tofu. Add more chili pepper.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ming Xin took a bite of grilled squid, its fragrance lingering in her mouth.


    ¡°I would never dare to eat this before. Finally, I can indulge.¡±


    Liang Yanran had a propensity to gain weight. Ever since bing an actress, she had maintained her figure by going without carbohydrates for ten years, even counting individual grains of rice during meals.


    Deprivation of taste, coupled with various pressures, had led her to suffer from depression.


    Ming Xin had a low body fat percentage and an extremely healthy and young body, with excellent metabolism, so she wouldn¡¯t gain weight no matter how much she ate.


    However, just in case, she had stopped consuming carbs half a month beforehand. What had supported her determination was her unrestrained appetite on this night.


    Grilled skewers, stinky tofu, hot and sour noodles, fruit tter¡­ She could now taste all the snacks that she¡¯d once dared not even think about.


    Happiness was beyond her words.


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head, taking out a tissue to gently wipe the oil stains from the corners of Ming Xin¡¯s mouth.


    Ming Xin licked her lips and squinted her eyes with a smile.


    Quickly, the vendor prepared the stinky tofu. Ming Xin picked one up with a toothpick and handed it to Ming Jing¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Junior, you try it. It¡¯s just tofu; it won¡¯t break your vow of celibacy. Even though we don¡¯t eat non-vegetarian food, we can make an exception, right?¡±


    Ming Jing walked through the bustling crowds, her white dress untainted by worldly dust.


    Her eyes held a sense of refined, calmposure, as if her inner beauty had washed away all the strife, resembling a peerless light that the darkest night couldn¡¯t hide.


    ¡°One who does not eat non-vegetarian food can achieve purification. They can also break all evil deeds and practice various good deeds. Hence, they¡¯re known as abstinent.¡±


    To attain liberation, it was necessary to purify oneself from the desire for food.


    Ming Xin stuffed the stinky tofu into her mouth. She was destined to be associated with Buddha, yet could never be one.

 Chapter 778: 393 Evil

    Chapter 778: 393 Evil


    An invisible oppressive force rushed towards them, almost suffocating.


    That delicate white embroidered shoe was like a steel needle, piercing his bone marrow, grinding it ferociously. This kind of pain had reached the limit of the human body.


    The man¡¯s face was distorted and vicious, and his forehead was covered in fine cold sweat, as if he had just been fished out of the water.


    He no longer had the energy to think about anything else. The more beautiful the face in front of him, the more terrifying her soul.


    ¡°I¡­ will¡­ talk¡­¡± The man forced out two words through gritted teeth.


    The young girl withdrew her foot.


    The man coughed, about to speak when the sound of sirens rang out, followed by a group of police officers flooding in.


    The man¡¯s face changed, and he suddenly shouted, ¡°Murder, someone is murdering me! Help me, police¡­!¡±


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyes were cold, sweeping across the man¡¯s face, but the man seemed to be emboldened, grinning at her.<div>


    His stare seemed to say, ¡°Go ahead and kill me in front of the police if you dare.¡±


    Li Ling rushed over, frowning, ¡°What happened?¡±


    He and his team were having a meal nearby when they received a report of a murder at this location, so they hurried over.


    He was a police officer, a detective by trade, and observation was his forte. He recognized Qu Feitai at a nce, even though he was covered up.


    Why was the famous celebrity at a night market stall?


    Qu Feitai said in a deep voice, ¡°Brother Li, someone attacked Ming Jing.¡±


    Li Ling¡¯s frown deepened even more.


    Ming Jing¡¯s status was far from simple, and an attack on her could only have a moreplicated background.


    Qu Feitai quickly walked over to Ming Jing, took her hand, and backed away a step.


    Inches of streetlight from the night market brushed her skirt, and the ferocity in the girl¡¯s eyes gradually faded, reced by a faint hazy color.


    Her hand was cold, so cold, like ice.


    No matter how reluctant, Qu Feitai had to let go.


    He removed his coat and draped it over Ming Jing¡¯s shoulders, then picked her up by the waist.


    As her body was lifted into the air, Ming Jing instinctively grasped his arm, raising her head to look at him.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyes were cold, his thin lips tightly pressed, his profile strong and determined, like a celestial being in the night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital,¡± he said coldly.


    When the man tried to flee, Li Ling grabbed the back of his cor and pinned him to the ground, handcuffing his wrists in the next instant.


    ¡°Stay put.¡±


    ¡°Xin¡¯er, are you okay?¡± Zhou Zhengru took off his coat, draped it over Ming Xin, and looked at her anxiously.


    Ming Xin shook her head, and subconsciously followed Qu Feitai.


    ¡°Junior, does your leg hurt?¡± Her eyes were filled with tears, red and swollen.@@novelbin@@


    It was boiling oil, how could it not hurt? She was in a daze, asking such meaningless questions.


    Ming Jing was a little tired and leaned into Qu Feitai¡¯s arms, closing her eyes gently.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s body stiffened for a moment as he paused in his step.


    The hand around Ming Jing¡¯s waist tightened a little.


    In the depths of his dark eyes, there seemed to be tiny stars gently rippling.


    The next moment, he strode forward with determination, leaving without looking back.


    The live stream of the inte celebrity eating show was going crazy.


    Most of the viewers had rushed here after hearing the news. Not long ago, they had witnessed the live broadcast of the Fashion G and heard that Ming Jing had been attacked at a night market stall, drawing arge number of fans.


    What they saw was this scene.


    A young man descending from the sky, kicking away the knife-wielding thug. Ignoring how cool that kick was, the way he draped his coat over Ming Jing and picked her up was more idol-like than any idol drama.


    One was a highly sought-after celebrity and a top singer in the music industry. His every move affected the hearts of millions of fans.


    The other was an incredibly beautiful woman, the wealthy heiress of a lofty family. Her every frown and smile captivated the world.


    At the Fashion G tonight, the two had no interaction at all, disappointing countless fans who longed for their union.


    However, they unexpectedly saw all this in the live stream of an inte celebrity eating show.


    In an instant, the whole world was filled with pink bubbles. The spirit of fandom was awakened, and the entire inte went crazy.


    ¡°The domineering CEO and his gentle wife. I love them; they make the perfect couple¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Fei is so cool. He¡¯s the only man in the world I feel is worthy of my goddess. It¡¯s an injustice if they don¡¯t end up together. How good-looking must their children be?¡±


    ¡°Ming Jing¡¯s leg is injured. I¡¯m so worried. That¡¯s hot oil.¡±


    ¡°Why does Ming Jing always encounter bad things? It wasn¡¯t that long ago when she had that incident at the press conference. Allow me to apply conspiracy theory. Could this have been intentional? I heard that Ran Bowen has many enemies. Could they be madly targeting Ming Jing for revenge?¡±

 Chapter 781: Interrogation 394

    Chapter 781: Interrogation 394


    Dr. Bo, if you were my father, would you feel heartache?


    Bo Yuxun was lost in thought, fixated on that sentence.


    For a moment, he seemed to feel a tremor in the depths of his soul, as if something was raging and boiling within.


    The young girl before him was a stranger he had never seen before, but there was a sense of familiarity that seemed to be destined.


    If she was his daughter¡­ Bo Yuxun could not imagine the consequences.


    If anyone dared to hurt his daughter, he would make sure they wished for death.


    Unfortunately, he felt a sense of regret that she was not his daughter.


    At that moment, Bo Yuxun was determined to find A Xue and their child.


    Whenever he thought of their suffering in some corner of the world, he despised himself immensely.


    The light in the girl¡¯s eyes gradually dimmed, retreating into the quiet depths of a shadowed valley.


    She picked up the medicine from the shelf and skillfully applied it to her wound, so quickly that Bo Yuxun didn¡¯t even have a chance to help.


    While wrapping the gauze, she said calmly, ¡°Dr. Bo, your future wife and child will surely be very happy.¡±


    Bo Yuxun took the gauze from her and carefully finished wrapping it, then he gave a bitter smile in response to her words, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know my situation? Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡±


    Ming Jing looked up, her eyes sparkling like a falling gxy, gentle beyond belief, ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll ept your blessing, but you must promise me that you will never take your own body as a joke again. If anything happens, contact me immediately, understand?¡±


    The man¡¯s concerned nagging was filled with care, and once he finished bandaging her, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t go back yet. Stay in the hospital for a few days to prevent infection. You can be discharged after making sure everything is fine.¡±


    Bo Yuxun had to watch her closely, because the injury was really dangerous.


    Bo Yuxun pushed a wheelchair towards her, ¡°My apologies¡­¡±


    As he finished speaking, he lifted Ming Jing into his arms. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be so light, as delicate as a feather.


    A peculiar feeling shed across Bo Yuxun¡¯s heart, and he nced down at her.


    Her eyshes drooped slightly, and her face was white and translucent. At this moment, it had a faintly sickly pallor, and a fineyer of sweat covered her forehead. Under the light, it looked like transparent pearls.


    A bead of sweat slid down her temples, dripping into Bo Yuxun¡¯s parched heart, causing ripples to spread out.


    Bo Yuxun closed his eyes, cing her onto the wheelchair, and covered her knees with a nket.


    There was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Qu Feitai opened the door and walked in, seeing the two of them close together, he subconsciously hesitated.


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve finished the hospital admission procedures. How¡¯s Ming Jing¡¯s leg wound?¡±


    Bo Yuxun stood up straight and pushed the wheelchair out.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be under observation for a few days. If there¡¯s no infection, there won¡¯t be any problems. Be careful with her diet during this time. I¡¯ll prescribe some medicine for you to pick up from the pharmacyter.¡±


    Qu Feitai carefully took note and sincerely said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    Bo Yuxun looked at him, ¡°Ming Jing is like a daughter to me, so there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±


    No need for him to say thank you.


    Qu Feitai paused for a moment.


    A daughter?@@novelbin@@


    Of course. Uncle Bo was an elder who had always looked after them when they were young. In his heart, Ming Jing was almost like a younger family member. Although Uncle Bo had never married or had children, no one could be more attentive in caring for others than him.


    Qu Feitai nced at Ming Jing, who was quietly sitting in her wheelchair, and pursed his lips.


    At that moment, the phone rang. Qu Feitai apologetically looked at Bo Yuxun, who gestured for him to answer it.


    Qu Feitai walked to the side with his phone, and as soon as he answered it, his expression became cold.


    ¡°Xiao Fei, Li Ling just called me and said this matter is quite tricky. I know you won¡¯t listen if I ask you to stay out of it, so tell me, what do you think about this?¡±


    Qu Feitai stood in the shadows, looking back at Ming Jing who was quietly sitting in a wheelchair not far away.


    ¡°Her fate is tied to Ran Tengxiao¡¯s, so he won¡¯t do anything to her for the time being. It couldn¡¯t have been people from the Rans.¡±


    After the previous press conference incident, the small-time troublemakers had been scared off and wouldn¡¯t dare cause more trouble. Although he had limited contact with Ran Tengxiao, he could tell that he wasn¡¯t a short-sighted person. If he really wanted to hurt Ming Jing, he wouldn¡¯t have brought her back in front of so many people.


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 Chapter 783: Interrogation 394_3

    Chapter 783: Interrogation 394_3


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve worried me to death. How is your leg? I saw the news that said it was hot oil, it must be very painful.¡±


    Ming Jing helplessly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I¡¯ll work with Master Xiao to find the mastermind, and we¡¯ll pour boiling oil on them to avenge you.¡±


    Ming Jingughed at her childish words.


    ¡°Miss, why are youughing? I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao walked to the front of the hospital bed, looked her up and down, and frowned, ¡°Where is the doctor?¡±


    Ming Jing said indifferently, ¡°Dr. Bo went to get medicine.¡±


    Bo Yuxun?


    Ye Jian brought over a chair, Ran Tengxiao sat down, gracefully crossed his legs, and softened his tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you tonight, I guarantee it won¡¯t happen again.¡±@@novelbin@@


    A shadow flickered in the man¡¯s eyes, filling the ward with a sudden chill. Xiao Hua subconsciously rubbed her arms.


    ¡°Take good care of your wounds. I¡¯ll give you an exnation.¡±


    Ming Jing nced at him: ¡°Using the spear of the child to attack the shield of the child.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao raised his eyebrows, and the two looked at each other andughed at the same time.


    Ran Tengxiao did not stay for long, and left after sitting for a while, Xiao Hua stayed.<div>


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll stay with you tonight.¡±


    As Ran Tengxiao left, he nced at Qu Feitai, raised his lips and strode away.


    Qu Feitai thought for a moment and followed him.


    ¡°Mr. Ran.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao stopped and turned to look at him.


    ¡°How can I help, Mr. Qu?¡±


    Qu Feitai pursed his lips, ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, please feel free to ask.¡±


    Ran Tengxiao sneered, ¡°Ming Jing is a member of the Rans, so you don¡¯t need to worry about her, Mr. Qu. It¡¯s gettingte; you should go back and rest.¡±


    He left after saying that, as if he didn¡¯t want to look at him anymore.


    Qu Feitai clenched his fists, his eyes locked on Ran Tengxiao¡¯s retreating figure.


    After getting into the car, Ran Tengxiao told the driver, ¡°Go to the police station.¡±


    As the driver was about to drive away, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s gaze suddenly caught on something outside the car, ¡°Wait.¡±


    A woman bent down to exit the car, carrying a thermos and holding a little girl¡¯s hand, the two of them walked quickly with heads down into the inpatient department.


    Ran Tengxiao squinted his eyes, staring at the woman¡¯s retreating figure, and suddenlyughed.


    ¡°Find out why she¡¯s at the hospital.¡±


    Ye Jian nodded, took out his phone and started making calls.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± The man leaned back in the chair, his eyes slightly closed.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Captain Li, this guy is stubborn. He only admits to killing out of despair from gambling debts, and refuses to admit that he was instructed by anyone. Could we all be misunderstanding?¡±


    For a moment, all eyes in the investigation room fell on Li Ling.


    Li Ling took his time finishing his tea, then clicked his tongue, ¡°This Da Hong Pao from Mr. Song¡¯s collection is really good.¡±


    As he put down the teacup, he got up, adjusted the cor of his police uniform, straightened his badge, and walked towards the interrogation room.


    As soon as he entered, the atmosphere in the investigation room became lively.


    ¡°Captain Li is taking action personally. The criminal is out of luck now.¡±


    The police officer in charge of this interrogation was new, and frowned, ¡°What more can he find? I¡¯ve tried everything, and it was useless.¡±


    Everyone looked at him with disdain, and an older police officer came over, patting his shoulder, ¡°Xiao Hu, you¡¯re still too young. Captain Li was just testing you just now, and your performance¡­ Misunderstanding? In Captain Li¡¯s world, there are no misunderstandings, only irrefutable evidence.¡±


    Test? He had heard of Captain Li¡¯s legend in the police circle, but thought it was mainly ttery from the outsiders. Solving cases required the entire team¡¯s effort, not just one person¡¯s credit.


    Criminal investigation emphasizes speed, uracy, and ruthlessness; grasp the timeliness of evidence, and the case-solving rate increases.


    And the most important evidence is human evidence. Interrogation is a profound study and the greatest breakthrough in the investigation.


    Xiao Hu did not believe that Captain Li could get anything more out of the criminal, and followed him into the interrogation room subconsciously.


    In the interrogation room, the criminal was sitting in the central interrogation chair, hands and feet shackled, head bowed, hunched over, looking dispirited.


    Li Ling took a pair of white gloves from his subordinate, put them on while circling the criminal, his eyes calm and sharp.


    Suddenly he grabbed the criminal¡¯s right arm, found a bruise between the arm bone and elbow, three inches apart, and pressed his finger onto it. The man reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bing frantic and apanied by a painful groan.


    Li Ling narrowed his eyes: ¡°Xie Jun, who instructed you to harm Ming Jing?¡±


    Struggling, the man managed to squeeze out, ¡°No one¡­ No one¡­ ¡±


    Li Ling smiled and squeezed the spot, the man¡¯s face twisted in pain and let out a miserable howl.


    ¡°Miss Ming Jing, I must thank you for teaching me such a tormenting technique. Why haven¡¯t I learned this before?¡±


    <i ss="icon ion-md-settings"></i></a>

 Chapter 786: 395 Little sister_3

    Chapter 786: 395 Little sister_3


    Ran Tengxiao suddenly looked up, staring at the sparkling sign in the night, the three characters representing the dreams of countless people bing rich overnight.


    Bojii.


    Her real purpose, it turned out, was gambling.


    The battle had begun, and this road could easily lead to a bottomless abyss and utter ruin.


    If that was the case, he would apany her to the end.


    It would be a fight to the death.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ming Jing took medicine andy down to rest, with Qu Feitai tucking her in.


    ¡°A month ago you took care of me, now it¡¯s my turn to take care of you.¡±


    Ming Jing closed her eyes: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiao Hua openly observed him, watching as he poured warm water from a thermos and ced it on the bedside table, nodding her approval.@@novelbin@@


    He was a gentle and attentive young man.


    Qu Feitai touched Ming Jing¡¯s forehead to check her temperature. Thankfully, she had no fever, and hey down on the sofa with relief.


    The clock quietly pointed to one in the morning.<div>


    Xiao Hua couldn¡¯t resist her drowsiness, and her head gradually drooped down until shey asleep.


    Ming Jing opened her eyes, her pupils dark and bright, showing no sign of sleepiness.


    At one-thirty, Qu Feitai got up again to check her temperature.


    Seeing that she was still not asleep, he pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.


    ¡°Does the pain from your wound prevent you from sleeping?¡±


    Ming Jing shook her head.


    ¡°Are you thinking about the murderer?¡±


    Ming Jing smiled and shook her head gently: ¡°Good and evil will ultimately be repaid. To me, it¡¯s just a flesh wound. I¡¯m very happy.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t saved the girl, the boiling oil would have ruined her face and her entire life.


    She couldn¡¯t add more misfortune to what had already urred.


    Qu Feitai stared into her bright, clear eyes, and admitted defeat.


    ¡°You really are the kindest girl I¡¯ve ever met in the world. But promise me, don¡¯t hurt your own body in the future. You are human, and you will feel pain.¡±


    Ming Jing smiled gently: ¡°Let me tell you a story.¡±


    Qu Feitai nodded: ¡°Okay.¡±


    The night was silently flowing, and all was quiet except for Xiao Hua¡¯s snoring. The world seemed to be devoid of noise, leaving only him and her.


    ¡°Once, Buddha went out and saw a hungry old eagle chasing a poor pigeon. Moved bypassion, Buddha saved the pigeon. Enraged, the eagle knew that by saving the pigeon, Buddha was cutting off its lifeline. Was this truepassion?¡±


    ¡°Buddha said: ¡®I cannot bear to see you harm this innocent pigeon, nor can I bear to see you starve to death. As the saying goes, if I don¡¯t enter hell, who will? So Buddha took out a scale, cing the pigeon on one side and cutting off his own flesh for the other. Although the pigeon was small, it seemed that no matter how much flesh Buddha cut off, it could not support the weight. Finally, when Buddha cut off thest piece of flesh, the scale bnced, the wind and clouds in the sky changed, and the true Buddha was born.¡±


    The girl¡¯s soft voice flowed through the quiet night, warming their hearts.


    Qu Feitai looked deeply into her eyes, then gave a bitter smile.


    ¡°Apassionate living Buddha, and I am so selfish to drag her into the mundane world.¡±


    Ming Jing ced her finger on his brow and whispered, ¡°The demons of the heart arise from attachment. When the mind produces thoughts, various phenomena arise; when the mind is extinguished, all phenomena cease. The past is gone, let her go and also let yourself go.¡±


    Qu Feitai closed his eyes and shook his head, ¡°No¡­ ¡±


    He couldn¡¯t forgive himself in this lifetime.


    Ming Jing¡¯s eyebrows suddenly furrowed, as if suppressing something.


    Qu Feitaiy at the bedside, gradually falling into a dream.


    Ming Jing rolled up her sleeves, revealing red spots on her delicate white skin. The rash spread rapidly, densely covering her flesh.


    Ming Jing covered her chest with her hand, cold sweat beading on her forehead and wetting her hairline. Her face grew increasingly pale and weak.


    The broken smile on the girl¡¯s face was tragically beautiful, as she murmured, ¡°Even you have to follow me¡­¡±


    She copsed onto the bed, curled up, letting the unbearable itching consume her.


    In her hazy consciousness, it seemed as though she had returned to her time at the orphanage.


    The door to the small dark room opened, and a boy walked towards her against the light, holding out his hand: ¡°Come with me¡­ ¡±


    She reached out her hand, covered in red spots, and the boy held it tightly.


    She thought it was redemption, but little did she know it was the beginning of another hell.


    Someone was calling her name, urgently and with deep concern. Struggling, she opened her eyes, ¡°Dr. Bo¡­¡±


    Bo Yuxun frantically pressed the emergency bell, while his eyes filled with rage, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re allergic to antibiotics? You could die, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    The girl¡¯s gaze was scattered, her lips murmuring something faintly.


    Bo Yuxun leaned in closer to hear her words, ¡°I¡¯m not Jiang Yu¡­ so it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ ¡±


    Bo Yuxun only caught a glimpse of the conversation. As he performed emergency procedures he spoke loudly, ¡°You can¡¯t sleep, you cannot¡­ you still owe me a meal.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Mei¡­?¡± Bo Yuxun¡¯s eyes reflected pain and memories from the past.


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 Chapter 787: 396 notifications

    Chapter 787: 396 notifications


    ¡°Brother, my body itches¡­.¡±


    The little girl whimpered, looking utterly aggrieved.


    As a child, A Jiang was allergic. Not only was she allergic to antibiotics, but her entire body would react during the transition of spring and autumn, breaking out with a rash.


    At the age of four, she caught a high fever due to catching a chill. At that time, their mother was handling their grandfather¡¯s funeral, and he and his sister were taken care of by a nanny.


    The young and inexperienced nanny took his little sister to a quack doctor. The little sister had an allergic reaction to the medicine and nearly died.


    He never wanted to relive the terror of that night.


    Twins have a telepathic connection.


    When his little sister had a brush with death, so did he.@@novelbin@@


    Everyone says that children don¡¯t have memories. But he remembered everything about his little sister very clearly.


    The soft and tender bundle that was his sister hadrge and bright eyes, like stars in her eyes, with skin as white and tender as a snowball. Their mother loved her the most and spoiled her to be petnt. Whenever something did not go her way, she would have a fit. When her tears fell, he was willing to give her his life.


    Even if she wanted the stars from the sky, the brother would pluck them down and present them to her.


    From the moment they were conceived, they depended on each other for sustenance in their mother¡¯s womb. They were each other¡¯s closest people in this world, connected by blood and spirit.


    In his previous life, he had definitely owed her. So in this life, he came to pay back his debt, using his whole life to protect her.


    But it all stopped abruptly in the early winter of their fourth year.<div>


    ¡ª¡ª


    Thirty-three years have passed, how many springs and autumns have gone by.


    He could hardly remember the little sister¡¯s face, only the calling from the dream at midnight.


    ¡°Brother¡­brother¡­¡± The little girl stumbled towards him, her face brimming with an innocent and adorable smile.


    This has almost be his nightmare for the past thirty years.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Doctors and nurses rushed in with emergency equipment, encircling the shrunken girl on the hospital bed.


    He stared nkly at the scene, his mind in a daze. There¡¯s an unreal feeling, as if his feet were stepping on cotton. Each step forward brought an uncontroble sense of weightlessness.


    Qu Feitai was left stupefied as a nurse pushed him out of the room.


    Xiao Hua was in a panic and yelled, ¡°What happened to Miss?¡±


    ¡°The patient suffered from cardiogenic shock due to drug allergy. The doctor is trying to save her now. Please wait for the family members outside the ward,¡± the nurse replied.


    A drug allergy?


    Cardiogenic shock?


    Xiao Hua¡¯s face sank. She seized the nurse¡¯s cor, threatening fiercely, ¡°If something happens to Miss, none of you at the hospital will get away.¡±


    The little girl had a sweet baby face. When she tried to act fierce, instead of being convincing, she looked even cuter.


    Yet, the coldness in her tone scared the nurse, who stammered, ¡°You¡­ you all can rest assured. Dr. Bo is the best cardiothoracic specialist, you should trust Dr. Bo.¡±


    Xiao Hua let go of the nurse, and the nurse quickly left.


    Xiao Hua stamped her foot in anxiety, and turned her head to nce at Qu Feitai, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you really like Miss? How can you be so calm?¡±


    It¡¯s true that no man can be trusted.


    Qu Feitai¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, his brow full of anxiety. His whole being was like a string pulled taut. Under the seemingly calm facade was a tumultuous undercurrent.


    Ten minutester¡ª¡ª


    The doctor came out. Xiao Hua quickly greeted him, ¡°Doctor, how is our Miss?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that Dr. Bo was here.¡± The young doctor¡¯s eyes shimmered with admiration, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Dr. Bo to have so much experience with this type of acute allergic reaction. Otherwise, the situation tonight would¡¯ve been so dangerous.¡±


    Xiao Hua sighed in relief and remembered Dr. Bo. He was the benefactor of the Ran family.


    Qu Feitai was the first to enter the patient ward when the doors were pushed open.


    A nurse gave Ming Jing an IV. She was lying quietly on the hospital bed, her eyes slightly closed, as if she were asleep.


    Bo Yuxun was sitting by the bed, staring intently at Ming Jing¡¯s face without blinking, his brows furrowed as if in deep thought.


    ¡°Uncle Bo,¡± Qu Feitai approached him.


    Bo Yuxun ced his finger on his lips, signalling silence. He rose and led Qu Feitai out of the room.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now, don¡¯t worry,¡± Bo Yuxun looked a little pale, but it did nothing to diminish his handsome appearance.


    ¡°Actually, I should take the me. I nearly put Ming Jing in danger.¡±


    As a doctor, he had made such a basic mistake. This was uneptable.


    ¡°Uncle Bo, there¡¯s no need to me yourself. Ming Jing understands and won¡¯t me you. After all, you saved her.¡±


    Bo Yuxun managed a bitter smile, ¡°How could she be so cruel as to me someone else? She¡¯s just too kind. Anyway, you should go back and rest now. The on-duty nurse will keep an eye on her. I¡¯m here, nothing will happen.¡±


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 Chapter 791: 397 Random Click_2

    Chapter 791: 397 Random Click_2@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The driver thought this person was a bit strange,ing but not getting out of the car, what was going on?


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Jiangzhou University.¡±


    The driver was speechless. Are today¡¯s college students so idle that they just go for a ride?


    ¨C ¨C ¨C


    The nurse hung up the IV, signed the paper, gave some instructions, and left.


    Zhang Qiao coughed, looked at the woman sitting next to the sickbed, ¡°It¡¯s been tough for you these days, go back and rest well, there¡¯s a nurse here, don¡¯t worry, and your boss is not easy to deal with, you¡¯ve taken such a long leave this time, don¡¯t let her get upset, go back.¡±


    ¡°How can I work while you are like this? Don¡¯t worry about it, just focus on getting better.¡±


    At this point, Zhou Xue¡¯s phone rang. She took it out, nced at it, her face slightly darkened, and looked apologetically at Zhang Qiao.


    ¡°Brother, I need to take a call.¡±


    Zhang Qiao nodded: ¡°Go ahead, work is important.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know exactly what Zhou Xue was doing, from her asionalments, it¡¯s not hard to imagine that her boss was an extremely difficult person. Zhou Xue was on call 24 hours a day, all year round, and once had to return from halfway home to visit her parents¡¯ grave because of a phone call.


    This work environment and boss were just too inhumane, and downright exploitative. Zhou Xue, however, seemed happy to put up with it.<div>


    At 27 or 28 years old, she was still a single dog, and he, as her older brother, couldn¡¯t help but worry about her.


    At this moment, the door to the ward was pushed open, and a man walked in with a thermos.


    The man didn¡¯t have a particrly tall or imposing figure, was thin, wore gold-rimmed sses, and looked refined and cultured.


    The man came in, filled the thermos with water, and ced it where Zhang Qiao could easily reach.


    Zhang Qiao looked at him, his eyes suddenly brightening.


    ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, pardon my boldness, but how old are you this year?¡±


    The man smiled, gentle and cultured, ¡°I¡¯m 31.¡±


    Zhang Qiao nodded in satisfaction: ¡°Do you have a girlfriend? Mr. Cen Ning, don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m just casually asking, if it¡¯s inconvenient to say, just pretend you didn¡¯t hear.¡±


    The man smiled and shook his head.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯s face lit up with joy: ¡°No girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been divorced.¡±


    The man spoke lightly, but Zhang Qiao¡¯s heart was in turmoil.


    Looking at the man, his enthusiasm waned.


    A divorced man is not a good match for his sister.


    Such thoughts were fleeting, and Zhang Qiao¡¯s heart itched again.


    Nowadays, divorce rates are so high, and young men and women treat marriage and divorce like ying house. If a man is good enough, a divorce is no stain.


    Learning from the failure of a marriage might make them more serious and mature in their second marriage, and more caring.


    Once Zhang Qiao had thought it through, he smiled and said: ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, what do you think of my sister?¡±


    Cen Ning was stunned, his smile somewhat shy: ¡°Ms. Zhou is naturally excellent.¡±


    Zhang Qiao saw an opportunity, grinned and said: ¡°My sister is of course the best, beautiful and capable, it¡¯s just that she¡¯s too busy with work, so she hasn¡¯t had a rtionship even though she¡¯s almost thirty. It makes me, her older brother, so worried that my hair is turning white.¡±


    He sighed, looking anxious.


    However, he was secretly observing Cen Ning from the corner of his eye.


    Cen Ning smiled helplessly, ¡°These things can¡¯t be rushed, it¡¯s all about fate.¡±


    Zhang Qiao thought to himself, I think you two have a lot of fate.


    But he couldn¡¯t be too proactive either, his sister wasn¡¯t unmarriageable, and he still needed to observe the other party more.


    Zhou Xue finished her call and walked out from the balcony.


    Zhang Qiao saw her looking upset, ¡°Is there any problem with your work?¡±


    Zhou Xue shook her head, picked up her coat and bag from the chair: ¡°Brother, I have an urgent matter to deal with, I have to leave. I¡¯ll hire a caregiver to take care of you.¡±


    ¡°Go on with your work, don¡¯t worry about me, and Mr. Cen is still here.¡±


    Cen Ning¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°Ms. Zhou, you go ahead, don¡¯t worry about Zhang. I will be here.¡±


    Zhou Xue looked deeply at him: ¡°Mr. Cen Ning, thank you. I¡¯ll treat you to dinnerter.¡±


    With that, she hurried away with her bag on her back.


    Zhang Qiao shook his head, ¡°My sister, she¡¯s good at everything but too devoted to her work, a real career woman. She can¡¯t be like this if she gets married.¡±


    Cen Ning said, ¡°Each person has their own value, and not everyone has the courage and ability to be passionate about their work.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯s eyes were even more satisfied, no male chauvinism, understanding and empathizing with the other¡¯s work.


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 Chapter 794: 398 passed away_2

    Chapter 794: 398 passed away_2


    Getting a definite answer, Zhou Xue immediately put down her coffee and went out to drive.


    Jiang Chun ignored Bo Yujiang and left her alone in the courtyard.


    ¡°Madam, where are you going?¡± Zhou Xue asked.


    ¡°Hospital.¡±


    She wanted to see for herself.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xiao Hua took a bite of an apple, the crisp crunching sound making people¡¯s teeth ache.


    ¡°ying Infernal Affairs with me? You¡¯re not ready yet.¡±


    ¡°Fangfang, from now on, no visitors allowed. Continue to arrange more people toe here, and book this whole floor. Not even a fly will be allowed in.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Fangfang should be leaving.


    ¡°Xiao Hei, you take a few people to guard the main entrance. If you see any suspicious vehicles, tell me immediately.¡±


    Xiao Hua waved her hand, and Xiao Hei left at once.


    The VIP ward is a suite with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Xiao Hua is sitting on the sofa in the living room, Ming Jing is in the inner ward, and Qu Feitai is with her.


    Xiao Hua nced at her phone and saw the Jiangzhou Police Department¡¯s announcement, scoffing coldly.<div>


    ¡°It must be a mentally deranged old woman who coulde up with such a malicious trick. Killing two birds with one stone? I¡¯ll make sure you fail.¡±


    At that moment, Ran Tengxiao called, and Xiao Hua answered with a smile: ¡°Master Xiao.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Ming Jing?¡± A man¡¯s voice was somewhat hoarse, with a hint of fatigue, it seemed he hadn¡¯t had a good restst night.


    ¡°Oh, the youngdy had a drug allergy¡­ just now¡­¡± Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes rolled and suddenly stopped talking.


    Through the phone, she could clearly hear the man¡¯s breath trembling, anxiously asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Say something, will you?¡±


    It was the first time Xiao Hua heard such urgency in the ordinarily calm andposed Master Xiao.


    Xiao Hua coughed, ¡°The youngdy had a drug-induced allergy, which caused cardiogenic shock¡­ it¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    She heard the man curse, and Xiao Hua¡¯s heart suddenly jumped, vaguely hearing a bit of sexiness.


    Then there was the sound of a car door mming, and the man¡¯s voice, suppressing anger, said, ¡°Go to the hospital, right away.¡±


    Xiao Hua pursed her lips, feeling like she might have gone too far.


    She rushed into the inner room and handed the phone to Ming Jing: ¡°Master Xiao¡¯s call.¡±


    Ming Jing was startled, then softly spoke: ¡°It¡¯s me, Ming Jing.¡±


    There was suddenly no sound from the other side of the phone.


    Ming Jing frowned: ¡°Are you listening? If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll hang up.¡±


    As she was about to hang up, the man¡¯s voice, mixed with anxiety, came through the phone: ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are you alright? Xiao Hua just said you had a drug allergy, and it¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was calm andposed.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ran Tengxiao quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You just rest, leave everything else to me.¡±


    Ming Jing looked out the window.


    The sunlight prated the ss, scattering sunlight all over the ground, making it hard for people to open their eyes.


    ¡°Since she wishes so badly for me to die, then I¡¯ll grant her that wish.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    At 8:20, a Weibo user with the nickname ¡°Pink Rabbit Bus¡± revealed that Ming Jing had died from a drug allergy at 2 AM.


    Fans thought it was a crazy hater and rushed to scold the blogger, then reported and blocked the ount.


    However, fans found that Pink Rabbit Bus had no previous records, didn¡¯t participate in fan circles, and had no history of negative behavior. ording to Weibo authentication and past posting records, she was a nurse in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of Renmin Hospital, who usually shared food andined about life. Hertest post was about Dr. Bo and Dr. Han¡¯s ¡°friendship.¡±


    She deleted the post five minutes after posting it, but fans had already taken screenshots. In ten minutes, the news of Ming Jing¡¯s death spread across the inte.


    Not only did the entertainment circle explode, but the whole country also went into chaos.


    How could it be possible? How could Ming Jing die?


    And for such an absurd reason as a drug allergy.


    No one believed it; they all thought it was a rumor spread by haters. Such a kind and beautiful girl, she was a gift from Heaven to the world; how could she die? Haters deserve punishment.


    Countless media reporters from all over the country rushed to Jiangzhou Renmin Hospital, trying their best to gather news. However, many men in ck appeared around the hospital, with eyes like piercingsers, urately catching every reporter trying to sneak in.


    The hospital also didn¡¯t mind the trouble, and increased security while issuing a request to all hospital employees: during this special period, entrance was allowed but exit was not.


    This caused quite a disturbance within the hospital.


    Anyone who wasn¡¯t a fool could sense that something big had happened.


    <i ss="icon ion-md-settings"></i></a>

 Chapter 795: 398 passed away_3

    Chapter 795: 398 passed away_3


    Considering the rumors online, could it be true that Ming Jing died of an allergic reaction to a drug in the hospital?


    This is bad, the hospital is in big trouble now. The Rans will definitely seek revenge.


    I heard it was Dr. Bo¡¯s mistake. His reputation is ruined overnight.


    The hospital employees are nervous, lost their passion for work, and gather to gossip.


    Zhang Qiao was notified to change rooms temporarily, and before he could argue with the nurse, he was pushed along with his belongings to a double room downstairs.


    ¡°Nurse, this is not right. You moved me from a VIP room to a double room. What are you trying to do?¡±


    The nurse replied helplessly: ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Zhang, but we have to inconvenience you due to certain reasons. Our hospital will offerpensation for thister. Please focus on your recovery for now.¡±


    Without waiting for Zhang Qiao to speak, the nurse hurried away.


    ¡°Hey, patient, don¡¯t me the nurse. It¡¯s not their fault. You haven¡¯t heard, have you? The hospital¡¯s in big trouble.¡±


    The man in the next bed is a big fat man weighing 200 kilograms, eating a chicken leg with gusto while speaking animatedly, and kindly sharing a piece with Zhang Qiao.


    Zhang Qiao looked at the greasy chicken leg and wrinkled his nose in disgust.


    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t need it. What¡¯s the big trouble?¡±


    The fat man raised an eyebrow: ¡°There was a medical ident, and the person who died is very important. There¡¯s no way the hospital can settle this with money. Haha, there will be drama.¡±


    Zhang Qiao frowned: ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Justst night. Don¡¯t you check your phone? This person is a celebrity in Jiangzhou, so beautiful and so young. It¡¯s a pity.¡± The fat man smacked his lips in regret.


    Young and beautiful? A Jiangzhou celebrity?


    Without realizing it, a face appeared in Zhang Qiao¡¯s mind.


    He said in disbelief: ¡°It¡¯s not Ming Jing, is it?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Congrattions, you guessed it right. It¡¯s Ming Jing.¡±


    The fat man lowered his voice and said mysteriously: ¡°She died of an allergic reaction to a drugst night, right here in this hospital. Ming Jing is a big star, with huge social influence. Not to mention, she¡¯s also a member of the Ran family, Ran Tengxiao¡¯s niece. How could the Rans let the hospital off?¡±


    The fat man spoke passionately, spitting as he did.


    ¡°Anyway, there will be drama this time.¡±


    Zhang Qiao sat on the bed, stunned for a long time.


    Ming Jing? Dead?


    That beautiful and gentle girl in a white dress, hailed as a goddess in Jiangzhou, she¡¯s dead?


    How could this be possible!


    They say good people are rewarded. How could she die?


    Zhang Qiao fumbled for his phone. Every app notification was about Ming Jing¡¯s death. His phone was nearly exploding.


    With all this overwhelming information, he had no choice but to believe it.


    He quickly called Zhou Xue but no one answered.


    Then he called Cen Ning, but suddenly realized he hadn¡¯t asked for Mr. Cen Ning¡¯s contact information yet.


    He wanted to test Mr. Cen Ning¡¯s patience, so he said he wanted to eat Yangji Baozi. Mr. Cen Ning agreed without any hesitation and left.


    By the time, he should be back soon.


    Zhang Qiao went to the window. Downstairs was a small garden, usually with many people, especially today with the bright sun. But at this moment, there wasn¡¯t a single soul in the garden. A cold wind swept through, leaving only destion.


    ©¤©¤


    The elevator stopped on the top floor, and Cen Ning was about to step out, when he was blocked by two men in ck.


    The men looked fierce and asked directly, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Cen Ning pushed up his sses and replied, ¡°I¡¯m a family member of Room 273.¡±


    One of the men in ck said coldly, ¡°Your family member is on the twenty-sixth floor.¡±


    Cen Ning¡¯s eyes twinkled, ¡°Really? But they were clearly on the twenty-seventh floor before. I only left for half an hour. What happened?¡±


    The man in ck had no patience to exin and sent Cen Ning back down.


    As the elevator doors closed, the smile on Cen Ning¡¯s face vanished gradually.


    Without pressing the twenty-sixth floor button, the elevator went straight to the first floor.


    The elevator doors opened, and two people were standing outside.


    A beautiful woman in a velvet cheongsam stood, elegant and noble, radiant and eye-catching.


    Without even looking at Cen Ning, the woman walked into the elevator with graceful steps.


    Zhou Xue saw Cen Ning, shook her head gently, and stepped in.


    Following the woman were two tall bodyguards who nced at Cen Ning before entering and positioning themselves on either side of the woman in the cheongsam.


    Cen Ning stood in the right corner near the front, right in front of the elevator control panel.


    Unnoticed, he pressed the button for the twenty-sixth floor.


    Zhou Xue stretched out her finger and pressed the button for the twenty-seventh floor.


    Cen Ning¡¯s eyes drooped, staring at the rapidly changing numbers on the electronic board, his back to the four people behind him, and the corner of his lips curved with a strange smile.


    The elevator went up, and in the narrow, cramped space, breathing sounds echoed back and forth.


    No one spoke, and the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

 Chapter 796: 399 Decent

    Chapter 796: 399 Decent


    The elevator doors opened, and the man in ck guarding the entrance immediately blocked the way.


    Zhou Xue courteously said, ¡°This is Madam Jiang, she heard that Ms. Ming Jing is hospitalized and came to visit.¡±


    Of course, the two had heard of Jiang Madam¡¯s reputation, but their orders were that no matter who it was, no one could enter.


    ¡°Sorry, our youngdy isn¡¯t seeing anyone. Please leave,¡± the man in ck said.


    Seeing that the man in ck was unyielding, Zhou Xue gave a signal to the bodyguards.


    The next moment, the two men in ck had guns pointed directly at their foreheads.


    The bodyguards pushed both men aside, and Zhou Xue respectfully bowed, ¡°Madam, please.¡±


    The woman touched her temples and walked gracefully out of the elevator.


    She didn¡¯t look sideways, walking in her high heels at a leisurely pace.


    Zhou Xue quickly caught up and nced around, ¡°Madam, what if this is a trap? Isn¡¯t it too dangerous for us to enter alone?¡±


    Jiang Chun hooked her lips and said unhurriedly, ¡°Even if The Rans had a hundred times more courage, they would not dare to harm me.¡±


    Underhanded tactics were fair game behind the scenes, but The Rans wouldn¡¯t dare to kill her outright unless Ran Tengxiao had lost his mind.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a den of dragons and tigers, I will still venture forth today,¡± she dered.


    The ¡°click-click-click¡± of her heels on the polished floor created a dull and regr sound. The echoes swirled in the empty hallway, adding an inexplicable touch of eeriness.


    A young girl with a baby-face walked out of a hospital room. Seeing Jiang Chun, her crying red eyes became even redder.


    ¡°Madam Jiang, I heard that you used to be quite fond of our youngdy. Now that she has died an untimely death, you must clear her name,¡± the girl implored.


    Jiang Chun frowned, ¡°Where¡¯s Ming Jing?¡±


    The girl just cried, not speaking.


    Jiang Chun walked past her, pushing open the door to the hospital room impatiently.


    Zhou Xue nced at Xiao Hua and furrowed her brow in thought.


    As soon as her back was turned, Xiao Hua rolled her eyes in disdain. Her face showed no pain, only deep mockery and a sneer.


    So eager to kick someone when they¡¯re down, trulycking patience.


    The youngdy¡¯s guess was correct after all.


    A white cloth covered something on the hospital bed, faintly revealing the shape of a person lying beneath it.


    Qu Feitai sat with a drooping head on a chair next to the bed, unkempt and scruffy, not bearing any resemnce to his usual handsome self.


    Jiang Chun walked over, wanting to lift the white cloth. Halfway through, she suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Ming Jing, you must be joking with Aunt Lan, right? Your joke has gone too far, get up now¡­¡± she said.


    Qu Feitai suddenly looked up. The coldness in his eyes shed and disappeared as he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Aunt Lan, before Ming Jing left, she gave me something to give to you.¡±


    Qu Feitai took out a wooden box and handed it to Jiang Chun.


    Upon seeing the familiar wooden box, Jiang Chun¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted.


    She took the wooden box and opened it.


    Inside, a Bodhi pendanty.


    The gift she presented to Ming Jing at the banquet held by The Zhus in her honor.


    ¡°Snap!¡± Jiang Chun closed the box, her eyes full of pain, ¡°What happened? Tell me, Xiao Fei.¡±


    Qu Feitai gave a bitter smile, ¡°Aunt Lan, let¡¯s talk outside. We don¡¯t want to disturb Ming Jing.¡±


    Jiang Chun signaled to Zhou Xue. As Qu Feitai turned around, Zhou Xue quickly grabbed the wrist under the white cloth. The icy coldness of the touch made her shiver, colder than a millennia-old cier.


    A small part of the extremely pale finger protruded, revealing a bizarre mixture of greenish-purple.


    Zhou Xue¡¯s fingers swiftly swept across the pulse. Her entire being was stunned.


    There was no pulse.


    She recognized the slender and elegant hand, it indeed belonged to Ming Jing.


    She was truly dead.@@novelbin@@


    Zhou Xue¡¯s gaze wasplex.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Hua saw her movements and rushed over like a madman, pushing her away and ring at her angrily, ¡°What are you doing touching our youngdy? What ill-intentions do you have? With your sneaky appearance, were you the one who killed the youngdy?¡±


    Zhou Xue quickly tried to exin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°I think you did it on purpose. You killed the youngdy. I¡¯ll fight you,¡± Xiao Hua, showcasing her unyielding nature, threw herself at Zhou Xue, brawling with her. Zhou Xue didn¡¯t see iting and got her cheek scratched by Xiao Hua¡¯s sharp fingernail.


    Zhou Xue covered her face and backed away, ¡°Have you gone crazy?¡±


    ¡°You viin, you¡¯re the one who killed the youngdy.¡± Xiao Hua lunged at her again. Zhou Xue was afraid of her and twisted the girl¡¯s hands behind her back. To stay by Madam¡¯s side, Zhou Xue was not only educated and capable, but also skilled in taekwondo, judo, and Muay Thai, more than enough to deal with a young girl like Xiao Hua.

 Chapter 799: 400 Retribution

    Chapter 799: 400 Retribution


    The entire hospital was filled with trepidation, as if a catastrophe was imminent.


    For ordinary people, this could be easily resolved with some extra money.


    But she wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    Not to mention that the Rans were wealthy and powerful, and the hospital couldn¡¯t afford to offend them, the influence of this girl on the inte wasparable to a popr celebrity, let alone her social influence. A top-tier celebrity dying in the hospital¡­ that would be an explosive headline.


    Their crazy fans would tear the hospital apart.


    ¡°Dr. Bo shouldn¡¯t have made such a rookie mistake, I think he¡¯s just a fame-chaser. Now our hospital¡¯s reputation is doomed.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Bo didn¡¯t do it on purpose, no one wants to see something like this happen.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Bo has the support of the Bo family, he can just leave for Jingzhou, but our hospital is screwed, having to bear the wrath of the Rans. You see those people in ck, they look so fierce, really frightening.¡±


    The nurses who used to tter Dr. Bo immediately changed sides in the face of danger and started to criticize him. Their words were full of me.


    Gao Jia stood in the corner, her brows furrowed.


    Ming Jing was dead, but how could she even involve Dr. Bo?


    What a lingering ghost.


    Her phone rang, and when the nurses noticed her, they quickly scattered.


    Gao Jia saw the iing call and sneered: ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Sis, are you at the hospital now?¡± Charles Gao sounded very anxious.


    Gao Jia smirked: ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on in the hospital now? Did something really happen to Ming Jing?¡±


    Gao Jia snorted: ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not even in the same inpatient building as her.¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if something really happened to her, what does it have to do with me? I think it¡¯s karma. Her dad has done too many bad things, and it¡¯s finally caught up to her.¡± Gao Jia sounded somewhat gleeful.


    ¡°Bang¡± The other party hung up.


    Gao Jia rolled her eyes at the phone: ¡°All men are color-blinded.¡±


    Thinking about Ming Jing¡¯s death put a smile on her face.


    Dr. Bo had the support of the Bo family, so he wouldn¡¯t be in any trouble. She had worried for nothing.


    Gao Jia happily hummed a song.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the other side, after hanging up the phone, Charles Gao instructed the taxi driver: ¡°Master, please drive a little faster.¡±


    He nced at the silent teenager beside him andforted: ¡°Jinchen, don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine.¡±


    But was it really? Charles Gao had no confidence in his heart either.


    They were stopped by the police at the intersection 300 meters away from the hospital. The road was closed to traffic.


    Charles Gao realized the situation was serious, his expression became somber.


    Jiang Jinchen pushed the car door open and ran quickly along the sidewalk.


    Charles Gao caught up with him after paying the fare.


    The teenager moved his long legs, running rapidly on the sidewalk. Tall ne trees lined both sides of the sidewalk, with sunlight filtering through the gaps between branches, casting mottled shadows that flickered on the boy¡¯s hair and shoulders.


    As he ran, Jiang Jinchen¡¯s mind was filled with memories of their encounters, from their first meeting in the school cafeteria, the subsequent cruise party, and being stranded on a deserted ind together. Her every frown and smile yed back in his mind.


    Was it a fleeting and impulsive love, or unattainable yearning, or the pursuit and admiration for beauty? He could no longer tell.


    She was untainted by the world, like the distant and sacred moon in the sky, and he vowed to be a star by her side, protecting her forever.


    As the moon dimmed, how far would the star fall?


    The teenager was stopped by the police before he could get close to the hospital.


    Xie Hong¡¯s assistant stood at the entrance of the hospital. He caught a glimpse of the scene and was startled, quickly walking over.


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, why are you here?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen coldly said: ¡°I want to go in.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The assistant hesitated, ¡°Young Master Jiang, it¡¯s chaotic inside. What if something happens to you? How would I exin to Madam?¡±


    Jiang Jinchen walked straight in: ¡°I¡¯m looking for my mother.¡±


    The assistant didn¡¯t dare to stop him and followed hurriedly, ¡°Young Master Jiang, Madam is very busy right now¡­ You shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Jiang Jinchen suddenly stopped. The assistant looked up and was almost startled.@@novelbin@@


    Ran Tengxiao came out of the hospital with a calm and collected demeanor. Behind him was Xie Hong and a group of police officers, who seemed more like his followers.

 Chapter 801: 400 Retribution_3

    Chapter 801: 400 Retribution_3


    Peter Aria was dressed in a white shirt and ck pants. He had a lean figure and a neat demeanor. His hair was trimmed impably, his features were refined, and his eyes sparkled. No wonder he attracted so many women; he indeed had enough charm to do so.


    No one could tell from his face or figure that he was already in histe thirties. He could easily pass as a university student by carrying a backpack.


    Virginia Frost remembered him in his youth¡ª a romantic figure that rivaled thousands of distinguished women in Lostswa, and even now, he remained as he was.


    That wretched woman did have an eye for quality; she chose the best one.


    ¡°Aubree Groove was the back I admired the most. She originally had a bright future ahead of her but because of you, all of it was destroyed. Dr. Aria, do you dare to say you hold no responsibility?¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    The man shook his head with augh. ¡°It was an ident, not a murder. Nobody wants to see such an incident. If Madam insists on ming me, should I consider it as a vengeful action from Madam?¡±


    Virginia Frost narrowed her eyes. ¡°Revenge? Peter Aria, you¡¯ve taken an innocent life.¡±


    ¡°Madam is overstating things. I must reiterate that it was an ident. As aw enforcer, you must know the difference between an ident and an intentional killing.¡±


    Virginia Frost suddenly smiled. ¡°Peter Aria, my mother and Madam Aria were close friends. Our families, Frost and Aria, were acquaintances for generations. Tell me, what kind of grudge exists between us?¡±


    ¡°Madam knows it very well.¡±


    Virginia Frost slightly raised her eyebrow. ¡°Ah, I remember now. You¡¯re still resentful of me for breaking up you and Xi from back then. After all these years, you¡¯re still single. Are you waiting for Xi¡­ People as devoted as you are truly rare in this world¡­¡±


    Peter Aria sneered. ¡°Stop pretending Madam. Fanny, where is she actually?¡±


    Virginia Frost smiled. ¡°Fanny? Are you referring to my assistant? She¡¯s at the door. Fanny,e in. Dr. Aria wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Peter Aria mmed his palm on the table, suppressing rage in his eyes.


    ¡°Fanny Parker, Nikita Parker, where have you hidden them these years?¡±


    Virginia Frost casually stroked her temples. ¡°So you were referring to them. Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    She let out a sigh, ¡°Fanny was just a mere actress back then. She¡¯s fortunate to get your attention. Sadly, Madam Aria disapproved of her and absolutely wouldn¡¯t let her into the Aria family. You should be asking your dear mother about this. How did you end up questioning me instead? What kind of logic is this?¡±


    ¡°Virginia Frost, stop pretending. Aren¡¯t you tired of this? My mother changed her attitude towards Fanny due to your maniptions. She¡¯s your own sister. Is this how you honor your father by acting this way?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring him up.¡± Virginia Frost¡¯s face darkened abruptly.


    ¡°Her own sister? Does she even qualify? She¡¯s nothing more than the illegitimate child that Phoebe Parker had outside. He was lifted from the depths of society by my mother, but instead of being grateful, he betrayed her, and had a child with another woman. Tell me, don¡¯t they deserve to die?¡± Virginia Frost spoke carelessly, her tone embedded with a mocking humor.


    However, her deep-seated hatred, lingering for years and already enmeshed in her bones,y beneath each word and sentence.


    ¡°Justice naturally inhabits a man¡¯s heart¡ªI only want to know, where is Fanny?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    Peter Aria¡¯s pupils contracted abruptly, his jaws clenched, the light in his eyes flickered.


    ¡°You killed her.¡±


    Af firmed, not questioned.


    Virginia Frost smiled slightly. ¡°So what if I did? What difference would it make, Peter Aria? Are you going to seek revenge for her?¡±


    As if thinking of something, the smile on Virginia Frost¡¯s face deepened.


    ¡°Do you know? She was pregnant at the time. However, I can¡¯t be sure if it was your child. Such a poor child to have been born to such a mother¡­¡± Her tone carried a touch of sorrow.


    ¡°Virginia Frost!¡± Peter Aria¡¯s hands clenched into tight fists. His eyes were locked onto Virginia Frost, the burning hatred in their depths akin to raging mes.


    Virginia Frost smiled even more gently. ¡°Peter Aria, I did this for your own good. A woman of such humble origins is not worthy of you. If you choose to hate me because of this, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    The woman¡¯s helpless smile seemed to suggest that she had been bitten for showing kindness, amentation of the unjust touching her heart.


    Peter Aria took a deep breath, suppressing his impulse to tear the woman before him to pieces. He spoke coldly. ¡°As one sows, so shall one reap. Virginia Frost, your retribution wille.¡±


    Virginia Frost smiled. ¡°Really? Then considering how many good deeds Aubree Grove did, how everyone proimed she was an incarnation of Buddha, yet she died an untimely death¡ªI suppose I should be interpreting this as she was a sinner in her past life and was repaying debts in this one?¡±


    ¡°Do you even deserve to bepared with Aubree Grove?¡±

 Chapter 803: 401 Nest Fire (First Update)_2

    Chapter 803: 401 Nest Fire (First Update)_2


    Even with Belen Philbert¡¯s definite answer, she still felt uneasy.


    Aubree Groove, the woman herself, exuded an Evil Character, defyingmon sense.


    Both she and Agave Rinto are intelligent people, and if they join forces to turn her own trick against her¡­


    Virginia Frost¡¯s expression turned grave.


    Vanessa Aria, unaware of Virginia¡¯s change in expression, continued, ¡°Madam, you overestimate Agave Rinto. He simply rides on the coattails of Pindo Rinto¡¯s remaining prestige. You gave him face before, but now that you¡¯ve shown your true colors, there¡¯s nothing to fear. The Rintos are nothing more than a band of weaklings. Why should Madam fear? Just leave it to me, I¡¯ll clean up for you.¡±


    Virginia Frost nced at her, ¡°What is your current status? Are you so eager for everyone to know? Peter Aria tried to put me in my ce today. Guard your true identity well, don¡¯t cause me any trouble.¡±


    @@novelbin@@


    Vanessa Aria questioned, ¡°Peter Aria dare show disrespect to Madam?¡±


    Virginia Frost let out a coldugh, ¡°It alles down to that woman. Considering that his surname is ¡®Aria¡¯ and Madam Aria was kind to me in her younger years, I won¡¯t stoop to his level.¡±


    Moreover, Peter Aria had indirectly helped her with Aubree¡¯s cause of death this time.


    Vanessa Aria was taken aback, who was the woman Madam was referring to?


    Virginia Frost coughed lightly, ¡°You should go. Don¡¯te here recently unless necessary.¡±


    When Vanessa Aria left the Frost¡¯s house, the cold winter sun emitted a rare warmth. Through the sunsses on her nose bridge, she nced at the scorching sun above her head.


    For a woman, Peter Aria fell out with Madam Aria and exiled himself abroad for over ten years.


    Madam Aria never mentioned it, and Catherine Liam seemed to avoid discussing it as well.


    The woman referred to by Madam could perhaps be the same one deeply loved by Peter Aria.


    Who was this person?


    Capable of making a man like Peter Aria yearn for so many years, she needed to find out.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Brian, something big has happened. Take a look at the news,¡± Linus rushed in hurriedly.


    The man behind the desk had his long legs sprawled on the table, dozing in his chair.


    At Linus¡¯s words, hezily responded, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Even if the sky were to fall, there will always be someone taller to hold it.¡±


    ¡°No, Brian, it¡¯s about Ms. Groove¡­ Ms. Rinto is in trouble.¡±


    Kelly Martinez yawned and leisurely responded, ¡°You¡¯re behind, I¡¯ve known that for a while.¡±


    Linus was stunned, Brian knew and still kept hisposure, which was unexpected.


    Wasn¡¯t he good friends with Ms. Aubree? How could he react so casually to the news of Ms. Aubree¡¯s death?


    Was it a facade of friendship?


    Without anyone backing them up, theirpany will struggle.


    Kelly Martinez slowly said, ¡°Look, the sun still rises as usual today. You¡¯ll all have to continue working honestly for a few thousand dors. So, the world will keep turning without anyone.¡±


    Pulling open the blinds, the sun rushed in forcefully, making it almost impossible to open one¡¯s eyes.


    Kelly Martinez rested his hands over his eyes, rubbing his sore eyes, and let out an almost inaudible sigh.


    This witch can die? Only if the sun rises from the west.


    Even a sieve has fewer holes than her cunning mind.


    But¡­ Kelly Martinez frowned, a nagging unease remained in the back of his mind.


    Why the cause of death was attributed to drug allergy?


    ¡°What¡¯s the consensus online now?¡±


    Linus immediately replied, ¡°It¡¯s too horrific online, only now I realize how influential Ms. Rinto was. Nearly the entire web is expressing their indignation for her, with Agave Rinto and the Rintos being sted to smithereens. Everyone is @-ing the police to shoot Agave Rinto.¡±


    The rage ofizens was devastating. When the anger of tens of millions or even billions was brought together, it could destroy everything.


    Kelly Martinez clicked his tongue, ¡°This game is being yed too big, be careful not to shoot yourself in the foot.¡±


    Linus didn¡¯t understand.


    Kelly Martinez smiled slyly, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s stoke the fire so that it will burn even brighter.¡±


    As Linus left Kelly Martinez¡¯s office, the receptionist phoned, ¡°Linus, there¡¯s a girl named Bright Moon looking for Mr. Brian.¡±


    Linus frowned and knocked on Kelly Martinez¡¯s office door again.


    Upon hearing that Bright Moon hade, Kelly Martinez was momentarily lost, he had almost forgotten about her.


    ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Linus exited and brought in a young, beautiful girl.


    The girl was wearing a pink short down jacket, ck leggings, and a pair of white boots. Her youthful fashion and brilliant beauty conquered everyone, making them brighten up.


    Her appearance was even more extraordinary, especially her watery, doe-like eyes. They were as if they were filled withkes of spring water, her demure and innocent demeanor exuding a pitiable charm that prompted sympathy.

 Chapter 805: 402 Public Opinion (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 805: 402 Public Opinion (Second Update)_1


    ¡°Well, what a rare guest.¡± Madon Linggo looked at the man who walked in and couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Not long ago, the two were in a fierce confrontation.


    In no time, one of them had be a prisoner.


    Bartlett Parker said with a stern face, ¡°I¡¯ve handed him over to you. If anything goes wrong, Madam will not spare you.¡±


    Madon Linggo smirked, ¡°Redford Parker, please pass on my message to Madam, I will definitely give our rare guest a warm reception.¡±


    Bartlett Parker got his meaning, snorted with augh, ¡°Looking forward to your good news.¡±


    Then he answered a phone call and hurriedly left.


    ¡°Kendry, get a room ready for our esteemed, Master McKay, make sure it has a private bathroom, clean and sanitary, we wouldn¡¯t want to let down the well-renowned Master McKay.¡±


    The man stood tall and straight, not exhibiting any consciousness of being a prisoner. Once he stepped into the center of the hall, hismanding presence dwarfed the people around him.


    Ahmed Hayley wasn¡¯t very happy, despite being reduced to this state, he was still acting as if he was Master McKay.


    @@novelbin@@


    ¡°Please, Master McKay.¡± His tone clearly marked with sarcasm.


    Agave Rinto looked down upon Madon Linggo, then stepped away.


    Ahmed Hayley took a few steps, realized that he was following behind Agave Rinto, and quickened his steps to walk in front of him.


    Pushing open a door, Ahmed Hayley sneered, ¡°Just take a look, only Master McKay like you could enjoy this kind of treatment, but it¡¯s probably yourst time.¡±


    Indeed, if not for the special status of the prisoners, who could live in a cell with a private bathroom?


    Ahmed Hayley didn¡¯t understand, this man was already a prisoner, why should they preserve his dignity?


    Agave Rinto stepped in, looked around and said, ¡°The bedding is damp, rece it with new cotton one.¡±


    His tone, just like ordering an errand.


    Ahmed Hayley was immediately pissed off, ¡°You¡¯re already living it up here, do you still think you¡¯re the calling-the-shots Master McKay? Wake up to reality, you¡¯re a prisoner now, making all these demands. This is a prison cell, not your own house.¡±


    Agave Rinto gave him a nonchnt nce, and Ahmed Hayley suddenly felt his throat tighten, and he spat out angrily, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Connie came over and spoke in a cold voice, ¡°Ahmed Hayley, get a new cotton quilt.¡±


    Ahmed Hayley couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Connie, why? He¡¯s a prisoner, why should we meet his demands?¡±


    Connie looked at him coldly, ¡°Stop talking nonsense, just do what you are told.¡±


    Ahmed Hayley didn¡¯t dare to offend Connie, and with a harsh nce at Agave Rinto, he left with the damp bedding.


    Connie walked in and said, ¡°Mr. Rinto, do you have any other requirements?¡±


    Agave Rinto chuckled, ¡°Captain Linggo¡¯s people are quite considerate.¡±


    Connie spoke tly, ¡°Mr. Rinto, you are a public figure. Before we have sufficient evidence, we will not do anything to you. But, please cooperate with our investigation and help us uncover the truth as soon as possible so that we can do justice to Ms. Aubree.¡±


    Agave Rinto nodded, and took a walk around the room, ¡°The room¡¯s air cirction is not good, we need some green nts.¡±


    ¡°I enjoy drinking tea. Can we get a tea set? Oh, it has to be a Purple y Teapot, only tea brewed in their teapots has a soul.¡±


    Connie twitched her mouth, this was a true rich kid who knew how to enjoy life.


    ¡°The window is too small, and the lighting is not good. I need a floormp, preferably one with soft light that doesn¡¯t hurt the eyes when reading.¡±


    From air cirction to lighting and temperature, Agave Rinto¡¯s demands were numerous. Connie went from feeling helpless to bing numb.


    Almost everything was being moved in his new home.


    Connie reported all of Agave Rinto¡¯s requests to Madon Linggo, who waved his hand, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    It was no trouble for Connie. Finnian Moore was waiting at the main entrance, bringing in all the items Agave Rinto needed.


    Therefore, Ahmed Hayley and all his colleagues watched as luxuries like imported silk quilts, the most expensiveplete set of purple y teapots, an invaluable red jade bead nt, high-grade wine, wine sses, and so on, flooded in like water, leaving everyone stunned.


    They had seen audacity before, but not like this.


    ¡°Connie, isn¡¯t this Agave Rinto pushing it too far, what does he think our Police Department is?¡± Ahmed Hayley growled angrily.


    Connie gave him a cold nce, ¡°Less talk, more work. Your mouth is all you have.¡±


    The others were more intelligent than Ahmed Hayley and had seen much more, so they were not as outraged.


    The guy was just temporarily residing here, maybe he¡¯ll be out soon, or maybe he¡¯ll be ced in an even higher-level cell soon.

 Chapter 806: 402 Public Opinion (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 806: 402 Public Opinion (Second Update)_2


    The weather in Pethkids was about to change, much like a child¡¯s face.


    Madon Linggo sniffed the smoke, stared out of the window, watching as the bright sunshine was covered by dark clouds, the sunlight escorting over the Earthly World slowly dimming.


    The sun covered by dark clouds made the atmosphere oppressive, making it hard for people to breathe.


    ¡°Captain Ling, we¡¯ve ced the people. Should the coroner go to the hospital to examine Ms. Rinto¡¯s body?¡± Connie asked.


    Madon Linggo curled his lips: ¡°There is no criminal case if the victim¡¯s family does not initiate a legal appeal. It has nothing to do with us.¡±


    Although the victim was the same person, it belonged to two different cases.


    An attempted murder and a medical dispute.


    The reasons were different, thus the oues varied.


    Connie immediately added: ¡°The online public opinion is very severe, which is extremely unfavorable for the Rintos and Agave Rinto. There are obvious inte trolls fueling it; Agave Rinto wouldn¡¯t dare dig his own grave like this. Colleagues from the tech department help checked it, they have a strong anti-detection alert, were able to recruit top hackers, it couldn¡¯t have been an ordinary person.¡±


    Having the trolls create a public opinion, focusing fully on Agave Rinto and the Rintos, taking advantage of Aubree Groove¡¯s death, even though Aubree Groove wasn¡¯t directly killed by Agave Rinto, the public¡¯s rage still med everything on Agave Rinto.


    In this information era, public opinion can kill a person. Agave Rinto, no matter how strong he was, couldn¡¯t fight against the popr public opinion.


    Every single person in the country could spit once and he would drown in their spit.


    ¡°The battle of public opinion, well, we could also add some firewood to it.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Meanwhile, the Rintos were already inplete chaos.


    ¡°I think this Aubree Groove is a jinx, she just came back to the Rintos and trouble happened, now even Master McKay is locked up. I think we should just split as soon as possible, return to our old home in the north, save us from suffering here.¡±


    ¡°Pandawa Rinto, shut up, Master McKay was good to us usually. How can you leave at this time, don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡±


    ¡°Desta Rinto, if you want to stay and be the cannon fodder you do it yourself, don¡¯t drag me down as your scapegoat, the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, let¡¯s all go back to where we belong.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°All of you shut up.¡± Gonzales Rinto shouted angrily.


    ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re disgracing the Rintos.¡±


    Pandawa Rinto sneered: ¡°Then you tell us, what can we do now? Break into the jail? This isn¡¯t ancient times, we aren¡¯t heroes, let¡¯s just admit our defeat. We can still run now, anyter, we might not be able to.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± A sudden deep voice resonated, scaring the three. Almost forgot that Ricky Wood, who hadn¡¯t spoke all this time, was present.


    He was Master McKay¡¯s confidant, and all three of them were cautious of him.


    Gonzales Rinto turned his eyes: ¡°Brother Peak, what should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Finish what¡¯s in your hands, keep the ce steady, the rest, you shouldn¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Brother Peak, Master McKay, is he really okay?¡±


    Ricky Wood nced at him: ¡°What? You really wish something happens to Master McKay?¡±


    Gonzales Rinto felt a sudden tightness in his heart, and hurriedly smirked: ¡°Brother Peak, what are you talking about, Master McKay is our steadying force in the Rintos, of course, I hope he is okay.¡±


    ¡°Good that you know, now go back to work.¡±


    Right then, the sound of a car could be heard from outside. Pandawa Rinto ran out to have a look, heard his ttering voice being echoed at the entrance: ¡°Auntie Guele, what brought you here?¡±


    Guele Rinto? Ricky Wood narrowed his eyes, what was this person doing here.


    Then he saw Silvia Hayes supporting Guele Rinto walking in, with Pandawa Rinto following behind her like a significant eunuch.


    Desta Rinto and Gonzales Rinto greeted her.


    Ever since thest news conference, no one had seen Guele Rinto again. A month had passed, and she seemed to have aged more than a decade, with wrinkles stacking up at the corners of her eyes and a pale and haggard face.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here, good. It saves me from calling each one of you individually.¡±


    Birch Cliff followed Guele Rinto in silence.


    ¡°Ms. Rinto.¡± Ricky Wood, who sat without moving, nodded lightly.


    From a position standpoint, the two are both heads of the household, equals.


    Yet in terms of identity, Guele Rinto was Ms. Rinto of The Rintos house, while Ricky Wood was a subordinate of Agave Rinto.


    Now that they were at The Rintos house, Ricky frustratingly asserted his authority in front of her, Guele¡¯s face turned grave.


    ¡°Ricky, what exactly happened to Agave? Are the rumors in the outside world true? Did he order the Scorpion to kill Aubree Groove? He¡¯s out of his mind. We live in a society under the rule ofw, how dare he kill! Not to mention, it was her aunt¡¯s daughter, clearly against the normal course of nature, utterly immoral.¡±


    Guele Rinto pointed usingly, anger written all over her face.


    And thus sentenced Agave Rinto on the spot.


    Ricky Wood frowned and said seriously, ¡°Ms. Rinto, please do not specte wildly.¡±


    ¡°Wild spection? Bartlett Parker himself came to arrest him, and you are still defending him. I always thought he was an emotionally intelligent man, but now¡­ Poor auntie¡¯s daughter, she was so young¡­¡± Guele Rinto wiped her non-existent tears, a face full of regret.


    Ricky let out a coldugh, ¡°Ms. Rinto, it appears you have forgotten Master Mckay¡¯s warning. It¡¯s not your ce to interfere in his business.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Guele Rinto was flushed with shame and anger.


    ¡°Agave has always been a loyal and righteous kid, he cherished Auntie¡¯s daughter dearly, how could he possibly harm her? I¡¯m sure you¡­¡±


    Guele Rinto suddenly pointed at Ricky, ¡°You instigated Agave into doing this! Now that Agave is in trouble, you are ying big shot in The Rintos. It seems you nned to kill two birds with one stone, eliminate auntie¡¯s daughter and Agave, so that The Rintos would fall into your hands. This is a well-calcted move. Unfortunately, I won¡¯t let your conspiracy seed. Guards, arrest Ricky Wood for me.¡±


    Birch Cliff waved his hand and immediately two ck-clothed men rushed in and walked towards Ricky Wood.


    Desta Rinto, Gonzales Rinto and Pandawa Rinto were all shocked and stunned. Desta wanted to say something, but Gonzales was quick to pull him back and shake his head at him.


    One should avoid getting involved in the conflict between these two parties. Staying out of trouble was the wise move.


    Ricky Wood sneered, ¡°Those who wish to do ill, can always find an excuse.¡±


    Before the men in ck could even get close to Ricky, they were kicked away by a sudden dark figure, ¡°What the hell do you think you are? Daring toy a finger on Master McKay¡¯s people.¡±


    It was a youthful boy with a babyface, crossing his arms over his chest and an audacious re in his eyes.


    Guele Rinto was seething, ¡°This is utter madness, absolute rebellion.¡±


    ¡°Hey, olddy,¡± Jayden Moore dug at his ear, full of disdain, ¡°There¡¯s no lion on the mountain, the monkey¡¯s king. You little underlings want to cause trouble when Master McKay¡¯s not around? Let me tell you, your n won¡¯t work. As long as I¡¯m here today, no one can touch a finger on Ricky.¡±


    The young man¡¯s eyes ryed a certain wildness, quite intimidating.


    Birch Cliff frowned, took a step forward, and whispered in Guele Rinto¡¯s ear, ¡°Ms. Rinto, there are many experts around Master McKay. Besides this kid, there¡¯s the mysterious Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning. Unless we deal with them, it would be hard to touch Ricky.¡±


    Guele Rinto was extremely frustrated internally, but she also knew Birch was right, ¡°So, what should I do? Can they be used by me?¡±


    Birch Cliff stepped forward and addressed Jayden, ¡°Jayden Moore, the wise man submits to circumstances. Master McKay is finished. If you¡¯re smart, pledge loyalty to Ms. Rinto. Ms. Rinto won¡¯t treat you poorly.¡±


    The greatest reliance of Agave Rinto was these experts. Once these wings are clipped, even if hees back in the future, he won¡¯t be able to create any waves.


    Jayden Moore arched an eyebrow, ¡°A monthly sry of a hundred thousand? Amodation and meals included? Insurance and pension? Travel bonus at the end of the year? These are the bare minimum. If you can¡¯t even provide this, no need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 807: 403 Pot Bottom (Third Watch)_1

    Chapter 807: 403 Pot Bottom (Third Watch)_1


    A bodyguard with quite a few demands.


    Guele Rinto silently cursed in her heart, giving Birch Cliff a look.


    Birch Cliffughed, ¡°Indeed still a child, such a small benefit has made you loyal. If youe to Miss Guele¡¯s side, you can name your price.¡±


    Ricky Wood frowned and nced at Jayden Moore¡¯s silhouette. A child is a child after all, don¡¯t be truly tempted.


    Jayden Moore curled his lip; ¡°Forget it, I dislike women.¡±


    Guele Rinto flung herself back in anger.


    Silvia Hayes red at Jayden Moore harshly: ¡°You wretched boy, you¡¯re courting death.¡±


    Jayden Moore crossed his arms, smiling, ¡°Ah, I forgot to mention, I dislike foul-mouthed women.¡±


    Silvia Hayes pointed at him: ¡°You rotten kid, just you wait.¡±


    Jayden Moore rolled his eyes in disdain.


    Unknown from where, he took out a small dagger, swiftly flipping it between his fingers, startling the onlookers.


    ¡°My little baby hasn¡¯t seen blood in a while. Come on, who wants to be the first?¡±


    Several people reflexively took a step back.


    Everyone was present at the martial artspetition. Despite his young age, this kid¡¯sbat prowess was terrifying. He was unreasonable, and besides Master McKay and his senior Finnian Moore, no one could subdue him.


    The group returned empty-handed, and Guele Rinto walked out of Rinto¡¯s, her face immediately darkened.


    ¡°Today we didn¡¯t get Ricky Wood, we gave him a chance. It will be difficult to find his mistakes in the future.¡±


    She had to admire Master McKay¡¯s foresight in encircling elite fighters at his side early on; now, they were untouchable.


    Birch Cliff said: ¡°Miss Guele, do you remember the Fire Hall? Their prestige in the martial arts world is even deeper than that of Chenoa Sect, but Master McKay only valued The Moore brothers. Alistair Valerian sat on the bench, slunk off dispiritedly. Why not let Miss Guele take the Fire Hall and let Alistair Valerian work for you? If so, The Moore brothers are nothing to be afraid of.¡±


    The Chenoa Sect only has the three Moore brothers, but the Fire Hall is arge gang with many members. If she could win over the Fire Hall, she could match Master McKay.


    Guele Rinto said solemnly: ¡°You handle this matter, and you must be quick. If he gets a chance to breathe, it will be toote for us.¡±


    ¡°Miss Guele, don¡¯t worry. Unless he is absolutely sure, he will not easily make a move on Master McKay. Now that Master McKay is in trouble, only you have the qualifications and ability to control The Rinto.¡±


    Guele Rinto wasfortably ttered. She curled her lips, ¡°It¡¯s all because of uncle¡¯s sins. He left and left a mess for us. I suppose his daughter must be here to pay his debts.¡±


    Thinking of something, she asked uncertainly: ¡°Did that girl really die?¡±


    ¡°Miss Guele, rest assured, there is no smoke without fire. Although the news from the hospital was tight, our people have confirmed the message. She indeed died from drug allergies, which cannot be separated with Dr. Aria who came from Tersbray. But he is an Aria, no one dares to draw fire on him, and now the public opinion is all on Master McKay.¡±


    The Rinto never had a reputation, but now it seems they¡¯ve directly stepped into Hell.


    ¡°I did not expect it would turn out like this. This girl was unfortunate.¡± Guele Rinto said coolly.


    Silvia Hayes furrowed her eyebrows, ¡°I always feel that this matter is not so simple. She wasn¡¯t burned by hot oil, but died from a small drug allergy? Besides, you all know the character of my cousin, would he surrender easily? Don¡¯t forget Harry Rinto from three years ago.¡±


    This name, long obscured by time, made Guele Rinto and Birch Cliff involuntarily frown.


    Three years ago, Agave Rinto had just returned to the country and took over the mess from Barton Rinto. The Rinto was constantly fighting internally back then, it was chaos, and the most mboyant was Harry Rinto, the nephew of Butler Rinto. He was cunning but not broad-minded and his prestige once surpassed Guele Rinto.


    After Agave Rinto¡¯s return, Harry Rinto was the one who disobeyed him the most, openly and secretly causing trouble for Agave Rinto.


    Agave Rinto did not confront him, but amodated him. Harry Rinto thought Agave Rinto was easy to bully, even once drunkenly bragged that Agave Rinto was a coward, only fit to hold his shoes.


    Just like that, Harry Rinto¡¯s desires were slowly inted, culminating when he was no longer satisfied with his status. Wanting to frame Agave Rinto with falsified ounts to send him to jail for the rest of his life by paying Agave Rinto¡¯s subordinates arge sum of money.


    The result was his own arrest warrant¡­ a yearter he was executed by firing squad.


    The strategy shocked the entire Green Dragon Association; from then on, no one dared to provoke Agave Rinto¡¯s dignity. All Rinto¡¯s remained honest.


    At that time, Guele Rinto sat on the sidelines, watching the tigers fight, ready to reap the benefits. However, she nearly got burnt.


    Since then, she understood that her nephew was a patient hunter, and everyone was just his prey.


    Guele Rinto supported him, showing her loyalty honestly, thus securing her status as Miss Guele.


    Otherwise, her fate won¡¯t be much better than that of Harry Rinto.


    Recalling this past incident sent chills down Guele Rinto¡¯s spine.


    ¡°What does he really want?¡± she asks.


    ¡°The Rintos prosper together, and suffer together. Mom, don¡¯t you understand this principle? If our cousin is in trouble, we won¡¯t have easy days. Only when our cousin is present do we have peaceful days.¡± Silvia Hayes was already opposed to Guele Rinto making such a fuss, but Guele Rinto wouldn¡¯t listen, thinking it was a good opportunity.


    She¡¯s the next Harry Rinto, already unsatisfied with the current state of affairs, her ambition growing.


    ¡°Miss Hayes, you¡¯re wrong. The shitty things Ridho Hayes has done have been med on Miss Rinto, which is terribly unfair. In Master Rinto¡¯s heart, he doesn¡¯t even consider you the Rintos. If it hadn¡¯t been for Miss Rinto¡¯s support, there wouldn¡¯t be a Master Rinto today. Miss Rinto is just reiming what already belongs to her. Fear is not the way to achieve anything great.¡±


    Guele Rinto was wavering, but after hearing Birch Cliff¡¯s words, she becamepletely resolute.


    Silvia Hayes wanted to say more, but Guele Rinto, irritated, waved her off, ¡°Enough, I see him unable to ovee this obstacle. I can¡¯t sit by and watch the Rintos fall apart at his hands.¡±


    Guele Rinto got in the car and seeing Silvia Hayes still standing outside the door, frowned, ¡°What are you waiting for? Get in the car.¡±


    Silvia Hayes shook her head, ¡°I have a date with a ssmate, you go ahead.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Guele Rinto didn¡¯t care about her anymore and instructed the driver to start the car.


    As Silvia Hayes walked, she answered a call. Jenny Linggo¡¯s excited voice came out without any concealment.


    ¡°Silvia. Did you check the news? That girl is dead. I thought it was April Fool¡¯s Day today, so that I wouldn¡¯t celebrate in vain. But I checked the calendar, it¡¯s still a few months away from April Fool¡¯s Day haha.¡±


    That schadenfreudeughter is not concealed at all.


    However, Silvia Hayes wasn¡¯t as optimistic.


    ¡°Silvia? Where are you now? How about we have a drink? This good news is worth celebrating.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it some other time.¡±


    Jenny Linggo on the other end of the phone sensed that Silvia Hayes was not in the right mood, thought of the rumors about Agave Rinto and asked, ¡°Silvia, are you worried about Master McKay?¡±


    Silvia Hayes responded with irritation, ¡°No shit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Silvia, that¡¯s Master McKay we¡¯re talking about, the famous Master McKay of Pethkids. You should stop worrying.¡±


    Jenny Linggo didn¡¯t understand theplexities involved here. She thought the assaultst night was orchestrated by Agave Rinto. It¡¯s simple logic, after all, Pindo Rinto¡¯s daughter and Agave Rinto have a conflict of interest. If it¡¯s not Agave Rinto, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else.


    Agave Rinto is clearly not stupid. Since he did this, he must have been able to walk away unscathed. Besides, it wasn¡¯t attempted murder. Aubree Groove¡¯s actual cause of death was a drug allergy¡­ the rumor is that it was Dr. Aria¡­


    Wait a moment, Dr. Aria¡­


    Jenny Linggo screamed, ¡°Could Dr. Aria be in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Silvia, apany me to the hospital. I want to go see Dr. Aria. He¡¯s so pitiful. That girl is persistent even in death, trying to me Dr. Aria.¡±


    Silvia Hayes was just thinking about going to the hospital to investigate. She checked the time, ¡°Meet me at the hospital entrance.¡±


    The reporters still squatting at the entrance of the hospital diligently watched as a taxi stopped and a long-legged beauty got out.


    The security guard blocked the woman¡¯s way. The woman took off her sunsses and gave a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Dr. Aria.¡±


    Dr. Aria has quite a reputation. However, at this time, Dr. Aria has awsuit on his hands, and it is unknown if he is in the mood to meet with the beautiful woman.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am Dr. Aria¡¯s sister.¡±


    The security guard¡¯s demeanor instantly turned respectful. The Dr. Aria from Tersbray is known toe from a wealthy family, and even thewsuit wouldn¡¯t affect his career as a doctor. At worst, he could go home and inherit the family business.


    Dr. Aria¡¯s sister, is naturally also a socialite from a wealthy family.


    The security guard immediately phoned the department where Dr. Aria was, quickly got a reply, and let her in.


    As the woman was about to step into the hospital carrying her limited edition handbag, a shout came from behind her.


    ¡°Miss Aria, please wait for me!¡±

 Chapter 808: 404 Hypocrisy (Fourth Watch)_1

    Chapter 808: 404 Hypocrisy (Fourth Watch)_1


    Vanessa Aria paused and turned around.


    Two young girls hurried up to her, one with dazzling beauty and a cold demeanor, the other noticeably less radiant. It was the second girl who stopped her with a bright smile.


    Vanessa Aria raised an eyebrow and smiled. ¡°Do you two know me?¡±


    Jenny Linggoposed herself, ¡°Ms. Aria, I¡¯ve long admired your reputation. Seeing you now, I understand the ancient saying ¡®A nce from a beauty can topple a city, another nce can topple a nation¡¯ isn¡¯t an overstatement.¡±


    Complimented by this young girl, Vanessa Aria didn¡¯t feel repulsed at all. On the contrary, she felt a flush of pride as her vanity was satisfied.


    ¡°Ms. Aria, are you here to see Dr. Aria? From afar, you resemble Dr. Aria. As expected of dragon-phoenix twins, you and Dr. Aria are truly outstanding among your peers.¡± Jenny Linggo wasvish with herpliments.


    Silvia Hayes was slightly irritated, she didn¡¯t recognize this sycophant.


    However, she hadn¡¯t expected to meet Ms. Aria here.


    Silvia knew very little about her. Most of what she knew was from Jenny Linggo. After falling for Peter Aria, she had researched about his family background extensively. Naturally, she learned that Peter Aria had a twin sister.


    Since they were dragon-phoenix twins, they must have grown up together and shared an extraordinary bond.


    In Silvia¡¯s imagination, Granny Aria hailed from a schrly family of high-ranking officials and she herself was a well-respected artist and a role model. Her daughter, brought up under such an influence, must certainly be a graceful, dignified, and elegant youngdy from a reputable family.


    But upon meeting Vanessa Aria, Silvia was somewhat disappointed.


    Jenny Linggo was heaping praises on her as if she was looking at her future sister-inw through rose-colored sses. But was the woman standing before them really worth such high praise?


    Although dressed in renowned brands and carrying a globally exclusive high-end bag, she couldn¡¯t hide the pettiness that was deeply ingrained in her bones. Upon close inspection, there were traces of cosmetic surgery on her face, which made her look pretty out of ce. Her movements were flippant, and her eyes carried a hint of affected charm. She looked like a maid dressed in a princess¡¯s gown.


    There was noparison between her and the innate nobility and poise of Peter Aria, Silvia had serious doubts about their twin rtionship.


    How could the disparity be so great?


    Vanessa Aria noticed Jenny Linggo bringing up Peter Aria and raised an eyebrow. Seeing the passion igniting in her eyes, she seemed to understand something.


    Peter Aria indeed lived up to the troublemaker reputation, causing problems wherever he went.


    ¡°You have a sweet mouth, little girl, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Jenny Linggo quickly replied, ¡°My name is Jenny Linggo. Rafael Linggo is my grandfather.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Vanessa Aria, ¡°Your aunt married into The Lewis family in Lostswa, right? I was in the same college ss as their daughter, technically you should call me Auntie.¡±


    Jenny Linggo readily yed along, intimately grasping Vanessa Aria¡¯s arm, ¡°You¡¯re so young, how can I call you Auntie? It would be like calling you old. Let me call you sister instead.¡±


    Vanessa Aria was in a good mood, ¡°You cheeky girl, you do have a sweet mouth.¡±


    ¡°Sister Aria, are you here to see Dr. Aria?¡± Jenny Linggo looked somewhat worried.


    ¡°It would be really unfair to Dr. Aria if the Rintos me him for this. It wasn¡¯t his fault at all. In fact, it was just poor Aubree Groove¡¯s bad luck.¡±


    The two continued chatting as they ventured further in.


    Vanessa Aria sighed, ¡°It¡¯s really a pity about that girl, I quite liked her. It must just be that she wasn¡¯t meant for my brother.¡±


    Fate? Did Ms. Aria really believe that Dr. Aria was interested in her?


    It seemed that even rumors about the two of them had reached Lostswa.


    Yes, certainly there was fate involved, but it was an ill-fated connection.


    Silvia Hayes lingered behind the two, watching Vanessa Aria¡¯s retreating figure, her brows furrowing slightly.


    It was as if Vanessa Aria had only just noticed Silvia, smiling as she asked, ¡°How did Pethkids hide such a beauty? They say the South Region has an environment that truly nurtures people, the rumors are indeed true.¡±


    Compared to Jenny Linggo¡¯s enthusiasm, Silvia Hayes seemed much colder.


    ¡°Ms. Aria, my name is Silvia Hayes.¡±


    Jenny Linggo whispered, ¡°Sister Aria, her cousin is Agave Rinto.¡±


    Vanessa Aria seemed surprised, observing her for a moment longer before responding, ¡°So, you¡¯re the famous Master McKay¡¯s cousin.¡±


    Silvia Hayes was ufortable with thisment. Vanessa Aria, both her gaze and her words, gave her a sickening feeling, as if a cold and slimy snake was slithering on her back.


    Although it was Vanessa Aria¡¯s first visit to the hospital, she seemed well-acquainted with itsyout and had no trouble finding the administrative building.


    While waiting for the elevator, Jenny Linggo was rubbing her hands in anticipation.


    Silvia nced in the direction of the in-patient building, and looked up at the top floor. The sunlight was a bit blinding, causing her to squint reflexively.


    ¡°Sister Aria, have you just arrived in Pethkids?¡±


    Vanessa Ariaughed and said, ¡°Yes, indeed.¡±


    ¡°Are you here especially to see Dr. Aria?¡±


    Vanessa gave her a nce, and Jenny Linggo yfully stuck her tongue out: ¡°Sister Aria, don¡¯t find me nagging.¡±


    Vanessa seemed to be quite patient and replied, ¡°A filmpany bought rights to my novel; I¡¯m here to attend theunch celebration.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Jenny Linggo was overwhelmed by the amount of information this statement held, she incredulously asked, ¡°Novel? Launch celebration? Sister Aria, you are also a writer?¡±


    Silvia Hayes was also taken aback; her demeanor didn¡¯t seem to suggest that she was a writer.


    Well, considering the deep roots of education in the Aria family, it was not too surprising.


    Vanessaughed, ¡°Did that surprise you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ not at all, it¡¯s just too exciting. Sister Aria, you are amazing! Your novel must be very interesting to have been picked for adaptation by a filmpany.¡±


    Vanessa slightly lifted her chin, ¡°It¡¯s not a TV show; it¡¯s a movie.¡±


    The investments and scale of TV shows and movies are iparable.


    Jenny¡¯s admiration grew. ¡°A movie, could Sister Aria tell me the name of your novel? I would love to read it; I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fascinating.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    Despite disappointment in not knowing the name of the novel, today¡¯s unexpected progress left Jenny Linggo very satisfied.


    Upon hearing that his sister Vanessa hase to see him, Peter Aria unwittingly furrowed his brow.


    What¡¯s she doing showing up at times like this?


    On seeing Vanessa Aria walk in, followed by two young girls, Peter¡¯s brow furrowed deeper.


    ¡°Brother, long time no see, how has life been in Pethkids?¡±


    Peter poured water for the three of them, ¡°Apologies, only have tap water here.¡±


    Jenny Linggo excitedly epted the water, stealing nces at Peter¡¯s profile.


    The tap water poured by Dr. Aria was the best she had ever tasted in her life.


    Peter asked impassively, ¡°Why are you in Pethkids?¡±


    Vanessa repeated the exnation she had given earlier. On hearing she was a novelist whose work had been adapted into a film, Peter looked somewhat perplexed.


    ¡°What, Brother, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m capable?¡± Vanessa asked, raising her brows.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡±


    Jenny Linggo silently observed, not uttering a word.


    So Dr. Aria is this indifferent even toward his own sister. This set her at ease.


    Vanessa chuckled, looking at Jenny Linggo and Silvia Hayes,¡±Could you two youngdies wait outside for me? I have some private matters to discuss with my brother.¡±


    ¡°Oh sure,¡± a reluctant Jenny Linggo put down her teacup and left with the silent Silvia Hayes.


    Vanessa leaned back in her chair, crossing her long legs. ¡°Those two youngsters we met at the door, quite likable, don¡¯t you think, Brother?¡±


    Peter ignored her.


    Undeterred, Vanessa continued to smile. ¡°Brother, it seems you didn¡¯t rest wellst night. You¡¯ve noticeably lost weight since ourst meeting. Mother would be distressed if she saw.¡±


    He was fine until she mentioned their mother. This incited anger in Peter, but he managed to suppress it.


    ¡°I heard about Ms. Rinto¡¯s situation. Brother, there¡¯s no need for self-imposed guilt. It was never your responsibility.¡±


    Her high-handed tone made it seem as if a human life was as trivial as a passing cloud in her eyes.


    Peter nced at her, with cold eyes that seemed to see through all her pretense. The mocking undertones struck Vanessa like a sword, causing her to gasp in unease.


    She quickly masked it with augh, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Brother? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°All the wrongsmitted by the Rinto family finally caught up with them. She was just repaying the debts. Hopefully, she¡¯ll be reborn into a better life in her next reincarnation¡­¡±


    ¡°If the reason you came to see me was to say these things, then you can leave now.¡±


    Peter had enough patience to deal with difficult rtives of patients, but he did not feel like wasting a single minute on catering to the woman in front of him feigning sibling affection.

 Chapter 809: 405 Threat (Fifth Watch) _1

    Chapter 809: 405 Threat (Fifth Watch) _1


    ¡°Second Brother,¡± a touch of grievance appeared on Vanessa Aria¡¯s face, making it seem like Peter Aria was bullying her.


    ¡°Mother always said that you loved me the most when we were little. I¡¯d always believe that my disappearance during my childhood wasn¡¯t intentional on your part. I have always been convincing myself that you, my Second Brother, had your own untold difficulties, but always treated me as a true sister in your heart. I don¡¯t know what I did wrong to make you dislike me so much. If that¡¯s the case, I might as well leave the Aria family,¡± Isabe Foster said, wiping away her tears, her expression filled with sorrow.


    The light in Peter Aria¡¯s eyes turned icy in an instant, giving her a deep, prating gaze.


    This gaze made Vanessa Aria¡¯s scalp tingle and her back shiver with cold.


    Faking a few sobs to mask her panic.@@novelbin@@


    With disgust, Peter Aria frowned. First there was Virginia Frost, and now Vanessa Aria¡­ No, he didn¡¯t want to tarnish his little sister¡¯s name. Vanessa was not worthy.


    If only they would try to be movie stars. It¡¯s a big loss for the Oscars.


    ¡°I decided not to expose you out of respect. But if you insist on disgusting me, then don¡¯t me me. I don¡¯t know what your ultimate goal is, but as my sister, you are far from worthy. The name Vanessa Aria, you don¡¯t deserve it either.¡±


    With the cold and unfeeling voice of Peter Aria, the woman across the table turned pale.


    ¡°Second Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Second Brother!¡± Peter Aria rejected her without mercy, his face hardened like frost.


    Feeling aggrieved, Vanessa bit her lip and a tear slipped from her eye, making her look pitiful.


    But inside, she was terrified. She¡¯d always thought her facade was perfect, even Madam Aria hadn¡¯t discovered it. How did he know?


    ¡°Mother misses her daughter, your appearance hasforted her. For mother¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t expose you. But remember who you truly are. Don¡¯t get too immersed in your act and forget that you are not the real Mistress of the Aria family. Be a good daughter as you should be and I will give you the respect and honor you deserve. Don¡¯t nurture any delusions.¡± Peter Aria warned coldly.


    Vanessa Aria¡¯s face turned ghastly pale, filled with humiliation.


    It felt like a p in the face. Her dignity stomped into the mud by the man in front of her.


    Her pitiful self-esteem was shattered.


    All these years, she was ttered by the sons and daughters of nobles in Lostswa. Everywhere she went, she was the honored guest. As time passed, she actually start to believe that she was a noblewoman, until today when Peter Aria tore off her mask, making her face burn with shame and stirring her to the realization.


    Turns out she was just an imposter.


    ¡°Where is my sister?¡± Peter Aria has no patience to beat around the bush.


    Vanessa Aria stared nkly a moment beforeughing.


    Herugh was exaggerated and terrifying, echoing like a malevolent spirit.


    Peter Aria watched the woman in front of him, who acted like a lunatic.


    ¡°If you tell me where my sister is, I can forget the past. If not¡­¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± The woman¡¯sughter abruptly stopped, her eyes full of mockery and scorn.


    ¡°Peter Aria, since you¡¯ve made it clear, I need not pretend anymore. I¡¯ve been ying the act for so many years and it¡¯s exhausting. You can now tell your mother, tell everyone in Lostswa that the Mistress of the Aria family is an imposter. Let¡¯s see who will believe you?¡±


    He was away from Lostswa for over a decade, during which time she used the power of the Aria family to create name for herself, which was far more significant now than before.


    If Peter Aria wanted to ruin her reputation, then he is just daydreaming.


    The woman finally ripped off her mask, revealing a hideous face.


    This face, Peter Aria felt sick even at a single nce.


    Suddenly, Vanessa seemed to think of something. A glint of excitement shed across her face as she eagerly said, ¡°Peter Aria, I wonder who among your own sister and your beloved woman means more to you? I am incredibly curious.¡±


    ¡°If you only had one choice, who would you choose?¡±


    With a gleeful smile, the woman watched the changing expressions of the man across from her, a sense of sessful retaliation on her face.


    If you cherish your sister so much, which of her and your beloved woman is more important to you?


    ¡°What exactly do you know?¡±


    If looks could kill, Vanessa Aria would probably have been dead a thousand times over by now.


    Vanessa Aria leaned back leisurely into her chair, yed with her hair, and said somewhat indifferently, ¡°You used to be the pride of the heavens. But you fell in love an actress of a lowly background. Madam Aria naturally disapproved. Not long after, your beloved woman left without saying goodbye and her whereabouts remains unknown. Angry about this, you went overseas never to return. It was a touching story. You have been faithful all these years, such love is unparalleled among men. I really envy that woman.¡±

 Chapter 810: 405 Threat (Fifth Watch) _2

    Chapter 810: 405 Threat (Fifth Watch) _2@@novelbin@@


    Peter Aria stared at her coldly. She had been with the Arias for over a decade, and her mother trusted her immensely; it wasn¡¯t hard for her to know these things.


    ¡°And your sister, even more pitiable, used to be a nobledy, but now she¡¯s fallen to such a state. Trulymentable¡­ ¡±


    Peter Aria¡¯s gaze was icy. Suddenly, he grasped her arm. His fingers were embedded into her, like iron, and Vanessa Aria could not break free.


    ¡°Speak, where is my younger sister?¡±


    Vanessa Ariaughed gently, ¡°It seems that in your heart, your sister is more important. Well, of course, after all, you were the one who lost her¡­.¡±


    Peter Aria¡¯s fingers pressed down hard, his eyes cold and sinister. His handsome face was incredibly cold, and it had a deadly allure.


    In his eyes, however, was a chill that went down to his bones.


    Looking at Vanessa Aria, it was as if he was staring at a dead person.


    Vanessa Aria was taken aback; this man always appeared calm and aloof to others, but she realized when he got brutal, he was even more attractive.


    She wasn¡¯t lying. She truly envied that woman, and she envied his sister even more.


    To receive such a man¡¯s undivided protection, it would make life worthwhile.


    If only she had truly been his little sister¡­


    The sharp pain in her arm snapped Vanessa Aria back from her scattered thoughts. Cold sweat appeared on her forehead, but she smiled dreamily.


    ¡°Brother, if you give me a kiss, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    She looked mesmerized at the handsome face in front of her.


    I have waited for you for over a decade, only to receive your cold-hearted warning.


    What a joke.


    Peter Aria lost patience, his gaze resentful. He suddenly yanked his hand away as if he touched something repulsively filthy. ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Vanessa Aria was thrown onto the sofa, her bun undone, her hair messily scattered over her shoulders.


    She was crying withughter, her voice bitter: ¡°If you hadn¡¯t lost her that year, she¡¯d still be with the Arias, being the envied noblewoman, instead of leading a life worse than death. You ruined her life. You owe her, for the rest of your life, you will never know her whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Peter Aria, you¡¯re so proud, respected by all as the heaven¡¯s chosen son, praised by the world as the angel in white. However, you¡¯re a failed man; you couldn¡¯t protect the woman you loved, let alone your own younger sister. You¡¯re a coward, drowning in guilt and forever repentant.¡±


    Peter Aria took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, the fury in his eyes had dissipated, leaving only rity.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Vanessa Aria swept the hair off her face, walked to his side with graceful steps, raised her hand to stroke his face. Her fingers painted with mboyant red nail polish gently brushed over his fair skin, creating a bizarre collision of colors.


    ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t you like me?¡± she pouted, her breath as fragrant as an orchid, her eyes seductive, almost clinging to his body.


    Peter Aria closed his eyes, muscles tightened, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.


    ¡°Appearance is but a reflection of the heart.¡±


    Vanessa Aria covered her mouth andughed charmingly. ¡°Brother, do you know? I transformed my face to resemble your sister. So you don¡¯t like it, huh? If your sister knew, she¡¯d be heartbroken.¡±


    Peter Aria suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a de, piercing the delicate face in front of him.


    This face, at first nce might appear to be beautiful, but upon a closer look, it was disjointed, as if hastily put together, unnatural.


    He tried to find a trace of his little sister in this fake face, but to his disappointment, all he saw was artificial allure and revolting flirtation.


    Vanessa Aria hugged him, burying herself in his chest, inhaling his scent deeply and closing her eyes contently.


    Sensing his repulsion and disgust, Vanessa Ariaughed. ¡°Brother, do you know? The first time I saw your picture, I thought to myself, my brother is so excellent, no man canpare. He must be the best brother in the world. He lost me and must feel terribly guilty, he will try to make up to me a thousand times over. I didn¡¯t expect you to dislike me.¡±


    ¡°Where did I go wrong? Brother, can you tell me?¡± she asked in a soft tone.


    ¡°You brazenly stole another¡¯s nest and im it as your own. You¡¯re the most shameless woman I¡¯ve ever met,¡± his cold mockery came from above her.


    Vanessa Aria didn¡¯t seem to mind, she simplyughed coquettishly.


    ¡°Brother, if you were nicer to me, I might soften and tell you all the secrets. Even if you were pretending to be nice to me, I would not mind one bit.¡±

 Chapter 812: 406 Hatred (sixth watch of the night)_1

    Chapter 812: 406 Hatred (sixth watch of the night)_1


    After ten minutes, an email popped into Belen Philbert¡¯s inbox.


    She had barely opened it and taken a brief nce when the email self-destructed, disappearing without a trace.


    Luckily, Belen Philbert had an exceptional memory. She relied on it to piece together the general infos.


    Belen Philbert was presently faced with a monumental dilemma: on one side was her beloved niece, and on the other, her respected boss.


    Emotions and duty were impossible to reconcile.


    She detested the schemer behind it all; sacrificing a child to meet their ends was simply detestable.


    Belen Philbert arrived at the hospital room where Tommi Grant was staying on Floor Twenty-Six. Tommi was talking to Christopher Harris; as soon as he saw her walk in, he fell silent, appearing somewhat guilty.@@novelbin@@


    In an instant, Belen Philbert understood: Tommi must¡¯ve been gossiping her to Christopher.


    Belen Philbert¡¯s attention shifted reflexively to Christopher. The man was beaming kindly, exuding a soft radiance like an aged jade.


    The glow was not intense, but it was veryforting.


    Belen Philbert paused, pursed her lips, and walked in.


    ¡°Bro, how are you feeling today?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Much better. However, Fanny, I saw on the news that something happened to Aubree Groove. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°You just focus on your recovery. Don¡¯t worry about the mess happening to others. It¡¯s none of our concern.¡±


    Tommi sighed heavily and took out his phone: ¡°Then I¡¯ll call Elise. I tried calling her this morning but she didn¡¯t answer. She¡¯s probably ying games again. Without me at home, the housekeeper can¡¯t keep her under control. That girl just won¡¯t stop messing around.¡±


    Belen Philbert hurriedly stopped him: ¡°Bro, I just called Elise. She¡¯s at home working diligently on her homework. It took a lot of effort to get her settled. Once she hears your voice, she will start fussing about seeing you again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll call her during dinner then. That girl, she never lets us rx even for a day.¡±


    Belen Philbert secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Her elder brother had just undergone a heart surgery and the doctor had warned against any form of emotional stimulus. Thus, she couldn¡¯t let him know about Elise¡¯s kidnapping.


    Belen Philbert couldn¡¯t afford any moreplications for her brother. She arranged a guard outside his room.


    After visiting her brother, she prepared to leave.


    Christopher walked her out of the room, nced at her, and asked with some concern, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Belen Philbert shook her head, ¡°Mr. Harris, thank you for taking care of my brother these past few days. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be formal between us.¡± His gentle words startled Belen Philbert, and she looked up at him reflexively.


    The man had clear, luminous eyes, which were filled with concern at that moment. A warm current flowed through Belen Philbert¡¯s heart.


    She didn¡¯t understand why she could easily be toppled by the man¡¯s tender, appealing gaze.


    Maybe his gaze was too moving, or perhaps her heart, which had been dry for too long, was yearning for nourishment¡­


    The moment these thoughts surfaced, she practically turned tail and ran.


    Christopher stood on the spot, silently watching her hurried departure. His lips curled into a smirk. The soft luster in his eyes had long vanished, leaving only a cold and mocking gaze.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Madam, Redford Parker is here.¡±


    Oliver Parker walked in filled with apprehension, his eyes looking straight ahead.


    ¡°I¡¯m only giving you one day. Within a day, I want the case solved and The Rintos to disappear forever from Pethkids.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority. She didn¡¯t raise her voice but it sent chills running down Oliver¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Madam, rest assured. I started collecting evidence against Agave Rinto a long time ago. He¡¯s much cleaner than Pindo Rinto; he never leaves anything suspicious behind. However, there¡¯s always a loophole somewhere. His days are numbered.¡±


    ¡°The dying insect still struggles. I want The Rintos annihted.¡± The woman¡¯s tone was icy, akin to a snake ready to strike.


    Oliver¡¯s eyes darted around as he said, ¡°Madam, Guele Rinto is Agave¡¯s aunt. They don¡¯t get along. If we want to dissolve the group from within, we should start with her.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to you then.¡± Virginia Frost waved her hand, her expression slightly irritable.


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡± Oliver turned around and went out.


    ¡°Where is Belen Philbert? Have here see me.¡±


    ¡°Madam, Ms. Philbert hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡±


    Virginia Frost¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°What is she up to? She¡¯s stalling.¡±


    ¡°Madam, the young master is awake.¡± The housekeeper ran downstairs from the second floor.


    Virginia Frost immediately stood up and hurried up to the second floor, losing her slipper in the process.


    Virginia Frost didn¡¯t bother to pick it up; despite being usually very particr about cleanliness, she entered the bedroom with one bare foot.


    ¡°Edward, you¡¯ve had me so worried. I¡¯m d you¡¯re awake now. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll tell the kitchen to prepare it.¡±


    The young man was lying on the bed, staring nkly at the ceiling, seemingly indifferent to Virginia Frost¡¯s concern.

 Chapter 816: 409 Main House_1

    Chapter 816: 409 Main House_1


    Jayden Moore brandished the sword in his hand, his eyes filled with fury.


    ¡°Jayden Moore, back down,¡± Ricky Wood barked.


    ¡°Why should they get to arrest us? I refuse to ept it.¡± The young man raised his chin defiantly.


    ¡°Because they are the police.¡±


    ¡°Even the police need evidence. If they arrest people without discerning right from wrong, they¡¯re bad cops. Why should I go with them?¡±


    ¡°Evidence? The Rintos¡¯ wrongdoing is ring, causing widespread hatred. Everyone knows, what more evidence is needed?¡±


    ¡°You defame people without proof!¡± The young man jumped up in anger, frustrated enough to want to bite his adversary dead.


    Belen Philbert took a step back, gesturing for her subordinates to step forward.


    ¡°Dare to resist, and your crime will be upgraded.¡±


    Ricky Wood grabbed Jayden Moore¡¯s shoulder, barked out quietly, ¡°Hold off, haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble?¡±


    Jayden Moore¡¯s hand holding the sword gradually lowered.


    The sword fell to the ground.


    Pandawa Rinto tried his best to seem inconspicuous.


    Just then, Belen Philbert asked, ¡°Who is Pandawa Rinto?¡±


    Pandawa Rinto shuddered, turned around and tried to run.


    The next moment, he was held back by the police, his arms locked behind him.


    Pandawa Rinto yelped, ¡°It¡¯s a mistake, officer, I¡¯ve never done anything wrong, please don¡¯t arrest me.¡±


    Belen Philbert said coldly, ¡°Prostitution and assault, you¡¯ve hurt so many innocent youngdies, do you think you can run away?¡±


    Pandawa Rinto, terrified nearly to incontinence, realized he hadmitted quite a few misdeeds in the past under the protection of the Rinto family. He never feared the consequences, confident that the Rinto family would always be there to shield him. He never thought the Rinto family would fall, nor that his own sins would be remembered by someone else.


    Feeling the tension, Gonzales Rinto involuntarily took a step back. Belen Philbert nced at him, causing Gonzales to shiver, wishing he could run away.


    However, Belen Philbert simply gave him a faint look before shifting her attention away.


    Gonzales Rinto secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He prided himself on being more discreet, and he believed it would not be easy for anyone to find incriminating evidence against him.


    As for Desta Rinto, he was a simple man and was unlikely to be involved.


    It urred to him, amid his anxiety, that these people hade prepared. They must be ready to present evidence, and they would not arrest people at random.


    As the police rushed towards him, Ricky Wood calmly said, ¡°No need to arrest me, I will go voluntarily.¡±


    Belen Philbert gestured, ¡°Master Wood is a wise man, and he won¡¯t run away. Let¡¯s give him some dignity.¡±


    Just then, a woman¡¯s voice came from the outside, ¡°Officer, please wait.¡±


    All the people present turned their heads simultaneously.


    Pandawa Rinto¡¯s eyes lit up as he hurriedly called out, ¡°Auntie Guele, Auntie Guele, help me.¡±


    The neer was Guele Rinto.


    Squinting her eyes, Belen Philbert said, ¡°Miss Guele?¡±


    Guele Rinto was clearly dressed up for the asion, wearing a vibrant red dress that was bold and passionate, a bit inappropriate given the crisis the Rinto family was facing that day.


    ¡°Officer, I have some domestic affairs to handle. It won¡¯t take much of your time. Please grant me this favor.¡±


    Belen Philbert raised an eyebrow, nced at her watch, and said, ¡°Ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Butler, please invite the officer to the side for a moment and bring out the family¡¯s treasured Sencha Tea to entertain our honored guest. We must not neglect the Rinto family¡¯s etiquette,¡± Guele Rinto casually ordered, acting like the master of the Rinto house.


    Butler Rinto nced at her, ordering the servants to prepare the tea without lifting his head.


    Belen Philbert walked to the side room, from where she had a full view of the living room.


    Guele Rinto sat down in the main seat, ncing at Ricky Wood with a smile, ¡°Master Wood, you seem much more haggard than you were just a few hours ago.¡±


    Ricky Wood frowned, ¡°Guele, what are you up to?¡±


    Guele elegantly crossed her legs, taking a porcin tea cup from a servant. All the teapots in the Rinto family were antiques, and this Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcin set alone was worth a fortune.


    Guele lifted the lid of the tea, swirling the tea mist, and said with a smile, ¡°Sencha Tea, this was my uncle¡¯s favorite tea. He bought Jade Green Mountain especially for it, hired thousands of tea workers solely for picking and making tea. Only the Rinto family can get the best Sencha Tea.¡±


    Belen Philbert took a sip of the tea, thinking to herself that Pindo Rinto really knew how to enjoy life.


    The other officers who hade with her picked up their tea cups subconsciously when they heard Guele¡¯s words.@@novelbin@@


    It seemed a shame not to drink it.


    Guele drank a bit, her eyes closing in satisfaction.


    ¡°My uncle passed away thirteen years ago. In these thirteen years, the Rinto family has experienced decline and resurgence. Now, we are facing another crisis. As members of the Rinto family, we should unite to weather this storm rather than fight each other. Infighting will only expedite our decline and waste my uncle¡¯s painstaking efforts. Master Wood, isn¡¯t that what you think too?¡±

 Chapter 817: 409 Main Owner_2

    Chapter 817: 409 Main Owner_2


    Ricky Wood snorted: ¡°ttery.¡±


    ¡°Master Wood is Master McKay¡¯s confidant, naturally reluctant to admit Master McKay¡¯s leadership error, I understand, now that Master McKay is in trouble, The Rintos can¡¯t be without a leader for a day, I suggest, we re-decide who will be the family patriarch.¡±


    The first to echo was Pandawa Rinto: ¡°What Auntie Guele said is true, I heard that the Green Dragon Order has already appeared, whoever owns the Green Dragon Order is the patriarch of The Rintos.¡±


    Belen Philbert narrowed her eyes.


    A few whispers came from the police next to her: ¡°Green Dragon Order? What is the Green Dragon Order?¡±


    ¡°Sounds impressive, this kind of thing in martial arts novels is a symbol of power, I didn¡¯t expect The Rintos y by this rule too, quite interesting.¡±


    Belen Philbert nced at them, and they immediately shut up and sat down obediently.


    ¡°The ¡®Qinglin¡¯ is not a pond object, it turns into a dragon when it meets the wind and cloud. The Green Dragon Order, was established by Uncle Pindo Rinto. Uncle Pindo has been divined by the master about the destiny of The Rintos earlier. He calcted that The Rintos would have a great disaster in a few more than ten years, which might cause serious damage, or even destruction. Therefore, Uncle Pindo secretly created the Green Dragon Order, choosing the destined person to help The Rintos get through the crisis.¡±


    Guele Rinto narrated, and everyone was engrossed in listening.


    Pandawa Rinto immediately ttered: ¡°Auntie Guele, so, whoever owns the Green Dragon Order, is the destined family patriarch of The Rintos?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Pandawa Rinto asked urgently: ¡°Then please tell us, where is the Green Dragon Order?¡±


    ¡°Presumably, everyone is not unfamiliar with the name Marshe Yates.¡±


    ¡°Not just familiar, it¡¯s thunderous. She killed Master Iver, she is the eternal sinner of The Rintos.¡± Pandawa Rinto instinctively nced at the old butler as he finished his words.


    Butler Rinto lifted his eyelids, lookingpletely unconcerned.


    ¡°She is indeed the eternal sinner of The Rintos, but only she knows the whereabouts of the Green Dragon Order. I happened to get Marshe Yates¡¯s letter, in which she clearly recorded the origin and whereabouts of the Green Dragon Order. Originally, Uncle divided the Green Dragon Order into two, half of it was given to his daughter for safekeeping, and the other half was stolen by Marshe Yates and disappeared without a trace along with her.¡±


    ¡°Auntie Guele, but Uncle¡¯s daughter is already dead, where do we get half of the Green Dragon Order from?¡±@@novelbin@@


    Guele Rinto¡¯s eyes showed sorrow, her tone quite regretful: ¡°Aubree Groove met with misfortune, I am deeply saddened. Perhaps she already foresaw her own misfortune, so she gave the Green Dragon Order to me in advance. She told me that someone in The Rintos wanted to harm her, and hoped I could protect her. In the end, I was just one step toote, I failed Aubree Groove.¡±


    The amount of information in these words was too great. Aubree Groove had given her half of the Green Dragon Order? Who wanted to harm Aubree Groove? Coupling with the current rumors, there was no other than Agave Rinto.


    After all, Aubree Groove was already dead, and there was no one to testify against her. It was all down to her words.


    ¡°Nonsense, Guele Rinto, you create lies and frame Master McKay, don¡¯t you fear being struck by lightning?¡± Ricky Wood questioned.


    Guele Rintoughed coldly: ¡°I, Guele Rinto, have a clear conscience. On the contrary, Master McKay in your mouth, who killed Aubree Groove, the evidence is conclusive. If Uncle was still here, what do you think his fate would be? It is Agave Rinto who is the eternal sinner of The Rintos.¡±


    Guele Rinto didn¡¯t give him a chance to speak. She sat upright and said in a stern voice: ¡°Everyone is here today, let¡¯s take this opportunity to make everything clear.¡±


    ¡°With the disappearance of Marshe Yates, the other half of the Green Dragon Order has vanished, never to be seen again. The remaining half of the Green Dragon Order is enough to prove that I am not after power, nor after positions. I just want to protect The Rintos family and seek justice for the wronged Aubree Groove. If you recognize it, recognize it. If you don¡¯t recognize it, I¡¯m sorry, then you should be removed from The Rintos immediately.¡±


    As Guele Rinto finished speaking, the entire hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.


    Ricky Wood pointed at her angrily: ¡°Guele Rinto, you are full of lies, taking advantage of the fire in your robbery, and you disregard The Rintos¡¯ life and death, and you pretend to be righteous. No one will fall for your tricks, give up.¡±


    ¡°Master Wood, those who understand the times are the finest.¡± Birch Cliff walked in andughed sinisterly.


    ¡°Miss Guele is the one everyone has high expectations for. She is the true family lead of The Rintos. What should be your crime for disrespecting her?¡±


    Pandawa Rinto immediately clung to her: ¡°Auntie Guele, no, family lead.¡±


    Gonzales Rinto nced at Ricky Wood, obediently lowered his head: ¡°family lead.¡±


    Desta Rinto stood still, Gonzales Rinto secretly pulled him.


    Guele Rinto squinted at Desta Rinto.


    Desta Rinto stood up straight, with a naive look on his face, ¡°Since the case with Master Mckay hasn¡¯t been decided yet, isn¡¯t it a bit too soon to discuss the family lead?¡±

 Chapter 818: 409 Main Owner_3

    Chapter 818: 409 Main Owner_3


    The sight was indeed hard to look at.


    ¡°It seems you are concerned for Master McKay, so I won¡¯t force you. From today onwards, Desta Rinto is no longer a part of The Rintos.¡± Guele Rinto had always underestimated Desta Rinto, she had quite the backbone after all.


    Birch Cliff stepped up to Guele Rinto¡¯s side, speaking softly to remind her of something.


    Guele Rinto sat up straight. ¡°Following the traditions of The Rintos, the family head¡¯s ceremony must be approved by the three main leaders and four senior elders. As time is of essence, considering the distant location of the four senior elders, we will perform the family head¡¯s ceremony through video call. What does everyone think?¡±


    Pandawa Rinto immediately responded, ¡°This is the best course of action.¡±


    The so-called four senior elders were the elders of Pindo Rinto¡¯s hometown. The Rintos were also arge n in that area, with countless uncles and cousins. The parents of the three Rinto brothers had suffered under the n¡¯s ill-treatment in the hometown, and eventually perished during a drought. That drove the brothers to leave their hometown.


    After sparking his fortune, Pindo Rinto extravagantly returned to his hometown. Those uncles and cousins tearfully knelt before Pindo Rinto, pleading for forgiveness. They pledged to repair and memorialize his parents¡¯ shrine. Pindo Rinto had set up many rules back then, amongst them were the four senior elders ¨C the elders whom had once assisted him. For any significant matters happening in The Rintos, it must pass through the eyes of the four seniors, ensuring they were treated with deserved respect and dignity. These four elders had lived in Pethkids, but could not adapt to the fast pace of city life, so they returned to their hometown.


    Pindo Rinto built grand houses for the four elders in the hometown and treated their children generously. Meanwhile, those who had previously bullied him were not as well treated.@@novelbin@@


    The people of his hometown usually lived a long life. Even after Pindo Rinto passed away over ten years ago, the four elders were still living leisurely in the hometown.


    When Barton Rinto first ascended, andter Agave Rinto, they upheld this rule, bing the family heads under the witness of the four elders.


    This was a long-standing rule of The Rintos that no one dared or could break.


    In front of everyone, Guele Rinto dialed the video call to their hometown.


    It was just a formality. The four elders, who do not meddle in affairs, readily approved andpleted the ceremony with ease.


    Birch Cliff spoke with a hint of satisfaction, ¡°From now on, the head of the Rinto family is Guele Rinto¡­ Miss Rinto¡­¡±.


    But before the final word could fall, a youthful, arrogant voice rang out in the distance: ¡°Hold on, have you asked me yet?¡±


    The youth¡¯s voice was clear and carried a proud, sharp edge, piercing the silent air and echoing around the spacious hall. The echoes sounded ethereal and melodious.


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, they turned their heads towards the source of the voice.


    The clouds dispersed, and the sun shone brightly once more.


    The youth was slender and finely-built, donned in a ck outfit that exuded an air of mystery, akin to the night. He walked briskly, unhurriedly, stepping on the splendor of the sunlight.


    He was like an unparalleled sword, sheathed and imposing, with no hint of harmful intent. But no one dared to underestimate his prowess.


    Throat-cutting sharp, invisible yet deadly.


    Jayden Moore jumped out excitedly, pointing to the youth and screaming: ¡°Linden Sky, you¡¯ve finally appeared.¡±


    The name ¡°Linden Sky¡± was like a bomb, causing everyone¡¯s heads to spin.


    This was not an unfamiliar name, but it felt strangely unfamiliar.


    Guele Rinto narrowed her eyes, ¡°Ezra¡¯s son, Linden Sky?¡±


    Birch Cliff lowered his voice, ¡°This boy has a knack for elusive appearances. Judging by his demeanor, his intentions do not bode well.¡±


    Belen Philbert instinctively straightened up, looking at the youth dressed in ck in the middle of the room, her brows furrowed.


    All the intelligenceworks had information about everything except this youth named Linden Sky. His origin unknown, his whereabouts a mystery. He was like smoke, fog, or a fleeting rain, enigmatic and unfathomable.


    Mystery often heralds danger, and unknown dangers are the most fearsome.


    Looking through Ezra¡¯s clues, it was certain that Ezra did indeed have a son. Ezra had sent his son out of the country before his rebellion. Nothing else was known beyond that.


    If Linden Sky really was Ezra¡¯s son, then his return would have an ulterior motive ¨C was it for revenge, or¡­?


    Ricky Wood heaved a sigh of relief, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.


    Pandawa Rinto¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Linden Sky? Are you Linden Sky?¡±


    He had heard the name before, but today was the first time seeing him in person.


    ¡°Why are you wearing a mask? Is there something you are trying to hide? Are you perhaps ugly?¡±


    The youth flicked his finger.


    Pandawa Rinto felt a pain in his knee and knelt subconsciously, facing the youth, he gave a firm kowtow.


    Pandawa Rinto¡¯s face instantly turned white.


    The others were also scared witless by this sight.


    The youth scoffed, his tone full of arrogant recklessness: ¡°Are you worthy of seeing my face?¡±


    Silvia Hayes, out of breath, caught up to them. Her eyes gleamed at the sight of the youth in ck.


    She was squatting at the hospital, nning to check up on Aubree Groove¡¯s situation when she happened to spot Linden Sky.


    Seeing him step out of the elevator, she immediately recognized him and secretly followed him all the way here.


    So he hade to The Rintos.


    Silvia Hayes was panting rapidly, unable to restrain her excitement.


    I have finally found you.

 Chapter 821: 410 Picking Flowers_3

    Chapter 821: 410 Picking Flowers_3


    No one spoke and the hall was eerily quiet.


    After a while, Butler Rinto removed his spectacles, speaking in a solemn voice: ¡°Although I am not sure if this really is the Green Dragon Order, this gold-ted ivory does indeed belong to Master Iver¡¯s legacy.¡±


    While it seemed that Pindo Rinto was prodigal, he really hadn¡¯t left behind many possessions; all were hidden in a secret room. However, the room couldn¡¯t be opened and dismantling it by force would only trigger a self-destruct mechanism, burning the entire Rintos¡¯ Manor down.


    So when Butler Rinto uttered these words, Guele Rinto rushed over, trying to snatch the ivory from his hands: ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Jayden Moore quickly stepped forward and shoved Guele Rinto away: ¡°Move.¡±


    Getting unsteady due to the shove, Guele was promptly supported by Silvia Hayes.


    Butler Rinto calmly said: ¡°Miss Guele, there¡¯s no need to doubt it. This is indeed Master Iver¡¯s relic. Few outsiders know of it, but you as a member of the Rinto family should remember well. Master Iver had a deep love for collecting antiques, especially ivories. He spent several hundreds of millions to purchase the famed conjoined Blood Ivory from a foreign collector. There were two of them: one gold-ted with a phoenix head and one with a dragon head. This gold-ted phoenix head is unique and there¡¯s no other one like it in the world.¡±


    Upon hearing Butler Rinto¡¯s words, everyone gasped.


    This was an underestimation. Right now, the value of these artifacts must be astronomical. Quite the treasure.


    Master Iver was known for his extravagant taste, and this was no exception.


    Guele Rinto was reminded of the rumors about the conjoined Blood Ivory stirring the market. Her uncle loved collecting ivory and wouldn¡¯t have missed this spectacle.


    Such a valuable artifact as the Green Dragon Order was much more impressive than an ordinary iron tablet¡ªit was iparable.


    Butler Rinto then sighed: ¡°So the real Green Dragon Order was the dragon-head and phoenix-head ivories.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Butler Rinto looked up at the young man and asked, ¡°Where did you get this phoenix head ivory?¡±


    The young man raised his eyebrows and extended a hand. Butler Rinto, after some hesitation, was about to hand him the ivory, but¡­


    Pandawa Rinto suddenly pointed at him: ¡°It should not be given to him. Was it stolen from Aubree Groove? You¡¯re right, it must have been stolen.¡±


    Guele Rinto clicked in realization, ¡°How dare you? You had the audacity to steal from the Rinto family.¡±


    Pandawa Rinto stepped forward to remove the ivory from Butler Rinto, who didn¡¯t stand a chance against the younger man¡¯s agility. His wrinkled face twitched without him uttering a word.


    Pandawa Rinto stared at the phoenix-head ivory in his hand as he lovingly traced his fingers over it. This was the Green Dragon Order, the priceless Green Dragon Order.


    Whoever wields it is the head of the Rinto family.


    With power and wealthes status, beauty, and everything one desires.


    Linden Sky watched all this from the sidelines, a smirk ying at his lips.


    Guele Rinto reached out: ¡°Pandawa, give me the Green Dragon Order.¡±


    Pandawa Rinto shook his head: ¡°No, this is mine.¡±


    Guele Rinto flew into a rage: ¡°You scoundrel, are you looking for trouble? Give it to me.¡±


    Pandawa Rinto¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement, he felt as if he had already be the head of the Rinto family.


    ¡°Auntie Guele, whoever possesses the Green Dragon Order bes the head of the family, you just said it. Or have you forgotten already?¡±


    Guele Rinto was taken aback by his audacity, she was so furious that her face turned red.


    Gonzales Rinto looked at the item in Pandawa Rinto¡¯s hands with narrowed eyes. It wouldn¡¯t be true to say it didn¡¯t trigger his desire. It was every man¡¯s dream.


    However, considering the current situation of the Rinto family, this item might turn out to be a hot potato. Money and power are good, but they¡¯re of no use if you¡¯re not alive to enjoy it.


    Jayden Moore, unable to control himself any longer, was about to take action, but Ricky Wood held him back, shaking his head.


    Belen Philbert watched the farce unfold, a sarcastic smile tugged at her lips.


    She looked at the young man d in ck. He seemed very rxed, like he was watching a monkey show.


    Belen Philbert frowned.


    Madam has also been searching for the whereabouts of the Green Dragon Order, however, she couldn¡¯t find anything.


    Where did this Linden Sky exactly get it from?


    The Green Dragon Order could only be found in two ces: one with Aubree Groove and the other with Marshe Yates.


    Both of them are dead now, so it seems impossible to prove anything with certainty.


    He is indeed quite puzzling.


    Silvia Hayes moved forward and pped Pandawa Rinto across the face, leaving him stunned.


    She took the Green Dragon Order from his hands, coldly scoffing, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    A satisfied smile appeared on Guele Rinto¡¯s face as she saw this. Her daughter was indeed a keeper.


    ¡°Silvia dear, quickly hand the Green Dragon Order to me.¡±


    To her surprise, Silvia Hayes didn¡¯t even look at her as she walked over to the young man in ck, holding the Green Dragon Order in her hand.


    Guele Rinto waspletely taken aback, she hurriedly took several steps towards Silvia, ¡°Silvia, what are you doing?¡±


    Silvia responded coldly, ¡°Whoever possesses the Green Dragon Order bes the head of the family. That¡¯s what you said earlier, Mother. Have you forgotten?¡±


    Silvia Hayes looked at the young man in front of her, a smile on her face.


    ¡°ording to the rules, Linden Sky, who brought the Green Dragon Order, will be the future head of the Rinto family.¡±


    She respectfully presented the order, bowing her head.


    Aubree Groove is already dead, which means that the only person that could stay by your side in the future is me.


    Linden Sky, you are destined to be mine.

 Chapter 823: After 411 action_2

    Chapter 823: After 411 action_2


    Silvia Hayes went to the pantry, taking over the housemaid¡¯s task, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you go down.¡±


    The maid looked at her, obediently withdrew.


    Silvia skillfully prepared the tea and brought it out, personally delivering it to Linden Sky.


    Guele Rinto watched this scene with increasing frustration.


    Everyone was watching Linden Sky¡¯s expression, waiting to see his next move.


    The young man sniffed the scent of the tea, raised an eyebrow: ¡°Sencha Tea, Master Iver¡¯s favorite tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s favorite tea. We¡¯ve purchased an entire mountain for the best Sencha Tea. Only our family, the Rintos, have this.¡± Silvia¡¯s face showed a trace of smugness.


    The young man picked up the teacup, sniffed it at the tip of his nose, and before everyone, he poured the cup of tea onto the ground.


    ¡°What a pity, it¡¯s a bit under brewed.¡±


    Silvia¡¯s face was immediately pulled down, she quickly concealed her emotion, ¡°The help is clumsy, can¡¯t even brew a cup of tea properly.¡±


    The maid in the corner pouted in grievance.


    Gonzales Rinto, encouraged by a nce from Guele Rinto, forced himself to speak: ¡°Linden Sky¡­¡±


    Just as he uttered this name, the young man nced at him lightly. Gonzales hastened to amend his address out of fear: ¡°Master¡­¡±


    He was genuinely afraid that the other party would break his arm.


    ¡°I am not the master.¡± The young man said indifferently, absently ying with the ivory.


    ¡°Yes yes, you are not the master.¡± Gonzales wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: ¡°With Master McKay currently incarcerated and Master Wood also being taken away for investigation, we the Rintos are hoping that you, young Master Linden, could guide us through these trying times.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± What type of solution is that?


    ¡°Observe quietly, n carefully, and then act.¡± The young man cast a nce at Guele Rinto, causing a chill to run down her spine.


    ¡°If we keep waiting, even the dishes would be cold.¡± Gonzales couldn¡¯t help but retort.


    ¡°The only evidence is the testimony of Hans Parker. However, the death of Ms. Aubree and the attackst night are not directly rted. On this ground alone, it can¡¯t implicate Master McKay. We can only start from other aspects.¡±


    This was spoken by Desta Rinto, his tone was very calm, unlike the Desta Gonzales knew, so Gonzales couldn¡¯t resist stealing a few more nces.


    Linden Sky raised an eyebrow at him: ¡°Go on.¡±


    Desta looked somewhat embarrassed and tightly sped his hands together: ¡°This matter is nothing more than a fuse set to target Master McKay. Once it sets off, all of the Rintos, including you and me, cannot escape it. This is the calction of the person behind this, starting with Master McKay, killing the chicken to scare the monkey, and then Master Wood, Pandawa Rinto, and Jayden Moore, step by step from the inside out. I think both Lady Guele and Mr. Gonzales will be next.¡±


    Guele was startled. She had never thought it through this thoroughly. Upon hearing Desta¡¯s analysis, she felt a sense of crisis approaching.


    ¡°Now we shouldn¡¯t fight amongst ourselves, but stand united and ovee difficulties. I believe young Master Linden is here to protect the Rintos, and is not here to kick us when we¡¯re down, right?¡± Desta asked the crucial question in a sentence.


    Everyone turned their attention to Linden Sky.


    The young man loungedzily on the sofa, casually crossing his long legs, exuding an indescribable style and elegance that was captivating.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good analysis. Just so happens one mouse poop ruined a whole pot of soup, though this soup was never good to begin with, at least it¡¯s edible.¡±


    Guele, who felt the attack was targeted at her, instantly turned pale. Okay, so they dared to mock her, implying that she was the mouse poop.


    At this moment, the living room phone suddenly rang urgently, breaking the silence of the living room.


    Butler Rinto walked over to answer the phone.


    Who knew what the person on the phone said, but Butler Rinto¡¯s face immediately sank.@@novelbin@@


    After hanging up the phone, he turned around and said in a deep voice: ¡°Starlyn Aria was just seized.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Guele was the first to stand up.


    Starlyn Aria was the biggest backing of the Rinto family. To win this gambling card back then, Pindo Rinto did not spare any effort. If the card was recouped by the official, the Rinto family was headed for a rapid decline.


    When it rains, it pours.


    Guele Rinto asked in a deep voice, ¡°How long does the gambling license have left?¡±


    Guele Rinto had long coveted Starlyn Aria. However, as the core industry of the Rinto family, it had always been firmly controlled by the head of the family. Guele Rinto had tried to interfere with Starlyn Aria several times, but was gently rejected by Agave Rinto.


    Desta Rinto, working under Agave Rinto in Divine Art Hall, had handled most of the affairs of Starlyn Aria. He replied: ¡°The term is fifteen years. The term ends in October of next year. At that time, the official will recoup the gambling card and re-auction it.¡±


    This gambling license of the Rinto family was coveted by countless people around the world. When ites to re-auctioning, after the Rinto family has suffered a heavy loss, it is feared that they do not have the confidence topete with several of the world¡¯srge financial tycoons.

 Chapter 825: 412_1 Removing the Firewood

    Chapter 825: 412_1 Removing the Firewood


    ¡°Ding-a-ling,¡± the phone rang again.


    Butler Rinto, standing by thendline, picked up the phone without dy.


    Gonzales Rinto had been closely watching Butler Rinto¡¯s expressions, ¡°Was that phone call really helpful? Who exactly is that young man, all secretive and mysterious. Half an hour has passed, we still have no clue about what has happened over there.¡±


    Desta Rinto simply smiled without responding.


    Gonzales looked at him, involuntarily furrowing his brows, ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m amused that the Rinto family¡¯s crisis has been temporarily resolved.¡±


    Getting to Starlyn Aria was impossible. After all, it¡¯s not just the Rintos supporting him from behind. Back in the auction, it was a wonder how a local boss without any solid foundation like the Rintos won the bid given severalrge financial tycoons werepeting too. The story behind all this wasplex indeed.


    In the past, that person also made considerable contributions to the Rintos. It¡¯s a pity that he wasn¡¯t one of ours, and his motives were different.


    All the twists and turns within were something Guele Rinto and Pandawa Rinto, or even the Rintos¡¯ enemies didn¡¯t understand.


    But Linden Sky, unexpectedly, seemed to understand everything about the Rintos.


    Butler Rinto put down the phone with an indescribable look on his face, subconsciously ncing at the ck-clothed young man in the tearoom.


    ¡°Just now, Bartlett Parker received a phone call and left with his team. However, Miss Guele has been taken into custody for assaulting a police officer.¡±


    Starlyn Aria had survived the crisis for now.


    All thanks to that phone call.@@novelbin@@


    Gonzales Rinto was shocked, looking at the ck-clothed young man emitting an air of mystery and elegance.


    Silvia Hayes shot up from her seat, ¡°What?¡±


    She subconsciously looked at Linden Sky and finally understood. Linden had intentionally timed that phone call. He had already anticipated that Guele¡¯s impulsive personality would have definitely sparked a confrontation with Bartlett. Unable to deal with Bartlett¡¯s failure, the rage would have been vented out on Guele. If he couldn¡¯t touch Starlyn Aria, why couldn¡¯t hey a finger on Guele?


    So, she didn¡¯t act against Guele earlier because she was waiting to kill her with a borrowed knife.


    Now that all decision-makers of the Rintos were in custody, he had descended like a saviour. He had undoubtedly yed his cards right.


    Silvia looked at the boy in front of her, suddenly feeling a chill down her spine.


    The charges of assaulting a police officer could be severe or mild. But the Rintos were already in a crisis, and the police would surely capitalize on this. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to escape unscathed.


    Especially when the other party hadn¡¯t met their goals, all their anger would be directed at Guele.


    ¡°Linden, can you think of a way to help my mother?¡± Silvia pleaded softly.


    She had confidence that he could do anything he wanted.


    The stunning youngdy had teary eyes and was pleading softly, making it difficult for any man to refuse.


    However, the boy in front of her simply said, ¡°You¡¯re an adult now. You should be responsible for your actions, praying to Buddha won¡¯t help.¡±


    Silvia bit her lip, ¡°I know that, but she¡¯s my mother. How can I watch her suffer?¡±


    ¡°In a society based onw, evidence speaks the loudest.¡±


    Silvia was left speechless, ¡°What about my cousin? When can he be released? Can you save my cousin?¡±


    If her cousin was unharmed, who would darey a finger on Guele?


    Unfortunately, her mother still hadn¡¯t understood this. She could only hope that this lesson would open her eyes.


    Linden nced at her. Silvia felt a chill and immediately closed her mouth.


    The phone then began to ring incessantly, with Butler Rinto struggling to answer in time.


    ¡°There¡¯s been a murder at Ocean Shipping¡­.¡±


    As Butler Rinto finished, Desta Rinto and Gonzales Rinto looked up in shock.


    They could sense a storm brewing.


    Beside gambling, the Rintos¡¯ most significant industry was shipping, which was the foundation of Pindo Rinto¡¯s rise to prominence.


    Pethkids was a coastal city, boasting the biggest harbour in the south. It oversaw the entire Bridoria River region, making them dominant in sea trade. Later, Agave Rinto opened up a new route from the upstream of the Bridoria River leading overseas. Since then, Ocean Shipping expanded internationally, owning dozens of cargo and mail ships as they continued to strengthen their position.


    However, the public didn¡¯t pay much attention to this sector. Agave Rinto deliberately concealed this news. The world only knew about the Rintos¡¯ infamy, oblivious to the enormous wealth and capital they had amassed, which was iparable to any ordinary wealthy family.


    Shipping, a pir of the Rintos¡¯ business, was initially managed by Bosch Rinto, Agave¡¯s grandfather. As it declined over time, the Rintos nearly faced bankruptcy. It was only after Agave¡¯s return that it flourished once again under his charge.


    Ricky Wood was Agave¡¯s confidant and had always been responsible for shipping. Now that Ricky was taken away just before an incident had urred at the shippingpany, the link between these events was evident.


    The Rintos were indeed in deep trouble now.


    ¡°Someone was killed? What exactly happened?¡± Silvia demanded.


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