Chapter 7: The Eldest Miss of the Ying Family

Ying Luwei was her sister-in-law; how could she stand by and watch her die?

Hadn't she hired a therapist? Hadn't she cooked for her personally?

How could her own biological daughter fail to show her even a little understanding, and instead turn around to break her heart?

"Madam, please calm down," the butler said after weighing his words, attempting to comfort her. "Perhaps the Second Miss is simply going through a rebellious phase."

"A rebellious phase?" Zhong Manhua laughed out of sheer anger. "When has she ever been obedient to me? She is completely senseless. Now she treats me with such indifference—is she trying to disown me?"

The mere thought of it made her furious.

After teaching her for so long, she couldn't learn the piano, couldn't write proper characters, and even her English was stumbling and broken. She didn't possess the slightest air of a high-society lady.

The more Zhong Manhua thought about it, the angrier she became. "When Mo Yuan brought her back a year ago, she seemed so well-behaved. Who would have thought she could do something like this?"

She was bringing shame to the Ying family!

And now, she was running off to flirt with Fu Yunshen.

Who was Fu Yunshen?

He was a notorious playboy known to everyone in Shanghai—good at nothing except having a handsome face.

When the time came, she would be sold off, and she'd probably be counting the money for someone else.

Not knowing what to say, the butler could only remind her, "Madam, it is ten-thirty. The Eldest Miss is still waiting for your call."

Looking at the heartbroken and enraged Zhong Manhua, the butler shook his head and sighed.

The Eldest Miss of the Ying family was not Madam Ying's biological daughter; she was adopted.

But even an adopted child was more considerate than this biological one.

Fortunately, the Master and Madam were reasonable people. They publicly announced that the Second Miss was merely an adopted daughter; otherwise, if the truth were known to the other three great families, there would be endless mockery.

Having served the Ying family for over twenty years and having attended to both Old Master Ying and Old Madam Ying, the butler knew a bit about what had happened back then.

Fifteen years ago, a major business deal for the Ying family involved the Imperial Capital. The entire company had been working day and night without sleep, but fortunately, they eventually secured the contract.

On the day the contract was signed, Ying Zhenting and Zhong Manhua went out for a social engagement. When they returned that night, they discovered the infant in the cradle was gone.

There were no traces left behind; it was as if the baby had vanished into thin air.

The butler had been equally baffled. He had only gone to the kitchen for a few minutes—how could something like this happen in such a short time?

The infant was not even a year old; it was impossible for her to have wandered off on her own.

The Ying family mobilized many people to search, but they found nothing.

Zhong Manhua had collapsed at the time, nearly losing her mind. During that period, her mental state was extremely unstable; whenever she saw another baby on the street, she would rush over to hold them and cry.

Unable to bear seeing his wife in such a state, Ying Zhenting came up with a plan: to adopt a child.

The child had to resemble the daughter they had lost. Since the infant was less than a year old and had not yet fully developed her features, it would be impossible to tell the difference unless one had raised her day by day.

A few months later, Zhong Manhua's mental state finally stabilized. When she later learned of Ying Zhenting's actions, she did not complain or blame him.

Her maternal love had shifted to this adopted child during that time; she cared for her meticulously every day, finding more and more joy in her presence.

Of course, Ying Zhenting was still secretly sending people to search for the lost infant, but after two years of failure, he eventually gave up.

Wealthy families were never short of descendants; they had plenty of illegitimate children.

Ying Zhenting suppressed the matter, warning those who knew at the time that not a single word was to be leaked.

After all, as one of the four great families of Shanghai, every move the Ying family made was critical. If such a scandal were widely publicized, it would undoubtedly cause a period of turmoil.

Therefore, aside from a few people like the butler, even the Eldest Young Master of the Ying family did not know that his biological sister had been lost.

As the years passed, everyone gradually forgot about the incident.

The butler also knew what was troubling Zhong Manhua. Her family was harmonious, she had two excellent children, and she was an elegant noblewoman both in public and private, envied by all.

Yet, the true heiress had suddenly been found. This should have been a cause for celebration, but this true heiress came from the countryside, lacked etiquette, was incompetent at everything, and constantly did embarrassing things. She truly did not live up to the status of the Ying family's Eldest Miss.

However, the Ying bloodline absolutely could not be left to wander outside. Even if it was a stain, they ultimately brought her back under the guise of adoption.

Neither Ying Zhenting nor Zhong Manhua felt anything was amiss; after all, the Second Miss was inferior to the Eldest Miss in every way.

The Ying family of Shanghai was not something a small county could compare to. Being able to step into high society was a blessing for this true heiress; she shouldn't be greedy for more.

"Look at my memory, forgetting something so important." Zhong Manhua rubbed her temples, picked up her phone, and dialed. Upon hearing the voice on the other end, she immediately smiled. "Hello, Xiaoxuan, it's Mom. How was your day today?"

"Good, good, that's good. Just focus on your studies in Europe. If you need anything, just tell Mom. Mom doesn't mind the trouble..."

***

Inside the room.

Ying Zijin glanced at the old desktop computer on the table. She tapped a few keys casually, and the screen froze. "Tsk..."

Although she had never used a computer before, she knew this was a bottom-tier product.

She stopped looking at it, lowered her head, and took a bank card out of the wallet in her drawer, calculating the balance.

Five hundred and sixty-two yuan and eight cents.

It was a bit little, but just enough to get by.

Ying Zijin narrowed her eyes, braced her hands, and flipped herself off the third floor from a height of nine meters. She landed lightly and exited the Ying family's old residence from the right side.

The butler, who was closing the windows, caught a glimpse of the girl's figure, but when he looked again, there was nothing to be seen.

The butler rubbed his eyes and muttered suspiciously to himself, "Maybe I saw it wrong."

He must have been seeing things; he actually thought the Second Miss had snuck out.

The butler shook his head, closed the doors and windows, and went to the kitchen to prepare warm milk for Zhong Manhua before bed.

***

Because of Fu Yunshen's interruption, Nie Chao did not reveal the exact address of the underground market.

But for Ying Zijin, as long as she had the name of a place, she could figure it out.

She gazed at the crooked letters hanging above the door—HERMIT. Her eyes stilled for a moment, then she put on her mask and walked in.

The underground market was even more chaotic than the nightlife of Shanghai, filled with neon lights and a dancing crowd of demons.

This was a territory that even the four great families could not control, and most people who entered would hide their identities to some extent.

The girl's entry did not attract much attention from others, but a gaze came from behind, landing on her with a hint of interest.

Inside the Starry Sky Bar, the bartender behind the counter noticed the man's unusual behavior and looked up. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Fu Yunshen curled his lips. The bar spoon became a streak of light between his long, fair fingers. He turned his head and smiled. "I saw an unruly little kid who ran out of the house so late at night."

*Hmm~ For now, the demon Fu really just treats the Empress Ying as a little kid.*

*He just talks like that, so he's quite flirtatious.*

(End of Chapter)