Mu Qianjue listened to the sound of the door opening and closing, letting the ice-cold water wash over his feverish body.
The floor was a complete mess—scattered toiletries and a shattered cup, with the most eye-catching item being the butterfly hairpin lying in the corner.
It looked noble and elegant.
It must be something of considerable value.
“Crown Prince, are you alright?”
An anxious voice came from outside.
A man in a suit burst in carrying the antidote.
Mu Qianjue took it and swallowed it, then grabbed a bath towel to wrap around his body. His handsome, cold face showed no trace of warmth.
“Have you found out everything?”
Mu Nan handed over a tablet. “The Yu family is holding a business banquet here. You barged in so conspicuously, and this woman set her sights on you—she drugged the wine the hotel delivered.”
On the screen, the heavily made-up woman made Mu Qianjue feel uneasy.
He didn’t spare her another glance, picking up a black-finned dart from the table and toying with it. “Deal with her.”
Whoosh—the dart flew out and struck the target across the room dead center.
Mu Nan looked troubled. “I’m afraid we can’t. This is the Yu family’s Eldest Miss. As you know, the Yu family dominates Yungang. Causing trouble on their turf would too easily breed disaster.
“However, the Yu family is also interested in bidding on the Luanxing Bay project. If you want to teach the Yu family a lesson, Crown Prince, you could easily do it through the project.”
“Then move up the timeline. Hold the bidding tomorrow night.”
“Isn’t tomorrow night too rushed?” Mu Nan felt it wasn’t quite appropriate.
They had come to Yungang this time for the bidding project scheduled three days from now.
Moving up the timeline would leave the bidders no time to prepare, which would likely affect the outcome.
“Truly capable people are never lacking in adaptability. Go take care of it.”
Mu Qianjue waved his hand.
As Mu Nan turned to leave, he suddenly called out to him. “That woman just now—what’s her background?”
Mu Nan froze.
“What woman?”
The Crown Prince had been drugged; he had sent him back to the room and then gone to find the antidote. He hadn’t let any woman near him at all.
A hairpin was tossed into his hands. “I want her complete file.”
…
At the Yu family villa.
The moment Yu Ni entered the front gate, a large hand yanked her into a corner.
“Where were you just now?”
Yu Jingxi was seething with hostility, his hair disheveled—it was clear he had been searching for her.
Yu Ni struggled. “Big Brother, you’re hurting me.”
“I asked where you were.” Yu Jingxi had lost his patience, gripping her shoulders.
Just then, Yu Rou walked in from outside without a scratch on her, cursing Yu Ni with filthy words under her breath.
Yu Ni clenched the hem of her skirt.
After such a huge commotion, Yu Rou was completely unharmed. It seemed Yu Jingxi, in his eagerness to protect his sister, had already suppressed the news.
But did he really think this could protect Yu Rou?
“Why do you smell like a man? Who were you with?” Yu Jingxi noticed the strange scent on her, his emotions bordering on madness. “Speak.”
“I was injured. I didn’t have the energy to seduce any man. You’re overthinking it, Big Brother.”
At the mention of this, a flash of heartache crossed Yu Jingxi’s eyes. “Rou’er bullied you. You could have come to me for help—why did you run?”
Yu Ni gave a faint smile. “Even if I came to you, Big Brother, what would you do?”
That tone of hers always irritated Yu Jingxi. “I’ve already disciplined Rou’er. She won’t dare hurt you again.”
Yu Ni naturally didn’t believe a word of it.
Not once had Yu Jingxi ever taken her side when Yu Rou bullied her.
The deep affection displayed on the surface could never outweigh the bond between brother and sister after all.
“I’m tired. I’m going upstairs to rest.”
As she turned to leave, Yu Jingxi suddenly pinned her against the wall and forced a kiss on her. “Am I really that repulsive to you? You won’t even spare me a single word?”
“You’d better let go, big brother. If Father sees this, who knows what he might think.” Yu Ni turned her head to avoid his kiss, her expression calm.
Yu Jingxi grabbed her chin in fury. “Are you threatening me?”
Yu Ni gave a sweet, obedient smile. “I’m merely reminding you, big brother, that this household is still under Father’s control.”
Those words struck Yu Jingxi right at his sore spot.
He was the eldest young master of the Yu family.
At twenty, he had earned dual degrees from a prestigious university, then taken over Yu Corporation—a renowned business prodigy in Yungang.
But behind that glamorous facade, the true commander of Yu Corporation was still Yu Shengnian.
All these years.
Yu Shengnian had always kept his own son at arm’s length, refusing to hand over full authority.
This left Yu Jingxi deeply resentful.
Father and son appeared harmonious on the surface, but a rift had long formed between them.
Yu Ni pushed him away and strode toward the staircase.
Watching her retreating figure, Yu Jingxi’s eyes burned with the bitterness of unrequited love. “Ni Ni, in this family, I’m the only one you can rely on.”
Yu Ni sneered inwardly.
Rely on him?
There wasn’t a single decent person in the entire Yu family!
Yu Ni had once been the daughter of the Jiang family, the wealthiest family in Yungang.
She’d had a happy, loving home and was the treasured princess doted on by her parents.
Fifteen years ago, because of the Yu family’s meddling, her father leaped from the thirty-second floor, and her mother, after enduring endless humiliation, slit her wrists.
In a single night, she lost everyone she loved.
Later, she was adopted by the Yu family and given their surname.
With no one to depend on, she became a toy to be bullied.
Her stepmother and stepsister abused her.
Yu Jingxi wanted to possess her.
And her adoptive father—the murderer who had destroyed her parents—treated her as a shadow of her mother, harboring dark intentions.
Yu Ni didn’t look back, climbing the stairs step by step.
She lived under someone else’s roof.
Her room was the smallest, darkest attic in the Yu household.
She ate the leftovers of the Yu family’s meals.
Even her clothing and appearance were dictated by her adoptive father.
More than a decade without freedom—it was no different from a prison.
Yu Ni pushed open the rusted door. Inside, only a single dim yellow lamp was lit.
When she first moved in, she’d been afraid, but over time, she had slowly grown used to it.
“Who gave you permission to leave the hotel on your own?” A cold, sinister voice came from behind her.
Yu Shengnian stood at the doorway, adjusting his glasses, the gold-rimmed frames glinting with a chilling light.
Yu Ni’s back stiffened.
For as long as she could remember.
Aside from going to school, Yu Shengnian never allowed her to appear in public.
Outsiders only knew that the Yu family had adopted a daughter—no one knew who she was.
And Yu Shengnian was suspicious by nature.
She had vanished for several hours tonight. Without a reasonable explanation, he wouldn’t believe her.
“I didn’t leave. I just felt a little unwell and accidentally fell asleep in my room.”
She casually revealed the injuries on her hand—patches of bruises, along with puncture wounds left by a dinner fork.
It was a shocking sight.
The moment Yu Shengnian drew near, he saw it, and his face changed drastically. “What happened to your hand?”
Yu Ni bit her lip, her eyes reddening. “Sister was in a bad mood. She didn’t mean to stab me with the fork.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Yu Shengnian’s face turned dark and terrifying. Furious, he roared toward the outside, “Take Yu Rou to the study.”
Yu Shengnian stormed off, seething with rage.
Before long, sounds of pleading for mercy drifted from the study.
Yu Ni sat before the mirror, gazing at herself, a smile playing on her lips.
It looked willful.
Yet it carried a commanding presence that was utterly intimidating.
She picked up a comb and loosened her hair, letting a waterfall of long hair cascade down.