“Mrs. Li… I never knew you had a daughter this grown… she should be around twenty-five, shouldn’t she?”
Ning Ran hissed, her voice low and cutting.
“If I’m not mistaken… you and Mr. Li got married twenty-three years ago-”
“Are you trying to get on my nerves, Ning Ran?”
Mo Ruyi frowned, her voice dropping several degrees.
Of course she was.
Ning Ran knew exactly where to press.
She had always known about Li Yeli, she was the one who dragged her back to the Li family every time she ran.
She was the one who tracked down the family that once hid her.
“How dare I?” Ning Ran let out a soft, mocking laugh.
“I’m just… curious.”
She leaned slightly closer.
“About Mr. Li’s reaction when he finds out… that both of his daughters aren’t actually his.”
Mo Ruyi’s expression stiffened.
Just for a second.
But it was enough.
“Tut… tut…” Ning Ran clicked her tongue slowly, almost playfully.
“Ah… I wonder how much I could get from you… just to keep this little secret from Mr. Li.”
A light giggle followed.
Mo Ruyi’s fingers curled slightly.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Of course I would,” Ning Ran replied smoothly, her smile widening.
Mo Ruyi lifted her gaze.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unyielding.
“YOU. WOULDN’T. DARE.”
Each word landed like a threat.
Then…
She turned and walked away.
The moment she was gone, Ning Ran’s face lost all color.
Of course I wouldn’t dare…
But what choice do I have?
He forced me.
I’d rather offend you…
than offend that psychotic freak.
Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled out her phone.
She typed quickly:
“Done. What next?”
Minutes passed.
Too slow.
Too quiet.
Then-
A reply.
“Now, get out of there if you still want your life.”
Her breath hitched.
She lifted her head.
And froze.
Not far away…
Mo Ruyi stood with her back turned.
Her hand slipped into her bag.
And came out.
Holding a knife.
The cold gleam of metal flashed briefly under the chandelier light.
Ning Ran’s heart dropped.
Without hesitation-
She turned and left.
Fast.
*
At the far end of the hall. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
The music had changed.
The earlier lively tune had softened into something slower…
Heavier.
Almost suffocating.
Under the dim glow of crystal lights,
Li Yeli stood alone in a quiet corner.
The crimson wine in her glass swayed gently as she tilted it from side to side.
The deep red liquid caught the light.
Hypnotic.
Mesmerizing.
She hadn’t taken a single sip.
Her attention was completely consumed by it.
So much so-
She didn’t notice the woman standing beside her.
The woman watched her quietly.
Patiently.
Then-
She raised her hand.
Her fingers slipped softly into Li Yeli’s hair.
A gentle motion.
Almost affectionate.
And in the next instant-
She pulled.
A strand came free.
A sharp sting followed.
Li Yeli flinched instantly, her head snapping toward the woman.
Her eyes narrowed.
The woman had already hidden the strand.
Her expression calm.
Almost innocent.
“What?”
“Why did you touch my hair?” Li Yeli asked, her tone cold.
“It looked so beautiful… I couldn’t resist,” the woman said with a soft laugh.
“Sorry.”
Li Yeli stared at her.
Not her face-
Her eyes.
Searching.
Measuring.
Then-
She looked away.
“Madam.”
A young woman in her early thirties approached.
The woman beside Li Yeli gave a slight nod.
“I’ll be leaving now,” she said calmly.
“I hope we’ll meet again.”
And just like that-
She left.
Leaving behind something unseen.
*
As the night drew to a close,
The gathering dissolved into a display of wealth.
Engines roared.
Lights flashed.
Luxury cars lined the entrance.
Helicopters hovered above.
Private jets waited in the distance.
No one left quietly.
Everything was meant to be seen.
*
The atmosphere was different.
Still.
Heavy.
And waiting.
Li Yeli stood in the living room.
Across from her-
Aecon Li, Mo Ruyi, and Li Yue.
Mo Ruyi and Li Yue wore faint smiles.
Cold.
Expectant.
They were waiting.
Waiting for her punishment.
How dare she disgrace the family like that?
Propose to Yu Yang?
Ridiculous.
But then-
Everything changed.
Instead of anger, Aecon Li laughed.
“Good! Wonderful! Bravo! Yeli!”
The sudden burst of excitement shattered the tension.
Mo Ruyi and Li Yue froze.
“You did well!” he continued, clapping his hands together.
“I never expected you to be this capable! You won Mr. Yu’s heart with just two words!”
He laughed again.
Louder.
“Maybe you’re not so useless after all!”
Mo Ruyi’s expression shifted.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
“What do you mean?”
Perhaps-
They were the only ones who hadn’t noticed.
Yu Yang had already fallen.
“Heh! Did you see his face when she proposed?” Aecon Li continued excitedly.
“And he stopped me when I tried to pull her away!”
He stepped forward suddenly-
And pulled Mo Ruyi into a tight embrace.
“Thank you.”
For giving birth to such a useful tool.
Tool.
Not daughter.
Tool.
“What?!” Mo Ruyi and Li Yue exclaimed together.
Aecon Li grinned widely.
“I even saw them talking-and he was smiling!”
His laughter turned sharp.
Uncontrolled.
“Yes! Hahahahaha! Noir! We’re about to make it! We’re about to become noirs!”
His voice echoed through the room.
Unstable.
Greedy.
Among the powerful, there were levels.
The Masquerades – the newly rich, desperate to rise.
The Duets – climbing, struggling, reaching.
The Noirs – the ones who ruled everything.
And the Li family were still Duets.
But Aecon Li-
Would do anything to rise.
Anything.
Even Selling his own daughter.