A police station in a district of Rongcheng.
“Oh, the poor girl. To be lost for ten years and finally found—you must take good care of her.” The female police officer spoke as she pushed open a door.
A young girl sat inside the room. She was dressed rustically, and the pink flower hairpin in her hair only added to her tacky appearance. Seeing people enter, the girl stood up uneasily.
The girl’s name was Lin Xingyao, and she was twenty years old. Before the age of ten, she had lived a happy and fulfilling life, just like any other child from an ordinary family in the city. Then, an accident claimed both her parents’ lives, leaving her an orphan.
At that time, her uncle and aunt, who were supposed to be living in the countryside, rushed to the city to help handle the funeral arrangements for Lin Xingyao’s parents. Less than six months later, Lin Xingyao went missing while out alone. There had been no news of her since.
Meanwhile, her uncle, Lin Youqiang, and his family took her parents’ inheritance and went into business. In just ten years, their business grew larger and larger, making them well-known wealthy merchants in Rongcheng.
It was at this very moment that the niece they had long forgotten suddenly returned.
According to the police, after Lin Xingyao went missing, she was adopted by an elderly couple in the countryside. She had only recently left the village to return to Rongcheng. Upon seeing familiar sights, she remembered her disappearance and came to report the case.
Lin Youqiang sent his wife, Zhang Xuemei, to the police station to pick her up.
Ten years ago, Zhang Xuemei had strongly disliked this niece. But back then, she coveted the Lin family fortune, so she had treated Lin Xingyao with fake affection every day.
Ten years later, things were different.
Zhang Xuemei had transformed into a wealthy socialite. Dripping with jewels, she was looked up to wherever she went.
Looking at Lin Xingyao now—dirty and rustic—if those wealthy socialites knew she had such a niece, they would surely laugh their heads off.
If it weren’t for Lin Youqiang’s repeated instructions to bring her back, Zhang Xuemei would have certainly dumped her on the street to fend for herself.
By the time they arrived back at the Lin residence, Lin Youqiang happened to have returned as well.
“Yaoyao is back! Come, let your uncle look at you. Why are you so thin? How much have you suffered all these years? It’s alright now. With your uncle here, I won’t let you suffer anymore. From now on, this is your home. Stay here without any worries!” Unlike Zhang Xuemei’s coldness, her husband Lin Youqiang was very enthusiastic. After a round of warm concerns, he had a servant take Lin Xingyao to a guest room to rest.
Zhang Xuemei watched with irritation. Pointing at her husband’s nose, she scolded, “Lin Youqiang, what did you just say? You’re letting an outsider live in our house? No, I don’t agree. Tell her to get out tomorrow!”
Lin Youqiang immediately covered his wife’s mouth. “Keep it down, don’t let her hear you.”
Zhang Xuemei sneered. “So what if she hears? Does she really think she’s still the young miss of the past? She’s just an uneducated, parentless country brat! Our family has our own precious daughter; we can’t just pick up a burden and bring it home!”
Lin Youqiang lowered his voice. “You still remember you have a precious daughter? Do you want to watch our daughter marry a madman?”
He pointed toward the guest room upstairs. “I was just worrying about how to solve this problem, and then Heaven sent us a scapegoat.”
Realization dawned on Zhang Xuemei. “You mean… let her take Weiwei’s place and marry the crazy young master of the Jun Family? Isn’t that too good for her? It is the Jun Family, after all!”
Lin Youqiang grew annoyed. “What time do you think it is? Are you still worried about the Jun Family’s status? I told you back then, how could such a prominent family ever want to marry into a small family like ours? It was you who lost your head and agreed without investigating properly. Now the Jun Family is forcing the marriage, and we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Isn’t this perfect? If we marry Lin Xingyao off to them, won’t the problem be solved?”
Zhang Xuemei nodded repeatedly. “You’ve thought it through. Anyway, when the marriage contract was made, it only said a daughter of the Lin family. It didn’t say a niece wouldn’t do.”
Lin Youqiang nodded. “Being able to marry that madman is still a step up for Lin Xingyao.”
In the second-floor guest room.
Lin Xingyao took off the hairpin from her head and pressed a communication button. “Bailang, are you there?”
“Your subordinate is present!”
Lin Xingyao’s previous cowardice vanished, her voice turning cold and sharp. “How is the situation in Country Y?”
“According to your deployment, they have been completely wiped out!”
“What about the hostages in Country S?”
“Successfully rescued with no casualties.” The voice on the other end hesitated before adding, “The Jun Family case is nothing compared to international affairs. You really didn’t need to head out personally.”
Lin Xingyao replied, “It just so happens I haven’t been back to the country in a long time. I’ll treat it as a vacation.”
Cutting off the communication, Lin Xingyao clipped the hairpin back onto her head. This was the world’s most sophisticated communication device, integrating recording, communication, and filming—and it could only be activated by her fingerprint.
Just then, an arrogant female voice drifted in from outside. “What? A country brat moved into our house? What cousin? I won’t acknowledge her! Get her out of my house right now!”
The door was slammed open with a bang, and a young girl dressed in high fashion with heavy makeup appeared.
Lin Xingyao recognized her at a glance—it was her cousin, Lin Xingwei.
Lin Xingwei glanced at Lin Xingyao and said with disgust, “I don’t care what my parents are thinking, but I don’t acknowledge this poor relative. I can’t let my circle of friends know I have such a tacky cousin.”
Lin Xingyao’s gaze remained indifferent. She watched as the other girl ranted like a shrew before finally saying, “I need to rest. Please leave.”
Lin Xingwei instantly flared up. “This is my house, and you dare tell me to leave? Who do you think you are? You’re just a wild brat. Don’t you know your place?”
As she spoke, she stepped forward to slap Lin Xingyao.
Before the slap could land, Lin Xingyao executed an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming her heavily onto the floor. The pain was so intense that Lin Xingwei couldn’t even make a sound for a long time.
This was only because Lin Xingyao was keeping the big picture in mind and had only used thirty percent of her strength. Otherwise, her skills were enough to break several of Lin Xingwei’s bones.
When Lin Youqiang and his wife rushed in after hearing the commotion, they saw their precious daughter lying on the floor. Finally catching her breath, she let out a “wah” and began to cry.
While crying, she pointed at Lin Xingyao to complain. “This wild brat hit me! Mom, Dad, I think you’ve brought a wolf into the house! If you don’t kick her out today, I’m leaving!”
Zhang Xuemei helped her daughter up and questioned Lin Xingyao sharply, “We took you in out of the kindness of our hearts, how could you hit someone? Not to mention she’s your cousin!”
Lin Youqiang remained relatively calm, managing to ask, “Yaoyao, what happened?”
Lin Xingyao lowered her head as if she knew she was in the wrong. “Cousin came in and tried to kick me out just now. She even wanted to hit me. I… I was bullied so much in the countryside that I became afraid. I hit back subconsciously and accidentally… I’m sorry, Uncle. I won’t do it again.”
Lin Youqiang originally wanted to scold her, but thinking of her great utility, he suppressed his anger.
“Alright, this isn’t entirely your fault. Rest well for now. I’ll have someone bring you food later.” After speaking, he pulled his still-fuming daughter out of the room.
Once they were gone and Lin Xingyao looked up again, her previously timid eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp.
Lin Xingyao had returned with a mission, and her target was the Jun Family, one of the three major noble families of Country Z.
The original person in power of the Jun Family, Jun Xuanye, had inexplicably gone mad in the prime of his life. The mystery behind this was likely the key to her mission.
Lin Xingyao would use the marriage contract to infiltrate the Jun Family and uncover the truth.