So he sold the fatal flaw.
Regardless of whether Yin Yunqiu had previously stumbled upon that cursed girl’s Weibo account, he would find loopholes in An Meijun’s words. After all, in this lifetime, An Meijun was completely different from the previous one.
In her past life, she had married Yin Yunqiu as a successful match and became a carefree wealthy housewife. Her daily interactions were with a group of wealthy and elite ladies, all of whom had prestigious backgrounds. They spoke and behaved with hidden meanings, often leaving room for interpretation, and they never spoke directly if they could soften their words. An Meijun had been influenced by this environment for a long time, and her words and actions were impeccable. With money, connections, and resources at her disposal, she had long covered up any potential exposure of her secrets, leaving no trace.
To shift the blame for the mistake made in her early years onto a nurse, who had disappeared from the industry, was a simple matter for a wealthy housewife accustomed to handling secrets of the inner household. In order to forever hide that secret with a smile, she could easily arrange for a hit-and-run driver to kill the original owner1OG Minglu and find a scapegoat.
Soon, that nurse disappeared from the industry, leaving no trace.
However, in this life, An Meijun couldn’t marry into a wealthy family. After breaking up with Yin Yunqiu, she spent more than a decade living a mundane life, without money, connections, or access to anyone important. The most influential person she could interact with was a nightclub owner she had met years ago, and the old classmates who had achieved some success during the past decade. Her relationship with her in-laws wasn’t good either. The time when she had to put on a facade was minimal, and there were more arguments and confrontations. So, her social status remained that of an ordinary person.
She couldn’t escape the scrutiny of Yin Yunqiu, who had spent years in the business world developing a keen eye. He stared at the woman coldly but couldn’t be bothered to expose her.
So, he made a decisive decision, “There’s no need to bring her back. It’s been more than ten years, and she’s been living well in someone else’s family. Bringing her back would only cause someone else’s family to lose a child…”
Before he could finish, An Meijun, unable to contain herself, interrupted him. Her fragile body couldn’t help but throw herself at the man, crying out with a face full of grievance, “Yunqiu! She’s your own flesh and blood! Bringing her back, how could it make someone else’s family lose a child? Isn’t Minglu their child? He can go back!”
Tears streamed down the woman’s face like a flood breaking through a dam. At this moment, she didn’t pretend anymore. She indirectly admitted that she had deliberately switched the babies in the past and even knew the whereabouts of her daughter, asking him to return the child she had raised for over a decade, causing him to lose a son for no reason.
A flash of anger crossed Yin Yunqiu’s eyes. His face darkened, and he almost lost his temper. He could barely contain himself before saying, “Enough! Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve done behind my back. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re her mother, I would have sent you to jail long ago. Do you think your hands are clean? I’ll give you two choices. One, your daughter stays well in someone else’s family, and this matter never happened. Out of consideration for blood ties, I’ll send her an annual allowance. Two, I can bring her back, but Minglu can’t leave, and her presence won’t affect Minglu. When she reaches the right age, I’ll arrange a marriage for her. If you or your family misbehave during this time, I’ll have you sent to jail.” After all, he knew his daughter wasn’t an easy character, and if she caused trouble for another family after getting married, so be it.
He had almost burst out laughing at this woman’s audacity. She had been living under a false identity for over a decade, and now she thought everything could go back to how it was, as if her son was back in the Jiang family and her daughter was back in the Yin family. It was as if all the mistakes could be erased, completely ignoring the emotional trauma both families had endured due to their misplaced roles. She had taken advantage of the situation to the fullest and thought it was beautiful.
Yin Yunqiu’s words left no room for negotiation. Hearing the possibility of going to jail, An Meijun trembled like a quail. She looked anxious, but when she heard the two choices, she immediately chose the second one. She wasn’t a fool; she knew she couldn’t choose the first option. Her daughter was a rich man’s daughter and had been living in an ordinary family for nearly eighteen years. How could she continue to live like that? Plus, an annual allowance couldn’t compare to the opportunity to inherit part of the family’s wealth. She definitely wanted her daughter back!
As soon as she chose the second option, Yin Yunqiu, with a cold and mocking expression, added, “Because Minglu can’t leave, if the Jiang family doesn’t want to lose their daughter and refuses to let her go, I won’t help. I’m not shameless enough to take another family’s daughter after keeping their son for over a decade.”
As soon as these words were spoken, An Meijun’s heart sank.
If Minglu didn’t go back, how would the Jiang family be willing to let their daughter go? They weren’t foolish. Losing a daughter they had carefully raised for over a decade while their son couldn’t return was a terrible deal. Only a fool would agree to that.
She needed to figure out a way to force the Jiang family to release her daughter or persuade Minglu to return, whether voluntarily or under pressure.
So, she quickly acted as if she had unintentionally discovered the whereabouts of her biological daughter and contacted the Jiang family.
Whether they let her go willingly or not, she was determined to bring her daughter back.
Whether it was the Jiang family who allowed Jiang Mingqin to throw tantrums at home and hesitated to console her due to her fragile condition, or Yin Yunqiu, who had doted on his son from an early age, both were inclined to accept the current situation. Blood ties were important, but could they compare to the emotional bonds formed over more than a decade of nurturing?
However, Jiang Mingqin wasn’t willing to let it go. She believed that the Jiang family intentionally obstructed her future, cursing them in her heart. However, because she hadn’t formally returned to the Yin family, she didn’t dare to confront them directly and could only shed tears as she choked out, “Dad, Mom, no, it’s Uncle and Aunt…”
Before the Jiang family parents could react to being addressed this way, Jiang Mingqin continued to cry, her eyes becoming as red and swollen as if she were a stubborn child who didn’t hold back her emotions. “I remember all the kindness you’ve shown me over the past decade. I am grateful for raising me. I will always remember your nurturing… but I also want to return to the embrace of my biological parents!”
They could understand her desire to be with her biological parents, but why did she use such a clear-cut term that distanced herself from their relationship? The Jiang couple didn’t deny that over the years, they had grown accustomed to their daughter’s stubborn temperament and had developed resistance. However, even with some preparation, they were caught off guard by the tearful use of “Uncle” and “Aunt.” It was as if their daughter, whom they had nurtured with countless efforts and emotions for eighteen years, had completely cut ties with them after learning about her true bloodline.
Watching their daughter, who was constantly crying in her bed late at night, emitting suppressed and helpless sobs, her beautiful face filled with sorrow, the Jiang couple couldn’t help but feel powerless. Especially when she became overly distraught, her once bright eyes became devoid of luster, her jet-black long hair lost its shine, and her pale face seemed even more lifeless, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
In just one day, their daughter, who had once again embarked on a hunger strike, as if a dried-up pond, had lost all her vitality.
The Jiang parents were deeply concerned and pained by their daughter’s actions. They scolded her, saying, “No matter what, don’t joke about your own life.” However, in the end, they had to compromise because their daughter, without shedding a tear, had started her hunger strike.
Upon learning that the Jiang couple had finally relented, An Meijun rushed to their home to pick up her daughter. What was even more heartbreaking for the couple was that their daughter quickly brought out a suitcase. Her delicate face was filled with anticipation, and she radiated excitement, completely contrasting her lifeless appearance from the day before.
This sharp contrast felt like a knife stabbing into the hearts of the couple.
As they watched their daughter leave, Jiang Shi and his wife slowly closed the door and stood there in a daze for a long time. In reality, it had only been a few days, but they felt as if they had aged ten years while dealing with this family matter on top of their usual responsibilities.
They glanced at their daughter’s room, and their hearts sank even further when they noticed that she had taken all of her belongings with her, leaving nothing behind. Did this mean she was certain she wouldn’t return, or did she simply not want to return? She had packed up and left so quickly.
“Don’t be too upset; perhaps this is fate, and we are destined to be apart from that child,” Jiang Shi comforted his wife, knowing that she was the most heartbroken person in the family. He patted her shoulder and sighed deeply.
Sometimes, you didn’t need to cry loudly to prove that you were utterly heartbroken. Kong Jinghua was a modern woman accustomed to balancing her family and work life. She was usually strong and composed, and even when she argued with her husband, she never shed a tear. Yet, on that night, she had desperately suppressed her emotions, crying almost silently.
But the young girl didn’t show any pity, seemingly oblivious to her mother’s tears, who had been as tough as steel in the past.
As an older brother, Jiang Mingyao was initially sad, but this sibling bond quickly dissipated under the continuous tantrums of his sister. He didn’t miss the impatience and near jubilation in her demeanor when she left the day before. It was as if she wanted to sever all ties, and he found it challenging to hold onto any affection for her.
He silently comforted his parents and took a deep breath before saying, “Mom, Dad, don’t be too sad. We still have Minglu.”
At the mention of their younger son’s name, their attention was indeed shifted.
Kong Jinghua wiped her tears from the corner of her eyes. “Mingyao, do you think your brother will come back?” Jiang Shi also adjusted his glasses and gazed intently at his eldest son, hoping for an answer.
They recognized the young man, even though they hadn’t known he was their child until recently. His name was well-known, even before they knew he was their son: the young master of the Yin family, the chairman of Lu Games Company, one of the top thirty public figures with the most followers on social media, a young idol of his generation, and a top scorer in every exam in the city. He was only eighteen years old but had already achieved extraordinary success. Would such a child be willing to return to their home?
The Yin family had raised their child to be exceptionally outstanding. They couldn’t just brazenly ask him to come back. Kong Jinghua knew it was impossible. Her question was merely an expression of hope, and deep down, she already had an answer.
Jiang Mingyao also didn’t dare to make promises lightly. After all, he had been at home these days and hadn’t seen that child for a long time. He didn’t know how the other person had been lately. Considering the care provided by the Yin family, there shouldn’t be any issues.
Since they couldn’t meet in person, he naturally had no way to explore the teenager’s thoughts. He could only say, “Whether he comes back or not, I’ll spend more time with my younger brother.”
“Alright, alright. Although your younger brother is capable, he’s still young. Take good care of him regularly. Even if he doesn’t come back, we can rest assured.” The two sons had already built a strong bond and got along harmoniously, which greatly pleased Jiang Shi. He chatted about various work-related matters, and as the conversation shifted to the elder son, he also began to focus on the younger son. In the end, he even sighed, saying that the elder son working at the Yin family happened to become the assistant to the younger son, a twist of fate that was truly beyond words.
Little did they know, can human-made fate be anything less than serendipitous?
“Your younger brother is still growing, and I’ve noticed he often eats fried foods. You should keep an eye on him, don’t indulge him just because he’s your younger brother. These foods are unhealthy and can cause cancer!” Kong Jinghua opened her phone and gave a lengthy lecture on dietary matters, saying, “I’ll find time to make soup and cook meals for him. You can bring them to the office, and the two brothers can eat together.”
Yin Minglu used to be someone else’s child, and they couldn’t control his lifestyle, which included indulging in unhealthy eating, staying up late playing games, and more. But now that they knew this child was actually related to them by blood, they naturally couldn’t help but want to take care of him.
Both of them were now scrolling through the teenager’s Weibo. Even though they couldn’t physically touch the young man, they could still feel his unique personality, preferences, and temperament through these high-exposure updates. It was as if he were right in front of them, and every expression and gesture stirred their emotions, providing some comfort in their longing.
Jiang Mingyao was happy to see his parents find a new source of emotional support after his sister’s heartless departure. He truly feared that his parents would remain downcast and depressed from that point onwards.
As for his sister, he refrained from making harsh comments. In his view, although she claimed to be indifferent to material wealth and only desired to return to her biological parents for genuine family warmth, her greedy demeanor clearly contradicted her words. In his younger sister, who was not yet eighteen, he saw shades of the people he had encountered in the entertainment industry recently—people who were full of false affection but emotionally cold, willing to seize every opportunity to climb higher for personal gain.
Since this was her personal choice, he could only wish her the best and hope that she would ultimately achieve what she desired. There was nothing more to say.
It seemed like she couldn’t feel the Yin family’s greetings, but apart from being cautious on her first day back at the Yin family, Jiang Mingqin adapted exceptionally well the rest of the time, and it could even be said that she was flourishing.
In these visible days, she underwent a dramatic transformation.
At a classmate gathering after the college entrance exam, the young girl deliberately wore the most expensive dress from her wardrobe, carried a luxury handbag, and adorned herself with several exquisite pieces of jewelry. Under the escort of her driver and bodyguard, she made a grand entrance.
Sure enough, her radiant appearance, resembling a wealthy heiress from a television drama, left everyone astonished.
“Wow, Mingqin, you look so beautiful!”
“Is the crystal on your earring real?”
“Yes, it is. These things look really expensive.”
She openly displayed all her belongings to her friends. However, when her classmates reached out to touch them out of curiosity, she coldly mocked them, saying, “Don’t touch my stuff recklessly. What if you break something? These things are very expensive, and you can’t afford to compensate me.”
Everyone looked at each other in astonishment, feeling that their former classmate, who had once soared to great heights, had suddenly become aloof and condescending, which made them quite uncomfortable.
Especially when the young man hadn’t arrived yet, the young girl even raised her wine glass with a mocking tone and said, “Fate can be quite ironic. Who would have thought that classmate Yin and I had actually mistaken each other? It turns out he’s not the son of some wealthy magnate; he’s just the child of an ordinary state-owned enterprise employee. As for me, I’m not some phoenix who has risen from the ashes. I was already a phoenix to begin with. If it weren’t for our mix-up, classmate Yin probably wouldn’t have had the chance to associate with high society for his entire life, and he wouldn’t have achieved his current status. Look, he even started his own company, and it’s all thanks to my family’s resources. He should be grateful to me. Now, he’s still staying at my house all because of my dad’s consideration for their father-son relationship over the years. Poor guy.”
The young girl was shamelessly divulging secrets, speaking with a sarcastic tone, and her bragging was almost overflowing. This made the classmates who had a good relationship with the young man quite annoyed, and they looked down on Jiang Mingqin, who had suddenly become wealthy and arrogant after coming from a humble background. Some female classmates showed even more obvious signs of disdain, and they seemed almost eager to confront her.
What should have been a pleasant class reunion turned into a tasteless meal, and everyone scattered in discontent.
However, the young girl’s behavior didn’t stop there. After the dinner, she continued to boast endlessly in the class group chat. Even though she hadn’t taken the college entrance exam herself, she enthusiastically offered advice on university choices.
Classmate A: [Oh, I checked online, and I can only get into an ordinary tier-one university. But I really want to stay in the capital, so I applied for the law program at University C. The competition is fierce this year, and I don’t know if I’ll be admitted.]
The young girl said: [Studying law doesn’t lead to good job prospects nowadays. You should consider changing your major. If you don’t, and you can’t find a job later, you can come work at my family’s company. Considering we were once classmates, I can arrange a job for you.]
Classmate A: [???] Do I need to thank you for your charity? Thank you so much.
Classmate B: [I bet fifty cents that Yin Minglu will definitely be the top scorer in the city this year. When the results come out, our school building will definitely have banners celebrating it.]
Classmate C: [I’ll bet five bucks on that too. His scores have always been consistent. I can only admire him. Unless he gets time-traveled before the exam, I’ve never seen anyone with such consistently high scores.] Always the top scorer, making it impossible for others to surpass.
The young girl sneered: [What’s the use of being the top scorer? This is a society where connections matter. Without a good family background, even the top scorer might not stand out. Haven’t you heard about the news last year of the top scorer in the liberal arts department in X province selling pork on the street?]
Classmate B: [???] Your surname is not Jiang, but Gang Mingqin2I really don’t know what they meant by this but I guess the person may be implying that Mingqin’s acting in a pompous or arrogant manner and thus gave more ostentatious name(Gang Mingqin) that doesn’t match their actual identity. IDK, right???
Classmate C: [???] Damn, being the top student isn’t useful? Is it because she didn’t take the college entrance exam myself, and she’s jealous of classmate Yin’s good grades and outstanding performance, that she’s betting on him becoming the city’s top student?
In the end, the class group’s administrators couldn’t tolerate it any longer and directly muted the young girl’s account, prohibiting her from continuing to speak and tormenting everyone’s minds.
“Anyway, we’ve all graduated, let’s just kick her out, shall we?” This person is just too annoying. Another administrator shuddered as if they were disgusted.
“Forget it, it’s better to offend a gentleman than a scoundrel.” If they removed her from the group chat, what if that vindictive girl used some means to cause trouble for them later?
“Such bad luck, how did we end up in the same class with someone like her? Yin Minglu is really unfortunate.” And, when you compare, you realize that there are all kinds of people. Even if they are born wealthy, some are humble and friendly from a young age, while others are arrogant and showy, like a peacock flaunting its feathers.
As a result, the young man received a wave of sympathy. If he had been present, everyone would have wanted to rush up to hug and kiss him.
Upon learning that she had been muted but with a time limit of not being able to speak in the class group for a hundred years, Jiang Mingqin almost twisted her mouth in frustration. But then she quickly realized that these people must be muting her out of jealousy for her good fortune, while they were a group of poor souls who couldn’t change their circumstances. That’s why they had muted her.
So, her mood quickly improved, and she continued to enjoy her life of luxury, casually swiping her credit card whenever she went shopping at large malls, entering luxury stores without batting an eye, and spending lavishly. She basked in the flattery and adulation from the store staff. The young girl felt like everything was so beautiful, as if she were on cloud nine.
And then, the day of the college entrance exam results was approaching.
The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solutions~
T/N: Sorry updates have been slow, I’ve been editing the chapters as I transfer them here.
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