That chilling voice, like a ghost, entwined around Ming Zhirou's ears.
Ming Zhirou shivered involuntarily.
A wave of shame and resentment washed over her.
"Ming Zheng, you're insane!"
This foolish, cowardly good-for-nothing. How dare she treat her like this!
Ming Zhirou could no longer maintain her sweet, soft facade. She bared her teeth and glared at Ming Zheng, her face contorted with rage.
But the moment her gaze met Ming Zheng's eyes.
She felt a bone-chilling cold course through her limbs.
Ming Zheng before her still had that… face that evoked envy and jealousy.
Yet, the usual Ming Zheng always wore a fawning, toadying expression.
Looking foolish and disgusting.
Now, despite her disheveled state, blood from her split forehead trickling down her cheeks.
She remained as radiant and captivating as ever, utterly untouchable!
Especially those placid eyes, staring directly at Ming Zhirou.
They were exactly like… a member of the Ming family!
Ming Zhirou's face twisted.
She hated Ming Zheng's face.
She hated Ming Zheng's eyes.
She hated everything about Ming Zheng.
Because Ming Zheng's existence was a constant reminder—
That she was merely a fake eldest daughter who had usurped another's place!
No!
She absolutely would not allow… would not allow Ming Zheng to steal everything that belonged to her!
"Bang!"
The tightly shut hospital room door was suddenly knocked upon.
With such force that the door itself trembled.
"Ming Zheng, open the door!"
A furious voice came from outside the door, its tone dripping with undisguised disgust.
Hearing the voice outside, a surge of elation filled Ming Zhirou's eyes. She glanced at her blood-soaked bandage, a twisted, triumphant smile gracing her lips. "Ming Zheng, you're finished!"
The next second, Ming Zhirou's expression shifted. With a tearful cry, she exclaimed, "Third Brother, Sister has gone mad… she wants to kill me…"
"Rou'er!" Hearing Ming Zhirou's voice, the person outside grew instantly tense.
Then, he began to violently pound on the hospital room door.
While banging, he spat curses through gritted teeth, "Ming Zheng, open the door! If you dare to hurt Rou'er, I won't let you off!"
Soon, the door was kicked open.
A man in a purple uniform, tall and slender, strode in swiftly.
This was the Ming family's third young master, Ming Xiujin, Ming Zheng's brother, sharing the same blood.
At this moment, his eyes seemed to ignite with fire as he glared at Ming Zheng.
When his gaze fell upon Ming Zheng's face, his pupils constricted sharply.
The face was still the familiar one.
But the expression on that face was willful and wicked, lazy and proud.
As they made eye contact, her eyes subtly curved upwards, serene and indifferent.
Completely different from her usual behavior of throwing herself at him, like a groveling dog constantly seeking approval, which was sickening.
Ming Xiujin frowned.
This Ming Zheng made him feel somewhat unsettled.
But his attention was quickly drawn to a splash of vibrant crimson—
"Rou'er!" Ming Xiujin looked at Ming Zhirou's bleeding wrist with concern and strode forward. "Ming Zheng, what are you doing? Let Rou'er go!"
The moment Ming Xiujin lunged forward.
Ming Zheng casually flung Ming Zhirou's hand away, as if discarding trash.
Then, as if she had touched something filthy, she nonchalantly pulled out a tissue and began to meticulously wipe her fingers, one by one.
She remained completely unfazed by the scene of "sibling affection as deep as the sea" unfolding beside her.
She had grown accustomed to it long ago.
Wherever Ming Zhirou was present.
The Ming family's eyes were only for Ming Zhirou.
Ming Xiujin only saw Ming Zhirou's injuries, completely overlooking the blood splattered all over Ming Zheng's face and hair.
After showing concern for Ming Zhirou, Ming Xiujin looked up and saw Ming Zheng's nonchalant demeanor, his anger escalating.
He directly raised his hand and slapped Ming Zheng across the face.
"Slap—"
The deafening sound of the slap was crisp and loud, echoing through the hospital room.
However…
What was happening before their eyes…
Left Ming Zhirou stunned, unable to react for a moment!
Her third brother's head had been turned by the slap.
A distinct red handprint was visible on his handsome face.
It was rapidly swelling and reddening.
Ming Zheng… had hit Ming Xiujin!
The Ming Zheng who, on normal days, would be slapped by her parents and brothers, forced to kneel on the ground, humbly apologizing and begging for mercy… had hit Ming Xiujin!
Was she insane?
Ming Xiujin was also stunned by the blow.
Until the sweet, metallic taste of blood welled up in his mouth, and he twitched his lips, only to feel the searing pain on his face, did he belatedly realize…
He had been slapped by Ming Zheng!
His talent and innate constitution, while not allowing him to break through to the Xiantian realm in martial arts, meant he had practiced under masters since childhood, coupled with the Ming family's extensive investment in resources to hone him into a high-level martial artist.
And now, he, Ming Xiujin, had been slapped by Ming Zheng, such a good-for-nothing!
This was a grave humiliation for Ming Xiujin.
But soon, Ming Xiujin attributed the slap to his own lack of vigilance against the good-for-nothing Ming Zheng, using it as an excuse for a sneak attack.
As expected, a wild girl from the countryside with no upbringing, even after a year in the Ming family, couldn't change her inherent barbarism!
Such a vile creature was not worthy of being Ming Xiujin's sister!
If only he had killed her before their parents brought her back!
Then, his obedient and kind Rou'er would be the true eldest daughter of the Ming family, his true sister, Ming Xiujin's own sister!
"It's all my fault, I was bad… I shouldn't have appeared in the Ming family, shouldn't have occupied Sister's life for nineteen years…" Ming Zhirou, at this moment, tenderly covered Ming Xiujin's reddened and swollen face, her voice choked with tears.
Her original appearance was already sweet and soft.
With this cry.
Her eyes were red, and she looked pitiful and delicate.
This truly broke Ming Xiujin's heart, making him forget the pain in his own face.
Thinking that Ming Zhirou's self-harm was due to Ming Zheng's temporary loss of control, he became even more furious. "The one who shouldn't have appeared in the Ming family is Ming Zheng!"
"Rou'er, you haven't occupied anyone's life."
"The one who deserves to die is Ming Zheng!" His eyes filled with hatred as he looked at Ming Zheng and said word by word, "Ming Zheng, why didn't you die out there back then?!"
Ming Zheng calmly met his gaze.
Did her heart ache?
It seemed to have become numb.
The way he looked at her.
Was exactly the same as the look she saw in the eyes of the Ming family members before her death in her previous life.
Ming Zheng's crimson lips curved, little by little, into a mocking, contemptuous arc.
She opened her mouth.
Her voice was light, lazy, and eerily charming—
"I crawled out of hell. How could I bear to die before I saw your Ming family fall into ruin?"