Ming Zhi Rou bit her lower lip.
Her long, curled eyelashes drooped, revealing a somewhat timid expression. "I'm sorry, Fifth Brother. I've caused too much trouble recently, and I'm afraid you'll blame me..."
Her eyes reddened slightly, and she bowed to Mother Ming. "Mom, I'm sorry... I overreacted and scared you..."
After all, she was her beloved daughter, raised by her.
Now, in front of her, shedding tears and apologizing, acting so cautiously, she truly seemed like a pitiable child afraid of being cast out of the family.
Mother Ming's heart softened again. She shook her head. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't be scared. Since your dad let you stay and didn't hand you over, it means your dad also cares about you as his daughter."
"Mhm, I know," Ming Zhi Rou lowered her eyes again, appearing as a meek and wronged child.
However, from Ming Yan Lun's angle, he clearly saw the fleeting shadow of gloom in Ming Zhi Rou's eyes.
Ming Zhi Rou was clearly not convinced.
More accurately, she harbored hatred towards them.
It was as if she were saying—
Caring about her?
Dad only saw her as having some remaining leverage.
Dad only cared about the hundred million yuan about to come into their account.
If she had nothing, Dad would have kicked her out long ago.
Ming Yan Lun tightly pressed his lips together, his gaze deepening with a hint of complexity.
Ming Zhi Rou clutched her bag by her side, her eyes downcast, and said, "I'm going out for a walk, I'll be back soon."
"Alright, alright, go ahead. If you hear anything unpleasant outside, come back immediately," Mother Ming said, looking at her cautious demeanor.
Her mind couldn't help but recall how Ming Zhi Rou used to stick by her side, sweetly calling her Mom.
Even when Ming Zheng was home.
She had always been confident and radiant.
But now, she was so cautious about everything.
Mother Ming sighed.
She couldn't bear to blame Ming Zhi Rou anymore.
Ming Zhi Rou's beautiful eyes lit up, and she said softly, "Thank you, Mom."
Mother Ming sighed inwardly.
Now she even had to apologize to go out.
It was her fault for being too irritable recently due to her hands not working well, causing her to lash out with negative emotions at Zhi Rou.
It was her fault.
Thinking this, Mother Ming's gaze towards Ming Zhi Rou became even more filled with affection.
But this affection.
Ming Zhi Rou didn't see it.
Perhaps even if she did, she wouldn't have cared.
She would have just thought it was an act.
The current Ming Zhi Rou only thought of herself, not others.
Ming Zhi Rou tightened her grip on her bag, greeted Ming Yan Lun, then turned, lowered her head, and walked towards the villa's exit.
As soon as she reached the entrance of the hall.
Ming Yan Lun walked up again, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Zhi Rou, are you really going?"
This time, Ming Zhi Rou dared not dodge.
Her heart skipped a beat.
For some reason, she felt as if Ming Yan Lun knew something.
And the question he asked seemed to imply—
"Are you really going to give up the Ming family's only chance to turn things around?"
Ming Zhi Rou's slender fingers tightened on her bag again.
She tried her best to conceal her inner tension, forcing a meek smile at Ming Yan Lun. "I'm just... going out to clear my head."
Ming Yan Lun gazed silently at her face.
After a few seconds.
"Fine, go ahead."
He lowered his gaze, turned, and walked upstairs.
His retreating figure seemed somewhat lonely and sorrowful.
Ming Zhi Rou's heart pounded with a frantic rhythm, unsure of what Ming Yan Lun's words had meant.
But it couldn't be that she had been discovered.
If he had found out about what she had done, he wouldn't have let her leave so easily.
She must be overthinking.
Ming Zhi Rou took a deep breath, fearing a change of events, and quickly turned, hurrying away from the Ming family villa.
At an extremely fast pace.
As if fleeing.
Ming Yan Lun stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, watching Ming Zhi Rou's urgent figure disappear from his sight.
His hand slowly dropped.
In the end...
Everything was as Ming Zheng had predicted.
Ming Zhi Rou had betrayed the Ming family.
He had lost this round.
-
After Ming Zhi Rou left the Ming family villa, she didn't head directly to her destination.
Instead, she roamed around the villa area for a while.
Then she sent out a location ping.
Soon, a black luxury car stopped beside her.
She got in.
The luxury car sped away.
On the other side, inside an equally low-key luxury car, Ming Zheng picked up her phone and took a picture of the black luxury car's license plate.
She leaned back lazily in her seat, her fingers tapping rapidly on her phone, investigating the owner of the black luxury car.
Si Lin, driving in the front, quickly stepped on the accelerator and chased after them, asking, "Sister-in-law, are you up to something fun again? Brother Chi spoils me the most! When there's something fun, he always brings me along!"
Si Lin was incredibly excited.
His entire face was smiling like a chrysanthemum.
He had been busy dealing with the mess that Second Uncle Chi had caused at the Chi family, constantly cleaning up after Second Uncle Chi.
He was getting utterly bored.
So, when Brother Chi made a call.
He skillfully sped over.
Wherever Sister-in-law is, there's definitely something fun happening!
As expected, upon arrival, he was already tracking the fake daughter of the Ming family, that old white lotus.
Sister-in-law was about to start tearing apart the white lotus?
Just thinking about this scene.
Made him feel excited!
Ming Zheng: "..."
Sister-in-law, matriarch?
What kind of weird titles were these?
Ming Zheng's face went stiff, and she directly looked up, meeting Si Lin's gaze in the rearview mirror.
"If you call me matriarch, just call me matriarch. If you call me sister-in-law, just call me sister-in-law. Don't use those messy titles," Ming Zheng said coolly.
Si Lin's back straightened abruptly.
That gaze was no kinder than Brother Chi's!
It was terrifying!
Si Lin glanced at his Brother Chi again and cautiously called out, "Matriarch?"
Brother Chi remained expressionless.
He called out again, "Sister-in-law?"
Brother Chi was still expressionless.
So what should he call her?
Unexpectedly, the next second, his Brother Chi turned to look at Sister-in-law and revealed a smile that wasn't worth much.
"Zheng Bao, whether it's matriarch or sister-in-law... you've already implicitly accepted these titles for yourself."
Chi Xian revealed a triumphant smile. "This also means you've agreed to marry me."
Ming Zheng: "?"
She looked up, glancing at the man whose smile could topple cities.
She shifted her gaze back to her phone.
Her agreement was of little consequence.
The crucial part was getting her seven senior brothers to agree.
Si Lin in the front row: "..."
Alright.
Brother Chi wasn't unhappy with these two titles.
He was pleased with both!
Because no matter which title was used, it represented that Ming Zheng was his!
Si Lin shook his head helplessly.
His Brother Chi was indeed becoming more and more pathetic.
Ming Zheng quickly identified the owner of the black luxury car. It was an unfamiliar passerby.
Most importantly...
The background information of this passerby indicated that they couldn't afford such an expensive car.