Among the four of them, Yu Ting considered his own background disgraceful, but Jiang Liuxu’s circumstances were even worse.
At the very least, the status of an illegitimate child was commonplace among wealthy families.
It wasn’t unusual for one—or even multiple—unknown children to suddenly appear when it ca ti to divide the family fortune. Yu Ting’s situation wasn’t particularly special.
Jiang Liuxu, on the other hand, appeared to have a normal background on the surface—the child of the fourth son of the Jiang family, with both a father and mother.
But in reality, Jiang Liuxu’s biological father was his uncle, the current head of the Jiang family, Chairman Jiang.
His rise as the Jiang family’s heir wasn’t just due to his overwhelming superiority over his peers, but also because of his uncle’s support.
Jiang Liuxu never once believed securing the heir position was difficult, nor did he see it as the underdog triumph outsiders romanticized. It was simply his biological father choosing the most outstanding among his own bloodline.
Years ago, when Uncle Jiang was caught in an affair with his sister-in-law by his younger brother, the two only grew more brazen afterward.
Cowed by his elder brother’s dominance and fearful of damaging the family’s reputation, Jiang Liuxu’s legal father could only swallow his humiliation.
But even patience has its limits.
The year Jiang Liuxu turned five, after confirming that even the child he doted on wasn’t his own, Jiang’s father succumbed to despair and took drastic asures.
His death confird Jiang Liuxu’s true parentage in the eyes of Uncle Jiang’s wife, who made no effort to keep the secret just because he was a child.
Thus, Jiang Liuxu’s origins beca an open secret among high society.
No one spoke of it outright, but everyone knew.
From childhood, Jiang Liuxu grew up under veiled, judgntal gazes—his very existence the result of immoral indulgence, bearing the weight of his father’s death.
Only later, as his talents erged, did the brilliance surrounding him seem to eclipse everything else.
For years, Jiang Liuxu cultivated an image of unparalleled competence, impeccable character, and contributions to the world.
People spoke of him with nothing but praise, marveling at his perfection as if his shaful origins had faded into obscurity.
Shen Ying remarked, “How laughable. Most people are born believing their existence is inherently valuable.”
“Yet you, Mr. Jiang, had to exert ten tis the effort, even elevating yourself to global recognition, just to convince yourself that your life wasn’t solely defined by disgrace.”
A tallic taste flooded Jiang Liuxu’s mouth. Behind the lenses shielding his sharp gaze, his eyes locked onto Shen Ying with lethal intensity—as though a single motion could snap her neck.
Yet in the end, he could only avert his eyes in defeat under her scrutiny.
Shen Ying pulled his hand down and continued, “I understand your resentnt, Mr. Jiang.”
“Those fools who aren’t even fit to lick your boots can indulge their basest instincts without a second thought, simply because they weren’t born under the sa shadow.”
“You despise them, yet you’ve spent years sculpting yourself into perfection just to earn their approval.”
“But deep down, you know—at your current standing, no one dares criticize you. The chains binding you? You fastened them yourself.”
She paused, her smile widening. “What a good boy.”
Jiang Liuxu’s restraint shattered. “Shut up!”
“You have no idea what happened. Soone died because of this—because of those two selfish, unrestrained animals who cared for nothing but their own pleasure, even knowing their actions were torturing those closest to them!”
“They even reveled in it. Not long after my father’s death, he waltzed back into our ho, shalessly taking his place. I heard him sitting in my father’s favorite spot, complaining how ‘inconsiderate’ he’d been, what a nuisance his death was.”
His expression twisted into sothing feral. “If humans can’t control their desires, what separates us from beasts?”
“I’m not afraid of their gossip. I just—”
“I refuse to be as shaless as they are.”
Shen Ying nodded. “So you hold yourself to the standards of a saint?”
She stepped behind him, her fingers trailing down his back.
“You’ve labeled every part of yourself that doesn’t align with societal virtue as ‘tainted’—so genetic flaw you must purge.”
Even sothing as harmless as a preference for “bad won,” trivial by most standards, drove him to exhaust himself maintaining a facade.
“But you can’t fully suppress it. You’re too ashad to seek help, so instead, you seek out soone whose outward appearance fools the world—soone tangled in ssy relationships—just to indulge in secret.”
She sighed. “How pitiful.”
Jiang Liuxu seized her wrist, yanking her around to face him, his expression terrifying. “You pity ?”
“What right do you have? Do you even realize that you—”
“Shh.” Shen Ying pressed a finger to his lips. “Say it, and the ga’s over. I still need to cash in a few more tis before then.”
His pupils dilated, disbelief giving way to a thrill that prickled across his skin.
So she knew. She’d known everything from the start.
Shen Ying looked sowhat helpless at the scene: "Mr. Jiang, your tendency to get carried away so easily is making things difficult for . I’m paid to do a job, and I have KPIs to et. Your current expression might make the client question my professionalism."
Jiang Liuxu: "What?"
The mont the words left his mouth, Jiang Liuxu already had an inkling of what was coming.
Sure enough, the study door opened, and Yu Ting and Pei Ying stepped out.
Their gazes were filled with contempt, as if looking at trash, and the smug satisfaction on their faces made it clear Shen Ying no longer needed to worry about client satisfaction.
Jiang Liuxu sneered: "No wonder. I was wondering why she suddenly switched sides."
"It was my oversight—I should’ve added a non-compete clause in the contract."
Even as he said this, he knew he’d been at a disadvantage during negotiations, with little room to bargain.
Yu Ting smirked maliciously: "Might as well tell you—this job was my hire. Just returning the favor, no need to thank ."
"Who’d have thought soone like you could be such a creep? How dare you manipulate Shi Shi into contacting after stabbing in the back? Didn’t you feel even a shred of guilt looking her in the eye?"
Jiang Liuxu’s sharpness returned now that he wasn’t facing Shen Ying.
He smiled: "Maybe I would for soone else, but for you? Not necessary."
"You should be thanking . If it weren’t for my maneuvering, you’d have been knocked out of the race long ago. The fact that you’re still in the ga is because I gave you a chance."
Yu Ting’s face twisted in disgust: "Excuse ?"
Jiang Liuxu: "Do you really not get it? Pei Ying has childhood promises with Shi Shi, Chang Ming excels at emotional blackmail—what do you have? What’s your competitive edge?"
"Did you really think being clueless would carry you to the finish line?"
"Do you have any idea how much effort I’ve put into keeping you from falling behind? Who else was I supposed to stab first?"
Yu Ting exploded: "You mother—unbelievable! Who the hell asked you to play referee? We’re all just suitors here, not your damn competition."
"Should I be grateful you didn’t give a red card and kick out?"
Jiang Liuxu: "Don’t bla for biased refereeing. Your IQ deserves so leniency."
He then glanced at Pei Ying: "Bringing Pei Ying here is proof enough, isn’t it?"
"Why is he even here? Did you mistake your target and drag Shen Ying along to stab Pei Ying instead?"
He nodded apologetically at Pei Ying: "Sorry you got caught up in this."
Pei Ying scoffed: "As if I wasn’t already on your hit list. Even if Yu Ting hadn’t co, this woman would’ve shown up at my door eventually."
Jiang Liuxu: "I only wanted to poke at you, not ruin your reputation. You could’ve been the perfect victim."
"It’s Yu Ting’s idiocy that turned you into another perpetrator."
Pei Ying’s blood boiled: "What twisted logic. She was right—why bother pretending to be the good guy? No one’s buying it anyway."
"By her account, you don’t even like Shi Shi that much. So why stir up so much trouble behind the scenes?"
"Trying to prove you have decent taste by using Shi Shi?"
"But normal people don’t need to prove they’re normal. Pathetic."
Jiang Liuxu’s expression darkened: "And what about you? You’re here because you’re seething, aren’t you?"
"What nerve did she hit? I thought you claid to have no weaknesses."
Compared to the other three, Pei Ying did have a happy family, a carefree childhood, and a life of smooth sailing—except for that one near-death experience years ago.
Jiang Liuxu’s smile turned venomous: "Don’t tell she exposed that your ‘love’ for Shi Shi isn’t any deeper than ours?"
"When Yu Ting called to confirm, I found it odd but thought it was just bad timing."
"But after hearing Shen Ying’s words, I’m sure—you’ve developed an interest in Shi Shi’s sister too."
"And this is the ‘devotion’ you boast about? How dare you co here demanding answers? Shouldn’t you be wallowing in guilt over betraying Shi Shi?"
Pei Ying’s face stiffened with discomfort.
Beside him, Yu Ting crowed: "If you’ve got no sha, why should he?"
Pei Ying: "...?"
Yu Ting: "We ca to enjoy the show. Had to see you get stabbed to feel satisfied."
He added mockingly: "So you like bad girls, huh? Then why chase Shi Shi? You really know how to make people sick."
"Wait—don’t tell you picked her because she has so many suitors, making it easier to collect green hats?"
"Damn, I always called you a freak, but even I didn’t expect this level of depravity."
Yu Ting concluded: "Your worries were justified. Better hide that true nature—wouldn’t want to scare people off."
Jiang Liuxu’s face darkened: "Who’s scarier than you?"
"Did you think I was joking when I said you should’ve been eliminated ages ago?"
"Demanding custom-made flattery at your age—what did you offer Shi Shi to torture her like this for years?"
"Her writing skills owe a lot to you. You’ve practically drained the Chinese lexicon dry."
“Are you really that insecure? Go seek validation from your mom if you need it.”
Yu Ting swung a punch imdiately, barely managing to shout at Shen Ying between blows, “You actually snitched on ?”
Shen Ying took two steps back to avoid the chaos and casually replied, “The client has the right to know the details of the job they paid for.”
Yu Ting couldn’t spare attention for her at the mont because Jiang Liuxu wasn’t just a pretty face—his fighting skills were real.
As the two exchanged blows, Pei Ying chid in from the sidelines, “Don’t hit his face. The recovery ti would be too long, and that’s my loss.”
Yu Ting fud, “You’re just gonna stand there and watch?”
Pei Ying smirked, “Honestly, I’d rather punch you than him.”
After all, while Jiang Liuxu had marked him as a target too, he hadn’t gotten around to it yet—just an attempted offense. But Yu Ting? That knife had already been plunged.
Yu Ting spat out venomously, “You think you’re any better? Shi Shi never should’ve bothered with you back then. Would’ve been better if you’d just died there—one less scumbag in the world. At least then we wouldn’t have to rely on you when she needed soone to stand up for her.”
Pei Ying, who had initially stayed out of the fight, cracked his knuckles and stepped forward. “Don’t worry. I won’t hit your face.”
The three of them descended into a full-blown brawl, with no two teaming up against the third. Each seed hell-bent on beating the other two into pulp.
In no ti, Shen Ying’s living room was in shambles.
Three grown n—three tall, well-built grown n—had terrifying destructive power. Even with her spacious living room, it felt like there wasn’t enough space for their chaos.
Within minutes, the elegant decor, the TV, everything the landlord had carefully arranged—completely wrecked.
Shen Ying watched with amusent, and when things had escalated enough, she leisurely pulled out her phone.
Dialing a number, she said, “Hello, XX News? I’ve got exclusive footage of Pei Ying from Pei Corporation, Dr. Jiang Liuxu, and actor Yu Ting in a full-on brawl.”
“Each one’s a heavyweight. Buy this exclusive, and your news will dominate the internet for the next two weeks.”
“I want ten million—”
Before she could finish, her phone was snatched away and the call ended forcefully.
The three n had stopped fighting and now surrounded her, glaring.
Shen Ying, unfazed by being cornered, shrugged. “You can take my phone, but you’ll never cut off my inco.”
Yu Ting gritted his teeth. “Try selling that footage, I dare you.”
Her expression darkened instantly. “Try threatening again, I dare you.”
“Both of your contracts are complete, Mr. Yu. Our professional relationship is over. Who exactly are you trying to boss around now?”
Yu Ting was left speechless, but the mont her tone shifted, he felt a chill.
Pei Ying, ever the negotiator, stepped in. “Na your price, Ms. Shen. We’ll buy the footage.”
Shen Ying’s face lit up. “Now that’s what I call generous.”
“Oh, and the damages to the living room—you’ll cover those too, right? This isn’t my place, and I can’t exactly explain this ss to the landlord.”
Pei Ying narrowed his eyes. “You planned this, didn’t you? Lured us here on purpose.”
She didn’t answer, but her expression said it all: Obviously. Would you have fought like this in public?
In the end, the three n took stock of the situation. What had this whole ordeal gotten them?
A round of brutal betrayals, millions in losses, a chaotic brawl, and their carefully guarded secrets dragged into the open.
anwhile, Shen Ying sat there, counting her money with a grin.
By the ti they left, their heads were spinning with fury.
And they weren’t the only ones. Even the system felt dazed.
So… no one can actually rein her in, huh?
Seeing no point in further struggle, the system weakly announced:
[Host, your deposited funds have been fully converted and can now be used legally in this world without disrupting the market.]
[Congratulations, host. Truly, congratulations.]
But its host just lazily replied, “I’ve already got tens of millions. What’s the difference if my savings are unlocked? Just keep them stored for now.”
“Though I will say, this whole process has one perk—it curbs my spending. If I’d had this much money from the start, I’d have blown it all at a male escort club by now.”
The system didn’t hear a single mocking word, yet it felt suffocated by the sheer audacity radiating from her tone.
After the three n’s explosive fight, Shen Ying found herself with nothing to do.
She lazed around, gaming at ho, occasionally researching high-end clubs—still itching to get into one.
The system watched as she stretched two days’ worth of work into a payout that could last years.
Just as it was stewing in frustration, Jiang Liuxu called, inviting her to Starlight Restaurant.
Shen Ying didn’t refuse. She hung up, changed, and headed out.
This ti, she was led straight to a private room—no repeat of the last public seating.
Inside, along with Jiang Liuxu, were Yu Ting and Pei Ying.
She raised a brow, unsurprised. “So, have you three reached a decision?”
None of them looked happy. If it weren’t necessary, they wouldn’t be sitting across from each other at all.
Still intent on settling things quickly, Pei Ying spoke up: "I invited Miss Shen Ying here today to make a formal declaration in your presence."
"We three are calling a truce among ourselves."
Shen Ying instinctively replied, "No refunds, though."
After all, Jiang Liuxu still had two pending orders with her.
Pei Ying’s expression stiffened. "No one’s asking for a refund. This is simply an agreent we’re reaching face-to-face, all three of us."
"From now on, we hope Miss Shen won’t take matters into her own hands or accept any more... ‘business’ of this nature."
"Including Miss Shen, if anyone violates this agreent, the others will retaliate collectively."
In other words, a warning not to keep profiting from this sche.
Shen Ying could even hear her system laughing gleefully in the background.
It had told her this underhanded tactic wouldn’t last.
But Shen Ying had seen it coming—hence why she’d squeezed in as many orders as possible in the shortest ti.
She nodded without hesitation. "Fine. My business has always been based on free will—no coercion involved."
Yu Ting’s teeth ached at that. Coercion? Nothing compared to her brand of ruthlessness.
Then Shen Ying added, "What a sha Chang Ming didn’t get his second session. Taking money without delivering the service weighs on my conscience."
As soon as the words left her mouth, a voice cut in: "What second session?"
They turned to see Chang Ming stride in.
His frown deepened as he took in the scene. "The manager said all three of you were here with a woman. I wondered who it might be—"
His gaze landed on Shen Ying, a flicker of unease hidden behind a cold mask.
"Why are you eting her alone? Planning to tattle on ?"
The three n tensed, but before they could respond, Shen Ying answered smoothly:
"Nothing major. These three witnessed my debt-collecting skills and were so impressed they hired to eliminate rivals and crush love rivals."
"But, surprise surprise, their rivals had the sa idea. So each of them got to experience my ‘spiritual rejuvenation package.’"
"Now they’ve decided my services are a bit too effective and are negotiating a ceasefire."
Chang Ming’s face darkened as the pieces fell into place. While he’d been licking his wounds, these three had gone to war.
"You idiots actually pulled this stunt? Who started it?" he spat.
Shen Ying chid in again: "Oh, and there was an order involving you, Mr. Chang."
"But given your fragile ntal state, we scheduled your next ‘therapy session’ for last. Didn’t want to overstimulate you."
"Lucky for you, the contracts were canceled before we got to it."
Chang Ming’s vision swam with rage. "Who ordered it? Jiang Liuxu? Yu Ting? Pei Ying? Which one?"
Shen Ying feigned regret. "The agreent’s terminated now. These secrets go to the grave with . You’ll have to figure it out yourself, Mr. Chang."
"Was it one of them? Or all three? Only one way to find out."
The three n: "..."
With this muddying of the waters, even if they pointed fingers, Chang Ming would never believe them. And Jiang Liuxu would never admit it outright without dragging the others down with him.
Chang Ming glared at them. "You’re all dead to ."
Yu Ting scoffed. "What, you want a rematch?"
"Let’s be clear—we know your weak spots. You don’t know ours. You really wanna pick a fight you can’t win?"
Jiang Liuxu added mockingly, "Shen Ying’s the expert here, and even she says you can’t handle another round. Think carefully."
Chang Ming, seething, dropped into a chair.
"Brave words from three fools who just got played. If you’re so tough, how many rounds did you survive before crawling here to sign a truce?"
The three exchanged glances, their earlier bravado crumbling.
Shen Ying offered consolation: "Don’t feel bad, gentlen. Not to boast, but my thods are nuclear-grade."
"Nobody wants mutually assured destruction, so a non-proliferation treaty makes sense. Self-preservation isn’t shaful."
"Let’s all cool off—dinner, maybe a club visit, bury the hatchet."
"After this, it’s back to fair competition for Shi Shi’s affection. Sound good?"
It was odd coming from her, but the stalemate couldn’t drag on. If Shi Shi noticed anything amiss, she’d demand answers.
Just as Pei Ying was about to agree, Jiang Liuxu cut in:
"Dinner’s fine. No clubs."
"And no sneaking in mbership requests either!"
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