Ch. 1..10

Chapter 1

“Can she do it or not? After all, she’s the daughter of the Tan family. She’s not someone to be trifled with, right?”

“Cut the crap. Did you take the money for nothing? She’s nothing but a bullsh*t heiress who tries her hardest pretending to be one. I’ve disliked her for the longest time. Who’s the real heiress? Even if she says no now, does that mean she’s someone to be trifled with? At the end of the day, she’ll still make both of us suffer.”

“But, I still feel..”

“You just have to spike the drink. What are you afraid of? As long as she drinks this glass of wine, she’ll be at my mercy in a while… hehe…”

Two men with colorful hair whispered softly in the bathroom.

Little did they know that outside the door stood Tan Rou who opened her eyes widely and was in a sly smirk.

That’s right, she is precisely who they were talking about, nothing but a sham heiress.

After losing the Tan family’s prestige, even a hooligan whom she usually didn’t even bother to look at dared to drug her. Tan Rou’s gaze was cold as she listened expressionlessly to how the hooligans were secretly plotting to destroy her life.

She is only 17 years old. It is evident what would happen after she is drugged by the hooligans. Her life will begin to turn upside down from this moment on. And all of this, isn’t it all because of that woman?

Indeed, Tan Rou has just been reborn.

She happened to return to the night that changed her fate.

Her previous life was no different from a nightmare. She was too stupid and was fooled by that vicious “bestie”. In the end, even her reputation was ruined.

God opened his eyes and gave her another chance. Everything that happened in the past was vivid in her mind. She resented herself for not being able to see people for who they are and ended up ruining her own life. She even implicated her family who truly loved her..

This time, she would definitely not become a simple, gullible ant that could be easily manipulated by them. However for the fun of it, she will play along.

Tan Rou would never forget one of the hooligans. Contrary to what his name suggests, he was a well-known b*stard who did all kinds of nasty things. However, she never expected that he would be called in to deal with herself this time.

Zhou Zheng was still smiling wretchedly, “I’ve had my eyes on that chick since a long time ago. I didn’t dare to provoke her in the past but now… If she dares to disobey me, I’ll spread her nudes. Let’s see if she still dares to do so. In the future, she’ll have to beg me to pamper her. Hahaha!”

Tan Rou frowned in disgust. She didn’t want to listen anymore and so she left. ‘

Heh, dream on. Let’s see how it will turn out then.’

Tan Rou returned to the hall which was holding the ball.

Ever since Tan Jing came back, she always talked to her parents about how lonely she was, how scared she was, and even pretended to be pitiful. As she wanted to please Tan Jing, Tan Rou would even beg her foster parents to hold a few more balls just so that Tan Jing could expand her social circle and make more friends.

From afar, Tan Rou looked at the class mates who used to suck up to her now surrounding Tan Jing. She sneered. How ironic. She didn’t know whether to call these people smart or stupid.

Then, she looked at Tan Jing. She was showered in attention as she covered her mouth and giggled softly. She looked graceful and delicate. In her previous life, even Tan Rou felt that she was so adorable. She thought perhaps it was her own fault for not being a naturally well liked person like Tan Jing was. She even felt inferior at one point.

In her second life, she now knows better. Some people are natural born actors, but even then their despicable selves still cannot be hidden. No matter how vulnerable and unbothered she pretended to be, the arrogance in her eyes can’t be hidden. Was she blind in her previous life? She was suppressed by such a person till the point beyond death.

After experiencing all that, turning back to look at her was like watching a clown play a trick.

Tan Jing was the best at playing the role of an innocent person in front of people. But behind the crowd, she did atrocious things. Whenever things happen, she would always be conveniently surrounded by evildoers. She was the virgin white lotus that had emerged from the mud untainted.

As Tan Rou thought about it, she subconsciously clenched her fists. Her eyes were filled with vengeance. It was this person, this woman, who had caused her to…

Tan Jing seemed to have noticed the gaze from afar and looked over.

As their eyes met, Tan Rou’s heart skipped a beat. She slowly adjusted her breathing. There was no rush. She had just been reborn so her emotions were inevitably a little shaken. It was only when she saw Tan Jing’s disgusting gaze that she felt a little more real, it was this gaze that tormented her countless times. She struggled painfully every night but this time, she is gifted a second chance. It is still not too late.

This time, she would definitely not be led by the nose by that woman. In her previous life, she was too blind to see the truth. White lotus? She knows how to put up a good act? In the face of absolute power, all of these would become a joke. In this life, she would just have to wait and see.

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind. In just a short few seconds, Tan Rou had already sorted out her thoughts. A harmless smile appeared on her face as she waited for Tan Jing to make the first move.

Sure enough, Tan Jing stepped on her slender high heels and strutted in her direction with a swaying posture.

When her followers saw this, they looked at each other in dismay. In fact, when they saw Tan Rou again, they couldn’t help but sigh a little. However, a person’s inferiority couldn’t be hidden.

Tan Rou looked at them coldly. She had long expected this. Once superior people had fallen from the altar, the first ones to gloat might not be their enemies but the despicable people around them who had once fawned on them. She wanted to trample on them.

It was obvious that these people were scoundrels. As expected, after a moment of hesitation, they still firmly chose Tan Jing and walked over with her. It was almost as if they were afraid that she would swallow Tan Jing alive.

Tan Rou coldly glanced at her. Ha, Tan Jing was still wearing the limited edition high heels that used to belong to her. All she needed to do was to cry for it and the next moment it was already on her feet. In the elite circle, money and power were absolute rights, luxury goods were the barrier to entry into the circle. Some things could not be bought with money alone so after Tan Jing came back, she tried to seize as many goods and resources as possible.

But even then, everyone still thinks that Tan Rou is the evil one. Tan Jing’s stealing and taking over is only natural and they were afraid that Tan Rou would bully the real heiress.

Interesting, she wanted to see what other disgusting tricks Tan Jing had up her sleeves. How long could this facade of hers hide her impure heart.

 

Chapter 2

Tan Jing walked over and gently held Tan Rou’s hand. “Xiao Rou, are you upset? I really didn’t mean to steal your friends. If you’re upset, then I’ll return them to you. Don’t be angry…” as she whimpered while pretending to wipe her tears.

Tan Rou looked at her atrocious acting skills coldly. She was speechless even though she was mentally prepared.

‘Wow, you can cry on command, you shouldn’t be the heiress of the Tan family, you are much more suited to the showbiz world, right?’

However, when she looked at the people around her, they were all extremely anxious and immediately said, “Jing Jing, don’t cry. We chose to be your friends because we like you!”

Tan Rou was very familiar with one of the girls. She was Wei Ling, who had always been by her side in the past.

She is no longer as obedient as before. Her eyes widened. “Tan Rou, don’t go too far. Jing Jing is a hundred times more gentle and sensible than you. She deserves our sincere treatment!”

Tan Rou couldn’t hold it in anymore. She burst out laughing.

Tan Jing was stunned. “Xiao Rou, you… What do you mean? Are you angry?”

Tan Rou had enough of laughing. She fiercely pulled her hand back and sniggered, “How can that be? They are friends? Since they can be snatched away so easily, how can they be considered as real friends? But you have to be careful. If an heiress from a family stronger than the Tan family appears, I don’t know if you will be able to outwrestle her?”

The people around her blushed in embarrassment. “Tan Rou, what do you mean? Are you saying that we are social climbing?”

Tan Rou smiled faintly, “Why the sudden aggression? I didn’t mean it like that. After all, we’ve known each other for a while. There’s no need to be so harsh with me. I really miss the way you guys used to behave around me…”

Tan Rou’s eyes rolled and her face was full of smiles. No one could find anything wrong with her, she continued, “I really feel a little sad seeing how you guys are like. But it’s okay. I choose to believe that you guys aren’t such ugly people. We have plenty of time together in the future… and we will see.”

The crowd wanted to defend themselves and Wei Ling’s face turned red but she couldn’t say anything. Tan Rou’s mellow words were harder to refute than her gun-like attacks. After all, in the past, Tan Rou had indeed helped everyone a lot…

When Tan Jing saw their reactions, she frowned and quickly stood up. “Xiao Rou might be in a bad mood today. Don’t crowd around. I want to… apologize to Xiao Rou alone.”

Some people were still worried. “Jing Jing, you didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no need to apologize.”

Tan Rou just sat there quietly and watched them put on another act. Tan Jing had secretly made another move again, causing the crowd to be even more disgusted with Tan Rou before they gradually left.

Tan Jing smiled bitterly, “Xiao Rou, I don’t know what made you unhappy today. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back… I’ll go get a glass of wine and apologize to you.”

After saying that, she ignored Tan Rou’s reaction and walked to the side quickly almost as if she was afraid that Tan Rou would refuse.

Tan Rou lowered her head and smiled coldly. Are they finally getting down to business?

After a while, Tan Jing came back with two glasses of wine.

“Xiao Rou, maybe my return made you feel uncomfortable but… This is my home. I really long for a warm home. Please don’t be angry with me anymore, okay?”

Tan Rou looked coldly at the person acting in front of her and felt a wave of grief in her heart. ‘Yes, this is your home. You say you yearn for a warm home, but what about me?’

‘What about my innocent family members? I originally didn’t plan to fight with you. I was about to accept my fate, but in the end, what did I get in return? I was cheated on and used by you. My family was destroyed…’

‘How am I not innocent? How is my family not innocent? What did you do to them?’

‘No, not just you. I have also let them down. That’s why they ended up that way…’

Tan Rou’s eyes gradually turned red. She didn’t dare to think about it anymore. She reached out and took the glass of wine from Tan Jing. She raised her head and downed it in one gulp. “You’re thinking too much. How can I let down your good intentions!”

Tan Rou’s eyes were filled with sharpness. As for Tan Jing, she did not know if it was because she saw Tan Rou drink the wine she had prepared so quickly but the joy of almost succeeding became more obvious. The viciousness in her eyes was also faintly showing.

“Xiao Rou, after drinking this glass of wine, we will sweep everything between us under the rug. Look at you. You drank so quickly. Don’t you feel uncomfortable?”

Tan Rou pretended to know nothing and held her forehead. “Maybe I drank too much, I am feeling a little dizzy.”

Tan Jing smiled triumphantly, “Quick! I’ll help you upstairs to rest. Look at you, you’re still like a child, drinking too much at the ball!”

Tan Rou softened her body and pretended to be weak but she secretly avoided Tan Jing’s help. Even if she was acting, she would still feel disgusted if she had even a moment of contact with such a person.

Tan Jing supported Tan Rou all the way to a guest room secluded from the rest of the house. Tan Rou sneered. ‘How thoughtful. Such a remote guest room that only members of the household would know. In this way, it was easy for Tan Jing to accuse her of initiating a hook up with someone else.’

Tan Rou pretended to be weak and lay on the bed, pretending to be unconscious.

Tan Jing muttered to herself, “Tan Rou, oh Tan Rou, don’t blame me. Who asked you to take my rightful spot for so many years? You owe me this!”

After that, she made a phone call. “Where are you? Come over quickly. I don’t need to teach you what to do next, right? You will be rewarded once the deed is done!”

After hearing Tan Jing walk out and gently close the door, Tan Rou opened her eyes. She was clear-headed and did not have the slightest indication of being drugged.

‘Owe you? I never owed you anything. Conversely Tan Jing, how should you pay me back for what you owe me?’

 

Chapter 3

Tan Rou took out a pill bottle from her pocket. It was a small pill that she had created by chance when she was practicing incense making. No matter what kind of knockout drug it was, the main components were always the same and the pill beautifully negated the effects. It is all thanks to this pill that she is able to avoid Tan Jing’s scheme today.

They thought that the trap is flawless, but never would they have thought that Tan Rou had this hidden ability. After all, everyone was saying that the fake heiress of the Tan family was an ignorant bum. This misconception was also all thanks to Tan Jing’s “good publicity”.

Tan Rou’s gaze was calm as she quietly laid on the bed and waited. Finally, she heard a soft sound from outside the door.

Zhou Zheng tiptoed in and saw Tan Rou lying on the bed. He chuckled. “Hey baby girl! Your brother Zhou Zheng is here!”

Tan Rou felt a wave of nausea in her heart. This scumbag was one hell of a perv.

Zhou Zheng quickly walked over and sized up Tan Rou who was on the bed. He couldn’t help but feel a little flustered. “We’re supposed to be the same type of people, born poor and lowly. So what if you’ve been raised by the Tan family for a few years? Now, you’re still lying here obediently. With your figure, you’ll definitely have good business if you were in the trade. When I’m done playing, why don’t I let my brothers have a taste too? Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle. hehehe…”

Just as Zhou Zheng reached out his hand towards Tan Rou, Tan Rou quickly grabbed his arm and sat up. “Oh? I’m the same kind of person as you? I’m afraid that even pigs and dogs won’t agree with that!”

Zhou Zheng was shell-shocked. “You weren’t drugged? That’s impossible! I saw it with my own eyes…”

Tan Rou stared at him coldly, “I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.”

Zhou Zheng was only momentarily flustered. After all, they were alone in the secluded room. Tan Rou was a weak woman. Even if she wasn’t drugged, what could she do? He was a man after all, dealing with her would be effortless…

Tan Rou knew she was being looked down on as he was plotting what to do with her. In a swift motion, she raised her hand and pinned Zhou Zheng’s arm behind his back.

“Ah! My arm! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” Zhou Zheng never thought that such a weak woman, whom he dismissed without a second thought, would have such strength. He actually could not resist at all.

However, he was still stubborn. “B*tch, quickly let go of me. There’s still room for negotiation. Otherwise, I’ll cripple you later!”

Tan Rou smiled coldly, “Cripple me? I’m so scared. How about… I cripple you first.”

After saying that, she mustered her strength and threw Zhou Zheng to the ground. She then stomped on his manhood and asked. “When Tan Jing sent you to humiliate me, didn’t she tell you that I’m not to be trifled with?”

Zhou Zheng collapsed onto the ground and wailed. He could no longer put up a front. Why was this woman so strong? He really felt that his manhood was about to be crippled!

Tan Rou tortured him for a while, then lowered her head and dragged him to the window in disgust. In a while, Tan Jing would definitely bring someone here. This man had to disappear.

Tan Rou dragged Zhou Zheng to the window and glanced at him. “It’s only the second floor. You are lucky that you won’t fall to your death. We’ll settle the score when we have time. Get lost.” After saying that, she knocked Zhou Zheng unconscious with a karate chop to prevent him from causing trouble again. She pushed him lightly. Seeing that Zhou Zheng had fallen to the ground silently, she closed the window carefully.

After dealing with the scum easily, the only thing left to do was to wait for the others to come here for the “Great Exposé”.

Tan Rou couldn’t wait to see Tan Jing’s expression in a while.

After being through so much, Tan Rou knew Tan Jing like the back of her hand. She had always prided herself as the legitimate heiress of a rich family and flaunted her good character whenever the opportunity arises. Tan Jing would not let go of any opportunity to outshine her just to make others believe that even though Tan Rou had been raised by the Tan family for a few years but because she was not their biological daughter and coupled with the fact that her biological family was very poor, her character was naturally low and unworthy of sympathy. This contrast made Tan Jing seem all the more superior.

This made Tan Rou all the more desperate to prove to her that a person’s conduct had nothing to do with birth or bloodline. The one who ought to be denounced was Tan Jing. No matter how much money she spent, the filth in her heart could not be hidden!

Soon, there was indeed a commotion outside the door.

“Yes! It’s this room. I saw Zhou Zheng enter with my own eyes!”

“I heard a man’s voice inside just now… Could it be…”

Tan Rou calmly tidied her hair and smiled contemptuously. There they are.

 

Chapter 4

The door was opened and four or five people walked in with Tan Jing like how stars surrounded the moon. They were trying to prove the “evidence” that they had seen.

Tan Rou knew that Tan Jing had curated a flawless plan. Besides, what was the point of coming alone? Of course, she had arranged an opportunity to let more people find out about it and attracted a crowd over.

Tan Jing opened the door and she was stunned. How could it be? The chaotic scene she had hoped for did not happen. Tan Rou was even sitting on the bed with her clothes on. Where is Zhou Zheng?

The good show fell through. Tan Jing’s face gradually showed a trace of distortion.

Tan Rou quietly admired their faces for a while. After enjoying the spoils, she taunted, “Why? Is there something you need me for?”

“Tan Rou! You! Did you secretly bring a man up here?!” The crowd made their first move.

Some of them even started to walk around the room, trying to find him. “Yes, we’ve all heard about it. Where did you hide him? Come out at once!”

Tan Rou smiled, “Are you all drunk? What man? Tan Jing, if I remember correctly you were the one who personally helped me up. Shouldn’t you know?”

Tan Jing immediately panicked, she squeezed out a smile. “That’s right, Xiao Rou. So you’re not drunk after all. I was worried about you so I helped you up the stairs. Why didn’t you say so earlier? I thought you weren’t feeling well, I even put in a lot of effort to carry you up. My hands are still sore.”

Sore? She was lying through her teeth. She didn’t even let herself touch her.

Tan Rou wasn’t in a hurry to expose her because her real goal wasn’t to dispel Tan Jing’s petty lies. Getting into the nitty-gritty details would be to fall straight into Tan Jing’s playbook.

Tan Rou questioned directly, “So you’re saying that I pretended to be drunk, but took the opportunity to hook up with a man here? Let’s not bother if that is true or not first. Tan Jing, upon hearing it your first reaction is to bring so many people up with you. Were you deliberately trying to embarrass me?”

Tan jing quickly denied, “How could I? I was worried about you. After all, it was Zhou Zheng who came to your room. A bastard like him… Where is he?”

Tan Rou sneered, “You also know that he is a bastard. Then, how can you be so sure that he will be in my room?”

Tan Jing knew that she couldn’t win the argument, she quickly pretended to compromise, “Xiao Rou, don’t be angry. We were all worried that you might be taken advantage of. Since you are not, that’s great. You can say whatever you want about me. I won’t hold it against you.”

The crowd tried to defend their claims. “Tan Rou, someone clearly saw Zhou Zheng enter your room with their own eyes. How dare you still deny it?”

Tan Rou was not angry, she still replied indifferently, “That’s right. Today is the Tan family’s ball. The guest list was carefully curated. I don’t know what kind of situation would allow someone like Zhou Zheng to sneak in. And even after being spotted, he was allowed to just enter my room? If that were the case, then wouldn’t it make a fool out of the Tan family’s security guards and all the people downstairs?”

Tan Jing gritted her teeth secretly. Her exquisite nails were about to break. Damn it. She had clearly planned it so thoroughly. This Tan Rou had always had a pig’s brain. How did she dodge such a well-thought-out plan and how did she suddenly become so eloquent today.

Tan Rou took the opportunity to continue, “Don’t you all know how important reputation is to a girl? Today, you guys actually believed in a rumor and even followed Tan Jing here. Were all of you trying to catch me in bed?”

Tan Jing was done. If this situation continued, it would be of no benefit to her and she was in a hurry to end it, “Xiao Rou, I’m sorry. We’ll go down at once. You can continue to rest and no one will mention a word about it. I was careless and it almost ruined your reputation.”

After saying that, she called everyone out.

Tan Rou smiled gently and did not ask them to stay any longer. This war is going to be a prolonged one. It is pointless to be harp on what happened today.

After everyone left, Tan Jing pretended to wipe her tears and instructed Wei Ling in a raised tone so that everyone could hear her. “Ling Ling, I’m still worried. Zhou Zheng might still be hiding in the house. What if Xiao Rou was really duped by him and did something stupid? Help me. If you see or hear anything, we have to come and save Xiao Rou.”

The crowd’s hearts ache in sympathy for Tan Jing. Just now, Tan Rou pretended to be calm and suggested that it was Tan Jing who deliberately lured them to expose her. However, a righteous person is not afraid of slander. After what had happened, Tan Jing is still thinking for her, how could such a kind person have such sinister intentions?

Tan Jing smiled miserably. “Xiao Rou… She still doesn’t like me very much. But maybe in the future, she will understand me.”

 

 

Chapter 5

Inside the room, Tan Rou was listening to the faint voices outside and carefully plotting her next steps.

However, no matter what she did, she would still have to deal with whatever came her way. After all, Tan Jing’s disgusting tricks were endless. It is better for her to be on guard at all times.

Next, it was time to go downstairs and have a good chat with others. The ball held by the Tan family was very formal. Initially, it was probably because Tan Jing wanted to blow up the scandal of her private meeting. Naturally, the more people there were, the higher the status they were, the better. With one move, Tan Jing could ruin her name in the entire circle.

Then… That woman, the woman whom she truly admired in her previous life, the woman whose affection she longed for, the woman who she used to call mother. Naturally, she would also be at the ball to accompany her beloved daughter.

In her previous life, she foolishly lied to herself. Perhaps her adoptive mother would reserve the last bit of affection for her, but the truth hit her hard in the face. She and Tan Jing were the true mother and daughter duo, even their vicious hearts ran from the same lineage.

What else does she have to look forward to?

That kind of person deserves to rot in the mud with her own daughter. Tan Rou no longer bothered to get into her good books because she finally understood who her family was and who needs her protection.

With that thought, Tan Rou let out a relieved smile. She went downstairs, ready to see what kind of tricks Tan Jing had planned for her. She was not going to let it slide this time.

Downstairs, the ball was still going smoothly. The hall was filled with conversation, people wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to network with powerful people. These are instances where the freshest gossip within the circle was inevitably shared.

Some of the gossipers did not care that they were in the Tan family. They started to discuss in a low voice, “Have you heard? The adopted daughter of the Tan family came back today too.”

“I saw her just now. Aiyo, if it were me, I wouldn’t have the cheek to come back. Their biological daughter has already been found yet she still clings to the Tan family. Isn’t she being shameless?”

“That’s right! Blood ties are such powerful bonds. It’s not something that can be replaced by an adopted daughter. I heard that she’s quite a worrisome problem to the family. The Tan family has a business empire. What if they leave it to her?”

“Worrisome problem? I haven’t heard about that. Tell me about it…”

Tan Rou, who happened to be coming down the stairs, shook her head helplessly. She didn’t have the mood to justify herself against other people’s claims about her. She just lamented about how gossips in the gathering of celebrities and wealthy families were no different from gossip amongst countryside bumpkins.

Tan Rou passed by without a shred of emotion on her face. She even gave them a polite nod. The people who were gossiping about her shut their mouths awkwardly and quickly changed the topic.

On the other side, Wei Ling followed Tan Rou downstairs and came to Tan Jing’s side. She shook her head, indicating that she didn’t notice anything unusual.

Tan Jing frowned. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was amiss. Something must have gone wrong and it happened so suddenly. Initially, she only thought of Tan Rou as an idiot without a brain but everything that happened tonight made her suspicious, could it be that she had underestimated her enemy? But she still did not want to believe it. It must be just Tan Rou’s luck. She would just have to find another opportunity to deal with her next time.

Just as she was thinking about it, Wei Ling cried out in a small voice, “Jing Jing! Look! Zhou Zheng is there!”

Tan Jing was stunned. The uneasiness in her heart grew by the moment.

Sure enough, Zhou Zheng was walking over from not far away. His face was wounded, which made his face look even more ferocious and repulsive.

Tan Rou, who was observing from the side, was also a little surprised. She didn’t hit his face just now. What happened? She couldn’t help but tense up again. Could it be that she had been careless and there was still a follow-up to their conspiracy?

Zhou Zheng was dressed like a hooligan and his face was covered with injuries. Wherever he passed by, people would avoid him. He seemed so out of place for this occasion. He walked straight toward Tan Jing.

“Pa!”

“Ah! Jing Jing!”

Wei Ling cried out in fear. Tan Jing covered her face. She never expected Zhou Zheng to slap her at such an event!

She screamed, “Are you crazy! How did you get in here? Someone get him out of here!”

At that moment, she was infuriated and nervous. Zhou Zheng’s reaction was abnormal. She has to get him out of here before he starts spouting any nonsense!

Miraculously, no one appeared. The people in the hall looked at each other and whispered about what had just happened. They did not dare to go forward. Only a few people came to check on her for the Tan family’s sake.

Tan Jing did not know if she was angry out of embarrassment or if she was fired up from being beaten so badly. Her face was red and she shouted in anger.

Zhou Zheng did not care about her, he continued slapping her on the face. “B*tch! It was you who tricked me into drugging Tan Rou! You even told me to sneak into her room and sleep with her. Then when I failed, you turned around and betrayed me. You even got someone to beat me up. You played me and so today I’m going to beat you up!”

Tan Jing screamed in pain after being beaten up. However, she was more afraid of what he was saying. “You’re spouting nonsense! Why are you slandering me? !”

There were so many people present and there was no way she could explain herself out of that!

Tan Rou, who was not far away, was also a little surprised. She did not expect this to happen. This was actually such an unexpected surprise. This was really a dog-eat-dog situation.

As Zhou Zheng finished speaking, the entire hall blew up. Everyone was stunned. They never expected there to be so much going on in the background. Some gossipy people even moved closer. After all, this could be considered a scandal for the Tan family.

Even though the people around Tan Jing were anxious to help, they couldn’t hold Zhou Zheng back.

Tan Rou sipped on a mouthful of champagne with glee. This was a really good show.

 

 

Chapter 6

The farce in the hall continued.

The head mistress of the Tan family, who was also Tan Rou’s foster mother, Chen Yi, ran over anxiously and shouted, “Where are the security guards? Why are we still keeping you guys on the payroll? !”

Only after Chen Yi’s outcry did a team of security guards appear. They panted heavily as if they had ran a long distance.

Zhou Zheng was quickly pulled away and pinned to the ground.

In actual fact, he was extremely afraid deep down inside. After all, the Tan family was thriving. No one in the right mind would dare to jinx themselves on such an occasion. However, lady luck really wasn’t on his side tonight. He originally thought that he would be able to land a big score tonight. Instead, he was first beaten up by that woman and ended up fainting in the back garden. He was then beaten and awoken by a group of people whose faces he could not see clearly. They then threatened him to come clean about his plans in the hall if not death awaited him.

If he did not make a scene, he would be beaten to death for sure. He could only take his chances by creating a scene. Zhou Zheng couldn’t care much anymore.

However, there is no way that he would go down alone. Tan Jing, that b*tch was the one who bribed him with money. How can he be the only one who was unlucky?

Zhou Zheng continued to shout, “B*tch! You secretly brought me in through the back door. You told me to drug Tan Rou, rape her and then wait for you to catch us in bed. In the end, you fooled me! I have evidence in my hands. I will never let you off!”

Tan Jing could not bear to listen any longer. She dare not imagine what everyone would have to say about her. She hid in Chen Yi’s arms and cried, “Sob, sob, sob. Mommy, I didn’t, I really didn’t…”

Seeing her daughter, Chen Yi was heartbroken and she hugged her daughter while shouting at the security guards, “A bunch of good-for-nothings! Hurry up and drag him away! Call the police! Call the police immediately!”

Zhou Zheng was dragged off while he cursed away. The buzz in the hall continued.

“This little girl usually looks well behaved and demure. How could someone like her come up with such an idea?”

“I don’t think it’s a baseless claim. Which one of us didn’t come in with an invitation? How could that hooligan have sneaked into the ball without any inside help?”

“That’s right. Didn’t you hear the commotion just now? She even brought a crowd with her to catch them on the bed. In the end, not only did she not catch anyone in bed, she got beaten up so badly by the hooligan. Aiyo, what the hell Is this!”

“Well, she was raised in a poor family after all. She must have gotten the cunning little tricks from them. Look at her trying to hide her true self…”

Tan Jing hid in Chen Yi’s arms. She gritted her teeth so hard that they were about to shatter. No! How could they say that about her?! She is the real heiress of the Tan family, not a poor girl from the streets!

Chen Yi looked at her daughter who was crying so hard and she could not hold it in anymore. However, she is still the head mistress of the family after all. Her sharp eyes swept across the few women who were still whispering, she picked out Tan Rou from the crowd. “Tell me, was this all your doing?”

Tan Rou looked at Chen Yi who was glaring at her angrily. She could not help but want to laugh. Look at this pair of biological mother and daughter, she just returned not long ago and already they are full of love.

“Auntie Chen, I should call you that, right? Even if you feel sorry for your daughter, you can’t just accuse someone without any evidence, right?”

Tan Rou pouted her lips at the accusation. “Everyone heard him just now. He made it clear that it was Tan Jing who tried to set me up. How would I know why they turned against each other? You should ask your own daughter about this. I’m the victim here.”

Chen Yi was eager to protect Tan Jing’s image, so she didn’t care how Tan Rou defended herself.

“You unfilial daughter, you are not a child of my Tan family! You have always caused me trouble and disobeyed me. I even tried my best and exhausted all means to send you to study abroad but you ended up getting expelled. Is there anything despicable that you can’t do? You still want to accuse Jing Jing!”

Hearing Chen Yi mentioning the past, Tan Rou’s smile gradually turned cold. “Auntie Chen, I don’t need to remind you, right? It was you who said that my presence made you upset and hence you sent me to school thousands of miles away just so that you would never have to see me again. You said you tried your best? Indeed, you really did put in a lot of effort.”

When Tan Rou thought of how she treated herself, the more she didn’t want to show any mercy. “As for being expelled from school, have you ever bothered to find out why? Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘It is the parent’s responsibility to educate their child’? Are you blaming Uncle Tan? You have never fulfilled your responsibility as a mother. You deemed me as a failure the moment I returned to the country. Did you even give me a chance to explain myself? Don’t worry, I don’t want to be the daughter of the Tan family anyway.”

Chen Yi was rendered speechless by the questioning. She really did not know what had happened to Tan Rou abroad because she has never cared about her.

Tan Rou was angry and she could not allow Chen Yi to slander her again. Since she accused her of being expelled from school in front of the guests, she had to retaliate by pointing out that Chen Yi, her adoptive mother, had failed in her duties. Hadn’t she always cultivated the image of a loving mother?

 

Chapter 7

How did she pull through all these years? She should let everyone be a judge of it. Was it because she was unfilial and hence unworthy of being loved? Or did they not treat her as a human being from the get go.

She did not want to waste anymore time arguing with her as for why she had dropped out of school. In that moment, Chen Yi was like a crazy cow protecting her calf.

Tan Rou sighed, “I shouldn’t have come today. Fortunately, I dodged a bullet. Otherwise, who knows if I can leave the Tan family alive or not.”

After her plea, she pretended to leave in a desolate manner.

Once Tan Rou left, what she just said was naturally on everyone’s minds. That’s right, they had always heard that the Tan family had an adopted daughter, but they had only seen her a few times in the past two years. If they really loved her, how could they bear to let her study aboard for such a long time and not see her? How would they not even know the reason why their child had dropped out of school?

The crowd felt that their decision to attend the ball was a right one. The behind the scenes in the Tan family was too interesting to pass up on.

Little did they know that hidden away in a corner, a man in a wheelchair grinned with an air of mischief on his face and gestured for his assistant to push him away.

Walking out of the Tan family’s door, Tan Rou took a deep breath and let out a smile of relief.

Looking up, she saw that the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Even the slight breeze which caressed her ears was particularly soothing.

The Tan family was indeed a treacherous place. She always had no choice but to guard against the trap set up by the mother and daughter duo the second she arrives.

Now that she had finally left, she truly felt the joy of being reborn. How wonderful. This world was supposed to be beautiful but she always failed to appreciate it.

Tan Rou was not far from the door and quietly enjoyed a rare moment of peace. She gradually relaxed from her earlier state of fighting wits and courage. A faint smile unconsciously hung on her lips.

Unlike the previous sneer on her face, this smile was finally fitting for her age but at the same time, it also had an aura that was somewhat different from that of an average person.

On the other side, Zhuang Liu, who was pushed out on his wheelchair, was mesmerized by this scene. “It’s been a long time… since I have seen her smile like this. She’s beautiful.”

Zhuang Liu motioned for his assistant to stop moving forward. At that moment, all he wanted was for her to keep smiling and stay happy. He smiled contentedly as well. It was enough as long as she could be happy. He can take care of everything else.

Tan Rou composed herself and left. It was time for her to go home.

Zhuang Liu looked at Tan Rou’s back and although he felt a little reluctant to let her go, he knew that it was not the right time yet.

He turned his head to the side and instructed his assistant, “Spread the news. Just say that the Zhuang family’s Third Young Master’s old illness is acting up again and he doesn’t have long to live.”

The assistant was so scared as he rushed to make a call. “Third Young Master, wait a moment. I’ll contact the doctor right away!”

Zhuang Liu stopped him helplessly. “I’m fine, I just want you to spread the news.”

The assistant said, “But this kind of news does not reflect well on the Zhuang family…”

Zhuang Liu managed a slight grin. In the past, because she was the daughter of the Tan family, he had spent a lot of effort fixing an arranged marriage with the Tan family.

Now that she is no longer in the Tan family, she naturally does not need to keep to this arranged marriage.

The assistant was still worried. “Third Young Master, there are too many families, like the Tan family, that will take advantage of the situation. If they hear of this news and take the opportunity to stir up trouble, what should we do?”

Zhuang Liu nodded. “Just do as you are told. I am purposely baiting them to stir up trouble. As the saying goes ‘When the water is clear, there will be no fish’. On the surface, it looks calm but in reality, it is full of schemes. Let them stir up this wave and the more muddled the water is, the easier it will be to expose the problem.”

The assistant nodded silently.

On the other side, Tan Rou finally returned to her biological family.

This was a somewhat remote and dilapidated small house, where the few members of the Tao family had always lived. Although it was dilapidated, it was very warm and cozy under the diligent care of Mother Tao.

As soon as she entered, Tan Rou saw Mother Tao busily preparing dinner.

Mother Tao’s age was about the same as Chen Yi’s. Although she did not have branded goods all over her body like Chen Yi, she still gave off a faint elegant aura.

Even though she was only wearing normal clothes that were obviously aged, in Tan Rou’s eyes, Mother Tao was 10,000 times more beautiful than Chen Yi. She was so loving, and it was the feeling of motherly love that Tan Rou yearned for the most.

“Mom.” Tan Rou used the title subconsciously and it was much sooner than she had imagined.

Mother Tao was still holding the freshly washed vegetables in her hand. She was stunned when she heard the voice and didn’t know what to do.

After a long while, she finally reacted and excitedly replied, “Hey! Rou Rou, did you just call out for me?”

Tan Rou looked at her mother who was so uneasy just because she called her mom. She was filled with guilt thinking about how deep she must have hurt her in the past.

 

Chapter 8

Tan Rou’s eyes swelled up, behaving childlike in front of her mother. In this instance, she vented all her pent-up grievances and resentments while she yearned for her mother’s comfort.

“Mom, it’s me, Mom, Mom…”

Mother Tao was extremely heartbroken at the sight of her child in tears. She hurriedly put aside the vegetables. She wiped her hands on the apron and she went up and gently hugged Tan Rou. “Hey, I’m here… You must have suffered, haven’t you? Didn’t you already return to the Tan Family?”

Tan Rou embraced her mother while inhaling the faint scent on Mother Tao’s body, which is irreplaceable by any luxurious perfume.

“Mom, I did not go back to the Tan family, I just went for a visit. This is my home. I’m finally home now.”

“Rou Rou… Did you suffer there?” Mother Tao asked cautiously as her daughter was acting out of character.

Previously, her daughter’s living conditions were good and she was unable to accept any less when she suddenly returned. She kept insisting that the Tan family was her home. Recently, she was also elated when she learned that she was attending the ball. Why the sudden change in her attitude after the visit?

Something must have happened but she didn’t dare to ask. Her daughter’s attitude has always been poor.

However, at this moment, Mother Tao couldn’t care too much. Despite past happenings, she felt both gratified and sad when her daughter whom she had lost for so many years, hugged her.

In order not to anger Rou Rou, they never asked about the Tan family’s matters. But if her daughter were bullied, she would seek justice for her daughter.

“Oh, the young missy is back?”

Tan Rou lifted her head from her mother’s embrace and saw her brother, Tao Zheng, walking out of the bedroom.

Tao Zheng heard her voice and came out. However, just as he finished speaking, he saw Tan Rou and Mother Tao embracing with tears in their eyes. He stood rooted to the ground and the mocking expression on his face froze.

“What are you doing? Are you up to something bad again?”

Tan Rou looked at her brother’s face and felt a wave of excitement in her heart. Even though his words were harsh, her brother truly loved her. In the previous life, no matter how overboard she was he had never left her side.

“Brother!”

Tan Rou released Mother Tao and walked toward Tao Zheng, gently hugging him.

“Damn it! What are you doing!” Tao Zheng was so scared that he trembled. He flared his arms as if he had seen a ghost, and he did not dare to touch Tan Rou. He leaned back and exclaimed, “Are you possessed? Didn’t you say that my body is dirty? Did you take the opportunity to place insects on me!”

Tan Rou was also momentarily agitated. Releasing him, she blushed and apologized, “Brother, it was my fault in the past, please don’t be angry with me.”

Tao Zheng looked at Tan Rou with his mouth agape as if he was a mute. “You… you…”

Mother Tao playfully chided, “All right! It’s a good thing that your sister is willing to come home. Stop taking shots at her!”

Despite what she said, she still probed Tan Rou, “Then… Rou Rou, you haven’t eaten yet, right? I’m making dinner. Do you want to eat?”

Tao Zheng finally calmed down, but he still felt awkward. “Mom, don’t look for trouble. When has she ever eaten our family’s cooking? She’s had enough of delicacies. How could she be interested in such a common meal?”

Despite his comment, he still stole a glance at Tan Rou, awaiting her reaction.

Mother Tao was about to leak a disappointed expression when she heard Tan Rou answering firmly, “I want to eat. Thank you, Mom.”

Mother Tao smiled. “Silly child, what are you thanking me for? Wait for me. I’ll start preparing right away!” Afterward, she sprang into action.

“Let me warn you, you better not pull off some silly tricks on them again. That day when you came back, Dad and Mom prepared a whole feast for you. Not only were you ungrateful, you even threw the food on the floor and still said the food didn’t interest you. You had no idea how heartbroken they were. It’s your business if you want to come back. But if you upset them after giving them hope, I wouldn’t hesitate to denounce you as my sister and beat you up.” He feigned his fists at her after finishing.

Tan Rou smiled bitterly. Her change was too drastic. It was normal for them to not believe her. She would rather have her brother in her previous life beat her up. Why did she commit so many wrongdoings? If only she realized her mistakes earlier.

 

Chapter 9

“Brother, I promise never to do it again. I will prove it with my actions.”

Tao Zheng looked at Tan Rou warily and ordered coldly as he walked off. “Then eat more. You are as thin as a monkey!”

Tan Rou burst into laughter. How come she never notice in the past that her brother was a little prideful?

Mother Tao’s meal was ready in no time. It was a few simple home-cooked dishes with an extra dish of braised prawns.

It was intentionally placed in front of Tan Rou and Mother Tao purposefully nudged the plate closer to her while saying, “Rou Rou, eat this. This is mom’s specialty!”

Tao Zheng complained, “Mom! You’re biased. Am I still your biological son or not?!” When he said that, he winked at her. Tan Rou knew that he was deliberately trying to tease Mother Tao. He was afraid that she would not appreciate her kindness.

Tan Rou smiled sweetly, “You’ve tasted mother’s cooking for so many years. I am the one who is at a disadvantage. In the future, I’ll eat more to make up for what I have missed out on!”

With that said, she began to gobble down the food.

Tao Zheng did not expect Tan Rou to say that. He even left the chopsticks in his mouth as he looked at Tan Rou incredulously. It was very comical.

Tan Rou savored every bite. This was the taste of home. Everything was as surreal as a dream.

Mother Tao nudged Father Tao, who had just returned home, and whispered, “Look, I told you our daughter has changed right?”

Father Tao was also a little confused. “What’s going on?”

Mother Tao patted him lightly, “This is a good thing. Our daughter has matured. Our family is finally reunited!”

Father Tao smiled and nodded, “Yes, it’s a good thing. Let’s eat, let’s eat!”

After dinner, Tan Rou returned to her room. She had been busy all day and was dead beat.

Father Tao and Mother Tao were still discussing what had happened today, “I suspect that our child has been bullied. We shouldn’t vex her any further. We have to take good care of her.”

“Yes, I’ll go buy some expensive herbs tomorrow and make her a good tonic.”

Tao Zheng listened on the side and smiled. Although he still didn’t believe that Tan Rou had changed so quickly, after seeing how happy his parents were, should he give her a chance?

The following day, Tan Rou got up early and prepared to go out.

Mother Tao asked in surprise, “Rou Rou why are you up so early? Don’t you usually sleep in? Did mom wake you up?”

Tan Rou shook her head. “No, Mom. I want to go out for a walk. Just take it as I’m going for an exercise. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m leaving.”

“Okay, take care of yourself, ” Mother Tao replied.

Ever since Rou Rou came back last night, she has been exceptionally obedient and sensible. Mother Tao originally thought that it was just a spur of the moment but when she saw that her daughter was still so obedient this morning, she was reassured that there was nothing to worry about.

After leaving the house, Tan Rou went straight to the local herbs market. The collection of herbs here was far more complete and they were also much more professional.

Moreover, there were also quite a few good spice shops. These are all things that Tan Rou needs right now.

She didn’t know if she was overthinking things or not but she felt that there was a faint gaze staring at her. Her intuition was particularly strong but there were tons of people coming and going in the market and it was hard to pinpoint what was wrong. Tan Rou didn’t dare to let her guard down. She was ready to head home once she got what she needed.

However, when she passed by the entrance of an alley, a man immediately caught her attention.

Unlike the rowdy environment around her, the man was dressed in white. He sat alone in a wheelchair, and he was a stark contrast to the world around him. He sat there alone expressionlessly, and his eyes were slightly drooping down. His lips were slightly pursed, and he sat there without saying anything. That made people want to get close to him but at the same time, they were afraid of disturbing him.

The eyes of the people around him were all glued to him, but no one dared to approach him. He was a head-turner. It was as if they were looking at a painting that should not be there.

Tan Rou watched from not far away. The man had an extraordinary charisma. He was no ordinary person, but it was not difficult to see that his state of health was not very good. He had a weak and sickly look on his face. But why was he alone in this place when his body was clearly not well?

That was just a passing thought in Tan Rou’s mind and she did not intend to meddle in other people’s business. Her current situation was also very complicated. Just as she was about to pass him, the man who was originally looking down and looked like he was thinking about something suddenly raised his head and their eyes met.

In that instant, Tan Rou’s feet were rooted to the ground. He was really too handsome to ignore.

 

 

Chapter 10

When the originally cold and indifferent gaze met Tan Rou’s eyes, it turned into a very friendly and smiley expression. Coupled with his current situation, Tan Rou could even see the pitiful look on his face. It was as if he was a stray dog waiting for its master to come back.

Tan Rou was at loss. Originally, she could have pretended not to see him, but the frail-looking handsome guy who was alone seemed to be in trouble and she just couldn’t just ignore him.

While Tan Rou was hesitating, Zhuang Liu was still waiting alone at the entrance of the alley. Behind him, a strong man was pushing a wheelbarrow which was carrying several large bags of goods. The goods were piled really high and it was impossible to see the path in front of him clearly. He was shouting as he moved forward. “Come, come, make way, make way!”

The surrounding people quickly took the initiative to make way for him. The warm-hearted crowd also shouted at Zhuang Liu to warn him, “Young man, don’t stay there! It’s dangerous, quickly move off.”

Tan Rou saw that the man had lowered his head and was attempting to turn the wheelchair, but it seemed to have malfunctioned. He frowned slightly and tried a few more times, but the wheelchair did not move an inch.

The shouting grew louder and louder. Seeing that the wheelbarrow was slowly approaching the man, Tan Rou did not hesitate anymore. She stepped forward and pushed the wheelchair hard. She pushed Zhuang Liu away from the alley entrance and she stopped at the side which was relatively quiet.

Tan Rou lowered her body slightly and tried her best to be at eye level with the man, “Are you alone? That’s too dangerous.”

Zhuang Liu smiled lightly. “My friend and I got lost, and it so happened that my wheelchair malfunctioned at the same time. This wheelchair is faulty, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. I have to thank you for helping me.”

Tan Rou heard him speak. His voice was gentle and clear. His pace was neither fast nor slow, and she couldn’t help but sigh. As expected, handsome men’s voices were all so pleasant to listen to.

Tan Rou waved her hand. “It’s nothing. Do you need me to help you contact your friend?”

Zhuang Liu’s eyes were filled with joy. He nodded politely, “I also have to trouble you to lend me your phone. We parted so suddenly and my phone is still with him. I can’t contact him.”

Tan Rou nodded and passed the phone to Zhuang Liu.

Zhuang Liu lowered his head and typed something before returning the phone to Tan Rou promptly, “I have sent my general location to my friend. Thank you very much. My surname is Zhuang. Thanks for your help today. If you need anything in the future, you can call me. I owe you one.” As he said that, Zhuang Liu smiled gently, almost as though being indebted to her was a really joyous thing.

Tan Rou took the phone back and didn’t think too much about it. “It’s really nothing. I’m still in a hurry. This place should be safer. It’s good that your friend can come to pick you up. I’ll take my leave first.”

Hearing that the handsome guy had contacted his good friend to pick him up, Tan Rou felt at ease. She was in a hurry to go home and couldn’t delay any longer.

Zhuang Liu didn’t pester her to stay. He only smiled politely as he watched Tan Rou slowly fade into the horizon. Originally, he was just testing her to see if she still remembered him. Although the result wasn’t satisfactory and she had forgotten about him, it didn’t matter, they have a whole future ahead of them. With today’s encounter, their progress in the future would be very smooth.

His assistant, Xiao Mo, poked his head out from the corner of the wall. “Third Young Master, I was near you the whole time I dare not go far. Did you succeed in selling yourself?”

Zhuang Liu rolled his eyes at him. After leaving Tan Rou, he returned to his cold and indifferent self.

Xiao Mo scratched his head. “I was just worried about you…” then, he pushed Zhuang Liu away from the market.

Zhuang Liu pondered and asked casually, “What’s going on in the Tan Family?”

“The Tan family heard that your health… They’re clamoring to see Madam Zhuang and Grandma Zhuang. They’ve already informed them to come over. They said that they have something to discuss.”

Zhuang Liu nodded. That was good.

In the Tan family’s mansion, Grandma Zhuang and Madame Zhuang had been invited over from Haicheng. Upon arrival, they heard ridiculous news.

“You want to break off the engagement?” Madam Zhuang, Shen Qing, did not react visibly.

Logically speaking, although the Zhuang family’s influence was not strong here, they are still one of the top aristocratic families in Haicheng. Even if their influence here is not strong, the Tan family’s status is still far superior.

Back then, it was the Tan family’s old master who came to propose the marriage with the help of a little friendship from the previous generation. And the third brat at home insisted on getting married. Although the family was not very satisfied with the in-laws, they gave in in the end.

Now, it is the Tan family who wants to break off the engagement? It was a little ludicrous.