"Big brother, do you need me to go and keep an eye on Chaochao's room?"

Zhu Qian stood in the hallway outside the room, speaking to Zhu Xingye in a low voice: "Their relationship is sensitive. I'm worried that if Mingyue goes in, she might clash with Chaochao. Chaochao's already acting a bit off today."

"No need for now." Zhu Xingye leaned against the railing of the corridor, playing with a sandalwood bracelet between his well-defined fingers.

“Mingyue and Chaochao are both our younger sisters. Regardless of whether they like each other or have any opinions about each other, it’s not appropriate for us, as their older brothers, to interfere directly. They are both our flesh and blood, and if we get involved, it will inevitably be suspected that we are biased.”

"No matter who you favor, the other person will be hurt."

Zhu Qian thought about Zhu Xingye's words carefully, then nodded in agreement: "Yes, Big Brother is right."

Zhu Xingye looked at the closed door and gave a slight smile: "Let the two of them talk to themselves for a while. Mingyue is a very clear-headed child, and Chaochao is a bit childish, but she has a soft heart. They should be fine."

Contrary to expectations, Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Jinzhao not only encountered trouble, but it was also quite serious.

Inside the room, Zhu Jinzhao was completely frozen.

"..."

Wow, no wonder he's a born winner in arguments, he actually saw through Zhu Jinzhao's fear at a glance.

Zhu Jinzhao was panicked, but dared not show it openly. She could only force a calm smile and say, "What are you talking about? What are you saying? Mingyue is so beautiful, so kind, and so understanding. I love you to death. How could I be afraid?"

Zhu Mingyue raised an eyebrow, measuring the distance between Zhu Jinzhao and her with her gaze: "...If you're not afraid of me, why are you hiding so far away?"

"...Huh?" Zhu Jinzhao was stunned for a moment, then looked down at her position and realized that she had subconsciously hidden on the windowsill the moment Zhu Mingyue entered the room.

At this moment, she had already stepped one leg out of the window, looking as if she was ready to jump off the building and run away at any moment.

"...I'm sorry." She smiled guiltily, clung to the window, and slowly climbed down, putting on her slippers as she approached Zhu Mingyue.

Zhu Mingyue was tall, appearing to be half a head taller than Zhu Jinzhao. Standing in front of her, Zhu Jinzhao looked like an easily bullied little weakling.

She sized up the little girl in front of her and pointed at her feet: "You're wearing your slippers on the wrong feet."

"..." Zhu Jinzhao obediently changed her shoes quickly, "I'm sorry."

"...Why do you always say sorry to me?" Zhu Mingyue frowned slightly, finding Zhu Jinzhao's words somewhat amusing. "I haven't said anything yet."

Zhu Jinzhao stared at the floor beneath her feet, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. She answered honestly, "Because I... I'm really embarrassed. After all, you are the true daughter of the Zhu family..."

"Hmm." Zhu Mingyue nodded in agreement. "You're quite self-aware."

Zhu Jinzhao: "...I'm sorry."

Zhu Mingyue didn't respond to her again. She crossed her arms and strolled leisurely around Zhu Jinzhao's new room, a mocking smile suddenly appearing on her lips: "As expected of the Zhu family, even the room they furnished for this imposter is so luxurious."

"I hope you've had a happy twenty years, right?"

"..." Zhu Jinzhao didn't know how to answer this, and could only keep saying, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

Although she felt that the fake heiress hadn't done anything wrong regarding her background, she still desperately wanted to admit her mistake because she was afraid that Zhu Mingyue would directly harm her.

Zhu Mingyue quickly grew accustomed to her cowardice. She stopped arguing with Zhu Jinzhao about the matter and continued talking about her own things.

“The Zhu family is rich and powerful. From the first day you came into this family, you were destined to never suffer. You have endless money, three loving older brothers, and a dazzling status wherever you go. Unlike me, I have been struggling in the mud for the past twenty years.”

Zhu Jinzhao lowered her head, neither daring nor having the confidence to look into Zhu Mingyue's eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's all because of me that you've suffered so much."

"Hmph," Zhu Mingyue sneered, "your apology carries no weight whatsoever, not even a fraction of the pain you caused."

"Zhu Jinzhao, do you know where your real home is?"

Zhu Jinzhao shook his head: "I don't know..."

Zhu Mingyue: "Your real home is in a mountain in the Northwest, a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the capital. Your home is poor and dilapidated, your parents favor sons over daughters, your brother is unruly and rotten to the core."

"Can you believe it? After watching porn, he couldn't release his pent-up emotions, so he went and sexually harassed his own sister."

“…What?” Zhu Jinzhao was stunned. She looked up and looked directly into Zhu Mingyue’s eyes for the first time that night.

Zhu Mingyue looked at her and smiled, a smile that was both bitter and cold: "Your birth was not the result of your parents' love, but rather they wanted to give birth to a dowry for their son. From the moment you were born, you were converted into money."

“You are twenty years old this year. According to the plan, you should have been married off to a forty-year-old bachelor last year in exchange for 120,000 yuan to help your brother get married. But the plan changed. Your brother was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia a month before the wedding. In order to save your brother’s life, your parents took you to the hospital to try to donate your bone marrow to your brother. Unfortunately, your bone marrow is not a match.”

"..." Zhu Jinzhao stared blankly at the girl in front of her. She was thin, aloof, and unwilling.

Zhu Mingyue: "You've never looked like anyone in your family since you were little. Those foolish villagers all said you weren't your parents' biological child. You always thought it was a joke, but you never expected it to be true. Because of this blood test for matching, the mystery of your origins was solved, and the hospital told your parents that you had been switched at birth. Your parents were furious and resentful. They beat and kicked you in the hospital, calling you a worthless piece of trash, a piece of trash who couldn't save your brother."

"Zhu Jinzhao, this is the life that belongs to you. You should have endless work, you should live a life without hope! You should wish you were dead!"

Zhu Mingyue was filled with resentment; it seemed she had been holding it in for many years, just waiting for Zhu Jinzhao to appear so she could vent it on her.

May your fingers fasten the hem of your clothes to pieces today.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" She had no idea that Zhu Mingyue had borne so much pain for the fake heiress. Although she was a time traveler, she couldn't hold her head up in front of Zhu Mingyue at all.

She felt like a thief, stealing someone else's life and happiness.

She didn't know how to atone for her sins, so she could only apologize desperately while opening the closet and taking out her packed luggage.

"Mingyue, I'm so sorry. You can hate me, you can resent me, I'm a sinner!"

"I... I am very self-aware. I know I am just an imposter. Only you are the true master of the Zhu family... no, you are the true daughter of the Zhu family!"

"Your brother is yours, all the wealth and glory is yours, and this big house is yours too! I'm only fit to work!"

"Calm down, I'll disappear from the Zhu family and from your sight right now!"

"Mingyue, live well from now on. I'll go first—"

Before she could finish speaking, Zhu Jinzhao swung two large, round sacks, intending to make a run for it. However, to her surprise, the sacks were as heavy as hammers; the moment she swung them over her shoulders, the weight of the sacks sent her flying.

"ah--"

"Bang!"

The sound of flesh hitting the ground was so dull.

"..." Zhu Mingyue was dumbfounded.