"Hey, that was close..."

Emerging safely from the study, Zhu Jinchao patted his chest, feeling fortunate for himself.

If Zhu Qian hadn't suddenly remembered Zhu Xingye's birthday, she really wouldn't know how to get through this today.

"My luck has finally turned around for once," she said with a sigh as she walked towards her room.

No kidding, she genuinely felt like her luck had exploded tonight. Not only was she not punished for being caught secretly working, but her three older brothers actually doted on her even more.

It's like a dream.

Her room was at the other end of the corridor. She walked a few steps quickly to the door, turned the doorknob, and was about to go in when a hand suddenly reached out from behind her.

That hand braced against the door, trapping Zhu Jinzhao in place.

Zhu Jinzhao turned around blankly and unexpectedly bumped into Zhu Mingyue face to face.

“Mingyue…” Zhu Jinzhao stared at her with wide eyes, somewhat frightened. “W-is something wrong?”

Instead of answering, Zhu Mingyue asked, "Chaochao, may I come into your room?"

Zhu Jinzhao felt she had absolutely no room to refuse. Zhu Mingyue was the true heiress of the Zhu family, and everything in the Zhu family belonged to her. As someone living under someone else's roof, she had no confidence to refuse.

"Of course." She forced a smile and stepped aside to make way for Zhu Mingyue. "Mingyue, please come in."

Zhu Mingyue's gaze swept over her like a knife. She withdrew her hand, held her head high, and walked past Zhu Jinzhao into the room. The gust of wind she stirred up as she passed by was chillingly cold in the summer night.

Zhu Jinzhao couldn't help but shiver.

She still didn't dare close the door, and took a few steps into the room with trepidation.

Zhu Mingyue turned to stare at her and asked directly, "Are you happy?"

"..." Zhu Jinzhao remained silent. She knew Zhu Mingyue was there to cause trouble, and she didn't know how to respond.

Zhu Mingyue, however, insisted that she speak.

"Stop pretending to be mute! Weren't you laughing quite happily in the study just now?"

Zhu Jinzhao bit her lip and cautiously called her name: "Mingyue..."

Zhu Mingyue's face was icy, and she didn't respond at all. She stared intently at Zhu Jinzhao's face and took two steps forward with a sharp and imposing manner.

"Zhu Jinzhao, you're so smug, aren't you? You caused trouble outside, and not only did my three older brothers not punish you, they all like you and care about you more than the last. Do you think you're so great? So great that you've already trampled me underfoot?"

“I didn’t think that way…” Zhu Jinzhao explained pitifully, “I… I was just lucky tonight. If my second brother hadn’t mentioned my eldest brother’s birthday, I would have been locked up in solitary confinement by now.”

"Really?" Zhu Mingyue clearly didn't believe it.

Zhu Jinzhao nodded quickly: "Yes, yes. I have always remembered that you are the true daughter of the Zhu family. I will not deliberately compete with you for favor, nor will I want to step on your head."

"Hmph..." Zhu Mingyue sneered, "Zhu Jinzhao, don't you think your words and actions contradict each other?"

Zhu Jinzhao shook his head and honestly said, "I...I don't think so..."

Zhu Mingyue raised an eyebrow and suddenly changed the subject: "Chaochao, do you remember what you said to me on WeChat?"

"You mean you're trying to please me?"

Zhu Jinzhao: "Mm."

Zhu Mingyue leaned forward slightly: "Since you want to please me, will you listen to everything I say?"

Zhu Jinzhao thought for a moment and cautiously replied, "I think so..."

Zhu Mingyue: "Alright. Then I command you, from now on, whatever your three older brothers hate the most, you must do it. Okay?"

"I don't want to," Zhu Jinzhao said boldly and resolutely. "I don't want to do that."

"Why?" Zhu Mingyue asked sharply, "Weren't you trying to please me? Why won't you do that?"

Zhu Jinzhao looked up at her and said, "If I do this, I will offend all three of my brothers, and I will die a terrible death."

"Shouldn't you?" Zhu Mingyue's tone suddenly turned fierce. "Shouldn't you die?"

"You..." Zhu Jinzhao was startled by her words.

Although she had known all along that Zhu Mingyue wanted her dead, she still couldn't help but feel a chill when she heard Zhu Mingyue's words of deep hatred.

"Do you...do you hate me that much?" Zhu Jinzhao's incontinence kicked in at this moment. She clearly didn't want to cry, but the tears just wouldn't stop.

"I know I've wronged you. I'm the one who took your place as the eldest daughter of the Zhu family, and you've suffered for me for so many years. But... but none of this was my fault, so what did I do wrong?" She cried as she poured out her grievances.

"I was just a newborn baby back then, and I couldn't stop it from happening. I was also switched at birth, and I only found out recently. What did I do wrong?"

"..." Zhu Mingyue didn't respond to her.

She squinted slightly, staring intently at Zhu Jinzhao without blinking, not wanting to miss any subtle expression on his face.

Once the pent-up frustration in one's heart is expressed, it's hard to take it back immediately. Zhu Jinzhao continued, choking back tears, "I understand how you feel, so I made my stance clear to you on the first night you came home. I know my place; I won't compete with you or fight for what you want. If possible, I also want to leave the Zhu family as soon as possible and return my brother and all the affection to you!"

"But as you saw, my older brother and the others wouldn't let me leave. I had no choice but to swallow my pride and stay..."

“Mingyue, I really never thought about competing with you, nor did I intend to take your place. I don’t mind people calling me a fake heiress or an imposter; I just want you not to be affected by me…”

Zhu Mingyue listened to these words quietly, and remained silent for a long time.

Zhu Jinchao nervously fidgeted with her fingers, helplessly awaiting her judgment.

...

Wishing you a happy day.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhu Mingyue finally spoke.

Zhu Jinzhao wiped away her tears and looked up at her pitifully: "Hmm?"

Zhu Mingyue: "You said you were going to try to please me, do you still mean it?"

"Yes," Zhu Jinzhao replied sullenly, "It still counts."

"good."

Zhu Mingyue uttered this single word and left her room.

“…Huh?” Zhu Jinzhao turned around and looked at the empty doorway, his head full of question marks.

Zhu Mingyue walked quickly down the stairs, glancing up at Zhu Jinzhao's room before returning to her own.

"Trying to please me... I'll see how long you can keep up this act."

...

Zhu Jinzhao received Zhu Xingye's personal consent to her working part-time job, meaning she no longer needed to sneak around to earn money.

The next day when she arrived at school, she immediately shared the good news with Jiang Jingwen.

After hearing this, Jiang Jingwen immediately sent her a part-time job offer.

"Great! Now that you can go out openly, we can work as extras this weekend. We can earn over two hundred a day!"