Chapter 14: Jiang Zhiyue, You Are Finished

He stumbled forward, barely able to keep his footing; had Jiang Qingyan not grabbed hold of him, he would have collapsed face-first onto the ground.

At this moment, he was completely unresponsive. He felt as if every word he had just heard was a bullet exploding inside his brain.

"Fifth Brother, are you alright?"

Jiang Chen turned his head stiffly. "Little Sister, did you hear that just now? That person, Jiang Zhiyue, she, she, she..."

She dared to do it, but he was too ashamed to even say it out loud.

A look of distress appeared on Jiang Qingyan's face. "I heard, Fifth Brother, I heard it all. What should we do? It’s all my fault. If I hadn't sprained my ankle, we would have arrived earlier and prevented this irreversible situation. What are we going to do now?"

Jiang Chen’s face darkened. "Little Sister, you don’t need to blame yourself. She has no self-respect; what does that have to do with you?"

With that, he stormed off in the direction the voices were coming from. He wanted to see exactly who was so bold as to engage in such shameless behavior in a park in broad daylight.

As Jiang Chen strode away, Jiang Qingyan hurried after him, her heart just as turbulent as his.

Ever since she discovered she was not the true daughter of the Jiang family, the terror of losing everything had permeated her very bones. She feared that her parents would distance themselves because of blood ties, and she feared that her brothers, who had always doted on her, would feel more pity and affection for their real sister. Most of all, she feared that her fiancé—with whom she was perfectly satisfied—would abandon her now that the true daughter had returned.

She lived every day in fear and trembling.

But fortunately, heaven was watching, and this "true daughter" was a fool. Although Jiang Zhiyue possessed a stunning face, she had no brains. Before she had even made a move, Jiang Zhiyue had used her status as the true daughter to try and force her out of the family.

How utterly stupid!

And now, with Jiang Chen catching Jiang Zhiyue in the act, she didn't believe for a second that they wouldn't have a thorn in their hearts. Would they really acknowledge such a wanton woman as the true daughter of the Jiang family?

Jiang Zhiyue, you are finished. A woman who is unrefined and unclean is considered filthy even as a tool for a strategic marriage.

By the time she caught up, Jiang Chen had already grabbed a man by the collar.

"So, you are the animals, right?"

Brother Ming, the man being grabbed, looked dazed, then shoved Jiang Chen away. "Young man, you looking for trouble? Who are you calling names?"

Jiang Chen was pushed back, staggering. He looked at the shocked Jiang Zhiyue with a dark expression.

"Jiang Zhiyue! I never imagined you were this kind of person! You—do you have any shame left? Look at these people! Old, ugly, smelly, wild men—you really aren't picky when it comes to getting a bite to eat."

Jiang Zhiyue was stunned, then nodded. "That's right. In this day and age, who picks and chooses their clients?"

She wasn't famous yet, so naturally, anyone who paid was a client. Why would she be picky?

"Clients? You actually call them clients? Jiang Zhiyue, how much did these old men pay you? How could you cheapen yourself like this? I'm calling the police! I'm calling the police!"

"Huh?"

Jiang Qingyan stepped forward, sobbing. "Big Sister, you are so confused. If you had any problems, you could have just talked to Mom and Dad properly. Why would you do something to hurt yourself like this? Big Sister, come home. As long as you apologize properly to Mom and Dad, they won’t blame you."

Jiang Zhiyue stood still, watching Jiang Qingyan’s teary-eyed performance.

Nearby, Brother Ming and the others sensed the problem and spoke up tentatively. "Uh, young man, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We don't have that kind of relationship with the Master; I asked the Master to come and help me exorcise some evil spirits."

Jiang Chen sneered, "Exorcise spirits? Why don't you say she's helping you put out a fire! If you're going to make up an excuse, at least make it a better one. Save that story for the police!"

Jiang Zhiyue took a deep breath and signaled for Brother Ming and his group to leave.

Jiang Chen tried to charge forward again, but Jiang Zhiyue intercepted him. Her "cheap" brother was in the prime of his youth and possessed a stubborn, bull-like strength; it took all her effort to hold him back.

"The uncle treated me to noodles, and I’m helping him exorcise spirits. That’s perfectly normal, isn't it? Hey, Jiang Chen, I’m not part of the Jiang family anymore. Don't you go blocking my source of income."

Jiang Chen was so angry he laughed. "Fine, Jiang Zhiyue! Since you want to cheapen yourself this much, then I won’t bother with you! It’s truly disgraceful! How could you be born so base?"

Jiang Zhiyue tried one last time. "Listen, Jiang Chen, don't be so hasty. If you really consider me family, why have you refused to listen to a single word I’ve said from the very beginning? I told you, I take money to resolve people's troubles. I am just exorcising spirits for that uncle."

Seeing the look of disdain on Jiang Chen’s face, Jiang Zhiyue felt exhausted. She found it hard to judge the members of the Jiang family. Everyone seemed to treat her "well" enough, yet not one of them had ever believed a single word she said.

No one cared what she was thinking, no one cared what she liked; they were always caught up in their own self-righteous, self-moving delusions.

This was truly exhausting.

"Enough! You aren't a celebrity, so why are you putting on an act? All day long, nothing but nonsense about exorcising spirits, catching ghosts, and changing destinies. If you were really that capable, would you be unable to afford a bowl of noodles after leaving the Jiang family?"

Jiang Qingyan gently tugged at Jiang Chen’s arm, and his expression softened slightly.

"Little Sister, it’s Fifth Brother’s fault. I didn't expect her to act so recklessly. Not only did she cause you to sprain your ankle, but she’s also offended your eyes with this filth."

"Fifth Brother, I’m fine. I just feel bad for Big Sister. How will she live her life from now on? Fifth Brother, I beg you, please don't tell Mom, Dad, or our other brothers about this, okay? Mom was saying today that she plans to formally introduce Big Sister to everyone soon. If people find out about this now, how will she ever hold her head up again?"

Jiang Zhiyue let out a long sigh. They were overthinking it, truly. She didn't just know how to be a person; she was quite good at being a ghost, too. Back in the day, she had deep-fried her fair share of fierce spirits. Steamed, braised, stir-fried... just thinking about it made her mouth water.

By the way, why hadn't Pei Heng called her yet? Didn't he say he was going to take her to buy some good things?

Jiang Chen felt irritated watching Jiang Zhiyue’s indifferent expression. "Little Sister, I’ve said it before: you are the only sister I acknowledge. She is nothing. Our Jiang family will never accept her."

Just then, Jiang Zhiyue’s phone rang. Her eyes lit up. "Hello? Great, sounds good. I’ve sent you the location."

After hanging up, her mood improved significantly. "Do you two still have something to say?"

"Big Sister, please don't be mad at Fifth Brother, okay? He only acts like this because he cares about you."

Jiang Zhiyue smiled. "Oh my, I suppose I’m just ill-informed. Keep that 'I don’t care what you think, I only care about what I think' brand of bossy concern for yourself; I’m afraid I have no fortune to enjoy it. Goodbye, then..."