"Mom trusted you too much, only to realize you only know how to wrong yourself," Old Madam Ying's eyes were cloudy, but her gaze sharp as ever, "I don't know who knew very well it was her own uncle by marriage's room, yet still took a bath in there..."
"Shameless!"
Zhong Manhua's face changed again.
No matter how you put it, the fact that Ying Zijin seduced Jiang Moyuan was undeniable.
It happened a little over a month ago, on January 17th, shortly after Verdant Middle School had let out for holiday.
As the New Year approached, Ying Zhenting was busy managing the company, while Zhong Manhua was getting ready to send the eldest Miss of the Ying Family to O State for a half-year exchange program.
It was a hard-won opportunity that simply couldn't afford any mistakes.
Deciding who was more important between the Eldest Miss and the Second Miss was not even a question.
However, at the end of the day, it's still her own biological daughter, Zhong Manhua couldn't completely let go of her worries. She had intended to send Ying Zijin to the Zhong Family, but they were reluctant to take her in.
Fortunately, Ying Luwei offered to help look after her. Zhong Manhua, thus reassured, stayed in O State a few more days. But before she could return, news had already spread of the Ying Family's foster daughter shamelessly seducing her own uncle by marriage.
She immediately changed her ticket and flew back to Shanghai City, only then did she find out what had really happened.
Jiang Moyuan was accustomed to working from his office at the Queen Central Hotel, a well-known fact among the people of Shanghai City. The Presidential Suite on the 18th floor of the Queen Central Hotel was his personal room.
And her own flesh and blood daughter dared to take a bath in it!
If it wasn't to seduce Jiang Moyuan, what else could it be for?
Fortunately, Jiang Moyuan, considering Ying Luwei's face, didn't spread the word, but didn't mince his words when he came directly to the door of the Ying Family, demanding they discipline their own.
Even though the matter was suppressed, rumors still leaked out.
In those days, whenever Zhong Manhua encountered other wealthy families on the road, she was ridiculed, both implicitly and explicitly.
She really had had enough!
Zhong Manhua, barely holding back her anger, said, "Get over here and apologize right now!"
"Sister-in-law..." Seeing she could not persuade her, Ying Luwei had no choice but to look at the girl, "Xiao Jin, your aunt knows this isn't your fault, come over here and coax your sister-in-law, getting angry is bad for your health."
Ying Zijin, long legs slightly bent as she leaned against the door, lifted her eyelids at these words, "Was I blind?"
"Xiao Jin, how could you be blind? You are perfectly fine..." Before she could finish her sentence, Ying Luwei suddenly realized what was happening, she exclaimed, aghast, "Xiao Jin, how can you say such a thing, if it wasn't for Moyuan, we wouldn't have been able to find you."
She frowned, clearly displeased.
Jiang Moyuan was the man that all the socialites and rich ladies of Shanghai City wanted to marry, so how had she been blind?
Did that not insult her as well?
Ying Luwei pursed her lips, her head bowed, looking very upset.
Old Madam Ying couldn't stand to see her daughter upset, her anger turning into mocking laughter, "You really came from a small county town, you can say such ridiculous things!"
With such commotion, naturally, the servants all heard it.
They looked over curiously, their gazes at the girl filled with contempt.
Zhong Manhua's hands were trembling, she had never felt so humiliated before.
And, to make matters worse, the humiliation was brought upon her by her own biological daughter.
Did she give birth to her just to torment her?
At the thought, Zhong Manhua's blood seemed to reverse its flow, her head throbbing as if about to explode with a "bang".
Finally unable to contain herself any longer, she strode forward, about to drag the girl over to her—
In the silent living room, suddenly a woman's soft voice was heard.
"Xiao Jin, go to room 1801 at Queen Hotel and wait for me. I have prepared bath items and new clothes for you there. After you take a bath, go to The Bund with your aunt, alright?"
"..."
Zhong Manhua was startled, somewhat astonished, "Luwei?"
Old Madam Ying was also somewhat surprised.
Ying Luwei suddenly raised her head, looking incredulously at the girl.
A simple phone call, and yet it was recorded?
Ying Zijin listlessly tossed her phone aside, turned off the recording, "Is there anything else?"
This new technology of the twenty-first century is great, hardly requiring any effort from her.
The phone is quite impressive, automatically recording during calls.
Old Madam Ying suddenly felt embarrassed.
Her old face stiffened there, turning from pale to red, visibly agitated.
When she thought of what she had said before and then listened to this recording, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to bury herself in.
Ying Luwei quickly recovered, her eyes lowered as she spoke softly, "Mom, sister-in-law, it's my fault. I forgot about this matter. I was the one who asked Zijin to go there, but I stepped out for a bit and told Zijin to wait for me. I didn't expect Moyuan to return early. Actually, nothing happened, I don't know how it got blown out of proportion."
She then apologised with a smile, "I later explained it to Moyuan as well. Mom, sister-in-law, it really wasn't Zijin's fault. Haven't I said so?"
Her emotions seemed genuinely sincere.
Zhong Manhua looked at the girl with a complex expression, then sat down on the sofa again, this time silently refraining from speaking.
Old Madam Ying was so embarrassed she just wanted to quickly move past this incident.
She tapped her walking cane on the floor again, her gaze stern, yet lacking the aggressive arrogance from before, "Alright, since it's not about becoming the Matriarch of the Jiang family, why did you push Weiwei?"
This question rekindled Zhong Manhua's anger that had just quelled, "You know full well your aunt has hemophilia, yet you still did this?"
"Mom, sister-in-law, it's not like that..." Ying Luwei's eyes widened in urgency as she quickly interjected, "What are you all talking about? I've already said, it has nothing to do with Zijin. She was even trying to help me at the time."
"Luwei, you don't need to explain for her. She's always been good at lying, hasn't she always been like this, and you still indulge her?" Zhong Manhua was furious, slamming her hand on the table, her heart aching fiercely, "Do you know what people on Weibo are saying about you?"
Ungrateful!
What a huge accusation!
Just then, as the butler who was browsing Weibo suddenly spoke up, "Madam, Old Madam, something terrible has happened. Someone has released a video from the party."
"A video?" Zhong Manhua was also shocked, "Show it to me."
It was a private New Year's party; how could there possibly be a video?
If there was a video, wouldn't that leave no room to cover things up?
"Having a video is good," Old Madam Ying scoffed, "The truth will be right before our eyes, and the lies will collapse on their own."
The butler quickly passed the phone over, placing it before Zhong Manhua and Old Madam Ying.
Ying Luwei, as if realizing something, her expression shifted slightly, and she moved to intervene.
But the video was playing automatically, and it was too late for her to stop it.
In the footage, a woman elegantly descended the stairs. Halfway down, her right foot retreated, stepping on her dress, causing her to fall forward. One hand fiercely grabbed onto the girl behind her.
The girl looked visibly stunned, managing to hold onto the stair rail in time, preventing herself from tumbling down as well.
This less than twenty-second clip was posted as the top trending topic in the seventeenth position on Weibo.