The air in the study thickened. Madam Lian's face drained of color when she saw Mo Liancheng leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed and his gaze colder than frost.
"Mo Shao, you misunderstand—" she stammered, her lips trembling.
"Misunderstand?" His voice was soft, almost pleasant, but the weight behind it made her knees weak. "You locked away documents proving Yunxi's true identity. That is not a misunderstanding. That is deliberate theft."
Ji Yunxi's smile was faint, razor-sharp. "So it's true then? I was never your daughter. All this time, I was just a shield for Lin Xi?"
Madam Lian's mask cracked, and her eyes flickered with madness. "You were supposed to be obedient! Do you think you deserve to take Xi'er's place? You were nothing without this family—"
Ji Yunxi stepped forward, her tone calm but biting. "Correction. I was nothing because you made sure of it. But now that the truth is in my hands… tell me, Madam Lian, what exactly do I owe you?"
Madam Lian's hand trembled as she raised it, ready to slap Yunxi. But before it could land, a pale, slender hand caught her wrist mid-air.
Mo Liancheng's expression didn't change, but his voice dropped dangerously. "Touch her, and I'll make sure the Lian family disappears from this city overnight."
Madam Lian froze, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She had underestimated Mo Liancheng's attachment to this girl.
Ji Yunxi pulled out the DNA report and waved it lazily. "Since you love hiding secrets, why don't I share this with the whole city? I'm sure the press would be delighted."
Panic flickered in Madam Lian's eyes. "No—you can't—"
Ji Yunxi's gaze hardened. "Watch me."
That night, word spread like wildfire: Lian Yunxi was not Madam Lian's biological daughter. The internet buzzed with speculations, some sympathetic, others cruel.
At school the next morning, whispers followed her everywhere.
"She's not even the real daughter? Then Lin Xi—""Wait, doesn't that mean she's the real Ji family heiress? The one who was thought to be dead?""Lin Xi must be the fake one all along…"
Lin Xi stormed into the classroom, her face flushed with rage. She slammed her hand on Ji Yunxi's desk. "You! How dare you ruin me?!"
Ji Yunxi lifted her eyes lazily from her book. "Ruin you? Don't flatter yourself. I only revealed the truth. You ruined yourself by stealing what wasn't yours."
Lin Xi trembled, her nails digging into her palm. "I won't let you take everything from me!"
Ji Yunxi smirked. "Funny. That's exactly what I was about to say to you."
From the back of the room, Mo Liancheng watched silently, his presence like an immovable mountain. His eyes never left Ji Yunxi, coldly warning anyone who thought of siding with Lin Xi.
For the first time, Ji Yunxi realized—this was no longer just her battle. With Mo Liancheng at her side, the game had become far more dangerous… and far more interesting.