The cafeteria confrontation spread like wildfire through the entire campus. By the end of the day, Ji Yunxi's name was on every student's lips.
"The real heiress is unstoppable.""She even slapped Lin Xi in front of everyone!""Did you see Mo Liancheng holding her hand? That's basically an announcement!"
Lin Xi, once the untouchable school flower, now hid in the shadows. Her pride was in tatters, her face still bearing the faint mark of Ji Yunxi's slap.
But Ji Yunxi didn't relax. She knew Lin Xi wasn't the type to give up easily.
That night, Ji Yunxi sat cross-legged in her room.
[Ding! Current task progress: 45%. Task: Thoroughly crush the fake heiress's reputation. Bonus objective: Reveal her hidden backers.]
"Backers?" Ji Yunxi narrowed her eyes. "So Lin Xi has someone behind her."
The system's cheerful voice chimed, [Yes, Host. But you'll need points to unlock detailed intel. Would you like to exchange?]
Ji Yunxi glanced at her current balance. 1,200 points. She smirked. "Not yet. I'll make Lin Xi expose them herself."
Meanwhile, in the Mo family's study, Mo Liancheng sat before his laptop. His long fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up files and records with ease.
He wasn't investigating Ji Yunxi—he already believed in her. No, he was digging into the Ji family itself.
The Ji parents had always seemed overly eager to "correct their mistake" and bring Ji Yunxi home, but Mo Liancheng knew powerful families rarely acted without hidden agendas.
Who benefited most from raising a fake daughter?
His sharp gaze landed on one name: Ji Feng, Ji family's second uncle. A businessman whose profits had skyrocketed the moment Lin Xi was acknowledged as the Ji family's "real" daughter.
A cold smile curved Mo Liancheng's lips. "So this is who stands behind Lin Xi."
The next day at school, the whispers hadn't died down. Instead, they grew louder as photos of the cafeteria slap circulated on every student's phone.
Lin Xi arrived, her head low, but still tried to act arrogant.
"You all think Ji Yunxi is so great? She's just pretending. She doesn't deserve the Ji family's wealth!" Lin Xi sneered, her voice cracking.
Ji Yunxi walked past her, pausing just long enough to deliver a cutting remark.
"At least I don't have to pretend to be someone else just to feel important."
The crowd laughed, Lin Xi's face turning ghostly pale.
But what truly shattered her pride was when a teacher arrived with an announcement.
"Lin Xi," the teacher said coldly. "The Ji family has temporarily cut off your allowance. From today, you'll need to pay school expenses yourself."
Gasps echoed in the hallway.
Lin Xi's eyes widened. "W-What? That's impossible! My parents—"
Ji Yunxi tilted her head, her smile laced with mockery. "Looks like the Ji family has started to see through you. Enjoy your new life, Lin Xi."
Behind her, Mo Liancheng watched silently, his eyes filled with admiration and protectiveness. But deep inside, he was already laying down the next move in this dangerous game.
Because for Ji Yunxi's sake, he would tear apart anyone who dared scheme against her—even if it was her own family.