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At four o'clock in the afternoon, Zhao Yue returned home after finishing her work.
The moment she stepped through the door, she noticed several maids gathered in small clusters, whispering among themselves.
Some frowned in clear displeasure—her parents would be back soon, and they hated seeing servants slacking off during work hours.
She was about to scold them when she caught snippets of their conversation.
"Do you think the young master has really taken a liking to Gu Yufei?"
Zhao Yue slowed her steps. Surprise flashed across her face, her eyes widening.
*Young Master… my brother?*
The maids kept talking, unaware of her presence.
"Of course! Someone saw her limping out of the young master's room earlier."
"Limping? But Gu Yufei already has a daughter. Could it be…"
"Hmph, she's definitely playing innocent in front of him. That woman's always been like that—staring at the young master with those lovesick eyes. Now that she's finally gotten her chance, of course she's scheming."
"Hey, don't judge her so harshly," one maid retorted. "Maybe… the young master is just exceptionally… capable."
The comment made the others blush and giggle.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" one hissed, cheeks red, swatting at the speaker.
"By the way, I heard the young master had little Gu Xiaohan locked in the pigsty. Is that true?"
"It's true—Butler Li handled it himself. How could it be fake?"
"…So you're saying Gu Yufei is abandoning her own daughter just to climb the social ladder?"
"Maybe. That woman has always dreamed of seducing the young master and turning her life around. Now that she's succeeded, of course she'd get rid of the baggage as fast as possible."
"But wasn't it the young master's order?" someone asked, covering her mouth in shock.
"Tch, how could someone as kind as our young master give such an order? It must be that shameless Gu Yufei who seduced him and then threw away all decency—even abandoning her child—to secure her position."
A collective hiss of breath followed.
Zhao Yue couldn't listen anymore. Disbelief burned in her eyes.
*How could this be possible? My own brother… involved with a maid like Gu Yufei?*
Her first reaction was flat denial.
But hearing the maids speak with such certainty stirred a growing displeasure in her chest.
"What are you all doing, clustering together like this during work hours?"
She stepped forward, her gaze cold and piercing. The chill in her eyes made the maids freeze.
"It's still working time. You know my parents' rules, don't you?"
The group scattered in panic.
"Miss… we're leaving right away!"
As they hurried off, one muttered under her breath, "Tch, who does she think she is? Just an adopted daughter brought in by the master and madam, yet she acts like the real young lady."
"There's nothing we can do—the young master spoils her rotten."
"Hmph. She's lucky to have such a good brother."
"Shut up already. No matter what, she's still the young miss. Stop gossiping."
Zhao Yue didn't hear the rest. She stood frozen in place, staring up at the building. Her expression flickered between light and shadow, betraying the storm raging inside her.
She knew the story: a few years ago, her brother had taken pity on a pitiful woman and let her work as a maid in their home. The woman had a daughter and was rumored to have been harmed by someone—pregnant out of wedlock, then cast out by her family.
Zhao Yue had never imagined things would turn out like this.
*That woman is far too cunning.*
Her face darkened.
*Absolutely not.*
From every angle, Gu Yufei was unworthy of her brother.
She took two deep breaths to steady herself. She knew Zhao Yan better than anyone—he would never order something as cruel as throwing a little girl into a pigsty.
So it could only be Gu Yufei's doing.
A cold laugh escaped her lips.
*What a vicious mother!*
To do something so heartless to her own child!
People like that had no right to harbor delusions about her brother.
*It's all just wishful thinking.*
Zhao Yue had once pitied Gu Yufei and helped her often.
But now?
This woman dared to try stealing her brother behind her back.
Unforgivable!
Her fists clenched so hard her nails bit into her palms, nearly drawing blood.
Gritting her teeth, she marched straight toward Zhao Yan's room.
*This is just hearsay from the maids. For the truth, I need to ask the person involved directly.*
She burst into his room without knocking—something she had done many times before.
"Brother!"
Zhao Yue stormed in naturally.
"They say you've taken a liking to Gu Yufei. Is it true or not?"
Her voice trembled slightly with nerves.
Zhao Yan lounged on his recliner. A flicker of displeasure crossed his face.
"Will you never learn something as basic as knocking?"
(Internally, he sighed. *Here comes my little sister… breaking my heart with this confrontation. But starting today, I have to follow the plot.*
Still, knowing he'd leave her the entire family fortune in the end eased the guilt a little.)
He slipped into character.
In the original story, Zhao Yan constantly berated and abused his adopted sister—beating her, scolding her, treating her worse than a servant. Maids at least got paid; Zhao Yue got nothing but tuition and the warning: "Behave yourself outside, or we'll look heartless."
No wonder the original Zhao Yue grew twisted with resentment toward the family and Zhao Yan.
At home she endured daily humiliation; outside she had to pretend they were a loving family. Anyone would snap under that pressure.
Even adopting a pet—you don't have to love it, but at least don't hurt it!
It was understandable why she eventually teamed up with the protagonist to seize the Zhao family assets.
But understanding didn't mean accepting it.
From the original Zhao Yan's perspective, one day his parents suddenly brought home a blood-unrelated "sister" who would steal their affection.
He felt betrayed.
Even if the adoption had ulterior motives, he still couldn't accept her.
In the end, he died gruesomely at the hands of his non-biological sister, and the family fortune was taken.
The current Zhao Yan wasn't that person
*he truly love her like his own sister. It's hard for him to act this way… but he have to.*
He shook his head, dismissing the complicated feelings.