Chapter 143: Refuse To Let Others Know The Truth

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Refuse To Let Others Know The Truth

"What?!" Jiang Mingzhu gasped, genuinely shocked.

Her eyes snapped instantly toward Jiang Lukang and Feng Lan, filled with disbelief.

"Dad, this really is the best outcome for everyone involved!" Jiang Lukang argued defensively. "Meixia has been officially acknowledged and brought back into the fold, while Yanna gets to remain safely by our side."

"He is right, Dad! I have raised Yanna since she was a helpless infant in my arms." Feng Lan chimed in, dabbing at her eyes with a delicate handkerchief as tears began to spill over. "I love her dearly! How could I possibly cast her aside after eighteen years of maternal devotion?"

Jiang Yanna moved swiftly to rub her mother’s back in comfort. Feeling her daughter’s tender touch, Feng Lan pulled Jiang Yanna into a dramatic, tight embrace.

"No one is asking you to throw the girl out into the streets! We are simply demanding that you tell the world the truth!" Old Master Jiang bellowed, striking his cane against the floor.

"Dad, if the public finds out the truth, Yanna’s entire reputation in high society will be completely destroyed!" Jiang Lukang pleaded desperately. "People will sneer at her and look down on her once they learn she does not carry Jiang blood! Besides, our family is more than wealthy enough to afford raising two daughters!"

"Exactly! What could possibly be wrong with that?" Feng Lan added defensively. "I am simply protecting the child I raised with my own hands. Regardless of bloodlines, she is my daughter, plain and simple!"

"Grandpa, Grandma, why must you insist on making this public? Can’t you just let the matter rest?" Jiang Chinan interjected, stepping forward to defend his favourite sister. He then whirled around, directing a glare of pure hostility right at Qiao Meixia. "Qiao Meixia, are you deliberately trying to push Sister Yanna to the brink of death? Do you derive some sick pleasure from trying to publicly humiliate her?"

"Chinan, shut your mouth!" Jiang Suhan snapped, grabbing Jiang Chinan’s arm and hauling him back.

Jiang Chinan violently yanked his arm free from his older brother’s grip.

"Eldest Brother, I honestly don’t know what’s gotten into you lately! Ever since that girl showed up, you have completely changed." Jiang Chinan spat bitterly.

"That is enough!" Old Master Jiang slammed the tip of his heavy wooden cane onto the marble floor with a deafening crack.

The sharp sound cut through the chaos instantly, plunging the room into absolute silence.

"Fine. Have it your way. Do whatever you foolishly please." Old Master Jiang said, shaking his head in deep disappointment.

Jiang Yanna’s triumphant gaze darted over to Qiao Meixia. Coincidentally, Qiao Meixia happened to be looking back at her at that exact moment.

Jiang Yanna flashed her a smug, victorious smile, silently declaring that she had won this battle.

"In that case, we will take our leave first." Jiang Lukang announced, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere. He turned toward his children and said, "Meixia, Suhan, let’s go."

"There is no need. Meixia will be staying in my room with me tonight." Old Madam Jiang interjected authoritatively.

"I also have some matters to discuss with my cousin, so I will head back later." Jiang Suhan added smoothly.

Jiang Lukang looked at his rebellious son and daughter, taking a deep, frustrated breath to suppress his rising anger.

"Fine. Suit yourselves." Jiang Lukang muttered coldly.

Without another word, Jiang Lukang swept out of the hall, with Feng Lan, Jiang Chinan, and Jiang Yanna following closely behind him.

"I truly cannot fathom what goes on in their heads." Jiang Mingzhu muttered, shaking her head in disgust as she watched them leave.

"Are you alright, Meixia?" Old Madam Jiang asked, her tone softening into genuine concern as she turned to her granddaughter.

"Hmm." Qiao Meixia hummed neutrally.

"My poor child, you have suffered far too much unfairness." Old Madam Jiang sighed, her eyes filled with heartache.

"She is right, Meixia. You must not feel sad or discouraged. Remember that the rest of us are all here to back you up." Jiang Mingzhu chimed in warmly.

Qiao Meixia blinked, genuinely puzzled by why Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Mingzhu were offering such dramatic sympathy. She did not feel like she was suffering at all. More importantly, she did not feel a shred of sadness, simply because she had never harboured any foolish expectations regarding Jiang Lukang and Feng Lan in the first place.

"Alright, that’s enough for tonight. Let’s all return to our suites and get some proper rest. Tomorrow morning, after we have breakfast together, we will head back." Old Master Jiang instructed.

Since the banquet venue was quite a distance from the main Jiang estate, the family had reserved private luxury suites at the hotel for the night.

As Qiao Meixia made her way down the quiet hallway toward her room, she noticed Jiang Fenfang trailing right behind her like a persistent shadow. Upon reaching her door, Qiao Meixia turned around and looked at her cousin quizzically.

"Sister Meixia, can I please, please sleep in your room tonight? Pretty please?" Jiang Fenfang pleaded, clasping her hands together and putting on the most pitiful, puppy-dog expression she could muster.

Qiao Meixia just stood there, staring silently at her.

Undeterred by the lack of response, Jiang Fenfang doubled down on her cute act, blinking rapidly and pouting in hopes of softening her cousin’s stone-cold defences. Her relentless dramatic effort paid off when Qiao Meixia finally let out a quiet breath.

"Suit yourself." Qiao Meixia replied casually.

"Yay! Perfect! I will run back to my room to grab my overnight bag first! Cousin Meixia, cross your heart that you will wait for me and not lock me out!" Jiang Fenfang squealed with excitement.

She dashed down the carpeted hallway toward her own room, threw the door open, and bolted inside like a woman on a mission. Snatching her handbag off the bed, she turned right around and sprinted back out.

It had not even been ten seconds before Jiang Fenfang came sliding to a halt right back at Qiao Meixia’s side, waiting for Qiao Meixia to open the door.

Qiao Meixia had literally just put her keycard to the door lock when she turned to find Jiang Fenfang already standing beside her, panting slightly. She was genuinely impressed by her cousin’s sheer speed.

"You are fast." Qiao Meixia remarked dryly.

"Of course I am! I was not about to give you enough time to change your mind while I was gone!" Jiang Fenfang laughed, hugging her bag tightly to her chest.

Qiao Meixia eyed her for a brief second before pressing the keycard against the reader and opening the door.

"Let me in first." Qiao Meixia said.

"Okay!" Jiang Fenfang happily skipped inside right behind her.

For some reason she could not quite put her finger on, she had a strong feeling that spending the night with her unusual cousin was going to be an absolute blast.

Jiang Fenfang placed her bag onto the sofa and immediately unzipped it to pull out her pyjamas. She could not wait to change out of her stiff formal gown and slip into something far more comfortable.

"Cousin Meixia, I am going to take a shower first!" Jiang Fenfang called out.

"Hmm..." Qiao Meixia responded neutrally.

The moment the bathroom door clicked shut, Qiao Meixia pulled out her laptop and powered it on. Instead of connecting to the hotel’s public Wi-Fi, she carefully tethered the internet from her personal phone. She knew better than to log into sensitive systems over an unsecured hotel network.

Her fingers danced effortlessly across the keyboard, entering a complex security code that granted her immediate access to an encrypted portal. It was a covert online marketplace where high-level clients could buy and sell specialised services. Whenever she had a spare moment, she liked to check the board to see if any intriguing tasks had been posted.

Finding nothing that caught her eye tonight, she prepared to log out. However, just as her cursor hovered over the exit button, a private message suddenly flashed onto her screen.

[Unknown]: Are you Q?

[Q]: What?

[Unknown]: I want to buy your service.

[Q]: Submit an application through the Red Mansion Channel.

[Unknown]: But it’s specifically your skill set I need.

[Unknown]: Red Mansion is filled with talented people. You can hire any of them.

[Unknown]: I really only want to hire you.

[Q]: I am sorry.

Qiao Meixia’s eyes narrowed sharply as her laptop issued a sudden, subtle security alert. Someone on the other end was actively attempting to trace her IP address and pinpoint her physical location.

Her fingers instantly flew across the keys in a blur of rapid-fire commands, completely abandoning the chat conversation.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***