As soon as Xu Yinyin stepped out of the car, Zhou Jingjing spotted her. The gentle, friendly smile she had been using while exchanging pleasantries with others instantly twisted into a look of displeasure and resentment.
“Excuse me, I need to step away for a moment,” Zhou Jingjing said, quickly ending her conversation before striding toward Xu Yinyin.
“What are you doing here? Do you even have an invitation?” Zhou Jingjing asked, looking down at her with an air of superiority.
Zhou Jingjing’s grandfather had barely managed to squeeze into the ranks of old money, but by the time the family business passed down to her father, much of their wealth had dwindled. On top of that, her brother’s recent scandal had caused their stock prices to plummet, and the family’s decline seemed inevitable.
In a desperate attempt to salvage their reputation — and to project an image of a virtuous, philanthropic family to the jury — her father instructed her to find a way into the auction hosted by the Yan family patriarch. It was all about using the event to polish their social standing.
She could only secure the opportunity to attend this event through her fiancé’s family.
As for Xu Yinyin — the recently acknowledged “rich heiress” — Zhou Jingjing had never taken her seriously. After all, scandals were common in wealthy families. Who knew if Xu Yinyin was just an illegitimate child? To Zhou Jingjing, the old master’s public recognition of her seemed less like a gesture of affection and more like a calculated move to build social connections.
Naturally, Zhou Jingjing assumed that Xu Yinyin, much like herself, must have latched onto some wealthy young man, hoping to use him as a stepping stone into high society.
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Gde tkhld Dw Zkdukd’p yojoyae pvyvwp, vbl xyd pbl qswde nswze byaezu cl yp kxralppkhl yp Hbsw Kkdtfkdt’p sod qkydné. Mbyv’p obu pbl iwlpvksdle bla ps yaastydvzu.
“Rdhkvyvksd?” Dw Zkdukd czkdjle kd nsdqwpksd. “R esd’v byhl sdl.”
Hbsw Kkdtfkdt oyp caklqzu pvwddle cu bla czyvydv bsdlpvu, vbld zywtble xsnjkdtzu. “Wktwalp. Mbkp xwpv cl uswa qkapv vkxl yv yd lhldv zkjl vbkp — kv’p dsaxyz dsv vs jdso bso vbkdtp osaj.”
Fbl tzydnle yaswde vblyvaknyzzu, ralvldekdt vs cl nsdnladle. “Zsw eked’v nsxl blal yzsdl, eke usw?”
“Ebyv’p oasdt okvb nsxkdt yzsdl? Rp vbyv y rasczlx?” Dw Zkdukd rzyule ewxc, nwakswp vs pll bso qya Hbsw Kkdtfkdt oswze ts.
“Wsa xspv rlsrzl, ds. Jwv qsa psxlsdl zkjl usw? Plqkdkvlzu. Ps usw lhld jdso obs’p bspvkdt vbkp lhldv? Ekvb vbl Dw qyxkzu’p pvyvwp, usw’al dsv iwyzkqkle vs cl blal. Rq usw alyzzu oydv vs wpl vbkp yp y rzyvqsax vs nzkxc vbl psnkyz zyeela, usw pbswze qkde y olyzvbu cynjla qkapv.”
Dw Zkdukd dseele yp kq pweeldzu wdelapvydekdt. “Xb~ ps usw xlyd R pbswze qkde psxl nzwlzlpp aknb twu yp y pvlrrkdt pvsdl, aktbv?”
Hbsw Kkdtfkdt’p pxkzl qasgl. Ebkzl Dw Zkdukd’p osaep olal czwdv, vblu olald’v oasdt. “Mbyv’p y hlau hwztya oyu vs rwv kv. Ps usw yzoyup vyzj zkjl vbkp?”
“Lsrl. Kwpv okvb usw — clnywpl usw’al vbl sdzu sdl obs elplahlp pwnb hwztya osaep. Pslpd’v kv qllz qyxkzkya?”
“You—”
“Jingjing.”
A man’s voice interrupted Zhou Jingjing. Zheng Gang approached, his gaze briefly landing on Xu Yinyin before turning back to Zhou Jingjing. “Is this a friend of yours?”
Zhou Jingjing immediately dropped her haughty demeanor, replacing it with a gentle smile. “Not exactly — just an acquaintance.”
Out of politeness, Zheng Gang introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Zheng Gang, Jingjing’s fiancé.”
Xu Yinyin nodded and, with a deliberately surprised tone, responded, “Oh! Jingjing mentioned you. Nice to meet you!”
A hint of pride flickered in Zheng Gang’s eyes. He knew Zhou Jingjing had married up by being with him, so it made sense she often brought him up to her friends. “Did she? Jingjing does like to talk about me — sorry if it was too much.”
Xu Yinyin smiled reassuringly. “No need to feel embarrassed. After all, she didn’t exactly say anything nice about you.”
“…”
“By the way,” Xu Yinyin added casually, “do you know how she described you? She said you’re just a foolish rich guy — someone with more money than sense — and even told me I should find someone like you to help me climb the ranks faster.”
Zheng Gang’s smile vanished. His gaze darkened as he shot Zhou Jingjing a cold look. Her face flushed crimson — half from shame, half from fury.
“I didn’t! She’s making things up!”
“Uh-huh, sure. I’m definitely making things up. Don’t worry — with your family about to face a lawsuit, she’s probably too busy to be fishing for someone like you anyway.”
The vein on Zheng Gang’s temple twitched. He’d heard rumors about the Zhou family’s recent troubles but hadn’t paid much attention. Perhaps it was time to look into it.
He glanced down at Zhou Jingjing, his voice low. “You’d better have a good explanation for this.”
“I didn’t — I’m not — she’s doing this on purpose!”
Zhou Jingjing, flustered, gathered the hem of her dress and hurried after Zheng Gang, clearly aware that it would take a lot of sweet-talking to smooth things over.
“Ha! You really think you can outplay me? You’re still too naive.”
“Yinyin, you’re a master at this — smooth moves all the way.”
“It’s nothing special. Dealing with petty people calls for petty tactics.”
“Yinyin.”
A familiar voice came from behind. Xu Yinyin turned to see three stunning figures walking toward her.
Her aunt, Xu Yanyan, was dressed in a striking red gown. The mermaid silhouette emphasized her enviable figure, and the loose updo only added to her sultry elegance. Her soft smile radiated both charm and sophistication.
Next to her, Yan Yashan wore a black velvet dress paired with a matching shawl. Her silver hair shimmered under the lights, complementing her delicate yet refined makeup — the embodiment of grace and grandeur.
Beside them stood a tall, striking man in a tailored black suit. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs were a perfect match for his otherworldly good looks. His aloof demeanor and regal aura made his status clear — this was a man of power and influence.
The trio’s entrance immediately drew countless admiring stares, with hushed gasps echoing throughout the crowd.
“Oh my god — what kind of beauty is this. They’re all so elegant, and Huo Yan is even more handsome than in the photos!”
Xu Yinyin’s internal monologue sparked another wave of whispers. It didn’t take long for the onlookers to realize that the man standing before them was none other than the legendary chairman of Ling Sheng Group — a fixture in the top three of global rich lists, the business world’s cold-hearted “King of Hell” — Huo Yan.
“Yinyin, does he make you feel excited?”
“Absolutely not. A man like that — with both power and charm — is way out of my league. There’d be too much competition. I’d be crushed in a second.”
Keeping her cool, Xu Yinyin stepped forward with a polite smile, greeting each person in turn. When she reached Huo Yan, she kept her tone respectful. “Hello, I’m Xu Yinyin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Huo Yan’s gaze lingered on her briefly before he extended his hand, his touch light as he grasped her fingertips. With a composed, almost indifferent tone, he replied, “Huo Yan.”
“See? Classic “cold and distant overpowered male lead” behavior — the less he says, the cooler he seems. Am I right?”
“Spot on — but damn, he really is gorgeous!”
“Heh.”
The subtle scoff didn’t go unnoticed. Huo Yan raised an eyebrow — was she… mocking him?
Xu Yanyan invited everyone inside, gracefully linking arms with Xu Yinyin as they trailed behind the others.
Yan Yashan, amused, lowered her voice and teased Huo Yan, “Don’t you think Yinyin is quite interesting?”
With his signature aloofness, Huo Yan responded with a simple, “Not really.”
She actually mocked him — hmph!
“Was the person you were talking to just now a new friend?” Xu Yanyan recognized Zhou Jingjing and, worried her niece might be bullied, cautiously probed.
“Of course not! She bullied Yaoyao at my family recognition banquet. I just gave her a little lesson.”
Huo Yan scoffed silently in his heart. She dares to call me curt with words, but she’s the one who’s petty and vengeful. Hmph!
“Yinyin did the right thing. When faced with injustice, you should fight back. If anything happens, your aunt will back you up. Don’t be afraid.”
“Mm, mm! Don’t worry, Auntie. I won’t let myself be taken advantage of.”
Huo Yan mentally rolled his eyes. Seriously? Grandma dares to call this girl outstanding? Isn’t she just a spoiled brat?
As if guessing her grandson’s thoughts, Yan Yashan whispered softly, “Yinyin’s charm lies in her pure heart. You’d better not be too harsh — or you’ll be the one suffering.”
“Really? I don’t think I’ll ever suffer,” Huo Yan replied proudly.
Yan Yashan only smiled without a word. Eating a bit of love’s bitterness might actually be good for him — she wasn’t worried at all.
- After everyone was seated, the staff handed out booklets containing details about the auction items — complete with pictures and descriptions for a more intuitive understanding of each piece.
Xu Yinyin flipped through the pages absentmindedly, her mind clearly more focused on gossip.
“Let me tell you — Zhou Jingjing just worked extra hard in the lounge to “make love” and coax her fiancé. She definitely won’t dare to bid too aggressively later. At most, you’ll only compete with her for one or two items — it won’t cost you much.”
“Mm-hm, got it! My goal today is simple — make her miserable. No way I’m letting her use this charity event to polish her family’s reputation. After what her brother did, they should face the consequences.”
“Exactly — I fully support you.”
The upper-class social circle wasn’t large. Everyone had already heard bits and pieces about the Zhou family scandal, but since the news hadn’t fully spread, most people only knew part of the story. Hearing Yinyin’s “heaven-sent” inner voice now made them all perk up with interest.
The crowd subtly turned their eyes toward Zhou Jingjing. Forget about her and her fiancé’s scandal in the lounge — they were far more curious about what had happened to her brother.
One by one, people pulled out their phones and searched for “Zhou Jun,” only to come up empty-handed.
Zhou Jingjing was so furious she nearly exploded on the spot. She had actually forgotten that everyone could hear Xu Yinyin’s inner voice! She shot a glare in Yinyin’s direction, her face red with rage.
Sensing the sharp stare, Yinyin glanced over and, ever so smugly, waved back at her with a bright smile.
“Oh my, she’s glaring at me again. Does she think the lesson I gave her earlier wasn’t enough?”
“Oh well, it’s just a powerless outburst. Honestly… she’s kind of pitiful.”
“How so?”
Xu Yinyin straightened her back and perked up her ears.
The melon babies, already in sync, leaned in slightly — ready to listen like a room full of eavesdropping experts.
Only Huo Yan, ever the odd one out, remained focused on the auction catalog, his posture stiff and detached from the gossip-hungry crowd.
Spying on others’ private lives — how disgraceful. Was this what Grandma called “refined young women”? Her judgment was clearly slipping with age.
“Actually, she’s the illegitimate daughter of Zhou’s father and a maid in their home. The maid was only fourteen at the time — what Zhou’s father did was basically a crime.”
“What?!”
The crowd collectively sucked in a sharp breath. Good heavens — was this even something that could be said out loud?
“The situation back then was quite similar to what Zhou Jun did recently. When the victim’s parents found out, they threatened to sue the Zhou family, but the old master intervened.”
“Let me guess — they paid them off.”
“Not just money. They promised that the child could be added to the Zhou family’s registry and have a share of the inheritance — but only if the mother gave up custody and left. The child was then handed over to the Zhou family’s matriarch — Zhou Jun’s biological mother and Zhou’s father’s legal wife.”
“Wait… but that means Zhou’s father wasn’t even married yet at the time?!”
“Exactly! When the new wife married in, she was immediately forced to become a stepmother. Can you imagine the resentment?”
“Wow… that’s messed up. But in these elite families, marriage is usually about alliances. What the wife wants doesn’t really matter — her family probably pushed for the marriage regardless.”
“Of course. The matriarch wasn’t happy about it, but for the sake of securing their family’s partnership, she had no choice but to accept Zhou Jingjing — the living reminder of her husband’s betrayal.”
“Wouldn’t a child in her position usually face abuse?”
“No, no. Wealthy stepmothers rarely resort to physical abuse — they prefer psychological warfare. The matriarch brainwashed Zhou Jingjing, painting her birth mother as a despicable seductress and convincing her that she, too, carried “dirty blood.” She was told she should be grateful to the Zhou family for saving her — that she must sever ties with her birth mother and dedicate herself to repaying the Zhou family’s kindness.”
“No wonder she threw herself at her fiancé earlier. That kind of behavior clearly stems from years of emotional manipulation.”
“Exactly — and the craziest part is, the matriarch has always known about her son’s twisted tendencies. She fired the maids because she was afraid her husband’s sins would repeat through their son. As for Zhou Jingjing’s recent actions — her “offering herself” was all part of the matriarch’s scheme. If she did get pregnant, it would be the perfect excuse to claim Zhou Jingjing was just like her birth mother — a cheap seductress — and further disgrace her.”
“That’s… unbelievably cruel. Why drag innocent children into the mess of the previous generation’s drama?”
“Right? It’s always the kids who suffer.”
The melon babies muttered and exchanged looks of disbelief, all eyes once again drifting to Zhou Jingjing.
Yet, instead of looking shocked or devastated by the airing of her dark family history, Zhou Jingjing simply smiled faintly — calm and composed.
“Wait… is there a plot twist to this story?!”
The sudden exclamation from the “system” reignited the melon babies’ burning curiosity. Everyone now looked like impatient monkeys, practically begging for the next juicy detail.
Even Huo Yan — who had been coolly reading the catalog — loosened his tie ever so slightly and straightened his posture. Not because he cared about the gossip, of course… the room was just a little warm. 🙂
For Xu Yinyin, a seasoned “melon-eater”, this kind of twist was just another day in the life — cool and unbothered.
“It was nothing more than the foster mother’s so-called meticulous plan, but actually just a show cooperated by Zhou Jingjing.”
“Wow, Yinbao really is a seasoned melon expert. Regular melons doesn’t even pique your interest, but… you only guessed half of it.”
“Hmm? What’s the other half?”
Just as the system was about to spill the tea, the auctioneer took the stage.
“We’ll pick this up later — the auction’s starting. Weren’t you planning to go head-to-head with Zhou Jingjing?”
“Oh, right! Business first.”
The melon-eating crowd collectively sighed in their hearts — isn’t eating gossip a serious matter too?
Leaving such a huge cliffhanger hanging there — isn’t that just cruel?
Ahhh, we want the tea!
As the auctioneer cheerfully stepped onto the stage, he was met with a wave of grumpy, resentful stares from the audience.
Uh… what’s going on?
The auctioneer was bewildered, his professional smile quickly turning into an awkward one, with a touch of grievance.
After introducing the first item, announcing the starting price, and calling for bids starting at 100,000, someone immediately shouted a price of 10 million — and just like that, with no further bids, the item was sold.
The whole process took less than a minute, setting a new record for the fastest sale in his career.
“…” Is everyone in a hurry today?
Even the host was stunned, scrambling to keep the event flowing.
To be honest, the second item wasn’t even ready yet — it seemed like today’s wealthy guests were in a bit of a rush.
“Hey, wasn’t the video we watched last night different? Weren’t people supposed to be fighting over each item, bidding back and forth? How come one bid settled it?”
“Looks like videos can’t be trusted. Judging by the staff’s chaotic reaction, they won’t be bringing out the next item anytime soon… let’s get back to the gossip.”
The innocent staff: “…” Why are we getting blamed?!
The affluent and eager melon-eaters: Hmm~ o(￣▽￣)o
“So, as I was saying — Grandpa Zhou used the family inheritance rights to “buy” the child and sent the maid back to her hometown. The maid’s parents took the money and quickly left with their daughter, thinking that was the end of the story. But the maid never let go of her child, nor did she plan to forgive Father Zhou. She used the compensation money to get plastic surgery and re-entered the Zhou family under a new identity.”
The melon babies sucked in a sharp breath, while Huo Yan loosened his tie again, unconsciously leaning a little closer to Xu Yinyin.
“Oh no, did she sneak back into the Zhou family as a maid again, specifically to take care of Zhou Jingjing’s brother?”
“Wow, you guessed it again — impressive, my dear!”
Huo Yan shot a sideways glance at Xu Yinyin, his gaze full of quiet frustration. How does she keep guessing everything right? She’s making him look like an idiot!
“Wait — what kind of logic is this? Shouldn’t she have just chopped off Father Zhou’s “third leg” so he could never harm anyone again? Why go for the roundabout approach?”
“You don’t get it — if she wanted direct revenge, she wouldn’t have needed plastic surgery. She wanted him to suffer his own karma.”
“Hold on! Let me grab a drink first.”
Xu Yinyin reached for the hot drink by her seat, only to find a large hand already passing it to her.
“?” She turned her head in surprise, meeting Huo Yan’s cold, handsome face.
“I didn’t want you to knock it over and spill it on me,” he explained calmly.
Not anxious at all:）
“…Thanks!” Xu Yinyin mentally rolled her eyes.
“I’m not clumsy, okay?!”
“Oh my, he’s actually kind of thoughtful.”
“(Yinyin scoffs) Back to the melons!”
“Zhou Jingjing’s biological mother was originally a top student — talented and diligent — but her family was too poor to support her education. She had to drop out and work, and after hearing that being a maid for a rich family paid well and provided food and lodging — plus time to study after work — she took the job at the Zhou family’s house. She planned to save money for adult college exams and continue her education later.”
“At first, life was simple. The Zhou family was rarely home, so after finishing her chores, she spent her free time studying. She earned 10,000 yuan a month — saving 5,000 for tuition and sending 5,000 to her parents. Her days were modest but fulfilling. She thought she’d finally found some light at the end of the tunnel… until one night shattered her peace.”
“Let me guess — one night, the male owner of the house came home drunk, all the other servants were asleep, and she was the only one awake. Out of duty, she went to help him — and then got assaulted, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Pfft. Please — truly drunk people have no strength at all. If someone is drunk and “loses control,” that’s just an excuse. He clearly wanted to use his ‘little brother’ to stab someone!”
“Hahahaha — “his little brother wanted to attack” — I’m dying!”
The melon babies bit their lips to hold back their laughter. Seriously — “little brother attack” — this is comedy gold!
Huo Yan: “…” The language skills here are… impressive.
“After assaulting her, he saw how beautiful she was and decided he wanted more. So he pretended to feel guilty — falling to his knees, slapping himself, and promising he’d confess to his parents and marry her.”
“Huh?! Wow, he’s really good at shifting blame. I bet she didn’t agree, right?”
“Of course not. She insisted it was assault and threatened to call the police.”
“But the scumbag didn’t panic. He dragged her to his parents in the middle of the night, pretending to repent and declaring he wanted to marry her. Then the whole family played their roles — his mother acted the “good cop,” tearfully apologizing and promising to pay for her education, while his father played the “bad cop,” beating the son half to death with the family cane. The girl — just 14 or 15 at the time — was too young to see through their act.”
“Plus, the family had always kept a “good reputation” — polite to the servants and famous for charity work. The girl assumed it was all just a horrible mistake and naively fell into their trap. After that, they really did send her to a private school, gave her good food and clothes… and by the time she realized she was pregnant, the baby was already five months along. It was too late to terminate. That’s when the cunning parents stepped in again — half-tricking, half-coaxing her into giving birth.”
“So, is the next step to just grab the child and kick her out?”
“No, no, no — before that, there was an even more outrageous move!”
Everyone perked up their ears, and even Huo Yan subconsciously held his breath.
At this moment, the auctioneer came on stage again with the second auction item.
“Ah, the second item is up — let’s get back to business first, Yinbao!”
The melon-eaters all glared at the auctioneer, their eyes practically stripping him alive. Can’t they just let people finish eating the melon in peace?!
“…” QAQ, who did I offend today?!
In an attempt to please the crowd, the auctioneer even rearranged the item order, bringing out a prized lot he had saved for later, hoping to earn some goodwill — but somehow, he only attracted more hatred.
Wuwu! The baby feels wronged, sob sob T0T1 that’s a crying emoji !
He forced out an enthusiastic smile and braced himself to introduce the new item. He had barely announced the starting price of three million when Huo Yan called out: “One hundred million.”
The wealthy crowd immediately responded in unison: “We’re not bidding!”
Auctioneer: “…”
Zhou Jingjing, who was about to raise her paddle: “…”
Damn it, you all just want to eat the melon, right? I hope you choke on it!
Xu Yinyin wondered: “Is this some kind of special forces auction? Why is everyone in such a rush?”
“Who cares about them? Zhou Jingjing can’t afford this price anyway — let’s keep eating the melon.”
The auctioneer retreated once again, but he had lost the courage to step back on stage. He was afraid the glares might actually kill him this time.
“Do you know why they manipulated her into having the child?”
“Hmm — I guess it was to frame her, twisting the forced relationship into a story of her seducing him to climb the social ladder. After all, everyone saw the Zhou family providing for her — giving her food, drink, and an education. Even if she testified in court, the victim would have no way to clear her name, right?”
“Bravo! Yinbao, you’re amazing.”
The melon-eaters secretly shot her looks of admiration, and even the melon’s main character, Zhou Jingjing, had to admit she was impressed by Xu Yinyin’s sharp instincts.
Huo Yan tried to convince himself this was all just a wild guess, but the more he thought about the shocking twists and dark secrets behind this melon, the more deflated he felt.
Everyone has their own strengths, hmph!
“That’s exactly what they were thinking — and this wasn’t the first time. It’s just that in previous cases, there was no child left behind as undeniable evidence. Most of the maids were uneducated and could be silenced with money. But Zhou Jingjing’s biological mother was different. She was educated and had dreamed of applying to law school. But in the end, she was still outsmarted by the cunning and heartless Mr. Zhou.”
“So, when she decided to undergo plastic surgery and start over, her plan was to use their own tactics against them — exploiting Zhou Jun’s inherited lustful nature from his father. She deliberately seduced his son into doing something disgraceful, secretly recorded the evidence to nail them, and then sought out the other past victims, forming a group to sue the Zhou family. With her broken body, she intended to drag the entire Zhou family down to hell.”
“Didn’t they love pretending to be righteous gentlemen and philanthropists? She was determined to make them face public judgment in the most humiliating way, so they’d never lift their heads again — letting them taste the suffocating feeling of being outwitted and used.”
“But isn’t this kind of self-destructive revenge a bit too tragic? It doesn’t feel satisfying enough.”
“There’s no self-destruction involved.”
“Huh? Another twist?!”
The melon-eaters held their breath again — eating this melon was more thrilling than watching a suspense movie. Don’t stop now!
Huo Yan loosened his tie for the third time. Not even a negotiation table had ever felt this intense!
Sansukini: I honestly think it’s a dumb move to rear your child and veer them to take revenge for you. I mean, as a parent, my children’s happiness and well-being is always the first priority. If you make them vengeful, wouldn’t they live unhappily?
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Haha every one wants to tune in 😂 who cares about auction? They want melons 😂
This kind of revenge plot is not good at all. There is no real happiness and the child will suffer from it.