Chapter 151

Page Seven The Lynx Replaces the Crown Prince

The document bag taken from the refrigerator was frosted over and emitted a cold chill.

“So, this is your own birth certificate?”

“Uh-huh.”

“It seems you have some hidden story…”

“Miss ‘Máilìwēi’ picked up the file folder and said with difficulty, ‘Though we are an underground force that cannot be publicly disclosed, we are not unreasonable. What you can’t forget is something else, what’s the point of a birth certificate? Tell us.'”

I also asked, “Senior Shàojié, you don’t want us to come in, just because we saw this document? Is there any special significance to this house?”

Líng Shàojié made up her mind and decided to reveal her secret.

She said, “This was originally my mother’s house… Actually, I’m a child born out of wedlock.”

Knowing that neither of her parents were around hinted at family misfortune, but she hadn’t expected such a background.

“Are you saying you’re not your father’s legitimate child?”

But Líng Shàojié shook her head.

“No, I am.”

Lǐn Huā asked, puzzled, “Wait, if you’re his biological child, how can you be called a child born out of wedlock?”

“Although we share blood, I’ve always been treated as a child born out of wedlock… My father wanted a son as his successor. Soon after I was born, he found a similar age boy to replace me. If not for this birth certificate, I wouldn’t even know about it.”

Ah, old-fashioned thoughts on favoring boys harm people deeply. In a sense, it’s opposite to the situation with the Huangfu family.

I asked, “What about your mother?”

“She passed away over a decade ago due to an accident… At least on the surface, it was a regular traffic accident.”

“You said ‘on the surface,’ so could it be that your father…”

Líng Shàojié shook her head again. She looked serious as she denied, “No, it’s not certain yet. I’ve been investigating the truth behind that accident. From what I understand, my parents had a political marriage, and they didn’t have much affection for each other.”

“Then, you probably don’t have much affection for them either?”

“No, when I was young, I still lived with my mother. Although those memories are vague, I still remember her… I want to take revenge on that person. This birth certificate is my blade, and intelligence is my weapon. Once I gain status in the Blue Flash Butterfly, I can drag that man down to hell.”

To prove her identity and use public opinion to counterattack her biological father.

“If I’m not mistaken, your father is also a notable figure in this city, right?”

Lǐn Huā said this while looking at the name on the birth certificate, suddenly exclaiming, “Oh? Lin Yuhuang? Is that the Lin Yuhuang?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Líng Shàojié still said, “Yes, he’s the current chairman of the Tianping Group… I didn’t expect foreigners to know him.”

This made Líng Shàojié somewhat suspicious, but Lǐn Huā quickly explained, “I’m at least the confidentiality officer for East Asia, and this city is one of the organization’s bases. It’s not strange for me to know, right?”

But I didn’t recognize any Lin Yuhuang, so I asked, “Is Chairman Lin a famous person?”

“Are you even a local? Even after all this, you don’t know? The entire commercial district in the Balance area was planned and built by the Tianping Group! What do you think Lin Yuhuang’s role is?”

Lǐn Huā’s explanation made me realize.

“Hold on, you mean the Balance Commercial District, right?!”

“Yes, Lin Yuhuang is undoubtedly a big shot.”

Feeling my shocked gaze, Líng Shàojié gave a bitter smile.

“To take revenge on someone at that level, I need corresponding strength. Just these pieces of evidence aren’t enough; power and wealth are also necessary.”

Combining what she had previously mentioned, I asked, “So that’s why you want to become the leader of the Blue Flash Butterfly?”

Líng Shàojié scratched her cheek and closed her eyes to answer, “It’s part of it. Even if I don’t become the leader, selling information can earn enough money. Once I save up enough, I plan to buy back my mother’s house.”

[Most of the things in this house are quite old, probably no one has touched them since it was sold.]

Xiao Kai, who was eavesdropping from inside the room, also sighed.

[But it’s hard to tell, she carries a heavy burden… This secret is already enough to hold her hostage, right?]

—”No, it’s not enough, there are still many doubts to clear up.”

—I organized my thoughts and continued asking, “Even if you are a child born out of wedlock, he should have taken care of you, right?”

“Take care? I haven’t seen him in years. In his eyes, I’m just a stain he can’t wash away. Although he sends living expenses through another channel every month, I won’t spend his money, so I haven’t used a single penny.”

“Then, what’s your purpose for revenge? Just to make him acknowledge you?”

“I don’t need his concern, nor do I care about inheritance rights. His every bit of property disgusts me. I want to uncover the truth behind my mother’s accident and make him pay for his arrogance… I will destroy everything he has worked for.”

Her calm words were chilling, and she wasn’t lying.

Who would have thought that beneath her seemingly frivolous behavior lay such intense fire?

I warned, “Don’t do anything foolish… You mentioned being chased by bodyguards. Wasn’t that within the Tianping Group?”

“Yes, I sneaked in to investigate the documents, but I was discovered.”

“Running into someone’s lair to steal, you really have guts, huh?”

Lǐn Huā also had some questions.

“No, when you were switched, you were just a baby, right? How do you know about it in such detail?”

“…Lin Auntie told me. She also gave me this birth certificate.”

When mentioning Lin Auntie, Líng Shàojié’s demeanor dimmed.

“The boss lady at the café who looks scary, right?”

“Just looks scary, but Lin Auntie is actually quite casual. Guests like her too.”

She even rebutted. For Lin Auntie, Líng Shàojié had deep feelings… although she didn’t like her coffee.

“But she’s also surnamed Lin, could she be your aunt or something?”

“Yes, she’s my father’s sister. But their relationship is strained. After my mother died, she adopted me… She has her own family. I don’t want to disturb her too much, so I live in her café.”

“Living in this house but staying in that small attic?”

“Lin Auntie only knows I work outside. She doesn’t know I’m a broker. In other words, I can’t show too much economic ability… The plan to take revenge on my father is also kept secret from her. If she knew, she wouldn’t agree to let me continue regardless of whether she’s worried or for other reasons.”

Líng Shàojié drooped her shoulders. Since she started talking, she spilled her frustrations to us.

“I know my hope is slim. I finally found a breakthrough recently, but I don’t plan to give up. So, Miss Máilìwēi, can you not delete my memory? Because Lingmèng is easy to bully, I got a bit carried away. I promise I won’t investigate magic-related matters anymore!”

“Miss Máilìwēi, what do you think?”

“Ask me?”

“Are you still planning to delete Senior Shàojié’s memory?”

“Hey, you called me here, but now you want me to be the bad guy?”

Lǐn Huā looked troubled, tapping her forehead with a short staff.

“How about you take her as your ally?”

I immediately refused, “No, I don’t want to be tied down by her.”

“Then we can only erase her memory.”

Líng Shàojié also said, “Junior Lingmèng, I’ve told you everything about myself. Can’t you trust me?”

“That’s different. How do I know you won’t blow yourself up? No guarantee letter will work. As long as you open your mouth, you’ll drag me down with you.”

“I really won’t say anything!”

Líng Shàojié’s eyes darted around, and she handed me the file folder.

“Even though you don’t trust me, I trust Lingmèng’s integrity. This important birth certificate is entrusted to you for safekeeping! Shouldn’t that be enough to earn your trust?!”

I looked at Lǐn Huā, who winked at me with her azure eyes, smiling triumphantly.

“Alright then, I’ll keep it for now. When you need it, I’ll return it to you…”

Though reluctant, I put the birth certificate along with the file folder into the space in my notebook.

“That’s good. Keeping it with you, I don’t have to worry about it being taken back by that person. He knows Lin Auntie took the birth certificate, so he’ll go after her… That’s why I hide it in the refrigerator.”

Hiding it in the refrigerator was unexpected.

—”Today’s goal is accomplished, but trouble has increased. Xiao Kai, what do you think about her?”

—”Don’t just ask me, you want to help too, right?”

—”With her current strength, it’s impossible to match the chairman of such a large group. He controls public opinion, and even if she is Líng Shàojié and well-informed, she’s just a high school girl. She doesn’t seem capable of competing with him.”

—”So, she’s prepared for a long battle, right?”

—”Not just long, it might take her a lifetime to stand up against her father… So, this has nothing to do with us. Even if it does, by then we will have already fused.”

—”Then, let’s work together at that time!”

Xiao Kai seemed optimistic about the fusion of personalities.

“I have an idea to deal with your father.”

Lǐn Huā seemed to have a plan. She was often called a little devil by Xiao Kai, so naturally, she had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.

“Do you think your father favors sons over daughters?”

“He believes his family business must be inherited by a male… Like the Huangfu family.”

Lǐn Huā slightly frowned but quickly covered it with a smile.

“Where did the adopted brother you brought in come from?”

—

Page Eight Lǐn Huā Proposes a Plan; Shān Sister Uncovers Flaws

“I don’t know. He might be a child my father bought, or maybe he’s his illegitimate son… Besides, he’s not really my brother. He doesn’t even know I exist, and I’m not stupid enough to confront him.”

Wow, looks like a spoiled young master living in lies?

No, even if he knew, what could he do? Could he give up his comfortable life to wear the hat of an illegitimate child?

If Líng Shàojié were to flip things with Lin Yuhuang and expose everything, that lynx young master would definitely be implicated.

Líng Shàojié clearly didn’t want to continue this topic.

But Lǐn Huā’s smile grew even more, like a thorny yellow rose.

“In short, he’s your father’s successor, right?”

Líng Shàojié nodded.

“Yes, I haven’t investigated him much. He probably received elite education from a young age and lived a high-society life.”

“Then, things get simple. Perhaps Little Lingmèng can help.”

Lǐn Huā looked at me meaningfully.

“What do you want me to do?”

In response to my obvious question, Lǐn Huā spoke slowly.

“To deal a heavy blow to her father, we just need to make this successor unable to inherit the family business.”

Of course, I understood her meaning. She wanted me to turn Lin Yuhuang’s son into a girl, thus eliminating the only male heir.

In other words, it was “magic**.”

“Are you going to…”

Líng Shàojié seemed to misunderstand. Her dark brown pupils widened, a mix of surprise and unease.

After a long while, she said, “Everything is my father’s fault, not that guy’s. If we have to act, please leave him with his life. Just make him a vegetable.”

How ruthless!

Lǐn Huā couldn’t help but comment, “Hey, I don’t plan to kill him.”

“Aren’t you going to deal with him?”

“We’re not a gang, how can we just kill someone off? Little Lingmèng has a special technique, I think it could be useful…”

“Special technique?” Líng Shàojié raised one eyebrow, confused.

I protested, “Don’t use magic for something like this! If something goes wrong, Miss Máilìwēi’s workload will increase, right?”

“Hmm, as long as nothing goes wrong, it’s fine.”

Since Lǐn Huā wasn’t responsible anyway, she naturally didn’t mind causing trouble.

Using divine magic for this and not counting it towards any metrics was pointless.

Seeing my reluctance, Lǐn Huā continued persuading me, “She’s officially your ally now. You should help out a bit, right?”

Líng Shàojié, looking half-understanding, also cast hopeful glances.

“…Alright, but I can’t help right now!”

—

Cháng Shūng <[===Switch View===]> Cháng Kǎi

—

“Achoo~”

She sneezed extremely quietly.

For easier movement, Yīng split off a piece of black material.

For performance effects, Lǐn Huā split off another piece of black material.

Most of the black material used for clothing was separated, leaving her with thin clothes that couldn’t maintain warmth. The air conditioner wasn’t on, and the November wind howled outside the seventh-story building, making it unbearably cold.

Yīng sent a message through the intercom.

—”Hey, don’t make noise. Wait until Líng Shàojié leaves before coming out.”

I tried my best to control it, but sneezing isn’t something I can control… Does she not worry about me catching a cold?

—”Hmm? It’s okay to catch a cold. That body won’t be yours after twelve o’clock… unless you’re satisfied with this mixed-blood loli body.”

Impossible! Even if my subconscious triggers automatic extension, I just need to exhaust my divine power.

There are ways to exhaust divine power now.

Líng Shàojié’s “hold” was already in hand, and I knew her complex past, even if it was a bit late. Today’s mission was considered completed.

Xiǎo Lěi hugged me from behind. Her body temperature was pretty high, at least warmer than mine, providing some warmth.

She whispered, “Chairman feels cold? You’re shaking a bit.”

“Thank you, you holding me warms me up.”

Léiluó pointed to the blanket on the bed.

“Kid, do you want to cover up?”

I refused, “No, I can’t let Líng Shàojié notice that someone has tampered with the things in the inner room.”

Finally, Shān took off her coat and draped it over me.

After five minutes, the conversation in the living room ended, and the sound of the door closing was heard. I peered out from the bedroom.

Shān said, “They’re done.”

—”Just get in the elevator, wait until we leave the neighborhood, then come down.”

Wait, how are we going to leave? If there’s something abnormal at the entrance, the security camera on the peephole would still alert Líng Shàojié, right?

—”I studied the layout of the room. By opening a hole in the wall of the living room, we can bypass the surveillance and go straight to the stairwell.”

That’s right, there’s that option.

Though it was a good idea, I couldn’t help but mutter under my breath, noticing it too late.

—”Anyway, you wouldn’t have thought the secret was hidden in the refrigerator, right?”

…That’s true, forcing Líng Shàojié to confess herself couldn’t be better.

Sitting on the living room sofa, the warmth of three people lingered. Xiǎo Lěi still clung to me, fulfilling her role as a warm hugger.

Taking advantage of the brief rest, I asked, “Shān, what do you think about Líng Shàojié’s situation?”

Tugging at the hair in front of her forehead, Shān asked back, “Why do you ask? I don’t know her. What do you want me to say?”

“Just curious. Though she’s in a better position than before, she’s also a child abandoned by her parents. You should have some empathy, right?”

“Empathy?”

Shān propped her chin and thought for a moment before shaking her head negatively.

“There’s no particular feeling. ‘The heir must be a son’—many people in the previous generation had this mentality, but few went to such lengths… Facing an unreasonable fate and having the courage to fight back, your senior is very strong, and I admire her.”

It was just a simple reflection, but she added, “On the premise that what she says is true.”

Shān sounded ambiguous, as if there were hidden meanings in her words. It seemed there was no resonance between her and Líng Shàojié…

Xiǎo Lěi expressed her view.

“If we have to say, her situation is closer to Sister Yǐjī. Both have irresponsible fathers and lost mothers, and both plan to seek revenge.”

“Not quite. Sister Yǐjī is just running away. Deep down, she feels guilty towards Sister Tāo, but Líng Shàojié’s father schemed everything. He treated his biological daughter as an illegitimate child… Comparing these two, I feel it’s disrespectful to Sister Yǐjī.”

Though Sister Yǐjī is a failure, she’s not evil.

Xiǎo Lěi contradicted me at this moment.

“You think this way because you’ve interacted with Sister Yǐjī more. Objectively speaking, she completely ignores Sister Tāo. Your senior’s father at least provides living expenses. Who do you think is the one failing?”

Indeed, Líng Shàojié is much better off in terms of living conditions compared to Sister Tāo and Shān.

However, the money given to Líng Shàojié by Lin Yuhuang is actually hush money. After all, to him, she’s a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment, causing cracks in his public image… While Líng Shàojié’s goal is to directly bring him down.

“Even if he’s her own child, treating her poorly because of gender and abandoning her to fend for herself, does that person deserve to be a father?”

Formerly a failed father, Léiluó was indignant and continued, “Kid, hurry up and change me back! I’ll take responsibility to investigate the truth of this matter!”

Gently stroking Léiluó’s back, Shān said, “Father, stop joking. Lin Yuhuang’s power is likely even greater than Sister Yuèyuè. You should stay out of it… There are many mysteries surrounding this matter, and it’s far from being concluded.”

Léiluó: “As expected of Xiao Shān, discovering something new?”

Shān always remained calm. This petite girl with three whites in her eyes said, “All the information we know is based on your senior’s unilateral account. Besides this birth certificate, there’s no real evidence. Why do you believe everything so readily?”

Xiǎo Lěi blinked, asking, “…Is she lying?”

“You set up a stage and used false intelligence to get her to reveal secrets. How do you know she won’t improvise and perform a tragic play on stage?”

No wonder Shān’s earlier words sounded off. She never believed Líng Shàojié’s story from the start, probably sensing some inconsistencies.

I asked, “Shān, don’t beat around the bush. Just say what you doubt.”

“The main points of doubt revolve around her mother.”

Holding her adoptive father on her lap, Shān lowered her chin and said solemnly, “She said her parents were in a political marriage. Her mother’s family may not be as powerful as her father’s, but they’re not far off. At least it’s a match… Given such a terrible incident, did her mother’s family not react at all?”

“Maybe their family fell from grace?”

“Even if she was switched at birth, she and her mother lived together. However, her mother didn’t divorce her father before passing away. How did they coexist?”

“Did they meet secretly?”

“This place was her mother’s house. Considering her mother’s status, doesn’t it seem a bit small?”

“It seems her family did fall from grace.”

“Why do you always make excuses for her?”

“Mmm…”

Caught off guard, she followed up with a barrage of questions, “How did her mother view the boy who was swapped in? Could she treat him as her own? Impossible. Lin Auntie is Lin Yuhuang’s sister. Why would she tell Líng Shàojié the truth? Out of kindness or for some special reason?”

My brain couldn’t keep up. I covered my forehead.

“Don’t ask so many questions! How should I know!”

“There are still so many puzzles unsolved, and you’re already thinking about helping her with revenge.”

Shān sighed.

“Isn’t that just using her as a pawn?”