Chapter Twenty-Seven: The True and False Heiresses 27

Bai Jinwei met Lu Ziming’s gaze, the agony on her face vanishing completely. She looked him up and down without reservation: "Who are you?"

"Miss Bai may not know me, but I am quite familiar with you. My boss is actually your benefactor."

With a signal from Lu Ziming, someone brought him a stool. Only after sitting down did he turn his attention back to Huai Ying. "Look at the mess you've made. You let the real daughter of the Bai family untie her ropes so easily. Hurry up and tie her back up."

He scanned Huai Ying’s expression with a smug look, hoping to see fear in her eyes. Yet, from beginning to end, Huai Ying’s expression remained indifferent. Even surrounded by men, there was not a trace of fear on her face.

"I advise you not to lay a hand on me, or you will bear the consequences."

Her words amused Lu Ziming, as if she had told a joke. "Consequences? What consequences could I possibly face?"

"You naive little girl, you don't really think you can leave here safely, do you? If Bai Jinwei is to die here, you will too. Behave yourself, lest you suffer physical pain."

He laughed triumphantly, but moments later, the laughter died in his throat.

Huai Ying had grabbed the wrist of the man reaching for her, and with a light flick, sent him flying through the air to crash heavily against the wall. She then kicked another man in the calf, sending him sprawling to the floor. In just a few moments, all of them had been beaten to the ground. She effortlessly piled them together and sat down with a look of disdain.

Only then did she look at the stunned Lu Ziming. "Do you think you are in a position to bargain with me?"

Lu Ziming froze, his eyes involuntarily locking onto Huai Ying’s gaze. Her eyes were pitch black, devoid of any emotional color. If he had to describe them, they resembled the eyes of a beast—the king of the wild, surviving and thriving through brutal combat. A wave of killing intent washed over him, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse to his knees.

"My lady, I know I was wrong! Please, spare me. I shouldn't have laid a hand on you."

Glancing at the equally astonished Bai Jinwei, a sudden idea struck him. He tried to prove his loyalty: "You hate this woman, don't you? I can help you get rid of her without dirtying your own hands. It will definitely satisfy you."

"And how would you deal with her?" Huai Ying asked with a hint of interest.

Lu Ziming’s gaze darted around the room before landing on the men Huai Ying had just incapacitated. He had an idea. "I’ll have them humiliate Bai Jinwei, take photos, and spread them everywhere so she loses all her dignity."

"She will become a disgrace to the Bai family, and the young master of the Gu family will surely cast her aside. This is the cruelest punishment for a woman. What do you think?"

Panic finally appeared on Bai Jinwei’s face. She could accept death, but not in such a way. Seeing Huai Ying look her way, she held her breath, afraid to show her fear too openly. She didn't know why Huai Ying was targeting her, but she feared the possibility that the other woman might be swayed.

Lu Ziming grew smug. He walked toward Bai Jinwei and insolently tilted her chin up, turning to look at Huai Ying: "Don't worry, I will definitely make you satisfied."

Before he could finish his sentence, a howl of pain erupted. Bai Jinwei had bitten down hard on his hand, as if she wanted to tear a chunk of flesh from him. He backhanded her with a slap.

The atmosphere turned icy. Huai Ying felt a surge of displeasure, which she forcefully suppressed. At the moment she was struck, Bai Jinwei instinctively looked at Huai Ying, but seeing only the other woman's nonchalant expression, she felt a profound sense of disappointment.

Huai Ying spoke softly, "Do you hate me now?"

Bai Jinwei shook her head, "No."

She looked up at Lu Ziming: "Who is your boss? What did you mean by what you just said?"

"Who our boss is doesn't matter, but there is one thing you must know: if not for him, you would never have become the daughter of the Bai family."

Bai Jinwei’s face changed at these words. "Was it your boss who swapped me and Huai Ying?"

Lu Ziming pursed his lips, neither confirming nor denying, effectively admitting it. Suddenly, he felt two sharp, sword-like glares from behind him, and he immediately regretted his words. He turned to see Huai Ying’s chilling, mirthless smile and realized with a jolt: how could he have forgotten that when it came to the baby-swapping, Huai Ying was the actual victim?

Terrified that she might attack, he forced a fawning smile. "It's all a misunderstanding! Our boss didn't do it on purpose, he just..."

Huai Ying didn't give him the chance to continue. She stood up, walked over in a few strides, and kicked him away, finding the perfect excuse to do so. A dull thud echoed in his chest; consumed by rage, Lu Ziming glared up at her. "What are you doing? Don't think I'm truly afraid of you! If it comes down to a fight to the death, who wins is yet to be seen."

Huai Ying ignored him, stepping firmly onto his chest. Looking down at him from above, she said, "Then show me."

The mockery in her eyes was so blatant it completely incensed Lu Ziming. He clenched his fists, struggling to get up, but ultimately failed. Huai Ying pressed down harder, forcing him to meet her gaze, a scoff escaping her lips.

In just a few seconds, Lu Ziming lost all sense of resistance, sitting on the ground with a vacant expression. Huai Ying released him and stepped back.

As if possessed, Lu Ziming began walking toward the men who had been knocked out by Huai Ying. As he walked, he stripped off his clothes, reaching them completely naked. Seeing the men rolling together and hearing the strange noises they made, Xiao Hong felt a burning sensation in her eyes.

Yet, she couldn't help but say, "I've already called the police. Isn't this a bit much? If they've done something wrong, they should be punished by the law, not like this. This is just too..."

Huai Ying, face pale, swayed as she sat down on a chair. She pointed a finger at Lu Ziming. "He has been preying on women since he was sixteen, using violence and coercion. Because those girls were afraid for their reputations, they didn't report him, and he only grew more rampant. Later, he turned his sights on children—his youngest victim was only five. Do you think the law’s punishment is enough?"

Huai Ying looked at the silent, invisible Xiao Hong in the air with a faint, mocking smile. "And those bodyguards? They aren't innocent either. Following Lu Ziming, who knows how many filthy deeds they've committed?"

Xiao Hong was thoroughly persuaded. She couldn't bring herself to insist that this was wrong. Deep down, she found herself rooting for the original owner. If only everyone like Lu Ziming met the same fate.

"What? No longer sticking to your principles?" Huai Ying mocked.

Xiao Hong felt awkward and tried to justify herself: "Well, you didn't exactly hurt them. You just let them enjoy the warmth of their own... company. What's wrong with that? As your system, I'll just punish you by letting you have one less slice of cake today. But don't let it happen again. Try to avoid doing things like this in the future."

But those words were likely just for show. After all, no one was really listening.