At that line from Wu Fan, Mu Yue Ran almost failed to keep her rice porridge down. She really hadn’t expected the brainwashing to be that thorough. Wu Fan now liked men. Deeply.

Still, that worked. If Wu Fan clung to Li Feng, he’d split Li Feng’s focus. With Wu Fan pressing from the side, Mu Yue Ran could help Yuchuge cut ties with the House of Yu for good.

Mu Yue Ran tapped the table with a finger, mind racing. Beside her, Yuchuge’s small head bobbed up and down, following that fingertip.

Ji Yueyi watched, sighed, and slumped onto the sofa. She knew it wasn’t realistic to drive Yuchuge out now. It had happened. She wouldn’t defy Mu Yue Ran’s will. Besides, pity had stirred for Yuchuge’s sadness.

But that didn’t mean she’d hand Sister Yue Ran over! From now on, she’d guard every step. She’d never give that lewd little loli a chance to get close to Sister Yue Ran!

Suddenly, Ji Yueyi seemed to remember something. While Mu Yue Ran wasn’t looking, she quietly lifted a sofa cushion and slipped her hand into the gap to feel around.

“Ah?!”

The delighted little cry snapped Mu Yue Ran’s thoughts. She turned and saw Ji Yueyi with her butt sticking up, half under the sofa, pointing at the cushion with a trembling look, sneaking glances at her.

Mu Yue Ran sensed something. Her brows drew tight as she rose, eyes fixed on that spot. She asked, very serious, “Do we have cockroaches now?”

“No... it’s just my thing is missing...”

“Thing?”

Mu Yue Ran tilted her head and tried to recall. She couldn’t remember touching any of Ji Yueyi’s stuff. So how did it go missing?

Ji Yueyi watched Mu Yue Ran’s face. Seeing no reaction, she pushed the hint. “It’s a book. With lots of important knowledge points!”

Mu Yue Ran looked relieved at that. She sat back down, waved it off, and curled a confident smile. “Then I definitely didn’t touch it. I use textbooks as sleeping pills.”

Mu Yue Ran had taken “book” to mean study materials. That wasn’t what Ji Yueyi meant. Her book had “knowledge,” yes—and a thin red cord that came with it...

She’d even placed it where it looked casual but easy to find, just waiting for Mu Yue Ran to discover it and flip it open. When the book went missing, Ji Yueyi had a flash of excitement. Now it seemed Sister Yue Ran didn’t even know it existed.

She had more setups, too. Like the girl-on-girl porn clips she’d hunted down and copied to the TV. As long as Mu Yue Ran turned it on at a set time, it would auto-play.

All of it was to spark Mu Yue Ran’s interest. If she ever got curious about that kind of thing, Ji Yueyi could offer herself at the perfect moment. Then they could naturally do lewd things together.

As it stood, Mu Yue Ran either never found any of it, or she’d been straight as rebar in a past life.

This plan had, without question, failed again. Ji Yueyi hung her head, arms limp, and sat back on her heels on the floor. Sunlight stretched her shadow long. She looked lonely and deflated.

Unlike Mu Yue Ran, Yuchuge, on hearing that, thought of the book she’d picked up under the sofa yesterday. Recalling the “knowledge” in it, she nodded to herself. It was indeed profound. Packed with the philosophy between people.

The three of them watched each other, each with their own thoughts. Clearly, the days ahead were going to be very lively.

[Can’t wait.]

......

At the same time, inside the House of Yu, Madam Yu mobilized everyone and began combing through last night’s banquet entry list.

Madam Yu personally sat in the monitoring room, checking every time block of surveillance footage. She was determined to find who dared snatch the House of Yu’s eldest young lady.

The investigators the House had hired almost filled the room. They stared at dozens of big screens. The cameras covered the entire estate, every intersection, every building angle. Their eyes went sore. Still no suspects.

Madam Yu rubbed her swollen eye corners, anger rising. She grabbed the tea a servant brought and poured it down. The gulps made every detective’s mouth go dry. Since arriving at Hundred Birds Manor, they hadn’t been given a single sip. Just dragged in to watch hours of feeds.

After drinking, Madam Yu rounded on them, eyes wide with fury. “Did I hire you to watch a movie? It’s been ages and none of you found a thing?”

One detective gave a wry smile. “Madam, we’ve watched this footage over and over. There really isn’t anything out of the ordinary.”

“I suggest calling the police. They can pull more resources and search faster.”

The others all nodded. It was a fat job, sure, but you still needed the skill. They usually found lost cats and dogs, or checked out affairs. Missing persons and kidnappings? That’s the police’s turf.

“No. Absolutely not!”

Madam Yu’s voice cracked like a whip. She swept them with a vicious glare, threat clear in every word. “Not only can you not call the police, if any of you dare leak this, watch your hands and feet.”

The room went ice-cold. Madam Yu drew back her gaze. Her fingers clenched tight together.

Of course they couldn’t call the cops, or launch a loud search for Yuchuge. Last night they’d barely soothed Li Feng, and he was already suspicious. He wasn’t an idiot. If the House of Yu made too much noise, he would notice. If the marriage fell through, the House would bleed.

Only Madam Yu and the core knew the truth. The House of Yu was gilt on the outside, rotten inside. The shine couldn’t hide the rot. With lives too pampered, the younger generation couldn’t shoulder anything.

Their so-called achievements? Mostly the elders’ schemes, or flat-out paid for. Almost none of it by their own ability.

It wasn’t blind pampering. Look at the House’s scale. Look at those juniors’ abilities. A few useless wastrels propping up a commercial empire? They don’t have it, okay?

That’s why they pushed their only girl, Yuchuge, to the front—to recruit a capable son-in-law.

“Dead girl, no matter where you run, I’ll dig you out!”

“I will. Absolutely.”