When Jing Hongchen heard the butler say Wang Chen had been seen getting close with another girl, his first reaction wasn't anger—it was delight.
Every time he thought about his precious granddaughter, Meng Hongchen, losing her appetite and sleep because of that brat Wang Chen, even going so far as to argue with him, her grandfather, over him…
It made Jing Hongchen want to break that kid's legs.
To him, it was all Wang Chen's fault. His once well-behaved granddaughter had turned rebellious, and it had to be because of that brat's influence.
Jing Hongchen glanced at the butler. "Where did this news come from?"
The butler bowed. "Patriarch, it was passed along by one of the Sun family's gate guards. The Count's son, Sun Yu, bribed him to deliver it.
Originally, our steward intended to dismiss it outright, but since it involved Wang Chen, the report was passed to me."
He continued, "However, the account was filled with Sun Yu's personal bias, lacking accuracy.
So, I took the liberty of sending men to interrogate him. We've compiled a full record of what actually happened."
He handed a document to Jing Hongchen.
Jing Hongchen nodded in approval. To serve as the Hongchen family's butler, one naturally had to be extremely competent.
He opened the file and read. It detailed the entire event precisely—even the words exchanged between Wang Chen, Sun Yu, and Ye Guyi were faithfully recorded.
Most importantly, it stuck to the facts, with no opinions or speculation.
It was almost like reliving the scene in person.
Finishing it, Jing Hongchen understood the truth:
Wang Chen and that girl, Ye Guyi, had only met by chance. They had no connection whatsoever—not even friendship.
Jing Hongchen mused, "So Wang Chen, that brat… was he actually striking at Crown Prince Xu Tiannan's faction?"
An ordinary person might assume Wang Chen was acting out of lust or playing the hero saving a damsel.
But Jing Hongchen had met him and knew Wang Chen wasn't the type to meddle in every pretty girl's affairs.
Being an old fox, prone to conspiratorial thinking, Jing Hongchen immediately jumped to a deeper interpretation.
Still, none of that stopped him from using this to "prove" to his dear granddaughter that Wang Chen had eyes for someone else.
Jing Hongchen: (smirking) Wang Chen, you brat. Corrupting my granddaughter, are you? This time, I'll make Meng'er see that men out there are liars and scoundrels, and that only her grandfather truly has her best interests at heart. Then she'll return to being my sweet, obedient little granddaughter.
He instructed the butler: "Make arrangements. Ensure the young lady just happens to overhear that Wang Chen has been spending time with another girl."
The butler nodded and withdrew to carry it out.
Jing Hongchen knew well: if someone tells you something, you may doubt it. But if you discover it yourself, you'll believe it wholeheartedly.
That afternoon—
After finishing her classes, Meng Hongchen cheerfully left the academy, eager to relax and relieve her mental fatigue by shopping.
But going alone was boring. She decided to drag her older brother Xiao Hongchen along.
Xiao Hongchen's delicate, fair face twisted with reluctance. "Go by yourself. I need to work on my soul tools."
He had no desire to accompany her. Shopping meant being her walking wallet and servant.
Meng Hongchen puffed out her cheeks in protest. "Brother, if you don't come with me, I'll tell Grandpa you've been sneaking drinks from his wine stash while he's out."
At that, Xiao Hongchen's reluctance vanished. He broke into a nervous smile. "No, no, don't do that! I'll go with you, alright? Seriously, all you ever do is tattle. I can't win with you."
Meng Hongchen huffed proudly. "Then hurry up. And today, you're paying."
"Again?!" Xiao Hongchen groaned.
"If you don't want to, I'll pay myself. But…"
"Alright, alright, I'll pay," he sighed. "But this is the last time! Even if you tattle to Grandpa about the wine, I won't give in again."
"Deal," Meng Hongchen said with a triumphant grin.
She didn't care about the money—she just loved watching her brother reluctantly spend it.
So, the beaming Meng Hongchen and the dead-eyed Xiao Hongchen set off for Mingdu's most bustling commercial district, a Soul Saint protector trailing them in secret.
"Brother, look, this jewelry is gorgeous!" she said inside a boutique.
"Buy it," Xiao Hongchen said through clenched teeth, staring at the 10,000 gold soul coin price tag. He comforted himself: At least it can be used as material for a fifth-tier soul tool. Not a total waste.
"Brother, this soul tool toy is so fun!"
"Buy…"
"Brother, how's this dress look?"
"…It's alright."
"'Alright' means you're buying it! And you dare roll your eyes at me?!"
As Meng Hongchen flitted from shop to shop, happily buying everything in sight, she suddenly overheard a name—Wang Chen.
Her ears perked instantly, radar locked on.
The nearby conversation was staged—two men "casually" talking about how the Wang Marquis' heir, Wang Chen, had taken a liking to a beauty named Ye Guyi.
They claimed he'd even clashed in public with Count Sun Yu over her.
Of course, these two were plants, arranged by the Hongchen family butler. Without such staging, who in Mingdu would gossip about Wang Chen's private affairs?
Meng Hongchen: (!!!)
The words hit her like a thunderbolt. Her eyes widened, mouth agape in disbelief.
She and Wang Chen hadn't seen each other in just a few months… and he'd already found someone else?
Impossible. She refused to believe it. Her Wang Chen-gege couldn't possibly love another woman.
This Ye Guyi—she must've seduced him!
Beside her, Xiao Hongchen also listened.
His face darkened. "That brat Wang Chen dares chase another woman? Outrageous! I'll deal with him myself!"
Though his sister could be a headache, he still cared deeply for her.
The thought of Wang Chen betraying her enraged him. He was ready to storm the Wang estate immediately.
"Come, sister," he said, "let's go confront Wang Chen. I want to hear what he has to say for himself!"
But Meng Hongchen stood silent, head bowed, bangs shadowing her blue eyes.
Her spirit power surged unconsciously, a chilling aura radiating from her as her martial spirit manifested. Even Xiao Hongchen shivered.
"Sister, are you alright?" he asked nervously.
She slowly lifted her head. Her once-gentle blue eyes now gleamed with icy sharpness.
The change startled Xiao Hongchen. His mischievous little sister suddenly seemed like a stranger, cold and terrifying.
Meng Hongchen's heart burned with fury.
While she had been away from her Wang Chen-gege, this woman, Ye Guyi, dared to try to steal him?
She would see for herself what this woman was made of, to dare challenge her.
Fixing the two staged gossips with a glare, she demanded, "Do either of you know where Ye Guyi is?"
They shook their heads. "We only heard rumors. We don't know the details. Try asking elsewhere."
Having fulfilled their mission, they promptly left to collect their reward.
Meng Hongchen scowled, then turned on her heel and marched home.
If she couldn't find Ye Guyi on the street, she would use her family's resources to track her down.
Shopping? How could she think about that now, when her Wang Chen-gege was being stolen away?!
Xiao Hongchen hurried after her. "Wait for me, sister!"
A short while later—
Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen returned home and went straight to their grandfather.
Jing Hongchen was in his study, sipping tea while examining a complex soul tool blueprint.
The door burst open. Meng Hongchen strode in, face dark, Xiao Hongchen trailing behind.
One glance at his granddaughter's expression, and Jing Hongchen knew exactly what had happened.
Feigning ignorance, he asked kindly, "What's wrong, my dear granddaughter? Who upset you? Tell Grandpa—I'll handle it."
"Grandpa!" Xiao Hongchen said hotly. "You have to help your sister. That brat Wang Chen—" He launched into a full retelling of what they'd overheard in the market.
When he finished, Jing Hongchen turned to Meng Hongchen. "Meng'er, so Wang Chen likes another girl?"
Hearing it aloud, Meng Hongchen's lips trembled. She hadn't felt like crying in front of her brother, but with Grandpa there, her heart overflowed with grief.
It was like a child who falls—if no one sees, they get up on their own. But if Mom or Dad is there, they burst into tears.
Tears streamed down her face.
"Grandpa, it's all your fault! If you hadn't stopped me from seeing Wang Chen-gege, how could he have liked another woman? Wuwuwu… Grandpa, this is all your fault!"
Jing Hongchen froze, dumbfounded.
He had expected his granddaughter to rage against Wang Chen, to denounce him as a scumbag.
Never had he imagined she would react like this.
For all his cunning, he still didn't understand a young girl's heart.
When a girl truly loves someone, she doesn't let go easily. Sometimes she even deceives herself.
That was why many women, upon catching their boyfriends cheating, didn't attack the man but instead beat up the "other woman." And if the scoundrel apologized, they might even forgive him.
Now his granddaughter was weeping miserably, and Jing Hongchen could only clutch his forehead. A complete miscalculation…
How could she cling to that brat even after hearing this? It made no sense.
Then Meng Hongchen sobbed, "Grandpa, I want to see Wang Chen-gege! If you stop me again, I'll jump from Mingdu's tallest building!"
Jing Hongchen's mouth twitched.
If she met Wang Chen, she'd discover the truth: that he'd only met Ye Guyi once, with no feelings involved at all.
So he hastily tried to soothe her.
"Don't cry, my dear. Don't cry. Grandpa will investigate. Those rumors may not be true—just baseless gossip slandering Wang Chen.
Think carefully. Does Wang Chen strike you as the type to fall for every girl he sees?
Of course not. None of this has evidence. Remember, seeing is believing, hearing is doubting…"
Though he didn't understand her heart, Jing Hongchen was a master manipulator. His words worked wonders.
Meng Hongchen brightened, wiping away tears.
Grandpa, you're right—hearing is unreliable, seeing is believing.
So hurry and find out where Ye Guyi is. I want to ask her myself what's between her and Wang Chen-gege.