Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Ying Ning stopped in her tracks.

She turned around, her dark eyes locked onto Ying Qingyan.

Ying Qingyan felt a twinge of guilt. *Why is she looking at me like that? Did she find out something?*

*Impossible. Ying Ning hasn’t even returned to her room yet. How could she know the necklace is missing?*

With that thought, Ying Qingyan managed to steady herself.

Ying Ning stepped closer to Ying Qingyan, arms folded as she asked, "Ying Qingyan, is there something you’re hiding from me?"

Ying Qingyan couldn’t meet her gaze, stammering, "Wh-what could I possibly be hiding from you?"

"She might as well have written 'thief' on her face!"

Ying Ning thought so too—her nerves were just too weak.

Seeing that Ying Ning didn’t push it, Ying Qingyan got cocky. "Ying Ning, don’t think just because this is your house, you can act like this!"

Ying Ning froze for a moment before letting out a mirthless laugh, her delicate face completely blank. "Act like *what*?"

Ying Qingyan was shocked by how fast she turned icy, her lips trembling as she failed to utter a single word.

Lin Tingyue kept scrolling on her phone.

"Actually, Ying Qingyan had been eyeing Ning Ning’s necklace the day she arrived. She asked Ning Ning’s parents—her uncle and aunt—for it, but they said it was Ning Ning’s personal property and she had to decide for herself. Of course, Ning Ning refused. It was a gift from her parents for her seventeenth birthday."

"Furious at the rejection, Ying Qingyan had been fuming. Today, during Mr. Ying’s birthday party, she went upstairs and noticed Ning Ning’s door wasn’t properly closed. That’s when she got the bright idea to steal it!"

Though angry, Ying Ning caught onto a crucial detail.

*She just stole it?*

*Then the necklace must still be on Ying Qingyan right now!*

Ying Qingyan was the flashy type. Since she had been coveting that necklace, wouldn’t she be parading it around now that she had it?

But then again, she probably knew she had obtained it through dishonest means. So when Ying Ning glanced over, she couldn’t see the necklace on her.

Still, she doubted Ying Qingyan would have hidden it carefully—though she didn’t have the right to search her.

Just then, Ying Ning noticed Ying Qingyan’s collar was pulled unusually high, as if deliberately concealing something.

Ying Qingyan, noticing Ying Ning’s stare, fussed with her collar nervously and snapped, "Ying Ning, what exactly do you want? Mark my words, I’ll go complain to your parents right now!"

*"She’s wearing the necklace around her own neck, and she dares to threaten to tattle?"*

Lin Tingyue was stunned. Was this the ultimate case of the pot calling the kettle black?

Ying Ning had intended to yank the necklace off directly, but she was a beat too late. By the time she reacted, Ying Qingyan had already run off.

Ying Ning immediately gave chase, with Lin Tingyue right behind her.

Ying Qingyan had planned to retreat to her room, but seeing Ying Ning and her friend right behind her, she gritted her teeth and made a beeline for her mother.

Qiu Yiwen, Ying Qingyan’s mother, took one look at her daughter’s flustered appearance and immediately assumed she’d been slighted. *Who would dare upset my daughter, other than those disrespectful distant relatives?*

Qiu Yiwen lowered her voice and asked, "Honey, did Ying Ning bully you?"

Ying Qingyan nodded with tears in her eyes. Just then, Ying Ning and Lin Tingyue arrived, and Ying Qingyan ducked behind Qiu Yiwen, shaking.

Qiu Yiwen saw red!

With a cold expression, she stepped in front of Ying Ning and demanded, "What are you doing?"

Before Ying Ning could speak, Qiu Yiwen immediately accused her, "Is this any way to treat guests? We traveled all the way from City C to attend Ying An's birthday—just a kid's birthday, yet we showed such sincerity. And what do you do? You openly bully my daughter!"

Ying Ning: "?"

She clenched her fists.

Say that again—who's bullying who here?

Qiu Yiwen's voice was loud enough to draw the attention of many nearby. Not far away, Ying Ning's mother, Gu Shaohua, her father, Ying Leyou, and Ying Qingyan's father, Ying Leshui, heard the commotion. They pushed through the crowd and quickly reached the scene.

Gu Shaohua understood at a glance—more drama from the main family. She was itching to throw them out.

Biting back her anger, Gu Shaohua asked, "You have the nerve to ask? Your precious daughter bullied our Qingyan."

Gu Shaohua instinctively denied it, "No way. Ning Ning would never bully Qingyan."

Qiu Yiwen blew up, "Are you saying I'm lying?"

Gu Shaohua replied icily, "I didn't say that. I meant we should clarify the situation first."

Ying Leshui also pulled Qiu Yiwen aside to avoid a scene, reminding her not to disrupt the event. After all, Ying An's birthday party had gathered some big shots in City A, and they were unfamiliar here—these were great contacts to have.

Qiu Yiwen gave in, though reluctantly.

The group, including Lin Tingyue, headed to the lounge. At the door, Lin Tingyue bumped into Ying An, who had just arrived.

Inside the lounge, Gu Shaohua looked at Ying Ning, who said, "Well, here's what happened. Last time, my cousin really liked my necklace, so I was going to gift-wrap it and give it to her today. But now it's missing. Cousin, I'm so sorry."

Ying Ning apologized sincerely.

Gu Shaohua shared a look with Ying Leyou—neither believed their daughter would willingly give away that necklace. If not, then she must be playing some game.

With the whole main family here, who was she trying to trap?

Ying Qingyan asked in disbelief, "You were going to give me the necklace?"

"Yes, cousin. It's my fault for being immature before, but now it's too late."

Ying Ning finished with a sorrowful expression.

"It's not too late, not too late!"

Ying Qingyan pulled the necklace out from under her collar and bragged, "Look, the necklace is already with me."

"Qingyan!" Qiu Yiwen nearly screamed, ready to grab the necklace from her daughter and hide it immediately.

Ying Ning had just said the necklace was missing, and now her daughter was producing it—didn't that just prove she took it?

Ying Qingyan looked at Qiu Yiwen in confusion. What was her mom's problem?

Ying Ning grabbed the necklace and said coldly, "Taking things without permission is theft. Don’t you get that, cousin?"

"What do you mean, 'taking things without permission is theft'? Ying Qingyan only knew the necklace she thought was hers was slipping away. "Didn’t you say you were going to give it to me? You’re such a liar—going back on your word!"

Ying Ning remained unmoved. "At least I’m not a thief like you."

"Who are you calling a thief? My parents said your branch’s stuff belongs to us. Not just the necklace—this whole villa should be ours!"

Ying Qingyan grew more confident as she spoke, thrusting her hand out toward Ying Ning. "Now! Hand it over!"

Ying Ning brushed her off and pocketed the necklace.

Ying Qingyan was furious. "You—you’ll regret this! Just wait till you’re screwed—you’ll pay for it!"

"Qingyan!"

This time, not just Qiu Yiwen but Ying Leshui was angry too.

He quickly turned to Ying Leyou. "Big brother, I failed to raise her right. Please don’t take it to heart."

Ying Qingyan flinched under Ying Leshui’s glare. It wasn’t fair—her parents got to speak freely, but she couldn’t?

Just when everyone thought the conflict had passed—

"Ying Qingyan’s parents really did teach her that—and they practiced what they preached."

What?

Ying Leyou and Gu Shaohua exchanged glances. If Ying Qingyan stole Ying Ning’s necklace, and Qiu Yiwen and Ying Leshui led by example… did that mean they had stolen something from the Ying family too?

This time, the main family had come under the pretense of Ying An’s birthday party, but their real goal was to break into A City’s market. In truth, Ying Leyou had long stopped caring about the distinction between main and branch families—their ties had grown increasingly distant over the years.

Still, they shared the same surname, so Ying Leyou promised to help them build connections and set up deals.

But Ying Leshui wasn’t satisfied. Ying Leyou then realized—they wanted him to hand them the company on a silver platter, preferably letting them sit back and collect profits.

As if such a thing were possible—money doesn’t grow on trees.

Ying Leyou’s tone cooled instantly. He even warned Ying Leshui that if the main family kept acting so high and mighty, their already struggling business in C City would face even greater difficulties.

Ying Leyou meant it as sincere advice, but to Ying Leshui, it came off as sarcastic.

If not for [reason], he’d have walked out already.

"Well… Ying Leshui has been working with Ying Corporation’s competitor, promising to steal confidential information."

How could they sink this low? Ying Leyou balled his fists.

"However, Ying Leshui didn’t succeed. But he does have recordings of Uncle Ying’s phone calls."

Ying Leyou declared firmly, "We’re calling the cops!"

The sudden, forceful statement startled Ying Leshui, who pasted on a smile. "Let’s not drag the police into this."

Gu Shaohua also insisted, "No—we must call the police."

Lin Tingyue didn’t go to the police station. After singing to Ying An and wishing her well, she left.

But the events of that day kept escalating, and by the next morning, they hit the news.

Lin Tingyue glanced at Lin Rusong, gathering that Ying Leshui had already been detained—charged with stealing trade secrets. No reputable company in A City would dare to work with them now. Who would partner with someone who acts friendly upfront but stabs you in the back?

Back at the Ying household.

Gu Shaohua muttered, still shaken, “That was close.”

Ying Leyou added, “Yeah, if they’d actually gotten away with it, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable.”

“But it’s not all bad,” Ying An cut in. “At least now we’ve completely cut ties with the main family.”

“Brother,” Ying Ning said, holding out an orange and leaning toward Ying An, her eyes blinking mischievously, “don’t you think you should really thank Tingyue-jie?”

Gu Shaohua and Ying Leyou came back to the conversation. Gu Shaohua said, “We definitely should show our gratitude. How about this, A-An—you call and invite Tingyue over for dinner.”

Ying An pointed at himself. “Me?”

Such an act!

Ying Ning nudged Ying An and said impatiently, “Who else? Did you forget what I told you? Don’t waste this chance.”

Ying An frowned. “Ying Ning, stop being so disrespectful here.”

Still, he went to make the call.

Ying Ning dramatically spread her hands in front of Ying Leyou and Gu Shaohua. See? He’s faking it so hard—like she hadn’t caught her brother’s barely-hidden smirk.

Ying An made the call outside the study, only to find out that Lin Tingyue had left with Lin Yuhuan.