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Ming Qingcheng was taken aback. "It's okay, sister. You should get some rest. I won't." She was cut off as the door slammed shut in front of her, leaving a buzzing in her ears. "Look at that. She doesn't deserve your kindness one bit. She has no manners whatsoever. I can't fathom what Uncle and Aunt were thinking," Zhao Xuexian ranted from behind her. Ming Qingcheng turned, her face still graced with a sweet smile. "Our sister just isn't accustomed to our way of life yet. She'll adjust in time." Zhao Xuexian was frustrated but helpless, and she grumbled, "Well, I can't help but adore your kind-hearted nature, Qingcheng." She had already established a feud with Jiang Yining, so she might as well embrace the role of the antagonist. Next time, she would not be so negligent. "Jiang Yining, you wretch. Your time will come." "All right, everyone's had a long day. You should head back to your room and rest. I'm going to check in with our parents and let them know that our sister is all settled in," Ming Qingcheng said, her eyes glinting with a cunning light. After ushering Zhao Xuexian back to her room, Ming Qingcheng made her way to her parents' room on the third floor. Approaching the door, she noticed it was ajar, with voices spilling out. She instinctively pulled back her hand, holding her breath to eavesdrop. It was Ming Chengkang and Ye Tang in conversation. "Could you be overthinking this?" Ye Tang asked. "Whether I'm overthinking or not, we'll find out soon enough. Second Young Master Lyi has sent an invitation for our family to attend Old Master Lyi's birthday celebration in a month. Given Third Master Mu's relationship with Second Young Master Lyi, he's bound to be there. We'll send Yining along. If he takes a liking to her, great. If not, we've lost nothing," Ming Chengkang said. Ye Tang sounded surprised. "Are you suggesting we send her off to be a mistress? She's still our blood, after all." "Don't put it so crudely," Ming Chengkang said. "We're presented with an excellent opportunity. Are you really willing to pass it up? Besides, it's not easy to be a daughter of a wealthy family. Since we've taken her in and granted her the status of a rich man's daughter, she ought to contribute to the family in some way."

Ye Tang fell silent for a long while, her voice tinged with conflict. "But she's only seventeen. Isn't it too soon?" Ming Chengkang dismissed the concern. "She'll be 18 soon enough. Back in the old days, kids her age were already on their own." Ye Tang's silence deepened. When she finally spoke again, her tone seemed as much about persuading Ming Chengkang as it was about convincing herself. "That girl won't just do as she's told, will she? If she had been more sensible earlier, we wouldn't have suffered such embarrassment. And you still plan to take her to Old Master Lyi's birthday celebration? To offer her to Third Master Mu? Aren't you worried she'll turn everything upside down?" Ming Chengkang soothed her. "There's more than a month left. You have time to teach her properly." Ye Tang remained quiet. Ming Chengkang pressed on. "You don't need to tell her the whole truth. Just make her understand that alliances through marriage are common among the elite. Look at our Qingcheng. She's engaged to the Luo family's eldest grandson, isn't she? If, and I'm just saying if, Yining manages to charm Third Master Mu into marrying her and officially joining the family, it wouldn't be the worst outcome." Ming Qingcheng couldn't take in any more of their conversation. She was oblivious to how she even got back to her room. One thought consumed her. No. She couldn't allow Jiang Yining to get close to Third Master Mu. She couldn't let Jiang Yining be recognized by the family. There could only be one Miss Ming, and that had to be Ming Qingcheng.

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