Yi Jing secretly observed Old Master Yi’s expression, feeling a mixture of surprise, shock, and a touch of apprehension.

She had no idea whether Old Master Yi’s current mood was genuine kindness!

This uncertainty was unsettling. Although the old man seemed harmless for now, he looked like the kind of person who would talk about the past while simultaneously eliminating someone…

Yi Jing wasn’t keen on approaching him, but the old man’s speech continued, leading to the introduction of her.  Yi Jing had no choice but to take a deep breath and walk towards the center of the crowd.

—It’s okay, it’s okay. Most people have one or two darkest moments in their lives; you just have to get through them.  Once I survive this and successfully integrate into the Yi family, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to save myself and rescue Yu Miao!

Yi Jing resolutely walked towards Old Master Yi, and his words conveniently steered the attention to her.  A spotlight, seemingly appearing from nowhere, shone on Yi Jing, drawing all eyes to her as she steadily advanced.

Yi Jing reached a spot near the old man. Just as she was about to receive a champagne glass from Old Master Yi’s assistant—still quite far from the center of the banquet hall—the heavy main doors suddenly opened.

The abrupt sound stole the show, shifting the focus of attention.

Yi Jing was a little bewildered, and Old Master Yi frowned in displeasure.

The next moment, an uproar erupted from the doorway. Screams from the crowd spread from the entrance to the center of the hall, rippling through the banquet hall like waves.

Yi Jing sensed something was terribly wrong. She discreetly glanced at Old Master Yi’s face, finding his expression extremely grim.

Something really happened?

Yi Jing was surprised, but within seconds, the crowd spontaneously cleared a space as if frightened by a wild beast.  A casual glance revealed a bloody, human-shaped figure sprawled before the banquet hall’s entrance.

Yi Jing froze.

A person?

Was that a person?

Oh no… this is a serious incident.

Three days after the banquet, shortly after the bloody figure barged in, the seemingly tense mansion had returned to a state of calm.

There were no announcements, no explanations, not even a single piece of news.

It was like a deep pool of water; a life lost only caused a slight ripple on the surface, quickly disappearing.

The banquet, meant to introduce Yi Jing to everyone, ended abruptly.  During her idle moments, Yi Jing observed everyone she encountered in the manor, but found almost no one with an uneasy expression.

However, she still remembered the long trail of blood left behind when the person was dragged away.

Yi Jing was suspicious, but as a newcomer, even if she wanted to investigate, no one would let her participate. She could only observe and guess.

Judging by the current situation, Old Master Yi must be agonizing over how to cover up the incident.

…In fact, the whole thing was highly unusual.

A prominent family like the Yi family, located in the city center, would undoubtedly prioritize its security.  The Yi family manor, at first glance, seemed to have excellent security measures.

Yet, a severely injured person managed to break into the very heart of this heavily guarded manor, especially during such an important banquet—it was simply absurd.

The guests at the banquet were all wealthy and influential, each valuing their life.  If a severely injured person could unexpectedly appear, couldn’t a team of mercenaries also suddenly appear?

Yi Jing knew that Old Master Yi must be extremely stressed.

Perhaps, more than the loss of life, maintaining the Yi family’s reputation was Old Master Yi’s priority.

As for that person…

Yi Jing recalled the bloody figure again.  The figure seemed male, dressed in dark clothes that revealed no distinguishing features… now that she thought about it, it seemed like a deliberate attempt to keep a low profile…

Yi Jing unconsciously frowned, then recalled Old Master Yi’s expression when the injured person rushed into the hall.

No one seemed shocked at that moment.

Even the seemingly restless young uncle displayed only impatience and annoyance…

Could there be something more to this incident?

“…Hello? Hello?”

Yi Jing was startled, her attention drawn back by the voice.

Opposite her sat a young girl, bearing a faint resemblance to Yi Jing in appearance and temperament, but her demeanor was more naive and frivolous.

“What are you thinking about?  Let’s play chess,” the girl said, tapping the chessboard between them.

“Oh.” Yi Jing glanced at her, responded, and after scanning the chessboard, casually placed a piece.

According to Yi Jing’s understanding, the technological level of this world had reached the point of widespread holographic technology, yet the wealthy here were obsessed with offline, real, and tedious intellectual games…

…Apparently, it’s considered more elegant.

“You’re quite good at chess,” the girl said, picking up a piece. “How does it feel? This chessboard is made of Yun Ding wood; the surface glaze alone took over ten years to cultivate.  Nice feel, right?  And this chess jar and the pieces are a set.  The jade and wood are top-notch. It’s hard to find such an antique set now. I went to great lengths to get it.  Nice texture, right?”

Yi Jing: …

She knew it.

The chess itself wasn’t important; high-end extravagance is about spending a fortune on things ordinary people will never have the chance to experience.  The wealthy avoid readily available items—things without exclusivity aren’t elegant enough.

Yi Jing took a sip of tea, ignoring the new world’s way of showing off wealth, and continued to ponder the recent events.

The Yi family matter’s impact was unknown, but her aunt was involved, leaving her with no time to spare. The girl in front of her was sent by her aunt to keep her company.

Keeping her company… it was probably also a way to introduce her to the Yi family.

Yi Jing slightly raised her eyes, looking at the other girl over the rim of her teacup.

Actually… it would be perfectly reasonable to try and extract some information from her, wouldn’t it?

The girl opposite her was named Yi Heng, the same generation as her, also an alpha, a year younger than Yi Jing’s stated age, currently studying at the Allied Elite University of the Territory.

Yi Heng was supposedly a descendant of one of the several maternal great-aunts and paternal great-uncles who had supported Old Master Yi’s rise to power. She was a marginal figure who rarely got involved in anything, her sole occupation being eating, drinking, and having fun, with a terrible academic record and major.

—A typical spoiled heiress from a prominent family.

Although distantly related and rarely interacting, Yi Heng had grown up in the Yi family manor and should know some things…

She had just arrived in the Yi family’s environment and didn’t know where to start asking questions. Yi Heng was the only breakthrough.

Yi Jing rubbed the chess piece in her hand, thought for a while, and casually asked, “The incident the other day was quite a stir; it hasn’t been resolved yet.”

“Oh… isn’t that normal?  It’s always been this slow.  How can these things be fast?” Yi Heng didn’t seem surprised at all, still focusing on the chessboard.  Mid-sentence, she looked up at Yi Jing. “But I’m quite surprised you didn’t intervene this time.”

“What?” Yi Jing was startled, looking at Yi Heng in confusion.

Should I have intervened?

“Don’t you always love to meddle in these things?” Yi Heng placed a piece, then began collecting the pieces. “Wherever there’s a case, your shadow is always there. Even if you can’t get credit, you’ll intervene.  Even Big Aunt says you were born to be in the judicial system.”

Yi Jing was stunned.

No, she only knew from the profile that this identity was an elite, with excellent academic performance and a brilliant resume during her time at a judicial institution. Her ID photo also showed that the original character was not someone with a good temper, but she didn’t expect this.

Then wouldn’t it be even more natural for her to do whatever she wants to do in the future?

Yay!

Punish them all!!

But she still needed to deal with the current situation.

Yi Jing thought for a moment and said, “Grandfather is still here; it’s not my turn to take the spotlight. Besides, Aunt is by my side.”

Yi Jing bet fifty cents that her aunt, with her smooth style, would never approve of Yi Heng’s description of her ‘meddling in everything’ approach.

Sure enough, Yi Heng laughed, “Oh, you’re not like the rumors say. Others say you’re cold and never play with us useless people… it seems not to be the case.”

Yi Jing took a sip of tea and remained silent.

She felt it was difficult to continue the conversation.

Yi Heng, like many others related to the Yi family, seemed to assume that Yi Jing would understand many details and that there was no need to elaborate, such as the phrase ‘How can these things be fast?’.

Yi Jing really wanted to know why it couldn’t be fast, what the Yi family was covering up, but she dared not ask. She was afraid that asking such questions about the Yi family’s unspoken consensus would expose her.

Yi Jing struggled for a long time before changing the subject: “I saw a strange woman in the manor the other day, not like the family’s servants. Did a new guest arrive?”