Chapter 26: The True and False Heiress 26

"I am the one who kidnapped you."

Huai Ying dropped the bombshell with airy nonchalance. Bai Jinwei could not believe her ears, staring at her captor in a daze.

"Y-you, what did you say?"

"I worked with others to kidnap you," Huai Ying admitted candidly. With a flick of her hand, the ropes binding her fell away. She walked slowly toward Bai Jinwei and reached out to tilt the woman’s chin upward, searching her eyes for a reaction. All she found, however, was bewilderment.

"Why would you do this?" Bai Jinwei felt only confusion. She could no longer fathom what was going on in Huai Ying’s head.

"Because I hate you." Huai Ying pondered for a moment before speaking in a mechanical tone. "You took everything that belonged to me, and now I want my revenge. I want to destroy you completely. I want everyone to know that I am the true daughter of the Bai family. Someone like you belongs in the dirt."

After saying this, she felt she hadn't been fierce enough. She lifted her chin, looking down at the other woman with an air of superiority, and even bared her teeth at her.

Xiao Hong, who had been trying to intervene, covered her face at this sight. *Does the boss really think she looks terrifying like this?* The lines she was reciting were the ones Xiao Hong had provided for her just a while ago. And frankly, she was truly ill-suited for acting.

Xiao Hong turned to look at Bai Jinwei. She refused to believe that Bai Jinwei would buy this. Sure enough, Bai Jinwei’s face remained blank, a whirlwind of questions flashing through her mind. *What is Huai Ying doing? Is she trying to be fierce with me? Should I play along? How am I supposed to play along? Should I be heartbroken? Or angry?*

Expressions of sorrow and rage flickered across Bai Jinwei’s face. She struggled for a long time without deciding how to respond. *Should I bare my teeth back at her? This is so hard!*

Although Xiao Hong didn't know what Bai Jinwei was thinking, the look on the woman's face and the way her favorability points kept climbing told her everything: Bai Jinwei, just like her, found Huai Ying adorable. After all, who wouldn't be fond of a little kitten baring its tiny claws at them? It would only lead to favoritism, never anger.

"Xiao Hong, what’s the favorability score?" Huai Ying whispered inwardly. She had acted the part; surely the woman would be disappointed and hate her now. A sense of anticipation filled Huai Ying’s heart.

Instead, she heard Xiao Hong cough and reply with feigned calm, "Ninety-three."

*W-what?* Huai Ying nearly choked on her own saliva. Did she hear that right? How could it have gone up? She couldn't help but study Bai Jinwei. *Is this woman a masochist?* A sense of weariness washed over her. Why were the people in this world so strange? She was genuinely trying to be intimidating!

Sensing Huai Ying’s foul mood, Bai Jinwei hesitated before testing the waters. "Are you waiting for me to play along? What do you want me to do? Should I be angry or heartbroken? I can do either. I think my acting is quite good; I’ll definitely satisfy you."

"Who asked you to play along?" Huai Ying’s emotions spiked. "Do you not understand the situation? I kidnapped you, I’m going to hurt you, and I might subject you to all sorts of cruel treatment later. Aren’t you angry? Aren’t you furious? Don’t you want revenge?" That was how basic human logic was supposed to work, right?

"So, I should be angry? Furious? Is that it?" Bai Jinwei’s expression shifted to one of sudden realization. She straightened her face, cleared her throat, and put on an indignant mask. "Huai Ying, how could you do this to me? You’ve gone too far. Do you know this is illegal? I was so good to you, yet you kidnapped me. I won’t let you get away with this! You had better release me immediately, or I will make you regret crossing me." She then lowered her voice and asked, "Are you satisfied with that?"

Whatever Huai Ying’s state of mind was, Xiao Hong was left speechless. *What is even happening?* She gave up, slumping to the side. She decided to just lie flat for this mission; it seemed she would finish it before long.

Huai Ying fell silent. She reached out, gripped Bai Jinwei’s throat, and her gaze grew cold. "Do you really think I can’t do anything to you? It’s not like I haven’t killed before."

Her hand tightened slowly. Bai Jinwei began to choke, her face flushing red, yet a smile remained on her lips. The scene was deeply unsettling. Seeing Huai Ying applying more pressure, Xiao Hong panicked. She rushed forward, shouting loudly, "Don't do anything reckless! She’s the heroine of this world—if something happens to her, the mission fails!"

"Wouldn't failure be better? Then this world would just collapse," Huai Ying retorted with disdain.

A flash of understanding crossed Bai Jinwei’s eyes. It seemed her suspicion was correct. She struggled, trying to speak. Seeing this, Huai Ying loosened her grip, expecting to hear words of hatred. Instead, the woman rasped, "That’s right. If this world collapsed, that would be wonderful. If I were to die by your hands, I would only be grateful."

Xiao Hong froze. She looked down at the main system, dumbfounded. She couldn't comprehend this at all! Could someone tell her what was going on? Why was Bai Jinwei’s favorability still rising? Under normal circumstances, it was nearly impossible to climb past ninety. Bai Jinwei was at ninety-five.

Watching Huai Ying tighten her grip once more, Xiao Hong screamed, "Boss, don't kill her! Her favorability is at ninety-five, and she’s obsessed with the idea of dying by your hands. Are you really going to grant her wish so easily? Boss, as the ultimate villain, you can’t be that helpful!"

It must be said, Xiao Hong truly knew how to handle Huai Ying. In the next moment, Huai Ying released her grip, leaving Bai Jinwei to clutch her chest and cough violently.

"Are you not afraid of death?" Huai Ying truly couldn't understand. Bai Jinwei’s behavior was often inexplicable. What was she missing?

"Sometimes, living is more terrifying than dying," Bai Jinwei said with a bitter smile. She looked up, meeting Huai Ying’s eyes directly. "If I could die at your hands, I would only consider myself lucky."

"Why?" For the first time, Huai Ying felt a genuine sense of doubt.

"Because, of course..." Bai Jinwei began eagerly, but her mouth hung open, unable to utter another word. She tried desperately to cry out, but not a sound emerged. In the end, only a bitter smile remained on her face. "Many things are not as simple as they appear on the surface. Perhaps one day, you will understand."

This scene, however, only caused Huai Ying to frown deeper. Why did it feel so familiar?

As Huai Ying struggled with her thoughts, the door was pushed open. Lu Ziming walked in slowly, a conspiratorial smirk playing on his lips. "Miss Bai, it’s been a long time."