Chapter 25: I Heard You Are Pregnant

The entire hotel had been booked out by Ming Ziluo.

Inside, the atmosphere was stiflingly oppressive. Ming Ziluo sat with her legs crossed, surrounded on all sides by bodyguards. Kneeling before her was another bodyguard named Li Xing, who had been on watch that night.

As Ming Ziluo rose, the bodyguards instinctively recoiled, not daring to draw a full breath. Only one young man standing near her remained unmoved, his expression unreadable. This was Ye Zhengkai, her personal bodyguard. Having accompanied her through countless illicit deeds, Ming Ziluo relied on him heavily. Though he was tall and his features were unremarkable, he possessed a unique, commanding presence that could not be ignored.

"Explain this. What is the meaning of this photograph?" Ming Ziluo tossed the picture in front of Li Xing.

Upon seeing the photo, the color drained from Li Xing’s face. "Miss, I have no idea how this person managed to capture this. I..."

"Useless trash!" Ming Ziluo grabbed a glass bottle and smashed it against his head. The glass shattered instantly; blood gushed from Li Xing’s forehead, trickling down over his eyes. "Miss, please, don't kill me. Next time I will—"

"There will be no next time. Drag him away!" Ming Ziluo commanded sharply.

Li Xing cast a desperate, pleading look toward Ye Zhengkai. "Brother Ye, save me!"

"Ziluo, he..." Ye Zhengkai began.

"Shut your mouth!" Ming Ziluo pointed at him. "It’s all because of him that I’ve been questioned by A-Zhi. If I lose him, none of you will survive. Not a single one."

Ye Zhengkai tightened his jaw and said nothing more.

"Brother Ye! Brother Ye!" Li Xing was forcibly dragged away.

Ming Ziluo turned to Ye Zhengkai. "Go and investigate the source of this photo. Find out exactly who took it. I must find this person!"

"Understood," Ye Zhengkai replied before departing.

A day later, Ye Zhengkai informed Ming Ziluo that it had not been taken by a person, but by a drone. The drone had already been destroyed, leaving no trace of the operator.

***

In an attempt to appease Shen Zhi and win his favor, Ming Ziluo went to the market herself, picking out fresh vegetables and fish, intending to prepare a home-cooked meal for him.

While passing a fish stall, she overheard a woman asking the vendor, "Is this fish fresh? My Third Miss is pregnant and needs the best quality."

*Third Miss?*

Ming Ziluo paused and walked over to the woman. "The Third Miss you speak of—is her name Guan Yueyue?"

Hua Wen looked up. "You know our Third Miss?"

Ming Ziluo smiled. "We are friends. Perhaps we’ll even be relatives in the future. Is she truly pregnant?"

Hua Wen nodded. "Yes, she is. She’s been suffering from severe morning sickness lately."

Ming Ziluo replied, "Have you finished your shopping? I’ll come with you to visit her. I haven't seen her in quite a few days; I’ve missed her."

...

Upstairs, Guan Yueyue heard Hua Wen calling out, "Third Miss, come down quickly! Your friend is here to see you."

*A friend?* Did she have any friends other than Yuan Wu? Guan Yueyue opened the window and saw Ming Ziluo carrying a carton of milk as she followed Hua Wen into the living room.

It was actually Ming Ziluo.

Guan Yueyue had never imagined in her wildest dreams that the "friend" Hua Wen spoke of would be her romantic rival, Ming Ziluo.

"Yueyue," Ming Ziluo called out as she spotted her.

Guan Yueyue quickly composed herself and headed downstairs. "Sister Luo, what brings you here?"

Guan Yueyue was wearing a bright yellow hoodie a size too large for her, making her look like a delicate little kitten. She looked so beautiful and refined that even Ming Ziluo felt a strange urge to keep her all to herself. "I heard you were pregnant."