"Chen Jin Zhao, she..."
Yu Mengzhi wanted to say something but found herself choked with emotion.
Chen Jin Zhao walked up to the woman. Her eyes were vacant, as if she didn't see Chen Jin Zhao and Yu Mengzhi. Yu Mengzhi's anxiety gradually subsided, and she glanced at Chen Jin Zhao beside her.
"Who is she?" Yu Mengzhi asked.
Chen Jin Zhao calmly replied, "You haven't heard of her name. But you might have heard of her father's name – Zheng Rong."
A flicker of shock crossed Yu Mengzhi's eyes.
The Zheng family had been rising stars in Ninghai City a few years ago, mainly dealing in medical equipment. But one night, their new mansion caught fire, and over a dozen family members perished.
"She, she's Zheng Rong's daughter, Zheng Xiuxiu?" Yu Mengzhi exclaimed.
She had investigated the details of the incident at the time.
The public announcement stated that all members of the family had died. How was Zheng Xiuxiu still alive? Yu Mengzhi felt a heavy pressure on her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
She remained silent, knowing that Chen Jin Zhao would explain.
A moment later.
Chen Jin Zhao finally spoke.
He said gravely, "At the time of the incident, Zheng Xiuxiu was only sixteen years old."
"That year, Zheng Rong was at the peak of his career. During a banquet, he clashed with Yu Lingxiao and even boasted of replacing the Yu family. Later, Yu Lingxiao targeted the Zheng family's assets, attempting to acquire Zheng Rong's company at a price several times lower than the market value. However, Zheng Rong sternly refused. Zheng Rong was a shrewd man; he knew that Jiangnan was the Yu family's stronghold and that he had no chance of survival if he fought against them in that region."
"So..."
"Zheng Rong planned to go to the capital to seek help from influential people. He didn't expect Yu Lingxiao to find out."
"Then, on a certain night, a man named Zhu Ziqian infiltrated the Zheng family's new mansion and brutally murdered over a dozen people, including Zheng Rong. However, he spared Zheng Xiuxiu's life, not out of mercy, but because your elder brother, Yu Shenxing, found Zheng Xiuxiu attractive. He then imprisoned her as a slave and tortured her for several years. After he grew tired of her, he disfigured her, broke her limbs, and abandoned her in a remote mountainous area."
Chen Jin Zhao's voice was filled with a profound sadness as he recounted these events.
"I forgot to mention."
"The Zhu Ziqian I mentioned earlier is a killer hired by Yu Lingxiao from overseas. He has been living in the Donghu Villa complex."
Yu Mengzhi was utterly stunned.
While she lived a life of luxury like a princess, Zheng Xiuxiu had endured the Yu family's cruelty!
It also meant that the dress she wore was stained with the blood of others.
By now, Yu Mengzhi's last shred of hope had vanished. She slowly accepted this harsh reality. The item Yu Lingxiao wanted her to retrieve from Chen Jin Zhao was likely related to these events.
"You know, the Yu family's wrongdoings are not limited to this," Chen Jin Zhao said.
"So..."
"Do you still want that item back? If you haven't changed your mind, I can give it to you now."
Chen Jin Zhao was not joking.
Yu Mengzhi looked at him weakly and found him strangely unfamiliar, with a hint of chilling intensity in his eyes.
Perhaps, this was the true Chen Jin Zhao.
"You want me to calm down. I truly don't know what to do when faced with something like this," Yu Mengzhi said hesitantly, which was also her genuine feeling.
Chen Jin Zhao nodded and did not press further.
They left the mental hospital after half an hour. Yu Mengzhi seemed utterly drained, making Chen Jin Zhao wonder if he had been too aggressive.
He shook his head gently.
The time had come to eradicate the Yu family, this malignant tumor. Any further leniency would be unforgivable.
Whether she accepted it or not was ultimately Yu Mengzhi's choice.
Yu Mengzhi left alone, not asking for the item from Chen Jin Zhao. The gap between her ideals and reality was unbearable. She nearly got into a car accident on her way home, which jolted her awake.
She pressed the accelerator, determined to go home and get answers!
Yu Family Manor.
Yu Lingxiao was delighted to see his granddaughter return, wondering if she had obtained the item so quickly.
But as Yu Mengzhi approached, Yu Lingxiao immediately noticed the deep anger and a complex mixture of emotions on her face.
She had failed!
Yu Lingxiao lowered his eyelids, intending to hear what Yu Mengzhi had to say before deciding on his next move.
"Grandpa, I didn't get the item back," Yu Mengzhi stated directly.
"Oh?"
"Why? He refused to give it to you?" Yu Lingxiao raised his eyes.
Yu Mengzhi shook her head, clenching her fists. "No, he was willing to give it to me, but I refused. Because I already know what it is, and I can't bear the guilt. I cannot do this."
Yu Lingxiao was inwardly furious, considering Yu Mengzhi overly sentimental.
"That item is crucial to our Yu family. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could cause immense damage to our family. Therefore, I need you to retrieve it. I will agree to any conditions you propose," Yu Lingxiao said, suppressing his anger, his tone bordering on a command.
Yu Mengzhi looked up sharply, staring intently at Yu Lingxiao.
"Why?!"
"This path is clearly wrong. Why are you still so stubborn? I met someone today, and she made me feel as if every breath I take is filled with sin."
"I truly cannot do it. Ask someone else!"
Yu Lingxiao realized that Yu Mengzhi's personality was too strong and regretted not having tempered her spirit earlier, leaving him with no other options.
He said in a deep voice, "Mengzhi, the Yu family is not just a few people. Yes, I admit that past actions were wrong, but as pawns in the hands of those people, what right do we have to resist fate? Don't forget, your comfortable life, your travels across countries, and your top-tier education were all thanks to the great tree that is the Yu family. If you don't save the Yu family from this dire situation now, wouldn't you be an ungrateful wretch?"
Yu Mengzhi's body trembled slightly. These words struck a chord within her.
However.
How could she choose to collude with evil when confronted with such wickedness?
"Yu Mengzhi, you're being too stubborn. Among the prominent families today, how many are truly clean? In the dark corners unseen by the sun, unimaginable filth festers," Yu Lingxiao stated.
"Compared to them, what is our Yu family?"
Yu Mengzhi's eyes were filled with confusion. Her convictions were wavering, and she began to understand why Chen Jin Zhao was so determined to confront these powerful families.
As a member of one of these prominent families, Yu Mengzhi felt an insurmountable distance suddenly open between herself and Chen Jin Zhao.
"Grandpa, you don't need to say any more."
"I know what I have to do, but I cannot go to Chen Jin Zhao. I will find Qin Fengwu to talk to him at some point. With the Qin family's involvement, there's nothing that cannot be resolved. Are you satisfied now?"
Yu Mengzhi managed a bitter laugh.
Without waiting for Yu Lingxiao to say anything, she turned and left.