Chen Zhihan's face abruptly changed: "What?!"
"I've sent the photos over, but this matter concerns Third Young Master He. Miss Chen, it's best to be cautious."
The private detective was merely doing his job—no secret was too shocking—but he also knew who could and couldn’t be crossed.
Chen Zhihan hung up the phone and saw the photo sent via WeChat.
It was a picture of a couple walking hand-in-hand into a restaurant, the man in a black overcoat and the woman in an elegant oatmeal-colored cashmere coat—a strikingly well-matched pair.
The man turned slightly to speak to her, revealing only half his face, but his striking, arrogant handsomeness was unmistakable—none other than He Siyu.
Chen Zhihan’s fingers tightened around her phone, her expression twisting with fury.
That bitch Nan Sangning had actually managed to climb into He Siyu’s good graces!
Back then, Nan Sangning had used He Siyu as bait, tricking her into spending a fortune on a hotel keycard, only to end up in Du Yao’s room—binding her life to that worthless scum.
And now, the very instigator of her misery had somehow caught He Siyu’s eye!
Chen Zhihan gritted her teeth so hard her molars ached.
So what if Third Young Master He took an interest in her? It wasn’t like she could ever be anything more than a dirty little secret!
The He Family would never accept an upstart family like the Nans! At most, he was just amusing himself—there was no way he’d actually marry her! Chen Zhihan seethed with jealousy.
But alongside the jealousy came fear.
He Siyu wasn’t someone she could afford to provoke. The downfall of Lin Shuyan—she suspected He Siyu had a hand in it.
A shiver ran down Chen Zhihan’s spine, a sudden chill gripping her.
With Third Young Master He involved, she didn’t dare act recklessly.
But there was another matter…
Chen Zhihan clenched her jaw and stormed back into the villa.
With a loud bang, the door slammed against the wall, startling everyone inside.
Mrs. Chen scolded, "Have you no manners? Are you trying to tear the house down?"
Nan Siya, finally seeing an opportunity for revenge, sneered, "Zhihan, your temper is getting out of hand. You can get away with it here, but next month, you’ll be married into the Du Family. If you act like this there, don’t expect anyone to indulge you."
Nan Siya had swallowed her pride and returned to the Chen Family, forced to act meek.
She bitterly hoped Chen Zhihan would marry Du Yao—that worthless trash—and suffer a fate a hundred times worse than hers.
Chen Zhihan pointed a finger at her and laughed coldly, "At least I’m the Chen Family’s legitimate daughter. What right does a fake like you have to lecture me?!"
The room fell deathly silent.
Chen Zheng was stunned. "Zhihan, what are you talking about?"
Chen Zhihan raised her phone for everyone to see. "Hospital records from when Mrs. Nan gave birth twenty-two years ago—only one daughter was born. Not twins! Nan Sangning is the real Nan Family heiress. So what the hell is Nan Siya?"
Chen Zheng shot to his feet, staring at Nan Siya in shock. "H-how is that possible?"
Chen Guoan and Mrs. Chen’s expressions darkened.
Marrying into the Nan Family was already a step down for the Chens. And now, the Nans had the audacity to palm off a fake on them?!
Chen Zhihan scoffed. "If you don’t believe me, ask Nan Siya. She knows best."
Nan Siya paled, shaking her head. "N-no, that’s not true."
"Not true? The Nan Family only has one daughter. If you’re not the fake, then that wild girl they dug up from god-knows-where after twenty years must be the fake, right?" Chen Zhihan’s voice was sharp, her gaze venomous.
She was brimming with resentment toward the Nan Family, and someone had to bear the brunt of it.
Chen Zheng glared at Nan Siya. "Siya, is what Zhihan said true? If you lie to me again, I’ll go straight to the Nan Family to confirm it!"
This wasn’t hard to verify. The Nan Family had publicly claimed Nan Siya was one of twin daughters, which was why the Chen Family hadn’t called off the engagement.
Nan Siya frantically shook her head. "No! Mom and Dad love me like their own! They said I’ll always be a Nan Family daughter—"
Chen Zhihan cut her off with a derisive laugh. "Oh, so you admit it! The Nan Family really thinks nothing of us, daring to pass off a fake!"
The words struck Nan Siya like a knife. She leapt up, screaming, "I’m not a fake!"
Chen Guoan’s face darkened. "The Nan Family has gone too far! We were already doing them a favor by agreeing to this marriage, and they repay us with a counterfeit?"
Mrs. Chen’s gaze toward Nan Siya grew increasingly disdainful.
Tears welled in Nan Siya’s eyes as she turned to Chen Zheng. "Zheng-ge…"
Chen Zheng’s face twisted in anger. "So you’ve been lying to me all along? Nan Siya, I never thought you’d do something like this!"
Nan Siya trembled, her voice breaking. "I didn’t lie! Mom and Dad said I’d always be their daughter. You promised you’d love me no matter what—"
"Enough!" Chen Zheng snapped. "You’re playing the victim now? If people find out I married a fake Nan heiress, I’ll be a laughingstock!"
He might as well have married Nan Sangning instead!
Nan Siya stood frozen, her face ghostly pale, unable to utter another word.
---
Sangning had just finished a meeting when Xu Yan approached her. "Young Miss Nan, Mrs. Nan just called. She asked you to return home—something’s happened."
"What is it?"
"Something about the second young miss."
Sangning frowned slightly. "Tell her I’m busy with company matters today. No time."
She didn’t have the patience to listen to Nan Siya’s whining again.
"Understood."
---
At the Nan residence.
Wen Meiling’s expression soured when she received the call.
"Sangning says she’s tied up with work and can’t come back today."
Nan Siya’s eyes were red from crying. "Mom! Aren’t you going to stand up for me?"
Wen Meiling patted her hand soothingly. "Of course I want to help you, but Sangning handles all company affairs now—even your father can’t intervene. If we want to negotiate with the Chen Family, she’s the one who needs to step in."
After all, the only leverage the Nan Family had over the Chens was their business partnership.
The revelation that Nan Siya was a fake put the Nan Family in the wrong, and the only way to placate the Chens was for Nan Corporation to make concessions.
If Nan Sangning refused to back Nan Siya, the Chen Family would never respect or accept her.
Wen Meiling squeezed her hand. "Sangning is a responsible girl. As the eldest, she’s promised to take care of you and Chen. She won’t abandon you."
Nan Siya clenched her teeth. "I won’t beg her!"
---
At six in the evening, Sangning wrapped up a meeting at the project department and prepared to leave.
As she stepped out, she checked her phone and saw a message.
Third Young Master He: 【Off work yet?】
She typed: Ten minutes…
"Young Miss Nan." Xu Yan hurried over.
She locked her phone. "What is it?"
"The second young miss is here. She’s waiting for you in the guest lounge."
Sangning arched a brow.
She’d cracked sooner than expected. The Chen Family must have backed her into a corner.
"Alright." Sang Ning changed direction and took the elevator upstairs.
Pulling out her phone again, she typed: ["Still need an hour."]